Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-10-04

engine. We saw him to be old, with
white hair that tumbled on his shout
ders, and long white beard, un-
trimmed and uncurled. Save for wisp
OF rag about the loins, his body was un-
clothed, and glistened in the wet.
But in his hand he held that which
marked his caste. With 1t he pointed
his sentences, and at times he whirled
1t about, bathing his wet, naked body
in halo of light. It twas wand whose
tip burned with an unoonsaming FIRE,
which glowed and twinkled and blazed
like some star lent down by the gods
from their own place In the high
heaven. It was the symbol Of our
Lord the Sun, a credential no one could
forge, and one on which no civilized
man would cast doubt.
Indeed, the ragged frantic crew did
not question for one moment that he
was member Of the Clan Of Priests,
the clan which from time out of num-
berdng has given rulers for the land.
and even in their loudest clamors they
freely acknowledged his powers.
"You may kill US with your magic, If
you choose" they screamed at him.
But stubbornly they refused to come
back to their old allegiance. eve have
suffered too many things these later
years." they cried. "We are done with
rulers now for always"
But for myself saw the old man
with different emotion. Here was
Zaemon that was father to Nails, Zae-
mon that had seen me yesterday seat
ed on the divan at Phorenice's elbow,
and who to-day could denounce me as
Deuoaion if so he chose. These rebels
had expended a navy in their wish to
kill me four days earlier, and If they
knew Of my nearness. even though
Nais were my advocate, her cold rea-
soning would have little chance of an
audience now. The high gods who
keep the tether of our lives hide their
secrets we'll, but Ibid not think it i'm
pious to be sure that mine was very
near the cutting then.
The beautiful woman saw this too.
She even went SO far as to Irvine her
fingers in mine and press them as d
farewell, and pressed hers in return,
for was sorry enough not to see her
more. Still, could not help letting
my thoughts travel with grim gloat-
ing over the fine mound of dead I
should build before these ragged, un-
skilled rebels pulled me down. And it
was inevitable this should be so. For
of all the emotions that can ferment
In tho hmm n h aar <ha low of efr{f. :,
keenest, and none but an old fighter,
face to face with what must necessari-
~ be his final battle, can tell how deep
this lust is embroidered into the very
foundations of his being.
But for the time Zaemon did not see
me, being too much wrapped In his
cutlery, and 50 was free to listen to
the burning words which he spread
around him, and to determine their eff
feet on the hearers.
When he had finished came the turn
ing point Of my life. At first, like,
take it, everyone else in that crowd,
imagined that the old man, having
finished his mission, was making a
way to return to the place from which
he had come. But he held steadily to
one direction, and as that was towards
myself, 1T naturally came to my mind
that, having dealt with greater things,
he would now settle with the less,
or, in palmer words, that hav-
ing put his policy before the
swarming people, he would now
smite down the man he had seen
but yesterday seated as Phorenice's
minister. Well, / should lose that final
fight / had promised myself, and that
mound Of slain for my funeral bed. 1t
was clear that Zaemon was the mouth
piece of the Priests clan, duly APP
pointed; and also was priest. If
the word had been given on the Sacred
Mountain to those who sat before the
Ark of the Mysteries that Atlantis
would prosper more with Deucalion
sent to the gods, was ready to bow
to the sentence with submissiveness.
That I had regret for this mode of
cutting off, will not deny. No man
who had practiced the game of arms
could abandon the promise of such a
gorgeous final battle without qualm
Of longing.
But had been trained enough to
show none of these emotions on my
face, and when the old man came up
to me. stood my ground and gave
him the salntation prescribed be:
tween our ranks, which he returned
to me with circumstance and ac.
curacy. The crowd fell back, be-
ing driven away by the ineffable
force of the symbol, leaving us
alone In the middle of ring. Even
Nais, though she was q priests
daughter, was ignorant of the mys-
teries, and ! could not Withstand its
force. And So we two men stood there
alone together, with the glow Of the
symbol bathing us and lighting up
the sea of rayenous faces that watched
The people were quick to put their
natural explanation on the scene. "a
spy!" they began to roar out. "a spyl
zaemon salutes him as priest!"
Iaemon faced round ON them with
q queer look on his grim old face.
"Aye," he said, this is priest. Ii
give you his name, you might have fur
Their interest. This is the Lord Deu,
Gallon"
: 49, . .1;-----shs.s--..