Evening star., 1928-03-04


- Olympus feeling that it was a
great stroke to have brought
i y ourselves to Jupiter'S attention
righs in the beginning and 10
have had ii out with ilim--thunoerbolts
and .i;i-~bscause now there would be
no misunderstanding
However. even Jupiter had no powc.
over the Fates With all his patron
age VIC were not safe from disaster hst:
II been 50 foreordained, And nobody il,
the world could advise us in regard tc
t....v l''@,ter of destiny except til, oracle
at Ce.plU. So we determined as our
next move to consult this nmnsciclt
prophet of Apollo. realizing it would be
sheer folly--and certainly most unclas-
Sic-not TO. No ancient Greek would
ever have been so injudicious.
We took motor car next morning
for Parnassus. and watched this sacred
mountain grow i'll grandeur as we sped
across the plains of Thessaly-on tc
Delphi, which lay upon the mountain S
southern slopes.
The celebrated shrine is situated
l,SC0 feet above the Gulf of Corinth,
on the side of wild, spectacular gorge
sl,at in itself fills one with awe and
reverence for the gods. Our motor
ground UP the steep slopes Of the rocky
canyon and deposited us at the hotel
At once We hurried out to the holy
precinct. knowing, Of course. that the
oracle had been dumb for 20 centuries
and that the shrine was only a field of
proctrate ruins. yet still believing that
IN place Of such dramatic associations
there must be adventure awaiting two
faithful pilgrims who came bearing
fresh laurel wreaths from Tempe
Legend has 1t that goats browsing on
these Delphian slopes of Mount Par
naSsus were thrown into commissions
when they approached q certain deep
cleft in the SIDE of the mountain. from
which peculiar Intoxicating gas arose
The coatherd on inhal;ne it was ,f-
fected in the same manner. The in
hab!tants imputed the convulsive raw
inss, TO which he gave utterance under
the power OF the exhalation. TO Apollo's
divine inspiration-and temple was
stra.ghtway raised on the spot I felt
that If the vapor could hypnotic goats
aAd goatherds it could do as much for
Roderic, so We decided to seek the
crevice. over which he agreed. grum-
the Apollonian chlorine
To our complete disappointment. we
harmed there was no longer any crew.
Ice. nor any mystic vapor We must
find substitute! The hotel bar OF
fered possibilities. but certainly the
dreadful native Greek mastika would
never inspire anybody to foretell any
thing but death and disaster I'd never
want my fortune told with that. And
then We opened beer bottle. Instantly
] knew We had found the correct as
phyxiator. Rods eyes took on glazed.
far-away expression. He began 10
laugh softly. ] jerked the potent bot
tie away from him. since II would never
do TO 60 into the mcsmeric trance in
the hotel bar. People might misunder-
stand. :e4
p ESiDING in our hotel at the time
~ was an arresting young English
poet who was 50 amused at OUT oracu-
lar efforts that We decided TO give him
o leading role In the ceremony. In
ancient t!mcs there was always a con-
secrated priest who interpreted the
oracIe's mumblings. and Mr.. William
Watson Wright could play the priests
part TO perfection. as he had the most
gorgeous pink beard that ever adorned
o paiiid white tace. RodeTic was more
than agreeable for this assistance. since
he was foreseeing some difficulty. even
his prophecies into the customary lam
bic verse upon which / insisted.
Ou. priest vas well informed on Del
phic ritual II would not be- possible,
he said. for the oracle 10 become the
pairyeyor Of divine aug,iries without first
seeking absolution In the sacred CaSta-
Ian foundation which gughed out 0: the
rocks from beneath a great hewn stone
altar The water was like ice and Rod
eric demurred But ] managed 10 get
enough water down his back 10 cleanse
away a good part Of his iniquities.
Thus prepared 70 receive Apol!o's d.
vinat.ons. we sought the Rock o! the
sibyl, where. although there were no
noxiolis yaposx. there was at leas, q
ereyice. The laurel We had been saving
FOR this very moment was now brought
forward and. while IL refused 70 bend
into crown for the prophets head.
managed 70 balance nice sprig fetch
.ngiy over one ear. Everything was set
nov for the administration Of the beer
bottle sff.a,us
The prizes, drew out the cork and
rested the gas tank on the rock be-
meath RO['s noss. Once more he
h.eztise6 the celestial ether: once more
fe seemed W b. transported " another.
falrey land Priest william nov told
M 70 put my question.
VIII my Ccya,ey be SUCCESS? j
asked re.esentiy, Shall ] gel safely
u Troy. and then hoic fast To Ulysses
sra;i2 Wiil the gods blow me home Tor
Christmas, or viii Neptune pesseeute
Yne and keep me 10 years from Pc
nelopef"
The Interpreter turned 10 the laureied
oracle and repeated my question 'Ihe
prophet took several more deep innaia-
,!oYls from the mahy depths and began
u nutter the reply, The priest ciuthec
his pink beard tenssiy. and. putting ms
car ciose " taf entrancec c!aiFYoyant
slowly translated. extemporansoisiy. Ia"
inspired gibber!Sh
"The shade o: ~~ dead ~~- clys-
ses on your '~ nnoetiak"
ing $50 smiles
Youli meet With ~~ many ~~'
lsb1rs set against -~ you
by great Zeus
Eit through your cbHfade's
--- braY'ry you'li escape ~~
from all the gpiies
% - Gree and .~- the Sirens
Rod Cranes -~- adyice you'N
llse
This orAele business want ~ bad
after all decided 10 ASK another gtits"
ton that wss troubling me
"shsn ever be recognized a. 3 writ
sYf"
Once more The prophet Dfesthed
ceepiy from the aup@fnal faak
"Yol must conquer ~r Mount '~-