Willmar tribune., 1902-04-09

| take my share in the fight. There was
no trumpet to announce my coming, no
herald to proclaim my quality, but the
J priests as sheer custom picked up
"Deucalion!" as battle cry; and
some shouted that, with king to lead,
there would be 70 further ground lost
| 1t was clear that the name carried to
the other side and bore weight with it.
4 company of poor, doomed wretches
who were hurrying up stopped in their
charge. The word "Deucalion!" was
banded round and handed back down
the line. I thought, with some grim
| satisfaction, that here was evidence
I was not completely forgotten in the
land.
There came shouts to them from be-
hind to carry on their advance; but
they did not bulge; and presently a
glittering officer painted up, and COM
| menced to strike right and left among
them with his sword. From where
stood on the high rampant above the
gate could see him plainly and recog-
nized him at once.
1T matters not what they use for
their battle cry" he was shouting.
"You have the orders of your divine
empress, and that is enough. You
should be proud to die for her wish,
you towards. And if you do not obey,
you will die afterwards under the in
struments of the tormentors, very
painfully. AS for Deucalion, he is
dead any time these nine years."
There it seems you lie, my Lord
Tatho!" shouted down to him.
He started and looked up at me.
$50 you are there in real truth, then i?
Well, old comrade, am sorry. But it
| is too late to make composition now.
You are on the side of these NANCY
priests, and the empress has made an
edict that they are to be rooted out,
and I am her most obedient servant"
"You used to be skillful of fence" 1
| said, and indeed there was little
enough to choose between US. IF it
please you to stop this pitiful killing,
make yourself the champion of your
side, and will stand for mine, and we
will fight out this quarrel in some fair
place, and bind our parties to abide by
the result"
1T would be a grand fight between
US two, old friend, and it goes hard
with me to balk you of it. But I cannot
pleasure you. I am general here un-
| der Phorenice, and she has given me
the strongest orders not to peril my
self. And besides, though you are &
great man, Deucalion, you are not
chief. You are not even one of the
three"
II am king"
Tatho laughed. "Few but yourself
would say so, my lord"
"Few, truly, but what they are
they are powerful. I was given the
name for the first time yesterday,
and as a first blow in the campaign
there was some mischief done in the
city. I was there myself, and saw
how you took it,
"You were in Atlantis!"
II went for Nais. She is on the
mountain now, and tomorrow will
be my queen. Tatho, as priest to q
priest, let me solemnly bring to
your memory the infinite power you
bite against on this Sacred Mountain.
Your teaching has warned you of the
weapons that are stored in the Ark
of the Mysteries. If you persist in
this attack, at the best you can
merely lose; at the worst you can
bring about a wreck over which even
the high gods will shudder as they
order it,
"You cannot scare us back now by
Words" said Tatho, doggedly. "And
as for magic, it will be met by magic.
Phorenice has found by her own clev-
erness as many powers as were ever
stored up in the Ark of the Mys-
teries."
'Yet she looked on helplessly
enough last night, when her royal
pyramid was trundled into rubbish
heap. Zaemon had prophesied that
this should be so, and for a witness,
why, 7 myself stood closer to her
than we two stand now, and saw her"
II will own you took her by sur
prise somewhat there. I do not un.
derstand these matters myself; I was
never more than one of the seven in
the old days; and now, quite rightly,
Phorenice keeps the knowledge Of
her magic to herself; but. it seems
time is needed when one magic is to
be met by another"
SWELL" said, 81 know little about
the business either. I leave these
matters now to those who are high.
er above me in the priesthood. In
deed, having liking for Nais, it
seems I am debarred from ever be-
ing given understanding about the
highest of the, high mysteries. So 1
content myself with being q soldier,
and when the appointed day comes,
I shall fall and kiss my mother the
earth for. the hast time. You, SO
am told, have ambition for longer life" -"
He nodded. 'Phorenicc has foun6
the Great Secret, and am to be ssths
first that will share it with her
We shall be as gods upon the earth
seeing that death will be powerlex
20 touch us. And the twin sons shs
;,as borne me will be made immgrte;
r. = J. continued, !; !,