The Washington times., 1905-10-29

shot a sudden beam of ligh.. that beat
upon us like some signal flashed across
the sea. On we went, floating down the
hea,n-on across the desert, above the
mountains, across a great fat land be-
yond, in which were many villages and
a city on a mound, till we lit upon
towering peak Then / saw that this
peak was loop-shaped like the symbol
of life of the Egyptians-the crux
ansata-and supported by a lava stem
hundreds of feet in height. Also / saw
that the fire which shone through IL
rose from the crater of a volcano be-
yond. Upon the very crest of this loop
we rested a while, till the Shadow of
Ayesha pointed downward with its
hand, smiled and vanished. Then 1
awoke
Horace, I tell you that the sign
come to u.s.
His voice died away in the darkness.
but sat still, brooding over what had
heard. Leo groped his way to me, and.
seizing my arm. shook it.
Are you asleep?' he asked, angrily.
/ Speak. man, speak,
NO" 1 answered. never was I
more awake. Give me time"
Then I rose. and going to the open
window. drew up the blind and stood
| there staring at the sky, which grew
t, peari-hued with the first faint tinge of
| dawn. Leo came also. and leaned upon
the window sill. and 1 could feel that
his body was trembling as though with
cold. Clearly he was much moved.
You talk of sign. 1 said to him.
but in your sign l see nothing but
wild dream
1T was no dream" he broke in.
| fnrcelV- eft was a vision"
"A vision, then. il you will, but there
are visions true and false. and how can
we know that this Is true? Listen.
What is there in all that wonderful tale
which could not have been fashioned
In your own brain. distraught as il
| is almost to madness with your sorrow
and your longings? You dreamed that
you were alone in the vast universe.
! Well, is not every living creature thus
alone? You dreamed that the shadowy
shape of Ayesha came to you. Has
she ever left your side? You dreamed
that she led you over sea and land.
past places haunted by your memory
above the mysterious mountains of the
unknown to an undiscovered peak.
Does she not lead you through life to
that peak which lies beyond the Gates
of Death? You dreamed"
"Oh, no more of it." he exclaimed.
What / saw 1 saw, and that 1 will
follow. Think as you Will. Horace. and
do what you will. Tomorrow / star
for India. with you if you choose to
come; If not. without you"
You speak roughly. Leo" 1 said
You forget that i have had no sign
and that the nightmare Of man sc
near to madness that but a few hours
/ na date
will be a poor staff to lean on when We
are perishing In the SHOWS of Centra
Asia mixed vision, this of yours
/ Leo. with its mountain peak shaped like
crux ansata and the rest Do yol
suggest that Ayesha is reincarnated il
Central Asia-as a female Grand Lama
or something of that sort?''
Il never thought of il, but why not?
asked Leo. quietly. DO you remembe
a certain scene in the Caves Of Kor yon
der, when the living looked upon tn
dead, and dead and living were tn
same? And do you remember that Ay
esha swore that she would come agai
4 yes. to this world; and how could tha
be except by rebirth, or, what is tn
I, same thing by the transmigration of tn
spirit?''
: 1 did not answer this argument.
was struggling with myself
t mo sign has come to me" / said
i "and yet 1 have had a part in the play
e humble enough. 1 admit, and / believ
$ that have still part"
S NO. he said, mo sign has come t
you. ] wish that IL had. Oh. how
: wish you could be convinced as / am!
e Then we were silent for a long while
n silent. with our eyes fixed upon tn
e sky.
: 1t was n stormy dawn. Clouds 4
Q fantastic masses hung upon the ocear
e One Of them was like great mountain
: and we watched II idly. II changed II
s shape, the crest of IT grew hollow hk
II a crater. From this crater sprang
e projecting cloud. a rough pillar with
C knob or lump resting on It's top Sut
o denly the rays OF the risen sun struc
upon this mountain and the column an
e they turned white like snow. Then. a
II though melted by those fiery arrows
/ the center OF the excresceEce above III
d pillar thinned out and vanished. leavin
Y an enormous loop of cloud.
4 Look" said Leo, that is the shaT
l. of the mountain which l saw in IN
4, vision. There upon II is the black lool
= and there through II shines the fire.
st would seem that the sign is for both
Ie US, Horace"
t, / looked and locked again till presen