Part 34 (2/2)
He stopped speaking, his head bent low on his breast, his eyes on the altar na heart,” he went on at last, never looking at ain, until finally war arose between reat river fro boats, and drove us forth froave it up to fire, after killing ainst their fire-sticks, yet we saved much that we valued, and wandered far toward the sunset, bearing along with us the bodies of our chiefs, and the sacred fire from our altar The _Francais_ lost us in the wilderness We careet us froe, erecting about it a great wall of earth such as our fathers did in those days ere strong and hty We dwelt there in peace for three seasons of sun and cold, having little trouble with those tribes that roae another _Francais_, a black-robe How he got there I know not, but we laid hands upon hi the past,--bound him before our altar-house, and made of him a sacrifice unto our God, the Sun Yet it was not well Even that very night, while orshi+pped before the fire which had consumed him, there came upon us many _Francais_ out from the dark woods, with fire-sticks and sharp knives, so that only few of our people escaped, and got away to the north I was one, bearing ever with uard We travelled acrossmuch from want, until those who lived wandered to this place, and here set up once more our fathers' ancient altars 'T was thus I learned the words of the tongue, this accursed _Francais_, and learned also to hate those hite faces and black hearts who speak it”
His voice ceased, and his chin sank wearily upon his breast My ear caught the heavy breathing of Cairnes, and I turned to th upon the stone floor sound asleep Ads, I was yet so deeply engrossed in this tale of the old priest as to be ue
”You are indeed of an old race,” I said, hoping to make him talk further, ”if the traditions of your people extend to those first Frenchreat river”
The old eyes, now scanning leae out of our history I have related,” he exclaimed hastily, evidently aroused by reatest people of the earth Ay, o, when our fathers were true to their faith and their God, there were none who could contend against us We had our great altars on every hilltop, and our villages were in every valley
Our kings ruled froreat fresh water down to where the salt sea kisses the white sand; our slaves toiled in the fields to produce us food, and in the rocks to give us store of metal for the chase and war It was then the Sun shone war men who dared to face our warriors in battle We were masters of all the land we trod; we feared no people, for ere blessed of the Sun”
”How came the end?”
”It was a curse upon us--curse because we made mock of the Sun The sacred fire died out on our altars, while recreant priests slept, and so there came upon the nation a breath of pestilence from the sky which swept away the people as if by fire It has been told to es were destroyed in a single night; that those who survived wandered in the woods foodless, until only a pitiful remnant of those ere once so powerful lived in that tainted air, poisoned by decaying bodies Then the surviving slaves banded the and killing, until the feere left drew together on the banks of the great river Here, by lighting the sacred fire again, they made peace and were saved It was there I was born”
I fail utterly to picture the true soleed priest, white-haired and evil-eyed, slowlywith his back against the rough stones of the great altar, on the summit of which fla 'T was like a voice speaking frootten past, which looked forth frorave yawned to give rave contained--the hopes, the struggles, the death of a once powerful tribe Yet it all stands forth perfectly clear toin shadow and flaure of the bulky Puritan outstretched upon the stones at our feet; the ghastly, corpse-like face of the savage old priest, whose eyes glealories of his race
”But the wo vainly for him to resume ”Is she not white?”
He did not answer; apparently he did not hear
”I ask regarding Queen Naladi--is she also of your people?”
”We are alike children of the Sun,” he responded, his tone more sullen
”She is of the Sun and was sent to rule; sent by the Sun to lead us once again unto our own”
”She told you this?”
”We know it by signs, by the prophecy of our fathers; ere long looking for her co; she was promised us by the Sun In the hour of deepest need, a woold, a Goddess in earthly foruide us She came out of the mystery, and ait her will”
”Then she is not of your race?”
”I have answered--she came to our people from the Sun”
I have not often felt too secure while in any position of danger, but this feeble old savage rested so helplessly back against the base of the altar, I lost all thought of hiuard Sunk in contemplation of his story, I sat carelessly, my head somewhat lowered as I mentally viewed the picture drawn Cairnesindistinctly, and I turned partially so that I er, the priest hurled hi up one ared stone aimed full at my head As we clinched and went down, the incarnate fiend buried his yellow teeth in ht of years, I found le A very derip was satanic in its hate In truth it was Cairnes who seized hiainst the two of us, until we bound hi except his eyes could move
CHAPTER xxxIII
PeRE ANDRe LAFOSSIER
”You treacherous, white-headed old villain,” I exclaie a trick Odds! but my arm feels as if it were broken”