Evening star., 1912-09-15

CTOW6s says my ITldH OI SlS. 4udIyS. thV
grand coesre must be cigain of the old
race. such liar as to deceive a gypsy.
able to deny like st. Peter. rob like an
apostle and when he coois his feet in
the Danube the river runs red
But this citizen of Sts Marys forbade
me to quote him. 1 tell the things as 1
remember them.
Let the blood of the babes fiow!''
squeals old Giska- They are our
money. otherwise we should not not dare
offer them to ST. Sarah. q pure sacrifice.
as Isaac was to Jacob! Who bleeds
them?"
IT," cries Attilla the Croat, with a
Hghtning-quick jump. getting ahead Of
the others and grabbing the sacred whip
from her hands. Swishing it round his
head till 1t whistles. he cries the conse-
Grated words of the candidate:
II am your grand coesre! All here will
swear me fidelity. I am your king, males
and females. you are mine!
Swinging the heavy blacksnake till 1t
screeches:
All. ALL you are my vabrassi (slaves)w
Before the words were out Of his mouth
big Balthazar jumped against him:
mo, we are not your vabrassi. You
have the sacred whip in your hand, but
1t will not take long to drag it from you
How should you have slaves?" he cried.
you don't know how to whip them.''
Inc words are canonical, repeated at
each election. The ordeal of the whip
really decides the choice Of king.
I don't know how to whip?' roared
Attila. "Who will prove it?''
'T!" returned Balthazar.
And I!' cried Routchouk.
And I"' added Hedjaz of the Red Sea
desert
In an instant the three rival candidates.
barred to the waist, crouched at a dis
tance round the holder of the whip- and
made ready to spring. But the whirling.
WINS wmstnns whip began to trace circle
hard to penetrate. It is short, solid,
very heavy copper handle as big round as
a Woman's wrist, continuing in a long
cruel black snake of that thickness
that tapers to many loaded lash. The
loaded lash was everywhere and nowhere
On the three barred giants it made sounds
OF tearing flesh, cut like a razor, cracked
on heads. breasts, shoulders scattering
a rain OF blood on the squatting crowd.
Only those who have seen it, says my
man OF SITS. Marys can imagine what a
weapon the gypsy whip can be in the
hands OF an expert.
X
Attila faced every side at once, tireless,
turning, leaping. jumping back, slashing
his three unarmed opponents with ter
rifle precision and rapidity. Routchouk
slipped in, and almost grabbed the whip
be got the brass ball of the butt crashing
on his head, went down half stunned, the
whip whirled, and the delegates roared
with enthusiasm. Hedjaz broke through
on Attila like a tiger but the holder of
the whip jumped back and fetched him a
binding welt across the face The dele
gates were already murmuring to acclaim
him; the barred bodies Of the three were
masses Of bloody welts, their faces un-
recogniza ble-when Balthazar the Croat,
staggering up like bull in the ring on his
last groggy charge. suddenly caught the
whip in his left hand. while he crooked
his leg round Attila's knee. bent him
backward in a wrestler's foul hug, squeez-
ed him till he breathed thick, dropped the
sacred emblem, and went down with q
thud. BalthaZar on top, and they heard
rib crack
Then it was Balthazar's turn to swish
the whip round his head till it whistled,
crying:
81 am your grand coesre! All will swear
me fidelity! Males and females, you are
mine!'
Routchouk and Hedjaz made a dash for
him-tOo late. BalthaZar's whip play was
different and the two men were exhaust
ed. They had just time to save their
eyes with their left hands, lest a clip of
the loaded lash pluck them out Of their
orbits. Crack! crack! Human nature could
no longer stand those cruel weals. Down
went HedjaS of the Desert of the Red
Sea! Down went Routchouk the Wal
ZACH. And the clamor Of the delegates
proclaimed Balthazar's victory.
Then began the traditional dance of
the delegates around the whip. All fran
tic, drunk with perfumes, incense, cries,
psalms. prayers and the sight of blood,
barred to the waist to seek the lash. they
danced round Balthazar. demanding
pain" while Balthazar slashed among
them.
Again began the litany: .
"Ah, Sarah! All. All! Sarah!"