The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-03-06
q '3 The t6
Lost Continent
By cUTCLIFfE HYNE.
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CHAPTER VIII.
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TIE PREACHER FROM THE NOUN.
TAINS

IL was long enough since had
found leisure for n parcel of sleep,
and 80 during the larger part Of that
day I am free to confess that slum-
bcred soundly. Nais watching me.
Night fell, and still we remained
within the privacy of the temple. It'
was our plan that should stay there
till the camp slept, and SO i should
have more chance of reaching the
seabeach without disturbance.
The night came down wet, with q
drizzlc of rain, and through the slits
IN the temple walls we could see the
many fires In the camp well cared for,
and men and women in skins and
rags toasting before them, with
steam rising as the heat fought with
their wetness. Folk seated In dis
comfort. like this are provcrbinlly
alert and cruel In the temper. and
Nais frowned as she looked on the In
clemency Of the weather.
But as the hours drew on the night
began to grow less quiet. From the
distance some one began to blow on
horn or a shell, sending forth harsh
raucous note necessarily. The sound
came nearer, as we could tell from its
growing loudncss, and the voices OF
those by the fires made themselves
heard, railing at the blower for his dis.
turbance. And presently IL became
stationary, and standing up we could
see through the Sits In the walls the
people Of the camp rousing up from
their uneasy rest. and clustering tC-
gether round one who stood and talked
to them from the pedestal Of a war en-
gine.
What he was declaiming upon we
could not hear, and our curiosity on the
matter was not keen. Given that all
who did not sleep went to weary them
selves with this fellow. as Nais whis-
pered, II would be simple for me to
make an exit in the opposite direc.
6on.
But here we were reckoning without
the inevitable busybody. A dozen pairs
Of feet splashing through the wet
came up to the side of the little tenn
pie. and cried loudly that Nais should
Join the audience. She had eloquence
Of tongue, II appeared. and they
feared lest this speaker who had
taken his stand on the war engine
should make schisms among their
ranks unless some skilled person
stood up also to rcfute his argu-
ments. :,
Here, then, IL seemed to me that
must be elbowed into my skirmish by
the most unexpected of chances, but
Eais was firmly minded that there
should be no fight. II courage on her
part could turn II. "Come out with
me-" she whispered. "and keep distant
from the light of the fires.".
''But how explain my being here?"
'There Is no reason to explain any
thing," she said, bitterly. "They viii
take you for my lover. There IL moth
ing remarkable in that; II Is the mode
here. But, oh! why did not the gods
make you wear a beard, and curl It..
even as other men? Then you could
have been gone and safe these two
hours"
"A smooth chin p!eases me better"
$50 II does me-" heard her murmur
as she leaned her weight on the stone
which hung in the doorway, and
pushed II ajar; "your chin"
The ragged men outside-there were
women with them also did not wait
TO watch me very closely. A coarse jest
or two flew (Which could have found
good heart to have repaid with sword
thrust) and they stepped Off into the
darkness, just turning from time to
time to make sure we followed. On all
sides others were pressing IN the same
direction--black shadows against the
night; the rain spat noisily on the
camp fires us we passed them; and
from behind us came up others. There
were no sleepers in the camp now; all
were pressing on to hear this pre- eacher
who stood on the pedestal OF the war
engine; and II we had tried to swcrve
from the straight course, we should
have been marked at once.
So we Held on'through the darkness,
and presently came within earsliot.
Still Il was little enough of the
preachers words we could make out /
first. "Who are your chiefs?" came
the question at the end OF feryid hH-
rangue. and imme diately an further
rational talk was drowned in uproar.
I'VE have no chiefs" the people shout
ed; 1--WE are done with chiefs; we are
allequal heys. Take hayay yourtsilly
magic. sYou may fdll' us with magic
81 you choose. but rule us you shall
not. Nor shall other priests rule. Nor
Phorenice. Nor anybody. We are
done with rulers"
The press had brought us closer and
closer to the man who stood on the war
engine. We saw him to- be old, with
white hair that tumb.ed on his shoul-
ders. and n long white beard, un-
rimmed 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 u he pointed
his sentences, and ut times he whirled
IL about, bathing his wet, naked body
In halo Of light. Itwasa wand whose
tip burned with an unconsuming FIRE,
which giowed and twinkNd and b.axed
like some star lent down by the gods
from their own place In the high
heaven. II was the symbol OF Our
n. 0u.. a. tal "a n "A ~ m III