San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-22

and limpid. Sidonia saw that she
was astride of smooth tree trunk,
sunk in grass, and that as she lay
forward upon it, it was two tufts
of grass that her hands clutched.
She sat up straight. Great trees
surrounded her. Water fell in
crystal sheets from cool cavern
mouths. Everywhere there was
movement goat-legged fauns
peeped, a young female centaur
trotted close, her mares body
cream-white. Here were play
fellows! But the light was dim
ming, the tree shapes became OBJ
scure. An intense red flame shot
up and pulsated, nearly binding
her. Red! She had always loved
it. 1t was, after all, a better color
than green. 1t was excitement.
Oh, what a blare of sound!
Mewing, .elping, bowling, scream
ing, laughing, granting, neighing,
whooping. Sheets of fierce fire
beat upward-a breathless confla-
gration-and against the scarlet
dark shapes pranced, mingled or
were swept pell-mell by veering
currents of the maddest confusion.
Someone caught at her arm. By
the fiery light Siddonia saw that
it was the daughter of the master
goldsmith.
"The Devils ball! Dance with
us at the Devils ball" she
screamed, her voice barely audible
above the babel.
Hogs capered upon their hind
legs. There were horned and
beaked things, scaled things, bloat-
ed things, smooth as slugs, with
the heads of skulls, cocks, balloons
or dogs. Girls danced with man.
shaped devils. Shaven-headed
Knockers glimpsed for a moment
between the red-lit eddies of the
dance-parodied sacred rites with
the assistance of grotesque AGO.
lytes, long-tailed and cloven-
hoofed. Flutes made of dead mems
bones were being played upon,
with bagpipes and drums. White
arms embraced the metallically
glistening bodies of tall demons.
The whistling flames that streamed
up like broad banners illuminated
a cauldron e chaos.
Sidonia was amazed. The noise
deafened hef, the glare dazzled
her. She was Mortified, yet at
tracted. Something urged her to
plunge into the fantastic debauch
and mix herself with it. Her starv-
ing hunger for excitement, per-
haps. Shrinkingly, like a bather
stepping into water, she made a
slight forward movement. Oh,
thew were all round her-they
surged and jostled. Feelers
touched her, whiskers tickled,
sleek fur rubbed. She had no feel
ing of kinship with these monstros-
tiles. She shuddered with arms
crossed over her bosom. +
"Dance! Take partner" came
the high-pitched, laughing voice of
the red-haired girl. She herself
had been grappled by a shaggy
satvr. and they reeled together.
"You shall dance with me, Sid
onia."
Whose voice was that? |
The tangle of creatures parted
and the Master was before her-as
close as he had stood in the
Thieves Kitchen.
He was masked. He was all in
black. Red-lit, the height and the
of him seemed more
splendid than those of a man.
care you afraid, Sidonia?" |
"Now she said.
He caught her to him. Together
they moved through the seethe.
of abandonment
thrilled through the girls body. !
They seemed to be descending.
The furnace-glare was above them.
Below was a sullen flame the color
of dragons blood. Thick tentacles
reached and appeared to beckon.
But Sidonia, with closed eyes, en-
braced the Master.
mine! Miner
His? Yes. But she was suffo-
eating. Strangling smoke carry
ing a breath-catching odor envel-
oped them. Her flesh encountered
the touch of tentacles, Shiny as
snails. The quick grunt of hogs
came from every side-surely a
herd surrounded them.
An unhuman leathery hand was
laid on her-the hand of an ape.
She must have ,air-she must es-
cape from the circle of foul, fawn-
ing things that were symbolic of
pollution. She strove ineffectu-
ally, all her muscles relaxed, eX-
1austion having replaced excite
nent. The arms that held her
we're of iron.
give me air! Let me go"
"Never, Sidonia." And he
aughed.
She still struggled, loathing and
fear seated in her soul. And then
despair. She was lost. And she
,.I ba1f bopod 70 flty m bg.