Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-01

blight over the whole face of what was
once smiling and an easy-living land.
At last ! found myself within half
days journey of the city of Atlantis tt
sell, with the Sacred Mountain and its
ring OF fires looming high beside it,
and the call for caution became trebly
aocentusted. Everywhere evidences
showed that the country had been
drained of Its fighting men. Every
where women prayed that the battles
might end with the rout of the priests
or the killing of Phorenice, SO that the
wretehed land might have peace and
time to lick its wounds.
An army was investing the Sacred
Mountain, and Its one approach was
most narrowly guarded. Even after
having 1ourneyed so far, 1t seemed as
1t should have to sit hopelessly down
without being able to carry out the or
ders which had been laid upon me by
the high council, and earn the reward
which had been promised. Force
would be useless here. l should have
one good fight-a gorgeous fight-one
$3.50 - SAuss Oh aAAAyS dno II uSS1ul-
ness would be ended. No; this was
the occasion for guile, and 1 found
covert in the outskirts of wood, and
lay there cudgeling my brain for q
plan.
In that covert of the woods lay q
day and night raging with myself for
not discovering some plan to get with
n The lsSsnssa ct the Sacred Mountain.
bat in the morning which followed
there came man towards me running.
You need not threaten me with
your veapons.s he cried. II mean no
harm. II seems that you are Deucalion,
though should not have known you
myself In those rags and skins. and be-
hind that tangle Of hair and beard.
Lasmon laid command on me. He
came to my house. asked his pleas
ure. 1t was to find you when you came
In here from some distant part of the
land and deliver to you his message.
Then tell me the message said l..
"Tou are to make great blaze. You
may fire the grasses of the plain in
front OF this wood If you choose. And
ON the night which follows you are to
go round to that flank of the Sacred
Mountain away from the city where
The rocks run down sheer, and there
they will lower rope and haul you up
to their hands above"
He took himself off then, and 7
wasted no more precious time. The
grass blazed up for signal almost be-
fore the messengers heels were clear
OF 1t; and that night, when the dark
ness gave me cover, took the risk of
what beasta might be proving, and
went to the place appointed. There
was no rope dangling. but presently
one came down the smooth cliff-face
like some slender snake. / made a
loop. slipped it over a leg. and pulled
hard as signal. Those above began
to haul. and so / went back to the Sa-
| cred Mountain after an absence of so
many toilsome and warning years.
There were none to disturb the ascent.
Phorenice's troops had no thought to
guard hatgaunt, bare, seamless preci-
pice.
The men who hauled me up were old,
and painted heavily with their task,
and, until I knew the reason, won
dered why knot of younger priests
had not been appointed for the duty.
But put no question. With us Of the
Priests clan on the Sacred Mountain
It is always taken as granted that
when an order is given it is given for
the best. Besides, these priests did
not offer themselves to question. They
took me of at once to Zaemon, and
that is what could have wished.
The old man greeted me with the
royal sign. "All hail to Deucalion," he
cried. liking OF Atlantis, duly called
thereto by the high council Of the
priests
Then being king, can speak with.
out seeming to make use Of a threat.
I must have my queen first, or am not
strong enough to give my whole mind
to this ruling"
"She shall be brought here"
"Sol Then will be general now
and see to the defenses of this place
and view the men who are here to
stand behind them"
Invent out OF the dwelling then, Zae.
mon giving place and following me. It
was night still, but there is no darkness
on the upper part of the Sacred Noun.
tain. A ring Of fires, fed eternally
from the earth-breath which wells UP
from below, burns round one-half o.
the crest, lighting it always as bright
as day, and intact forming no small
part of its fertilization. Indeed, It is
said that in the early dawn Of histor,
men first came to the mountain as q
stronghold because of the natural de
Tense which the fres offered.
There is no bridging these fame.
or smothering them. On either side
OF their line for a hundred pace.
the ground glows with heat, anc
man would be turned to asl
who tried to Cross it. Round full
one-haf of the mountain slopes tn,
hres make a rampant unbreakable
and on the other side the rocks ru1
In one sheer precipice from the cres1
to the plain which spreads beyond it.
foot. But 1t is on this farther sid.
that there is the only entrance wa,
which gives passage to the crest O
the Sacred Mountain from below
Running diagonally up the steep fac,
OF the cliff is gigantic assure, which
succeeding ages las man has grown
more luxurious) have made NOR,
easy to climb.
/ Looking at the additions, in tn,
ancient days. / can we'll imagine tina
none but the most daring could hav,
made the ascent. But one generatio,