The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-11-18

ins, but before her portrait thsy
threw themselves on their faces and
groveled.
They sprinkled sand and pebbles
upon thir hair, and their voices, ever
to me who understood no syllable,
carried such depth Of humility and
duplication as filled me with wonder.
They would rise from their suppl.
anc only long enough to glance at
the face Of the picture. then fall again
and renew their paroxysms OF ungain-
" prayer. From the hands of the or
child bearers they took the heaps of
blooms and piled them at a distance
from the shrine.
The young men who had been so
signally honored, and who had now
performed their mission, backed away
in a slow, crab-like withdrawal from
the holy of holes. Only the high
priests and the king were left with
me in the sacred area.
For a time I stood dumbly looking
on, then the idea p%ercolated into my
confused understanding. I realized
that, at best, I was only a demigod,
perhaps a sort of super-high priest,
but no god. These ambassadors ex-
t%raordinary had come not to me. but
to the lady of the portrait.
I lifted up my voice for attention.
and from their kneeling posture they
regarded me with grave reverence. l
took my place with bowed head be.
fore the portrait, and addressed the
lady in tones of deep solemn1ty. It
seemed to me that her delicate mouth
line quivered with amusement as
though she and I had between US a
delicious secret.
Frances! Frances! 'Frances!" I
acclaimed with the deep profundity of
q ritual. II have failed totally and
signally at the god job. There is, III
all this world of sky and sea, and OF
my heart, but one deity. 1t was you
who struck down with a t%hunderbolr
the sacrilegious, false priest. It was
you who saved me from death and
raised me to the high estate of your
vice-gerent."
I paused, and went on more serious
ly:
1T is you whom these people wor-
ship with idolatry-and of them all
none worships you so wholly as I,
your priest!"
And though I was decIaiming before
q lifeless image to impress ignorant
cannibalse, l meant it.
When I had finishd there arose a
devout murmur from the blacks, and,
with a motion to them to remain, I
went into the cave ana came out
again with the small Japanese burner
and a taper of incense. AS the heavy
fragrance OF the burning stuff spread
itself upon the air their WONDER grew,
and a fantastic idea occurred to me.
In college days I had been, in a
very poor and amateurisn style, a
ventriloquist. For years I had not ex.
perimented with the trick, but now,
as they all lay Frustrated before the
image Of the new deity, the notion
possessed me of making a trial. The
silence on the plateau was absolute.
My head was bowed, my race averted
from the visitors. Seemingly from
the lips of the portrait issued an as
surance Of accepted worship.
It was a vague and non-committal
utterance, but the oracle never speaks
distinctly. Men must be satisfied with
portentous mumblings. Instantly the
frightened, awed faces were raised.
I also stood upright and shouted tri-
umphantly. Their prayers were an.
swered. The powers were propitiat.
ed.
I wheeled and pointed back to the
jungle. Slowly, reluctantly, but with
perfect obedience, the wild savages
took up their backward journey to re-
late the unbelievable tale of their re-
ception.