The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-11
CHAPTER xxx

Just at dawn a weird chanting and hallowing awakened 'Lissa.
 "Bobl Get up dear. Bob! It's starting already"
 The days festivities were indeed under way. The white couple had removed only their shoes at bed- time, and so were peering out in a moment or two. Already a great pile of wood had been assembled near the chieftain's house and other wood bearers were seen coming from far and near. Apparently every villager, old and young, was contributing to the fuel supply and was making 1t an occasion Tor song.
 The songs had little but rhythm to recommend them. They were wordless, oftimes discordant sounds sn minor key. Yet they were in Q definite pattern, the white couple discerned and everybody seemed to know them.
 The sun had not actually ap. ueared as yet but the dawn was bright gray. It would be 9 o'clock or so, Bob observed, before the act,al reball itself could appear over their horizon. This was be- cause of the sheer cliffs that hemmed in this kingdom to pros feet and isolate 1t from the out- side world. Studying the light, Bob decided 1t must be nearly 3 o'clock even now: they had slept very late, but they were refreshed.
 "Were getting of to a good start, anyway" he said to Lissa. II hope I can remember some of these chants"
 Obviously the villagers knew exactly what they were doing, for there was no confusion, and the pile of wood grew rapidly. Nec- essarily 1t was Q mixture of scanty desert growths dried cactus stalks, palo verde, miscellaneous brush and some of the extremely heavy mesquite and ironwood. Bob could see much of 1t growing: he realized that the vile iaRers were making a definite sacrifice in the wood itself, when they burned 1t in worship cere- meny.
 In due time Q red cliff top to the westward was suddenly illuminated. as If q gigantic stage spotlight had been turned on. Tn that moment c new sound dominated the valley, and the course of action everywhere was changed.
 First Q chorus of drums - the same tonls-toms, Bob noted, that Hopi Indians used -- reverberated throughout the canyon. It was a penetrating bass noise, alarming, heraldic, of great volume.
 oOM.OOM. OOM-OOM. DOM. DOM.
 First a series of quick double notes. Bob and "Lissa observed that six brown drummers were pounding tom-toms four feet high or 50, massive noisemakers on the roof of the chieftain's house itself. The sound was frightening. Per- haps 1t was meant to be.
 The rhythm changed soon. oOM-oOM, tpause) DOM, (,ause) ooM-ooM. This was continued for perhaps Q quarter hour --- two beats ono then two again, and repeat. The white cou- pie had heard many fanfare of drums in the paleface world, many c trumpeter's wild blare, but never had anything impressed them like this.
 "Remember what I told you, Bob Barry" Jissa was becoming alarmed. "If you love me you'll try to stop this senseless business"
 Bob nodded, in great earnest- ness. "But maybe can't, dar- ling! Our own lives may be en- dangered If I try. The inaidens may actually want to be sacri- feed. certainly do not. This Is a delicate matter and I'm trying to figure c way out of here grace fully-and safely"
 "1ts murder, Bob, and you know It."
 ooM.ooM. DOM. OoM.oOM. No more wood was brought, but all were assembling by now. And from Q number of houses came men in fantastic costumes of skins and paint with all manner of ceremonial objects dangling from them. Without any sort of prelim- mary, these men, evidently high priests of some form signaled to the drummers and the rhythm again changed. Now 1t became a