Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-06
Bv CUTCLIFFE HYNE.


robe also found there. and ook it in
stead of my squalid rags. If man is
in truth king. he owes these things to
the dignity OF his office.
But. If the din Of the fighting was any
guide, mine was narrowing kingdom.
Every hour il seemed to grow fiercer
and more near, and it was clear that
some OF the gates in the passage mp
The cleft in the cliff, impregnable
though all men had thought them. had
yielded to the vehemence Of Phoren-
ices attack. And, indeed, it was
scarcely TO be marveled at. With all
her genius spurred on to fury by the
blow that had been struck at her by
! wreckinE so fair part of the city. the
empress would be no light adversary
/ even for strong place to resist, and
| the Sacred Mountain was 10 longer
strong.
/ Defenses Of stone. cunningly planned
and nightly built, II still possessed,
but these will not fight alone. They
need men to line them, and. moreover,
abundance of men. For always in a
storm Of this kind some desperate fell
lows will spit at death and get 10 hand
grips, or singers and archers slip in
their shot, or the throwinc-frc gets
home. or (as hcre) some new tangled
machine like Phorence's fire tube :
make one in thousand of their wa,-
crinR darts find The life: and So. though
he general attacking loses his hun
dreds. the defenders also are not with
ont their dead
The slaughter. as il turned out. had
been prodigous. As fast rs the storm
crs came up, the priests who held he
lowest gate remaining 10 Us raued
down great rocks upon them till he
narrow alley of the stair was paved
with their writhing dead. Bnt Pho.
renice stood on spur of the rock be.
low them urging on the charges. and
with an insane Nalor company after
company marched up TO hurl them
selves hopelessly against the dcfenscs
They had no machines TO ba after tho
| massive gates aud their attack was as
pathetically useless as that Of child
who hammers against wall with an
, orange; and meanwhile the terrible
stones from above moved them down
remorselessly.
Company after company of the
troops marched into this terrible
death trap, and not a man of all OF
them ever came back. Nor was il
Phorenice's policy that they should do
so. In her lust for this final conquest,
she was minded to pour ont troops till
She had filled up the passes with the
slain, so that al last she mi ght march
on 10 level fight over the bridge OF
their poor bodies. 1t was no part OF
Phorenice's mood ever to count the
cost. She set down the object which
was 10 be gained. and il was her pol
icy that the people of Atlantis were
there to gain it. for her.
Two gates then had she carried in
this dreadful fashion, Strengthening
those priests that stood behind them
who had not been already shot down.
And here / came down from above to
take my share in the fight. There wa
no trumpet TO announce my coming, no
herald Us proclaim my quality. but the
priests as sheer custom picked up
"DeucaliOu," as battle cry: and
some shouted that, with king o lead
there would be no further ground lost.
H. was clear that the name carried C
the other side and bore weight with il
a company of poor. doomed wretches
who were hurryinc up stopped in their
charge The word "Deucalon." was
handled round and handed back down
the line. ! thought, with some grim
satisfaction. that here was evidence
| was not completely forgotten in he
land.
There came shouts 10 them from be-
hind TO carry on their advance; but
they did not bulge; and presently
eittering officer painted up, and com
mcnced 10 strike right and left among
them with his sword. From where
stood on the high rampant above the
gate ] could see him plainly aud recog-
niaed him al once.
1T matters not what they use for
their battle cry he was shouting.
You have tho orders Of your divine
empress. and that is enough. You
should be proud 10 die for her wish,
YOU towards. And - you do not obey,
YOU will die afterwards under the in.
Strumcnts of the turmcntors, very
painfully. AS for Deucalion, he is
dead any time these nine years"
There it seems YOU lie my Lord
Tatho!' ] shouted down to him.
He started and looked up at me.
80 YOU are there in real truth, then?
Well, old comrade, | am sorry. But il
Is too late to make a composition now.
You are on the side Of these NANCY
priests. and the empress has made an
edict that they are 10 be rooted out.
and | am her most ODE dent servant"
You used To be skil!ful of fence"
said, and indeed there was little
enough to choose between us. IF it
please you to stop this pitiful killing,
make yourself the champion Of your
side, and will stand for mine, and we
will fight out this quarrel in some fair
place, and bind our parties to abide by
the result"
ut would be grand fight between
US two, old friend, and it goes hard
with me to balk you il. But cannot
pleasure you. I am general here I'M
der Phorenice, and she has given rue
the strongest orders not TO peril my
self. And besides. though you are
great man, Deucalion, you are not
chief. You are not even one of the
thrppp