The Washington times., 1906-02-18

the leNeUS l4lStL SlIloLe anu SIdDneu were
our sword and spear, while ever the
hurricane roared and screamed with d
million separate voices which blended
to one yell of sound, hideous and inde-
scribable.
As for the hosts about US, they melted
and were gone.
Now the darkness was dense, like 20
that Of thickest night; yet in the fierce
flares of the IighJnings 1 saw them run
this way and that, and amid the volley
ing, elemental voices heard their
shouts of horror and Of agony. I saw
horses and riders roll confused upon
the ground: like storm-drifted leaves /
saw their footmen piled in high and
whiTling heaps, while the brands of hea-
ven struck them till they sank together
and grew still
saw the groves Of trees bend
shrivel up. and vanish. I saw the high
walls of Kaloon blown IN and flee away.
while the houses within the walls took
fire to go out beneath the torrents Of
the driving rain. and again take fire. /
saw bIackness sweep over US with great
wings. and when I looked, loi thoss
wide wings were f1ame-foods of pulsing
flame that few ap0H the tOFmented air
BIackness. utter blackness; turmoil
doom. dismay- Beneath me the iabOring
horse; at my side the steady crest OF
light which sat on Ayesha's brow, and
through the tumult clear, exultant
voice that sang:
"I promised thee Wild weather. Now
Holly. dozt thou believe that I can loose
the prisoned powers of the ~orld?''
10, all was past and gone and above
us shone the quiet evening sky. and
before Us lay the empty bridge, and be
yond it the flaming CIJy of KalOon. But
the armies Of Atene where we're they2
Go. ask Of those great cairns that hide
their bones. Go. ask it of her widowed
land.
Yet of our Wild company of horsemen
not one was lost After us they gal
loped trembling. white-lipped. like men
who face 90 face had fought and con-
quered death. but triumphaut-eh, tri-
umphant.
On the high head Of the bridge Aye
sha wheeled her horse. and so for one
proud moment stood TO welcome them.
Al the sight of her glorious. star-crown-
ed cOuntenance. which now ner tribes
beheid for the first time and the last,
there went up such q shout as men
have seldom heard
THE goddess that shout thundeTed.
Worship the goddess"
Then she turned her horses head
again, and they followed on through the
long. straight street of the burning city
up 10 the palace on tic C-esI
As the sun set we sped beneath its
gateway Silence in the courtyard 81
ienCe everywhere. save for the distant
roar Of fire and the sacred howlings Of
the death hounds in their kennels.
Ayesha sprang from her horse. and,
waving back all save Oros and myself,
swept through the open doors into the
halls beyond.
They were empty. "VeTy One-all were
fled or dead Yet she never paused or
doubted but so swiftly that we scarce
could follow her, fitted up the wide
stone stair that led TO Cne Jopmost tow
er Up, still up, until we reached the
chamber. where had dwelt Simbri the
Shaman, that same chamber whence he
was wont TO watch his stars, in which
Atene had threatened us with death.
Its door was shut and barred; stilI,
at Ayesha S coming. yes. before the mere
breath of her presence the iron bolts
snapped like twigs. the locks flew back.
and inward burst that massIve portal.
Now we were within the Iamp-lit
Seated in a chair pale-faced. bound.
yet proud and defiant looking, was Leo.
Over him. a dagger in his withered hand
yes, about to strike. in the very acu-
stood the old Shaman and on the floor,
hard by. gazing upward WITH wfde-set
eyes. dead and still majestic in her
death. lay Atene, khania of Kaloon.
Ayesha waved her arm and the knife
fell from Simbri's hand clattering on
the marble while in an instant he no
had held it was smitten to stiffness, ard
became Ike a man turned to stone.
She stopped lifted the dagger. and
with d swift stroke severed Leo.s bonds:
then, as though overcome at last, sank
on to bench in silence Leo rose. look
ing about bin bewildered. and said in
the straineI voice OF one who is weak
with much 1cring:
But just il time. Ayesha. Another
second, and hat nurderous dog.'-and
he pointed to the Shaman--'Well. il
was in time But how went the battle.
and how canes thou here through that
awful hurricane? And, oh. Horace.
thank heaven they did not kill you, at
ter aIIy'
The battle went i'll for some"
Ayesha answered, and ] came at