The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24

&
out - that 1
was in a cave
My eyes soon be-
aM came accustomed
to the darkness
(the bandage having
oeen removed) and I
saw bowl of rice beside
me. From the moment I
saw Nsase I believed that
It was she who befriended
N my servant and me as we
passed this way before, and
1at now she had brought me to
y her hidden home to save me from
ny captors.
n Some one lit candle in the outer
W .'oom, and an unsavory supper was
,aten from wooden bowls.
I was just going to sleep again.
The soft mat under me, the strange
feeling of safety, the nourishing rice.
made me content for the moment to
OF fnI nd 70 frrr 90
strength for the journey to Keinning--
for I was confident that I was in the
hands of friends who would see me
through
Then rough, harsh voice brought
me quickly 70 my feet, my hand to my
beltless waist. The women screamed.
knew that voice. I knew what the
screams meant. backed mechanically
against the wall of the darkened room,
and cursed the scoundrels for having
taken my sword For I was ready to
fight-yes. with the dark cave behind
me I fairly ached to fight them. 1
groped along the wall. 1t was covered
with mating. Then I cut myself on
sharp edge. I felt, and it was sword
blade. AS 1 tried to take it down. an
other beside it cut me again. And be-
yond this were more-each sharper
than an adder's fang. What did this
mean?
Ny question was answered, for Nsase
came to me In the darkness. Finding
me by the swords. she led me back to
my mat. where lay down again at
whispered word of command in an un-
known tongue. Fast quarreling in
hod cd
by violent rumma ging about. The
noise came nearer and nearer.
BY this time another girl had en-
tered the cave. She brought some
glowing substance like phosphorus
them; then side by side, they took
their station just within the mat
tins. a glittering sword in each hand.
Then I knew I was hidden in a Quel-
rartien sword-dancer's cave. I was
where no man had ever beer before or
would ever come again. The girls
waited patiently. supremely confident
in their magic power. They expected
irtruders. and intruders came.
Instantly. as by magic. the heavy
mat curtains moved aside on the wire
from which they hung. The girls.
hardly visible to. those without, were
more plainly revealed TO me. Their
black, sequin- hair fell loosely
down A young tigers skin enveloped
each of them. thrown over one shoulder,
caught together on the opposite loin,
and hanging down en- one side hands
breadth below the knees. Their black
hair vas long and was wrought into
tiny snake-lille braids which writhed
about as the arms were put in motion.
or darted off swiftly with the flames of
the glistening swords which in an in
slant were whirling in their orbits.
Such a dancei My regiment gould not
have protected me more securely. A
mans life was not worth even the dim
NEST ray that came from the swords.
No battlefield ever was so deadly as the
blazing zone through which those
swords writhed and Kissed. Though I
had seen the secret of the illumination
employed, nevertheless 1 utterly forget
my danger as the wild dance went on.
It would have made any man forget
anything.
Each broadsword was a flame of
light; two thrown together with prac-
ticed hand wrough. a sheet of flame:
the four, when they cut the semicircle
together, sent binding blasts of fire
straight forward and straight back
Now bolt Of chain lightning fell from
the right or left. seeming to cleave the
ground. Now q flame poised over
head second, then descended as the
glittering blades came down. The fine
black braids of hair curled lovingly
about the white arms, or. flying in the
wake Of the sweeping swords, stood ex-
tended. Often a descending blade sew
cred them, and numberless braided
ends lay on the ground beneath the
softly stepping sandals. Now a ball of
fire rolled spluttering around each form
as the swords were whirled on a finger;
then each white face was surrounded
by a flame of light, the dusky eyes
flashing beneath thousand wayward
wisps of hair.
/ could not see into the room beyond
But all had become deathly still. The
intruders now knew the nature of this
hidden hut in the mountains-knew
they need not look so much as to ap-
rroarh n