Part 46 (1/2)
After her went two priests, followed by Leonard, carrying Juanna, the rear being brought up by the re priests, who closed the secret door behind theht Leonard to hi his head to watch the process, no detail of which escaped him
Otter, who had followed Leonard froh from some little distance, for, like a cat, the dwarf could see in the dark When the rock had closed again, he returned to Francisco, who sat upon the bed lost in prayer or thought
”I have seen how they h it Doubtless our comrades, the Settlement men, went that way
Say, shall we try it?”
”What is the use, Otter?” answered the priest ”The road leads only to the dungeons of the teht there, and everything would be discovered, including this trick,” and he pointed to the robes of Aca, which he wore
”That is true,” said Otter ”Coo and sit upon the thrones and wait till they fetch us”
So they went to the great chairs and sat theuards outside the doorway Here Francisco resus of the deeds that he had done, andone which he had co of the slave camp--”to keep his heart alive,” as he explained to Francisco
A quarter of an hour passed and the curtains were drawn aside, ad two litters
”Now silence, Otter,” whispered Francisco, drawing his hood over his face
”Here sit the Gods,” said Naures on the thrones ”Descend, ye Gods, that we may bear you to the temple and seat you in a lofty place, whence ye shall watch the glories of the rising sun”
Then, without more ado, Otter and Francisco came down from their seats, and took their places in the litters Presently they felt the borne forward at a considerable speed When they were outside the palace gates Otter peeped through the curtain in the hope of perceiving soe in the weather In vain; the ht of the coates of the temple that were nearest to the colossal idol, and here, at the uards assisted them to descend
”Farewell, Queen,” whispered the voice of Olfan into Francisco's ear; ”I would have given my life to save you, but I have failed; as it is, I live to avenge you upon Nam and all his servants”
Franciscohis head low Soon they were at the foot of the idol, and, led by priests, began to ascend the stairway in the interior of the statue Up they toiled slowly in the utter darkness; indeed, to Francisco this, the last journey of his life, seeed upon the head of the colossus, where neither of theht feet square, quite unprotected at the edges, beneath which curved the sheer outlines of the sculptured head The ivory throne whereon Juanna had sat when first she visited the tee of the forehead, were tooden stools upon which the victims must seat themselves From this horrible elevation could be seen that narrow space of rock between the feet of the colossus and the wall of the pool where was the stone altar, although, owing to the slope of the bowed head, he who stood upon it al the waters of the well
Otter and Francisco seated themselves on the stools, and behind the himself in such a position that his coht form, which they believed to be that of the Shepherdess
”Hold me, Otter,” whispered Francisco ”My senses will leave me, and I shall fall”
”Shut your eyes and lean back, then you will see nothing,” answered Otter ”Moreover, make ready your medicine, for the time is at hand”
”It is ready,” he answered ”May I be forgiven the sin, for I cannot bear to be hurled living to the Snake!”
Otter made no answer, but set himself to watch the scene beneath hireat height looked like suish the black and ht through waiting to witness the consuedy, while the sound of their voices as they spoke together in hushed tones reached hi of distant waters Behind him stood the four priests or executioners in a solerey mist, while above theiddy space
It was a hideous position, heightened by every terror that man and nature can command, and even the intrepid dwarf, who feared neither death nor devil, and over who influence grip his heart As for Francisco, such mind as he had left to him was taken up with fervent prayer, so it is possible that he did not suffer so ht have been expected
Five minutes or more passed thus; then a voice spoke fro:
”Are those who are nah,” answered Naain, and this time Otter knew it for that of the spokesman of the elders
”Not yet awhile,” answered Nalanced at the snow peak that towered thousands of feet into the air behind and above the te at this peak, although its gigantic outline could only be seen dih the -sheet of snow Here, upon the loftiest precipices of thestruck first and struck always, for their pinnacles soared far above the level of the ht this people judged the weather of the new-born day If the snoas rosy-red, then they knew that ere long the sun would shi+ne upon thelean that the co day would be misty in the city and on the plains Therefore in this, the hour of the trial of the Gods whom they had set up, all that company watched the mountain peak as they had never watched before, to see if it should shohite or red