Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-04-23
D D The D @|
Lost Continent
By CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
lsh' BY Harper Bros. copyisht1s by cutcifs Tyne.
lsh' BY Harper Bros. copyrishis by cptclhs Tyne
CHAPTER XVII.

NEWS mas Decn carried TO the
Three, my king, of what is threat
ened."
''Then they will know that I stand
here now, brother, to enjoy the finest
fight of all my life. When it is
finished 1 shall go to the gods, and
be there standing behind the stars
to welcome them when presently
they also arrive. They have my re-
grets that they are too old and
too feeble to die and look upon
fine killing themselves
II nave commands from them, my
king. to lay upon you. which I fear
you will like but slenderly. You are
forbidden to find your death here
in the fighting. They have further
use for you yet"
I turned on the old man angrily
enough. II shall take no such order,
my brother. 1 am not going to be-
heve it was ever given. You must
have misunderstood. If I am a man,
il l am a priest, if I am n soldier, if
I am 4 king, then it stands to my
honor that no enemy should pass
this gate while yet I live. And you
may go back and throw that mes
sage at their teeth;
The old man smiled cnviously. lie,
too, had been a keen soldier in his
day. II told them YOU would not
easily believe such message. and
asked them for a sign, and they bore
with me, and gave me one. ] was to
give you this jewel, my King"
"How came they by that? It is a
bracelet from the elbow Of Nais.''
'"Thcy must have stripped her of it.
I did not know it came from Nais.
The word 1 was to bring you said
that the owner of the jewel was in
side the Ark of the Mysteries, and
waited you there. The use which the
Three have for you further concerns
her also"
Even when heard that, will free
~ confess that my obedience was
sorely tried, and I have the less
shame in setting it down on these
sheets, because 1 know that all true
soldiers will; feel 4 sympathy for my
plight. Indeed, the promise of the
battle was very tempting. But in
the end my love for Nais prevailed.
and I gave the salutation that was
needful in token that heard the or
der and obeyed it.
TO the knot of priests who were
left for the defense ] turned and
made my farewclls. You will have
what I shall miss, my brothers, I
said. II envy you that fight. But,
though I am king of Atlantis, still
I am only one of the Seven, and so
am servant OF the Three, and must
obey their order. They speak in
words the will of the most high
gods, and we must do as they COM
mand. You will stand behind the
stars before come, and ask OF you
that you will commend me to those
you meet there. 1t is not my own
will that shall not appear there by
your side.''
They heard my words with smiles,
and very courteously saluted me with
their weapons, and there we parted.
I did not see the fight, but I know it
was good, from the time which
passed before Phorenice's hordes
broke out on the crest of the noun
tain. They died hard, that last rem
nant Of the lesser priests of Atlantis.
With sour enough feeling I went
up to the head of the pass, and then
through the groves, and between the
temples and colleges and houses
which stood on the upper slopes of
the Sacred Mountain, till I reached
that boundary beyond which in mild
er days it was death for any but the
privileged few to pass. But the
time, it appeared to me, was past for
conventions, and, moreover, my own
temper was hot; and it is likely that
I should have strobe on with little
scruple if had not been interrupted.
But in the temple which marked the
boundary there was old zaemon
waiting; and he. with due solemnity
of words, and with the whole of some
ancient ritual ordained for that pur
pose, sought dispensation from the
high gods for my trespass, and would
not give me way till he was through
with his ceremony.
Already Phorenice's tower and
bridge were in position, for the clash
and yelling of a fight told that the
small handful of priests on the ram
part of the last gate were bartering
their lives for the highest return in
dead that they could earn. They
were trained fighting men all, but
old and feeble, and the odds against
them were too enormous to be
stemmed for over long. In very
short time the place would be put 10
the storm and the roof of the Sacred
Mountain would be at the open
mercy Of the invader; If there was
any further thing to be done, it was
we'll that it should be set about
quickly while peace remained. 1t
seemed to me that the moment was
for prompt action, and the time for
lengthy pompous ceremonial was
done for good.
But Zaemon was minded otherwise.
He led me up to the Ark Of the Mys-
feries, and chided my impatience, and
waited till had given it my revcr-
entail kiss, and then he called aloud,
and another old man came out of the
opening which is in the top of the
ark, and climbed painfully down by
sides. He was man l had never
seen before, hoary, frail and enact
ated, and he and Zaemon were then
the only two remaining priests who
had been raised to the highest de-