The Bourbon news., 1902-01-10
CHAPTER I.-CoNrrNUEp.

IL is one long story OF success. Sne
depOsed ZaemOn from his govern
ment in name as well as in fact, and
the news was spread, and the Priest
ly clan rose in it's wrath. The two
neighboring governors were hidden
to join forces, take her captive, and
bring her for execution. Poor men!
they tried to obey their orders; they
attacked her surely enough, but in
battle she could laugh at them. She
killed both, and made some slaughter
among their troops; and to those
that remained alive and became her
prisoners she made her usual offer
the sword or service. Naturally they
were not long over making their
choice: to these common people one
ruler is much the same as another;
and so again her aCmy was reen-
forced.
Three times were bodies of sol
diery sent against her, and three
times was she victorious. The last
was final effort. Before. it had been
customary to despise this adventur-
ess who had sprung up so suddenly.
But then the priests began to realize
their peril, to see that the throne it
self was in danger, and to know that
if she were to be crushed they would
have to put forth their utmost. Every
man who could carry arms was
pressed into the service. Every known
art of war was ordered to be put
into employment. 1t was the largest
army, and the best equipped army
that Atlantis then had ever raised,
and the Priestly clan saw fit to put in
supreme command their general, Ia
tho"
''You!" I cried.
'Even myself, Deucalion. And
mark you, 1 fought my utmost. 1
was not her creature then; and when
I set out (because they wanted to
spur me to the uttermOst) the high
council of the priests pointed out my
prospects. The king we had known
so long, was ailing and wearily old;
he was so wrapped up in the study
of mysteries, and the Joy of closely
knowing them, that earthly matters
had grown nauseOus to him; and at
any time he might decide to die. The
Priestly clan uses it's own discretion
In the election of new king, but it
takes note of popular sentiment; and
a general who at the critical time
could come home victorious from
great campaign, which moreover
would release a harassed people
from the constant application of
arms, would be the idol of the mo-
ment. These things were pointed
out to me solemnly and in full coun-
Gil"
"What! they promised you the
throne?'
Even that. So you see I set out
with a high stake before me. Phor-
enice I had never seen, and I swore
to take her alive, and give her to be
the sport of my soldiery. 1 had a
fine confidence in my own strategy
then, DeucaliOn. But the old gods,
in whom trusted then, remained old,
and taught me no new things.
drilled and exercised my army ac-
cording to the forms you and
learned together, old comrade, and
in many a tough fight found to serve
well; 1 armed them with the choicest
weapons we knew of then, with sling
and mace, with bow and spear, with
ak and knife, with sword and the
throwing fire; their bodies 1 covered
with metal plates; even their bellies
! cared for, with droves of cattle
driven in the rear of the fighting
troops.
But when the encounter came,
they might have been men of straw
for all the harm they did. Out of
her own brain Phorenice had made
fre-tubes that cast a dart which
would kill beyond two bowshots, and
the fashion in which she handled her
troops dazzled me. They threat
ened us on one flank, they harassed
us on the other. 1t was not war as
we had been accustomed to it. It
was a newer and more deadly game,
and l had to watch my splendid army
eaten away as waves eat a sand-hili.
Never once did 1 get a chance of
forcing close action. These new tao
tics that had come from Phorenice's
invention were beyond my art to meet
or understand. We were eight to her
one, and orr clOse-packed numbers
only made US so much the more
easy for slaughter. A panic came,
and those who could fed. Myself, L
had no wish to go back and earn the
ak that waits for the unsuccessful
general. l tried to die there fighting
where I stood. But death would nc's
come. 1t was fine melee, Deucal-
ion. that last one"
"And so she took you?"
81 stood with three others, back to
back. With a ring os dead round US,