Part 10 (1/2)
CHAPTER XII
THE MESSENGER
”He is gone,” I panted, ”and the world hasn't lost ive him much, did it, poor devil, so don't let's speak ill of hiround ”Perhaps he was all right before they made him mad At any rate he had pluck, for I don't want to tackle such another”
”How did you ed in beneath his sword, closed with him, threw hith, that's all A cruel business, but it was his life or mine, and there you are It's lucky I finished it in time to help you before that oven-mouthed brute tore your throat out Did you ever see such a dog? It looks as large as a young donkey Are you much hurt, Horace?”
”Oh,else, I think Let us get down to the water; if I can't drink soon I shall faint Also the rest of the pack is somewhere about, fifty or more of theot the horses, poor beasts Wait a minute and I will come”
Then he rose, found the Khan's sword, a beautiful and ancient weapon, and with a single cut of its keen edge, killed the second dog that I had wounded, which was still yowling and snarling at us After this he collected the two spears and ht be useful, and without trouble caught the Khan's horse, which stood with hanging head close by, so tired that even this desperate fight had not frightened it away
”Now,” he said, ”up you go, old fellow You are not fit to walk any farther;” and with his help I cli the rein over his arm he led the horse, which walked stiffly, on to the river, that ran within a quarter of a h to me, tortured as I was by pain and half delirious with exhaustion, the journey seeetting my wounds, I tumbled from the horse, threw myself flat and drank and drank, more, I think, than ever I did before Not in alldraught of water When I had satisfied my thirst, I dipped my head and made shi+ft to jerk my wounded arm into it, for its coolness see from his face and beard, and said-”What shall we do now? The river seems to be wide, over a hundred yards, and it is low, but there may be deep water in the ht drown, or stop where we are till daylight and take our chance of the death-hounds?”
”I can't go another foot,” I murmured faintly, ”much less try to ford an unknown river”
Now, about thirty yards frorasses
”Perhaps we could reach that,” he said ”Coet on to my back, and ill try”
I obeyed with difficulty, and we set out, he feeling his ith the handle of the spear The water proved to be quite shallow; indeed, it never came much above his knees, so that we reached the island without trouble Here Leo laidto theweapons, and having unsaddled the beast, knee-haltered and turned it loose, whereon it immediately lay down, for it was too spent to feed
Then he set to work to doctor arh it the flesh of my forearm was torn to ribbons, moreover a bone seemed to be broken Leo collected a double handful of so washed the arm, wrapped it round with a handkerchief, over which he laid the moss Then with a second handkerchief and soarh splints to the wounded li this I suppose that I slept or swooned At any rate, I reht Leo had a strange drea I suppose that it must have been a drea Well, he dreaain he heard those accursed death-hounds in full cry Nearer and nearer they cae of the river-all the pack that had run down the horses At the water's brink they halted and were ht the scent of us upon the island to one of thele bay The rest clustered about it, and all at once they made a dash at the water
Leo could see and hear everything He felt that after all our doohthtmare it were, he was quite unable to stir or even to cry out to wake and warn ue as they ca, the hounds drew near to the island where we slept Then, suddenly Leo saw that ere no longer alone In front of us, on the brink of the water, stood the figure of a woarment He could not describe her face or appearance, for her back was towards hiuard, holding so hounds caught sight of her In an instant it was as though they were paralysed by fear-for their bays turned to fearful howlings One or two of those that were nearest to the island see and be swept away by the strealed back to the bank, and fled wildly like whipped curs
Then the dark, couardian Spirit of the Mountain, vanished That it left no footprints behind it I can vouch, for in thewe looked to see
When, awakened by the sharp pangs inA thin h it I could see Leo sleeping heavily at my side and the shape of the black horse, which had risen and was grazing close at hand I lay still for a while re that I should live to wake, till presently above theof the water I heard a sound which terrified h the reeds, and there upon the bank, looking enorures mounted upon horses, those of a woh they exa about the dogs not daring to enter the territory of the Mountain, a reain after Leo had told me his dream Then I remembered hoere placed
”Wake!” I whispered to Leo ”Wake, we are pursued”
He sprang to his feet, rubbing his eyes and snatching at a spear Now those upon the bank saw hi-”Lay down that weapon, uest, for we are not come to harm you”
It was the voice of the Khania Atene, and the man with her was the old Shaman Simbri
”What shall we do now, Horace?” asked Leo with soroan, for in the whole world there were no two people who,” I answered, ”it is for them to play”
”Come to us,” called the Khania across the water ”I swear that we mean no harm Are we not alone?”
”I do not know,” answered Leo, ”but it seems unlikely Where we are we stop until we are ready to ain”
Atene spoke to Simbri What she said we could not hear, for she whispered, but she appeared to be arguing with hily disapproved Then suddenly both of theh the shallows Reaching the island, they dis at each other The old man seemed very weary in body and oppressed inand beautiful as ever, nor had passion and fatigue left any trace upon her inscrutable face It was she who broke the silence, saying-”You have ridden fast and far since last we uests, and left an evil token tothe rocks one lies dead Say, how came he to his end, who has no wound upon hi out his hands
”I knew it,” she answered, ”and I blame you not, for fate decreed that death for him, and now it is fulfilled Still, there are those to whom you must answer for his blood, and I only can protect you from them”
”Or betray me to them,” said Leo ”Khania, what do you seek?”
”That anshich you should have given one Remember, before you speak, that I alone can save your life-aye, and will do it and clothe you with that dead madman's crown and mantle”
”You shall have your answer on yonder Mountain,” said Leo, pointing to the peak above us, ”where I seek mine”
She paled a little and replied, ”To find that it is death, for, as I have told you, the place is guarded by savage folk who know no pity”
”So be it Then Death is the answer that we seek Coo to meet him”
”I swear to you,” she broke in, ”that there dwells not the woman of your dreams I am that woman, yes, even I, as you are the man of mine”
”Then, lady, prove it yonder upon the Mountain,” Leo answered
”There dwells there no wo dwells there It is the home of fire and-a Voice”
”What voice?”
”The Voice of the Oracle that speaks from the fire The Voice of a Spirit whom no man has ever seen, or shall see”
”Come, Horace,” said Leo, and he moved towards the horse
”Men,” broke in the old Shaman, ”would you rush upon your doom? Listen; I have visited yonder haunted place, for it was I who according to custoht thither the body of the Khan Atene's father for burial, and I warn you to set no foot within its temples”
”Which your mistress said that we should never reach,” I co,” and added, ”Horace, watch them while I saddle the horse, lest they do us a mischief”
So I took the spear in my uninjured hand and stood ready But they an to talk in hurried whispers It was evident to me that they were much perturbed In a few minutes the horse was saddled and Leo assisted o to accomplish our fate, whatever it may be, but before we part, Khania, I thank you for the kindness you have shown us, and pray you to be wise and forget that we have ever been Through no will of mine your husband's blood is on my hands, and that alone must separate us for ever We are divided by the doors of death and destiny Go back to your people, and pardon ht you doubt and trouble Farewell”
She listened with bowed head, then replied, very sadly-”I thank you for your gentle words, but, Leo Vincey, we do not part thus easily You have summoned me to the Mountain, and even to the Mountain I shall follow you Aye, and there I will meet its Spirit, as I have always known I must and as the Shath and ainst hers, as it is decreed that I shall do To the victor be that crown for which we have warred for ages”
Then suddenly Atene sprang to her saddle, and turning her horse's head rode it back through the water to the shore, followed by old Sih in woe and fear,as he went-”You have entered the forbidden river and now, Atene, the day of decision is upon us all-upon us and her-that predestined day of ruin and of war”
”What do they mean?” asked Leo of me