Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-10-29

my mind to the necessary clearness
for following these abstruse studies.
During that voyage home from Yucca
tan had communed with them with
growing insight; but now my mind
was not my own. Nais had lien upon
it, and refused to be ousted; and, in
truth, her sweet trespass was my
chief solace.
But at last my longing could no
further be denied. Through one of
the arrow-sht windows of my tree
house could see far away IA great
mountain-top whitened with perpet-
ual snow, which our Lord the Sun
dyed with blood every night of His
setting. Night after night used to
watch that ruddy light with vide
straining eyes. Night after night 1
used to remember that in days agone
when was entering upon the priest
hood it had been my duty to adore
our great Lord as He rose for His day
behind the SHOWS of that very noun
tain. And always the thought fol-
lowed on these musings that from
that distant crest could see across
the continent to the Sacred Mount
which had the city below it where
had buried my love alive.
So at last I gave way and set out,
and perilous journey I made of it.
In the heavy mists which hung always
on the lower ground, my way lay blind
before me, and was constantly los
ing 1t. Indeed, to say that 1 trav-
ersed three times the direct distance
is setting low estimate. Through
out all those swamps the great lizards
hunted, and as the country was new
to me I did not know places of har-
Dor, and hundred times was within
an ace of being spied and devoured at
mouthful. But the high gods still
desired me for their own purposes,
and blinded the great beasts eyes
when skunk to cover as they passed.
Twice rivers of scalding water roared
boiling across my path, and had
to delay till could collect enough
black timber from the forests to build
RATS that would give me dry ferri-
age.
It will be seen then that my jour
ney was in a way infinitely tedious, but
to me, after all those years of wait
ing, the time passed on winged feet. l
had been separated from my love till
could bear tho strain no longer; let
me but see from distance the place
where she lay, and feast my eyes upon
it for awhile, and then could go back
to my abode in the tree and there re-
main patiently awaiting the will of
the gods.
The air grew more chilly as began
to come out above the region of trees,
on to that higher ground which glares
down on the rest of the world, and l
made buskins and coat of woven
grasses to protect my body from the
cold, which began to blow upon me
keenly. And later on, where the snow
lay eternally, and was blown into gull
lies and frozen into solid banks and
bergs Of ice, had hard work to make
any progress among its perilous mazes,
and was, moreover, so numbed by the
chill that my natural strength was
vastly weakened. Overhead, too, fol-
lowing me up with forbidding swoops,
and occasionally coming so close that
had to threatenit with my weapons,
was one of thosehuge man-eating birds
which live by pulling down and carry
| ing off any creature that their in
stinct tells them is weakly and likely
soon to die.
But the lure ahead of me was strong
enough to make these difficulties seem
small, and though the air of the noun
tain agreed with me i'll, causing sick
ness and painting, pressed on with
what speed I could muster towards
the elusive summit. Time after time
| thought the next squirt would surely
bring me out to the view for which my
soul yearned, but always there seemed
another bank of snow and ice yet to be
climbed. But at last / reached the
crest, and gave thanks to the most
high gods for their protection and
| favor.
Far, far away could see the Sacred
| Mountain with its ring of fires burning
pale under the day, and although the
I splendid city which nestled at it's foot
could not be seen from where l stood,
knew its position and I knew it's
| plan, and my soul went out to that
throne of granite in the square before
the royal pyramid, where once, years
before. had buried my love. Had
Phorenice left the tomb unviolated?
stood there leaning on my spear,
filling my eye with the prospect, warm
ing even to the smoke of mountains
that recognized an old acquaintance
Gods! how my love burned within me
for this woman! My whole being
seemed gone out to meet her, and to
leave room for nothing beside. For
long enough voice seemed dimly to
| e. +