Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-19
CHAPTER xxx
Into the Fire-Swept wilderness

Into the Fire-Swept wilderness
TESS than three weeks after the extermi-
- nation of the Horde. Stern had already
completed important measures looking to-
ward the rehabilitation of the colony
The damage had been largely repaired.
Now only some half.dozen convalescent
cases remai ined on the sick list. What the
colony had lost in numbers it had gained
In solidarity and truer loyalty than ever
before felt there
All the survivors. now vastly more faith
full to the common cause than in the begin
ming, showed an eager longing to lay hold
Of the impending problems with Stern, and
to labor faithfully for the future of the
great undertaking.
The fishing, hunting and domestication of
wild animals all were resumed, and again
the sound Of hammers and anvils clanked
through the caves
Under Stern's direction, half dozen men
crossed the pool in boats. descended the
north bank of the river, and got hold Of
the cut bridge cables.
Stern shot a thin line over to them by
means OF "a bow and arrow. With this they
pulled q stouter cord across. and finally a
strong cable. All hands together soon
brought the bridge once more up the cliff
where it was lashed to its old moorngs
Barring a few broken floor -planks. easily
replaced, only slight damage had been done
One days labor sufficed TO put IL in repair
again.
The parapet was rebuilt and a wall con-
structed across the end of the broken ter
race. Work was begun on new cave dwell
ings. with great care not to weaken the
strata and so invite another disaster.
barbarian ,nartaIity undsr,noir ne dirsct
nunisbment ~ snoh a. VA boa,, Iad -.
by Hyemba. But he gathered all the Folk
together in the palsade. and there-close
1jttIa ,a,,ator,. -. .'soii , W '"e
talk in their oyn snaaoh O. "
.n,,. - -,
peop'e ciieu ne erect ana strong
neio,u ~, 49, ."eni ,' an listen ho"' ior thls 'h'hs
20 "'uet hiioW
The evil Of your hearts, thinking to pre-
vail against me and the Law, hath brought
ye misery and death Ie have rebelled
against the Law. and behold, many are now
dead-innocent as we'll as guilty. The land
slide smote We, and enemies came-enemies
FAR more terrible than the dread Lanskaarn
ye Fought in the Abyss! But little more
and ye had all died with battle and dis
aster only my hand alone saved ye--all
who still live to breathe this upper air.
Men Ye beheld my doing with the
earthquake and the Horde Ye beheld too,
my answer TO H'yemba tho evil man ,be
rebel and traitor Him We saw bIrIed
bleeding, from the parapet, That was INV
answer to his insojence, And if mo, he
then who can ever stand against meo"
He paused. and swept them with his
glance, letting the lesson sink dssn home
Before him their ewes were lowered: their
heads bowed: and through them all ran
murmurs of fear and suppIhcation,
NV folk, Rightly might I he anpered
with you, and require sacrifice and still
more blood but I am mercifuI 7 shall NOT
punish; | shall only teach and guide and
help For my heart is your heart. and We
are precious in my eyes.
But bark We now. and think and iudgs
for yourselves, II any ever sneak again of
rebellion. or of treason. and seek 10 breal,
the Law on his head shall he the blood Of
all, For surely woe shall come again ON
us In YOUR own behalf [ warn Won and va
shall be the Judges, Now answer me q NV
Folk what shall he done unto any ,,ho
rebels"
"He shall die" doomed the voice NJ
Zangamon. The lovaI fighter now lean and
paunt with great Iabors hut stiII noyarf,l
raised his corded hand on higb "of a
truth, that man shall die '"
what DEATH" cried stern.
gwen the death of II,vemha, I .+ hin,
he cast from the paranet 70 death IN tha
white rushing river far beIow :" '''e
All echoed the cry: death TO all
traitors from the rock :"
so he II then" stern concluded "ys
have spoken. and IL shall be written as a
Law. From Execution Rock shall au con-
spirators be cast Now co.
He dismissed them. While they depar rted
and filed down the terraces to their own
homes, he stood there with folded arms,
watching them very graveIy. The last one
vanished. He nodded
They'll do now !" said he TO himself
NO more trouble from that source An
other milestone passed along the road of