Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-01-04

nv life had / led hunts to kill the NAM
moth, when a herd of them had raided
some village or corn land under my
charge. I had seen the huge brutes in
the wild ground, shaggy, horrid, mon
strous; more fierce even than the cave
tiger or the cave-bear; most dangerous
beast of all that fight with man for
dominion of the earth, save only for
few of the greater lizards. And here
was this creature, giant even among
mammoths, yet tame as any we'll
whipped slave, and bearing upon its
back a great half-castle of gold,
stamped with the outstre,ched hand,
and bedecked with silver snakes. Its
murderous tusks were gilded, its hairy
neck was garlanded with flowers, and
it trod on in the procession as though
assisting at such pageantry was the
beginning and end of its existence.
Its tameness seemed fitting symbol
of the masterful strength of this new
ruler of Atlantis.
simultaneously with the mammoth
there came into sight that other and
greater wonder, the mammoth's mis-
tress, the Empress Phorenice. The
beast took my eye at the first, from
its very uncouth hugeness, from its
show of savage power restrained; but
the lady who sat in the golden half
castle on its lofty back quickly drew
away my gaze, and held it immovab.e
from then onward with an infinite at
traction.
l stood to my feet when the people
first shouted at Phorenice's approach,
and remained in the porchway of my
scarlet pavilion till her vast steed had
halted in the center of the square, and
then l advanced across the pavement
| towards her.
''On your knees, my lord" said one
! of the chamberlains behind me, in a
scared whisper.
AT least with bent head" urged an
other.
But had my own notions of what
is due to ones own self-respect in these
| matters, and | marched across the bare
| open space with head erect, giving the
empress gaze for gaze. She was clear
| ly summing me up. | was frankly do
ing the like by her. Gods! but those
few short seconds made me see wom-
an such as l never imagined could have
lived.
l know I have placed it on record
earlier in this writing that, during al
the days of long official life, women
have had no influence over me. But
have been quick to see that they often
had strong swaying power over the
policies of others, and as a consequence
[ have made it my business to study
| them even a S l have studied men. But
this woman who sat under the sacred
snakes in her golden half-castle on the
mammoth's back fairly baffied me. Of
! her thoughts l could read no single syl-
| liable. l could see body, slight, supple
and beautifully nodded; in figure rath-
er small. Her face was a most perfect
| book of cleverness, yet she was fair,
too, beyond belief, with hair of love
| " ruddiness, cut short in the new fash
ion, and punching on her shoulders.
And eyes! Gods! who could plumb the
! depths of Phorenice's eyes, or find in
mere tint trace of their heaven-made
| color?
1t was plain, also, that she in her
| turn was searching me down to my
very soul, and it seemed that her
scrutiny was not without its satisfac-
ton. She moved her head in little
mods as [ drew near, ard when | did
| the requisite obeisance permitted to
nv rank, she babe me, in a voice loud
| and clear enough for all at hand to
hear, never to put forehead on the