The Washington times., 1905-12-17

eclipsed the light. that suddenly we
missed our guide.
Has she gone back to-to reason
with the Khania?" l asked of Oros
Nay" he answered. with a slight
smile. Il think that she has gone for
ward to give warning that the Hesea's
guests draw near
Indeed" l answered. staring hard
at the bare slope of mountain. up which
not a mouse could have passed without
being seen Il understandable has
gone forward" and the matter dropped
But what l did not understand was
how she had gone. AS the mountain was
honeycombed with caves and galleries,
l suppose. however, that she entered
one of them.
All the rest Of that day we marched
upward, gradually drawing nearer to
the snowline. as we went gathering
what information we could from the
priest Oros- This was the sum of 1T:
from the beginning of the world. as
ne expressed it-that is. from thous-
ands or years ago-this mountain had
oeen the home of a peculiar fire wor-
SNIP or which the head heirophant was
woman. About twenty centuries be-
Iore' however, the invading general
named Hassen had been himself Khan
ot haloon. Rassen established a new
priestess on the mountain. a worshiper
or the Egyptian goddess, He's. or Isis
his priestess had introduced certain
nodlhcations IN the ancient doctrines.
superseding the cult Of FIRE, pure and
simple, by new faith, which. while
hoicing TO some of the old ceremonies
reYered as it's head the spirit OF lifa
or nature Of whom they looked unon
their priestess as the earthly renre
sentative
Of this priestess. Oros would only tell
us that she YVES ever present" all
though we gathered that when one
priestess died or was taken to the fire"
as he put II, her child. whether in fact
or by adoption, succeeded her and was
known by the same names. those OF
Hes or the "Hesea' and Mother"
We asked If we should see this mother
10 which he answered that she mani
rested herself very rarely As to her
appearance and attributes he would saw
nothing, except that the former changed
from time TO time, and that when she
cnose 10 use II she had AL power"
The priests OF her college he in
FORMED us, numbered three hundred.
never more nor less, and there were also
PAASSltSStS- certain OF
those who desired IT were allowed to
marry, and from among their children
were reared up the new generation OF
priests and priestesses. Thus they were
people apart from all others. with dts
unct racial characteristics. This. in
deed, was evident, for our escort wera
all exceedingly like to each other v.rv
handsome and refined IN appearance
with dark eyes, clean-cut features ana
oiive-hued. skins; such a people as
might well have descended from East
erns OF high blood, with q dash OF ,ba,
or the Egyptians and Greeks thrown in
We asked him whether the rniebtv
looped pillar that lowered from the ton
most cup OF the mountain was the vorL
OF men He answered, No; the hand
or nature hade finished It, ana that IN.
hight shining through 1t came from the
fires which burned In the crater of the
volcano. The first priestess, having
recognized in this gigantic column the
familiar symbol of life Of the Egyptian
worship, established her affairs beneath
it's shadow
For the rest. the mountain. with its
mighty slopes and borderlands. wa.
peopled by multitude Of half-sayaxe
folk. who accepted the rule OF the
Hesea, bringing her tribute of all things
necessary. such as food and metals
Much Of the meat and grain, however.