The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-03-03

spaces In the caves were seething with
Nttle ugly men, whose twisted spines
bobbed IN light that was slckIsh and
cold. The crowd seemed to grow ~
the hours passed. as IL the ihpermost
crevices OF earth were giving up their
human ants. More hoellke weapons
we're brought 10 add TO the rusty
knives. There were tubes for blow.
Ing darts, containing now q long ac-
curnulation OF the dust OF peace. In
fact. the present generation could not
recall n day Of revolt In their subter-
ranenn history. The Arabian snilor
rushed about all this night like one
possessed. his old hopes lgnited.
Primitive military system prevailed.
The horde was grouped into units.
There were lleutenon;s. The white
men when wakened would rank as
colonels. with no less person than
the Arab as their genernllsslmo.
The miners seemed lost In dull
glow OF excitement. Within their lives
nothing had occurred TO interrupt the
next days labor. The selling OF their
four brothers had not seemed unusual.
but the effect promised an intinity of
new turns. There was no thought OF
sleep. The old hum0rs OF an uprising
seemed at last about TO be fulfilled.
The hour was near. their lot cast.
Every tortured heart was eased some
what of Its burden of hate in the pros
pect of action. They had never before
attempted to express their loathing OF
the city, OF their masters.
They had been born to pain. toll, ST.
lence. Home, shop. and grave were
one to them. There were no families
From some warriors house In the city,
each man-child returned TO the pits
crippled forever. Its spine an arch OF
horror. There was seldom any way OF
identifying the broken creature of ten
or twelve. All thought Of parentage
was lost. When, by chance. kinsh'p
was re-establlshed, such meeting was
hut renewal OF bitterness.
And always In the city cellars the
precious store OF roots grew and grew.
On the far edges of the state the
essence OF there roots was bartered
| yellow bowl in the apartment OF the
future queen was kept filled with
dream potency. The state religion
was perpetuated I'm the lower room.
which was so situated as to be symbolic
of its connection with the source OF
all dreams, the mines themselves
Thus Chez Ming wrought upon the
whole world the substance OF his msdi-
tations-the vizir, whose thin eyelids
had never been touched and soothed
and damned by one taint OF koresh.
His web was spreading beyond the
sea. He chose the blood of princes
and OF queens, to blend at his leisure,
In his own Interpretation Of right The
old monzoul had become no more than
a warm silken bag OF clay under the
skinny hands OF his vizir. Chez Ming
was ready to rule the planet entire.
Now in the caverns, the miners wers
eating. wherever they stood. sticks
filcking In and out Of brown Jars, the
women Sinking about In mortal fear.
1t was long after midnight. March
dropped down beside Lexington.
Surprising the riders do not come. !"
They'll wait for daylight. They
have the four. They fee. sure of US"
The two friends sat little way on
from the swarm, and looked idly into
the gas-fire. Con grew drowsy with
the warmth in his face. After while
he said, "The green hair Of -"
"You mean the gasf'
"Yes, the way II comes up and floatn.
like something drowned in air. That's
the flowing green hair-rather iendish.
I can't say what l mean"
"If the fire happened to so out" said
March, 1--WE should all go out with IT,
From what depth do you suppose II
comes7"
March looked quickly at his comrade
and smiled. "You are sleepy"
"Yes. I'll take nap here. But do
you think the gas has anything to do
with the crusted seeds they dig out Of
the pits here"
II don't know. Nor can I tell you
how the koresh seeds, millions of them
ever got down so deep In the earth. Ia
begin with. The Arab says that thers
are shafts as deep as wells, and from
these chasms the worker with torch
brings up seeds that must have laid
In the clay ever since the planet con.
densed and cooled and the sane seeds
will sprout in months time when
planted on the surface and watered.s .
Something left over. preserved
from the DAYS OF the giants and ths
mastodons," said Con.
II thought you were going TO say
seeds from -"
"How do they extract the oil and
the incenseT
"The oil Is simply pressed out of the
full-grown root. and the incense Is that
oil vaporized,"
"It got me-" said Lexington.
"And there is poison they make
from the seed itself; but that is death
no dreams with IT," added March.
a