Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-27

of civilization which had reached
climax greater that his own, and
now lay buried in an ocean of sand,
as another city-no doubt he meant
Atlantic-lay buried In water When
| 1t seemed to Ancestor that he could
not bear the molten atmosphere an
other minute, they would guide him
to some oasis, where light winds
sighed through palm-tops whose roots
fed on the bones of ancient races, in
their longforgotten garden of sleep.
"Old peoples" Daoud would boast,
"but not as old as ours, who saw
them come-those red-haired peoples
and saw them go, always avoiding
the cataclysms of nature because fore
seeing Them
or Won Tarsenheim and the books
they would not talk, though Lord An
cester was longing to learn what pow
er they had to undo the evil to which
he had been an accessory. He had
accepted his defeat at the occulist's
hands, that day in the tower, recog-
nising that his enemy held the cards,
| but the sense of that defeat ranked
in mind already worked up to a
pitch Of fanaticism on the subject of
| putting an end to Won Tarsenheim
and his inventions.
"All must be said to our sheik,"
said Daoud, "for the words of man
come forth alive but once, and the
| second time are but as the warmed
up loaves. tasting fiat in the mouth"
But they told him much about the
stealing of the books, and the evil
effect on the tribe, in whose custody
they had been placed centuries ago, as
a sacred charge For in those
books said Daoud "is the truth writ
ten as 1t was known to the peoples
who sleep far down beneath these
sands, who received it from an older
people far to the west, who sleep be-
meath the water-a people with minds
capable of receiving the truth"
"But what is the truth?" asked
Lord Ancestor, in matter of fact
way, as he opened tin Of sardines
in the shade of tiny oasis.
"Said not somewhat about minds
which could understand it?" answer
ed the gypsy. "Such mind is not in
our tribe, except the sheik have tt
then how should you understand it.,
va Sidi?"
How about the accursed one?" ask
ed Ancestor. HE seems to under
stand"
only how the master-chord may
be struck
"The master-chord! And what is
the master-chord? asked Ancestor.
Said not how should you under
standw, va Sidi?" replied Daoud, sui
lenly, and wrapped himself up in ORR
entail reticence
One subject they were willing to
talk about was the curse which had
come on the tribe rince they had 81
lowed the books to be stolen, and
how for the last eighteen months the
evil spirits had oeen abroad in the
land, and the Lord Of Eblis had gain
ed much power.
| But day came when the travellers
saw tents silhouetted black against
the setting sun, and as they approach
ed, a crowd of desert gipsies, in holi-
day attire" of many colors. came forth
to meet them, playing wild music on
strange Instruments, and chanting in
a weird minor monotone. At their
head role the white-bearded sheik, and
when the two parties met he saluted
Ancestor with grave dignity, and
made long speech of welcome, which
when translated, informed him that
of all Englishmen, he was the great.
est; that the desert was his, and all
the gypsy tribes his servants; that
any who stole from him or injured
him would die the DEATH Then girl
with wonderfully 1.-THE but exquisite
ly developed figure, brought forward
a gold plate, studded with uncut Jew.
els, on which was bread and salt. This
she handed to the sheik and to Anees
ter, who both solenlnly ate it; and
when the empty plate was given tc
him he felt that he had been pre-
sented with the key of the desert
Many councils were held during
the week which followed. Anceste,
explained to the old sheik the terrible
results of Won Tarsenheim's inven
tons, the power for evil which he
had obtained by his hypnotic force
and the difficulty of dealing with him
since no law could reach him. and he
who accused him would be accounted
mad. When the sheik heard how he
had surrounded himself with precau
/, tons in his tower, he became very
thoughtful. "The accursed one" ne
said, feels the shadow of approach
ing retribution and the long deferred
, vengeance of our tribe; but this
know, that he cannot escape it-fol
have l not seen it written in tn,
!, sand? Terrible will be his punish
ment, for his soul, which he thinks tt
annihilate, he will but cripple, ant
, the vibrations of the planets which
will destroy his body, caught in hi
own machine. will double the life .
the mangled spirit. Truly, we vii
have vengeance and iustice-and 70,
: shall be the instrument, va Sidi. TO
you shall guide us-Daoud Dashin
!, and myself-to the land of myster,
: where he dwells-the land which wen
not down into the waters when tn
world sank beneath the waves. Mucl
money will you spend taking us OF
: the ships of fire, where they feast al
, day, but peace of mind will at las
:, come to you, though many are tn
consequences you yet shall see iron
!. that invention of the accursed one
> to the youth who bought, and to TIL
youth who sold himself, and the maid
en- that they love.
Truly, the gods. who dwell wher