The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-24
THE TOWER OF SILENCE.

cOF Ohth uIotilCS VI DOutUdy
stretched his limbs and opened his
eyes,
He saw the blue sky over him,
he was conscious of a burning,
pricking sensation in his limbs, of
head that throbbed; but he did
not know where he was, or how he
came to be lying upon his back
looking up at the cloudless heav-
ems
ell heard the sweeping Of wings,
and, with a slow, sideward motion,
a ,aSvulture, black and gigantic,
passed almost within arms reach,
spoiked itself for an instant over
HIM and scared upward. ''i
Eittle by little the deputy magis-
trate's mind worked backward.
The starting point of his con-
sciousness seemed to be face, a
swarthy face that stared at him
while the fist shook menacingly in
his direction. Ha! 1t was in the
district court, where he had SEN
fenced one Jamsetjee Seringar to
a stiff term of Imprisonment for
highway robbery. And he had
cursed him as he was hurried to
the cells and sworn revenge. But
that was seven years ago-and the
sentence had been for seven years,
he remembered. And he had heard
that the Parsee was at large again
and threatening to murder him.
Then
His mind CROPPED backward
feebly. Then
Now all was clear to him. His
walk home from the club alone at
night, the dark street, a sudden
vision of the face of the ruffian,
stunning blow upon the back of
the head, and, finally, oblivion.
Where was he, though, if he was
not dead already Surely this was
not the hospital, this bare, hard
place 4on which he lay. Why, he
was Utmost nude, and the suns
pitiless rays scorched his flesh.
And Ethe ominous vultures that
came nearer and nearer, tanning
him with the swep. of their pin
ions-r
'sAnd the palm trees, whose feath-
cry tops were on a level with the
surface of the place on which he
lay. Slowly and painfully he raised
himself
He was reclining upon the flat
top of tower, raised perhaps 70
feet above the waste land that sur
rounded it. In the center of the
tower top was a closed grille, be-
meath which flight of stone steps
descended. And all around him
were heaps of bleached and whit
ening bones, and others on which
gorged vultures were performing
their horrible task.
Then he knew. He had been
placed on the top of one of those
towers of silence. as they were
known, on which the Parsee COM
munity exposed the bodies of the
dead to be decomposed by the vul-
lures and the elements. And no
man could leap from such height
and live.
He stared around him hope
lessly. With devilish ingenuity the
ruffian had spared his life and had
him conveyed hither that he might
perish by this fearful death.
A great black bird perched upon
the towers edge not there feet dis
tant and regarded him ominously.
The deputy shook his fist and the
creature scared away slowly, cir
cling, with two or three of its kin,
over him.
Overcome by realization of his
predicament the deputy tainted.
When he recovered conscious
ness it was dusk. They were all
round and over him now, the giant
birds, waiting for their horrible
meal. Their bald heads leaned to-
gether. as though the carrion crea-
lures held consultation, whether to
rush in or to wait Their curved
beaks glinted fearfully in the light
of the rising moon. And, watching
then. an inspiration came to the
deputy. If he could catch one
He lay quite still, SO still that
one waddled up to him and gravely
reEaFded him, raising one claw to
itS. kieast. as though meditating a
p0hn6e. And Suddenly the victim
sRfang and grasped it by the leg,
wNle the flock rose in alarm and
circled about him.
The vulture attacked him furi.
ously.- rending at his nude body
Willis curved beak till the blood
stt18aned down him. But, though
tdSz-Sby talons and beak and
bruised by the strong wings, the
man fought desperately for life,