Part 8 (1/2)
”White Man, that people is a great people They live in a region of h lands beneath the shadow of the tops of snow er than other men in size, and very cruel, but their wo, for it is lost in the past But they worshi+p an ancient stone statue fashi+oned like a dwarf, and to him they offer the blood of men Beneath the feet of the statue is a pool of water, and beyond the pool is a cave In that cave, White Man, he dwells whoy above, he, Jal, whose name is Terror”
”Do you mean that a dwarf lives in the cave?” asked Leonard
”No, White Man, not a dwarf, but a holy crocodile which they naest crocodile in the whole world, and the oldest, for he has dwelt there fro It is this Snake that devours the bodies of those who are offered to the Black One”
”As I remarked before,” said Leonard, ”all this is very ro, but I cannot see that there is much profit to be made out of it”
”White Man, the lives of s which the priests of the Children of the Mist offer to their God; they offer also such toys as _this_, White Man,” and suddenly she unclosed her hand and exhibited to Leonard's astonished gaze a ruby, or what appeared to be a ruby, of such size and so lovely a colour, that his eyes were dazzled when he looked at it The gehly polished, was uncut, but its di, it was of the purest pigeon-blood colour, without a flaw, and worn almost round, apparently by the action of water Now, as it chanced, Leonard knew soh unhappily he was less acquainted with the peculiarities of the ruby than with those of nificent speciht be a true stone, as indeed appeared to be the case, it was quite possible that it was only a spinel, or a garnet, and alas! he had nohis doubts at rest
”Do your people find many of these pebbles, Soa?” he asked, ”and if so, where do they find theh few of such a size as this
They dig them out of a dry river-bed in some spot that is known to the priests only, and with them other beautiful stones of a blue colour”
”Sapphires probably,” said Leonard to hiether”
”Every year they dig theest of those that are found in their digging they bind upon the brow of her who is to be offered as a wife to the God Jal Afterwards, before she dies, they take the gem from her brow and store it in a secret place, and there in that secret place are hidden all those that have been worn by the victims of countless years Moreover the eyes of Jal are made of such stones, and there are others
”This is the legend of my people, White Man, that Jal, God of Death and Evil, slew his mother, Aca, in the far past There where the stones are found he slew her, and the red gee to him for mercy Therefore the blood of Aca is offered to Jal, and so it shall be offered till Aca coain to drive his worshi+p froy, I am sure,” said Leonard ”Our old friends the Darkness and the Dawn in an African shape, I suppose But listen to enuine, is worth old, but there are other stones so like it that none who are not learned can tell the difference, and if it be one of these it is of little value Still it may happen that this, and the others of which you speak, are true rubies; at any rate I should be willing to take my chance of that But now, tell me, what is your plan? This is a very pretty story, and the rubies et them?”
”I have a plan, White Man,” she answered ”If you will help ive you that stone, which I have borne hidden about s its story to none, no, not even to Mavooive it to you now if you will promise to attempt the rescue of my mistress, for I know by your eyes that if once you pro at hi the risks the price does not seeh As I told you, this stone : you must make a better bid, ed you well,” answered Soa with a sneer; ”also you are wise: little work for little wage Listen now, this is the pay I proffer you
”If you succeed, and the Shepherdess is saved alive frorip of the Yellow Devil, I prouide you to the land of the People of the Mist, and show you a way to win for yourself all those other countless stones that are hidden there”
”Good,” said Leonard, ”but why do you proot to do with it?”
”Without her nothing can be done, White Man This people is great and strong, and we have no force hich to conquer them in war Here craft must be your spear”
”Youriddles Hoill you conquer this people by craft, and what has Miss Rodd, whom you name the Shepherdess, to do with the matter?”
”That you shall learn by-and-by, after you have rescued her, White Man; till then my lips are shut I tell you that I have a plan, and this h, for o to seek help elsewhere”
Leonard thought athat she was determined not to be more explicit, said:
”Very well, then And no am I to know that your mistress will fall in with this scheo back uponthat I would have told you this tale If you journey to the land of the People of the Mist, I o with you, and there, should I be discovered, my death waits me I tell you the tale, or some of it, and I offer you the bribe because I see that you needmoney you will not hazard your life in this desperate search
But I love my ive six lives, if I had them, to save her froh; is it a bargain?”