Part 11 (1/2)

”I can't stand this,” said Leo, ”it's murder-coldblooded murder,” and he drew his sword

”Best leave the beasts alone,” I answered doubtfully, thoughin my veins

Whether he heard or not I do not know, for the next thing I saas Leo rushi+ng through the gate waving the Khan's sword and shouting at the top of his voice Then I struck my heels into the ribs of the horse and followed after hies fell back this way and that, staring at us amazed, for at first I think they took us for apparitions Thus Leo on foot and I galloping after him, we came to the place

The executioners and their victireat fire of resinous pine logs built in a pit that ht feet across Close to it sat the priest upon his stool, watching the scene with a cruel sobbets of raw meat, that he took from a leathern pouch at his side, occupations in which he was so deeply engaged that he never saw us until ere right on to hiuards,” Leo rushed at the executioners, and with a single blow of his sword severed the arripped the woe thethe stu at it wildly In the confusion that followed I saw the victim slip from the hands of her astonished would-be murderers and run into the darkness, where she vanished Also I saw the witch-doctor spring up, still holding the tray on which the cat was sitting, and heard hiin to shout a perfect torrent of furious abuse at Leo, who in reply waved his sword and cursed hies

Then of a sudden the cat upon the tray, infuriated, I suppose, by the noise and the interruption of its ht at Leo's face He appeared to catch it in th dashed it to the ground, where it lay writhing and screeching Then, as though by an afterthought, he stooped, picked the devilish creature up again and hurled it into the heart of the fire, for he was ht of that awful sacrilege-for such it was to theasp of horror rose from the spectators, followed by a howl of execration Then like a wave of the sea they rushed at us I saw Leo cut one ed towards the furnace At the edge of it I th was great and they were half afraid of him

”Why couldn't you leave the cat alone?” I shouted at hione, and all I kneas that ere about to be thrown into the fiery pit Already I was over it; I felt the fla me, when of a sudden the brutal hands that held round, where I lay staring upwards

This hat I saw Standing in front of the fire, her draped foruide, who pointed with her hand at the gigantic, red-headed witch-doctor But she was no longer alone, for with her were a score or more of men clad in white robes and ar men, with clean-shaved heads and faces, for their scalps shone in the firelight

At the sight of theoaded bulls but a few seconds before, now fled in every direction like sheep frightened by a wolf The leader of the white-robed priests, a entle face, which when at rest was clothed in a perpetual s theof his talk

”Dog,” he said in effect, speaking in a s, beast-worshi+pper, ere you about to do to the guests of the hty Mother of the Mountain? Is it for this that you and your idolatries have been spared so long? Answer, if you have anything to say Answer quickly, for your tireat fellow flung himself upon his knees, not to the head-priest who questioned hiuide, and to her put up half-articulate prayers for h-priest, ”she is the Minister who judges and the Sword that strikes I am the Ears and the Voice Speak and tell me-were you about to cast those men, whom you were commanded to receive hospitably, into yonder fire because they saved the victim of your devilries and killed the imp you cherished? Nay, I saw it all Know that it was but a trap set to catch you, who have been allowed to live too long”

But still the wretch writhed before the draped forh-priest, ”with thee the power goes Declare thy decree”

Then our guide lifted her hand slowly and pointed to the fire At once the roaned and fell back, as I think, quite dead, slain by his own terror

Now many of the people had fled, but some re the towards hi to the man, ”look and tremble at the justice of Hes the Mother Aye, and be sure that as it is with him, so shall it be with every one of you who dares to defy her and to practise sorcery andas your chief”

So

”Now, cast him into the bed which he hadforward to the edge of the flareat body fell with a crash ahs and vanished there

”Listen, you people,” said the priest, ”and learn that this man deserved his dreadful dooers saved? Because his familiar marked her as a witch, you think I tell you it was not so It was because she being fair, he would have taken her from her husband, as he had taken many another, and she refused hier did judght in his own snare, and so shall you be, every one of you who dares to think evil in his heart or to do it with his hands

”Such is the just decree of the Hesea, spoken by her from her throne amidst the fires of the Mountain”

CHAPTER XIII

BENEATH THE SHADOWING WINGS

One by one the terrified tribesone the priest advanced to Leo and saluted hi his hand upon his forehead

”Lord,” he said, in the same corrupt Grecian dialect which was used by the courtiers of Kaloon, ”I will not ask if you are hurt, since from the moment that you entered the sacred river and set foot within this land you and your companion were protected by a power invisible and could not be harer Yet vile hands have been laid upon you, and this is the command of the Mother whom I serve, that, if you desire it, every one of those men who touched you shall die before your eyes Say, is that your will?”

”Nay,” answered Leo; ”they were mad and blind, let no blood be shed for us All we ask of you, friend-but, how are you called?”

”Naood title for one ells upon the Mountain-all we ask is food and shelter, and to be led swiftly into the presence of her whom you name Mother, that Oracle whose wisdom we have travelled far to seek”

He bowed and answered: ”The food and shelter are prepared and to-morrohen you have rested, I am commanded to conduct you whither you desire to be Follow me, I pray you”; and he preceded us past the fiery pit to a building that stood about fifty yards away against the rock wall of the auest-house, or at least had been made ready to serve that purpose, as in it lamps were lit and a fire burned, for here the air was cold The house was divided into two roo place, to which he led us through the first

”Enter,” he said, ”for you will need to cleanse yourselves, and you”-here he addressed himself to me-”to be treated for that hurt to your arreat hound”

”Ho you that?” I asked

”It ravely

This second roohted and warmed like the first, moreover, heated water stood in basins of arments and dark-coloured hooded robes, lined with rich fur Also upon a little table were oint to see, for it told me that the very nature of my hurt had been divined But I asked no more questions; I was too weary; moreover, I knew that it would be useless

Now the priest Oros helped es upon ently ater, in which he mixed some spirit, and exas rent deep,” he said, ”and the small bone is broken, but you will take no har treated the wounds with ointment, he wrapped the limb with such a delicate touch that it scarcely pained one down and he would set the bone This indeed happened

After it was done he helped ar about my neck to serve as a rest for my arm Meanwhile Leo had also dressed hiether very different men to the foul, blood-stained wanderers who had entered there In the outer room we found food prepared for us, of which we ate with a thankful heart and without speaking Then, blind eariness, we returned to the other cha ourselves upon the beds and were soon plunged in sleep

At soht I awoke suddenly, at what hour I do not know, as certain people wake, I ahtest noise Before I opened my eyes I felt that some one ith us in the place Nor was I mistaken A little la in oil, and by its light I saw a diht alhost, till presently I reuide, who appeared to be looking intently at the bed on which Leo lay, or so I thought, for the head was bent in that direction

At first she was quite still, then she moaned aloud, a low and terrible moan, which see was not dumb, as I had believed Evidently it could suffer, and express its suffering in a hu its padded hands as in an excess of woe Noould seean to feel its influence also, for he stirred and spoke in his sleep, so low at first that I could only distinguish the tongue he used, which was Arabic Presently I caught a feords

”Ayesha,” he said, ”Ayesha!”

The figure glided towards him and stopped He sat up in the bed still fast asleep, for his eyes were shut He stretched out his arain in a low and passionate voice-”Ayesha, through life and death I have sought thee long Colided yet nearer, and I could see that it was tre, and now its arms were extended also

At the bedside she halted, and Leo laid hi his breast, where lay the leather satchel he alore, that which contained the lock of Ayesha's hair He was fast asleep, and the figure seemed to fix its eyes upon this satchel Presently it did ers opened its clasp, yes, and drew out the long tress of shi+ning hair Long and earnestly she gazed at it, then gently replaced the relic, closed the satchel and for a little while see Leo once , in the sa, my beautiful, my beautiful!”

At those words, with a little ure turned and flitted through the doorway

When I was quite certain that she had gone, I gasped aloud