The Huttig news., 1911-09-16

| Tea. | am Strlchen ana ld1u low With sickness"
 In the brazier t'se flame leared high and subsided. and with it the cobra leaped and sank low upon it's coils
 T. thine old mother have called ye together to help in my healing. From ny feet to my head am eaten with pestilence; yea. I am devoured and possessed by the evil Even of old was 1t thus with thy mother; long since she complained of the Plague that is Scarlet-mosned and cried ouh and turned in her misery But ye failed me. Then my peoples were weddings and their hearts all were I craven; the Scarlet Evil dismayed them; they fled from it's power and left it to batten on me in my sick ness"
 1 A deep groan welled in uncounted threats and resounded through the cavern.
 Will ye fail me again. my chill aren?'
 Nay, nay. O our motheri"
 Too long have I suffered and been patient in silence Now I must be cleapsed and made whole as Of old tune: yea, I must be purged altogeth- CT and the evil cast out from me. It is time. Ye have heard, ye have answered; make ready. for the day of the cleansing approaeheth Whet thy swords for the days of the hssaling, for my cleansing can be but by steel Yea, thy swords shall do away with the evil, and the land shall run red with the blood of Bharuta the blood of thy mother; 1t shall run to the sea as a river. bearing with it the Red Evil So and no otherwise shall l. thine old mother, be healed and made whole again.
 Amber was watching the serpent dazed and weary as if with great need of sleep. Even the salvos of shouts came to htm as from a great | alone he bad become abnormally sen | sitive: every fiber of his being shud- 1 dered. resnonsive to it's weird nuances. It returned to its solemn and stately | intoning.
 pnt of ve all have I chosen and | fixed upon one who shall lead ye. 1 Through his shall my strength be Nsde manifest, my will be made known to my peoples. His must ye serve and obey: to him must ye bow down and be humble. Say, are ye l nleased? Will ye have him, my ehil 1 dren?"
 Without an instant's delay a cry of ratification rang to the roof. Yea, O our mother, him we will serve and ohev to him bow down and be humble"
 The voice addressed itself directly to the kneeling man. He stiffened and reused
 Thou hast heard of the honor we confer upon thee-I Medhyama, thy mother and these my children, thy brothers. Ye shall lead and rule in Bharuta. Are ye ready?"
 Half hypnotized, Amber opened his mouth. but no words came. His chin dropped to his breast
 Thy strength must be known. to my | peoples; they must see thee put to the proof thy courage, that they may know thee to be the man for their {. Ye are ready?"
 He was unable to move finger
 Stretch out thine armsl" 1 He shuddered and tried to obey. 1 The voice rang imperative
 Stretch forth thine arms for the | testing,"
 Somehow mechanically, he s,S,ceed ad in raising hts arms and holding them rigid before him. Alarreed by the movement, the cobra turned with ! hiss, waving his poisonous hexsd But .'e Virsinian made no offer to with draw his hands. His eyes were wide md staring and his face livid
 subdued murmur came from the 'uen clustered round the idas, in semidart ness.
 The bell boomed forth like antorgan
 70 hooded death. O death. who art trained to my service, Thou before whom all men stand aFrishted, !, Thou vho censt look into their hearts and read them as scroll that is un- rolled Look deep into the | Hstit ol tllN CnOS6n. luGEo IT ne nes worthy or wanting. judge if he be eKse or true. Judge him, decdM :"
 Before Amber the great serpents was oscillating like a pendulum. its little tongue playing like forked red light niue. it's loathsome red eyes hdding his own.
 Look we'll. o death. and judge | himi"
 The dance of the hooded death changed in character. grew more fren zied: the white writhing coils melted Into one another in dizzying confusion; figure merged into figure like smoke.
 The suspense grew intoler- able.
 Hast thou judged him. O death 7''
 Instantly the white cobra reared up to its utmost and remained poised over Amber, barely moving save for the al most impereeptible throbSng Of the hood and the incessant darting of the forked tongue.
 s'Tf ho ha foyal then snaro hi,,,