Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-10-04
CHAPTER xvIll. tcontlnued).


Again he failed to answer. Some
where near him he heard a slight
roise as OF a man moving impatiently;
and then a whisper: Respond, thou
fooli"
cart thou come. o chosen OF the
Gate Pay?" the bell-voice rang.
81 am come" Amber man
aged to reply.
Hear YET" rang the bell. Hear
ye. o lords and rulers in Medhyamai
o children of my Gateway. hear ye
well He is comet He stands upon
the threshold OF the Gateway"
A great drum roared like the crack
OF doom; and Amber's jaw dropped.
For in the high roof of the temple a
six-foot slab had been noiselessly
withdrawn, and through It cold shaft
of moonlight fell, cutting the gloom
like gigantic rapier, and smote with
its immaculate radiance the true
Gateway of Swords.
Not six PAGES from him II leaped
out of the darkness in an irldescent
sheen; an arch a scant ten feet in
height. and In span double the width
OF big mans shoulders. woven across
like weaver's frame with ribbons OF
pale FIRE. But the ribbons were OF
steel-steel blades, sharp. bright,
cleaning. With their pommels cum
ningly afIlxed so that their points
touched and interlaced, yet swung
free. they lined the piers of the arch
from base to span and all the grace
full sweep of the intrados. curtain of
shimmering. trembling steel. barring
the way to the mystery beyond. Which
was-darkness.
20 ye swords," belled the voice.
20 We swords that have known
no dlshonorl o ye swords that have
sung in the grasp of my greatest!
Swords of Jehangar, Akbar, Alamgir!
Swords of Alludin, Humayun, Shah
Jehan. Swords of Timur.Leng. Arung-
zeb. Rao Rutton
The invocation seemed intermina.
BILE. Amber recognized almost every
name noted in the annals and legends
of Hindustan.
"IIearken, o my swordsl He, thy
chosen. prayeth for entryi What is
thy welcome?"
One by one the blades began TO
shiyer. clashing their neighbors. until
the curtain OF steel glimmered and
glistened Ike phosphorescence in a
summer sea, ana the place was filled
with the music of their contact; and
through their clamor doomed the bell:
20 my choseni" Amber started and
held himself firmly in hand Look
well. look we'll! Here is thy portal to
kingship and glory!"
He frowned and took step forward
as If he would throw himself through
the archway: for he had suddenly re-
membered with compelling vividness
that Sophia Farrell was to be won
only by that passage, But as he
moved the swords clattered afresh and
swung outwards. presenting bristle
of points. And he stopped, while tho
voice. Indifferent and remote as al
ways. continued to harangue him
IF thy heart, o my chosen. be clean,
unsullied with fear and guile; II thy
faith be the faith of thy fathers and
thy honor rooted in love of thy land:
If thou hast faith in the strength OF
thy hands to hold the reins of empire
enter, having no fear"
"Trick-work," he told himself. Ha
set his teeth with determination.
Hope they don't see fit to cut me to
pieces on suspicion. Here goes" He
moved forward with Arm step until
his bosom all but touched the points.
Tnstantaneously. with another clash
as of cymbals. the blades were de-
flected and returned to their first pc
sition, closing the way. He hesitated
Then. THAT shan't stop mel" he said
through his teeth, and prshed forward
heart in mouth. He breasted the cur
tain and felt il give; the blades yield