Evening star., 1909-03-15

i'm the clouds showed that they were
marching down steep descent OF grass,
land. Thus they went on for severa!
more hours. till at length the bearers OF
the litter in which were Rachel and Noie
who for a long time had been staggering
to and fro like drunken men, came to
halt. and litter and all, sank to the
ground utterly exhausted.
Rachel and Mole, disentangled them
selves from the litter. for they were un-
hurt. and stood by it. not knowing where
to go. till presently two other litters
containing the priests came up. for the
pant crowded in with Eddo. Now great
clamor arose in the darkness, the
priests kissing commands to the surviv-
ing bearers to take up the litter and pro-
this the poor men could not do There
they lay upon the ground. answering that
E.ddo might curse them II he wished or
even kill them as their brothers had been
killed but they were unable to stir an
other step until they had rested and
drunk Where they were, there they
must lie until rain fell. Then the priests
wished Rachel to enter one of their
litters, leaving Mole to walk, which they
were afraid to do themselves. But
ter short by answering.
Not so, I will walk" and picking up
the spear Of one Of the fallen Umkulu to
serve as staff. she took Mole by the
l mana ana started IOTWdTu uOWH Tie Hill.
One of the priests clasped her robe
to draw her back. but she turned on him
with the spear, whereon he shrank back
into. his litter like a snail into his she'll
and left her alone SO following the
them came the two litters with the
priests. carried by all the bearers who
could still stand. for these old men
weighed no more than children. From
far below them rose a mighty sound as of
an angry sea.
What is that nose?" called Rachel
into the ear Of Mole.
THE sound of wind in the forest where
the Tree-folk dwell' she answered.
Then the dawn broke, an awful. blood
red dawn. and by degrees they saw. Be-
meath them ran shallow river, and be-
yond it, stretching for league upon league
farther than the eye could see, lay the
two hundred feet or more into the air;
| the dark illimitable forest that rolled as
the sea rolls beneath the pressure Of the
gale. and indeed seen from above, looked
| like green and tossing ocean. At the
| sight of the water Rachel and Mole began
| to run toward it hand in hand. for they
! were parched with thirst whose mouths
| were full of the salt dust of the desert
| The bearers of the litters in which we're
the three priests ran also. paying no heed
| to the cries of the dwarfs within. At
| length 1t was reached. and throwing
| themselves down they drank until that
1 raging tilIISI VI tIlelTS WdS SdtiSleu, even
E.ddo and his companions crawled out of
/ their litters and drank. Then having
| washed their hands and faces In the
| cool water. they forded the fleet stream
and, filled with a new life, followed the
| road that ran beyond toward the forest
| Scarcely had they set foot upon the
| farther bank when the heart Of the tenn
pest, which had been eddying around them
| all night long, burst over them I'm its
| fury. The lightnings blazed, the thunder
rolled and the wild wind grew to a hurri-
| cane, SO fierce that the litters in which
| were Eddo Pani and Hama were torn
| from the grasp of the bearers and rolled
upon the ground. From the wreck of
| them. for they were but frail things, the
| little gray priests emerged trembling, or
rather were dragged by the hands of
| their giant bearers. to whom they clune
| as a frightened infant clings to its
mother. Rachel saw them and laughed.
| Look at the masters Of magic?" she
+, cried to Mole. those who kill with a
curse. those who rule the ghosts and
she pointed to the thin contemptib ible fig
ures with fluttering robes being dragged
along by those giants whom but a little
while before they had threatened with
| death.
II see them answered Mole into her
ear. Their spirits are strong when they
are at peace. but in trouble they fear
doom more than others. Now, II I were
those Umkulu I would make an end OF
them while they can"
But these great. patient men did 9TH
erwise; indeed, when the dwarfs, worn
out and bewildered by the hurricane,