Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-05-03
. . The . 3
Lost Continent
By CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
Pub BY Harper Bros Copyright 1901 by Cutclia Eyns
CHAPTER XVII.
Pub by Harper Bros Copyright 1901 by Cutetfs HYn.
DESTRUCTION OF ATLANTIS.
A tottering old priest came I'D and


A tottering old priest came up and
touched me on the shoulder.
''Well?" l said, sharply, having
small taste for interruption just now.
''News has been carried to the
Three, my king, of what is threat
ened."
''Then they will know that I stand
here now, brother, to enjoy the finest
fight of all my life. When it is
finished I shall go to the gods, and
be there standing behind the stars
to welcome them when presently
they also arrive. They have my re-
grets that they are too old and
too feeble to die and look upon a
fine killing themselves"
Il have commands from them, nv
king, to lay upon you, which I fear
you will like but slenderly. You are
forbidden to find your death here
in the fighting. They have further
use for you yet"
enough. II shall take no such order,
my brother. 1 am not going to be-
Heve it was ever given. You must
have misunderstood. If I am a man,
if I am a priest. if I am soldier, if
1 am king, then it stands to my
honor that no enemy should pass
this gate while yet [ live. And you
may go back and throw that mes
sage at their teeth"
The old man smiled enviously. He,
too, had been a keen soldier in his
day. Il told them you would not
easily believe such message, and
asked them for sign, and they bore
with me, and gave me one. was to
give you this jewel, my king"
"How came they by that? 1t is
bracelet from the elbow of Nais."
''They must have stripped her of it.
/ did not know it came from Nais
The word 1 was to bring you said
that the owner of the jewel was in
side the Ark of the Mysteries, and
waited you there. The use which the
Three have for you further concerns
her Also
Even when I heard that, I will free
~ confess that my obedience was
sorely tried, and / have the less
shame in setting it down on these
sheets, because I know that all true
soldiers will feel a sympathy for my
plight. Indeed, the promise of the
battle was very tempting. But in
the end my love for Nais prevailed,
and / gave the salutation that was
needful in token that 1 heard the or
der and obeyed it.
To the knot of priests who were
left for the defense I turned and
made my farewells. You will have
what | shall miss, my brothers." l
said. Il envy you chat fight. But,
though [ am king of Atlantis, still
I am only one of the Seven, and so
en- servant of the Three, and must
obey their order. They speak in
words the will of the most high
gods, and we must do as they COM
mand. You will stand behind the
stars before 1 come, and l ask of you
that you will commend me to those
you meet there. 1t is not my own
will that [ shall not appear there by
your side"
They heard my words with smiles,
and very courteously saluted me with
theiA weapons, and there we parted
/ die not see the fight, but l know it
was good, from the time which
passed before Phorenices hordes
broke out on the crest of the noun
tain. They died lard, that last rem
nant of the lesser priests of Atlantis
With sour enough feeling l went
up to the head of the pass, and then
through the groves, and between the
temples and colleges and houses
which stood on the upper slopes of
the Sacred Mountain, till l reached
that boundary beyond which in mild
er days it was death for any but the
privileged few to pass. But the
time, it appeared to me, was past for
conventions, and, moreover, my own
temper was hot; and it is likely that
I should have strobe on with little
scruple if I had not been interrupted.
But in the temple which marked the
boundary there was old Zaemon
waiting; and he, with due solemnity
of words, and with the whole of some
ancient ritual ordained for that pur-
pose, sought dispensation from the
mgh gods for my trespass, and would
not give ne way till he was through
with his ceremony.
ieady Phorenice's tower and
u iuse We're In position, for the clash
anu yeilng of a fight told that the
small handful of priests on the ram /
part OF the last gate were barterin,
their lives for the highes. return IN
dead that they could earn. They
were trained fighting men all. bSt
old and feeble, and the odds against
them were too enormous to be
stemmed for over long. In a very
short time The place would be put to