Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-02-08
3 . The D D
Lost Continent
By CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
CHAPTER VIII.
Pub by Harper Bros. Copyright 1901, by cuteli. Hyn

THE PREACHER FROM THE NOUN
TAINS.
Tt was long enough since I had
found leisure for a parcel of sleep,
and so during the larger part of that
day I am free to confess that / slum-
bered soundly, Nais watching me.
Night fell, and still we remained
within the privacy of the temple. 1t
was our plan that 1 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 a
drizzle of rain, and through the Sits
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 proverbia1ly
alert and cruel in the temper, and
Nais frowned as she looked on the in
clemency of the weather.
But is the hours drew on the night
began to grow less quiet. From the
distance someone began to blow on a
horn or shell, sending forth harsh
raucous note necessarily. The sound
came nearer, as we could tell from it's
growing loudness, and the voices of
those by the fires made themselves
heard railing a t the blower for his dis
turbance. And presently it became
stationary, and standing up we could
c1i re in c q
people of the camp rousing up from
their uneasy rest, and clustering to-
gether round one who stood and talked
to them from the pedestal of a war en-
CINE.
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, it would be simple for me to
make an exit in the opposite direc-
ton.
But here we were reckoning with out
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, it 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 refute his argu-
ments.
Here, then, it seemed to me that 1
must be elbowed into my skirmish by
the most unexpected of chances, but
Nais was firmly minded that there
should be no fight, if courage on her
part could turn it. "Come out with
me-" she whispered, land 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 will
take you for my lover. There is moth
ing remarkable in that; it 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"
ga smooth chin pleases me better"
$50 it does me-" l heard her murmur
as she leaned her weight on the stone
which hung in the doorway, and
pushed it 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
CT off int 10
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; TIE rain spat noisily on the
camp Ires as we passed them; and
from behind us came up others. There
were no sleepers in the camp now; all
We're pressing on to hear this pre- acher
who stood on the pedestal of the war
engine; and if we had tried to swerve
from the straight course, we should
have been marked at once.
So we held on through the darkness,
and presently came within earshot.
Still it was little enough of the
preachers words we could make out at
first. who are your chiefs?" came
the question at the end of fervid ha-
rangue, and Immediately all further
rational talk was drowned in uproar.
"We have no Chiefs" the people shout
ed; 1--WE are done with chiefs; we are
all equal here. Take away your silly
magic. You may kill US with magic
if 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
Whlte hair that tumbled on his Shout
oers' and long white beard, I'M
trimmed and uncurled. Save for wisp
OF rag about the loins, his body was un-
clolhea' and glistened in the wet.
But IN his hand he held that which
marked his caste. With it he pointed
his sentences, and at times he wbirled
it about, bathing his wet, naked body
in halo of light. 1t was wand whose
tip burned with an unconsuming fire.
which glowed and twinkled and blazed
like some star lent down by the gods
from their own place in the high
heaven 1t was the symbol Of our