Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-03-26
. . The D .
Lost Continent
By CUTCLlFFE HYNE.
CHAPTER XIV.
e1EGE OF THE SACRED MOUNTA]
Pub. by Harper Bros. Copyright, iso BY cuteli Iyns

CHAPTER XIV.
s1EGE OF THE SACRED MOUNTAIN.
Now my passage across the great
continent of Atlantis, if tedious and
haunted by many dangers, need not be
recounted in detail here. After some
days Ipassed the black forest and the
country from there onward had at one
time carried sturdy population
which held its own firmly, and, as it's
grew, took in more ground,
and built more homesteads farther
atield. The houses were perched in
were out of reach of cave-bear and
cave-tiger and the other more danger
our beasts. But others, and these
were the better ones, were built on the
grouna. of logs so ponderous and SO
firmly clamped and dove-tailed that the
beasts could not pull them down; and
once inside house of this fashion it's
owners were safe, and could progue at
any attackers through the interstices
between the logs, and often wound,
sometimes make kill.
But not one in ten of these OUTLYING
settlers remained. The houses were ST.
lent when I reached them, the fire
hearth before the door weed-grown,
and the patch of vegetables taken
back by the greedy fingers of the forest
into mere scrub and jungle. And
farther on, when villages began to ap-
pear, strongly walled, as the custom is,
to ward Off the attacks of beasts, the
logs which aforetime had barred the
gateway lay strewn in sprouting un-
dergrowth, and naught but the kitchen
middens remained to prove that once
they had sheltered human tenants
Phcrenice's influence seemed to have
spread as though it were some horrid
blight over the whole face of what was
once smiling and an easy-living land.
AZ last found myself within half
days Journey of the city of Atlantis it.
self, with the Sacred Mountain and its
ring of fires looming high beside it,
and the call for caution became trebly
accentuated. Everywhere evidences
showed that the country had been
drained of it's 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
wretched land might have peace and
time to lick it's wounds.
An army was investing the Sacred
Mountain, and it's one approach was
most narrowly guarded. Even after
having journeyed so far, it seemed as
if 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. I should have
one good fight-a gorgeous fght-one
man against an army, and my useful
ness would be ended. No; this was
the occasion FOR guile, and I found
covert in the outskirts of wood, and
lay there cudgeling my brain for .
plan.
In that covert of the woods I Law
day and night raging with myself for
not discovering some plan to get with
in the defenses of the Sacred Mountain.
but in the morning which followed
there came man towards me running.
"You need not threaten me with
your weapons" he cried. 81 mean no
harm. 1t seems that you are Deucalion,
though l should not have known you
myself in those rags and skins, and be-
hind that tangle of hair and beard.
70 1oi1 IL
came to my house. asked his pleas
ure. It was to find you when you came
in here from some distant part OF tho
land and deliver to you his message.
"Then tell me the message said I.
"You 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 a rope and haul you up
to their hands above"
He took himself off then, and 1
wasted no more precious time. The
grass blazed up for signal almost be-
fore the messengers heels were clear
of it; and that night, when the dark
ness gave me cover, took the risk Of
what beasts 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. I made a
loop, slipped it over a leg, and pulled
hard as signal. Those above began
to haul, and so I 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 that gaunt, 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 off at once to Zaemon, and
that is what could have wished.
The old man greeted me with the
royal sign. GAIL hail to Deucalion," he
cried, liking of Atlantis, duly called
thereto by the high council of the
priests"
"Then being king, I can speak with
out seeming to make use of a threat.
I must have my queen first, or I am not
strong enough to give my whole mind