Evening star., 1911-05-26

king in the sunshine. When he looked
In. trying to conjure up once more the
beautiful face, 1t was always the dagger
he saw. 1t was always the dagger he
saw when the memory of that short, vio-
lent scene came back to him-and 1t came
back often, springing up out of his sub
conscious self like an evil. sinking shade
that could never be wholly brought 10
rest. Yet he went on resolutely. One
barrier had given way-one more re-
mained, and he flung himself against 1t
with q reckless determination which
would have overcome any resistance. But
there was none. The old priest who had
been his guide and teacher welcomed him
as he had always done. seated cross
legged at the edge OF the sacred tank.
bronze statue of Buddha, whose eyes
alone spoke Of a fierce flowing life within.
He bowed his head once in return to Ne
halls greeting but as he began to speak
he interrupted him, and in a low. chant
ing voice uttered the last words he was
ever heard to address to any living
creature:
Speak not to me. Son of the Night and
Day. for the Spirit of the Holy Yog Is on
me, and his tongue speaketh through my
lips. Behold, mine eyes see with his into
the wells of the future-my heart stands
still for fear of the things that are TO be.
l see holy temple and hear the ring OF
accursed footsteps. i see young man
at daybreak. beautiful, strong and up
right, and I see him stand beneath the
high sun like a blade Of withered grass.
/ see him go forth in the morning with
laughter on his lips, and at nightfall his
eyes run blood. A voice calleth him from
the thicket. and wheresoever the voice
calleth him he goeth He standeth on
the banks of holy Ganges. and behold
the waters burst from their course and
pour westward to the ocean. Behold,
then shall he draw his sword against his
people, and from that hour he shall serve
them and become theirs. Then shall the
doors of the temple be closed forever. and
the lips Of Vishnu silent. Go forth, Son
of the Evening and Morning Star. That
which is to be shall be till the stream of
the future ceaseth to flow from the mouth
Of heaven.''
Nehal Singh listened to this strange.
disjointed prophecy in perfect silence. his
eyes following the fierce stare Of the old
Brahman into the oily waters Of the
sacred pool. Amid the hundred ref1ec-
tions from the temple he seemed to see
each separate picture as the monotonOus
voice called it up before his mind, and
always it was his own face which SIM
mered among the shadOwy minarets, and
always it was familiar voice calling
him through the ages which whispered tC
him from the trembling leaves of the be
tree as it hung its branches down to the
waters edge.
Tell me more, for thy words have
drawn the veil closer about the future,"
His pleading received no response. The
priest remained motionless. passive, in
different. seemingly plunged in an &C.
static contemplation: and from that mo-
ment his lips were closed. and he passed
his once loved pupil with eyes that seemed
fixed far ahead on a world visible only &c
himself. Neither in his words nor manner
had there been any anger or reproach,
but perfect resignation which walled
him off from every human emotion, and
Nehal Singh went his way, conscious tina,
the world lay before him and that he was
free. The great dividing wall had turned
to air. and he had passed through. salts
fled but not a little troubled, as a man is
who finds that he has struck at shadows
Afterward he told himself that the walls
had always been shadows. the links that
bound him always mere ghostly him
ORANGES. part of the vague dreams that
had filled his life and bound his horizon
Now that was all over. The more per-
feet reality lay before him and was his
The dim figures Of his childhood's imag-
ination gave place to definite forms And
each bore the same face, each face the
same grave goodness-that Of the woman
destined for him by heaven.
(To be continued tomorrow.)