Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-11-23
llWSUNM00WNS BY NAW WAGU[5NS

ed jealousy, closing round his body
like cold, caressing arms; he felt their
chill kisses on his cheeks and hands,
even through his clothing he was con-
scious Of their clinging, deadly touch.
Abruptly they swung entirely free,
leaving the entrance clear, and he was
drawing a free breath when the moon
glare showed him the swords returned
to position with the speed of light.
He jumped for his life and escaped
being slashed to pieces by the barest
inch. They swung to behind him;
and again the drum roared, while afar
there arose a furious, eldritch wailins
of conches. Overhead the opening
disappeared and the light was shut
out. In darkness as of the Hall of
Eblls the conches were stilled and
the echoes ebbed into a silence that
held sway for many minutes ere again
the bell spoke.
Stretch forth thy hand"
Somewhat shaken, Amber held out
an open palm before him. Then out
of nothingness something plopped into
Amber's hand and his fingers closed
convulsively about II. 1t was a hand,
very small, small as a child's, gnarled
and hard as steel and cold as ice.
Without any forewarning two heavy
hands gripped him, one on either
shoulder, and he was forced to his
knees. At the same instant, with a
swapping crackle a squirt of blue fame
shot down from the zenith, and where
1t fell with a thunderclap a dazzling
glare Of emerald light shot up breast
high.
To his half-blinded eyes It seemed,
for a time, to dance suspended in the
air before him. A vapor swirled up
from It, a thin cloud, luminous. By
degrees he made out its source, a
small, brazen bowl on a tripod.
In front of him he could see moth
ing beyond the noiselessly wavering
fame. But presently a hand appeared,
as IL by magic, above the bowl-a
hand, bony, brown and long of finger,
that seemed attached to nothing-and
cast something like a powder into the
fire. There followed a fizz and puff Of
vapor, and a strong and heavy gust Of
incense was waited into Amber's face.
Again and again the hand appeared,
sprinkling powder in the brazier, I'M
til the smoke clouded the atmosphere
with its fluent, eddying coils.
The goosefesh that had pricked out
on Amber's skin subsidized, and his
qua]ms went with 1t. Greek fire burn
ing in the bowl" he explained the phe-
nomenon; "and a native with his arm
wrapped to the wrist in black is feed
ing it. Not a bad effect. though"
1t was, perhaps, as well that he had
not been deceived, for there was q
horror to come that required all his
strength to face. He became con-
scious that something was moving be-
tween him and the brazier-something
which he had incuriously assumed to
be a piece Of dirty cloth left there
carelessly. But now he saw 1t stir,
SHuiihb ohu upChut uAIOidlu6 lboCAi
and lifting its head to the leaping
flame; an immense cobra, sleek and
white as ivory, its swelling hood as
large as a mans two hands, with q
binocular mark on 1t as yellow as topaz
and with vicious eyes glowing like
twin rubies in its vile little head.
Amber's breath clicked in his throat
and he shrank back, rising; but this
instructive move had been provided
against and before his knees we're
fairly off the rocky floor he was forced
down again by the hands on his shout
ders. He vas unable to take his eyes
from the monster, and though terror
such rs man is heir to lay cold upon
his heart, he did not again attempt to
stir.
There was no sound. Alone and I'M
disturbed the bleached viper warmed
to its dance with the pulsing flame,
turning and twisting, weaving and
writhing in It's Internal glare. F.
Hear ye, o my peoples!"
Amber jumped. The voice had
seemed to ring out from a point d.
rectly overhead.
He looked up and discovered above
him, vague In the %obscurity, the out
lines of a gigantic bell, hanging mo-
tionless. The green glare, shining on
its rim and partly Illuminating it's
empty hollow Che saw no clapper) re-
vealed the sheen Of bronze Of which
1t was fashioned.
Out Of It's immense bowl, the voice
rolled like thunder:
Hear We, 0 my peopIes!"
A responsive mupmur assembled from
the company round the walls:
I'VE hear! We hear, o Medhyamai"
Mark well this man, o children of
my Gateway. Mark we'll! Out Of ye
all I have chosen him to lead thee in
the work Of healing; for I thy mother,
/ Medhyama, | Bharuta, / the body
from which ye are sprung, call me by
whatever name ye know mel am laid
low with a great sickness. (.
Yea, I am stricken and laid low with
a sickness"
In the brazier the fame leaped high
and subsidized, and with 1t the cobra
leaped and sank low upon its coils.
7, thine old mother, have called 10
together to help in my healing. From
my feet to my head l am eaten with
pestilence; yea, l am devoursd and
possessed by tho evil. Even Of old
was 1t thus with thy mother; long
since she complained Of the Plague
that Is Scarlet-moaned and cried out
and turned In her misery. s,Et
We failed me. Then my peoples were
weaklinEa and the!y hearts ala vara