Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-17

For, as Rachel discovered afterward,
these people believed that the spirit of
each tree Of the forest Is attached to the
spirit of human being, although that
being may dwell in other lands, far away,
which dies when the tree dies, sometimes
slowly by disease, and sometimes in swift
collapse. SO that they pass together into
the world of ghosts
On they fitted through the gloom, on for
mile after mile. Although the leaf-strewn
ground showed no trace of it. evidently
they were following some kind of path,
for no fallen trunks barred their progress.
nor were there any creepers or brush
wood, although to right and left of them
all these could be seen in plenty. At last,
quite of sudden. for the bole of tree
at the end of the path had hidden it from
them, they came upon clearing in the
forest. 1t seemed to be a natural or, at
any rate, very ancient clearing, since
in 1t no stumps were visible, nor any
scrub, or creepers, only tall grass and
Towering plants. In the center of this
place, covering quarter of it, perhaps,
was vast circular wall. fifty feet or
more in height, and clothed with ferns.
This wall, they noted. was built Of huge
blocks of stone, so huge indeed that it
seemed wonderful that they could have
been moved by human beings. At the
sight of that marvellous wall, Rachel and
Mole halted invoiuntarily, and Mole asked:
who made it, Mother?'
1.-The giants who lived when the wor ID
was young. Can our hands lift such
stones?" Nya answered, as bending down,
she thrust the top shoot from her fallen
tree into the humid SOIL then added: "On
child, there is danger here"
AS she spoke something Kissed through
the air just above her head, and stuck
fast in the bark of sapling. Mole
sprang forward and plucked it out. Ii
was little reed, feathered with grasses
and having sharp ivory point. smeared
with some green substance.
"Touch 1t not" cried Nya. lit Is deadly
poison. Eddo's work. Eddo's work. but
my hour is not yet. Into the open before
another comes"
So they ran forward, all three of them
seeing and hearing nothing of the shooter
of the arrow. AS they approached the
titanic wall they saw that it enclosed d
mound, on the top of which mound grew
a cedar-like tree with branchs SO wide
that they seemed to overshadow half OF
the enclosure. There were no gates to
this wall, but while they wondered how ii
could be entered. Nya led them to kind
of cleft in its stones, not more than two
feet in width. across which cleft were
stretched strings Of plated grass. She
~
them. and walking forward, followed by
Rachel and Mole. Suddenly they heard a
noise above them and looking up saw
white-robed dwarfs perched upon the
stones OF the cleft, holding bent bows
in their hands, whereof the arrows were
pointed at their breasts. Nya halted
reckoning to them, wherein, recognizing
her, they dropped the arrows into the
little quivers which they wore. and scram-
bled Off, whittier Rachel could not see l..
o,.Iia 90 hn II
that cannot either speak or hear. who
were summoned by the breaking of the
thread" said Nya, and went forward
again.
Now to the right. and now to the left.
ran the narrow path that wound its way
in the thickness of the mighty wall, W hich
lowered so high above them that they
walked almost in darkness, and at each
turn of 1t were recesses and above these
projecting stones, where archers could
stand for its defense. At length this path
ended In cul-de-sac, for in front of
them was nothing but blank masonry.
Whilst Rachel and Mole stared at it. Won
dering whittier they should go now. a
large stone In this wall turned leaving a
narrow doorway through which trey
passed. whereon it shut again bel :!
them. though by what machinery they
could not see.
Thus they passed through the wall.
emerging, however, at d different point
in it's circumference to that at which they
had entered. In the center OF the inclos-
ure rose the hill of earth that they had
seen from without, which evidently was
kept free from weeds and swept and on
its crest grew the huge cedar-like tree,
the Tree of the Tribe. Between the base
of this hill and the foot Of the wall was
a wide ring of level ground, also swept
and weeded. and on this space, neatly ar
ranged In lines were hundreds of little
hillocks that resembled ant-heaps.
The burying- place of the ghost-priests,
lady" said Nya, nOdding at the hillocks.
Soon my bones will be added to them
Walking across this strange cemetery,
they come to the foot of the mound that
was entirely overshadowed by the cedar
above. from the outspread limbs Of which
hung long gray moss that swayed cease
lessly in the wind. Here dwarfs appeared
from right to left the same whom they
had seen within the thickness of the wall.
or others like to them, some male and
some female; acknowledgement little crea-
lures who bowed to Nya, and looked with
fear and wonder at the tall Rachel. Evil
IDENTIFY they were all of them deaf-mutes,
for they made signs to Nya, who answer
ed them with other signs. the purport of
which seemed to sadden and disturb them
greatly.
They have seen the fall of my tree
in their bowls explained Nya to Mole,
land ask me if it is a true vision l tell
them that / am come here to die and that
is why they are sad. This is the place of
dying of all the ghost-priests. whence
they pass into the world of spirits and
here no blood may be shed, no. not that
Of the most wicked evildoer. If any one
of the family of priests reaches this place
living the glory of the white death is
won. Follow and see
So they followed her up the mound past
what looked like the entrance to a cave,
until they reached low fence of reeds
whereof the gate stood open.
THE gate is open, but enter not there, -
whispered the old mother of the trees
'for those who enter there live not long
Look, lady, look
Rachel peeped through the gate. but SO
dense was the gloom in that holy spot
that at first she could only see the enor-
nous red bole of the cedar. and the
ghostly moss-clad branches which sprang
from it at no great height above the
ground. Presently. however, her eyes,
grown accustomed to the light. dis
tinsuished several little white-robed fig
lance from the trunk staring into ves-
sells of wood which were placed before
them. These figures appeared to be those
of both men and women, while one was
that of child. Even as they watched
the figure nearest to them fell forward
over It's bowl and lay quite still. whereon
those around 1t set up a feeble. piping
cry that yet had in it a note of gladness.
The dwarf-mutes who had accompanied
right of entry into this sad place, ran
forward and looked. Then very gently
they lifted up the fallen figure and bore
it out AS it was carried past them
Rachel noted that it was the body of quite
a young woman, whose little face. wasted
to nothing, still looked sweet and gentle.
Was she ILL.," asked Rachel in an awed