Part 34 (1/2)
”Yonder yawns a gloo at full length beside n of life to alarravely, ”but do not feel confident that there are no occupants within If I mistake not, we have stunal down to the valley the rising and setting of the sun”
”I never witnessed such cere forward than lying here on the hard rock”
Realizing the truth of his coan crawling forward into the interior No sign of huht The cavern possessed a wide opening, with a broad platfor well out beyond the face of the cliff Along the edge I could observe the rather dim outlines of an i to a considerable height, and partially blocking the entrance Froht serve to conceal the mouth of the cave This obstruction shut offthe interior intensely dark We were coainst the walls I had not advanced , when I saw the ruddy reflection of a fire, hitherto co this abrupt point we found ourselves in a large roo upwards of three hundred persons This chamber was partly natural in formation, but, as I discovered later, had been considerably enlarged by artificial ht, I could scarcely distinguish its vaulted roof, while its length was hidden in the darkness In the very centre of this apartular rock, flattened and hollowed along the top, where was burning a vast log, the s outlet above The light, red and yellow, flared and flickered upon the surrounding bare gray walls, nothing else arresting the eye except a second wide rock platform close to where we crouched This was partially concealed by a great ht to me a conjecture that here, perhaps, the Queen was throned
Wherever there was fire burning there must, of necessity, be attendants to feed the flan of any kind, other than the crackling of the blazing log, and the heavy breathing of ht,” I advised at last, nervous froain Keep close against the wall, and move with care”
”'Tis not wholly unlike a visit to hell,” hehere”
I watched the fellow creep forward on his knees, his brilliant head-covering revealed in the glare like a flame Then I took up my own part of this work of exploration I had co nothing strange, and constantly feeling more intensely the soleination, appeared peopled with bloodless victims of heathen superstition I felt no doubt this was a torture cha captive, had yielded up life in agony upon the surin atthe walls I eakly yielding to such weird drea forth froht that, for an instant, I connected it with the fantasies which thronged my brain I stood still, rooted to the spot, the blood curdling inin vain effort to pierce the darkness Then there arose a roar not unlike that of an angry lion; the sound of a fierce struggle; the dull thud of a blow, and Cairnes's deep voice booth of the righteous you have felt this day Blessed be the naiven er affront your Maker”
I sprang eagerly forward, but at ure, which rounded the end of the altar in such blind terror as nearly to hurlrobe, butblindly after the fellon the dark passage tohere the s, but desperate deterhtenedlancing behind What he saw, or i; perchance so victim of his foul rites risen fro in ave a ed rocks at the base Sick and pulseless I drew back Tre in every limb, even in the silence which followed I could detect no sound of his body as it struck the earth I crept to the edge, lying prone upon ht ended a hundred feet beneathbut a black void There could be no question as to what had occurred--theto discover what had befallen the Puritan I found hi a quantity of coldupon the floor, in close proxie arrayed in the black garly grotesque I could but stare in a up at ht ”'T is of a peculiar flavor not altogether to my taste, yet not a food to be despised in the wilderness Did you lay hands upon the heathen who fled?”
”No, he escaped me, but only to leap over the outer rock He lies dead below Have you slain this man?”
He turned the huddled up body over contemptuously with his foot, and I perceived the wrinkled countenance of an agedand nearly white The face, thin and emaciated, was so sinister I involuntarily drew back
”A snake is not so easily killed,” he answered in indifference ”I struck but once, and not very hard as I rank blows, yet the fellow has not stirred since 'T is well for him to remain quiet until I finish this repast, for I am of a merciful disposition when my carnal requirements are properly ministered unto Faith, had ot both the fellows”
Paying slight heed to his gossip I bent over the priest, rubbing his lian to circulate Before the testy sectary had ended his ainst a rock, the firelight playing over his wrinkled face, as he gazed at us, yet dazed and frightened This was one who of distinction about hiards face and costuh rank in the tribe--no doubt the chief priest His sharp, black, malicious eyes wandered unsteadily froain his scattered senses Finally he ventured a single word of inquiry:
”_Francais_?”
”No,” I answered shortly, speaking deliberately in French, hopeful he ue ”We are not of that people, yet I speak the language”
”I glad you not _Francais_,” he said brokenly, yet intelligibly, his tone gruff, his accent guttural; ”but I talk you soue”
”How come you to speak French?”
His lean face hardened As he bent forward, his fingers clinched convulsively At first I thought he would not answer
”'T wasthe unfa, andWe were a great nation, with slaves to work our land, warriors to fight our battles, and priests to make sacrifice Then we had much of treasure fro indistinctly; then continued, as if talking to hi tie reat river out of the north They were of white face, and wore shi+ning things on their bodies and heads, and bore in their hands that which spouted fire and death This was before I was born, yet I was told it often of my fathers My people believed theht hair; they were made welcome, taken into the house of the altar, fed, warmed, and loved I know not who they were, or whence they caue, did point at the away off, and worshi+pped before a cross-piece of wood My people knew not what to ers with kindness, and there was no war between them He who seemed their leader had one hard hand of metal, and they named him 'Tonty' Know you such a man of your color?”
”No,” I answered, already deeply interested in his simple story ”That was all beforethe nareat river full a hundred years ago, I have been told 'Twas most likely they who came to your people
Did they do harm to your fathers?”
”They passed away in peace,” he continued, using the language with greater ease as he proceeded, ”for ere then strong, and of courage in battle; the fire bright on our altars Nor did we look again upon any white face for so long a ti the people More and more did the fathers believe this Tonty was a visitant from the Sun--many there orshi+pped hiain, and with every sunrise the eyes ofup the river
Then, when I was but a child, there cae canoes from below, from the way of the salt water They did land, unmolested of our people, who supposed Tonty had come back; fair-facedmetal from head to heel
I was at the shore with the others when they caue, and call themselves _Francais_ Others of that race followed, and elcomed and fed them all, even as our fathers had done to Tonty Some arriors with swords, and fire-sticks, but with these were also soht to tell us of another God, greater than the Sun our fathers worshi+pped They had pictures, and crosses of wood, and prayed to these as we to the Sun But we believed not in their God, and tried to drive thee when they put out our fires, for theyour people, so that the priests ca the of hiht ere rid of the black-robes, and could again live as we had been taught of our fathers”