Evening star., 1904-02-01

manner keeping touch behind him. the clink
of her nanparas and the feel of her gown
being all there was to guide them.
By and by, bidding them halt and not
move till she came back, the woman lett
them. They stood quite still IN the inky
darkness, and as they waited there came
far-off smothered roar that died away rum
blingly. They heard it again ere the Wo-
man returned, bearing lamp, and beckon-
ed them to follow quickly.
They came shortly on cross passages sinl-
lar to the one they were traversing, ana
once to a door before which they were
halted and where other men and seVerai
women in gala dress joined them; so that
when they finally got within sight anu
sound of the revelry their party had IN
creased to a good round dozen. These were
lost almost Immediately in the sudden tur-
moil of furious life which whirled apou'
them as they entered the outer rooms
Somewhere pipes and viols were screen
ing and tom-toms rafting. Colored lights
and torches were fiaring, and rlotous pac-
chanalian figures We're sw1rl1ng IN tne uil-
certain smoky light. Satyr-like men, mower
crowned and nude save for their prlliiant-
colored langoutis; and women, supple bronzes,
matchless in form and coloring, Win
scarlet poppies and hibiscus flowers IN
their flying hair, leaping and bending anu
swaying. uttering passionate cries, noI
full in the glare of the colored flame ana
anon lost in the thick wreaths of incense
that clung raggedly about the rooms
There were eight of these big low-roofed
dens-cellarways surrounding and giving
into a center one, where there was great
garlanded idol-an image of the goddess
and at her feet the sacrifice, a handsome
girl, and an enormous lotah OF arrack
The girl acted as presiding goddess-or
perhaps one should say demon-of the de-
bauch. melting the revelers to fury by her
wild cries and wilder gestures, and you
may be sure that the great jar of arrack
acted as a very able lieutenant to her.
In one corner was group who were
fighting and tearing like hungry beasts
over the remains of what had been great
feast. All barriers of caste and religion
were down, and Brahmins, Sudras and
haIf-cooked beef defying decency and the
GODS while fierce-looking Mussulmans
gnawed at the charred remains of the ever
accursed pig, cursing and reviling Mahomet
for having held them from the dainty fare
so long.
rack added continually to the universal
frenzy, and above 1t all, swaying and bend
ing through the swirfing smoke, beautiful
and terrible, was the nude form of the
queen, dominating the riot with her fierce
gestures and imperious cries; now leaping
into the thick of 1t and striking right and
left with leather thong, and anon scat
tering flowers broadcast.
If Meredith had recognized the difficulty
Of his search for Aguf above ground on a
previous night he realized it's absolute i'm
possibility here; and he was fast tiring of
the furious din when a woman-one of the
dancers-fung a tiny ball of jasmine deftly
and with challenging laugh.
The scented missile struck him between
the eyes: then another and q third. on the
cheek, on his lips; and he sprang forward
and pursued the laughing girl, half wrath
fully, half in jest His fingers had just
touched the gauzy veil that served her for
sari when he collided sharply with an
other man. who was bounding with curious
slimping leaps to the inspiration of the
music.
They both fell back. and then the native