The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-02-27
o o The ~
Lost Continent
By CUTCLIfFE HYNE.
CHATTER VII
THE BITERs OF THE WALLS (FUR.
TIER ACCOUNT).
O. J, l.ura b.. s,tds.. ise.. ), esMlIts. l,..

Eaty?"
~ will set you free exactly On those
terms" answered. sunless indeed
We here decide that IL Is better for
Atlantis that I should die, In which
ease the freedom will be of your own
taking"
"My lord plays q bold game"
"Tut, tut" I said.
"But I shall not hesitate to take
IRE full of my bond, unless my the
cries are most clearly disprovcd to
ne"
"Tut," I said. "You women, how
you play out the time needlessly.
Show me sufficient cause, and you
shall kill me where and how you
please. Come, begin the accusation"
"You are q tyrant."
AT least I have not paraded my
tyrannics in Atlantis these 20 years.
Why, Nais, I did but land yester-
day"
"You will not deny you came back
from Yucatan for a purpose?"
81 came back because l was sent
for. The empress gives no reasons
for her recalls. She states her will;
and we who serve her obey without
question"
"Pah! I know that old dogma"
"If you discrcdt my poor honesty
At the outset like this, I fear we shall
not get far with our unravcling."
"My lord mast lie indeed simple" !"
said this strange woman. scornfully.
"if he Is ignorant of what all Atlantis
knows"
''Thcn simple you must write me
= own. Over yonder In Yucatan we
kere too well wrapped up in our own
,arochial needs and policies to have
leisure to ponder mich over the slim
news which drif.ed out to us from
Atlantis-and. in truth. little enough
eame. by example. Phorenicc twhosc
Office be adored) Is n great person
age here Mt home; but over there In
the colony we barely knew so much
rs her name. Here. since / have been
ashore. ] have seen many new won
dcrs; have been carried by rid.
ing mammoth; have sat at a ban.
4uet; but in what new policies there
are afoot, ! have yet to be schooled.'
"Then, IL truly you do not know IT,
let me repeat TO You the common
tale. Phorenicc has tired OF her un
mated life"
"Stay there. ! will hear no word
against the empress"
"Pnh! my lord, your scruples are
most decorous. But I did no more
than r.pcut ,,hut xha orrproos koS
made public by proclamation. She !,
minded to take to herself husband
and nothing short OF the best IL goot
enough for Phorenicc. One after an
other has been put up In turn al
favoritc-and been found wanting
Oh. I tell you, we here In Atlantis
have watched her courtship will
jumping hearts. First 1t was thi,
sne here, then IL was that one there
now IL was this general just returne,
from a victory, and a day later b,
had been packed back to his camp
to give place to some dashing gov
ernor who had squeezed increased
revenues from his province. Bu
every ship that came from the ives
said that there was n stronger maj
than any of these In Yucatan, and a
last the empress changed the word
ing of her vow. I'll have Dcucalioi
for my husband said she, and thcr
we will see who can stand against m.
wishcs.'"
'sThc empress (whose name b,
adored) can do as she pleases in sucl
matters" said, guardediy; "bu
that is beside the argument. ! an
here to know how II would he bette
for Atlantis that ] should die?"
"You know you are the stronges
man In the Kingdom"
at pleaSes you, to say so."
"And Phorcnice is the strongcs
woman"
"That IL beyond doubt"
"Why, then, II the empress take
you In marriage, we shall he .undc
n double tyranny. And her rul
alone Is more cruelty heavy than WI
can bear already"
81 pass no criticism on Phorenice'
rule. I have not seen II. But crav
your mercy. Nais. on the newcome
into this kingdom. / am strong, sa,
you, and therefore I am n tyrant
say you. Now to me this sequence 1
faulty"
"who should strong man us
strength for, II not for himself? An,
u for himself, why that spells tyran
NY. You will get all your hearts de
sires. ms lord and you will forge
that many a thousand of the common
people will have to pay for them"
"And this Is all your accusation? !?
at seems to be black enough.
am one that has a compassion for m
fellow men, my lord, and because o
that compassion you see me what
am to-day. There was q time, no
long passed. when slept as soft an
ate as dainty rs any In Atlantis."'
I smiled. "Your speech tod. n,
that much from the first"
''Then I would had cast tn
speech of, too, II that IL also liver
os the tyrant's class. But ! tell yo
! saw NIL the oppression myself fsor
the oppressor's side. I was high 4
Phorcnice's favor then"
THAT, too, Is easy Of credencs
Ylga IL the fnngirl to the empires
now. and second lady In the kingdom
and those who have seen Ylga coui
make an easy guess at the parentag
of Nais"