Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-12-21

heard him chanting In a thin, waver
ing voice.
There was no hope of selling hin
unawares. He stood on the very sum
NIT, an immense granite crag who's
hoary brow overhung the sea. |
seemed best to advance silently unit
they could speak to him In quiet tones
then somehow distract his attention
from his sacrificial rte until the,
could steal nearer and take his hand
Il am not asleep am not dead
| am alive" they heard him chant
Then there followed an earnest invo
cation Eric could not translate /; M
doubt an entreaty to the old gods o.
the wind and sen, the spirits tina
made the birds fly and the salmon run
to take this humble failing life Of his
In the stead of the new-given life de
MED them today.
The two intruders had now crept
to the base OF the rock on which the
patriarch stood. "~Anulga," Eric called
quietly.
His chanting stopped in the middle
Of a note. He grunted an inquiry.
Eric thanked his stars for his few
Aleut words and idloms. "Stay where
you are. We would make parley."
The reply was an excited outbursi
at the top OF the thin voice. There
was a kind of tragic dignity In bis
sweeping gestures and erect white
head; the moonlight showed his eye
sockets like black assures In his drawn
face.
Go on up slowly Eric muttered to
N. ITS our only hope now. Maybe
can keep him talking till we get our
hands on him."
But Anulga's spirit was already run
ming to meet his gods. Stronger hands
than Eric's seemed to clasp his own.
AS the two palefaces peered oye the
rim. he backed toward the void.
Mans heart was s%utfocating, SO she
elung to the ledge, but Eric sprang for
the crest. She saw him risk his own
neck as he wrenched over the rim, his
hand snatching for Anulga's parka.
He was too late. aKou-yudam Agou-
gou !" the old man walled, invoking his
heather gods. "Achidan Agougou!H
Then, With a triumphant shout that
echoed and trembled among the crags,
he snrang into the sea. J
Dark water leaped high and drifted
down In a nebulous cloud. Eric stood
peering over the brink; everything
went black before Nan'x eyes as she
expected him to attempt a rescue. But
1t would only be suicide--and the old
island gods had their due already.
Poor old chap" he murmured.
Then he turned back, and reaching a
hand to Nan, drew her up beside him.
Long moments passed before they
remembered words. They listened to
the sullen roar of the surf, the long
splashings of the waves against the
rock; they watched the shimmering
path of the moon across the sea. !.
They were infinitely alone. It was as
though they were the only living
things on a far planet. the first Of man.
kind to draw breath In some forlorn,
lost universe, God-forgotten through
the cons.
I'm almost glad we didn't win,"
Eric whispered at last.
The hushed sound did not break the
solitude, but harmonized with the
swish OF the surf and the winds
breath Il thought you'd come to
that, before long, Nan answered.
"You saw 1t from the first, didn't
your Your sensibi1ities are far finer
than mine--T could see only my own
side. Anulga's time was almost up,
anyway. Next winter would probably
finish him, sslow decay, at last a rattle
In his throat, and his old bones thrust
In the sea-caves. AS 1t Is, he went
with Agougou's hand on his shoulder,
and the flush OF glory on his face"
Better than that. He died for his
tribe-a hero's death. IT was an iIlu-
sion, OF course, but a fools faith Is bet
ter than no faith at all | didn't
use to understand that, but I do now"
Eric gazed far off. "And & FOOLS
love-is better than no love at all,
isn't IT."
Something In his tone made her
throat catch. In the weird moon
beams, his eyes shone like glass.
He reached for her hand. His
touch seemed to complete an electric
circuit. His head bent. and she saw
his hair blowing In the wind as he
slowly, gently kissed her fingers.
It was a token OF surrender, his
second tonight. A few minutes before
he had bowed down to the stern des-
tiny that exacted an old mans life In
payment for q moments exultation OF
his soul. Now he bent his head again
to his own hard-bargaiping fate as 1t
moved through Nan. He would no
longer haggle " e the price. He
would risk all. give all, for one deep
breath OF mountain air, n rocket
to the stars.
Once he had said that he was afraid
to sail the strait, but that fear had
passed. II his ship struck the rocks
and went down, at least he would see