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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..de065af --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50955 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50955) diff --git a/old/50955-h.zip b/old/50955-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 75cdf34..0000000 --- a/old/50955-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/50955-h/50955-h.htm b/old/50955-h/50955-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 55802fe..0000000 --- a/old/50955-h/50955-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4875 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> -<html> - -<head> -<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> -<title> -The Project Gutenberg E-tet of The Cities of the Sun, by Elizabeth Rachel Cannon -</title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg"> -<style TYPE="text/css"> -body { color: Black; background: White; margin-right: 10%; margin-left: 10%; - font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify } - -h1 { text-align: center } - -h2 { text-align: center; padding-top: 15%; } - -h3 { text-align: center; padding-top: 5%;} - -h4 { text-align: center; padding-top: 2%; } - -p.caption { text-align: center; padding-bottom: 2%; margin-right: 20%; margin-left: 20%} - - -p.chapterHeading { margin-right: 20%; margin-left: 20%} - -img {display: block; margin-left: auto; - margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 1%; margin-right: auto; } - -.pagenum { position: absolute; left: 1%; font-size: 95%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0; - font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; } - -.centered {text-align: center} - -sup { font-size: 60%} - -.sidenote { right: 0%; font-size: 80%; text-align: right; text-indent: 0%; width: 17%; - float: right; clear: right; padding-right: 0%; padding-left: 1%; padding-top: 1%; - padding-bottom: 1%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; } -</style> - -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Cities of the Sun, by Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Cities of the Sun - Stories of Ancient America founded on historical incidents - in the Book of Mormon - -Author: Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -Release Date: January 17, 2016 [EBook #50955] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITIES OF THE SUN *** - - - - -Produced by Allie Bowen, Mormon Texts Project Intern, with -thanks to Mariah Averett for proofreading -(MormonTextsProject.org) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<a name="Zara"></a> -<img src="images/zara.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="centered"> ZARA.<br><br><br><br><br></p> -<h1>The Cities of the Sun</h1> - -<p class="centered">Stories of Ancient America founded on -<br>historical incidents in the -<br>Book of Mormon<br></p> - -<p class="centered">By Elizabeth Rachel Cannon<br><br></p> - -<p class="centered">Illustrated from paintings by Geo. M. Ottinger and photographs by the -Author<br><br></p> - -<p class="centered"><i>SECOND AND ENLARGED EDITION</i><br><br></p> - -<p class="centered">Salt Lake City, Utah <br>1911<br><br><br><br><br></p> - -<img src="images/Cowlady.jpg" alt=""> -<blockquote> - -<p> <i> "Builded on the ruins of dead thrones<br> - Whose temple walls were old when Thebes was new,<br> - On altars whose weird sacrificial stones<br> - With ghastly offerings were crimson through,<br> - Oblivion hides and holds thy secrets fast,<br> - The dust of ages lies upon thy past,<br> - All-wonderful, mysterious Mexico."</i></p> - -</blockquote> - - -<h2> -CONTENTS.</h2> - -<h4><a href="#THEMARTYR"> -THE MARTYR.</a></h4> - -<p class="centered">I. The King's Council</p> - -<p class="centered">II. The Revel</p> - -<p class="centered">III. The Execution</p> - -<p class="centered">IV. The Waters of Mormon</p> - -<p class="centered">V. The Flight</p> - -<p class="centered">VI. The Abduction</p> - -<p class="centered">VII. The Revenge</p> - -<h4> -<a href="#GADIANTONS">THE GADIANTONS. -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. The Gossips at the Fountain</p> - -<p class="centered">II. In the Patio of Miriam</p> - -<p class="centered">III. The Balcony</p> - -<p class="centered">IV. The Triumph</p> - -<h4><a href="#MORONI">GENERAL MORONI. -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. The Capitulation of the Lamanites</p> - -<p class="centered">II. Moroni Raises the Standard of Liberty</p> - -<p class="centered">III. Amalickiah</p> - -<p class="centered">IV. Nemesis Overtakes Amalickiah</p> - -<h4><a href="#MISSION">AMMON'S MISSION TO THE LAMANITES. -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. Ammon Embarks on a Mission</p> - -<p class="centered">II. The Cattle Herder</p> - -<p class="centered">III. The Trance</p> - -<p class="centered">IV. The Journey</p> - -<p class="centered">V. In Prison</p> - -<h4> -<a href="#SHIPS">WEST WITH THE SHIPS OF HAGOTH -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. The Shipwreck</p> - -<h4><a href="#CITY">THE CITY IN THE GLOOM. -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. The Last of His Tribe</p> - -<p class="centered">II. Alone</p> - -<h4> -<a href="#CONQUEST">THE CONQUEST OF AIDA -</a></h4> -<p class="centered">I. The Plot</p> - -<p class="centered">II. Aida Dances before Akish</p> - -<p class="centered">III. Fruition</p> - -<p class="centered">IV. Reaping the Whirlwind</p> - -<h2> -ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> - -<p><a href="#Zara">Zara</a></p> - -<p><a href="#gardens">Alma Loitered in the Perfumed Gardens</a></p> - -<p><a href="#baptizing">Alma Baptizing in the Waters of Mormon</a></p> - -<p><a href="#sacrifice">The Sacrificial Stone</a></p> - -<p><a href="#LamaniteGirl">The Lamanite Girl was Pretty</a></p> - -<p><a href="#onefoot">With One Foot Chained to the Rock the Gadianton Robber Fought and -Vanquished Eight Warriors</a></p> - -<p><a href="#monoliths">Hall of the Monoliths, Mitla</a></p> - -<p><a href="#ruins">Palace Ruins at Mitla</a></p> - -<p><a href="#zorabel">Zorabel</a></p> - -<p><a href="#standard">Moroni Raises the Standard of Liberty</a></p> - -<p><a href="#aztec">Aztec God of War</a></p> - -<p><a href="#corpse">Amalickiah Sent the Corpse of Her Husband to the Lamanite Queen</a></p> - -<p><a href="#sacked">Amalickiah Sacked the Coast Cities and Put Hirza to the Sword</a></p> - -<p><a href="#basrelief">Bas-relief of Ancient Warrior</a></p> - -<p><a href="#alla">Alla Deriding the Idols</a></p> - -<p><a href="#palace">Ruins of the Palace of the Indian King</a></p> - -<p><a href="#chief">The Island Chief</a></p> - -<p><a href="#cliff">The Cliff Dweller's Daughter</a></p> - -<p><a href="#corn">The Corn Crib of the City in the Gloom</a></p> - -<p><a href="#stairs">The Stairs that Lead to the Top of the Pyramid</a></p> - -<p><a href="#pyramid">Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico</a></p> - -<p><a href="#jared">Jared was Murdered as he Descended from his Throne</a></p> - -<p><a href="#dying">They Brought her Baby Boy in, Dying upon his Shield</a></p> - -<h2>PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION</h2> - -<p>The end justifies the means, so these stories are designed to increase -interest in the Book of Mormon. Hundreds of books have been written -founded on the Bible, and there are some wonderfully colorful accounts -of the founding of Christianity in Judea, Alexandria, and Rome. It is -surprising that more has not been done dealing with the ancient history -of the western world. Several of these stories were first published in -the <i>Improvement Era</i>, and acknowledgement is made to that magazine -for the encouragement it extended to the author, who traveled twice to -Mexico and excavated amon the ruins there to gain information at first -hand. If any boy or girl, after perusing these pages, is inspired to -turn direct to the beautiful and simple language of the Book of Mormon -itself, the purpose of "The Cities of the Sun" has been accomplished.</p> - -<h2> -The Cities of the Sun</h2> - -<p class="centered"> -Stories of Ancient America, Founded on Historical Incidents in the Book -of Mormon.</p> - - -<h2> <a name="THEMARTYR"></a> -THE MARTYR.</h2> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE KING'S COUNCIL.</p> - -<p>"What now, Amulon? Why so gloomy? Upon my word, you have not smiled for -a week," and King Noah affectionately slapped his favorite's shoulder.</p> - -<p>"I'll warrant me it's a woman," continued the king, when the other -vouchsafed no reply, "for nothing else would move you."</p> - -<p>"And what if it were?" answered the other moodily. "Would talking about -it mend matters?"</p> - -<p>"There is only one cure for a broken heart," and Noah wagged his head -sagely.</p> - -<p>"And that is—?"</p> - -<p>"Another love."</p> - -<p>"H'm."</p> - -<p>"Among the thousand women of the court, are there not maids that please -you? Women of all types grace the gardens of the city of Lehi-Nephi. -Would you have a rose, a violet, a magnolia, a lily, a passion flower -or a tulip? Pluck it." And he nodded toward the court of the women.</p> - -<p>"Need I remind thee, O King, who art the prince of love, that when a -man wants one woman—"</p> - -<p>The king threw back his head and laughed until his fat sides shook.</p> - -<p>"And who is the lady that dares withstand the bold Amulon?"</p> - -<p>The king's face displayed the first interest it had worn that day, -as he lolled on the crimson cushions that extended before his golden -throne. He and his priests sat in the Hall of the Ambassadors, -adjoining the great stone amphitheatre used for large assemblies. The -hall where the king held his court was richly beautiful with its tiled -floor, its ivory-tinted walls and the great gilded chairs of the thirty -priests who constituted the king's council. All morning they had been -attending to affairs of state, dealing principally with taxes, for -the dissolute king maintained his magnificence with one-fifth of his -people's produce.</p> - -<p>The moment was propitious and Amulon hastened to explain. "The maid, O -King, is Zara, the daughter of Gideon, who opposes my suit."</p> - -<p>"What, do you court the father? Make good with the girl."</p> - -<p>"I cannot. She will have none of me."</p> - -<p>For Amulon, who owed his title of favorite to his intrepidity and -unscrupulousness, to acknowledge himself beaten was highly amusing.</p> - -<p>"The girl has been a companion to her father and has imbibed his -notions," her lover continued. "If she were moved into another -atmosphere she might change her mind. Association with the gracious -Princess Otalitza would certainly mend her manners."</p> - -<p>"So you want—"</p> - -<p>"Her brought to the palace."</p> - -<p>The king scowled. "Amulon, I can deny you nothing. Let the girl be -brought. But look you," he added quickly, "she is to be in the train of -the princess. Hands off, for awhile, you understand. Her father is a -good soldier, and might cause trouble."</p> - -<p>"You will send your orders?" said Amulon, following up his advantage.</p> - -<p>"The palanquin shall fetch her today."</p> - -<p>Both men looked up. Noises of turmoil and commotion came from the -doorway. Half a dozen soldiers, dragging a limp figure, burst into the -room. They were followed by a howling mob that shouted, "Away with him! -Down with the prophet!"</p> - -<p>As they hauled the man over before the dais, the twenty odd priests -leaned forward with interest, while one exclaimed, "It is the Prophet -Abinadi!"</p> - -<p>"Aye, Abinadi, whom I found in the plaza reviling thee, O king," -exclaimed Himni, a priest, from the mob.</p> - -<p>Noah looked down upon a tall man with straggling gray hair. In spite -of his manacled hands, the buffetings of the soldiers and the jeers of -the multitude, his thin lips curved in a scornful smile and his defiant -face showed no sign of fear.</p> - -<p>"What are the charges?" asked the king.</p> - -<p>"He promises bondage and dire calamities to the people, and thy life, O -King, he says, will be as a garment in a flame of fire. Who is this man -that he should judge thee?"</p> - -<p>The great, purple veins stood out on the king's forehead and he -exclaimed angrily, "Take him to prison!"</p> - -<p>The priests crowded up expectantly, for though Noah was not loved, yet -he was feared; but Omner petitioned, "Let us question this pretender -that we may confound him."</p> - -<p>"Yes, surely, the Lord must confide all wisdom to his prophets," -scoffed Nehor.</p> - -<p>So they plied him with questions, and to their astonishment he answered -them boldly. "Why do you, the priests of the Lord, who are supposed to -teach the people, ask these things of me? You cannot teach what you do -not practice. You are wine-bibbers and revelers. You set the example of -sensuousness and law-breaking, and seek not the kingdom of heaven, but -the riches of the world."</p> - -<p>The king turned wearily. "Away with this fellow," he said, "and slay -him, for he is mad."</p> - -<p>"Touch me not," commanded the prophet, "until I have delivered my -message; then do with me as you will."</p> - -<p>He spoke with such dignity and authority that they listened while he -preached with the power of God. He dwelt on the law of Moses, then, a -wondrous light illumining his face, he told them about the Messiah. How -a new star should appear in the heavens and there should be continuous -light for the space of three days, while far across the seas a child -should be born in poverty, of a lowly virgin, and he should be the -Son of God. The child should grow to be a man, despised and rejected -of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who would suffer -himself to be mocked and scourged, and cast out and disowned by his -people. And after working many mighty miracles among the children of -men, he would be crucified and slain. Thus would the spirit triumph -over the flesh and he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead.</p> - -<p>"And where will you be, you priest of Satan, on that day?" he cried, -working himself into a frenzy. "I tell you that the wicked shall have -cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth!"</p> - -<p>Then he launched into such a fierce denunciation of the court, that -the priests looked at each other aghast, and the king turned a sickly -green. Abinadi lashed himself into a fury as he pictured the torments -of the wicked, until his body swayed with the power of his imaginings. -Calming himself, finally, he commanded: "Repent ye, teach the law of -Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to -come. Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ, the Lord, who -is the very Eternal Father." He ceased speaking.</p> - -<p>"Take him away and put him to death."</p> - -<p>Then Alma, the sweet-spirited one among the priests, young, but wise in -council, stepped forward, the sunlight glinting on his fair hair.</p> - -<p>"This man has spoken the truth, and when, in all the reign of the just -Noah, was a man put to death for speaking the truth?"</p> - -<p>"He said that the king's life should be as a garment in a hot furnace," -cried Himni vindictively.</p> - -<p>Amulon, who hated Alma for reasons of his own, smiled as he mockingly -exclaimed, "What! has the gentle Alma turned prophet? Presently we -shall have a pair of them."</p> - -<p>The king motioned for the guards to remove the prisoner, and turning on -his heel he leaned affectionately on the arm of Amulon and passed out, -leaving Alma biting his lips with vexation and choking with humiliation.</p> -<a name="gardens"></a> -<img src="images/Gardens.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> ALMA LOITERED IN THE PERFUMED GARDENS.</p> -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE REVEL</p> - -<p>A solitary figure crossed the court on the pyramid, where the cluster -of state buildings was located. Although he went toward the palace, he -lagged like an unwelcome guest at a feast. The night was not cold but -he shivered and wrapped his cloak around him. Behind him lay the great -stone amphitheatre, with its tier after tier of seats, vaulted by the -starlit sky. To the north loomed the great temple, surmounted by its -tower. The somber blackness was relieved only by the sacred fire that -burned on top. Ahead of him reposed the royal palace, resplendent as a -jewel in its setting of perfumed gardens. Sounds of music and revelry -issued from the casement, and the guest stopped to take a deep breath -of the sweet night air before he plunged into the hot-house brilliance -beyond.</p> - -<p>As he entered the great banquet hall, many eyes turned that way. Alma -had thrown off his cloak, displaying a purple tunic that enhanced the -gold of his hair and the blue of his eyes. His short robe was caught in -at the waist by a girdle of sapphires, and his lower limbs were bare -save for the thongs of buckskin, extending from his sandals, which -were strapped around them. It was not the beauty of the graceful young -cavalier that attracted attention, but the whisper had gone forth that -he was out of favor at court. That was what had brought him there to -face it out, to show he was not afraid. For the most part, the guests -whose brains were not addled with wine were absorbed in their own -affairs, for the hour was late and the diners at the banquet table, -which was heavy with its gold and silver service, were on the last -course. It consisted of dainty dishes of snow, brought on the backs -of men from the distant volcano, delicately flavored with the grated -rind of limes. Goblets brimming with odoriferous wines were constantly -being refilled, but the real revelry was just begun. Before morning the -great jars that stood on the buffet, that extended all around the great -banquet room, would be overturned and emptied. Beside them were baskets -laden with fruit—the gold of the tropics—bunches of purple grapes, -pomegranates, tunas, oranges, pineapples, bananas, achuacates (the -butter that grows on trees) and wild plums.</p> - -<p>Above these, on the wall, was a fresco of naiads, while the magnificent -ceiling was of green and gold. Oh, he had an eye for beauty, had King -Noah;—too much for his good. A crowd of musicians played barbaric -music, a troupe of acrobats performed in an ante room, while from the -corridor came peals of laughter.</p> - -<p>Alma ran his eye along the table. The king leered into the face of the -ever-present Amulon, while on his left the buffoon, Omo, discoursed -coarse jests. Suddenly Alma's heart stood still and then sickened. -Could that be Zara, the daughter of Gideon, in the party of the -princess? Yes, it was Zara, looking more radiant than ever. What was -she doing in the palace of the king? From the shadow of the curtains he -watched her with troubled eyes. A smile played on her expressive face -and her eyes were bright with excitement. He waited impatiently until -they rose from the table, but before he could get to her she was gone.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later she appeared with the dancers. How beautiful she -looked, cream robed, with golden orchids in her hair! The intoxication -of the dance set his blood to throbbing, but he noticed with rising -resentment that he was not the only one interested in the new beauty. -Alma wandered around the hall shunned by all, for it is not wise to -flatter the one on whom the king frowns. He watched his chance, then -went to speak to Zara. She rose to meet him, and there was genuine -pleasure in her tone.</p> - -<p>"Why, Alma, I've been looking for you so long."</p> - -<p>"Is that what brought you here, my lady?" he asked tensely.</p> - -<p>"It was the king's palanquin that brought me here," she answered archly.</p> - -<p>His brow lowered. "Perhaps the same conveyance will carry you back?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps."</p> - -<p>"Zara, I don't like to see you here."</p> - -<p>"Why not? It is glorious! I love the magnificence of the court. It is -breath to my nostrils. I have never lived before."</p> - -<p>"Your eyes are blinded by the gilded surface and you do not see the -rottenness beneath. When you know it as well as I—" and he laughed -bitterly. "I cannot understand," he added soberly, "how your father -allows you here, when he objected to me simply because I belonged to -the court, though I hate everything that is connected with it."</p> - -<p>"My father—you might know—he did not send me here. I came by the -order of the king."</p> - -<p>Alma looked startled. "Do you know what for?"</p> - -<p>She shrugged her shoulders. "No one asks his reasons of the king."</p> - -<p>"Yes, but there is a reason. You had better go away from here, my lady. -This is no place for you."</p> - -<p>"I cannot," she said simply. "Besides, I tell you, Alma, it is not the -place, but the person. A pure-minded person can be good anywhere, the -evil always find means to sate their appetites."</p> - -<p>"No one is safe in the palace; you must go away."</p> - -<p>"If I should leave, what then? I should be brought back again. You are -satiated with all this. It opens a new world to me. I intend to see -it," she cried, almost angrily.</p> - -<p>She turned to talk to some young bloods, who were hovering around her, -and Alma was dismissed. Realizing his failure with the girl, he turned -his steps toward the king. If he were not in disfavor, he might have -her released. At least there was a chance to find out why she was -there, he argued.</p> - -<p>He approached the throne, bowed, and murmured, "I have a petition to -make, your majesty."</p> - -<p>The king stared coolly past him, as if he did not see him, and went -on talking to Amulon, while Alma retreated, reddening to the ears, as -a titter arose behind palm leaf fans. His disgrace was now complete, -and he thought the next move would be assassins. "Well, Abinadi, you -may have company," he muttered. He wandered aimlessly about in a daze, -finally going to the gaming tables for, though he did not gamble -himself, he hoped to drown his misery in the excitement of the players.</p> - -<p class="centered">* * * * *</p> - -<p>Zara stood in the shadow of the palms at the entrance to the patio. -The revel was beginning to pall on her with its grossness. True, -the musicians had been replaced with others, and as she listened, -the strains of "The Heavens for a Kiss" floated out to her. Many of -the lights were out and what remained burned badly, but they were -sufficient to display sights from which her whole soul shrank. Omo -lay across the end of the table, his bull neck kinked so his heavy -breathing could be heard all over the room. Omner had tipped over a -wine jar, and lay on the floor with his head in a red pool that looked -like blood. Himni was pouring cold water down the neck of a servant -girl, while he explained that it would make her lips red. Mulek's -dominating voice roared above all others. Some callow youths were -trying to sing. Nobody knew where the king was. Most of the girls had -departed, and Zara, for the first time, felt lonely and scared. She -wished Alma would come. She heard a footstep behind her; then a door -pulled to. She listened, thinking it was he.</p> - -<p>"So, I have found you at last, my dove!"</p> - -<p>She uttered a startled cry and looked up to see the great form of -Amulon towering above her. His eyes glowed like fires in the dark.</p> - -<p>"Come!" he coaxed. "How these arms have ached for you!"</p> - -<p>"Let me go!" she cried fiercely, struggling, like a frightened bird in -his grasp.</p> - -<p>"Fight away, my pretty. My, how tigerish we are! I faith, I believe -that is why I love you!"</p> - -<p>"I shall cry for help."</p> - -<p>"Who is there to hear you?"</p> - -<p>"I shall expose you to the king."</p> - -<p>"He will not believe you."</p> - -<p>"Then Alma shall intercede in my behalf."</p> - -<p>Amulon laughed. "Alma! he is already a doomed man."</p> - -<p>"My father shall carry my case before the king!" she cried in a panic.</p> - -<p>"Why did the king have you brought here? To grace the train of -Otalitza, when there are a hundred women fighting for the place you -occupy? Why, I say, except at my request? If you spurn me, the king -will claim you. Take your choice."</p> - -<p>Seeing the hopelessness of her case, woman's wit, which has been her -chief weapon since the world began, came to her rescue. She slipped up -her arms and encircled his head, kissing his handsome, bruised-looking -lips.</p> - -<p>"Amulon," she whispered, "I am not a slave to be coerced. What I do, I -must do of my own free will, without force."</p> - -<p>"You are right," he said, won by her speedy capitulation. He instantly -freed her, for he was as generous as he was passionate.</p> - -<p>"Your lips are like the desert and your brow is fevered. See, I will -bath it in the fountain." She darted forward, and as he stumbled after -her and fell headlong on the pavement, she did not stop to look back, -but kept right on.</p> - -<p class="centered">* * * * *</p> - -<p>The breeze that precedes the dawn was stirring when a white-robed -figure stole out on the roof garden of the palace. She started back -when, on turning a corner, she was confronted by a man muffled in a -long cloak.</p> - -<p>"Zara!"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Alma, I am so glad!" and she wrung her hands in relief.</p> - -<p>"Why are you here alone at this time?"</p> - -<p>"I could not sleep. So many strange things have happened. And you?"</p> - -<p>"I could not sleep, either. I searched for you, last night, but could -not find you. Where did you go?"</p> - -<p>"To the inner patio."</p> - -<p>"With whom?"</p> - -<p>"Amulon."</p> - -<p>"Amulon! So, that is why you came to the palace?"</p> - -<p>"He said as much."</p> - -<p>"And I have ruined myself at court through espousing the cause of the -Prophet Abinadi."</p> - -<p>"So Amulon intimated."</p> - -<p>"Where is he?"</p> - -<p>"Down the well, for aught I know. I fled from him, and he gave chase. -He was half drunk and stumbled over the fountain curbing, but whether -he pitched in or not I do not know. I didn't stop to look back."</p> - -<p>"He didn't; trust his luck for that. And you? How did you get out?"</p> - -<p>"Why, through the court of the lions, of course."</p> - -<p>"They might have killed you."</p> - -<p>"So I thought; but the king's ocelots are well fed. They did not care -to get up to dine off me in the middle of the night."</p> - -<p>The rainbow colors of the dawn of the tropics illumined the sky to -the east, and below, the hills were swathed in pearl gray mist. Alma -breathed deep as he looked at Zara, fresh and radiant as the morning -itself. The fleecy robe she had slipped on parted at the throat, her -dark head was swathed in a pale blue gauze, broidered with silver -stars, and not all the turmoil of the night could disguise the fact -that she was young and glad to be alive. As she lifted a slender, -rounded, white arm to indicate the violet and orange of the horizon, -Alma caught her in his arms.</p> - -<p>"Come with me," he whispered, "away from this wicked place. Let me -teach you the principles of Abinadi. Together let us live our lives as -he has taught, in conformity with the will of the Lord."</p> - -<p>"Abinadi!" she murmured. "I already believe in him, although he has -taught the strange doctrine that we must return good for evil, instead -of demanding an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But you must -teach me. Alma," she added fearfully, "for there are many things I do -not understand. And this strange doctrine of repentance, that they talk -so much about—"</p> - -<p>"The king had better take to heart," Alma finished grimly. "Would that -the scales might fall from his eyes, as they have from mine!"</p> - -<p>"He is going to put Abinadi to death?"</p> - -<p>"So I fear."</p> - -<p>"And you?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I shall take up the work where he left off. I'm afraid his mantle -will fall on unworthy shoulders. I have carefully written down all -his words, and I shall teach them to the people when he is gone. I -consecrate my life to the work. God grant me strength and light to do -it well!"</p> - -<p>"Does Abinadi know?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; I go now to visit him in his cell."</p> - -<p>"Tarry a little, Sir Prophet," she commanded, running her hand through -his yellow hair.</p> - -<p>Together they watched the sun rise. The mocking birds sang riotously. -The lavender flowers of the bougainvilaea drooped in the garden, while -from the patio below the air came laden with the heavy odor of the -blossom called "The Perfume of the Night." The lovers did not notice -that with it was mingled the scent of the illomened "Flower of the -Dead."</p> - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE EXECUTION.</p> - -<p>The great market place was the heart of the city. The streets, like -so many arteries, emptied into its pulsating center. There all the -buying and selling went on. Here was a fruit stand from which a -bronze Lamanitish goddess flicked the flies. Yonder was a clothier's -containing garments of chameleon dyes. There were cafes, candy stands, -butcher shops, fish from the lake, venders of pottery, and makers of -lace. The band played there in the afternoon, and lovers sought the -shade of its arbors in the evening.</p> - -<p>This morning something of unusual occurrence was about to happen. -People were running hither and thither. There was a hushed murmur of -excitement among the crowds, which were larger than on any market day. -Four regiments of soldiers were stationed at the comers, while a fifth -was keeping the people back from an open space in the middle of the -square.</p> - -<p>"Wherefore the crowd?" asked the countryman who had just brought his -cart of vegetables to the city that morning, of a young man who was -hurrying to the scene.</p> - -<p>The other looked at him in surprise, "Why, they are going to burn the -Prophet Abinadi."</p> - -<p>"They're not going to burn him alive?"</p> - -<p>"How do you think they'd burn him—dead?" he threw back over his -shoulder, as he hurried on.</p> - -<p>The crowd was impatient.</p> - -<p>"Light the fire, and let us see if this false prophet is pluckily true -to his convictions."</p> - -<p>"What are they waiting for?" called another.</p> - -<p>There was a blare of trumpets, a blast of martial music, and then the -cry, "Make way for the king!"</p> - -<p>On a palanquin, borne aloft on the shoulders of men, surmounted by -a green canopy, reclined the king. As soon as he reached the place -of execution he ordered the soldiers to bring forth the prisoner. -When Abinadi, sustained by the heroism of martyrdom, but very weak -and trembling physically, stood before him, Noah pronounced sternly: -"Abinadi, we have found an accusation against thee and thou art worthy -of death; for thou hast said that God himself should come down among -the children of men, and now for this cause thou shalt be put to death, -unless thou wilt recall all the words thou hast spoken evil concerning -me and my people."</p> - -<p>With a hunted look in his eyes Abinadi answered: "I will not recall the -words I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true. -I will suffer even unto death. I will not recall my words, and they -shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me, ye will shed -innocent blood, and this shall stand as a testimony against you at the -last day."</p> - -<p>The words touched even the callous heart of Noah, and he was half -convinced. He turned to the priests.</p> - -<p>"Shall we release him?"</p> - -<p>"Death to Abinadi, he has reviled the king!" was the shout.</p> - -<p>"Death to Abinadi!"</p> - -<p>"Let his God delay the flames!"</p> - -<p>"He says we shall all be captives to the Lamanites!"</p> - -<p>"Down with false prophets!"</p> - -<p>Amid the maledictions, they bound Abinadi to the stake and lighted the -fagots under his feet.</p> - -<p>As the flames licked his quivering limbs, and he writhed in agony, -he looked into the faces of the terror-stricken populace and said in -accents thick, "It will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted with -all manner of diseases because of your iniquities. Yea, and ye shall be -smitten on every hand, and shall be driven and scattered to and fro, -even as a wild flock is driven by wild and ferocious beasts. And in -that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand of your -enemies."</p> - -<p>As the flames mounted higher and higher, and the victim writhed in -agony, a young man, with sunny hair, made his way out of the crowd, for -he could stand it no longer. Henceforth he was the disciple of the dead -prophet, and the blood of martyrdom had won its first convert in Alma.</p> - -<p>His was not the only sick heart, for when the agonized victim looked -out of his pain-dimmed eyes and said prophetically to Noah, "Ye shall -suffer, as I suffer, the pains of death by fire," the king called -suddenly, "Ho, take me hence!"</p> - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE WATERS OF MORMON.</p> - -<p>Gloom reigned in the palace and in the heart of Zara. The death of -Abinadi seemed to portend evil. Alma was condemned to death, and -guards were scouting the country for him, for he had disappeared. Zara -was torn with fear, for she expected daily to see him dragged there -in irons. Again she thought he had been secretly murdered, and this -hunting for him was a pretense.</p> - -<p>Then a message came to her. She sent for Amulon, who came gladly, for -she had locked herself up in her apartments and refused to see him for -days, while he, whose will was law, chafed like a chained lion. She was -peculiarly gracious, and it was with difficulty he restrained himself, -for his love for this maiden, who was the first who had ever opposed -him, swept him off his feet.</p> - -<p>"I have a favor to ask of you. Amulon, as always," she began.</p> - -<p>"Which is already granted, if it lies within my power, princess."</p> - -<p>"Ever am I more indebted to you."</p> - -<p>"What is my lady's latest caprice?"</p> - -<p>"You know I am virtually a prisoner here. All of the palace is mine, -but the bird is none the less barred because the cage is gilded. An -aged aunt of mine is dying, and she has sent for me to soothe her -last hours. I would go to her bedside. Will you not ask the king's -permission that I may go?"</p> - -<p>Amulon was touched by her earnestness, for ever are strong men weakest -through their strength.</p> - -<p>"Go, Zara, and I will be responsible to the king." He stepped to the -door and summoned Mulek. "Do you accompany this lady wherever she goes. -See that no harm approaches, and return her in safety to the palace."</p> - -<p>Mulek bowed and retreated.</p> - -<p>Zara sallied out accompanied by the giant soldier Mulek. They made -their way to a large house with a stone front. They entered, and passed -through corridor after corridor, until they came to the one that led to -the death chamber.</p> - -<p>"You will wait here for me, Mulek?"</p> - -<p>"The Lord Amulon said I was not to let you out of my sight."</p> - -<p>"But you can't go in there when she is dying!"</p> - -<p>"I go where you do," he answered doggedly.</p> - -<p>She was in despair. But everyone has his vulnerable point. She began to -plead with him, using all her art, but he only shook his head. She tore -a heavy gold chain from her neck. Three great emeralds hung pendant -from it. The bauble was worth a fortune. She thrust it into his hand, -saying imperiously, "Wait here, I will soon be back."</p> - -<p>Before he could recover himself she was gone. His first impulse was to -follow her, but he distinguished the sound of a woman's voice, and it -deterred him.</p> - -<p>The giant waited a long time. He paced restlessly around the room. When -the afternoon sun faded into evening he grew alarmed. He rang a bell, -which no one answered. He walked through the deserted halls. He came -back and went to the room of the sick woman. There was no couch there, -and a new light broke in on him. He ran through the house shouting. A -Lamanitish woman, a servant, confronted him.</p> - -<p>"Where is Zara, the daughter of Gideon?" he fairly shouted.</p> - -<p>She eyed him calmly. "I know of no such a woman."</p> - -<p>"I brought her here," he reiterated.</p> - -<p>"She is not here," she repeated.</p> - -<p>He rushed through the house, but found no trace of her whom he sought. -His first impulse was to flee and escape the anger of Amulon. But on -second thought he decided that would look as if he had connived at her -escape. If he reported at once, she might yet be found. He started on a -run back to the palace.</p> - -<p>When he presented himself before Amulon, a sweating, palpitating, -trembling wretch, the courtier gave him one look and then roared, -"Where is the girl?"</p> - -<p>"Alas, I know not!" wailed the other. "I turned, m'lord, and she was -gone. Some power of magic—" he dodged a heavy bronze vase that Amulon, -in his rage, hurled, at his head. It crashed into the door beyond and -splintered it.</p> - -<p>The chief priest clapped his hands. Slaves appeared.</p> - -<p>"Take him," he commanded. "Let him be lashed. Send soldiers to search -the house of Zeezrom, and arrest every one you find there."</p> - -<p>All night Amulon paced the palace, and all night rose the shrieks of -Mulek, lashed to the whipping post.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Zara, after her escape from Mulek, was being borne -through tall hedges of organ cactus on the outskirts of the city. -Through fields of maguey—the large century plant—until they reached -the prairie where the mesquite grew, they continued their flight.</p> -<a name="baptizing"></a> -<img src="images/Baptizing.jpg" alt=""> - -<p class="centered">ALMA BAPTIZING IN THE WATERS OF MORMON.</p> - -<p>Beyond, palm trees were gracefully silhouetted against the sky. -Plantains rattled in the wind. As they neared the oasis, they felt the -dread stillness of the tropic jungle, for the night was coming on. The -rich velvet of the sward was flecked with the wild tulip, and long -mosses cast black shadows in a pool as clear and deep as a woman's eyes.</p> - -<p>Such were the Waters of Mormon, where Alma, the sweet-spirited, -baptized believers and taught the gospel of the Savior, thus carrying -on the work of Abinadi.</p> - -<p>When the slaves stopped, and Alma saw that the white palanquin bore a -woman, he came forward. Zara slipped lightly out, without assistance, -and ran to meet him.</p> - -<p>"Zara!" he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"It is I, Alma." Then she continued breathlessly, "They have located -you. The sentence of death hangs over you and your followers. You must -flee quickly."</p> - -<p>"How did you find out?"</p> - -<p>"Ever since you went away I have lived on the name of Alma. Every -breath that concerned you my intuition has ferreted out. The armies of -the king have orders to march against you now, for the king fears the -stronghold you are gaining among the people."</p> - -<p>"And you came to tell me this! If they knew it, what would they do to -you?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know; I'm not going back to find out."</p> - -<p>"Not going back?"</p> - -<p>"No; I'm going with you—if you will let me."</p> - -<p>"Let you, Zara!" A look of glad surprise broke over his face, as he -took her tenderly in his arms. But amid all his joyful exultation, -there was a fear in his heart of hearts. He knew that behind his -cherished one lay luxury and pleasure, and ahead of her was—the desert.</p> - -<h3>V.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE FLIGHT.</p> - -<p>Consternation reigned in the palace. The unsuccessful army returned, -announcing the escape of Alma and four hundred and fifty of his -followers. Amulon, in an angry mood, and the king had had words over -the disappearance of Zara. Noah foresaw trouble with her father, and -Gideon was one of his best generals. Nor was he mistaken, for along -came the sturdy old soldier demanding to see his daughter. Noah -explained that the girl was gone, that every effort had been made to -locate her, but without avail.</p> - -<p>Gideon did not believe it. He thought they were deceiving him. He -poured execrations on their heads.</p> - -<p>"There is only one fate that awaits a woman that steps inside your -palace. Were there not enough, but my daughter must grace your court? -She was of a different type, and that was why you coveted her. You have -lied to me, for you have something to conceal. A father's curse be on -you!"</p> - -<p>It was in vain that the king denied any knowledge of Zara's -whereabouts. He had been involved in so many intrigues that he was not -believed when he spoke the truth.</p> - -<p>"Curse you. You will tell me where she is, or I will run you through!" -and Gideon drew his sword. "It would be a service to rid the Nephites -of such a tyrant."</p> - -<p>Noah could have summoned his guards, but Gideon had challenged him as -man to man. The king had been a soldier in his youth, but years of -dissipation had rendered his flesh flabby and his spirit afraid.</p> - -<p>They crossed swords and lunged at each other. A few moments and the -king was breathless. Gideon so evidently had the advantage that Noah, -in sheer cowardice, turned and fled. He rushed to the temple. With -drawn sword Gideon followed him. Through chamber after chamber the king -ran. The rooms were superb with their mosaic and metal work, but Noah -did not notice any of the decorations, for after him followed grim -Nemesis. The two flying figures, one very little behind the other, -reached the top of the second pyramid. Noah mounted the steps that led -to the top of the tower. This was ascended by a series of ladders, and -when he reached the second he kicked the first from under him. When he -reached the top his face was purple, and every breath was a pain. He -could go no further, and he knew that his respite was short. He looked -down from the dizzy height. Then he lost himself in astonishment.</p> - -<p>"Let me down!" he screamed. "The armies of the Lamanites are upon us!"</p> - -<p>Gideon, deeming this but a ruse, was in no wise deterred in his pursuit.</p> - -<p>"I tell you they are spread out in battle array on the plains below! -Let me down that I may save my people!" pleaded Noah.</p> - -<p>"Save your people? you had better save your own neck," Gideon thought -grimly. He went to the parapet and looked over. The king was right, -there were the Lamanite phalanxes spread out upon the plain as far as -the eye could see.</p> - -<p>"Come down and save your people," he called, sheathing his sword. He -himself went over and began to beat the alarum drum to call the men -to arms. As the old king tottered down there was time for a new fear -to supplant the other. None knew better than he how illy his kingdom -was prepared for war. He had made his people lovers of pleasure. The -standing army was small, and no match for the fierce Indians inured to -hardship.</p> - -<p>"Call the people together and tell them to bring their families and -flee into the wilderness," he commanded. "It were folly to fight them -here."</p> - -<p>When all the people of the city congregated, Noah, like a good leader, -led the flight.</p> - -<p>The Lamanites were not slow to discover the tactics, and started out -in swift pursuit. They soon overtook the Nephites and the massacre -commenced. Noah, maddened by the sight of the blood, bade the heralds -command all the men to flee, for they were retarded by the women and -children.</p> - -<p>"They will not murder the women in cold blood," reasoned the valorous -king, "and some of us may be saved while Gideon engages the enemy here."</p> - -<p>Like geese that follow their leader, on the spur of the moment many of -the men turned and followed the king and his priests, who were in full -flight.</p> - -<p>After they had gone some distance into the wilderness, they began to -come to their senses. One commoner voiced the sentiment of the men -when he said, "If our loved ones are slain, it were better that we had -perished with them."</p> - -<p>"But, at least, after first striking a blow in their defense," added -another.</p> - -<p>"Let us go back and see if they are dead. And if they are,"—here the -speaker looked meaningly at Noah—"we will seek revenge."</p> - -<p>"We are a laughing stock and a bye word," said one man who prided -himself on his honor.</p> - -<p>They were all heartily ashamed of themselves, and, as is always the -case under such circumstances, they sought someone on whom to lay -the blame. Whereupon, when the king commanded them not to return, it -brought their anger to a head. Instead of obeying him, they turned -viciously upon him as the cause of all their misfortunes. They -overpowered him roughly and bound him hand and foot. Amulon, who at -least had the saving grace of loyalty, was the only one who drew -his sword in defense of the king. He was run through the side for -his pains. The other priests, for their part, seeing themselves so -out-numbered, took to their heels.</p> - -<p>Amulon, weak from loss of blood, staggered over to a brush heap, -and there they let him lie. With presence of mind, he stuffed his -shirt into the wound and staunched the flow of blood. He was in a -raging fever, and one of the men taking pity on him as he tossed with -sleepless eyes, brought him a cup of water.</p> - -<p>When night was well advanced, he dragged himself down to a stream and -drank deep of the running water. He was conscious of the fact that no -one had paid any attention to him. To attempt the escape of Noah, he -knew was hopeless. He felt that the king must have help, and have it -quickly. Urged on by some power beyond himself, the wounded man arose -and staggered out into the jungle.</p> - -<p>He found the priests, or rather, they found him wandering in the woods, -and Amulon, by his old power of eloquence, rallied them and brought -them back. But lo, when they arrived at the place where the Nephites -had camped, they were gone, and Amulon feared that in his daze he had -mistaken the place. But Himni raised a shout, and they found only too -ghastly evidence of the recent presence of the Nephites. The trunk of -an immense tree had been partially burned. Lashed to its side was what -was left of a man, under whom a fire had been built. One of the priests -walked over, and from the ashes picked out the king's signet ring. -They had burned Noah to death. Thus had the prophecy of Abinadi been -fulfilled.</p> - -<p>"His life was as a garment in a furnace of fire."</p> - -<h3>VI.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE ABDUCTION.</p> - -<p>Like nomads the priests wandered into the forest, subsisting on berries -and wild game. One day Omo, the voluptuary, came into camp with what -for him was unusual speed. The men loafing around the camp began to -jeer at him.</p> - -<p>"I have seen such a sight—" he began.</p> - -<p>"You must have seen something to make you run. He has seen such a -sight—"</p> - -<p>"As you would all break your necks to see."</p> - -<p>"What have you seen?"</p> - -<p>"Women."</p> - -<p>"Women!" they muttered.</p> - -<p>"Girls—young, beautiful, graceful as gazelles."</p> - -<p>"He has been seeing visions."</p> - -<p>"Listen. As I lay under a willow, that I might digest my dinner out of -the heat of the sun, I did hear singing and laughter—"</p> - -<p>"He was asleep and dreamed it."</p> - -<p>"Very cautiously did I crawl out, and there I beheld fifty Lamanitish -maidens—"</p> - -<p>"Lamanites! Huh!"</p> - -<p>"Fifty Lamanitish damsels, as I did start to say, wreathed with -garlands and bedecked with golden circlets on their arms and ankles, -making merry in the woods. Then they ceased from their sports and sat -them down to picnic out of great hampers. They took out such viands! Ah -me, I have not tasted cooked food in a twelve month! Who knows? I might -have made myself known and been made much of among so many maidens; but -I forebore, and came here to acquaint you with the fact."</p> - -<p>A shout of laughter arose. "Come on, boys," volunteered one.</p> - -<p>"But Lamanites!"</p> - -<p>"I care not," decided Omner. "We are outcasts among our own people, and -we dare not return to Lehi-Nephi. For my part, a Lamanite maid is good -enough to cook my food and live in my tepee."</p> - -<p>"Mine, too, if she be good looking. Omner, lead out."</p> - -<p>As gaily as a crowd of school boys on a lark, they hurried through the -woods. Others joined them on their way.</p> - -<p>After the order of primitive man did they lie in wait for, and carry -off, their mates. After the first panic, the girls, when they found the -white-skinned men were inclined to be wooers, were nothing loth. So the -camp was doubled that night, for the fifty of Omo's imagination had -dwindled to twenty-four.</p> - -<p>Also like primitive man, they fought for their mates. A dispute arose -as to who should have a tall, slender girl who wore great golden -ornaments in her black hair. She was well worth fighting for, as -most of the men seemed to think, for the riot soon developed into a -free-for-all fight. It threatened to turn the camp into a hospital, -when Amulon, returning from the hunt, strode in and threw a buck from -his shoulders.</p> - -<p>Without more ado he threw himself into the midst of the melee and -separated the opponents. As soon as the combatants saw who it was they -decided to leave the decision with him.</p> - -<p>Amulon listened to the story of the day's conquest, and patiently heard -each claim. In the meantime he had casually looked the girl over. She -stood with heaving bosom and scornful lips while the parley went on. -She narrowed her eyes, however, and paid attention when this big, -powerful man, so evidently the master, took a hand.</p> - -<p>Finally he announced his decision, "I shall keep her myself."</p> - -<p>An ominous murmur arose.</p> - -<p>"He struck not a blow, but he seizes the plunder."</p> - -<p>Not a man there but knew Amulon would make his claim good, but where he -was sure of his ground he could afford to be politic.</p> - -<p>He had exchanged a meaning look with the dark-eyed beauty, so he said -magnanimously, "Come, we will let the girl herself make the choice."</p> - -<p>As soon as she understood the import of his words, she went over and -stood up straight and tall by his side.</p> - -<p>As with primitive man, the strongest had won out. So Amulon, garbed in -a leopard's skin was wed to the Indian girl in the forest. He did not -know until afterwards that she was Lamona, the daughter of the king of -the Lamanites.</p> - -<h3>VII.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE REVENGE.</p> - -<p>Alma came in and hung his sickle on the wall. Although he assumed -cheerfulness, his wife, who greeted him brightly over the pile of -colored wool with which she was working, knew that he was sorely -troubled. The room was airy, but simple, in its appointments. The floor -was carpeted with rush mats and bears' skins, while the walls bore -trophies of the chase in the form of antlers and deer heads. The supper -looked inviting, and Alma came to it with the hunger born of hard labor -in the fields.</p> - -<p>"I wish you would not work so hard," admonished Zara, laying her work -aside. "Amulon exempted you from labor."</p> - -<p>Alma laughed shortly. "Small satisfaction that, to rest in the shade -while I see my brethren toiling in the hot sun, with hard taskmasters -over them. When I refused to be king, I explained that we are all equal -in the sight of the Lord. Now that disaster has come upon us, I am no -better than they. The drivers will not even allow our people to pray -aloud any more."</p> - -<p>"Surely Amulon has not forbidden that," gasped Zara, with dilated eyes.</p> - -<p>The Lamanites had conquered all the southern provinces of the Nephites. -The latter had only saved their lives by paying tribute of one-half -their substance to their hard masters. At the time he fled from the -armies of King Noah, Alma had traveled with his followers to a land of -pure water where they built the beautiful city of Helem.</p> - -<p>When Amulon and the gay priests stole the Indian girls and married -them, King Laman had been wrathful. He sent out spies, located them -where they were living and was getting ready to visit punishment upon -them when his daughter Lamona, the wife of Amulon, came and threw -herself at her father's feet and pleaded for mercy for the white men. -She prevailed and the king of the Lamanites gladly welcomed his big -son-in-law into favor. The head priest of King Noah rapidly resumed his -old place of king's favorite. He introduced his own liberal schemes -with the learning of the Nephites, and King Laman appropriated part of -his kingdom for Amulon and his daughter to rule over. It so chanced -that this province included the city of Helem.</p> - -<p>When Amulon, accompanied by his dusky princess, and flanked by the -barbarian armies, marched in, he was much surprised to find that the -inhabitants were the followers of Alma. He found them easy prey, for -their leader commanded them not to shed blood. The new ruler did not -make it any easier for the captives because Alma had been a fellow -priest of his who had won his sweetheart.</p> - -<p>"Something has got to be done," pronounced Alma, looking across at his -wife. "The people must break this yoke of bondage, for they cannot -stand it any longer. I want you to unite with me in calling on the Lord -for help."</p> - -<p>Zara acquiesced, and when she arose a new light shone on her face as -she rapidly unfolded to him her plan.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you reproach me for having brought you to this?" he asked, -drawing her tenderly toward him, for he realized that the task she had -set herself was no easy one.</p> - -<p>"Nay, I have been happier here helping you than I ever was before, with -all my luxury. I never realized what a blessing work is!"</p> - -<p class="centered">* * * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Zara went and presented herself before Amulon. With mingled emotions -they looked on one another. Zara noticed that the black-bearded, -handsome man was more dominating than ever. The deep-eyed, dusky -princess by his side was well suited to such a husband. Lamona, for -her part, was curiously interested in her prince's former love. Amulon -marked that Zara had retained her beauty, and looked very little older. -He wondered what this slip of a woman who had preferred a soft-voiced -missionary, could have to ask of him.</p> - -<p>"I have a petition to make, my lord," she began, bowing low.</p> - -<p>"And that is—"</p> - -<p>"That you, your lady, and all your soldiery will dine with us at a -banquet that we have prepared. There is much ill-feeling between the -people and the soldiers. There has been a brutal quarrel or two, and we -would seek to allay the trouble."</p> - -<p>Amulon's eyes lighted with pleasure. It was long since he had eaten -at a Nephite board, and he would like to sup with Zara. I think I can -answer for the men.</p> - -<p>They will come, like a horse to water. What say you, my girl? He turned -to Lamona.</p> - -<p>In thick, musical tones she graciously accepted the invitation.</p> - -<p>On the day of the banquet Zara flitted among the wine jars, pouring -into them a concoction brewed of the sleeping herb and the juice of the -white poppy. Practically all of the Helemite's store would be guzzled -down the throats of the thirsty horde in one night. The people of Alma -would drink none. That was a part of the game.</p> - -<p>That night at the feast, when the atmosphere was redolent with perfume -and the air vibrant with music, Amulon cornered Zara and with his -compelling gaze fixed on her face demanded that she drink with him -the toast, "For old time's sake," while Lamona watched with jealous -eyes. Fearful that this virile leader would not drink enough for her -purpose, she raised the goblet with quaking hand to her lips. They were -almost driven white by a new fear. What if she herself should go to -sleep in this dire exigency? Already the drugged soldiers were lying -in heaps about the room. Some still kept up the feast, but even these -were too far gone to notice that the halls were being strangely emptied -of Nephites. Already their flocks and herds were being rapidly driven -into the mountains, to be speedily followed by their owners, for the -Helemites were abandoning their homes to their conquerors.</p> - -<p>Outside in the starlit night, Zara a second time faced the desert. -Seated on a horse, like another Mary, she fearfully clasped her little -son to her bosom. He was Alma, son of Alma, future high priest of -Zarahemla.</p> -<a name="sacrifice"></a> -<img src="images/SacrificeStone.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">THE SACRIFICIAL STONE.</p> -<h2> -<a name="GADIANTONS"></a> -THE GADIANTONS.</h2> - - -<p>"And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of -Gadianton; * * insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed -from among the Lamanites."</p> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE GOSSIPS AT THE FOUNTAIN</p> -<a name="LamaniteGirl"></a> -<img src="images/LamaniteGirl.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">THE LAMANITE GIRL WAS PRETTY.</p> - -<p>"Hurry with your trifling, and lend me your cup that I may fill my -jars," admonished Abish.</p> - -<p>"You are in a hurry, today?" queried Sara lazily. The water in the -fountain was low and it had to be scooped up from the bottom. Sara was -trickling the cool liquid over her fingers quite oblivious to her own -empty water pitchers standing; with gaping mouths on the curb.</p> - -<p>The two women, Abish, servant in the house of Ahah, and Sara a -servant of Seantum, often met at the fountain to gossip. At these -times the possible union between the heads of their two houses was an -inexhaustible subject, for Seantum, the proud Nephite, was a suitor -for the hand of Ahah, a girl of mixed blood. Possible exigencies were -suggested by the fact that Ahah was believed to love Hagoth, a Lamanite -soldier; on the other hand her mother, the widowed Miriam, openly -encouraged the suit of Seantum.</p> - -<p>Truly the plaza in the beautiful suburb, Antionum was a pleasant place -to loiter. The fountain was the life source of the city, and sooner -or later everyone came there to drink. The gorgeous flowers of the -tropics were so rich that the very bees became intoxicated and produced -a honey that was the original nectar. A long line of Biblical looking -girls carrying water jars on their heads extended from the fountain. -Alternating with oval Madonna-like faces lit with lustrous eyes was -the ardent gypsy coloring that told of mixed blood, for Lamanites and -Nephites mingled freely in the community.</p> - -<p>"The servants at our house do not dawdle the day away," announced Abish -severely, "Our mistress looks after her household."</p> - -<p>Sara felt the implied sneer, for the ancient halls of Seantum -languished in bachelor neglect.</p> - -<p>"When the fair Ahah comes to preside over our household then may I have -to run home heavy laden."</p> - -<p>"If your white faced master be not so slow that he lets Hagoth the -Lamanite walk off with her before his eyes, I could tell him things—"</p> - -<p>"A Lamanite," laughed Sara derisively. "Ahah is not particular in -her taste. But then, poor girl, she cannot help it, it is in her -blood"—Sara stopped short, for along the street, ringing with -startling distinctness arose the cry, "Cezoram, son of Cezoram, the -chief judge, is dead."</p> - -<p>For a moment there was absolute stillness, then wild clamor broke -forth. Rumor, with her thousand tongues told that Cezoram, chief judge -of all the Nephites, had not risen that morning and when an attendant -went to wake him he found him lying naturally in his bed—dead. He had -been struck upon the head as he slept, by an assassin who had come and -gone as stealthily as the night air.</p> - -<p>"Who killed him?" inquired Abish plucking at the arm of a man who -passed with broad strides, muttering in his beard.</p> - -<p>"Who should it be but the Gadiantons, a handful of robbers, the mention -of whose very name blanches the faces of the people and shakes the -government. The Nephite officials are in secret league with them else -we would not be so terrorized. Two chief judges slain within a year: -Cezoram the elder struck down as he sat upon the judgment seat; his son -and successor most foully murdered in his room! Is there no end to our -endurance?"</p> - -<p>"The Gadiantons!" Bursting with her news Abish caught up her -half-filled jars and hurried out through some deserted gardens that -she might more quickly arrive home. As she picked her way through -some overgrown vines she stopped suddenly. Her eye had caught sight -of a familiar crest. Across the open space was the stalwart figure of -Hagoth clothed in the tiger skin, his badge of knighthood. By his side -in flaunting red petticoat walked a Lamanite girl. At the edge of the -woods he returned the basket he had been carrying and the head of the -plumed chief bent low over her.</p> - -<p>"Hagoth making love to an Indian; I wonder what Ahah will say?"</p> - -<p>Later she heard what her mistress had to say, and the servant's tale -lost nothing in the telling of it.</p> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="centered">IN THE PATIO OF MIRIAM.</p> - -<p>A party of four sat at the supper board of Miriam. It was spread in -the roofed cloisters, midway between the patio where the margherites, -like Psyche, flirted with their own fair image in the fountain, and the -house, where, through gold embroidered gauze curtains, an occasional -glimpse was had of a vast inner apartment set with mosaics.</p> - -<p>Before the guests, who sat on mats, were spread tempting dulces -(sweets) and heaped up salvers of the strange fruits of the tropics, -the butter, eggs, and custards that grow on trees.</p> - -<p>A servant brought cups of frothing chocolate to the two women, Ahah, -whose gold crowned head rose like an aureole above the sea foam green -of her gown, and her mother Miriam, massive and handsome despite her -years. Shem, an aged traveler from the far south, was scooping out -spoonfuls of papaya, a peptonized squash, while Seantum leaned against -a marble pillar, his pale face with its weak features peering luridly -through clouds of tobacco smoke.</p> - -<p>The murder of the morning was under discussion.</p> - -<p>"Who are these Gadiantons?" asked Shem, who was a stranger in the -country. "Methinks it was they who robbed a pack train of a merchant in -our town. Though he carried the matter to the tribunal he could get no -restitution."</p> - -<p>"Restitution!" Miriam smiled grimly. "How can we expect justice when -the Nephite officials are in secret league with the robbers?"</p> - -<p>"They have been a menace to our nation since their organization," -hastily interposed Seantum, anxious to change the subject.</p> - -<p>"Indeed." Shem thoughtfully stroked his long beard while his Jewish -face bent forward with interest.</p> - -<p>"The chief judges have been their victims ever since Kishkumen, an -unscrupulous adventurer stabbed the judge Pahoran. The good Heleman -would have suffered a like fate had not a servant of his overheard -the plot and killed Kishkuman first. The blackguard followers of this -professional assassin were organized into a secret society by Gadianton -who introduced Satan's own machinations. After that the bandits fled to -the mountain where they have subsisted ever since."</p> - -<p>"Cannot they be apprehended?" asked Shem astonished.</p> - -<p>"They hold the mountain fastnesses and rout every army sent against -them. Only occasionally do they infest the valleys to drive off the -cattle," explained Seantum surprised at the other's ignorance.</p> - -<p>"They'd do well if they drove off only the cattle," remarked Miriam -sharply. "They swooped down upon a village when most of the men were -away at the late war, and carried off the women and children."</p> - -<p>"The Gadianton robbers are dreadful men." Ahah shuddered. "They brought -one who had been taken prisoner to fight upon the sacrificial stone -before Tubaloth, king of the Lamanites. With one foot chained to the -rock and armed only with sword and shield he fought and vanquished -eight warriors. The king granted him his freedom."</p> - -<p>"They will surely punish this slayer of Cezoram," suggested Shem.</p> - -<p>"Certainly, if they can find him."</p> - -<p>"Must a whole nation quail before those bloodthirsty barbarians," -exclaimed Ahah passionately. Remembering that it was whispered that -Seantum himself, like many of the officials, was helpless against the -bandits, she asked suddenly: "Seantum, why don't you lead an army -against them?"</p> - -<p>"Impossible!" returned that effeminate youth. "Perhaps our friend, -the husky Lamanite, will undertake the task," he added sneeringly. -"They say that Tubaloth's young men are deserting the army to join the -robbers. The king has sworn vengeance on them."</p> - -<p>"When did the Nephites have to call upon their ancient enemies for -help?" interposed Miriam haughtily.</p> - -<p>The meal was finished and despite the fuming of Seantum and the open -displeasure of her mother, Ahah excused herself on the plea of illness -and fled to her room Although the servants came in and lighted the -torches, for the three that remained, the light had gone out.</p> -<a name="onefoot"></a> -<img src="images/Fight.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> "With one foot chained to the rock the Gadianton robber -fought and vanquished eight warriors."</p> -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE BALCONY.</p> - -<p>Ahah threw herself in the hammock on the balcony that her apartment -opened on. She was shaken with rage, but the more violent the passion -the sooner does it consume itself. Destruction would have descended on -the head of Hagoth, if it had appeared at that moment; as it was her -anger had just three hours to cool.</p> - -<p>The stars hung low in the tropic heavens; a nearby field was illumined -by the phosphorescent glow of flitting fireflies; below a tree burst -into a galaxy of white stars.</p> - -<p>As she clenched her small hands until the nails cut the palms, Ahah was -not in a mood to contemplate scenery.</p> - -<p>"Flirting with a Lamanite frump, indeed! How do I know that Hagoth -has not a dozen Indian loves among his own people?" Hitherto Ahah had -been so engrossed by her condescension in loving a mere Lamanite, that -the possibility of anyone else loving him had never occurred to her. -That Hagoth had been whole souled in his devotion to her she admitted. -Nothing wins a woman quite so quick as the knowledge that a man has -staked his all on her. Else why had she stooped to love him?</p> - -<p>Slowly she lived over their acquaintance; all the details were graven -on her brain. It had been romantic from the start. The horses of the -Lamanite king were running away, dragging the broken chariot behind -them. The driver had been hurled out in turning the corner and Tubaloth -himself was reeling, when the careening animals were stopped by the -impact of a lithe body hurled full at their heads. The catapult was -Hagoth who thereafter was knighted and received the order of the tiger, -a distinction he valued less than the murmured thanks of a mother who -caught up her little brown baby that had been playing in the road -directly in the way of the runaway. Since then Ahah's every meeting -with Hagoth had tightened the grip on her heart. Yet the thing that -made her angriest of all was that she should care so much.</p> -<a name="monoliths"></a> -<img src="images/Monoliths.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">HALL OF THE MONOLITHS, MITLA</p> -<a name="ruins"></a> -<img src="images/Ruins.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">PALACE RUINS AT MITLA</p> -<p>When a plumed crest of sable hue loomed up above the passion flower of -the balcony she started up as if she had not been looking long for that -apparition.</p> - -<p>As Hagoth swung himself easily in front of her she faced him with the -accusation, "You are late."</p> - -<p>"I have been watching the lights below for hours. I thought you were -there with Seantum."</p> - -<p>"Did he stay so long with mother? I left them hours ago—to wait here -alone, while you, forsooth, amused yourself with an Indian girl—Ugh."</p> - -<p>"Ahah!"</p> - -<p>"I tell you, you were seen walking in the woods with her, whispering to -her, carrying her basket, and they said she was pretty," she finished -with a wail.</p> - -<p>"It is a mistake. I—"</p> - -<p>"A mistake! Look at me," she cried fiercely, "You, a Lamanite, an -associate of laboring wenches, have made me weep. I, Ahah, who do not -shed tears once in five years have wept this night over you." She -laughed bitterly.</p> - -<p>"But the girl gave me some information from a relative of hers."</p> - -<p>"What could I expect, I who without reason, against the warnings of my -friends, the opposition of my relatives, have squandered my attention -on you."</p> - -<p>"Ahah you possess the best part of my life, but if I am bringing you -such unhappiness—"</p> - -<p>That brought her to terms. Her face shone with transcendent light.</p> - -<p>"See, Hagoth," she breathed earnestly, "Beautiful as this is, I lie -awake nights worrying where it will end. I am too much of a coward -to flee with you for I fear to fail in the new life. You must raise -yourself to my station. You have youth, strength, brains and my faith -in you."</p> - -<p>"And if I win out."</p> - -<p>"I will marry you."</p> - -<p>"I accept the challenge. In forty days I shall return to claim my own."</p> - -<p>Ahah looked startled. "How do you propose to do it?"</p> - -<p>"Because of what you have promised me this night, I shall confide to -you my secret, though the success of the venture itself depends on -silence. At dawn I take command of a party of Lamanites that goes into -the mountains to destroy the Gadiantons."</p> - -<p>"Oh"—Ahah reeled and she felt the world slipping from under her, such -terror did the name of the dread robbers inspire.</p> - -<p>"If I win, any favor within the gift of Tubaloth, king of the -Lamanites, is mine."</p> - -<p>"If you should fail?"</p> - -<p>"I fail! You will admit I shall have a splendid tomb, the snow clad -summit of Mt. Misti."</p> - -<p>Ahah with a moan threw up her arms to shut out the torturous vision for -the Gadiantons not only murdered but mangled their victims.</p> - -<p>He came closer; his eyes blazed with triumph; his voice was tense with -suppressed emotion. "Remember in forty days you are mine," and he was -gone.</p> - -<p>Ahah threw herself against the post. "You shall not go. I tell you I -won't let you," she screamed. In her desperation she almost hurled -herself over the balcony, but no answer came. Hagoth had vanished into -the night whence he had come. Overwhelmed with remorse for driving him -on: steeped in her own misery, she lay where she had fallen until the -mocking birds began to sing and the day emerged from the night like -Venus, new born, from the sea.</p> - -<p>Rising, she dashed the crumpled bell of the passion flower under her -feet and entering her apartment she threw herself upon the bed.</p> - -<p>When Abish stole softly up to tell her young mistress that the bath -water was ready she found her buried among the cushions with all her -clothes on, breathing heavily. Throwing a silken shawl over her, she -turned and tiptoed out.</p> - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE TRIUMPH.</p> - -<p>Ahah lay languidly back in the boat and dabbled her white hand in the -water. Seantum opposite, equally lazy, was doing nothing more strenuous -than watch the sunlight on her hair of burnished copper. The servant -Abish knelt in the bottom of the boat trying to bring order out of -the chaos of flowers with which the craft was loaded. It was the -festival of flowers and Ahah had insisted on buying some of every kind -she saw. As she had selected them for their gaudiness the effect was -picturesque. The boatman who stood in striped cotton garment with bare -brown feet and broad brimmed hat drove the canoe along the sluggish -canal by means of a pole.</p> - -<p>They were enroute to the floating gardens of Miramar. Conversation -languished while they looked at the panorama, for the canal was alive -with graceful craft as this was a special feast day. There were boats -loaded with poppies; others banked with pink rosebuds; more modest -symphonies in purple and electric blues,—violets and forget-me-nots, -like a demozel, left a fragrant trail behind them. They passed cargoes -of green vegetables bound for the city, and houseboats which carried -not only the family and their household furniture, but also the -livestock, dogs, chickens and parrots.</p> - -<p>Gayest of all were the flat bottomed boats filled with troubadours. -These children of the sun lent the richness of their voices to -the tinkle of their stringed instruments. Everyone seemed bent on -merry-making, and as a lonely heart is never so desolate as when buried -in a gay crowd, so Ahah felt more poignant misery by contrast.</p> - -<p>Thirty days had elapsed since Hagoth's sudden departure. Since then -she had had no word from him, and her veiled inquiries had elicited no -news. "He is so bent on his man's enterprise, that he would not stop to -consider a woman," she exclaimed petulantly, but her good sense told -her it would not be wise for him to send her a message. Again, she was -consumed with a wild fear that he was dead and during the long hours -of the night saw him die twenty deaths in as many different ways. In -the meantime she went calmly about her affairs and continued to endure -Seantum as there was nothing else to do.</p> - -<p>They had planned to spend the day in the rustic bowers of a planter at -Miramar, but as they wound in and out among the floating gardens,—at -first nothing but patches of variegated green, it was evident that -some unusual occurrence was happening on shore. Market venders had -deserted their stalls and women had left their meat sizzling on the -brazeros,—open air stoves of clay containing glowing charcoal.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter," called Seantum to a hoary boatman.</p> - -<p>"They say the Gadiantons are destroyed," he answered.</p> - -<p>Ahah was on her feet swaying in the boat, "Who did it," she cried as if -her life hung on the answer.</p> - -<p>"A Lamanite by the name of Hagoth. One of his men stopped off here. -He's over in the square there now." Without waiting for the boat to -stop, Ahah bounded quickly to the oozy mud of the shore and was up the -bank in a moment. Running swiftly she reached the excited crowd and -made her way through it. In the center she recognized one of Hagoth's -lieutenants.</p> - -<p>"You are going back to Antionum?" she queried breathlessly.</p> - -<p>On his answer in the affirmative, she begged eagerly. "Then you will -let us take you back in our boat?" She tossed him a golden seon. As if -he were in his chief's secret he gladly accepted the invitation, and -Seantum was doomed to hear his rival's praises lauded on the return -trip which had begun so auspiciously for him.</p> - -<p>While the warrior recited the story of the expedition in his crude way, -Ahah hung on every word.</p> - -<p>"When we started we had to hew our way through the underbrush; higher -up it was easier climbing but the tropical downpour descended in -bucketfuls and drenched us to the skin. Under foot it was so slimy we -slipped back a step for every two we advanced. The guides lost the -trail and we slunk under the trees while they found the path.</p> - -<p>"Later we spent the night in a cave. The fire went out as it was as -much a man's life was worth to descend into the barranca for wood. The -roof leaked and we woke up with our heads in a pool of water.</p> - -<p>"The next morning the ravines were raging torrents. Advancing under -these difficulties we finally descried above the tree tops the misty -expanse of Lake Ticaca. Like all high waters it is sullen, cold and -deep. There on the shores we found the log hut of an old Nephite whose -only daughter had been carried away by the Gadiantons. He had lived -there as a hermit vowing vengeance ever since. He offered to act as -guide and lent us his two boats. It took many trips across the lake to -get all of our party over and when we reached the bluffs on the other -side Hagoth's plans became apparent.</p> - -<p>"The reason that the robber's rendezvous had never been discovered was -because of the impassable ravines that hedge it in on all sides.</p> - -<p>"Hagoth proposed to take the shortest route straight across the summit -of Mt. Misti which towers eighteen thousand feet into the air. So up we -climbed, up into the rarified atmosphere, among the pines and cedars. -Occasionally the clouds below us parted like the veil of a Turkish -beauty, affording us seductive glimpses of the tropics at reeling -distances below. We passed the timber line and traveled across the lava -beds, undulating hills of black ashes. Here grew a yellow daisy with -frosted leaves; somewhere below the clouds lay the world; but our goal -was the snow clad peak that cut the sky in two.</p> - -<p>"The ascent through the snow was bitterly cruel; some of the men were -bleeding at the nose, others found it difficult to breathe, while some, -with palpitation of the heart were crawling on their hands and knees. -We were all temporarily blinded by the sun on the snow.</p> - -<p>"At the top we skirted the sulphurous crater for a mile and a half and -on the other side, slid down the snow clad peak on mats. Then we had to -make quick work of it, for provisions that are carried as a man pack -are light.</p> - -<p>"Six hundred feet below us in the barranca was the camp of the -Gadiantons. A gruesome spectacle they made in the light of the camp -fire. Despite the cold, their lean brown limbs were bare save where -they had decorated them with blood. Their loins were swathed in -sheepskin and their shaven heads cockaded with feathers. Altogether, -we were glad that the depth of the canyon lay between us. All night we -toiled loosening the great boulders of the cliff that had been eroded -into great blocks. At dawn of the second day we started several of them -over the cliff by way of good morning. They cut great oak trees off -from their roots, and crumbled to pieces in the ravine below. They did -not do much damage but they brought the robbers out from their lair. -When a side of the mountain crashed down, Zorum, the leader of the -band, came out and called a truce.</p> - -<p>"Hagoth descended to parley with him; he left instructions with us -to wipe out the band in case he did not return. He offered them -their choice of death or surrender. The terms were that they return -to civilization and become decent citizens. It is one thing to die -gloriously on the field of battle, and another to have the life crushed -out of you like a rat in a hole. There was no possible way of escape -as before they could get out, the top of the mountain would bury them -alive, leaving them all like one of their men who had already been hit -by a rolling boulder and whose remains were but a mangled mass in the -gulley. They surrendered. They didn't seem to be enjoying themselves -much up there in the mountains, anyway. So Hagoth just brought them -down with him."</p> - -<p>Seantum, as he leaned back in the boat and heard of the success of his -rival, watched Ahah's expressive face, now agonizing in fear, again -exulting in Hagoth's triumph. He knew that he had lost.</p> - -<p>By the time the victorious warriors entered the city Ahah was on her -balcony waving her scarf. Amid strains of barbaric music and the -hurrahs of the populace she beheld her chieftain borne through the -streets in the gilded chariot of the Lamanite king. As he glanced in -her direction Hagoth removed his sable plume and let the sun caress the -glossy black head she loved so well. Behind him stalked the Gadianton -robbers, frightful apparitions to the awe-struck people. The travel -stained Lamanite soldiers brought up the rear.</p> - -<p>During all the feasting that followed, when Hagoth sat on the right -hand of the king, and the great of the nation assembled at the board to -hear him lauded and glorified, the chief panted for the time when all -this tinsel should be over and he should be alone with a girl and claim -his reward.</p> -<a name="zorabel"></a> -<img src="images/Zorabel.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">ZORABEL.</p> - -<h2><a name="MORONI"></a>GENERAL MORONI.</h2> - - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE CAPITULATION OF THE LAMANITES.</p> - -<p>Moroni leaned back in his chair under the canopy of his tent. Another -man, under the strain that the young general had passed through, would -have looked wan and haggard. He possessed that inexhaustible vitality -characteristic of great leaders, that can be drained heavily and still -meet all emergencies.</p> - -<p>"A messenger to see you, sir," announced a young lieutenant, pulling -back the flap of the tent.</p> - -<p>Moroni looked up to behold an Indian of powerful build. As he entered -the fur mantle fell from his shoulders leaving them bare. As their -eyes rested on the superb figure whose skin glittered like polished -mahogany, the captains in the room ejaculated in admiration. The new -comer's bold eyes scanned every face and finally rested on that of the -youngest man in the room.</p> - -<p>"I address the commander-in-chief of the Nephite forces?" he presumed.</p> - -<p>Moroni eyed him keenly, as he inclined his head.</p> - -<p>"Zerahemnah, leader of the Lamanites, sends greetings, and asks when he -can meet you to make terms."</p> - -<p>"Let him come at high noon to yonder eminence," replied Moroni.</p> - -<p>The messenger bowed and silently withdrew. As his magnificent form -disappeared, the captains whose composure had been perfect during -the interview, threw back their heads and raised a shout of triumph. -To them it meant the end of the war at practically their own terms. -Hostilities had ceased since the night before. The Nephite forces, -though outnumbered two to one, had triumphed over their ancient -enemies. The battle had been long and stubbornly fought until night -closed down to stop the conflict. The captains, picturesque in their -bandages, had fresh sword cuts as proof of their valor, but even they -did not know that the battle would go down in history as the greatest -that the Lamanites had ever fought. The Indians were ably generaled, -for Zerahemnah, himself a Zoramite, a descendent of the servant of -Laban, had placed the bloodthirsty Amalekites as officers among them. -Little wonder that they fought like dragons.</p> - -<p>That the Nephites had vanquished them against such odds was due to -three things: they were fighting for their liberty as the Lamanites -had tried to take them into bondage; they had superior arms and were -protected by armor while their dusky antagonists fought almost naked: -Moroni by strategy had surrounded the Lamanites by the Nephites, had -penned in Zerahemnah's forces between two wings of his own, and crushed -them.</p> - -<p>With spies he had determined the line of the Lamanite march. Then he -placed one of his generals, Lehi, with his command in ambush behind the -hill Riplah. When Zerahemnah advanced to the banks of the river Sidon, -Lehi attacked him and finally drove him across the river.</p> - -<p>When the Lamanites emerged dripping on the other side, they were -swooped down upon by the phalanxes of Moroni. Like rats in a trap, -surrounded on all sides, they struggled with ferocious courage, -clanging their cimeters on the Nephite armor and in return being -frightfully mangled. Sickened with the sight of gore, Moroni finally -called off his troops.</p> - -<p>Moroni's position was unique. Chosen as commander-in-chief of the -Nephite army at the age of twenty-five, he yet towered so far above the -other characters of his age, that older men did not dispute his place. -Even the lean Amalickiah, eaten up with ambition, hid his envy.</p> - -<p>Educated in the school of the priests, Moroni combined wisdom with the -fire of youth. Disliking warfare and bloodshed, he had been forced into -it in defense of his people when their freedom was threatened. To the -spotless purity of his life was attributed much of his power.</p> - -<p>As men often owe successful periods of their lives to the influence of -some woman, so Moroni had known two, Hirza, clear-eyed and spiritual -minded, he had met at school. Keenly intellectual she had dazzled him -with her brilliancy. To her he owed much of his erudition and his -wide knowledge of human nature. He was genuinely attached to this gay -comrade when the handsome Zorabel came into his life. She reminded him -of a full blown rose, whose fragrance gradually steals over the senses -until they are steeped in delirium. He was yet to find out that she had -her thorn below the soft petals. Zorabel was a sister of Amalickiah, -and, like him, was ambitious.</p> - -<p>Moroni sallied out of his tent into the brilliant sunlight to go -and meet Zerahemnah at the appointed place. Behind him filed his -body-guard, led by Amalickiah who walked by the side of his chief. -Doubly dear to the general was this brother of Zorabel, yet he dared -not give him a higher place in the army because he could not trust -him. Amalickiah had done things—and yet under the genial influence of -his presence, soothed by his flattering words, Moroni was inclinded to -laugh at his fears.</p> - -<p>Moroni reached the little hillock, ascended it, and let his gaze rest -on the emerald expanse of the river that writhed like a green snake -between the burnished gold of its banks. Below him swarmed the hordes -of the Lamanites, perturbed by a spirit of unrest, as they expectantly -awaited the result of the parley.</p> - -<p>There was a commotion in the ranks and Zerahemnah moved out from among -them and advanced toward Moroni. A shaggy homely man, he seemed, yet -not without a suggestion of power. A gruff leader of men, of violent -temper, he had gained his position by force. When he stopped a pace -from Moroni, the latter addressed him.</p> - -<p>"Behold, Zerahemnah, we do not want to be men of blood. You know that -you are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you." He reminded -him that the Nephites had not gone to war for power, but to defend -their loved ones against the yoke of bondage. He added that they had -tried to destroy his religion whereas the Lord had delivered them -into his hands. He finished by demanding their weapons of war and the -promise that they would go their way and come not again to battle -against his people.</p> - -<p>Zerahemnah unbuckled his sword, threw down his cimeter and handed his -bow to Moroni, saying, "Here are our weapons of war. We will not suffer -ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we shall break, -and also our children. Take our arms and suffer that we may depart into -the wilderness. Otherwise we will perish or conquer. We are not of your -faith, we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your -hands; it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords."</p> - -<p>Moroni handed him back his arms. "We will end the conflict," he said.</p> - -<p>When Zarahemnah grasped the import of his words his face purpled with -rage. Paying no heed to his weapons that clattered to the ground, he -brandished his sword and rushed at Moroni. It would have pierced him -had not the alert Amalickiah on Moroni's right smote it to the earth -with a blow of such force that it shattered it at the hilt. Before -the dazed Zerahemnah could realize what had happened, a second blow -descended with such swiftness that it shaved off his scalp. With blood -streaming in his face and a snarl like a wounded beast, Zerahemnah -sprang back to his own cohorts that had surged forward at the vivid -spectacle.</p> - -<p>Amalickiah stooped and picked up the scalp by the tuft of hair. -Fastening it on the point of his sword he stretched it toward them -crying in a loud voice, "Even as this scalp of your chief has fallen to -the earth, so shall you fall to the earth unless you deliver up your -weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace."</p> - -<p>Visibly impressed, and quaking with fear, many of the Indians came -forward, took the oath, stacked their weapons at the feet of Moroni, -and departed in little bands into the wilderness. But Zerahemnah, -hoarse with wrath, mingling with the remaining soldiers urged them on -to recommence the assault.</p> - -<p>Angered with their stubborn resistance the Nephite leader turned his -legions loose. In the frightful massacre that ensued the dark warriors -were swept down.</p> - -<p>When Zerahemnah saw that they were going to be all wiped out, he cried -mightily to Moroni, promising, if he spared the remainder of their -lives, never to come against him again.</p> - -<p>The latter ordered the battle to cease and allowed the shivering -remnants of the Lamanites to leave.</p> - -<p>Night descended on the field of horrors and obliterated many of its -sights, and Moroni, weary and sick at heart, made his way back to his -tent. Outside a lashing rainstorm had arisen, increasing the agony of -the wounded. The soldiers were clearing the field and throwing the -bodies of the unnumbered dead into the river. Dreariness enveloped the -general as he threw himself disconsolately down.</p> - -<p>"A lady to see you, sir," announced the sentry at the door. Moroni -started up. Doubtless some heartbroken mother come in search of her -son. Was there no end?</p> - -<p>"Admit her," he ordered curtly.</p> - -<p>A woman clad in a rough brown cloak entered. She threw back her hood -from which her head emerged like a gorgeous poppy.</p> - -<p>Moroni started toward her. "Zorabel," he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"Thank God you are safe!" she withdrew her hand from his compeling -grasp to feel the massive armor on his shoulders, to assure herself -that he was not hurt.</p> - -<p>"This is no place for you. How did you come here?" he gently chided.</p> - -<p>"Since you left I have been in torment. When I heard of a clash of arms -on the other side of the river, I jumped on my swiftest steed. See how -fast I rode. It shook down all my hair." She showed him her black hair -streaming almost to her knees. "When I reached the lines they said you -barely escaped death today," her voice broke.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I should have been killed if it hadn't been for Amalickiah! -Your brother saved my life."</p> - -<p>"Dear Amalickiah! You must tell me."</p> - -<p>As he recited the incidents of the day she drank in his words with her -soul in her eyes.</p> - -<p>Strange spectacle that, of Zorabel, the charmer. She had recognized -Moroni as the coming man and had deliberately set out to fascinate him. -But as she entrapped him with her hundred coquetries, she found herself -in the toils. The fresh young general had stirred her as no other man -ever had and the proud Zorabel was now avowedly the abject slave of -love.</p> - -<p>In her sweet presence the exigencies of the camp were forgotten, the -turmoil of the day faded away, and Moroni felt a calm descend on his -spirit.</p> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="centered">MORONI RAISES THE STANDARD OF LIBERTY.</p> - -<p>Moroni sat in his study bent over a message which read, "Amalickiah has -stirred up an insurrection to gain the kingdom," when a young lawyer -entered and accosted him. The newcomer had formerly been the general's -secretary and an affectionate familiarity existed between them.</p> - -<p>"What is it now?" asked Moroni pushing his papers aside, for something -in the other's air suggested matters of import.</p> -<a name="standard"></a> -<img src="images/Standard.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">MORONI RAISES THE STANDARD OF LIBERTY.</p> -<p>"Only this, sir. I found out by accident that there was a meeting of -the judges of the lower court called to which I was not bid. I took -means to investigate and found that they have all pledged themselves -to support Amalickiah as king on the strength of his empty promises to -increase their power."</p> - -<p>"I was afraid of this," sighed Moroni. His eye traveled to the door -whence a young captain entered with angry stride.</p> - -<p>The stern young blade was vibrant with vehemence as he saluted and -announced, "There is a defection in the army, sir. The soldiers have -been stirred up with tales of civil war. The men, spoiling with -inaction, hail the idea of a clash with delight. Already they are -taking sides. Amalickiah has won over the rougher element with promises -of loot."</p> - -<p>"What have you done?"</p> - -<p>"Put the rebels in irons. But the insurrection is spreading, and I -can't imprison the whole army."</p> - -<p>"You have done well. Let us hear what Sherum has to say." A servant -with disheveled hair, his garments almost torn from his back, and his -eyes rolling wildly in his head, had rushed in and thrown himself at -the feet of the general.</p> - -<p>It was a moment before the panting wretch could get his breath. Between -gasps he managed to ejaculate, "The city has gone mad. Howling mobs -are blocking the streets. As I returned from the charcoal vender's I -ventured to enquire what it was all about. They jeered at me and when -I refused to cry, 'Long live King Amalickiah, cuffed me from hand to -hand."</p> - -<p>Moroni knew enough about the management of men to realize that -turbulent conditions require desperate remedies. Unless the revolution -was stopped Amalickiah would be swept into office on the flood tide of -a riot.</p> - -<p>His face darkened. "Was it for this that my people fought the bloody -wars with the Lamanites? Resisted the yoke of bondage to become thralls -of a Nephite king, because perchance, Amalickiah would have it so?" he -muttered bitterly.</p> - -<p>"Teancum, go back to the barracks. Order the soldiers to prepare to -march and the first one who tries to desert make an example of. Let fly -an arrow and shoot him in the back."</p> - -<p>Filled with the valor of his emprize, Teancum saluted his chief in -silence and strode out.</p> - -<p>"Sherum, arise, and bid Horeb bring here my full armor. You," he -continued, turning to the lawyer, "go tell the town criers to summon -the people to a mass meeting at the palace of justice. Say that Moroni -would speak with them."</p> - -<p>Tearing off the white cotton mantle that hung from his shoulders -he took it over to the longest spear that rested against the wall. -Quickly he lashed the white flag to the pole with thongs of buckskin. -Then hastily thrusting his brush into the ink pot that stood near, he -wrote on the white banner in bold letters, "In memory of our God, our -religion and freedom, our peace, our wives, and our children."</p> - -<p>Before he had finished his body servant entered bowed under the weight -of his harness. With firm, deft touch he encased his master in the -glittering metal. First he adjusted the breast plate, and then fastened -the heavy armor that shielded the vital organs. He handed his chief his -shield dented with the fray of many battles and lastly crowned him with -the great helmet which bore on its crest the winged serpent.</p> - -<p>He knew that one man could not quell the insurrection. He felt that he -was but a weak instrument. Before he ventured out Moroni bowed himself -down and prayed mightily that the Lord would pour down on the people -the blessing of liberty.</p> - -<p>Filled with the new strength that earnest prayer always imparts, he -seized the title of liberty, and walked boldly out into the howling mob -in the street.</p> - -<p>When the people saw Moroni clad in martial array and read what was on -his torn flag, the clamor died on their lips. Many quickly separated -themselves from the crowd and followed the general.</p> - -<p>When he reached the palace of justice and ascended the stairs to the -portico, he found the square below filled with a surging multitude and -from all directions others were hurrying. Men who had fought in the -wars with Moroni were fastening on their armor as they ran, and women -pulled children by the hand.</p> - -<p>Moroni stepped forward and grasped the standard of liberty as he cried -in a loud voice, "Behold whosoever will maintain this title upon the -land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a -covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that -the Lord God may bless them."</p> - -<p>At this many of the people rent their garments and trampled them under -foot as they cried, "So may our enemies trample us under foot if we -fall into transgression."</p> - -<p>Moroni reminded them that was what would probably happen. Then he -launched into speech while the populace hung spell-bound on every word. -The vast concourse stood silent while his utterance rang out. Never had -such a eulogy been paid to liberty, never such a tribute to their God. -In glowing words he pictured what they had endured for their religion, -what they had suffered in the recent wars for their freedom. Scarcely -one in that vast multitude but what had sacrificed for both. As the -orator ended with the appeal, "Will you who have so bitterly resented -the Lamanitsh yoke bend the knee to a Nephite king?" an ominous shout -arose and he knew that the populace was with him. General Moroni was -still the idol of the people and Amalickiah stood impugned.</p> - -<p>As the speaker, sucked of his strength, turned to descend, someone -plucked at his arm. He recognized the big servant of Zorabel who -delivered the message.</p> - -<p>"My mistress would speak with you. She begs that you will come to her."</p> - -<p>"Tell your mistress Zorabel that I shall come, but not yet."</p> - -<p>With that he dismissed the messenger and made his way to the -barracks where there was much that demanded the attention of the -commander-in-chief for the rest of the afternoon.</p> - -<p>It was evening when he at last made his way toward the house of -Zorabel. In her apartment the oil already flamed in its brazen cruet. -So vast was the room that the light did not penetrate to its further -corners, but it served to illumine its magnificence. The walls were -carved in grotesque designs brilliantly colored. Prominent among the -engravings was the winged serpent of Moroni, and by its side the -leopard of Amalickiah. On the floor, over the couches, at the door, -were displayed richest blankets of heaviest woof and rainbow hue. Nor -were there lacking evidences of the personality of Moroni, for his -gifts were placed with loving care. On an alabaster stand lay a book -of papyrus filled with picture writing in colored inks, depicting the -scenes of the conflicts Moroni had taken part in. Against the wall -stood a buckskin shield won from a famous Lamanite chief. Her own divan -was graced by the skin of an ocelot that Moroni had brought from one of -his foraying expeditions.</p> - -<p>Another woman would have paled in such gorgeous surroundings, but -Zorabel dominated the whole. In crimson robes, the wealth of her -raven hair bound in fillets of gold, she was the throbbing heart of -the scene. Her own heart beat unevenly beneath the white bosom which -was circled with a necklace of jade. She had placed the bangles there -wondering if his man's brain would remember under what circumstances -he had given them to her. She had neglected no detail that night that -would help in the desperate enterprise on which she was bound.</p> - -<p>There was a tread in the corridor and Moroni stood in the doorway. As -she looked at him all her reproaches for his tardiness died on her lips -and her woman's tenderness gushed forth.</p> - -<p>"You are ill."</p> - -<p>After the exertions of the day Moroni's features were drawn, his face -pallid, and the life had gone out of him. Quickly she went to him and -he enveloped her in his arms.</p> - -<p>"Come," she said at last, "you are shaking as if you had the ague. I -will give you some wine." She poured an amber liquid into a goblet and -held it to his lips as he sat down weakly.</p> - -<p>"It has been a terrible day," she moaned.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he agreed. "Was that what you wanted to see me about?"</p> - -<p>"I always want to see you, but I wished to talk to you, about—" she -hesitated, "Amalickiah."</p> - -<p>"I had to oppose him," said Moroni wearily.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and defeated him. You won the people over to your side."</p> - -<p>"He would be king."</p> - -<p>"He is ambitious but he cannot help it."</p> - -<p>"But he should learn that he cannot jeopardize the liberty of a nation -to gratify his vaulting ambition."</p> - -<p>"He was dissatisfied with his position."</p> - -<p>"He saved my life, but I could not pay my debts with the offices of the -people. The trust I gave him he has betrayed."</p> - -<p>Zorabel winced, "The first victory came to you. Promise me you will -oppose my brother no longer."</p> - -<p>"He is a menace to our freedom."</p> - -<p>"You will cease the conflict for my sake?"</p> - -<p>"I cannot."</p> - -<p>"Moroni, I would give up my life for you."</p> - -<p>"Ask me for my life, Zorabel, and it is yours. As military leader, I -must defend the country against any encroachment."</p> - -<p>"Then you will let him go his way and not molest him further."</p> - -<p>"He is seducing the people and they will have to come back."</p> - -<p>"At least, you will let Amalickiah go?"</p> - -<p>"Not even that, my Zorabel. As long as he is free the Nephite republic -is threatened."</p> - -<p>"Then you will do nothing?'' And her face was terrible.</p> - -<p>"I cannot."</p> - -<p>"Oh, God, have I come to this? What is this insensate thing that I have -poured out the lavishness of my soul on? I thought it was a man," she -flung up her arms despairingly.</p> - -<p>"As I am a man I cannot do this thing you ask me. Forgive me, Zorabel," -he choked.</p> - -<p>"I have wasted my wealth of love; there is none left. What has it -brought me? I have torn my heart out and it has been devoured by the -God of War, but unlike the miserable victim that is sacrificed, my body -shall live on and on, after the heart has gone from it."</p> - -<p>"Zorabel, you are killing me."</p> - -<p>"I am already dead. No man shall again thrill me with his touch nor -will he put me on the rack. Henceforth, I have no master. As for you," -she had worked herself into a paroxysm of fury, "never let me see your -face again." In her tempestuous rage she seized the lamp and dashed it -on the floor.</p> - -<p>Darkness closed in, and out of the blackness Moroni heard a voice that -ordered him to "Go." He groped blindly around but instinct told him -that if he touched her he would be lost, nor would he be the first -man that betrayed his country for a woman. Staggering, he turned and -stumbled out. Like a drunken man he descended to the street. Even then -had he known that Zorabel lay on the floor shaken with convulsive sobs -he might have turned back. But destiny guided him on.</p> - -<p>When he reached home he found a message from Hirza, congratulating him -on the splendid achievement of the day. With a wan smile he thought, -"At what a cost!"</p> -<a name="aztec"></a> -<img src="images/AztecGod.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">AZTEC GOD OF WAR.</p> -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="centered">AMALICKIAH.</p> - -<p>Zorabel carried out her threat; having cast love out of her life she -was ruled by ambition. After renouncing Moroni she proceeded to marry -the aged, decrepid Lachoneus. He was the richest man in all Zarahemla, -but her beauty bought him. She lived for wealth and power and outwardly -was as handsome as ever. Moroni used to see her rolling resplendently -in her carriage, but he never met her without a twinge of the old pain.</p> - -<p>Amalickiah, when he saw his forces were far outnumbered by the legions -of Moroni, beat a hasty retreat into the wilderness. Moroni marched -against him, cut him off, and drove the insurgent soldiers back to -Zarahemla. During the melee, however, Amalickiah with the chief -conspirators, managed to escape. According to time honored custom they -sought refuge in the city of Nephi, with the Nephite's arch enemy, the -king of the Lamanites.</p> - -<p>That august personage received the renegade Nephite with wide open -arms, and when he found what a good fellow he was, heaped honors upon -him. Amalickiah, with the charm of his words, won all hearts at court.</p> - -<p>He conceived a gigantic scheme. That was to rule the Nephites through -their ancient enemies, the Lamanites. To this end he began by his -subtle flattery to stir up the king's anger against the white people.</p> - -<p>"Why should you not rule over the whole continent, for you are stronger -than they?" he intimated.</p> - -<p>The idea tickled the king's fancy, for though he reigned over mighty -hosts, he had a vast respect for the Nephite laws and craftsmanship.</p> - -<p>"Seize them now, while their power is divided, and they are yours. They -have no head," urged the deserter.</p> - -<p>The king remembered a certain General Moroni, but wisely held his -counsel. "They have those liberty flags floating from the towers of -every city," he suggested.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and you will trample every one of them in the dust beneath your -chariot wheels," prophesied Amalickiah with rising vindictiveness.</p> - -<p>The king, dazzled by the glories pictured by this astute adviser, -issued the mandate for war. Throughout the length and breadth of the -land went the word that summoned the hosts.</p> - -<p>Then a remarkable thing occurred. Many of the warriors had fought on -the banks of the river Sidon and had taken an oath not to again take up -arms against the Nephites, nor would they. These men fled to a place -called Onidah, appointed a general and declared, "We will have peace, -if we have to fight for it."</p> - -<p>The king suggested to Amalickiah, since he was so much interested in -the campaign, that he whip the insurgents into line. The latter gladly -accepted the command of the troops that were still loyal, for he had -already planned to dethrone the king and he counted that one step -toward the accomplishment of his design.</p> - -<p>The rebels who refused to fight for the king, under the command of -Lehonti, occupied the hill Antipus. Amalickiah pitched his camp at its -base.</p> - -<p>At night, muffled in a zerape, Amalickiah passed the guard, and with -sinister stride, made his way around the side of the mountain. When -he was out of sight of the sentry, he stopped abruptly. The night was -fitted for deeds of darkness, as it was so black one could not see the -next step in advance. To the west the clouds were banked up and the -wind was beginning to rise. The gaze of the man who stood amid the -desolation was fastened on a moving object up the side of the mountain. -A stone, becoming dislodged, rattled down and instinctively his hand -sought his sword.</p> - -<p>The next moment the figure accosted him.</p> - -<p>"It is you, Tish? What does Lehonti say?"</p> - -<p>"He returns the same answer that he has sent the past two nights. He -will not come down to parley with you."</p> - -<p>"Did you tell him it was of vital importance?"</p> - -<p>"He said that if that was the case, that you could send the message up -to him."</p> - -<p>"You told him I would assure his safe conduct."</p> - -<p>"He answered that a man who had betrayed two masters might do no better -by an enemy."</p> - -<p>Amalickiah showed sudden magnanimity.</p> - -<p>"Go tell the coward dog that I come alone to confer with him. Bid him -bring his guards and meet me at his own gate."</p> - -<p>Swiftly the messenger sped off and Amalickiah picked his more -deliberate way up the side of the mountain. When he reached the place -appointed, he found that Lehonti already awaited him and that he had -taken the precaution to bring his full body guard.</p> - -<p>"What I have to say is for your ears alone," explained Amalickiah in a -low tone.</p> - -<p>Not to be outdone in generosity, Lehonti motioned for his men to fall -back.</p> - -<p>With the bluntness his crafty soul knew so well how to assume, -Amalickiah came straight to the point.</p> - -<p>"My policy is to unite the two divisions of the Lamanite army. If we -fall on each other and shed blood my very purpose will be defeated. We -need all the men for the common enemy."</p> - -<p>"I too, am opposed to bloodshed," answered Lehonti, slowly. "It is not -good for brother to fight against brother."</p> - -<p>"I wish to put the whole Lamanite army under one head. If you bring -your troops tonight and surround our camp, I will deliver it to you at -daylight."</p> - -<p>"The price? What do you want?" asked Lehonti looking the traitor -straight in the eyes.</p> - -<p>"That you make me second in command of all the forces of the Lamanites."</p> - -<p>The Indian mistrusted how he might get along with such a lieutenant, -but the proposition seemed fair enough on its face, and he agreed.</p> - -<p>At dawn, when the soldiers began to stir, they found that they were -completely surrounded by the army of Lehonti. Then they pleaded with -Amalickiah that he would let them fall in with their brethren and not -be destroyed. That was what he wanted. In direct disobedience to the -commands of the king, he delivered his men to Lehonti. That noble but -trusting general had taken a viper to his bosom, though he had to die -to prove it.</p> - -<p>From second in command to the office of commander-in-chief, was but one -step. It mattered little to the unscrupulous Amalickiah that Lehonti -stood in the way. He had slow poison administered in his food. When the -latter sickened the Nephite took over his duties.</p> - -<p>As the two sat at the table at dinner, one day, Lehonti collapsed and -fell on the floor. Amalickiah shrugged his shoulders and indifferently -remarked that he had taken a fit. When the physicians examined the -prostrate figure and pronounced him dead, Amalickiah affected surprise. -He ordered that Lehonti be buried with military honors, and that same -day appointed himself to the dead man's place.</p> - -<p>Slowly the great army began to make its way back to the capitol. -Runners brought word to the king that the hosts covered the plains. -Thinking that Amalickiah had gathered together so great an army to go -to battle against the Nephites, he, with great pomp, accompanied by -his guards, sallied out to meet the victorious general. He did not -know that Amalickiah would fain advance another step and that the king -himself this time stood in the way.</p> - -<p>The advance scouts, the employed hirelings of the general, went ahead -of the army and bowed themselves down before the king to do him -reverence. Among them was Tish, noted for his dog-like devotion to his -master. It was he, it was suspected, who had administered the poison to -Lehonti. Whatever his faults, he was unswerving in his loyalty to his -chief. It chanced that he knelt directly in front of the monarch. When -the sovereign put forth his hand to raise him in token of peace, he -leaned forward and buried his dagger to the hilt in the king's heart. -So quickly had it happened as the two men stood together, so sure was -the stroke, that not until the king went down on his back and the red -spot on his robe slowly widened, did the dazed onlookers realize what -had happened. The attendants, in abject terror that they would share a -like fate, swiftly fled.</p> - -<p>An accomplice, taking his cue from the fleeing servants came up and -addressed the assassin.</p> - -<p>"So his own guards have killed the king and are running away."</p> - -<p>Tish, smiling sardonically down on his own blade drinking the life -blood of the dying monarch, murmured, "It must be so."</p> - -<p>The eye lids of the victim quivered accusingly an instant and then -closed forever. Tish turned away his head.</p> - -<p>The others closed in and raised a great shout, "Behold the servants of -the king have stabbed him to the heart, and he has fallen and they have -fled. Come and see."</p> - -<p>They did not bethink themselves to pursue the refugees until -Amalickiah, with the main division of the army came up.</p> - -<p>When that doughty general had looked in silence on the king, lying -in his gore, he worked himself up to a mighty wrath and ordered, -"Whosoever loved the king, let him go forth and pursue his servants -that they may be slain."</p> - -<p>At this, those who loved the king, and they were many, started in hot -pursuit of the renegades, but the latter, when they saw an army coming -after them, fortified with the strength born of desperation, made good -their escape.</p> - -<p>Amalickiah, having won the hearts of the people with his valorous -attempt to apprehend the supposed slayers of the king, marched into the -city in triumph at the head of his troops. He had already sent messages -to the queen, accompanied by the corpse of her husband. In her vigil -over the bier she listened to the tramp of the numberless battalions, -and replied by craving mercy for the inhabitants of the city. She asked -the general to wait upon her and bring witnesses to testify concerning -the death of the king.</p> - -<p>Amalickiah, looking very handsome in full armor, went to the palace and -presented himself before the queen as she sat in state upon the throne. -He was accompanied by Tish and the other conspirators, who had killed -her husband. They all solemnly swore that the king had been slain by -his own servants. They added, "They have fled. Does not this testify -against them?" While she received the report, Amalickiah kept his -dominating gaze on the queen's face. When she felt him looking at her, -she dropped her eyes. After the others withdrew, Amalickiah remained to -adjust affairs of state with the queen.</p> - -<p>For three days the widow shut herself up in her chamber to mourn. -During that time Amalickiah surfeited her with embankments of flowers -and baskets of fruit. His multiple gifts were accompanied by a -glib-tongued messenger, who lost no opportunity to sound his master's -praises.</p> -<a name="corpse"></a> -<img src="images/Amalickiah.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">AMALIKAIH SENT THE CORPSE OF HER HUSBAND TO THE -LAMANITE QUEEN.</p> - -<p>The lady, overburdened with the affairs of state, came to rely more and -more on the big, strong, councillor. They were thrown much together and -people began to wonder if there had been another reason for the king's -sending Amalickiah away to the wars. He was a Nephite with the charm -and manners of his race, and the queen was but a pawn. Only, since he -was to marry her to gain the throne, he gloried in the fact that she -was so beautiful.</p> - -<p>So the two were wed, and Amalickiah, seated on the throne by the -queen's side, was crowned king. She salved her conscience for her -undue haste by ordering a splendid tomb for the remains of her former -husband. She had the funeral chamber decorated with leopards, the coat -of arms of Amalickiah.</p> - -<p>He gave himself over to the pleasures of the court, but still -unsatisfied, desired to rule the earth. Slowly he began to plan the -vast campaign which would again mark the clash of the two greatest -generals of the age, Moroni, commander-in-chief of the Nephites, -and Amalickiah, king of the Lamanites, only now the latter had the -barbarian hordes behind him.</p> - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="centered">Nemesis Overtakes Amalickiah.</p> - -<p>Moroni again sat at his study table, while Teancum walked the floor -like a caged hyena. The former was haggard-gray like a blasted tree; -the latter vowed vengeance, in harsh, inarticulate sounds. Thus the -two men took their sorrow differently. Word had come that day that the -city of Moroni on the Atlantic coast had been sacked by Amalickiah. For -certain reverses that his troops had met with at first, that worthy had -sworn to drink Moroni's blood. City after city had fallen under his -attack, and ruin and destruction followed in his wake. Finally Moroni's -home town was captured. When Amalickiah found that he was cheated of -his revenge, as Moroni had gone to Zarahemla, he had without mercy had -the aged parents of Teancum and Moroni's young wife, Hirza, put to the -sword. Her woman's wit had saved her boy, Moronihah, and sent him in -safety to his father, but it could not save herself.</p> - -<p>"The vampire has drunk your blood through Hirza's veins." Teancum -stopped in his mad pace. "Poor Hirza, whose only fault was being loved -by you."</p> - -<p>Moroni groaned.</p> - -<p>"It was a coward's trick," continued the other. "They are dead, my aged -father and my poor old mother—Look you, Moroni, Amalickiah belongs to -me. Before heaven I swear to kill him with these two hands!" He flung -his powerful arms with clenched fists above his head.</p> -<a name="sacked"></a> -<img src="images/Hirza.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">AMALICKIAH SACKED THE COAST CITIES AND -PUT HIRZA TO THE SWORD.</p> - -<p>"Nay, do not swear," cautioned Moroni. "Teancum, you have been given -the command of the division that moves against the Lamanites tomorrow. -Fight with the genius and tenacity you displayed on the narrow neck of -land. For the rest I trust you implicitly. Now I would be alone."</p> - -<p class="centered">* * * * * * * *</p> - -<p>Amalickiah marched toward the land Bountiful driving the Nephites -before him. On the last day he had been much harassed by the archers -of Teancum that skirted the woods. When they reached the seashore -they met the forces of Teancum drawn up in martial array. A pitched -battle ensued in which the Nephites had the advantage over the footsore -Lamanites who had been marching and fighting for many days, while their -opponents were fresh. With nightfall hostilities ceased. "If Amalickiah -were dead, there would be no more war; the snake cannot strike without -its head," cogitated the Nephite.</p> - -<p>Teancum sat in his tent and by the sputtering flame of a pine torch, -was engaged in coloring his skin brown by rubbing it with the juice -of a wood berry. His servant, who had already gone through the same -performance, and was a Lamanite to all appearances, was sorting over -rather gingerly, a pile of women's apparel.</p> - -<p>"You are hard to please. Does nothing there suit you?" asked Teancum, -with mocking irony.</p> - -<p>"Nay, there are so many, I know not which to choose," replied the other -in the same spirit.</p> - -<p>"It need not be overly becoming in the dark. Let me warn you to make -your skirts short, for you may have to run." So daring hearts make -light of the gravest dangers.</p> - -<p>The man servant replied with a vicious wrench as he got into the -woman's garb.</p> - -<p>Teancum surveyed him and laughed. "My word, you make a charming wench. -Half the men in the Lamanite camp will try to flirt with you, and so -defeat our adventure. Pull your scarf down more over your face, so."</p> - -<p>The other grinned, displaying a mouth unfeminine in width. But he -looked sober when Teancum handed him a battle axe with the remark, "If -I fail, you may have an opportunity to finish it," Teancum himself -tucked a double-edged dagger into his belt and took down his javelin. -He then enveloped himself in a blanket.</p> - -<p>As the two passed out, the servant in the yellow striped skirt of -a drab, the other with the shuffling gait of a camp straggler, -they attracted little attention. When they entered the camp of the -Lamanites they elicited less, for the men slept with the abandonment of -exhaustion. "A fellow and his girl out late," was all they thought, if -they saw them at all.</p> - -<p>As the couple picked their way among the tired soldiers one would -occasionally open his eyes, see who it was, only grunt and turn over -wearily. So without mishap they reached the tent of Amalickiah. Fortune -was with them, for his servants were sleeping heavily. Although delay -was fraught with danger, Teancum reconnoitered a moment to ascertain -just where Amalickiah lay. He was asleep on a camp couch with his arms -by his side. A streak of moonlight straggled in and illumined his pale -face.</p> - -<p>For a moment Teancum poised his javelin in the air. Then he struck. So -powerful was the arm that drove the weapon that it went through the -sleeper's body, speared the heart, and he died without a groan.</p> - -<p>Teancum joined his cowering companion at the entrance, and the two -picked their way out of the hostile camp.</p> - -<p>Not until morning did the Lamanite hordes raise a wail for their dead -king. They had just found his corpse, stark and cold, stuck through -with a javelin.</p> -<a name="basrelief"></a> -<img src="images/AncientWarrior.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">BAS-RELIEF OF ANCIENT WARRIOR.</p> -<a name="alla"></a> -<img src="images/Alla.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">ALLA DERIDING THE IDOLS.</p> - -<h2><a name="MISSION"></a> -AMMON'S MISSION TO THE LAMANITES.</h2> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">AMMON EMBARKS ON A MISSION</p> - -<p>Ammon was the Napoleon of the western hemisphere. One trembles to think -what a man of such power might have done, had he used it for his own -aggrandizement, instead of converting souls. He was a king's son, and -though not the eldest, he was chief among his brothers, for his name is -always mentioned first.</p> - -<p>During a brilliant and careless youth, the whole course of his life had -been metamorphosed by a miracle. Thenceforth he consecrated his life -to the work of the Lord, beside which a mere earthly kingdom sank into -insignificance.</p> - -<p>When Mosiah, king of the Nephites, waxed old, there was no one to take -his place as his four sons had elected to go as missionaries to the -Lamanites. His death marked the beginning of the reign of the judges.</p> - -<p>Heavily armed, the missionaries departed into the wilderness. Their -weapons were not designed for their fellow man, but for wild game that -they should kill for food. That they went hungry was not due to their -lack of prowess, for they often chose to fast that the spirit of the -Lord would be with them. Nor was their sacrifice without effect, for -the Lord promised them that if they made examples of their lives that -they should be instruments in his hands unto the salvation of many -souls.</p> - -<p>It was characteristic of Ammon that he should separate from his -companions and go up to the land of Ishmael alone. Here, skirting the -woods, he was captured by the Lamanites, and, like every Nephite caught -on their borders, was taken before their king.</p> - -<p>Lamoni was in a good humor. He had just returned from the hunt where he -had killed the silver fox. As he threw himself back on his divan, he -took in the points of the prisoner with the keen eye of a connoisseur. -With discriminating approval, he noted the swelling muscles beneath the -loose garments of the white man, but with black suspicion, demanded, -"What are you doing here?"</p> - -<p>"I was entering your country when I was violently assaulted and bound -with thongs of buckskin." Ammon looked ruefully, down at his chafed -ankles.</p> - -<p>"May I ask what you were entering the country for?"</p> - -<p>"I came here to live."</p> - -<p>"You came here to live!" repeated the king stupidly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and I may stay until I die."</p> - -<p>"Which may be soon, judging by the fate that your last two countrymen, -that encroached on my borders, met. What crime did you commit in -Zarahemla that makes you an outcast?"</p> - -<p>"None. I came here of choice, not of necessity."</p> - -<p>"Then you are a merchant?"</p> - -<p>"No. I am a king's son and need nu money."</p> - -<p>Lamoni looked puzzled. Clearly he could not understand this man, yet -his words carried conviction.</p> - -<p>"I am a missionary," explained Ammon simply. "I have come here to -preach the gospel of righteousness."</p> - -<p>"I know that your people have preserved some remnants of the truth that -we have lost. You say that you have relinquished your father's kingdom -to come and live among us?" he asked incredulously, obviously flattered.</p> - -<p>"What is that compared with the salvation of souls? Who knows but what -if we come to one belief that these bloodthirsty wars between our two -peoples shall cease?"</p> - -<p>"Cut this man's bonds," ordered Lamoni, pleased with his new guest.</p> - -<p>Like a hound loosed from leash, Ammon shook off his fetters and stood -forth majestically.</p> - -<p>Lamoni opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly his jaw dropped and -the utterance died on his lips. A woman's laugh, shrill and taunting, -came from the terrace and recalled his chief trouble to the king. His -brow puckered. His daughter, Alla, was the trial of his life. She kept -the court in a continuous uproar. Not the least of her faults was that -she was an incorrigible flirt and kept the nobles in continual hot -water with her coquetries. It would not have been so bad if she had -confined her operations to the nobility, but she showed a democratic -predilection for commoners that was at least alarming. More than -once, he had tried to marry her off but his and the princess' choice -had never fallen on the same person. Only three days before, she had -lured two young men into an embroglio with the result that one carried -his arm in a sling while the other had lost the temporary use of an -eye. When openly charged with encouraging them, Alla had shamelessly -confessed that she led men on to see what they would do under certain -circumstances. Hers was a woman's insatiate curiosity, which, deprived -of books, read people in lieu thereof.</p> - -<p>Lamoni was seized with a sudden inspiration. "Tell Alla to come here."</p> - -<p>The servant sped out, but Ammon was not prepared for the apparition -that presently appeared.</p> - -<p>"You wanted me, father?" Of strong rather than beautiful features as -she stood there in regal robes she was every inch a princess. She was -dressed with the care bred of the knowledge that every detail was dear -to the heart of a man. Yet Alla did not make her conquests at first -sight. They were wrought out of the diabolical cunning of her brain, -but once she got her grip on a man—she did not let go.</p> - -<p>"This is Ammon, son of King Mosiah. Since he purposes to dwell among us -I shall give him you for a wife," announced Lamoni. Turning to the man -he continued, "That you may appreciate the honor I confer upon you, I -will add that the hand of my daughter has been sought by every noble -in the kingdom." He did not explain that a decision in any one's favor -would probably precipitate civil war and that he was pawning her off on -the newcomer to gain peace for himself.</p> - -<p>"I do not know him," interposed Alla.</p> - -<p>"The women of our country choose their own husbands," abetted Ammon. -"Moreover, missionaries do not marry. They cannot divide their -attention between their work and a woman."</p> - -<p>"Then you refuse her," repeated the king dully. The humor of the -situation burst on him. "Alla, there is one man who will not have you."</p> - -<p>With one look at Ammon, she tossed her head and swept out.</p> - -<p>"She will make you regret it," remarked Lamoni with a twinkle in his -eye, "No one ever offends Alla with impunity."</p> - -<p>"I meant no offense to the princess. Under the circumstances what else -could I say?"</p> - -<p>"Since you have refused to become the king's son-in-law, may I ask what -you propose to do?"</p> - -<p>"No work is too humble for my new calling. Let me be your servant," he -suggested with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>"The training of a king's son seldom fits a man for labor. What can you -do?"</p> - -<p>"I have herded cattle and I love the open."</p> - -<p>"Then a cattle herder you shall be."</p> - -<p>He clapped his hands. To the servant that appeared he ordered, "Take -this man and give him a place among the herders. Provide him with all -necessities." To Ammon he said, "If there is anything I can do for you -let me know. I shall see you again." They were dismissed and with a -sigh of relief he sank back among his cushions.</p> - -<h3>II. </h3> -<p class="centered"> -THE CATTLE HERDER.</p> - -<p>For three days Ammon rode among the cattle. A born horseman he sat -well the king's mount that had been sent him. During that time he had -seen no more of Princess Alla though his ears had been filled with -a multitude of servant's tales about her that were both weird and -startling.</p> - -<p>It so chanced that early in the morning as the herders drove the cattle -to the waters of Sebus to drink, that the robbers from the mountains -had congregated there to scatter the herds. This was not an unusual -thing for the vast wealth of Lamoni in live stock was known and -coveted. A rather peculiar criminal code existed, by which any servants -who allowed the king's cattle to be stolen, were put to death, while -the robbers retreated to their mountain fastnesses unmolested. This -prevented collusion but encouraged the thieves.</p> - -<p>As the cattle neared the river the robbers, with wild whoops, plunged -in among them, scattering them in all directions. This was what they -wanted so they could drive them off in bunches to their rendezvous. -Ammon, who was not familiar with the conditions, viewed the scene with -astonishment; but his surprise knew no bounds when he beheld the king's -servants throw themselves violently to the ground and begin to weep in -a paroxysm of grief.</p> - -<p>"Look here, you will be run over," he cried heading off a frightened -heifer. The chief danger was over, as the stampede was swallowed up in -a cloud of dust across the plains.</p> - -<p>"We are all dead men," wailed an old man to whom life was still sweet.</p> - -<p>"I leave a young wife," added a youth in a lifeless monotone.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?" Ammon impatiently exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"Simply this," explained a man of middle age, "when the king's cattle -are stolen, the herders are put to death."</p> - -<p>"Then they must be brought back," said Ammon with finality. "Instead of -driveling here, spread out to the sides and help drive them in when I -turn them this way."</p> - -<p>The others eyed him as if paralyzed as he dug his heels into his horse -and sped off across the plains like the whirlwind. As his flying figure -wa? swallowed up by a cloud of dust, they arose and mechanically began -to spread out on the prairie.</p> - -<p>Ammon was handicapped as the cattle had the start of him. He leaned -forward and swirled his lariat in the air although his poor beast was -already panting with distended nostrils. Slowly he gained on the herd -which was impeded by its own numbers. His horse was frothing with foam -as he reached the front. He dared not plunge in to destruction but he -edged along the outskirts, curving the herd to one side. His alert -eyes had espied the leader, a young bull, and he made for him. Without -putting himself directly in its infuriated way, he uttered a wild whoop -and almost imperceptibly turned him in another direction. The cattle -followed suit and traveled in a circle and by the time that the cowboys -hedged them in they were able to drive them back to the waters of Sebus.</p> - -<p>The robbers, unprepared for such tactics, had after their first -unsuccessful attempt massed themselves together at the watering place -to again scatter the herds as they came up.</p> - -<p>Ammon called cheerily to the herders to encircle the cattle and guard -the outskirts in case they again turned that way. Then he rode straight -at the robbers. They were amused at this onslaught of a lone rider and -thought that they could kill him at will, but when he hurtled among -them and began to hew right and left with his polished blade, they took -notice and heaved stones at him. He emerged from the shower unscathed -and retaliated by striking down man after man. When he reached the -leader, whom he distinguished by his white crest, he stopped long -enough to kill him. For the rest he was content to disarm them, for -they were panic stricken. Ammon understood a trick probably learned -in his fencing at court, which stood him in good stead. His opponents -fought him with clubs. By a dexterous stroke he disabled their -arms so that they fell limp by their side. The robbers, completely -routed, fled, and Lamoni's awestruck servants crowded up and gathered -together the arms of the cattle thieves. Bearing these trophies of the -encounter, they hurried to tell the wonderful tale to the king.</p> - -<p>Ammon leisurely betook himself to the courtyard where he got out the -horses and began to harness them to the king's chariot, as Lamoni had -given instructions that it was to be prepared. He purposed to attend -a feast given by his father, a neighboring but greater king. As he -led the spirited animals out, one of them reared but Ammon yanked the -bridle down and forced the brute into place. A flower fell at his feet -and he looked up to see Alla watching him from one of the windows.</p> - -<p>She leaned out and called, "My father wants you to come so he can thank -you for saving his cattle today."</p> - -<p>Ammon finished fastening the straps to the gilded chariot, picked up -the blossom, and went in.</p> - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE TRANCE.</p> - -<p>The queen sent for Ammon to come to the death chamber where the body -of the king had lain in state for two days and two nights. Though her -husband was apparently dead and the magnificent sepulchre stood gaping -for the interment, the grief-stricken wife would not have it so. As -in all southern countries, it was the custom to bury a corpse within -twenty-four hours after death. The servants began to go about holding -their noses as they exclaimed, "He stinketh." In this dilemma, the -queen sent for Ammon. She had heard of his fame through Alla.</p> - -<p>She met him at the entrance and conducted him into the funeral -chapel where she had been keeping sorrowful vigil. Coming out of the -sunlight into the damp chamber, a cold chill swept over him. The vast, -dimly lighted apartment, constructed entirely of stone, was bare of -furnishings except for the bier in the middle where the body was laid -out.</p> - -<p>As the queen led Ammon over and removed the draperies, displaying the -king garbed in his royal robes, she murmured in agonized tones, "They -tell me you are a prophet of God, and have power to do mighty works in -his name. See, some say that he is dead and ought to be placed in the -sepulchre, but to me he is not dead."</p> - -<p>The missionary bent low over the wax like face still as a mask. Closely -he scrutinized the veins. Looking up he announced, "He is not dead, but -he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore -bury him not. Believeth thou this?"</p> - -<p>"I believe it will be according as you say."</p> - -<p>"Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith: I say unto thee, -woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the -Nephites."</p> - -<p>All through the still hours of the night the queen kept vigil over the -lifeless figure. When the gray dawn stole in through the casement she -welcomed it with relief. At the appointed hour when the king should -rise came Ammon to give her courage.</p> - -<p>As they watched the form stirred, then slowly arose and shook off the -shroud. When the king recognized his faithful wife he stretched forth -his hand and blest her. His face shone with a transcendent light, and -overcome by the spirit, he sank down by the side of the bier. The -queen, in sheer weakness of joy embraced him. Ammon fell on his knees -and poured forth his soul in prayer and thanksgiving.</p> - -<p>It so chanced that Alla was hovering near. She felt strange influences -in the air; also was she piqued by this Nephite prophet who ignored -her. When she came into the room, beheld the trio on their knees and -her father risen from his bed, she uttered shriek after shriek. The -frightened servants came running, and when they saw the king risen from -the dead they also fell upon their knees.</p> - -<p>One alone, Abish, a waiting woman, who had been converted to the gospel -sometime before, retained her presence of mind.</p> - -<p>"It is the power of God," she opined, and ran carrying the news from -house to house.</p> - -<p>A vast multitude assembled and when they beheld the spectacle at the -palace and noted the Nephite in the strange group, they began to murmur.</p> - -<p>"A great evil has come among us," cried one.</p> - -<p>"Nay, let it fall on the king's head for harboring the alien," -interposed another.</p> - -<p>Still others said, "The king has brought destruction on himself for -killing his servants when they lost the herds at Sebus."</p> - -<p>The friends of the men whom Ammon had slain there heaped their -maledictions on the Nephite. One, whose brother had been killed, -obsessed with frenzy, drew his sword, and rushed at Ammon, but as he -raised his blade to strike him, he himself reeled and fell dead. Was it -apoplexy, a deep seated heart trouble, or had the Lord, who promised -Ammon that he should pass unscathed through perils, struck him down? -The awestruck populace did not know.</p> - -<p>"This man is the Great Spirit," said one clinging to some vestiges of -the old faith.</p> - -<p>"He is a monster," disagreed another.</p> - -<p>They straightway quarreled over the matter; the crowd took sides. A -clash was imminent whereat Abish burst into tears. In this emergency -she went over to the queen, and tenderly helped her to her feet. The -latter's face was radiant as she took hold of the hand of the king. He -confronted the multitude. In few words he endorsed the work of Ammon. -His conversion was wrought during his trance. From that time forth he -was the missionary's ablest advocate.</p> - -<p>That night a great feast was given to celebrate the recovery of the -king. The palace gardens were thrown open to the people. Bands played -on the terraces, fountains sprayed by the lurid light of the bon fires, -and the moonlight kissed the lake. The whole city rejoiced in gala -attire, while the attaches of the palace, relieved from the recent -strain, relapsed into abandon. The queen's heart expanded toward all -mankind; the king, snatched from the grave, lorded it graciously over -his subjects. The nobles exchanged merry quips and the banquet was long -drawn out. People treated Ammon with semi-worship. He was in an exalted -frame of mind for he knew that his work was auspiciously begun.</p> - -<p>Blinded with the lights and deafened with the noise, he felt faint, -and clambered out into the open air to walk beneath the stars. Back -and forth he paced when he heard his name called in a soft voice. He -wheeled to behold Alla beneath the rubber plants. As he went towards -her, she, in her yellow robes against the dark green of the foliage, -reminded him more than ever of a gorgeous butterfly.</p> - -<p>"I have not had a chance to thank you before for what you did for my -father," she said between sips of fruit juice.</p> - -<p>Ammon disclaimed credit, saying it was all due to the power of the Lord.</p> - -<p>"I want you to help me tonight. Come into the garden. We will have to -hurry, or Hebron, who went to fetch me an ice, will be back."</p> - -<p>Without more ado she took hold of his arm and hastily urged him down -the stairs. On reaching the garden she plucked a burning brand from the -fire and led him through dark, circuitous paths beneath the umbrella -trees till the roof of a round topped building loomed before them.</p> - -<p>"Be careful of the steps," she cautioned as she started to descend into -it, but she herself jumped when a black beetle fell from one of the -overhanging branches. He came to her rescue and together they entered -the underground chamber. Ammon looked about him curiously. The place -was lined with hewn stone. He laid his hand on a porphyry vase that -contained incense.</p> - -<p>"See," Alla held the light up to the wall. "These paintings depict the -principal events in my father's life."</p> - -<p>Ammon's eyes followed the intricate designs without grasping their -meaning.</p> - -<p>"You will notice," she continued, "that the other side of the room is -blank. That space is kept for the scenes yet to come."</p> - -<p>"But if he should die—" his gaze traveled to the middle of the room -where reposed a marble sarcophagus with its maw gaping wide for the -dead.</p> - -<p>She read his thoughts, "Yes, this is my father's tomb. The lid was -removed when we thought we would have to bring him here. He must not -see it in this condition. I dared not bring the servants to shut it, -for they talk. You are strong, will you not lift the lid back into -place?"</p> - -<p>The missionary bent his shoulders to the task. He clutched the marble -slab in his arms, rocked for a moment under its weight, then closed it -down on the tomb.</p> - -<p>"So it is cheated of its occupant," he finished.</p> - -<p>"I hope it stays sealed a long time," sighed Alla.</p> - -<p>The torch flickered out and they stumbled out of the musty tomb into -the garden scented with honey suckle blooms. They found their way -to the rose garden whose charms Ammon had never known before. The -excitement of the day had not yet worn off and the allurement of the -tropics got into his blood. Seeing the city gone wild with pleasure, -gave rise to resentment that he should be cheated of it. With parched -lips he thirsted to quaff this sweet cup that was held to his lips. He -glanced at his companion, natural and more fair than any wild thing in -the woods. Seized with moon madness the couple wandered down to the -sluggish waters of the lake.</p> - -<p>"Yonder is my chinampa,—my floating garden." She indicated a black -oasis. "When I grow weary of the world I flee to it and while the day -away on the bosom of the waters. I have there a little chapel filled -with the images of our Lamanite gods. Would you like to see them?"</p> - -<p>Ammon assented, so she clambered over the rocks and shot out her canoe. -They took their places in it and the man drove it across the lake with -broad strokes.</p> - -<p>Alla fell silent. What availed all her little vanities in the presence -of this man who read her very soul. He was her master; already she -worshiped him. The calm also gave Ammon time to think of where his -folly led him. Even if he should marry, this creature of impulse was -not the woman for him. Linked with his austere life she would beat her -brilliant wings out and become a limp, draggled thing. He could not -spoil her life. On the other hand, if he made her happy, his mission -would have to be abandoned. If she were only different. Then he -reflected a little sadly that if she were anything but what she was he -would not love her.</p> - -<p>As if to make his resolve harder she broke the silence. "You remember -that day when we first met, my father offered me to you?"</p> - -<p>He inclined his head.</p> - -<p>"You said then, 'The women of my country choose their own husbands.' -Would it make any difference if the woman offered herself to you?"</p> - -<p>Ammon felt a sharp twinge of pain, but he steadied his voice. "No. You -remember that I said afterward that a missionary cannot marry."</p> - -<p>"That day, smarting with hurt pride, I determined that I would make you -love me. Now, I wish I hadn't." They had reached the island and she -hid her confusion in landing. The garden was one bouquet of fragrant -posies. Their feet sank into long moss beneath, while festoons of -Spanish moss draped above. Alia led the Nephite to a grotto, whence -issued the sound of running water. The sanctuary was built around a -gurgling spring. Dark and dismal, it was but illy lighted by the white -moonlight that streamed in.</p> - -<p>"These are the images of the gods of the Lamanites." She indicated huge -figures carved in stone that lay about the place. "This is Tlalac, god -of rain; yonder the goddess of grain." Stroking the most hideous idol -she added, "This is Huitzil, god of war."</p> - -<p>Ammon's eyes were fastened on a slender white cross reared in front of -the last.</p> - -<p>"That is the symbol of your religion, for I saw a little cross hanging -around your neck. I have embraced your faith and I brought the new -symbol here in their own temple to deride the fallen idols."</p> - -<p>Ammon, deeply touched, took off his own chain and fastened the pendant -crucifix around the neck of the girl. She reached up to thank him. For -a moment he felt his head reel. Then very gently he took hold of her -arms and pushed her away from him. As they stood thus the sound of a -paddle fell on their startled ears. They both started back and then -Ammon impulsively stepped out to the edge of the water. He saw Hebron, -a noble who paid court to Alla, rowing alone on the lake. He hailed -him. "The Princess Alla came here to show me the ancient idols. Will -you not take her back."</p> - -<p>Hebron, who was surprised to find the lady that he had missed earlier -in the evening, came up with alacrity. If Ammon had a momentary flash -of jealousy as he helped Alla in, it was soon dispelled, for she -crouched down in the further end of the boat in a dejected heap, her -poor little wreath of flowers drooping forlornly in her hair. Still as -a statue he watched them speed across the lake. When they touched shore -and the man arose to help her out, he turned away his eyes, for they -were blinded with tears.</p> - -<p>"It is better so," he muttered with finality. He took the other canoe -and resolutely turned his back on the scene. He plowed viciously -through the water until his mighty arms ached. When he had worn himself -out he landed on the opposite shore of the lake.</p> - -<p>In the shadow of the giant trees he walked. The hoary cypresses held -the secrets of a thousand years, but never before had they witnessed -such a struggle in the soul of a man. When the hateful dawn came -stealing through the branches, wan and haggard, Ammon sought his cell. -Never before had it seemed so bare, nor the hard bed more uninviting. -At his order prison doors should break and kings should bow the knee, -but the greatest thing that Ammon ever did was to conquer himself, that -night.</p> - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE JOURNEY.</p> - -<p>Ammon and the king had been playing totoloque, a game of ball, in -the garden. Lamoni sat himself down to rest, for the heat of the day -approached.</p> - -<p>"Ammon, I would have had you for a son, but I must needs be content to -keep you for a friend."</p> - -<p>"It is an honor to be counted the friend of the king," he retorted, -ignoring the first part of the remark.</p> - -<p>"Alla takes it rather hard." An amused twinkle came into the father's -eye. "She has been unbearable since you refused her."</p> - -<p>"I have consecrated my life to the work of the Lord, Alla is too young -and fair a creature to be tied to a somber personage like me."</p> - -<p>"Your church is well started here. Let me take you to Nephi to meet my -father, the emperor. He would like such a man as you."</p> - -<p>"He is not a believer. He would seek my life. Moreover, I must journey -in the opposite direction to Middoni for my elder brother Aaron and his -friends, Muloki and Ammah, are in prison there. I go to deliver them."</p> - -<p>"I know that in the strength of the Lord you can do all things, but I -shall go with you. Antiomno, king of Middoni, is a friend of mine and -I will flatter him that he will release your brethren from prison." He -added curiously. "Who told you that they were in prison?"</p> - -<p>"The voice of the Lord. Much of the power you attribute to me is gained -through listening to the inner spirit that always prompts me aright."</p> - -<p>Without question the king ordered his chariots and horses to be got -ready for the journey. "We will travel together," he said. "Perhaps I -may be able to help even you."</p> - -<p>When a king journeyed it meant the moving of a cavalcade. That they -might travel faster, Lamoni simplified his preparations. Besides his -immediate servants he took only a small body guard. As he went as the -guest of a neighboring king, what he lacked in number he made up in -magnificence. He remarked to Ammon as they started out that they would -fall an easy prey to robbers who could see their gold from afar off.</p> - -<p>To give color to his predictions, they had not gone far when they -descried a cloud of dust across the plains.</p> - -<p>"Whoever they are, they far outnumber us." They had all been straining -their eyes when Lamoni raised a shout. "It is my father, the old king -himself. Only the ruler of all the Lamanites would travel with such a -concourse."</p> - -<p>The new comers bore rapidly down on them, and soon the heavy chariot -of the emperor shot out and pulled up along side of them. The old man -embraced his son but scowled at the white man.</p> - -<p>"Why didn't you come to my feast?" he demanded. "And where are you -going with this Nephite, who is the son of a liar?"</p> - -<p>"I accompany him to get his brother out of prison in Middoni." He -explained his absence at the feast by telling how he had lain as if -dead for two days, and would probably have been buried alive had it not -been for the missionary.</p> - -<p>To his astonishment his father became furiously angry. "I am astonished -that you have been caught in their toils. These Nephites have come here -to rob you. Kill this man with your sword. Then turn about and come -back to Ishmael with me."</p> - -<p>His son defied him: "I will not slay Ammon, neither will I return -to the land of Ishmael, but I go to Middoni that I may release the -brethren of Ammon, for I know that they are just men, and holy prophets -of the true God."</p> - -<p>Enraged by his disobedience, his father raised his sword to strike him. -Ammon interposed, "You shall not slay your son, though he is better -prepared for death than you for he has repented. If you should kill him -his blood would cry from the ground, and you might lose your soul."</p> - -<p>The old man hesitated; his voice almost broke. "I know that if I should -slay my son I should shed innocent blood. It is you that I ought to -kill." He turned his blade toward Ammon, but the latter was too quick -for him. He whipped out his own sword and with the stroke that had -stood him in good stead at Sebus, he disabled the king's right arm. -He could not use it. Realizing that the other was at his mercy, Ammon -followed up his advantage. "I will smite you unless you grant that my -brethren be released from prison."</p> - -<p>Lamoni would not interfere. The retainers kept at a respectful -distance. In fear of his life the emperor promised, "If you will spare -me, I will give you anything you ask, even to half my kingdom."</p> - -<p>The Nephite had the old man where he wanted him. "Release my brethren -from prison. Let Lamoni retain his kingdom. Be not displeased with him; -allow him to be his own master. Then I shall spare you; otherwise I -strike."</p> - -<p>The emperor's temporary feeling of relief at being spared from this -whirlwind Nephite who swept everything before him, was supplanted by -wonder. Ammon had asked for nothing for himself,—only for favors for -Lamoni. Should he let a stranger be more generous than he? Touched by -the missionary's love for his son, he rejoined, "Because this is all -you have asked, I shall have your brethren cast out of prison. My son, -Lamoni, may retain his kingdom from this time and forever, and I will -govern him no more."</p> - -<p>"Come, let the mid-day meal be prepared," exclaimed Lamoni, overjoyed -at the turn affairs had taken. "We will eat together."</p> - -<p>A hastily served meal it was, that consisted mostly of cooked meat and -bread taken from leather pouches, but to the diners it was relished -with the sauce of interest.</p> - -<p>The two rulers asked each other many questions. They exchanged much -news of family and national interest. The emperor asked eagerly after -his granddaughter Alla. Lamoni, looking at Ammon out of the tail of his -eye, explained that she was temporarily indisposed.</p> - -<p>They took their siesta during the heat of the day while the attendants -watered the animals. In the late afternoon when they arose to continue -their journey, the emperor took an affecting leave of his son. Slipping -off two gold bands that had encircled his left arm, he held one out -to Lamoni, "Give this to Antiomno, to aid your quest. Say it is from -the emperor, though, if rumor be correct, a gift from Alla might be -appreciated more." He slipped the other bracelet on the arm of Ammon. -"As for you, strange man, that asks nothing for yourself, if perchance -you should think of something, bring this to the king, and he will -redeem his pledge. The doctrine that holds such an exponent as you -cannot be wholly wrong. You and your brethren come up to me to my -capitol at Nephi, for I would know you better."</p> - -<p>With that he took his departure. As the cavalcade wound across the -plains, Lamoni and Ammon continued their journey to Middoni.</p> - -<p>The herald of their coming had preceded them, for Antiomno, accompanied -by his nobles, sallied out to meet them. The two rulers hailed each -other like boon companions. After the formalities of greeting had been -exchanged, the young Antiomno ventured to enquire after the health of -the Princess Alla.</p> - -<p>"So even when I leave her at home, I cannot get rid of the minx!" -laughed Lamoni. "Take this cue from me, oh king, she is disconsolate. -A sore heart is impressionable. It is ever ready to attach itself to -something else. She has been disappointed."</p> - -<p>"I will remember it," said Antiomno. "You may expect me to return your -visit."</p> - -<p>Lamoni looked relieved. There were still hopes of marrying his daughter -off. After they reached the palace and had refreshed themselves from -the journey, Antiomno was much astonished to learn that he owed the -honor of the king's visit to some imprisoned missionaries that he had -never heard of before.</p> - -<p>"They may be here," he admitted dubiously, "I shall send and find out."</p> - -<p>Leaving Lamoni to be entertained by his royal host, Ammon took his way -toward the prison in search of his brethren.</p> -<a name="palace"></a> -<img src="images/PalaceRuins.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">RUINS OF THE PALACE OF THE INDIAN KING -</p> - -<h3>V.</h3> - -<p class="centered">IN PRISON.</p> - -<p>The guard admitted Ammon on his passport. As they passed through the -corridors of the jail, he eagerly scanned every group of prisoners in -anticipation of recognizing a familiar form. When they reached the -large sunny courtyard in the middle of the rambling buildings his hopes -ran high, for the place was crowded. Here were the prisoners accused -of petty thieving. In the center, in a murky looking fountain, a -bronze Hercules bathed his mighty shoulders. Others fashioned sandals, -wove baskets, or arranged ingenious feather work. One clever person -manufactured a tiny stringed instrument out of bits of wood that he -inlaid with mother of pearl. Queer sight in a jail incarcerating -thieves, wrought the jewelers, tracing filigree work out of gold. -Another group cooked over clay ovens filled with glowing charcoal. The -attendant explained to Ammon that the trinkets were sold to defray the -expenses of board. Prisoners were dependent on their own ingenuity or -the bounty of their friends for their food, a condition which explained -the presence of women with baskets who hovered about the jail, waiting -to send in cooked delicacies to their enchained lords and masters.</p> - -<p>Aaron was not there. The visitor was conducted through musty chambers -and oozy passages very different from the breezy courtyard vaulted by -the saphire sky. So far did they go that Ammon almost began to suspect -foul play. The guard threw open a door.</p> - -<p>"The missionaries are here."</p> - -<p>Stumbling in the dark, he stepped in. As his eyes became accustomed to -the gloom, he distinguished the forms of men almost naked.</p> - -<p>"Is my brother Aaron, son of King Mosiah here?" he enquired.</p> - -<p>At the sound of his voice a wretch raised himself on a pallet of straw. -He staggered toward him and peered in the new-comers face.</p> - -<p>"Ammon!" he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>The latter had more difficulty in recognizing in this emaciated, broken -form the brother from whom he had parted in the pride of his youth and -strength.</p> - -<p>Genuine grief shook his voice. "Aaron, how did you come to this?"</p> - -<p>"It is a long story." He sat down again wearily. "How did you know I -was here?"</p> - -<p>"The Spirit of the Lord prompted me to come," he answered simply.</p> - -<p>"You have prospered?" He contrasted the fine physique of his brother -with his own gaunt frame, the other's glow of health with his -parchment-like skin.</p> - -<p>"Yes, the mission is established at Ishmael. And you?"</p> - -<p>"Have met with little success. After I separated from you and our -younger brothers I went to the city of Jerusalem. The people were -hardened, and when I preached in the synagogue, they arose and disputed -with me. When they saw that I had the best of the argument, they mocked -me. They refused to listen. Then I heard that Muloki and Ammah here, -were preaching over in the village of Ani-Anti; I went there. We could -make no converts. We came to Middoni. Though we have preached the word -of God to many, few believed. Then they cast us into prison."</p> - -<p>During this recital Ammon had noted the flayed flesh, the mark of the -thongs that had bound them. Ammah came up and greeted him with sunken -eyes. Muloki was too ill to greet him except by a wan smile. There -were two others there whom he did not know. Their plight was pitiable. -Ammon's whole soul revolted against the squalor and foul air of the -place.</p> - -<p>"I tried to get word to Omner and Himni, but without avail. We would -have starved to death had it not been for a poor shoemaker, one of the -faith, who has deprived himself to bring us sustenance. It has not been -so bad for us, but Muloki broke down with a disease."</p> - -<p>A heavy tramp resounded through the outer corridor. Guards entered. -They were followed by servants who carried clean raiment.</p> - -<p>"King Antiomno says that the prisoners are to be released. They are to -be fed and clothed and presented before him. You will step this way to -the baths."</p> - -<p>"It means—" cried Aaron.</p> - -<p>"That you are free," finished Ammon. "Moreover, I shall give you a -talisman that will assure you of future success in your labors. Take -this bracelet to the emperor. You will convert him; with the head -gained, you can win the nation to the faith."</p> - -<p>"And you?"</p> - -<p>"I return to Ishmael with my friend Lamoni. I may be called upon to -perform a marriage ceremony there. Our missionary work is just begun."</p> - - -<h2><a name="SHIPS"></a> -WEST WITH THE SHIPS OF HAGOTH.</h2> -<a name="chief"></a> -<img src="images/IslandChief.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption">THE ISLAND CHIEF</p> - -<p>The man fought with the waves, throwing out his white arms ever more -feebly. At times it seemed that he must give up, and under would go -the black head, only to reappear again a little nearer the shore, -with eyes bent on those smiling, white sands, that seemed to mock in -derision. Hawai was half defeated by famine before he began the battle. -One of the survivors in the storm-tossed bark, he had seen two of his -companions drown before his eyes, when the craft was dashed to pieces -on the rocks. That sight had cost what strength yet remained in his -exhausted body, for, presently, where his friends had gone down, he -caught a glimpse of the glittering belly of a shark.</p> - -<p>Remembering that he had been the best swimmer of the Panama coast, he -struck out with renewed courage, although his limbs were numb, his arms -had lost all sense of feeling, and his face was purple. Dazzled by the -sun-light, the coast seemed ever further away, so he shut his eyes and -floundered blindly on. When he reached the cove, the tide pushed him -gently in, and the sea-foam billowed around him like a bed of down. -When he reached the beach, half senseless, he sank down like a tired -child, but the greedy waves would fain suck him back, so he crawled -higher up, digging his nails into the sand, and tearing his hands till -the blood came, but he gave no heed to that. He could go no further, -his brain reeled, he sank into the oblivion of exhaustion.</p> - -<p>Pallid of aspect and slender of form, he lay like a withered lily on -the strand. How long he was in this damp trance he knew not, for the -day was as the night to his congealing blood and dim senses.</p> - -<p>With throbbing pulse and aching limbs he came back to consciousness. -As he opened his eyes, he looked into the black eyes of a girl, whose -face bent so low over him that her breath fanned his cheek. As she -chafed his chilled arms, he felt the warmth of life slowly returning. -She raised his faint head and poured water through his blue lips. Soft -hands smoothed the black curls from his death-like forehead, and wrung -his damp locks. The sun came up and warmed him into feeling. Loa, the -girl who had found him on the beach, did not explain that she had tried -for hours to make a fire by striking a knife with flint, as she had -seen the men do. Failing in this, she threw her mantle over the slender -frame, pillowed his head in her lap, and waited for the day.</p> - -<p>Straining every muscle of her lithe, young body, she dragged him to -the protecting shelter of a cave. There, with the juice of shell-fish, -breadfruit, and wild strawberries from the woods, she slowly nursed -him back to life. She dared not leave him very long, as she, unlike -the original Eve, was afraid of the snakes that haunted the jungle. -The space around the cave was bare, but, in the midst of some foraying -expedition, Loa would have a vision of a white body coiled around by -a green snake, and, seized with terror, would race back to the cave, -only to find her charge a little stronger and more roguish than ever. -Gradually the color crept back into his alabaster cheek, for Hawai was -young.</p> - -<p>As soon as he was able, he took over his share of the housekeeping -duties. One of the first things he did was to go to work with the -flint. He made the sparks fly, and finally succeeded in getting fire. -That night they had broiled fish for supper, and around the genial -blaze they looked into each other's faces in the flickering light, half -understandingly, half expectantly.</p> - -<p>She approved of the poise of his head upon his bare shoulders, and he -watched the firelight play on her expressive features and illumine the -gold of her hair, that fell all around her like a voluminous mantle.</p> - -<p>"Are you the princess of this island, or Mother Eve in the Garden of -Eden?" he asked, quizzically.</p> - -<p>"Neither, but a poor, ship-wrecked mariner like yourself."</p> - -<p>He stared. "Did <i>you</i> come in one of the ships of Hagoth?"</p> - -<p>She inclined her head.</p> - -<p>"But the others? Where are the others from your boat?"</p> - -<p>"The same place that your companions are, I'm afraid. There was a body -washed upon the shore down there, and when I first found you, I thought -you were like it,—dead!"</p> - -<p>"Must have been Shem or Mirror. We'll go down and take a look at it."</p> - -<p>The woman shuddered. "I believe I'd rather stay here by the fire."</p> - -<p>"Poor little girl! So you are all alone, and have had to care for a -lugger like me."</p> - -<p>"I was alone—until I found you. That helped me; I had something to do -besides think about myself."</p> - -<p>"How long were you—alone?"</p> - -<p>"Two days."</p> - -<p>"And during that time you found no signs of life? There are no people -living here?"</p> - -<p>"No, I saw no evidence whatever. I was afraid to go very far inland, so -stayed mostly on the beach, but I have a feeling that there is no one -alive on this island except you and me."</p> - -<p>"How do you know it is an island?" quickly.</p> - -<p>"Because I have seen it melt into the haze of the sea on three sides, -and I imagine if we climb that peak over there that we could see the -blue water on the other side."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense! There may be big cities in there. When we are better able -we will reconnoiter a little. How was it that you, a girl, of all your -crew was saved?" he asked curiously.</p> - -<p>"I do not know. When the boat began to fill, and it was only a question -of a few moments before it would sink, my father lashed me to a large, -flat board. As an afterthought, he took out his big knife and fastened -it at my waist. 'If you should be saved, you can cut yourself loose,' -he explained, while his hand shook. We could see the blue outline of -the land over here, and there was a chance that some of us might reach -it. After that the hulk settled, and I felt a cold wave sweep over my -limbs, and then I was strangling with the salt water in my nose and -throat. I was churned around, and then the plank righted itself, with -me on top. When the salt water got out of my smarting eyes sufficient -for me to see, I noticed that the ship was gone, with most of the -passengers, only a few were floundering around like me. Nowhere could -I see my father, and though I called, no one answered. I could see -one man clinging to a cask that bobbed around, and the black head of -another would appear, only to be submerged again. That swimmer fought -hard, but he stayed under longer each time, till at last he went down -and did not come up again. After that the storm broke, and the rain -lashed us in sheets. I could see nothing, but the cool water was -grateful to my parched throat. Something was singing in my ears, and -then I must have fainted, for I knew no more until I found myself lying -high and dry here on the beach, scorching under a tropical sun. Its -rays warmed me back to life, and then I felt for my father's knife. It -was still there, and with it I cut myself free, rose to my tottering -feet and looked around. The place was pretty enough, with its white -sand and glittering sea. I made my way over to some cocoanut palms and -found a fresh water stream, that emptied into a little cove. I drank -deeply, and bathed my hot forehead in its cool depths. Then I walked -along the beach to see if any others had been saved." She hesitated.</p> - -<p>"You found—?"</p> - -<p>"Two corpses. When I saw that they were quite dead I went up to the -jungle, but a wailing cry, like a soul in purgatory, issued from the -trees. I went back to the beach, but the bodies were gone."</p> - -<p>Hawai jumped.</p> - -<p>"I did not know what to do, so I crawled into the cave. Then I was -afraid of snakes. I have since found out that the cries in the woods -were made by the little monkeys. I do not know who carried off the -bodies."</p> - -<p>"Probably washed out by the tide," he reassured her.</p> - -<p>"I think not," she continued slowly. "The next day was worse—when I -realized that I was alone. I should have died if I had not found you. -My only fear, when I saw you lying so white and still on the sand, was -that you, like the others, were dead." She caught her breath with a -little gasp.</p> - -<p>He reached over and impulsively touched her hand.</p> - -<p>"Poor little girl! You came up out of the sea and saved my life."</p> - -<p>"I don't know what I should have done if you had eaten very much," she -explained, half tearfully. "I could only gather the poor cocoanuts off -the ground; but when you are strong you can climb the trees and get -fresh ones. The bananas were hard to get, and there was strange fruit -I was afraid to try, for fear it might poison you. See, we shall have -eggs for breakfast. They are quite good."</p> - -<p>She poked one out from among the ashes where they were roasting.</p> - -<p>"Did you lose any other relatives besides your father on the boat?" he -asked suddenly.</p> - -<p>She shook her head sadly. "No."</p> - -<p>"Then you were not married?"</p> - -<p>"No; only betrothed."</p> - -<p>His brow darkened. "Was he, to whom you were betrothed, drowned?"</p> - -<p>"I think so." But the look of pain which flitted across her face when -he spoke of her father did not return. "It was this way: when we -embarked in one of the ships of Hagoth to seek new homes in a foreign -land, my father, being old, made me promise to marry Isar, when we -reached the new country. I agreed, for Isar was a good man and would -take care of me, though I did not love him, or even know him very well."</p> - -<p>Hawai looked relieved, and his eyes glowed as they rested on her.</p> - -<p>"You have my story, but you have not told me yours," she burst out.</p> - -<p>"Mine is similar to yours. I sailed on another ship of Hagoth's only we -floundered around in the waste of waters in search of land for so long, -that all the crew except three died of famine before she foundered." He -dismissed the subject with a shrug of the shoulders, as if unwilling to -fill the night with further horrors.</p> - -<p>"You must sleep now, and gain some rest, for tomorrow we go on a -foraging expedition," he added with gentle raillery.</p> - -<p>Loa's eyelids were already drooping, and, soothed with the grateful -warmth, she lay down and was soon fast asleep. Hawai piled dry brush on -the camp fire until it roared and crackled, and then, like a sentinel -on guard, he sat looking moodily into the blaze for hours.</p> - -<p>The day dawned auspiciously, and Loa led Hawai down toward the place -where she had seen his compan-ions lying. Suddenly she drew back with -a little cry. At the exact spot where the mariner had lain, reclined -an immense devil fish, with its tentacles wrapped around something. -Hawai watched it a moment. He thought perhaps that explained the -disappearance of the other two bodies. He silently led Loa away.</p> - -<p>They went into the woods to hunt for food, and Loa in helping him soon -got back her spirits. They found raspberries and a strange apple, both -of which Hawai pronounced good. The man who first tasted the tomato had -more courage than did Columbus. He decried the date palm afar off, and -remarked that they should soon fare like princes. The man cut sugar -cane, and showed Loa how to chew the pulp and extract the sweetness -thereof.</p> - -<p>That was but the beginning of their rambles. Every day they sauntered -forth to gain new strength, and came home laden with their treasures. -One night they dragged in armfuls of bamboo. Another time Hawai brought -a mealy root which he had found by accident. It proved a novelty in -their diet, for it was the sweet potato. One day they skirted the coast -and found a secluded beach where the turtles had come to lay their -eggs. The latter they gathered eagerly, while Hawai jocularly remarked -that, when they had something to cook it in they could have turtle -soup. They had gradually gone over the whole island, and on the night -that completed the circuit, and proved conclusively that they were the -only human beings there, despair descended on them. They had traveled -far that day, and the dusk overtook them, but Hawai insisted on cutting -armfuls of a tough rush that grew in a swamp.</p> - -<p>"What do you want that for?" inquired Loa.</p> - -<p>The man was a born woodsman, and was very clever.</p> - -<p>"To make a net to catch shrimps with," he answered. "The little shrimp -is better than the mussels we have been eating so long."</p> - -<p>Loa acquiesced. She was tired of shell fish. So she helped carry the -rushes back to the cave, in the long walk through the night.</p> - -<p>The next day Hawai spent fashioning the shrimp net. Loa amused herself -making festoons of brilliant flowers and garlanding them around his -neck. That gave her an idea. She gathered a large quantity of fleshy, -fibrous leaves, and began weaving them together.</p> - -<p>"Why can't I make clothing out of these?" she queried.</p> - -<p>Hawai glanced at her. Their clothing was rent in strips, and sadly in -need of repair, and Loa had a skin averse to the sun. He watched her -amusedly, until she got tired and threw them aside.</p> - -<p>"I believe I could make better things out of feathers." She glanced -at a squawking sea-bird that sailed overhead. "I could make you a -headpiece that would crown a chief."</p> - -<p>He smiled at the woman's vanity that would think first of adorning the -head, but humored her by saying gently, "If you will lend me some of -your tresses, I shall try and snare some birds."</p> - -<p>She shook out her mane, for she firmly believed him capable of -anything. When she went over to help him tie the net, she voiced the -thought that had haunted both of them.</p> - -<p>"If we are the only persons living on this island, how long must we -stay before others come?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps forever." It was no use deceiving her. She might as well know. -"Some of the ships may have reached one of those bodies of land over -there; for owing to the warm current all of Hagoth's crafts came in -the same direction. If some of our compatriots are alive, sooner or -later they may visit this island."</p> - -<p>"Or you could build a boat and go to them." Her faith in him was -unlimited.</p> - -<p>He shook his head. "I intend to keep you here, and not risk you with -the treacherous sea again." Something in his tone made her drop her -eyes. "Would it then be so distasteful?"</p> - -<p>"No," she answered bravely, "I have been very happy here."</p> - -<p>"I want you to give me the right to protect you. You must marry me."</p> - -<p>"But there is no priest," she subterfuged.</p> - -<p>"Kings make their own laws. You and I, by right of possession, -are joint rulers of these islands. We shall effect a union of our -interests. Come, we will ask the Heavenly Father, who watches over even -the outcasts, to guard and protect us."</p> - -<p>Kneeling, he invoked a blessing on the new life on which they were -embarking. He prayed fervently that they should not die out, but live -to perpetuate a new race in this paradise of the Pacific.</p> - -<p>They arose with rapt faces, and in a spirit of exaltation wandered down -to the beach. It was a glorious, starlit night, and the wind from the -sea was tempered with a summer softness. They gazed upon the glittering -sea, heard the wave's roar and the wind's low moan. They saw each -other's dark eyes darting light into each other. In early days the -heart is lava and the blood ablaze. They were alone, but no feeling of -loneliness oppressed them. Around them lay the white expanse of the -sand; beyond, they heard the drip in the damp caves. They clung to each -other; for them there was no one else in the world.</p> - -<p>The shrimp fisher flung in his net, and Loa, afraid to trust him in -the water alone, went surfbathing. The catch was successful, and at -last Hawai, with the consciousness of work well done, threw down his -net and joined her in the sport. Loa took the flat board on which she -had been rescued and rode on it on the crests of the waves, keeping -well to the shallow water, for she dreaded the flitting black fins that -portended the shark. It was a sunlit honeymoon, and, surrounded by -gorgeous flowers and brilliant birds, they imbibed the brightness of -the atmosphere. As Loa did not like the gloom of the cave, Hawai built -her a summer house of bamboo, and thatched it with grass. Gradually -their comforts increased. One night, after they had dined off a young -roast pig, Loa remarked, "Hawai, don't you ever say that you and I are -the only people on this island." She looked him straight in the eyes.</p> - -<p>He put his arm around her tenderly, but this thing worried him more -than he liked to show.</p> - -<p>"I want you to declare war on the wild boars," she continued, "for this -place must be safe for a little child to play in."</p> - -<p>He mentally resolved to do it, although he was at a loss how to -commence. After that he renewed his efforts, and toiled indefatigably -to bring in every necessity his ingenuity could devise.</p> - -<p>One night he had gone to look at some traps. One had been dragged -away, and in looking for it he went farther than he intended. When -he returned to the hut he was panic-stricken to find Loa gone. Wild -with fear, he dashed up to the mouth of the cave whence smoke issued. -Inside, guarded by the fire at the entrance, lay Loa. A thin, piping -sound issued from her side.</p> - -<p>"Come in," she said, "and see your little son."</p> - -<p>"My little son!" he repeated in wonder.</p> - -<p>With a mighty thankfulness, Hawai gathered up his family in his arms -and carried it to the house, with a heartfelt prayer that he might not -drop all that he held dear.</p> - -<p>Thus Hawai and Loa founded their island kingdom and were progenitors of -a new race in the South Seas.</p> - -<img src="images/Cougar.jpg" alt=""> -<br> -<br> -<a name="cliff"></a> -<img src="images/Daughter.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -THE CLIFF DWELLERS' DAUGHTER. -</p> - -<h2> <a name="CITY"></a> -THE CITY IN THE GLOOM.</h2> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE</p> - -<p>The thing sprawled on the white stone of the Giant's Steps, in the -canyon. Closer scrutiny proved it to be a man who lay on his stomach -drinking out of a blue pool of water. He stood up and showed what a -miserable thing he was. He had been white, and displayed the pitiable -plight of the civilized man reduced to dire extremity. His horny feet -were encased in ungainly moccasins, shaggy goatskin swathed him about -the middle, while his poor shoulders shivered under their covering of -rabbit skins pieced together. The muscles stood out like whip cords -on his emaciated limbs. The head, unkempt and shaggy, had a ferocious -appearance which was enhanced by the eyes that seemed starting out of -his head.</p> - -<p>He stooped and filled a misshapen jar with water, then gathered up a -leather pouch that contained wild grapes, and a haunch of venison. They -were all presents for Gualzine, the woman up at the clift house in -gloomy Cave Valley. The deer had cost the life of a man. When the woman -sickened and could no longer munch the corn nor drink the water of -the place, Ulric and his friend Izehara, had ventured forth in search -of fresh meat. A rash undertaking at any time, it was particularly -dangerous when the cave dwellers were expecting an attack from their -inveterate enemies, the Lamanites. So the chief of the tribe told them -when they left, but the remembrance of the woman moaning on her pallet -lent wings to their feet.</p> - -<p>They shot the doe on the morning of the second day out. They startled -her at dawn as she grazed. Though the arrow sped true, she ran a -hundred and fifty yards before she fell. They found her panting in the -brush. Ulric left Izehara to carve the meat and prepare the camp while -he went higher up to look at the traps.</p> - -<p>When he found that one of them had caught an old silvertip, he wished -that the other man had come along. He beat her to death with his club, -and when the quivering brute lay down, the day was well advanced. "I -will bring Izehara up to help me skin her. It will make a warm robe for -Gualzine." Then panic seized him. What if she were already dead?</p> - -<p>Haunted by this new fear, he hurried back to camp where new horrors -awaited him. By the side of the partially dismembered deer, Izehara -lay writhing in the last stages of poisoning. He had been bitten by -a rattle-snake. Ulric flung himself down and applied his lips to the -wound. He was too late; even as he sucked the poison out, his friend -looked at him for the last time, then closed his eyes forever.</p> - -<p>The survivor built up the fire and gnawed at the rarely, broiled meat -from a sense of duty, for he knew that he must keep his strength up. -He devoted what daylight remained to getting in the wood. During the -everlasting hours of the night he prodded himself to keep awake to -watch the precious food and the corpse. The coyotes howled in the -distance, but more to be feared was the mountain lion, that sends no -halloo of its coming.</p> - -<p>Though seldom seen, wherever the prey is, there will it be. As his -straining ears imagined a padded footfall, he built the fire up until -the flames arose and lighted the rock walls of the canyon. Even the -"cat" fears man's "red flower"—fire.</p> - -<p>At dawn he dragged the dead body down to a gully and covered it up -with leaves. He wondered how long the wolves would leave them there. -He regretfully left them most of the deer, for urged on always with -the thought of the woman, he must travel light. If the horrors of -their surroundings palled on him, what must it be to her? A forlorn, -transplanted thing she had come among these wild men and won their rude -hearts.</p> - -<p>Even Ulric, a long time before, had lived in a city. It was called -Teotihuacan, which means "House of God," and was famed far and wide for -its great pyramids for worship. This fair city contained many splendid -houses, although Ulric did not know so much about that, as he was only -one of the common people. It had been prophesied that the inhabitants -would be destroyed because of their unbelief. Then the Lamanite hordes -swept down upon them, and the men went out to fight them. The fields -around Teotihuacan were spangled with black bits of obsidian where the -opposing warriors shattered one another's spears. When the Indians -began to massacre the women, they, with children clinging to their -skirts, fought them back. After that Ulric didn't like to remember what -happened.</p> - -<p>He, with a few survivors had taken refuge in the subterranean city, -where there were chambers just as above ground, and a black well with -plenty of water. Only they had no sunlight and some of the women -sickened and died. When their enemies had left, they sneaked out and -made their way across the desert to the north until they reached -the Sierra Madres, on the pinnacles of whose peaks they perched -their eyries built of sundried mud. They carried up handfuls of soil -from the valley and plastered it on the ledges, where they raised a -little stunted maize. There, in deadly fear of the marauding bands of -Lamanites that were wiping out their race, they eked out a miserable -existence, a little lower than the beasts.</p> - -<p>So outnumbered were they that only by the utmost caution did they -manage to live. The rooms were dark as the apertures were small and -had to be crawled through by means of rope ladders that they pulled in -after them. They had got so used to climbing over the rocks that they -sprang among them like goats.</p> - -<p>People who exist in daily fear of their lives do not go in for art. -So the cave dwellers' implements were crude, their pottery deformed, -and their necessities scant. Obsessed with the idea of keeping the -life in them from one day to another, they had lost their sense of -feeling, when Gualzine came among them. She was sent accompanied by -two attendants, from a neighboring cliff dwelling, for safe keeping -during time of war. The other cliff house was demolished, so Gualzine -took up her abode in the new place. She was the daughter of the High -Priest and the last of her blood. A wan, washed out thing, she took -little interest in her mediocre surroundings. Time was when she had -been beautiful, as her portrait on the wall of the casa of the priests -at Teotihuacan could prove. They called it "Queen of Hearts." But grim -circumstance will leave its impress on the fairest form.</p> - -<p>Though she toiled not, a new impetus evinced itself in the colony. -Like the queen bee, others worked for her, and comforts appeared. She -showed the boys how to mould their pottery better, and played with the -children and hushed their wails, so that their dragged out mother might -be less dispondent. She made ready threaded needles out of the thorns -and fibers of the maguey that grows on the foothills, and taught the -men how to make medicine from its juice. She was eyes to old Malcre -when she sewed the skin garments in the poor light, and she cut out -better patterns for their sandals. Because she would eat nothing but -cooked food, the others gave up their way of eating it half raw. The -men brought fresh pine boughs to sleep on, and they hunted up warmer -covering because this frail thing had to be protected. When she fell -sick it was a dire calamity. All the inmates loved her. Little wonder -that Ulric showed such dog-like devotion.</p> - -<p>Dropping with exhaustion, every step a pain, he approached Cave -Valley. Finally he lost consciousness of his aching muscles; only one -nagging instinct whipped him on. He must get to the house with his -precious burden, fresh meat and grapes and good water from the Steps. -That ought to put her on her feet again. The water was the hardest to -carry. He was afraid that he might spill it. She would have liked the -big thick bear robe. It would have been so soft while she was sick. -Izehara had died and he couldn't bring it. Poor Izahara, up there in -the cold. Then the old gnawing fear. What if she were gone and all of -his torture were in vain? The thought spurred on his flagging strength, -so he stumbled into the valley. Ulric looked towards the cliffs that -he called home. In the evening haze he could not distinguish the -familiar curl of smoke. Torn by uncertainty, he hurried up the side -of the mountain. He stopped short. The growing feeling that something -was wrong was realized. What was the matter with the garden? The corn, -which was almost ripe, had been trampled down. At the same instant his -foot touched something soft. He reached down, then drew back. The boy -Kohath lay there with an arrow in his breast, stark dead. He had been -shot down while he was carrying wood. Why hadn't they picked him up and -carried him in? Cold chills shook him. What if they were all dead? What -if the Indians were there now, waiting for him. Where was Gualzine? -Cautiously, he crept along the terrace through the maize.</p> - -<p>He waited for what to him seemed an age, while the wolves howled in the -distance. No sign of life issued from the place. He could stand it no -longer. He must find out what had happened to Gualzine. Careless of his -own fate, he went down.</p> -<a name="corn"></a> -<img src="images/CornCrib.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -THE CORN CRIB OF THE CITY IN THE GLOOM.</p> - -<p>The entrance showed signs of a conflict. Chunks of plaster had been -dislodged. His people had put up a fight. As little things will often -attract attention in dire extremities, so the first thing he noticed on -entering, were the dead white ashes scattered on the hearth. Nearby was -a broken pot of hominy, partly spilled.</p> - -<p>The massacre had taken place the day before. One of the men lay dead -by the fireplace, also the thirteen-year-old girl. The maurauders -would have no object in slaying her. Ulric wondered if she had killed -herself. The form he sought wasn't there. He passed into the next room. -To do so he had to step over the body of the chief that lay through the -doorway, a hatchet cleaving his skull. In her chamber he found Merari -decapitated. Dear old Merari, Ulric reflected, her servant, who loved -her as much as he. Parts of her pallet were scattered about the room, -but Gualzine was not there.</p> - -<p>Many of the inhabitants were missing. Old Malcre was gone. She could -make good corn cakes. The Indians had a use for her. The other woman -with her babe was missing. They also had a use for her. Ulric hoped the -child would live. He did not think that Gualzine would be carried off -without a struggle, yet, search as he would, he could find no shred's -of her cotton clothing. What if she had died before the cliff dwelling -was attacked? In times of siege it was the custom to bury the dead -beneath the floor. He hastily searched through the house but he found -no sign of a recent excavation.</p> - -<p>The next morning he renewed the hunt. He found that a number of bodies -had been thrown over the cliff. Hopeful, yet dreading, he made the -precipitous descent. Her remains were not there, although he felt -rewarded for the climb, for there were several bodies of the Lamanites. -The Nephites had clutched their antagonists and locked in their -embrace, and leaped over the cliff with them to destruction.</p> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="centered">Alone.</p> - -<p>At first, overwhelmed with the disaster, Ulric did not realize his -condition. He spent a number of days burying the dead beneath the -floor. He placed their implements of war with them, and at the head he -put an olla, containing a little of the corn that was left; over all he -put a layer of charcoal and covered it up with earth. Merari's head he -placed upon a shelf, saying, "You stay there old fellow, and help me. -You and I are great pals. You are the only friend I've got left."</p> - -<p>In the after days he realized his utter desolation. At first he clung -to life and he bounded over the rocks like a hunted thing. One night a -party of Lamanite robbers passed through the valley and he watched them -from the cliffs. He looked hungrily down into their camp, but dared not -move, for fear that they would shoot. Later, when he got frightened -of the solitude, he would have gladly given himself up. He became -a perfect coward. Most scared of all was he of the stillness. The -mountains made him infinitely lonely; he felt as if the peaks weighed -down on his chest and he could not get his breath. He foresaw that he -would go insane, which gave rise to a new fear. What would happen to -him there among the hills if he lost his reason? He could not journey -to his own people, for he knew not if any of them were alive.</p> - -<p>It was not so bad when he could get out and hunt, but one day he -slipped and sprained his ankle. It swelled up and pained so he could -not walk. After that he crawled down to the stream to get his water. A -new horror developed. The corn was almost gone. Already he could see -the bottom of the big olla in which it was kept. Since he could not get -out and hunt food he must surely die.</p> - -<p>He began to prepare for the end. He would write his story on the wall -in red and blue and yellow hieroglyphics. Future generations should -know how he, Ulric, had outlived his compeers. He picked up a chisel. -As he struck the wall with it, it resounded hollow. He remembered the -limestone cave back of it. Funny he hadn't thought of it before! He -grasped his bludgeon, and with what was left of his remaining strength, -hit the wall. It took many of his weak blows to cave it in, but he -also went down with the earth. Staring straight at him was Gualzine. -She sat upon a stone dais. Her body had been preserved by the peculiar -atmosphere of the cave. On her shrunken form the cotton cloth hung limp.</p> - -<p>Slowly the realization forced itself on Ulric. The queer little men of -the caves, determined that the daughter of their High Priest should -not fall into the hands of the enemy, had walled her up there when -threatened with attack. She was alive when they took her there; perhaps -she lived when he returned. He had let her be slowly asphyxiated.</p> - -<p>Ulric threw himself at her feet with all the grief that his warped -nature would allow. That marked the beginning of the fever. Starvation -had prepared him for it, for he had got down to counting the kernals of -corn. Perhaps the rotting skull had been a friend indeed and lent its -malignant aid.</p> - -<p>Alone, with parched lips burning with thirst, with no human being to -speed the parting soul, Ulric died.</p> - -<p class="centered">* * * * * * * * * * *</p> - -<p>One of an alien race, exploring the cave, found there the skeleton of -a man lying along the wall, a crumbling skull on a ledge above, and a -mummy seated on a dais.</p> - -<p>He pondered, "What a tale those blackened lips might tell if they could -only speak!"</p> -<a name="stairs"></a> -<img src="images/Stairs.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -STAIRS THAT LEAD TO THE SUMMIT OF THE PYRAMID</p> -<br> -<br> -<a name="pyramid"></a> -<img src="images/Pyramid.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -PYRAMID OF THE SUN, MEXICO</p> -<br> -<br> -<a name="jared"></a> -<img src="images/Murder.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -JARED WAS MURDERED AS HE DESCENDED FROM HIS THRONE</p> -<h2> <a name="CONQUEST"></a> -THE CONQUEST OF AIDA.</h2> - -<h3>I.</h3> - -<p class="centered">THE PLOT.</p> - -<p> -Jared, as he reclined on the roof-garden, looked out over the city -basking in the afternoon light. Although it was yet warm, he had -stumbled out into the open air from his siesta couch where he had -smothered and tried in vain to sleep during the sultry afternoon. -There was a discontented look in his eyes as his gaze wandered over -the vast extent of the roofs, the palms silhouetted against a pastel -sky, to the crystalline peaks in the distance crowned with eternal -snow. The nearby stone mansions were resplendent in red-tiled roofs, -sun-burnished walls, and purple shadows, while an occasional opening -afforded a glimpse of a green courtyard or paved street. Nor could the -beauty of his own aerial gardens, a riot of color, with subtile perfume -of violets and verbenas, win him from his trouble. The laughter of -girls floated up from the pool below, where his daughter Aida with -her women, was disporting herself in the water. Unlike less active -women, who let an indented pillow in a hammock tell the story of the -afternoon's exertions, she preferred violent swimming in the humid -plunge.</p> - -<p>Wearily he leaned back, as if he found the cushions hard for his -emaciated limbs. Jared had once been ruler over this vast domain, and -he who has tasted power cannot soon forget the flavor. Lusting for the -kingdom, he had dispossessed his old father, King Omer, but his younger -brothers had risen up and wrested it from his greedy grasp. They -defeated him in open battle, took him captive, and Jared only bought -his freedom with the promise that he would never go to war again. After -that he found life, shorn of its glory, but a worthless thing.</p> - -<p>Evening is unknown in the tropics, for night descends swiftly, -shrouding the earth in a black pall. Tonight, for a transitory -period, a crescent moon hung in a sapphire sky, a breeze sprang up -from the sea, and the city shook off its lethargy. A hum arose as its -inhabitants prepared for the traffic and activity of the night. Lights -sprang out. A step on the stair and a rustling of the leaves made the -man turn to behold the laughing face of Aida, like a lily on its stem -above a bed of narcissus.</p> - -<p>"Come here to me, daughter," he said fondly, his face lighting up.</p> - -<p>She shook out her mane of black hair, which was still wet, and -went toward him. Her shoulders and arms emerged like snow from her -loose-fitting, black gown, and the dead pallor of her face was relieved -only by the scarlet streak of her lips. Her gray eyes were so heavily -shrouded that they appeared black. As she knelt before him, her father -leaned forward and touched her forehead with his lips.</p> - -<p>"Father," she murmured, "it is eating my heart out to see you always so -sad."</p> - -<p>"I fear I am but a broken shell from which the life has departed," he -lamented.</p> - -<p>"Can't you shake this depression off?"</p> - -<p>"I have tried," he sighed.</p> - -<p>"I know it. You will never be yourself again until you are restored to -your old place. The throne is yours by right. You are a younger man -than Omer, and can manage the affairs of the nation better. You must be -king."</p> - -<p>"How?" he raised his eyebrows.</p> - -<p>As she had watched her father waste away, gnawed by festering ambition, -Aida had realized that something must be done or he would die. So she -had evolved a plan.</p> - -<p>"Listen," she glanced hastily around and lowered her voice. "There is -only one thing between you and your lawful right to the throne."</p> - -<p>"My father!"</p> - -<p>"Then remove it," she hissed.</p> - -<p>"You mean kill the king!" He started as if she had surprised his own -guilty thought.</p> - -<p>"Why not?"</p> - -<p>"It is not for a son to spill his father's blood."</p> - -<p>"Get someone else to do it."</p> - -<p>"And who, in all the realm of the Jaredites would dare?"</p> - -<p>"Only one that I know of. The dark and moody Akish could if he wanted -to, for he controls the secret societies."</p> - -<p>"True," he ruminated, "but he is a friend of Omer's."</p> - -<p>"Every man has his price."</p> - -<p>"What would his be?" he shrugged his shoulders. "The coffers of Akish -are bursting with gold now."</p> - -<p>"Tempt him with something else."</p> - -<p>Jared scowled. What office in the kingdom could he offer for such a -crime?</p> - -<p>Aida broke in on his reflections. "Send for him here, and I will dance -before him, and when he covets me, say, 'Bring hither the head of Omer, -the king, and I will give you my daughter for wife.'"</p> - -<p>Fond father that he was Jared never doubted but what Akish would want -Aida, but the thoughts of bartering her shot a pang through his heart. -He would sacrifice his aged father for his soul's desire, but to give -up his daughter, that was another thing.</p> - -<p>After a silence, he said gently, "Have you thought, my child, that -after this is accomplished there must come a day of reckoning?"</p> - -<p>"What of it?"</p> - -<p>"You are willing to pay the price?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly," then hurriedly as the color crept into her face, "I am -sick of these effeminate nobles with their perfumed locks, and if I am -to have a master it must be one worth obeying. Akish is such a man."</p> - -<p>As he watched her with half-closed lids, her father thought that it -must be a strong trainer indeed to hold such a splendid tigress in -leash; but when he thought of the cruel Akish, his heart was full of -misgiving.</p> - -<h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="centered">AIDA DANCES BEFORE AKISH.</p> - -<p>Akish stood at the gate of the gardens of Jared on the night of the -banquet. In crimson tunic he leaned a vivid patch against the gray -stone arch. A nearby torch illumined his figure, lean, brown and -muscular. Black-eyed, hawk-beaked and cruel-lipped, he conveyed a -suggestion of power that was felt in the magnetic personality of the -man. A band of dull gold hung low over his brow, sheathing his glossy, -black hair. Collar and sandals of the same material were the only -ornaments he wore. As he surveyed the scene, a gleam came into his eyes -for it was well calculated to stir a more sluggish soul than his.</p> - -<p>Cruets of burning oil filled the gardens with soft radiance and -changeful shade. Interspersed with these were braziers of incense whose -aromatic smoke curved upwards in spirals. In the fountain the figure -of a sea-nymph upheld a conch shell from which the water trickled. It -ran into the swimming pool of blue-veined marble which in turn emptied -itself into a miniature lake covered with lotus leaves and yellow -water lilies. The lagoon was not entirely given over to white-necked -swans and pink-legged flamingoes, for a dainty shallop lay moored to -the shore as if inviting one to a trip to fairyland among the floating -gardens of the lake. One tiny isle grew purple hyacinths, another -yellow daffodils, a third flaunted gaudy tulips. In the somber green -of the grove was caught the occasional gleam of the white magnolia and -pomegranate blooms.</p> - -<p>To one side was the aviary, filled with the strange and gorgeous-hued -birds of the tropics; beyond, causing an instinctive shudder, were the -many species of Central American snakes. The cages of the wild animals -were still farther removed so the roars of their inmates would not -disturb the ears of the diners. The banquet table was spread on the -terrace which was gained by a magnificent sweep of stairs.</p> - -<p>The stone glowed yellow, while the supporting columns were of marble, -shot with amethyst. Even as Akish devoured the scene, the portals were -thrown wide, and the guests thronged out upon the terrace. Throwing the -loose end of his tunic across his shoulder, he strode forward.</p> - -<p>The table groaned under its golden service, many of its dishes designed -in grotesque forms of birds and animals. Overhead stretched a net from -which roses fell upon the board. Akish found himself seated next to -Aida whose presence he felt intuitively, before he looked at her. She -wore a loose-fitting, white robe from which her bare arms emerged like -alabaster. No ornament marred the purity of the throat, nor the poise -of the head crowned with living night. The jade bangles which dangled -from her ears only heightened the pallor of her skin.</p> - -<p>"So I have met you at last," he murmured.</p> - -<p>"I have known Akish long, by reputation," she flattered subtly.</p> - -<p>"Three times have I seen you before, but ever failed to make your -acquaintance."</p> - -<p>"Three times? Twice only do I remember. Once as you rode by, leading -your troops to battle, I thought that your eyes rested on me for a -moment. Again in a little park in Heth you passed me with a group of -gray-beards."</p> - -<p>"But first I saw you bathing one morning in the pool at Ether's house -in Heth. I noticed that you were the best swimmer among the women. I -went back that afternoon and enquired of their guests only to find that -you had left that day. As for the night in the park—after I went to -the council with the old men, I excused myself, and hurried back to the -park but you had gone."</p> - -<p>"After you had passed I went home," she confessed.</p> - -<p>He replied with a burning glance, and she saw her father watching them -with furtive eyes from across the table.</p> - -<p>A troupe of acrobats, assisted by deformed mountebanks, performed. A -group of dancing girls, garlanded with flowers, went through a series -of figures for the guests, while ever roses fell from above. Everyone -did as he pleased as the banquet progressed. Some of the diners were -stupid from gormandizing, others had partaken too freely of the -intoxicating juice of the maguey. Aida tasted little of the rich meats -before her, but Akish seemed possessed of a burning thirst which goblet -after goblet of frothy mead failed to quench. His veins were on fire, -and as he whispered in Aida's ear, he suddenly swooped to cool his hot -lips on the clear expanse of her shoulder. But even as he clutched -her she eluded his grasp and slipped away, leaving him with distended -nostrils like blood-hound thwarted in pursuit.</p> - -<p>Presently Jared, arising from his seat, announced, "My daughter has -consented to dance for us." The guests crowded forward and waited -expectantly, but then they were not prepared for the sight that greeted -their eyes. Aida slowly made her way to the center of the terrace. As -she emerged into the light, the spectators uttered an exclamation of -horror, and Akish swore under his breath, for wrapped around her body -were the thick coils of a snake.</p> - -<p>A snood fastened over her brow made her head resemble that of the -serpent, and her form, sheathed in green, writhed so with the monster -that the watchers could scarce tell where one ended and the other -began. Slowly the undulations of the snake-dance started. The onlookers -watched fascinated, much as the shivering little monkeys are hypnotized -by the dance of Kaa, the rock python, before they are devoured by him. -Akish, with bulging eyeballs, crept nearer under the spell. The woman -and the serpent swayed together; then out darted a white arm, followed -by the glistening writhe of the snake. At times it seemed almost a -battle between the two, and again it seemed as if the monster would -hug her to death in its embrace. Finally, at a signal, two attendants -rushed forward and helped disengage the python which seemed loath -to leave its fair prey. As it was coaxed off, the audience heaved a -sigh of relief. As the snake sheds its skin, so Aida threw off her -outer robe, and emerged in roseate gauze of dawn-like hue. The music -crashed into gayer strains. First the dancer depicted the awakening of -love,—joy, bliss, rising to the delirium of ecstasy,—then languor, -and when it seemed that she had fairly swooned away, her muscles became -taut, and she arose to show the fury of love scorned. Snatching a -dagger from her belt she brandished it in the air. Wildly she struck, -faster and faster resounded the music, more passionate became her -motion, until she was fury incarnate. She seemed a harlequin of the -desert, as she struck right and left. Akish did not realize how near -he was until she plunged the blade at him and he drew back with a cold -sweat on his brow. Her vengeance seemed to rise to the height of black -hate. Centering her strength she drove the dagger into her imaginary -enemy, and the knife went clattering down on the pavement.</p> - -<p>The dance was ended. The spectators broke into wild applause. Aida -staggered toward the shade of the orange trees, and not realizing what -he did, Akish plunged after her. He reached her just as she swayed and -fell, with utter exhaustion, on his outstretched arm.</p> - -<h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="centered">FRUITION.</p> - -<p>Lured on by the bait of Aida, Akish called the secret societies -together and started his diabolical machinations, but the Lord warned -Omer, in a dream, of his impending danger, with the result that the -old king gathered his household together and departed secretly to the -land of Ablom, where he pitched his tents by the sea-shore. Jared was -anointed king by the hand of wickedness, and at the same time Akish was -wedded to Aida.</p> - -<p>If Jared loved power, Akish did more so, and his vaulting ambition led -to the throne itself. He fretted inwardly; and, because such a nature -must be active in evil, he began to lay his subtle plans to consummate -his end. He must get Jared out of the way. By reason of his control -of the secret organizations, whose members were bound by dread oaths, -he was already a more influential man than the king. His marriage to -Jared's daughter strengthened his position. Strangely enough, the -thing that should have deterred him from the murder, consideration for -his wife, confirmed his dire decision. Akish loved Aida as much as a -nature of his kind is capable of, but mingled with it was a desire to -domineer. He derived pleasure from torturing the beloved object. During -their brief married life, he had been afforded some rare flashes of -her temper, and he now saw a chance to quell the rebellion in her, and -crush it with one blow.</p> - -<p>The arch conspirator sent out his band of assassins to kill King Jared -as he sat upon the throne, and as they departed he called after the -bullies, "That I may know that you have done your work well, bring me -a token, bring me the head of the king," and he smiled grimly to think -that the same fate that Jared had decreed for his father, should now be -meted out to him.</p> - -<p>Akish did not know what fear was, but he could ill brook delay. He sat -in his great stone chamber and essayed a dozen tasks only to throw them -aside and listen impatiently, as the afternoon lengthened into night. -When the heavy tread of his accomplices resounded in the corridor, he -could have shouted with relief.</p> - -<p>"How goes it?" he questioned sharply, as the men filed into the room.</p> - -<p>"It is done," answered Simon.</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"With twenty wounds, Chief," broke in one of the followers.</p> - -<p>"We went in and mingled with the people as he sat high upon his throne, -and when the petitioners for justice had all gone, and he started to -descend, we stabbed him. Our men watched the entrances so we would not -be interrupted in our work."</p> - -<p>"And the proof?"</p> - -<p>"Behold, my Lord," Simon threw back his cloak and held up by the hair -the ghastly trophy, but it was not this gruesome spectacle that froze -the look of horror on the face of Akish.</p> - -<p>Instinctively he looked in the other direction to behold Aida, clad in -her night robes, in the doorway. Whether or not she had recognized the -head of her father, in the half light of the room, they could not tell, -for she turned silently, and they heard the swish of her draperies down -the hall.</p> - -<p>Confusion fell upon the retainers, and Akish, shaking as if he had the -ague, said, "I did not mean for her to see that. Get out of my sight."</p> - -<p>If they had any doubts they were soon dissipated, for Aida shut herself -up in her apartments, and for three days her screams resounded through -the palace. On the third day Akish commanded her to appear at a -banquet, for he dared not face her alone. She came and sat stony-faced -at the board.</p> - -<p>During the coronation ceremonies which followed, when Akish sat in her -father's place, and she, on his right hand, was crowned queen, neither -of them ever mentioned Jared's name.</p> - -<p>Not until her son Ether was born some months later did Aida smile -again, and somehow, because Akish was his father, the little newcomer -renewed the bond between them.</p> - -<h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="centered">REAPING THE WHIRLWIND.</p> - -<p>Beyond the initial step, Aida had taken no part in Akish's crimes. When -he attained the throne, she thought that his violence must cease, but -his increased power only offered him more opportunities to sate his -lust for wickedness. Because his honor was bound up with his queen, -as well as for her innate charm, Akish had cared more for her than he -did for anybody. But, steeped with satiety, he constantly sought new -sensations; and, as he grew more brutish, Aida's influence with him -waned. His crimes became more vicious, and he reveled in bloodshed, -until the people called him monster, and prayed for a liberator.</p> -<a name="dying"></a> -<img src="images/DyingBoy.jpg" alt=""> -<p class="caption"> -THEY BROUGHT HER BABY BOY IN DYING UPON HIS SHIELD. </p> - -<p>Their eyes turned naturally to the tyrant's eldest son. Ether, now -grown to splendid manhood, who through his mother, had kingly blood in -his veins. The old king saw with jealous eyes how the populace loved -his son, and despised him, and his hate knew no bounds. He incarcerated -Ether in prison, and gradually starved him to death.</p> - -<p>His mother, who could stand no more, left the monster, and retired to -her desert castle to mourn. Nimrah, her second son, fearful that his -father's wrath would now fall on him, fled with a few followers to Omer -at Ablom.</p> - -<p>Not to please a paramour but to punish Aida for leaving him, Akish -yielded to the importunities of one of his favorites, a vulgar, blase -woman and flaunted her openly at the palace.</p> - -<p>It is said that the reason the criminal always gets caught is because -he stands out against organized society; nay, more than that, he is -fighting the law of the universe, progression. As soon as a man impairs -his own usefulness, or injures his fellow-men, he becomes a clog to -block her advancement, and nature is going to crush him. She has no -use for weaklings, but on the useful worker she will lavish power a -hundredfold.</p> - -<p>The debased debauchee had become a menace, so the immutable laws -prepared to destroy him. Grief-stricken over the death of his brother, -and smarting under this latest insult offered to his mother, Gilead, -the third son, arose in wrath, and declared war against his father. -Thousands in the kingdom, who nursed grievances, rallied to his -support. So Aida saw her own flesh and blood arrayed against their -father. Deep as she had drunk of the bitter draught of sorrow, she was -destined yet to drain it to the dregs.</p> - -<p>As befitted her mood, the queen had retired to a bleak castle, partly -in ruins and surrounded for miles by barren cacti. Bats lurked in its -turrets, and the wind claimed its ancient towers for its own. The -nation had risen in arms, and when rumors of battle reached their -retreat nothing would do but that Aida's youngest son, a boy of -fifteen, must sally forth to join his brothers on the field. In vain -did his mother plead; he was obdurate. Finally with trembling fingers -she fastened the armor on his stripling limbs, kissed him, and let him -go. After that the queen of tragedy haunted the edge of the battlefield -like a vampire, until they brought her baby boy in dying upon his -shield. Then her already tottering reason gave way, and she went stark -mad. A few hours later, when they placed the fair, slender body in the -sepulchre, his mother was a raving maniac.</p> - -<p>All the tragedies of her life were babbled forth in the drivel of -the insane. One night, under cover of a storm, she escaped from her -keepers. The next morning they found her body in the well, but, whether -blinded by the rain, she had stumbled over the curbing and been plunged -by accident into the pit, or had sought to drown her troubles in the -Lethean waters of suicide, they did not know.</p> - -<p>Couriers carried the news of the queen's death to the king. It stirred -the remnant of feeling left in him, but his last hold on life was gone. -Scarce had the messengers ceased speaking when the guard from the watch -tower broke in to say that the legions were advancing on the citadel. -Then a captain came to report that his soldiers had been bribed by the -enemy. Hated by his own followers, with half-hearted officers who knew -they were on the losing side, with fear written on every countenance, -Akish realized that he had lost, before the enemy had raised a spear.</p> - -<p>"At least we'll die with harness on our back," and he motioned for an -attendant to get down his armor from the wall, and, as the boys' hands -shook, he kicked him for a coward, and stooped and fastened the straps -himself. He ordered his chariot, and when seated on high, the gates -were thrown back. Like a bull who charges the toreadors, he glanced -over the plain, which, as far as the eye could see, was alive with -plumed warriors. His whip sang out over the heads of the horses, and, -undaunted to the end, he plunged into the maelstrom to his death.</p> - -<p class="centered">(THE END.) - -<img src="images/Lamanite.jpg" alt=""> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Cities of the Sun, by Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITIES OF THE SUN *** - -***** This file should be named 50955-h.htm or 50955-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/5/50955/ - -Produced by Allie Bowen, Mormon Texts Project Intern, with -thanks to Mariah Averett for proofreading -(MormonTextsProject.org) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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The Cities of the Sun, by Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Cities of the Sun - Stories of Ancient America founded on historical incidents - in the Book of Mormon - -Author: Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -Release Date: January 17, 2016 [EBook #50955] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITIES OF THE SUN *** - - - - -Produced by Allie Bowen, Mormon Texts Project Intern, with -thanks to Mariah Averett for proofreading -(MormonTextsProject.org) - - - - - - -[Illustration: ZARA] - - -The Cities of the Sun - - -Stories of Ancient America founded -on historical incidents in the -Book of Mormon - - -By Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - - -Illustrated from paintings by Geo. M. Ottinger and -photographs by the Author - - -_SECOND AND ENLARGED EDITION_ - - -Salt Lake City, Utah -1911 - - - "Builded on the ruins of dead thrones - Whose temple walls were old when Thebes was new, - On altars whose weird sacrificial stones - With ghastly offerings were crimson through, - Oblivion hides and holds thy secrets fast, - The dust of ages lies upon thy past, - All-wonderful, mysterious Mexico." - - - -CONTENTS. - -THE MARTYR. - -I. The King's Council - -II. The Revel - -III. The Execution - -IV. The Waters of Mormon - -V. The Flight - -VI. The Abduction - -VII. The Revenge - -THE GADIANTONS. - -I. The Gossips at the Fountain - -II. In the Patio of Miriam - -III. The Balcony - -IV. The Triumph - -GENERAL MORONI. - -I. The Capitulation of the Lamanites - -II. Moroni Raises the Standard of Liberty - -III. Amalickiah - -IV. Nemesis Overtakes Amalickiah - -AMMON'S MISSION TO THE LAMANITES. - -I. Ammon Embarks on a Mission - -II. The Cattle Herder - -III. The Trance - -IV. The Journey - -V. In Prison - -WEST WITH THE SHIPS OF HAGOTH - -I. The Shipwreck - -THE CITY IN THE GLOOM. - -I. The Last of His Tribe - -II. Alone - -THE CONQUEST OF Aida - -I. The Plot - -II. Aida Dances before Akish - -III. Fruition - -IV. Reaping the Whirlwind - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - -Zara - -Alma Loitered in the Perfumed Gardens - -Alma Baptizing in the Waters of Mormon - -The Sacrificial Stone - -The Lamanite Girl was Pretty - -With One Foot Chained to the Rock the Gadianton Robber Fought and -Vanquished Eight Warriors - -Hall of the Monoliths, Mitla - -Palace Ruins at Mitla - -Zorabel - -Moroni Raises the Standard of Liberty - -Aztec God of War - -Amalickiah Sent the Corpse of Her Husband to the Lamanite Queen - -Amalickiah Sacked the Coast Cities and Put Hirza to the Sword - -Bas-relief of Ancient Warrior - -Alla Deriding the Idols - -Ruins of the Palace of the Indian King - -The Island Chief - -The Cliff Dweller's Daughter - -The Corn Crib of the City in the Gloom - -The Stairs that Lead to the Top of the Pyramid - -Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico - -Jared was Murdered as he Descended from his Throne - -They Brought her Baby Boy in, Dying upon his Shield - - - -PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION - -The end justifies the means, so these stories are designed to increase -interest in the Book of Mormon. Hundreds of books have been written -founded on the Bible, and there are some wonderfully colorful accounts -of the founding of Christianity in Judea, Alexandria, and Rome. It is -surprising that more has not been done dealing with the ancient history -of the western world. Several of these stories were first published in -the _Improvement Era_, and acknowledgement is made to that magazine -for the encouragement it extended to the author, who traveled twice to -Mexico and excavated amon the ruins there to gain information at first -hand. If any boy or girl, after perusing these pages, is inspired to -turn direct to the beautiful and simple language of the Book of Mormon -itself, the purpose of "The Cities of the Sun" has been accomplished. - - - -The Cities of the Sun - -Stories of Ancient America, Founded on Historical Incidents in the Book -of Mormon. - - - -THE MARTYR. - -I. - -THE KING'S COUNCIL. - -"What now, Amulon? Why so gloomy? Upon my word, you have not smiled for -a week," and King Noah affectionately slapped his favorite's shoulder. - -"I'll warrant me it's a woman," continued the king, when the other -vouchsafed no reply, "for nothing else would move you." - -"And what if it were?" answered the other moodily. "Would talking about -it mend matters?" - -"There is only one cure for a broken heart," and Noah wagged his head -sagely. - -"And that is--?" - -"Another love." - -"H'm." - -"Among the thousand women of the court, are there not maids that please -you? Women of all types grace the gardens of the city of Lehi-Nephi. -Would you have a rose, a violet, a magnolia, a lily, a passion flower -or a tulip? Pluck it." And he nodded toward the court of the women. - -"Need I remind thee, O King, who art the prince of love, that when a -man wants one woman--" - -The king threw back his head and laughed until his fat sides shook. - -"And who is the lady that dares withstand the bold Amulon?" - -The king's face displayed the first interest it had worn that day, -as he lolled on the crimson cushions that extended before his golden -throne. He and his priests sat in the Hall of the Ambassadors, -adjoining the great stone amphitheatre used for large assemblies. The -hall where the king held his court was richly beautiful with its tiled -floor, its ivory-tinted walls and the great gilded chairs of the thirty -priests who constituted the king's council. All morning they had been -attending to affairs of state, dealing principally with taxes, for -the dissolute king maintained his magnificence with one-fifth of his -people's produce. - -The moment was propitious and Amulon hastened to explain. "The maid, O -King, is Zara, the daughter of Gideon, who opposes my suit." - -"What, do you court the father? Make good with the girl." - -"I cannot. She will have none of me." - -For Amulon, who owed his title of favorite to his intrepidity and -unscrupulousness, to acknowledge himself beaten was highly amusing. - -"The girl has been a companion to her father and has imbibed his -notions," her lover continued. "If she were moved into another -atmosphere she might change her mind. Association with the gracious -Princess Otalitza would certainly mend her manners." - -"So you want--" - -"Her brought to the palace." - -The king scowled. "Amulon, I can deny you nothing. Let the girl be -brought. But look you," he added quickly, "she is to be in the train of -the princess. Hands off, for awhile, you understand. Her father is a -good soldier, and might cause trouble." - -"You will send your orders?" said Amulon, following up his advantage. - -"The palanquin shall fetch her today." - -Both men looked up. Noises of turmoil and commotion came from the -doorway. Half a dozen soldiers, dragging a limp figure, burst into the -room. They were followed by a howling mob that shouted, "Away with him! -Down with the prophet!" - -As they hauled the man over before the dais, the twenty odd priests -leaned forward with interest, while one exclaimed, "It is the Prophet -Abinadi!" - -"Aye, Abinadi, whom I found in the plaza reviling thee, O king," -exclaimed Himni, a priest, from the mob. - -Noah looked down upon a tall man with straggling gray hair. In spite -of his manacled hands, the buffetings of the soldiers and the jeers of -the multitude, his thin lips curved in a scornful smile and his defiant -face showed no sign of fear. - -"What are the charges?" asked the king. - -"He promises bondage and dire calamities to the people, and thy life, O -King, he says, will be as a garment in a flame of fire. Who is this man -that he should judge thee?" - -The great, purple veins stood out on the king's forehead and he -exclaimed angrily, "Take him to prison!" - -The priests crowded up expectantly, for though Noah was not loved, yet -he was feared; but Omner petitioned, "Let us question this pretender -that we may confound him." - -"Yes, surely, the Lord must confide all wisdom to his prophets," -scoffed Nehor. - -So they plied him with questions, and to their astonishment he answered -them boldly. "Why do you, the priests of the Lord, who are supposed to -teach the people, ask these things of me? You cannot teach what you do -not practice. You are wine-bibbers and revelers. You set the example of -sensuousness and law-breaking, and seek not the kingdom of heaven, but -the riches of the world." - -The king turned wearily. "Away with this fellow," he said, "and slay -him, for he is mad." - -"Touch me not," commanded the prophet, "until I have delivered my -message; then do with me as you will." - -He spoke with such dignity and authority that they listened while he -preached with the power of God. He dwelt on the law of Moses, then, a -wondrous light illumining his face, he told them about the Messiah. How -a new star should appear in the heavens and there should be continuous -light for the space of three days, while far across the seas a child -should be born in poverty, of a lowly virgin, and he should be the -Son of God. The child should grow to be a man, despised and rejected -of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who would suffer -himself to be mocked and scourged, and cast out and disowned by his -people. And after working many mighty miracles among the children of -men, he would be crucified and slain. Thus would the spirit triumph -over the flesh and he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead. - -"And where will you be, you priest of Satan, on that day?" he cried, -working himself into a frenzy. "I tell you that the wicked shall have -cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth!" - -Then he launched into such a fierce denunciation of the court, that -the priests looked at each other aghast, and the king turned a sickly -green. Abinadi lashed himself into a fury as he pictured the torments -of the wicked, until his body swayed with the power of his imaginings. -Calming himself, finally, he commanded: "Repent ye, teach the law of -Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to -come. Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ, the Lord, who -is the very Eternal Father." He ceased speaking. - -"Take him away and put him to death." - -Then Alma, the sweet-spirited one among the priests, young, but wise in -council, stepped forward, the sunlight glinting on his fair hair. - -"This man has spoken the truth, and when, in all the reign of the just -Noah, was a man put to death for speaking the truth?" - -"He said that the king's life should be as a garment in a hot furnace," -cried Himni vindictively. - -Amulon, who hated Alma for reasons of his own, smiled as he mockingly -exclaimed, "What! has the gentle Alma turned prophet? Presently we -shall have a pair of them." - -The king motioned for the guards to remove the prisoner, and turning on -his heel he leaned affectionately on the arm of Amulon and passed out, -leaving Alma biting his lips with vexation and choking with humiliation. - -[Illustration: ALMA LOITERED IN THE PERFUMED GARDENS.] - -II. - -THE REVEL - -A solitary figure crossed the court on the pyramid, where the cluster -of state buildings was located. Although he went toward the palace, he -lagged like an unwelcome guest at a feast. The night was not cold but -he shivered and wrapped his cloak around him. Behind him lay the great -stone amphitheatre, with its tier after tier of seats, vaulted by the -starlit sky. To the north loomed the great temple, surmounted by its -tower. The somber blackness was relieved only by the sacred fire that -burned on top. Ahead of him reposed the royal palace, resplendent as a -jewel in its setting of perfumed gardens. Sounds of music and revelry -issued from the casement, and the guest stopped to take a deep breath -of the sweet night air before he plunged into the hot-house brilliance -beyond. - -As he entered the great banquet hall, many eyes turned that way. Alma -had thrown off his cloak, displaying a purple tunic that enhanced the -gold of his hair and the blue of his eyes. His short robe was caught in -at the waist by a girdle of sapphires, and his lower limbs were bare -save for the thongs of buckskin, extending from his sandals, which -were strapped around them. It was not the beauty of the graceful young -cavalier that attracted attention, but the whisper had gone forth that -he was out of favor at court. That was what had brought him there to -face it out, to show he was not afraid. For the most part, the guests -whose brains were not addled with wine were absorbed in their own -affairs, for the hour was late and the diners at the banquet table, -which was heavy with its gold and silver service, were on the last -course. It consisted of dainty dishes of snow, brought on the backs -of men from the distant volcano, delicately flavored with the grated -rind of limes. Goblets brimming with odoriferous wines were constantly -being refilled, but the real revelry was just begun. Before morning the -great jars that stood on the buffet, that extended all around the great -banquet room, would be overturned and emptied. Beside them were baskets -laden with fruit--the gold of the tropics--bunches of purple grapes, -pomegranates, tunas, oranges, pineapples, bananas, achuacates (the -butter that grows on trees) and wild plums. - -Above these, on the wall, was a fresco of naiads, while the magnificent -ceiling was of green and gold. Oh, he had an eye for beauty, had King -Noah;--too much for his good. A crowd of musicians played barbaric -music, a troupe of acrobats performed in an ante room, while from the -corridor came peals of laughter. - -Alma ran his eye along the table. The king leered into the face of the -ever-present Amulon, while on his left the buffoon, Omo, discoursed -coarse jests. Suddenly Alma's heart stood still and then sickened. -Could that be Zara, the daughter of Gideon, in the party of the -princess? Yes, it was Zara, looking more radiant than ever. What was -she doing in the palace of the king? From the shadow of the curtains he -watched her with troubled eyes. A smile played on her expressive face -and her eyes were bright with excitement. He waited impatiently until -they rose from the table, but before he could get to her she was gone. - -A few minutes later she appeared with the dancers. How beautiful she -looked, cream robed, with golden orchids in her hair! The intoxication -of the dance set his blood to throbbing, but he noticed with rising -resentment that he was not the only one interested in the new beauty. -Alma wandered around the hall shunned by all, for it is not wise to -flatter the one on whom the king frowns. He watched his chance, then -went to speak to Zara. She rose to meet him, and there was genuine -pleasure in her tone. - -"Why, Alma, I've been looking for you so long." - -"Is that what brought you here, my lady?" he asked tensely. - -"It was the king's palanquin that brought me here," she answered archly. - -His brow lowered. "Perhaps the same conveyance will carry you back?" - -"Perhaps." - -"Zara, I don't like to see you here." - -"Why not? It is glorious! I love the magnificence of the court. It is -breath to my nostrils. I have never lived before." - -"Your eyes are blinded by the gilded surface and you do not see the -rottenness beneath. When you know it as well as I--" and he laughed -bitterly. "I cannot understand," he added soberly, "how your father -allows you here, when he objected to me simply because I belonged to -the court, though I hate everything that is connected with it." - -"My father--you might know--he did not send me here. I came by the -order of the king." - -Alma looked startled. "Do you know what for?" - -She shrugged her shoulders. "No one asks his reasons of the king." - -"Yes, but there is a reason. You had better go away from here, my lady. -This is no place for you." - -"I cannot," she said simply. "Besides, I tell you, Alma, it is not the -place, but the person. A pure-minded person can be good anywhere, the -evil always find means to sate their appetites." - -"No one is safe in the palace; you must go away." - -"If I should leave, what then? I should be brought back again. You are -satiated with all this. It opens a new world to me. I intend to see -it," she cried, almost angrily. - -She turned to talk to some young bloods, who were hovering around her, -and Alma was dismissed. Realizing his failure with the girl, he turned -his steps toward the king. If he were not in disfavor, he might have -her released. At least there was a chance to find out why she was -there, he argued. - -He approached the throne, bowed, and murmured, "I have a petition to -make, your majesty." - -The king stared coolly past him, as if he did not see him, and went -on talking to Amulon, while Alma retreated, reddening to the ears, as -a titter arose behind palm leaf fans. His disgrace was now complete, -and he thought the next move would be assassins. "Well, Abinadi, you -may have company," he muttered. He wandered aimlessly about in a daze, -finally going to the gaming tables for, though he did not gamble -himself, he hoped to drown his misery in the excitement of the players. - -* * * * * - -Zara stood in the shadow of the palms at the entrance to the patio. -The revel was beginning to pall on her with its grossness. True, -the musicians had been replaced with others, and as she listened, -the strains of "The Heavens for a Kiss" floated out to her. Many of -the lights were out and what remained burned badly, but they were -sufficient to display sights from which her whole soul shrank. Omo -lay across the end of the table, his bull neck kinked so his heavy -breathing could be heard all over the room. Omner had tipped over a -wine jar, and lay on the floor with his head in a red pool that looked -like blood. Himni was pouring cold water down the neck of a servant -girl, while he explained that it would make her lips red. Mulek's -dominating voice roared above all others. Some callow youths were -trying to sing. Nobody knew where the king was. Most of the girls had -departed, and Zara, for the first time, felt lonely and scared. She -wished Alma would come. She heard a footstep behind her; then a door -pulled to. She listened, thinking it was he. - -"So, I have found you at last, my dove!" - -She uttered a startled cry and looked up to see the great form of -Amulon towering above her. His eyes glowed like fires in the dark. - -"Come!" he coaxed. "How these arms have ached for you!" - -"Let me go!" she cried fiercely, struggling, like a frightened bird in -his grasp. - -"Fight away, my pretty. My, how tigerish we are! I faith, I believe -that is why I love you!" - -"I shall cry for help." - -"Who is there to hear you?" - -"I shall expose you to the king." - -"He will not believe you." - -"Then Alma shall intercede in my behalf." - -Amulon laughed. "Alma! he is already a doomed man." - -"My father shall carry my case before the king!" she cried in a panic. - -"Why did the king have you brought here? To grace the train of -Otalitza, when there are a hundred women fighting for the place you -occupy? Why, I say, except at my request? If you spurn me, the king -will claim you. Take your choice." - -Seeing the hopelessness of her case, woman's wit, which has been her -chief weapon since the world began, came to her rescue. She slipped up -her arms and encircled his head, kissing his handsome, bruised-looking -lips. - -"Amulon," she whispered, "I am not a slave to be coerced. What I do, I -must do of my own free will, without force." - -"You are right," he said, won by her speedy capitulation. He instantly -freed her, for he was as generous as he was passionate. - -"Your lips are like the desert and your brow is fevered. See, I will -bath it in the fountain." She darted forward, and as he stumbled after -her and fell headlong on the pavement, she did not stop to look back, -but kept right on. - -* * * * * - -The breeze that precedes the dawn was stirring when a white-robed -figure stole out on the roof garden of the palace. She started back -when, on turning a corner, she was confronted by a man muffled in a -long cloak. - -"Zara!" - -"Oh, Alma, I am so glad!" and she wrung her hands in relief. - -"Why are you here alone at this time?" - -"I could not sleep. So many strange things have happened. And you?" - -"I could not sleep, either. I searched for you, last night, but could -not find you. Where did you go?" - -"To the inner patio." - -"With whom?" - -"Amulon." - -"Amulon! So, that is why you came to the palace?" - -"He said as much." - -"And I have ruined myself at court through espousing the cause of the -Prophet Abinadi." - -"So Amulon intimated." - -"Where is he?" - -"Down the well, for aught I know. I fled from him, and he gave chase. -He was half drunk and stumbled over the fountain curbing, but whether -he pitched in or not I do not know. I didn't stop to look back." - -"He didn't; trust his luck for that. And you? How did you get out?" - -"Why, through the court of the lions, of course." - -"They might have killed you." - -"So I thought; but the king's ocelots are well fed. They did not care -to get up to dine off me in the middle of the night." - -The rainbow colors of the dawn of the tropics illumined the sky to -the east, and below, the hills were swathed in pearl gray mist. Alma -breathed deep as he looked at Zara, fresh and radiant as the morning -itself. The fleecy robe she had slipped on parted at the throat, her -dark head was swathed in a pale blue gauze, broidered with silver -stars, and not all the turmoil of the night could disguise the fact -that she was young and glad to be alive. As she lifted a slender, -rounded, white arm to indicate the violet and orange of the horizon, -Alma caught her in his arms. - -"Come with me," he whispered, "away from this wicked place. Let me -teach you the principles of Abinadi. Together let us live our lives as -he has taught, in conformity with the will of the Lord." - -"Abinadi!" she murmured. "I already believe in him, although he has -taught the strange doctrine that we must return good for evil, instead -of demanding an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But you must -teach me. Alma," she added fearfully, "for there are many things I do -not understand. And this strange doctrine of repentance, that they talk -so much about--" - -"The king had better take to heart," Alma finished grimly. "Would that -the scales might fall from his eyes, as they have from mine!" - -"He is going to put Abinadi to death?" - -"So I fear." - -"And you?" - -"Oh, I shall take up the work where he left off. I'm afraid his mantle -will fall on unworthy shoulders. I have carefully written down all -his words, and I shall teach them to the people when he is gone. I -consecrate my life to the work. God grant me strength and light to do -it well!" - -"Does Abinadi know?" - -"Yes; I go now to visit him in his cell." - -"Tarry a little, Sir Prophet," she commanded, running her hand through -his yellow hair. - -Together they watched the sun rise. The mocking birds sang riotously. -The lavender flowers of the bougainvilaea drooped in the garden, while -from the patio below the air came laden with the heavy odor of the -blossom called "The Perfume of the Night." The lovers did not notice -that with it was mingled the scent of the ill-omened "Flower of the -Dead." - -III. - -THE EXECUTION. - -The great market place was the heart of the city. The streets, like -so many arteries, emptied into its pulsating center. There all the -buying and selling went on. Here was a fruit stand from which a -bronze Lamanitish goddess flicked the flies. Yonder was a clothier's -containing garments of chameleon dyes. There were cafes, candy stands, -butcher shops, fish from the lake, venders of pottery, and makers of -lace. The band played there in the afternoon, and lovers sought the -shade of its arbors in the evening. - -This morning something of unusual occurrence was about to happen. -People were running hither and thither. There was a hushed murmur of -excitement among the crowds, which were larger than on any market day. -Four regiments of soldiers were stationed at the comers, while a fifth -was keeping the people back from an open space in the middle of the -square. - -"Wherefore the crowd?" asked the countryman who had just brought his -cart of vegetables to the city that morning, of a young man who was -hurrying to the scene. - -The other looked at him in surprise, "Why, they are going to burn the -Prophet Abinadi." - -"They're not going to burn him alive?" - -"How do you think they'd burn him--dead?" he threw back over his -shoulder, as he hurried on. - -The crowd was impatient. - -"Light the fire, and let us see if this false prophet is pluckily true -to his convictions." - -"What are they waiting for?" called another. - -There was a blare of trumpets, a blast of martial music, and then the -cry, "Make way for the king!" - -On a palanquin, borne aloft on the shoulders of men, surmounted by -a green canopy, reclined the king. As soon as he reached the place -of execution he ordered the soldiers to bring forth the prisoner. -When Abinadi, sustained by the heroism of martyrdom, but very weak -and trembling physically, stood before him, Noah pronounced sternly: -"Abinadi, we have found an accusation against thee and thou art worthy -of death; for thou hast said that God himself should come down among -the children of men, and now for this cause thou shalt be put to death, -unless thou wilt recall all the words thou hast spoken evil concerning -me and my people." - -With a hunted look in his eyes Abinadi answered: "I will not recall the -words I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true. -I will suffer even unto death. I will not recall my words, and they -shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me, ye will shed -innocent blood, and this shall stand as a testimony against you at the -last day." - -The words touched even the callous heart of Noah, and he was half -convinced. He turned to the priests. - -"Shall we release him?" - -"Death to Abinadi, he has reviled the king!" was the shout. - -"Death to Abinadi!" - -"Let his God delay the flames!" - -"He says we shall all be captives to the Lamanites!" - -"Down with false prophets!" - -Amid the maledictions, they bound Abinadi to the stake and lighted the -fagots under his feet. - -As the flames licked his quivering limbs, and he writhed in agony, -he looked into the faces of the terror-stricken populace and said in -accents thick, "It will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted with -all manner of diseases because of your iniquities. Yea, and ye shall be -smitten on every hand, and shall be driven and scattered to and fro, -even as a wild flock is driven by wild and ferocious beasts. And in -that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand of your -enemies." - -As the flames mounted higher and higher, and the victim writhed in -agony, a young man, with sunny hair, made his way out of the crowd, for -he could stand it no longer. Henceforth he was the disciple of the dead -prophet, and the blood of martyrdom had won its first convert in Alma. - -His was not the only sick heart, for when the agonized victim looked -out of his pain-dimmed eyes and said prophetically to Noah, "Ye shall -suffer, as I suffer, the pains of death by fire," the king called -suddenly, "Ho, take me hence!" - -IV. - -THE WATERS OF MORMON. - -Gloom reigned in the palace and in the heart of Zara. The death of -Abinadi seemed to portend evil. Alma was condemned to death, and -guards were scouting the country for him, for he had disappeared. Zara -was torn with fear, for she expected daily to see him dragged there -in irons. Again she thought he had been secretly murdered, and this -hunting for him was a pretense. - -Then a message came to her. She sent for Amulon, who came gladly, for -she had locked herself up in her apartments and refused to see him for -days, while he, whose will was law, chafed like a chained lion. She was -peculiarly gracious, and it was with difficulty he restrained himself, -for his love for this maiden, who was the first who had ever opposed -him, swept him off his feet. - -"I have a favor to ask of you. Amulon, as always," she began. - -"Which is already granted, if it lies within my power, princess." - -"Ever am I more indebted to you." - -"What is my lady's latest caprice?" - -"You know I am virtually a prisoner here. All of the palace is mine, -but the bird is none the less barred because the cage is gilded. An -aged aunt of mine is dying, and she has sent for me to soothe her -last hours. I would go to her bedside. Will you not ask the king's -permission that I may go?" - -Amulon was touched by her earnestness, for ever are strong men weakest -through their strength. - -"Go, Zara, and I will be responsible to the king." He stepped to the -door and summoned Mulek. "Do you accompany this lady wherever she goes. -See that no harm approaches, and return her in safety to the palace." - -Mulek bowed and retreated. - -Zara sallied out accompanied by the giant soldier Mulek. They made -their way to a large house with a stone front. They entered, and passed -through corridor after corridor, until they came to the one that led to -the death chamber. - -"You will wait here for me, Mulek?" - -"The Lord Amulon said I was not to let you out of my sight." - -"But you can't go in there when she is dying!" - -"I go where you do," he answered doggedly. - -She was in despair. But everyone has his vulnerable point. She began to -plead with him, using all her art, but he only shook his head. She tore -a heavy gold chain from her neck. Three great emeralds hung pendant -from it. The bauble was worth a fortune. She thrust it into his hand, -saying imperiously, "Wait here, I will soon be back." - -Before he could recover himself she was gone. His first impulse was to -follow her, but he distinguished the sound of a woman's voice, and it -deterred him. - -The giant waited a long time. He paced restlessly around the room. When -the afternoon sun faded into evening he grew alarmed. He rang a bell, -which no one answered. He walked through the deserted halls. He came -back and went to the room of the sick woman. There was no couch there, -and a new light broke in on him. He ran through the house shouting. A -Lamanitish woman, a servant, confronted him. - -"Where is Zara, the daughter of Gideon?" he fairly shouted. - -She eyed him calmly. "I know of no such a woman." - -"I brought her here," he reiterated. - -"She is not here," she repeated. - -He rushed through the house, but found no trace of her whom he sought. -His first impulse was to flee and escape the anger of Amulon. But on -second thought he decided that would look as if he had connived at her -escape. If he reported at once, she might yet be found. He started on a -run back to the palace. - -When he presented himself before Amulon, a sweating, palpitating, -trembling wretch, the courtier gave him one look and then roared, -"Where is the girl?" - -"Alas, I know not!" wailed the other. "I turned, m'lord, and she was -gone. Some power of magic--" he dodged a heavy bronze vase that Amulon, -in his rage, hurled, at his head. It crashed into the door beyond and -splintered it. - -The chief priest clapped his hands. Slaves appeared. - -"Take him," he commanded. "Let him be lashed. Send soldiers to search -the house of Zeezrom, and arrest every one you find there." - -All night Amulon paced the palace, and all night rose the shrieks of -Mulek, lashed to the whipping post. - -In the meantime Zara, after her escape from Mulek, was being borne -through tall hedges of organ cactus on the outskirts of the city. -Through fields of maguey--the large century plant--until they reached -the prairie where the mesquite grew, they continued their flight. - -[Illustration: ALMA BAPTIZING IN THE WATERS OF MORMON.] - -Beyond, palm trees were gracefully silhouetted against the sky. -Plantains rattled in the wind. As they neared the oasis, they felt the -dread stillness of the tropic jungle, for the night was coming on. The -rich velvet of the sward was flecked with the wild tulip, and long -mosses cast black shadows in a pool as clear and deep as a woman's eyes. - -Such were the Waters of Mormon, where Alma, the sweet-spirited, -baptized believers and taught the gospel of the Savior, thus carrying -on the work of Abinadi. - -When the slaves stopped, and Alma saw that the white palanquin bore a -woman, he came forward. Zara slipped lightly out, without assistance, -and ran to meet him. - -"Zara!" he exclaimed. - -"It is I, Alma." Then she continued breathlessly, "They have located -you. The sentence of death hangs over you and your followers. You must -flee quickly." - -"How did you find out?" - -"Ever since you went away I have lived on the name of Alma. Every -breath that concerned you my intuition has ferreted out. The armies of -the king have orders to march against you now, for the king fears the -stronghold you are gaining among the people." - -"And you came to tell me this! If they knew it, what would they do to -you?" - -"I don't know; I'm not going back to find out." - -"Not going back?" - -"No; I'm going with you--if you will let me." - -"Let you, Zara!" A look of glad surprise broke over his face, as he -took her tenderly in his arms. But amid all his joyful exultation, -there was a fear in his heart of hearts. He knew that behind his -cherished one lay luxury and pleasure, and ahead of her was--the desert. - -V. - -THE FLIGHT. - -Consternation reigned in the palace. The unsuccessful army returned, -announcing the escape of Alma and four hundred and fifty of his -followers. Amulon, in an angry mood, and the king had had words over -the disappearance of Zara. Noah foresaw trouble with her father, and -Gideon was one of his best generals. Nor was he mistaken, for along -came the sturdy old soldier demanding to see his daughter. Noah -explained that the girl was gone, that every effort had been made to -locate her, but without avail. - -Gideon did not believe it. He thought they were deceiving him. He -poured execrations on their heads. - -"There is only one fate that awaits a woman that steps inside your -palace. Were there not enough, but my daughter must grace your court? -She was of a different type, and that was why you coveted her. You have -lied to me, for you have something to conceal. A father's curse be on -you!" - -It was in vain that the king denied any knowledge of Zara's -whereabouts. He had been involved in so many intrigues that he was not -believed when he spoke the truth. - -"Curse you. You will tell me where she is, or I will run you through!" -and Gideon drew his sword. "It would be a service to rid the Nephites -of such a tyrant." - -Noah could have summoned his guards, but Gideon had challenged him as -man to man. The king had been a soldier in his youth, but years of -dissipation had rendered his flesh flabby and his spirit afraid. - -They crossed swords and lunged at each other. A few moments and the -king was breathless. Gideon so evidently had the advantage that Noah, -in sheer cowardice, turned and fled. He rushed to the temple. With -drawn sword Gideon followed him. Through chamber after chamber the king -ran. The rooms were superb with their mosaic and metal work, but Noah -did not notice any of the decorations, for after him followed grim -Nemesis. The two flying figures, one very little behind the other, -reached the top of the second pyramid. Noah mounted the steps that led -to the top of the tower. This was ascended by a series of ladders, and -when he reached the second he kicked the first from under him. When he -reached the top his face was purple, and every breath was a pain. He -could go no further, and he knew that his respite was short. He looked -down from the dizzy height. Then he lost himself in astonishment. - -"Let me down!" he screamed. "The armies of the Lamanites are upon us!" - -Gideon, deeming this but a ruse, was in no wise deterred in his pursuit. - -"I tell you they are spread out in battle array on the plains below! -Let me down that I may save my people!" pleaded Noah. - -"Save your people? you had better save your own neck," Gideon thought -grimly. He went to the parapet and looked over. The king was right, -there were the Lamanite phalanxes spread out upon the plain as far as -the eye could see. - -"Come down and save your people," he called, sheathing his sword. He -himself went over and began to beat the alarum drum to call the men -to arms. As the old king tottered down there was time for a new fear -to supplant the other. None knew better than he how illy his kingdom -was prepared for war. He had made his people lovers of pleasure. The -standing army was small, and no match for the fierce Indians inured to -hardship. - -"Call the people together and tell them to bring their families and -flee into the wilderness," he commanded. "It were folly to fight them -here." - -When all the people of the city congregated, Noah, like a good leader, -led the flight. - -The Lamanites were not slow to discover the tactics, and started out -in swift pursuit. They soon overtook the Nephites and the massacre -commenced. Noah, maddened by the sight of the blood, bade the heralds -command all the men to flee, for they were retarded by the women and -children. - -"They will not murder the women in cold blood," reasoned the valorous -king, "and some of us may be saved while Gideon engages the enemy here." - -Like geese that follow their leader, on the spur of the moment many of -the men turned and followed the king and his priests, who were in full -flight. - -After they had gone some distance into the wilderness, they began to -come to their senses. One commoner voiced the sentiment of the men -when he said, "If our loved ones are slain, it were better that we had -perished with them." - -"But, at least, after first striking a blow in their defense," added -another. - -"Let us go back and see if they are dead. And if they are,"--here the -speaker looked meaningly at Noah--"we will seek revenge." - -"We are a laughing stock and a bye word," said one man who prided -himself on his honor. - -They were all heartily ashamed of themselves, and, as is always the -case under such circumstances, they sought someone on whom to lay -the blame. Whereupon, when the king commanded them not to return, it -brought their anger to a head. Instead of obeying him, they turned -viciously upon him as the cause of all their misfortunes. They -overpowered him roughly and bound him hand and foot. Amulon, who at -least had the saving grace of loyalty, was the only one who drew -his sword in defense of the king. He was run through the side for -his pains. The other priests, for their part, seeing themselves so -out-numbered, took to their heels. - -Amulon, weak from loss of blood, staggered over to a brush heap, -and there they let him lie. With presence of mind, he stuffed his -shirt into the wound and staunched the flow of blood. He was in a -raging fever, and one of the men taking pity on him as he tossed with -sleepless eyes, brought him a cup of water. - -When night was well advanced, he dragged himself down to a stream and -drank deep of the running water. He was conscious of the fact that no -one had paid any attention to him. To attempt the escape of Noah, he -knew was hopeless. He felt that the king must have help, and have it -quickly. Urged on by some power beyond himself, the wounded man arose -and staggered out into the jungle. - -He found the priests, or rather, they found him wandering in the woods, -and Amulon, by his old power of eloquence, rallied them and brought -them back. But lo, when they arrived at the place where the Nephites -had camped, they were gone, and Amulon feared that in his daze he had -mistaken the place. But Himni raised a shout, and they found only too -ghastly evidence of the recent presence of the Nephites. The trunk of -an immense tree had been partially burned. Lashed to its side was what -was left of a man, under whom a fire had been built. One of the priests -walked over, and from the ashes picked out the king's signet ring. -They had burned Noah to death. Thus had the prophecy of Abinadi been -fulfilled. - -"His life was as a garment in a furnace of fire." - -VI. - -THE ABDUCTION. - -Like nomads the priests wandered into the forest, subsisting on berries -and wild game. One day Omo, the voluptuary, came into camp with what -for him was unusual speed. The men loafing around the camp began to -jeer at him. - -"I have seen such a sight--" he began. - -"You must have seen something to make you run. He has seen such a -sight--" - -"As you would all break your necks to see." - -"What have you seen?" - -"Women." - -"Women!" they muttered. - -"Girls--young, beautiful, graceful as gazelles." - -"He has been seeing visions." - -"Listen. As I lay under a willow, that I might digest my dinner out of -the heat of the sun, I did hear singing and laughter--" - -"He was asleep and dreamed it." - -"Very cautiously did I crawl out, and there I beheld fifty Lamanitish -maidens--" - -"Lamanites! Huh!" - -"Fifty Lamanitish damsels, as I did start to say, wreathed with -garlands and bedecked with golden circlets on their arms and ankles, -making merry in the woods. Then they ceased from their sports and sat -them down to picnic out of great hampers. They took out such viands! Ah -me, I have not tasted cooked food in a twelve month! Who knows? I might -have made myself known and been made much of among so many maidens; but -I forebore, and came here to acquaint you with the fact." - -A shout of laughter arose. "Come on, boys," volunteered one. - -"But Lamanites!" - -"I care not," decided Omner. "We are outcasts among our own people, and -we dare not return to Lehi-Nephi. For my part, a Lamanite maid is good -enough to cook my food and live in my tepee." - -"Mine, too, if she be good looking. Omner, lead out." - -As gaily as a crowd of school boys on a lark, they hurried through the -woods. Others joined them on their way. - -After the order of primitive man did they lie in wait for, and carry -off, their mates. After the first panic, the girls, when they found the -white-skinned men were inclined to be wooers, were nothing loth. So the -camp was doubled that night, for the fifty of Omo's imagination had -dwindled to twenty-four. - -Also like primitive man, they fought for their mates. A dispute arose -as to who should have a tall, slender girl who wore great golden -ornaments in her black hair. She was well worth fighting for, as -most of the men seemed to think, for the riot soon developed into a -free-for-all fight. It threatened to turn the camp into a hospital, -when Amulon, returning from the hunt, strode in and threw a buck from -his shoulders. - -Without more ado he threw himself into the midst of the melee and -separated the opponents. As soon as the combatants saw who it was they -decided to leave the decision with him. - -Amulon listened to the story of the day's conquest, and patiently heard -each claim. In the meantime he had casually looked the girl over. She -stood with heaving bosom and scornful lips while the parley went on. -She narrowed her eyes, however, and paid attention when this big, -powerful man, so evidently the master, took a hand. - -Finally he announced his decision, "I shall keep her myself." - -An ominous murmur arose. - -"He struck not a blow, but he seizes the plunder." - -Not a man there but knew Amulon would make his claim good, but where he -was sure of his ground he could afford to be politic. - -He had exchanged a meaning look with the dark-eyed beauty, so he said -magnanimously, "Come, we will let the girl herself make the choice." - -As soon as she understood the import of his words, she went over and -stood up straight and tall by his side. - -As with primitive man, the strongest had won out. So Amulon, garbed in -a leopard's skin was wed to the Indian girl in the forest. He did not -know until afterwards that she was Lamona, the daughter of the king of -the Lamanites. - -VII. - -THE REVENGE. - -Alma came in and hung his sickle on the wall. Although he assumed -cheerfulness, his wife, who greeted him brightly over the pile of -colored wool with which she was working, knew that he was sorely -troubled. The room was airy, but simple, in its appointments. The floor -was carpeted with rush mats and bears' skins, while the walls bore -trophies of the chase in the form of antlers and deer heads. The supper -looked inviting, and Alma came to it with the hunger born of hard labor -in the fields. - -"I wish you would not work so hard," admonished Zara, laying her work -aside. "Amulon exempted you from labor." - -Alma laughed shortly. "Small satisfaction that, to rest in the shade -while I see my brethren toiling in the hot sun, with hard taskmasters -over them. When I refused to be king, I explained that we are all equal -in the sight of the Lord. Now that disaster has come upon us, I am no -better than they. The drivers will not even allow our people to pray -aloud any more." - -"Surely Amulon has not forbidden that," gasped Zara, with dilated eyes. - -The Lamanites had conquered all the southern provinces of the Nephites. -The latter had only saved their lives by paying tribute of one-half -their substance to their hard masters. At the time he fled from the -armies of King Noah, Alma had traveled with his followers to a land of -pure water where they built the beautiful city of Helem. - -When Amulon and the gay priests stole the Indian girls and married -them, King Laman had been wrathful. He sent out spies, located them -where they were living and was getting ready to visit punishment upon -them when his daughter Lamona, the wife of Amulon, came and threw -herself at her father's feet and pleaded for mercy for the white men. -She prevailed and the king of the Lamanites gladly welcomed his big -son-in-law into favor. The head priest of King Noah rapidly resumed his -old place of king's favorite. He introduced his own liberal schemes -with the learning of the Nephites, and King Laman appropriated part of -his kingdom for Amulon and his daughter to rule over. It so chanced -that this province included the city of Helem. - -When Amulon, accompanied by his dusky princess, and flanked by the -barbarian armies, marched in, he was much surprised to find that the -inhabitants were the followers of Alma. He found them easy prey, for -their leader commanded them not to shed blood. The new ruler did not -make it any easier for the captives because Alma had been a fellow -priest of his who had won his sweetheart. - -"Something has got to be done," pronounced Alma, looking across at his -wife. "The people must break this yoke of bondage, for they cannot -stand it any longer. I want you to unite with me in calling on the Lord -for help." - -Zara acquiesced, and when she arose a new light shone on her face as -she rapidly unfolded to him her plan. - -"Why don't you reproach me for having brought you to this?" he asked, -drawing her tenderly toward him, for he realized that the task she had -set herself was no easy one. - -"Nay, I have been happier here helping you than I ever was before, with -all my luxury. I never realized what a blessing work is!" - -* * * * * * * * - -Zara went and presented herself before Amulon. With mingled emotions -they looked on one another. Zara noticed that the black-bearded, -handsome man was more dominating than ever. The deep-eyed, dusky -princess by his side was well suited to such a husband. Lamona, for -her part, was curiously interested in her prince's former love. Amulon -marked that Zara had retained her beauty, and looked very little older. -He wondered what this slip of a woman who had preferred a soft-voiced -missionary, could have to ask of him. - -"I have a petition to make, my lord," she began, bowing low. - -"And that is--" - -"That you, your lady, and all your soldiery will dine with us at a -banquet that we have prepared. There is much ill-feeling between the -people and the soldiers. There has been a brutal quarrel or two, and we -would seek to allay the trouble." - -Amulon's eyes lighted with pleasure. It was long since he had eaten -at a Nephite board, and he would like to sup with Zara. I think I can -answer for the men. - -They will come, like a horse to water. What say you, my girl? He turned -to Lamona. - -In thick, musical tones she graciously accepted the invitation. - -On the day of the banquet Zara flitted among the wine jars, pouring -into them a concoction brewed of the sleeping herb and the juice of the -white poppy. Practically all of the Helemite's store would be guzzled -down the throats of the thirsty horde in one night. The people of Alma -would drink none. That was a part of the game. - -That night at the feast, when the atmosphere was redolent with perfume -and the air vibrant with music, Amulon cornered Zara and with his -compelling gaze fixed on her face demanded that she drink with him -the toast, "For old time's sake," while Lamona watched with jealous -eyes. Fearful that this virile leader would not drink enough for her -purpose, she raised the goblet with quaking hand to her lips. They were -almost driven white by a new fear. What if she herself should go to -sleep in this dire exigency? Already the drugged soldiers were lying -in heaps about the room. Some still kept up the feast, but even these -were too far gone to notice that the halls were being strangely emptied -of Nephites. Already their flocks and herds were being rapidly driven -into the mountains, to be speedily followed by their owners, for the -Helemites were abandoning their homes to their conquerors. - -Outside in the starlit night, Zara a second time faced the desert. -Seated on a horse, like another Mary, she fearfully clasped her little -son to her bosom. He was Alma, son of Alma, future high priest of -Zarahemla. - -[Caption: THE SACRIFICIAL STONE.] - - - -THE GADIANTONS. - -"And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of -Gadianton; * * insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed -from among the Lamanites." - -I. - -THE GOSSIPS AT THE FOUNTAIN - -[Illustration: THE LAMANITE GIRL WAS PRETTY.] - -"Hurry with your trifling, and lend me your cup that I may fill my -jars," admonished Abish. - -"You are in a hurry, today?" queried Sara lazily. The water in the -fountain was low and it had to be scooped up from the bottom. Sara was -trickling the cool liquid over her fingers quite oblivious to her own -empty water pitchers standing; with gaping mouths on the curb. - -The two women, Abish, servant in the house of Ahah, and Sara a -servant of Seantum, often met at the fountain to gossip. At these -times the possible union between the heads of their two houses was an -inexhaustible subject, for Seantum, the proud Nephite, was a suitor -for the hand of Ahah, a girl of mixed blood. Possible exigencies were -suggested by the fact that Ahah was believed to love Hagoth, a Lamanite -soldier; on the other hand her mother, the widowed Miriam, openly -encouraged the suit of Seantum. - -Truly the plaza in the beautiful suburb, Antionum was a pleasant place -to loiter. The fountain was the life source of the city, and sooner -or later everyone came there to drink. The gorgeous flowers of the -tropics were so rich that the very bees became intoxicated and produced -a honey that was the original nectar. A long line of Biblical looking -girls carrying water jars on their heads extended from the fountain. -Alternating with oval Madonna-like faces lit with lustrous eyes was -the ardent gypsy coloring that told of mixed blood, for Lamanites and -Nephites mingled freely in the community. - -"The servants at our house do not dawdle the day away," announced Abish -severely, "Our mistress looks after her household." - -Sara felt the implied sneer, for the ancient halls of Seantum -languished in bachelor neglect. - -"When the fair Ahah comes to preside over our household then may I have -to run home heavy laden." - -"If your white faced master be not so slow that he lets Hagoth the -Lamanite walk off with her before his eyes, I could tell him things--" - -"A Lamanite," laughed Sara derisively. "Ahah is not particular in -her taste. But then, poor girl, she cannot help it, it is in her -blood"--Sara stopped short, for along the street, ringing with -startling distinctness arose the cry, "Cezoram, son of Cezoram, the -chief judge, is dead." - -For a moment there was absolute stillness, then wild clamor broke -forth. Rumor, with her thousand tongues told that Cezoram, chief judge -of all the Nephites, had not risen that morning and when an attendant -went to wake him he found him lying naturally in his bed--dead. He had -been struck upon the head as he slept, by an assassin who had come and -gone as stealthily as the night air. - -"Who killed him?" inquired Abish plucking at the arm of a man who -passed with broad strides, muttering in his beard. - -"Who should it be but the Gadiantons, a handful of robbers, the mention -of whose very name blanches the faces of the people and shakes the -government. The Nephite officials are in secret league with them else -we would not be so terrorized. Two chief judges slain within a year: -Cezoram the elder struck down as he sat upon the judgment seat; his son -and successor most foully murdered in his room! Is there no end to our -endurance?" - -"The Gadiantons!" Bursting with her news Abish caught up her -half-filled jars and hurried out through some deserted gardens that -she might more quickly arrive home. As she picked her way through -some overgrown vines she stopped suddenly. Her eye had caught sight -of a familiar crest. Across the open space was the stalwart figure of -Hagoth clothed in the tiger skin, his badge of knighthood. By his side -in flaunting red petticoat walked a Lamanite girl. At the edge of the -woods he returned the basket he had been carrying and the head of the -plumed chief bent low over her. - -"Hagoth making love to an Indian; I wonder what Ahah will say?" - -Later she heard what her mistress had to say, and the servant's tale -lost nothing in the telling of it. - -II. - -IN THE PATIO OF MIRIAM. - -A party of four sat at the supper board of Miriam. It was spread in -the roofed cloisters, midway between the patio where the margherites, -like Psyche, flirted with their own fair image in the fountain, and the -house, where, through gold embroidered gauze curtains, an occasional -glimpse was had of a vast inner apartment set with mosaics. - -Before the guests, who sat on mats, were spread tempting dulces -(sweets) and heaped up salvers of the strange fruits of the tropics, -the butter, eggs, and custards that grow on trees. - -A servant brought cups of frothing chocolate to the two women, Ahah, -whose gold crowned head rose like an aureole above the sea foam green -of her gown, and her mother Miriam, massive and handsome despite her -years. Shem, an aged traveler from the far south, was scooping out -spoonfuls of papaya, a peptonized squash, while Seantum leaned against -a marble pillar, his pale face with its weak features peering luridly -through clouds of tobacco smoke. - -The murder of the morning was under discussion. - -"Who are these Gadiantons?" asked Shem, who was a stranger in the -country. "Methinks it was they who robbed a pack train of a merchant in -our town. Though he carried the matter to the tribunal he could get no -restitution." - -"Restitution!" Miriam smiled grimly. "How can we expect justice when -the Nephite officials are in secret league with the robbers?" - -"They have been a menace to our nation since their organization," -hastily interposed Seantum, anxious to change the subject. - -"Indeed." Shem thoughtfully stroked his long beard while his Jewish -face bent forward with interest. - -"The chief judges have been their victims ever since Kishkumen, an -unscrupulous adventurer stabbed the judge Pahoran. The good Heleman -would have suffered a like fate had not a servant of his overheard -the plot and killed Kishkuman first. The blackguard followers of this -professional assassin were organized into a secret society by Gadianton -who introduced Satan's own machinations. After that the bandits fled to -the mountain where they have subsisted ever since." - -"Cannot they be apprehended?" asked Shem astonished. - -"They hold the mountain fastnesses and rout every army sent against -them. Only occasionally do they infest the valleys to drive off the -cattle," explained Seantum surprised at the other's ignorance. - -"They'd do well if they drove off only the cattle," remarked Miriam -sharply. "They swooped down upon a village when most of the men were -away at the late war, and carried off the women and children." - -"The Gadianton robbers are dreadful men." Ahah shuddered. "They brought -one who had been taken prisoner to fight upon the sacrificial stone -before Tubaloth, king of the Lamanites. With one foot chained to the -rock and armed only with sword and shield he fought and vanquished -eight warriors. The king granted him his freedom." - -"They will surely punish this slayer of Cezoram," suggested Shem. - -"Certainly, if they can find him." - -"Must a whole nation quail before those bloodthirsty barbarians," -exclaimed Ahah passionately. Remembering that it was whispered that -Seantum himself, like many of the officials, was helpless against the -bandits, she asked suddenly: "Seantum, why don't you lead an army -against them?" - -"Impossible!" returned that effeminate youth. "Perhaps our friend, -the husky Lamanite, will undertake the task," he added sneeringly. -"They say that Tubaloth's young men are deserting the army to join the -robbers. The king has sworn vengeance on them." - -"When did the Nephites have to call upon their ancient enemies for -help?" interposed Miriam haughtily. - -The meal was finished and despite the fuming of Seantum and the open -displeasure of her mother, Ahah excused herself on the plea of illness -and fled to her room Although the servants came in and lighted the -torches, for the three that remained, the light had gone out. - -[Illustration: "With one foot chained to the rock the Gadianton robber -fought and vanquished eight warriors."] - -III. - -THE BALCONY. - -Ahah threw herself in the hammock on the balcony that her apartment -opened on. She was shaken with rage, but the more violent the passion -the sooner does it consume itself. Destruction would have descended on -the head of Hagoth, if it had appeared at that moment; as it was her -anger had just three hours to cool. - -The stars hung low in the tropic heavens; a nearby field was illumined -by the phosphorescent glow of flitting fireflies; below a tree burst -into a galaxy of white stars. - -As she clenched her small hands until the nails cut the palms, Ahah was -not in a mood to contemplate scenery. - -"Flirting with a Lamanite frump, indeed! How do I know that Hagoth -has not a dozen Indian loves among his own people?" Hitherto Ahah had -been so engrossed by her condescension in loving a mere Lamanite, that -the possibility of anyone else loving him had never occurred to her. -That Hagoth had been whole souled in his devotion to her she admitted. -Nothing wins a woman quite so quick as the knowledge that a man has -staked his all on her. Else why had she stooped to love him? - -Slowly she lived over their acquaintance; all the details were graven -on her brain. It had been romantic from the start. The horses of the -Lamanite king were running away, dragging the broken chariot behind -them. The driver had been hurled out in turning the corner and Tubaloth -himself was reeling, when the careening animals were stopped by the -impact of a lithe body hurled full at their heads. The catapult was -Hagoth who thereafter was knighted and received the order of the tiger, -a distinction he valued less than the murmured thanks of a mother who -caught up her little brown baby that had been playing in the road -directly in the way of the runaway. Since then Ahah's every meeting -with Hagoth had tightened the grip on her heart. Yet the thing that -made her angriest of all was that she should care so much. - -[Illustration: HALL OF THE MONOLITHS, MITLA] - -[Illustration: PALACE RUINS AT MITLA] - -When a plumed crest of sable hue loomed up above the passion flower of -the balcony she started up as if she had not been looking long for that -apparition. - -As Hagoth swung himself easily in front of her she faced him with the -accusation, "You are late." - -"I have been watching the lights below for hours. I thought you were -there with Seantum." - -"Did he stay so long with mother? I left them hours ago--to wait here -alone, while you, forsooth, amused yourself with an Indian girl--Ugh." - -"Ahah!" - -"I tell you, you were seen walking in the woods with her, whispering to -her, carrying her basket, and they said she was pretty," she finished -with a wail. - -"It is a mistake. I--" - -"A mistake! Look at me," she cried fiercely, "You, a Lamanite, an -associate of laboring wenches, have made me weep. I, Ahah, who do not -shed tears once in five years have wept this night over you." She -laughed bitterly. - -"But the girl gave me some information from a relative of hers." - -"What could I expect, I who without reason, against the warnings of my -friends, the opposition of my relatives, have squandered my attention -on you." - -"Ahah you possess the best part of my life, but if I am bringing you -such unhappiness--" - -That brought her to terms. Her face shone with transcendent light. - -"See, Hagoth," she breathed earnestly, "Beautiful as this is, I lie -awake nights worrying where it will end. I am too much of a coward -to flee with you for I fear to fail in the new life. You must raise -yourself to my station. You have youth, strength, brains and my faith -in you." - -"And if I win out." - -"I will marry you." - -"I accept the challenge. In forty days I shall return to claim my own." - -Ahah looked startled. "How do you propose to do it?" - -"Because of what you have promised me this night, I shall confide to -you my secret, though the success of the venture itself depends on -silence. At dawn I take command of a party of Lamanites that goes into -the mountains to destroy the Gadiantons." - -"Oh"--Ahah reeled and she felt the world slipping from under her, such -terror did the name of the dread robbers inspire. - -"If I win, any favor within the gift of Tubaloth, king of the -Lamanites, is mine." - -"If you should fail?" - -"I fail! You will admit I shall have a splendid tomb, the snow clad -summit of Mt. Misti." - -Ahah with a moan threw up her arms to shut out the torturous vision for -the Gadiantons not only murdered but mangled their victims. - -He came closer; his eyes blazed with triumph; his voice was tense with -suppressed emotion. "Remember in forty days you are mine," and he was -gone. - -Ahah threw herself against the post. "You shall not go. I tell you I -won't let you," she screamed. In her desperation she almost hurled -herself over the balcony, but no answer came. Hagoth had vanished into -the night whence he had come. Overwhelmed with remorse for driving him -on: steeped in her own misery, she lay where she had fallen until the -mocking birds began to sing and the day emerged from the night like -Venus, new born, from the sea. - -Rising, she dashed the crumpled bell of the passion flower under her -feet and entering her apartment she threw herself upon the bed. - -When Abish stole softly up to tell her young mistress that the bath -water was ready she found her buried among the cushions with all her -clothes on, breathing heavily. Throwing a silken shawl over her, she -turned and tiptoed out. - -IV. - -THE TRIUMPH. - -Ahah lay languidly back in the boat and dabbled her white hand in the -water. Seantum opposite, equally lazy, was doing nothing more strenuous -than watch the sunlight on her hair of burnished copper. The servant -Abish knelt in the bottom of the boat trying to bring order out of -the chaos of flowers with which the craft was loaded. It was the -festival of flowers and Ahah had insisted on buying some of every kind -she saw. As she had selected them for their gaudiness the effect was -picturesque. The boatman who stood in striped cotton garment with bare -brown feet and broad brimmed hat drove the canoe along the sluggish -canal by means of a pole. - -They were enroute to the floating gardens of Miramar. Conversation -languished while they looked at the panorama, for the canal was alive -with graceful craft as this was a special feast day. There were boats -loaded with poppies; others banked with pink rosebuds; more modest -symphonies in purple and electric blues,--violets and forget-me-nots, -like a demozel, left a fragrant trail behind them. They passed cargoes -of green vegetables bound for the city, and houseboats which carried -not only the family and their household furniture, but also the -livestock, dogs, chickens and parrots. - -Gayest of all were the flat bottomed boats filled with troubadours. -These children of the sun lent the richness of their voices to -the tinkle of their stringed instruments. Everyone seemed bent on -merry-making, and as a lonely heart is never so desolate as when buried -in a gay crowd, so Ahah felt more poignant misery by contrast. - -Thirty days had elapsed since Hagoth's sudden departure. Since then -she had had no word from him, and her veiled inquiries had elicited no -news. "He is so bent on his man's enterprise, that he would not stop to -consider a woman," she exclaimed petulantly, but her good sense told -her it would not be wise for him to send her a message. Again, she was -consumed with a wild fear that he was dead and during the long hours -of the night saw him die twenty deaths in as many different ways. In -the meantime she went calmly about her affairs and continued to endure -Seantum as there was nothing else to do. - -They had planned to spend the day in the rustic bowers of a planter at -Miramar, but as they wound in and out among the floating gardens,--at -first nothing but patches of variegated green, it was evident that -some unusual occurrence was happening on shore. Market venders had -deserted their stalls and women had left their meat sizzling on the -brazeros,--open air stoves of clay containing glowing charcoal. - -"What's the matter," called Seantum to a hoary boatman. - -"They say the Gadiantons are destroyed," he answered. - -Ahah was on her feet swaying in the boat, "Who did it," she cried as if -her life hung on the answer. - -"A Lamanite by the name of Hagoth. One of his men stopped off here. -He's over in the square there now." Without waiting for the boat to -stop, Ahah bounded quickly to the oozy mud of the shore and was up the -bank in a moment. Running swiftly she reached the excited crowd and -made her way through it. In the center she recognized one of Hagoth's -lieutenants. - -"You are going back to Antionum?" she queried breathlessly. - -On his answer in the affirmative, she begged eagerly. "Then you will -let us take you back in our boat?" She tossed him a golden seon. As if -he were in his chief's secret he gladly accepted the invitation, and -Seantum was doomed to hear his rival's praises lauded on the return -trip which had begun so auspiciously for him. - -While the warrior recited the story of the expedition in his crude way, -Ahah hung on every word. - -"When we started we had to hew our way through the underbrush; higher -up it was easier climbing but the tropical downpour descended in -bucketfuls and drenched us to the skin. Under foot it was so slimy we -slipped back a step for every two we advanced. The guides lost the -trail and we slunk under the trees while they found the path. - -"Later we spent the night in a cave. The fire went out as it was as -much a man's life was worth to descend into the barranca for wood. The -roof leaked and we woke up with our heads in a pool of water. - -"The next morning the ravines were raging torrents. Advancing under -these difficulties we finally descried above the tree tops the misty -expanse of Lake Ticaca. Like all high waters it is sullen, cold and -deep. There on the shores we found the log hut of an old Nephite whose -only daughter had been carried away by the Gadiantons. He had lived -there as a hermit vowing vengeance ever since. He offered to act as -guide and lent us his two boats. It took many trips across the lake to -get all of our party over and when we reached the bluffs on the other -side Hagoth's plans became apparent. - -"The reason that the robber's rendezvous had never been discovered was -because of the impassable ravines that hedge it in on all sides. - -"Hagoth proposed to take the shortest route straight across the summit -of Mt. Misti which towers eighteen thousand feet into the air. So up we -climbed, up into the rarified atmosphere, among the pines and cedars. -Occasionally the clouds below us parted like the veil of a Turkish -beauty, affording us seductive glimpses of the tropics at reeling -distances below. We passed the timber line and traveled across the lava -beds, undulating hills of black ashes. Here grew a yellow daisy with -frosted leaves; somewhere below the clouds lay the world; but our goal -was the snow clad peak that cut the sky in two. - -"The ascent through the snow was bitterly cruel; some of the men were -bleeding at the nose, others found it difficult to breathe, while some, -with palpitation of the heart were crawling on their hands and knees. -We were all temporarily blinded by the sun on the snow. - -"At the top we skirted the sulphurous crater for a mile and a half and -on the other side, slid down the snow clad peak on mats. Then we had to -make quick work of it, for provisions that are carried as a man pack -are light. - -"Six hundred feet below us in the barranca was the camp of the -Gadiantons. A gruesome spectacle they made in the light of the camp -fire. Despite the cold, their lean brown limbs were bare save where -they had decorated them with blood. Their loins were swathed in -sheepskin and their shaven heads cockaded with feathers. Altogether, -we were glad that the depth of the canyon lay between us. All night we -toiled loosening the great boulders of the cliff that had been eroded -into great blocks. At dawn of the second day we started several of them -over the cliff by way of good morning. They cut great oak trees off -from their roots, and crumbled to pieces in the ravine below. They did -not do much damage but they brought the robbers out from their lair. -When a side of the mountain crashed down, Zorum, the leader of the -band, came out and called a truce. - -"Hagoth descended to parley with him; he left instructions with us -to wipe out the band in case he did not return. He offered them -their choice of death or surrender. The terms were that they return -to civilization and become decent citizens. It is one thing to die -gloriously on the field of battle, and another to have the life crushed -out of you like a rat in a hole. There was no possible way of escape -as before they could get out, the top of the mountain would bury them -alive, leaving them all like one of their men who had already been hit -by a rolling boulder and whose remains were but a mangled mass in the -gulley. They surrendered. They didn't seem to be enjoying themselves -much up there in the mountains, anyway. So Hagoth just brought them -down with him." - -Seantum, as he leaned back in the boat and heard of the success of his -rival, watched Ahah's expressive face, now agonizing in fear, again -exulting in Hagoth's triumph. He knew that he had lost. - -By the time the victorious warriors entered the city Ahah was on her -balcony waving her scarf. Amid strains of barbaric music and the -hurrahs of the populace she beheld her chieftain borne through the -streets in the gilded chariot of the Lamanite king. As he glanced in -her direction Hagoth removed his sable plume and let the sun caress the -glossy black head she loved so well. Behind him stalked the Gadianton -robbers, frightful apparitions to the awe-struck people. The travel -stained Lamanite soldiers brought up the rear. - -During all the feasting that followed, when Hagoth sat on the right -hand of the king, and the great of the nation assembled at the board to -hear him lauded and glorified, the chief panted for the time when all -this tinsel should be over and he should be alone with a girl and claim -his reward. - -[Illustration: ZORABEL] - - - -GENERAL MORONI. - -I. - -THE CAPITULATION OF THE LAMANITES. - -Moroni leaned back in his chair under the canopy of his tent. Another -man, under the strain that the young general had passed through, would -have looked wan and haggard. He possessed that inexhaustible vitality -characteristic of great leaders, that can be drained heavily and still -meet all emergencies. - -"A messenger to see you, sir," announced a young lieutenant, pulling -back the flap of the tent. - -Moroni looked up to behold an Indian of powerful build. As he entered -the fur mantle fell from his shoulders leaving them bare. As their -eyes rested on the superb figure whose skin glittered like polished -mahogany, the captains in the room ejaculated in admiration. The new -comer's bold eyes scanned every face and finally rested on that of the -youngest man in the room. - -"I address the commander-in-chief of the Nephite forces?" he presumed. - -Moroni eyed him keenly, as he inclined his head. - -"Zerahemnah, leader of the Lamanites, sends greetings, and asks when he -can meet you to make terms." - -"Let him come at high noon to yonder eminence," replied Moroni. - -The messenger bowed and silently withdrew. As his magnificent form -disappeared, the captains whose composure had been perfect during -the interview, threw back their heads and raised a shout of triumph. -To them it meant the end of the war at practically their own terms. -Hostilities had ceased since the night before. The Nephite forces, -though outnumbered two to one, had triumphed over their ancient -enemies. The battle had been long and stubbornly fought until night -closed down to stop the conflict. The captains, picturesque in their -bandages, had fresh sword cuts as proof of their valor, but even they -did not know that the battle would go down in history as the greatest -that the Lamanites had ever fought. The Indians were ably generaled, -for Zerahemnah, himself a Zoramite, a descendent of the servant of -Laban, had placed the bloodthirsty Amalekites as officers among them. -Little wonder that they fought like dragons. - -That the Nephites had vanquished them against such odds was due to -three things: they were fighting for their liberty as the Lamanites -had tried to take them into bondage; they had superior arms and were -protected by armor while their dusky antagonists fought almost naked: -Moroni by strategy had surrounded the Lamanites by the Nephites, had -penned in Zerahemnah's forces between two wings of his own, and crushed -them. - -With spies he had determined the line of the Lamanite march. Then he -placed one of his generals, Lehi, with his command in ambush behind the -hill Riplah. When Zerahemnah advanced to the banks of the river Sidon, -Lehi attacked him and finally drove him across the river. - -When the Lamanites emerged dripping on the other side, they were -swooped down upon by the phalanxes of Moroni. Like rats in a trap, -surrounded on all sides, they struggled with ferocious courage, -clanging their cimeters on the Nephite armor and in return being -frightfully mangled. Sickened with the sight of gore, Moroni finally -called off his troops. - -Moroni's position was unique. Chosen as commander-in-chief of the -Nephite army at the age of twenty-five, he yet towered so far above the -other characters of his age, that older men did not dispute his place. -Even the lean Amalickiah, eaten up with ambition, hid his envy. - -Educated in the school of the priests, Moroni combined wisdom with the -fire of youth. Disliking warfare and bloodshed, he had been forced into -it in defense of his people when their freedom was threatened. To the -spotless purity of his life was attributed much of his power. - -As men often owe successful periods of their lives to the influence of -some woman, so Moroni had known two, Hirza, clear-eyed and spiritual -minded, he had met at school. Keenly intellectual she had dazzled him -with her brilliancy. To her he owed much of his erudition and his -wide knowledge of human nature. He was genuinely attached to this gay -comrade when the handsome Zorabel came into his life. She reminded him -of a full blown rose, whose fragrance gradually steals over the senses -until they are steeped in delirium. He was yet to find out that she had -her thorn below the soft petals. Zorabel was a sister of Amalickiah, -and, like him, was ambitious. - -Moroni sallied out of his tent into the brilliant sunlight to go -and meet Zerahemnah at the appointed place. Behind him filed his -body-guard, led by Amalickiah who walked by the side of his chief. -Doubly dear to the general was this brother of Zorabel, yet he dared -not give him a higher place in the army because he could not trust -him. Amalickiah had done things--and yet under the genial influence of -his presence, soothed by his flattering words, Moroni was inclinded to -laugh at his fears. - -Moroni reached the little hillock, ascended it, and let his gaze rest -on the emerald expanse of the river that writhed like a green snake -between the burnished gold of its banks. Below him swarmed the hordes -of the Lamanites, perturbed by a spirit of unrest, as they expectantly -awaited the result of the parley. - -There was a commotion in the ranks and Zerahemnah moved out from among -them and advanced toward Moroni. A shaggy homely man, he seemed, yet -not without a suggestion of power. A gruff leader of men, of violent -temper, he had gained his position by force. When he stopped a pace -from Moroni, the latter addressed him. - -"Behold, Zerahemnah, we do not want to be men of blood. You know that -you are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you." He reminded -him that the Nephites had not gone to war for power, but to defend -their loved ones against the yoke of bondage. He added that they had -tried to destroy his religion whereas the Lord had delivered them -into his hands. He finished by demanding their weapons of war and the -promise that they would go their way and come not again to battle -against his people. - -Zerahemnah unbuckled his sword, threw down his cimeter and handed his -bow to Moroni, saying, "Here are our weapons of war. We will not suffer -ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we shall break, -and also our children. Take our arms and suffer that we may depart into -the wilderness. Otherwise we will perish or conquer. We are not of your -faith, we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your -hands; it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords." - -Moroni handed him back his arms. "We will end the conflict," he said. - -When Zarahemnah grasped the import of his words his face purpled with -rage. Paying no heed to his weapons that clattered to the ground, he -brandished his sword and rushed at Moroni. It would have pierced him -had not the alert Amalickiah on Moroni's right smote it to the earth -with a blow of such force that it shattered it at the hilt. Before -the dazed Zerahemnah could realize what had happened, a second blow -descended with such swiftness that it shaved off his scalp. With blood -streaming in his face and a snarl like a wounded beast, Zerahemnah -sprang back to his own cohorts that had surged forward at the vivid -spectacle. - -Amalickiah stooped and picked up the scalp by the tuft of hair. -Fastening it on the point of his sword he stretched it toward them -crying in a loud voice, "Even as this scalp of your chief has fallen to -the earth, so shall you fall to the earth unless you deliver up your -weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace." - -Visibly impressed, and quaking with fear, many of the Indians came -forward, took the oath, stacked their weapons at the feet of Moroni, -and departed in little bands into the wilderness. But Zerahemnah, -hoarse with wrath, mingling with the remaining soldiers urged them on -to recommence the assault. - -Angered with their stubborn resistance the Nephite leader turned his -legions loose. In the frightful massacre that ensued the dark warriors -were swept down. - -When Zerahemnah saw that they were going to be all wiped out, he cried -mightily to Moroni, promising, if he spared the remainder of their -lives, never to come against him again. - -The latter ordered the battle to cease and allowed the shivering -remnants of the Lamanites to leave. - -Night descended on the field of horrors and obliterated many of its -sights, and Moroni, weary and sick at heart, made his way back to his -tent. Outside a lashing rainstorm had arisen, increasing the agony of -the wounded. The soldiers were clearing the field and throwing the -bodies of the unnumbered dead into the river. Dreariness enveloped the -general as he threw himself disconsolately down. - -"A lady to see you, sir," announced the sentry at the door. Moroni -started up. Doubtless some heartbroken mother come in search of her -son. Was there no end? - -"Admit her," he ordered curtly. - -A woman clad in a rough brown cloak entered. She threw back her hood -from which her head emerged like a gorgeous poppy. - -Moroni started toward her. "Zorabel," he exclaimed. - -"Thank God you are safe!" she withdrew her hand from his compelling -grasp to feel the massive armor on his shoulders, to assure herself -that he was not hurt. - -"This is no place for you. How did you come here?" he gently chided. - -"Since you left I have been in torment. When I heard of a clash of arms -on the other side of the river, I jumped on my swiftest steed. See how -fast I rode. It shook down all my hair." She showed him her black hair -streaming almost to her knees. "When I reached the lines they said you -barely escaped death today," her voice broke. - -"I suppose I should have been killed if it hadn't been for Amalickiah! -Your brother saved my life." - -"Dear Amalickiah! You must tell me." - -As he recited the incidents of the day she drank in his words with her -soul in her eyes. - -Strange spectacle that, of Zorabel, the charmer. She had recognized -Moroni as the coming man and had deliberately set out to fascinate him. -But as she entrapped him with her hundred coquetries, she found herself -in the toils. The fresh young general had stirred her as no other man -ever had and the proud Zorabel was now avowedly the abject slave of -love. - -In her sweet presence the exigencies of the camp were forgotten, the -turmoil of the day faded away, and Moroni felt a calm descend on his -spirit. - -II. - -MORONI RAISES THE STANDARD OF LIBERTY. - -Moroni sat in his study bent over a message which read, "Amalickiah has -stirred up an insurrection to gain the kingdom," when a young lawyer -entered and accosted him. The newcomer had formerly been the general's -secretary and an affectionate familiarity existed between them. - -"What is it now?" asked Moroni pushing his papers aside, for something -in the other's air suggested matters of import. - -[Illustration: MORONI RAISES THE STANDARD OF LIBERTY.] - -"Only this, sir. I found out by accident that there was a meeting of -the judges of the lower court called to which I was not bid. I took -means to investigate and found that they have all pledged themselves -to support Amalickiah as king on the strength of his empty promises to -increase their power." - -"I was afraid of this," sighed Moroni. His eye traveled to the door -whence a young captain entered with angry stride. - -The stern young blade was vibrant with vehemence as he saluted and -announced, "There is a defection in the army, sir. The soldiers have -been stirred up with tales of civil war. The men, spoiling with -inaction, hail the idea of a clash with delight. Already they are -taking sides. Amalickiah has won over the rougher element with promises -of loot." - -"What have you done?" - -"Put the rebels in irons. But the insurrection is spreading, and I -can't imprison the whole army." - -"You have done well. Let us hear what Sherum has to say." A servant -with disheveled hair, his garments almost torn from his back, and his -eyes rolling wildly in his head, had rushed in and thrown himself at -the feet of the general. - -It was a moment before the panting wretch could get his breath. Between -gasps he managed to ejaculate, "The city has gone mad. Howling mobs -are blocking the streets. As I returned from the charcoal vender's I -ventured to enquire what it was all about. They jeered at me and when -I refused to cry, 'Long live King Amalickiah, cuffed me from hand to -hand." - -Moroni knew enough about the management of men to realize that -turbulent conditions require desperate remedies. Unless the revolution -was stopped Amalickiah would be swept into office on the flood tide of -a riot. - -His face darkened. "Was it for this that my people fought the bloody -wars with the Lamanites? Resisted the yoke of bondage to become thralls -of a Nephite king, because perchance, Amalickiah would have it so?" he -muttered bitterly. - -"Teancum, go back to the barracks. Order the soldiers to prepare to -march and the first one who tries to desert make an example of. Let fly -an arrow and shoot him in the back." - -Filled with the valor of his emprize, Teancum saluted his chief in -silence and strode out. - -"Sherum, arise, and bid Horeb bring here my full armor. You," he -continued, turning to the lawyer, "go tell the town criers to summon -the people to a mass meeting at the palace of justice. Say that Moroni -would speak with them." - -Tearing off the white cotton mantle that hung from his shoulders -he took it over to the longest spear that rested against the wall. -Quickly he lashed the white flag to the pole with thongs of buckskin. -Then hastily thrusting his brush into the ink pot that stood near, he -wrote on the white banner in bold letters, "In memory of our God, our -religion and freedom, our peace, our wives, and our children." - -Before he had finished his body servant entered bowed under the weight -of his harness. With firm, deft touch he encased his master in the -glittering metal. First he adjusted the breast plate, and then fastened -the heavy armor that shielded the vital organs. He handed his chief his -shield dented with the fray of many battles and lastly crowned him with -the great helmet which bore on its crest the winged serpent. - -He knew that one man could not quell the insurrection. He felt that he -was but a weak instrument. Before he ventured out Moroni bowed himself -down and prayed mightily that the Lord would pour down on the people -the blessing of liberty. - -Filled with the new strength that earnest prayer always imparts, he -seized the title of liberty, and walked boldly out into the howling mob -in the street. - -When the people saw Moroni clad in martial array and read what was on -his torn flag, the clamor died on their lips. Many quickly separated -themselves from the crowd and followed the general. - -When he reached the palace of justice and ascended the stairs to the -portico, he found the square below filled with a surging multitude and -from all directions others were hurrying. Men who had fought in the -wars with Moroni were fastening on their armor as they ran, and women -pulled children by the hand. - -Moroni stepped forward and grasped the standard of liberty as he cried -in a loud voice, "Behold whosoever will maintain this title upon the -land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a -covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that -the Lord God may bless them." - -At this many of the people rent their garments and trampled them under -foot as they cried, "So may our enemies trample us under foot if we -fall into transgression." - -Moroni reminded them that was what would probably happen. Then he -launched into speech while the populace hung spell-bound on every word. -The vast concourse stood silent while his utterance rang out. Never had -such a eulogy been paid to liberty, never such a tribute to their God. -In glowing words he pictured what they had endured for their religion, -what they had suffered in the recent wars for their freedom. Scarcely -one in that vast multitude but what had sacrificed for both. As the -orator ended with the appeal, "Will you who have so bitterly resented -the Lamanitsh yoke bend the knee to a Nephite king?" an ominous shout -arose and he knew that the populace was with him. General Moroni was -still the idol of the people and Amalickiah stood impugned. - -As the speaker, sucked of his strength, turned to descend, someone -plucked at his arm. He recognized the big servant of Zorabel who -delivered the message. - -"My mistress would speak with you. She begs that you will come to her." - -"Tell your mistress Zorabel that I shall come, but not yet." - -With that he dismissed the messenger and made his way to the -barracks where there was much that demanded the attention of the -commander-in-chief for the rest of the afternoon. - -It was evening when he at last made his way toward the house of -Zorabel. In her apartment the oil already flamed in its brazen cruet. -So vast was the room that the light did not penetrate to its further -corners, but it served to illumine its magnificence. The walls were -carved in grotesque designs brilliantly colored. Prominent among the -engravings was the winged serpent of Moroni, and by its side the -leopard of Amalickiah. On the floor, over the couches, at the door, -were displayed richest blankets of heaviest woof and rainbow hue. Nor -were there lacking evidences of the personality of Moroni, for his -gifts were placed with loving care. On an alabaster stand lay a book -of papyrus filled with picture writing in colored inks, depicting the -scenes of the conflicts Moroni had taken part in. Against the wall -stood a buckskin shield won from a famous Lamanite chief. Her own divan -was graced by the skin of an ocelot that Moroni had brought from one of -his foraying expeditions. - -Another woman would have paled in such gorgeous surroundings, but -Zorabel dominated the whole. In crimson robes, the wealth of her -raven hair bound in fillets of gold, she was the throbbing heart of -the scene. Her own heart beat unevenly beneath the white bosom which -was circled with a necklace of jade. She had placed the bangles there -wondering if his man's brain would remember under what circumstances -he had given them to her. She had neglected no detail that night that -would help in the desperate enterprise on which she was bound. - -There was a tread in the corridor and Moroni stood in the doorway. As -she looked at him all her reproaches for his tardiness died on her lips -and her woman's tenderness gushed forth. - -"You are ill." - -After the exertions of the day Moroni's features were drawn, his face -pallid, and the life had gone out of him. Quickly she went to him and -he enveloped her in his arms. - -"Come," she said at last, "you are shaking as if you had the ague. I -will give you some wine." She poured an amber liquid into a goblet and -held it to his lips as he sat down weakly. - -"It has been a terrible day," she moaned. - -"Yes," he agreed. "Was that what you wanted to see me about?" - -"I always want to see you, but I wished to talk to you, about--" she -hesitated, "Amalickiah." - -"I had to oppose him," said Moroni wearily. - -"Yes, and defeated him. You won the people over to your side." - -"He would be king." - -"He is ambitious but he cannot help it." - -"But he should learn that he cannot jeopardize the liberty of a nation -to gratify his vaulting ambition." - -"He was dissatisfied with his position." - -"He saved my life, but I could not pay my debts with the offices of the -people. The trust I gave him he has betrayed." - -Zorabel winced, "The first victory came to you. Promise me you will -oppose my brother no longer." - -"He is a menace to our freedom." - -"You will cease the conflict for my sake?" - -"I cannot." - -"Moroni, I would give up my life for you." - -"Ask me for my life, Zorabel, and it is yours. As military leader, I -must defend the country against any encroachment." - -"Then you will let him go his way and not molest him further." - -"He is seducing the people and they will have to come back." - -"At least, you will let Amalickiah go?" - -"Not even that, my Zorabel. As long as he is free the Nephite republic -is threatened." - -"Then you will do nothing?'' And her face was terrible. - -"I cannot." - -"Oh, God, have I come to this? What is this insensate thing that I have -poured out the lavishness of my soul on? I thought it was a man," she -flung up her arms despairingly. - -"As I am a man I cannot do this thing you ask me. Forgive me, Zorabel," -he choked. - -"I have wasted my wealth of love; there is none left. What has it -brought me? I have torn my heart out and it has been devoured by the -God of War, but unlike the miserable victim that is sacrificed, my body -shall live on and on, after the heart has gone from it." - -"Zorabel, you are killing me." - -"I am already dead. No man shall again thrill me with his touch nor -will he put me on the rack. Henceforth, I have no master. As for you," -she had worked herself into a paroxysm of fury, "never let me see your -face again." In her tempestuous rage she seized the lamp and dashed it -on the floor. - -Darkness closed in, and out of the blackness Moroni heard a voice that -ordered him to "Go." He groped blindly around but instinct told him -that if he touched her he would be lost, nor would he be the first -man that betrayed his country for a woman. Staggering, he turned and -stumbled out. Like a drunken man he descended to the street. Even then -had he known that Zorabel lay on the floor shaken with convulsive sobs -he might have turned back. But destiny guided him on. - -When he reached home he found a message from Hirza, congratulating him -on the splendid achievement of the day. With a wan smile he thought, -"At what a cost!" - -[Illustration: AZTEC GOD OF WAR.] - -III. - -AMALICKIAH. - -Zorabel carried out her threat; having cast love out of her life she -was ruled by ambition. After renouncing Moroni she proceeded to marry -the aged, decrepid Lachoneus. He was the richest man in all Zarahemla, -but her beauty bought him. She lived for wealth and power and outwardly -was as handsome as ever. Moroni used to see her rolling resplendently -in her carriage, but he never met her without a twinge of the old pain. - -Amalickiah, when he saw his forces were far outnumbered by the legions -of Moroni, beat a hasty retreat into the wilderness. Moroni marched -against him, cut him off, and drove the insurgent soldiers back to -Zarahemla. During the melee, however, Amalickiah with the chief -conspirators, managed to escape. According to time honored custom they -sought refuge in the city of Nephi, with the Nephite's arch enemy, the -king of the Lamanites. - -That august personage received the renegade Nephite with wide open -arms, and when he found what a good fellow he was, heaped honors upon -him. Amalickiah, with the charm of his words, won all hearts at court. - -He conceived a gigantic scheme. That was to rule the Nephites through -their ancient enemies, the Lamanites. To this end he began by his -subtle flattery to stir up the king's anger against the white people. - -"Why should you not rule over the whole continent, for you are stronger -than they?" he intimated. - -The idea tickled the king's fancy, for though he reigned over mighty -hosts, he had a vast respect for the Nephite laws and craftsmanship. - -"Seize them now, while their power is divided, and they are yours. They -have no head," urged the deserter. - -The king remembered a certain General Moroni, but wisely held his -counsel. "They have those liberty flags floating from the towers of -every city," he suggested. - -"Yes, and you will trample every one of them in the dust beneath your -chariot wheels," prophesied Amalickiah with rising vindictiveness. - -The king, dazzled by the glories pictured by this astute adviser, -issued the mandate for war. Throughout the length and breadth of the -land went the word that summoned the hosts. - -Then a remarkable thing occurred. Many of the warriors had fought on -the banks of the river Sidon and had taken an oath not to again take up -arms against the Nephites, nor would they. These men fled to a place -called Onidah, appointed a general and declared, "We will have peace, -if we have to fight for it." - -The king suggested to Amalickiah, since he was so much interested in -the campaign, that he whip the insurgents into line. The latter gladly -accepted the command of the troops that were still loyal, for he had -already planned to dethrone the king and he counted that one step -toward the accomplishment of his design. - -The rebels who refused to fight for the king, under the command of -Lehonti, occupied the hill Antipus. Amalickiah pitched his camp at its -base. - -At night, muffled in a zerape, Amalickiah passed the guard, and with -sinister stride, made his way around the side of the mountain. When -he was out of sight of the sentry, he stopped abruptly. The night was -fitted for deeds of darkness, as it was so black one could not see the -next step in advance. To the west the clouds were banked up and the -wind was beginning to rise. The gaze of the man who stood amid the -desolation was fastened on a moving object up the side of the mountain. -A stone, becoming dislodged, rattled down and instinctively his hand -sought his sword. - -The next moment the figure accosted him. - -"It is you, Tish? What does Lehonti say?" - -"He returns the same answer that he has sent the past two nights. He -will not come down to parley with you." - -"Did you tell him it was of vital importance?" - -"He said that if that was the case, that you could send the message up -to him." - -"You told him I would assure his safe conduct." - -"He answered that a man who had betrayed two masters might do no better -by an enemy." - -Amalickiah showed sudden magnanimity. - -"Go tell the coward dog that I come alone to confer with him. Bid him -bring his guards and meet me at his own gate." - -Swiftly the messenger sped off and Amalickiah picked his more -deliberate way up the side of the mountain. When he reached the place -appointed, he found that Lehonti already awaited him and that he had -taken the precaution to bring his full body guard. - -"What I have to say is for your ears alone," explained Amalickiah in a -low tone. - -Not to be outdone in generosity, Lehonti motioned for his men to fall -back. - -With the bluntness his crafty soul knew so well how to assume, -Amalickiah came straight to the point. - -"My policy is to unite the two divisions of the Lamanite army. If we -fall on each other and shed blood my very purpose will be defeated. We -need all the men for the common enemy." - -"I too, am opposed to bloodshed," answered Lehonti, slowly. "It is not -good for brother to fight against brother." - -"I wish to put the whole Lamanite army under one head. If you bring -your troops tonight and surround our camp, I will deliver it to you at -daylight." - -"The price? What do you want?" asked Lehonti looking the traitor -straight in the eyes. - -"That you make me second in command of all the forces of the Lamanites." - -The Indian mistrusted how he might get along with such a lieutenant, -but the proposition seemed fair enough on its face, and he agreed. - -At dawn, when the soldiers began to stir, they found that they were -completely surrounded by the army of Lehonti. Then they pleaded with -Amalickiah that he would let them fall in with their brethren and not -be destroyed. That was what he wanted. In direct disobedience to the -commands of the king, he delivered his men to Lehonti. That noble but -trusting general had taken a viper to his bosom, though he had to die -to prove it. - -From second in command to the office of commander-in-chief, was but one -step. It mattered little to the unscrupulous Amalickiah that Lehonti -stood in the way. He had slow poison administered in his food. When the -latter sickened the Nephite took over his duties. - -As the two sat at the table at dinner, one day, Lehonti collapsed and -fell on the floor. Amalickiah shrugged his shoulders and indifferently -remarked that he had taken a fit. When the physicians examined the -prostrate figure and pronounced him dead, Amalickiah affected surprise. -He ordered that Lehonti be buried with military honors, and that same -day appointed himself to the dead man's place. - -Slowly the great army began to make its way back to the capitol. -Runners brought word to the king that the hosts covered the plains. -Thinking that Amalickiah had gathered together so great an army to go -to battle against the Nephites, he, with great pomp, accompanied by -his guards, sallied out to meet the victorious general. He did not -know that Amalickiah would fain advance another step and that the king -himself this time stood in the way. - -The advance scouts, the employed hirelings of the general, went ahead -of the army and bowed themselves down before the king to do him -reverence. Among them was Tish, noted for his dog-like devotion to his -master. It was he, it was suspected, who had administered the poison to -Lehonti. Whatever his faults, he was unswerving in his loyalty to his -chief. It chanced that he knelt directly in front of the monarch. When -the sovereign put forth his hand to raise him in token of peace, he -leaned forward and buried his dagger to the hilt in the king's heart. -So quickly had it happened as the two men stood together, so sure was -the stroke, that not until the king went down on his back and the red -spot on his robe slowly widened, did the dazed onlookers realize what -had happened. The attendants, in abject terror that they would share a -like fate, swiftly fled. - -An accomplice, taking his cue from the fleeing servants came up and -addressed the assassin. - -"So his own guards have killed the king and are running away." - -Tish, smiling sardonically down on his own blade drinking the life -blood of the dying monarch, murmured, "It must be so." - -The eye lids of the victim quivered accusingly an instant and then -closed forever. Tish turned away his head. - -The others closed in and raised a great shout, "Behold the servants of -the king have stabbed him to the heart, and he has fallen and they have -fled. Come and see." - -They did not bethink themselves to pursue the refugees until -Amalickiah, with the main division of the army came up. - -When that doughty general had looked in silence on the king, lying -in his gore, he worked himself up to a mighty wrath and ordered, -"Whosoever loved the king, let him go forth and pursue his servants -that they may be slain." - -At this, those who loved the king, and they were many, started in hot -pursuit of the renegades, but the latter, when they saw an army coming -after them, fortified with the strength born of desperation, made good -their escape. - -Amalickiah, having won the hearts of the people with his valorous -attempt to apprehend the supposed slayers of the king, marched into the -city in triumph at the head of his troops. He had already sent messages -to the queen, accompanied by the corpse of her husband. In her vigil -over the bier she listened to the tramp of the numberless battalions, -and replied by craving mercy for the inhabitants of the city. She asked -the general to wait upon her and bring witnesses to testify concerning -the death of the king. - -Amalickiah, looking very handsome in full armor, went to the palace and -presented himself before the queen as she sat in state upon the throne. -He was accompanied by Tish and the other conspirators, who had killed -her husband. They all solemnly swore that the king had been slain by -his own servants. They added, "They have fled. Does not this testify -against them?" While she received the report, Amalickiah kept his -dominating gaze on the queen's face. When she felt him looking at her, -she dropped her eyes. After the others withdrew, Amalickiah remained to -adjust affairs of state with the queen. - -For three days the widow shut herself up in her chamber to mourn. -During that time Amalickiah surfeited her with embankments of flowers -and baskets of fruit. His multiple gifts were accompanied by a -glib-tongued messenger, who lost no opportunity to sound his master's -praises. - -[Illustration: AMALIKAIH SENT THE CORPSE OF HER HUSBAND TO THE -LAMANITE QUEEN.] - -The lady, overburdened with the affairs of state, came to rely more and -more on the big, strong, councillor. They were thrown much together and -people began to wonder if there had been another reason for the king's -sending Amalickiah away to the wars. He was a Nephite with the charm -and manners of his race, and the queen was but a pawn. Only, since he -was to marry her to gain the throne, he gloried in the fact that she -was so beautiful. - -So the two were wed, and Amalickiah, seated on the throne by the -queen's side, was crowned king. She salved her conscience for her -undue haste by ordering a splendid tomb for the remains of her former -husband. She had the funeral chamber decorated with leopards, the coat -of arms of Amalickiah. - -He gave himself over to the pleasures of the court, but still -unsatisfied, desired to rule the earth. Slowly he began to plan the -vast campaign which would again mark the clash of the two greatest -generals of the age, Moroni, commander-in-chief of the Nephites, -and Amalickiah, king of the Lamanites, only now the latter had the -barbarian hordes behind him. - -IV. - -Nemesis Overtakes Amalickiah. - -Moroni again sat at his study table, while Teancum walked the floor -like a caged hyena. The former was haggard-gray like a blasted tree; -the latter vowed vengeance, in harsh, inarticulate sounds. Thus the -two men took their sorrow differently. Word had come that day that the -city of Moroni on the Atlantic coast had been sacked by Amalickiah. For -certain reverses that his troops had met with at first, that worthy had -sworn to drink Moroni's blood. City after city had fallen under his -attack, and ruin and destruction followed in his wake. Finally Moroni's -home town was captured. When Amalickiah found that he was cheated of -his revenge, as Moroni had gone to Zarahemla, he had without mercy had -the aged parents of Teancum and Moroni's young wife, Hirza, put to the -sword. Her woman's wit had saved her boy, Moronihah, and sent him in -safety to his father, but it could not save herself. - -"The vampire has drunk your blood through Hirza's veins." Teancum -stopped in his mad pace. "Poor Hirza, whose only fault was being loved -by you." - -Moroni groaned. - -"It was a coward's trick," continued the other. "They are dead, my aged -father and my poor old mother--Look you, Moroni, Amalickiah belongs to -me. Before heaven I swear to kill him with these two hands!" He flung -his powerful arms with clenched fists above his head. - -[Illustration: AMALICKIAH SACKED THE COAST CITIES AND PUT HIRZA TO THE -SWORD.] - -"Nay, do not swear," cautioned Moroni. "Teancum, you have been given -the command of the division that moves against the Lamanites tomorrow. -Fight with the genius and tenacity you displayed on the narrow neck of -land. For the rest I trust you implicitly. Now I would be alone." - -* * * * * * * * - -Amalickiah marched toward the land Bountiful driving the Nephites -before him. On the last day he had been much harassed by the archers -of Teancum that skirted the woods. When they reached the seashore -they met the forces of Teancum drawn up in martial array. A pitched -battle ensued in which the Nephites had the advantage over the footsore -Lamanites who had been marching and fighting for many days, while their -opponents were fresh. With nightfall hostilities ceased. "If Amalickiah -were dead, there would be no more war; the snake cannot strike without -its head," cogitated the Nephite. - -Teancum sat in his tent and by the sputtering flame of a pine torch, -was engaged in coloring his skin brown by rubbing it with the juice -of a wood berry. His servant, who had already gone through the same -performance, and was a Lamanite to all appearances, was sorting over -rather gingerly, a pile of women's apparel. - -"You are hard to please. Does nothing there suit you?" asked Teancum, -with mocking irony. - -"Nay, there are so many, I know not which to choose," replied the other -in the same spirit. - -"It need not be overly becoming in the dark. Let me warn you to make -your skirts short, for you may have to run." So daring hearts make -light of the gravest dangers. - -The man servant replied with a vicious wrench as he got into the -woman's garb. - -Teancum surveyed him and laughed. "My word, you make a charming wench. -Half the men in the Lamanite camp will try to flirt with you, and so -defeat our adventure. Pull your scarf down more over your face, so." - -The other grinned, displaying a mouth unfeminine in width. But he -looked sober when Teancum handed him a battle axe with the remark, "If -I fail, you may have an opportunity to finish it," Teancum himself -tucked a double-edged dagger into his belt and took down his javelin. -He then enveloped himself in a blanket. - -As the two passed out, the servant in the yellow striped skirt of -a drab, the other with the shuffling gait of a camp straggler, -they attracted little attention. When they entered the camp of the -Lamanites they elicited less, for the men slept with the abandonment of -exhaustion. "A fellow and his girl out late," was all they thought, if -they saw them at all. - -As the couple picked their way among the tired soldiers one would -occasionally open his eyes, see who it was, only grunt and turn over -wearily. So without mishap they reached the tent of Amalickiah. Fortune -was with them, for his servants were sleeping heavily. Although delay -was fraught with danger, Teancum reconnoitered a moment to ascertain -just where Amalickiah lay. He was asleep on a camp couch with his arms -by his side. A streak of moonlight straggled in and illumined his pale -face. - -For a moment Teancum poised his javelin in the air. Then he struck. So -powerful was the arm that drove the weapon that it went through the -sleeper's body, speared the heart, and he died without a groan. - -Teancum joined his cowering companion at the entrance, and the two -picked their way out of the hostile camp. - -Not until morning did the Lamanite hordes raise a wail for their dead -king. They had just found his corpse, stark and cold, stuck through -with a javelin. - -[Illustration: BAS-RELIEF OF ANCIENT WARRIOR] - -[Illustration: ALLA DERIDING THE IDOLS] - -AMMON'S MISSION TO THE LAMANITES. - -I. - -AMMON EMBARKS ON A MISSION - -Ammon was the Napoleon of the western hemisphere. One trembles to think -what a man of such power might have done, had he used it for his own -aggrandizement, instead of converting souls. He was a king's son, and -though not the eldest, he was chief among his brothers, for his name is -always mentioned first. - -During a brilliant and careless youth, the whole course of his life had -been metamorphosed by a miracle. Thenceforth he consecrated his life -to the work of the Lord, beside which a mere earthly kingdom sank into -insignificance. - -When Mosiah, king of the Nephites, waxed old, there was no one to take -his place as his four sons had elected to go as missionaries to the -Lamanites. His death marked the beginning of the reign of the judges. - -Heavily armed, the missionaries departed into the wilderness. Their -weapons were not designed for their fellow man, but for wild game that -they should kill for food. That they went hungry was not due to their -lack of prowess, for they often chose to fast that the spirit of the -Lord would be with them. Nor was their sacrifice without effect, for -the Lord promised them that if they made examples of their lives that -they should be instruments in his hands unto the salvation of many -souls. - -It was characteristic of Ammon that he should separate from his -companions and go up to the land of Ishmael alone. Here, skirting the -woods, he was captured by the Lamanites, and, like every Nephite caught -on their borders, was taken before their king. - -Lamoni was in a good humor. He had just returned from the hunt where he -had killed the silver fox. As he threw himself back on his divan, he -took in the points of the prisoner with the keen eye of a connoisseur. -With discriminating approval, he noted the swelling muscles beneath the -loose garments of the white man, but with black suspicion, demanded, -"What are you doing here?" - -"I was entering your country when I was violently assaulted and bound -with thongs of buckskin." Ammon looked ruefully, down at his chafed -ankles. - -"May I ask what you were entering the country for?" - -"I came here to live." - -"You came here to live!" repeated the king stupidly. - -"Yes, and I may stay until I die." - -"Which may be soon, judging by the fate that your last two countrymen, -that encroached on my borders, met. What crime did you commit in -Zarahemla that makes you an outcast?" - -"None. I came here of choice, not of necessity." - -"Then you are a merchant?" - -"No. I am a king's son and need nu money." - -Lamoni looked puzzled. Clearly he could not understand this man, yet -his words carried conviction. - -"I am a missionary," explained Ammon simply. "I have come here to -preach the gospel of righteousness." - -"I know that your people have preserved some remnants of the truth that -we have lost. You say that you have relinquished your father's kingdom -to come and live among us?" he asked incredulously, obviously flattered. - -"What is that compared with the salvation of souls? Who knows but what -if we come to one belief that these bloodthirsty wars between our two -peoples shall cease?" - -"Cut this man's bonds," ordered Lamoni, pleased with his new guest. - -Like a hound loosed from leash, Ammon shook off his fetters and stood -forth majestically. - -Lamoni opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly his jaw dropped and -the utterance died on his lips. A woman's laugh, shrill and taunting, -came from the terrace and recalled his chief trouble to the king. His -brow puckered. His daughter, Alla, was the trial of his life. She kept -the court in a continuous uproar. Not the least of her faults was that -she was an incorrigible flirt and kept the nobles in continual hot -water with her coquetries. It would not have been so bad if she had -confined her operations to the nobility, but she showed a democratic -predilection for commoners that was at least alarming. More than -once, he had tried to marry her off but his and the princess' choice -had never fallen on the same person. Only three days before, she had -lured two young men into an embroglio with the result that one carried -his arm in a sling while the other had lost the temporary use of an -eye. When openly charged with encouraging them, Alla had shamelessly -confessed that she led men on to see what they would do under certain -circumstances. Hers was a woman's insatiate curiosity, which, deprived -of books, read people in lieu thereof. - -Lamoni was seized with a sudden inspiration. "Tell Alla to come here." - -The servant sped out, but Ammon was not prepared for the apparition -that presently appeared. - -"You wanted me, father?" Of strong rather than beautiful features as -she stood there in regal robes she was every inch a princess. She was -dressed with the care bred of the knowledge that every detail was dear -to the heart of a man. Yet Alla did not make her conquests at first -sight. They were wrought out of the diabolical cunning of her brain, -but once she got her grip on a man--she did not let go. - -"This is Ammon, son of King Mosiah. Since he purposes to dwell among us -I shall give him you for a wife," announced Lamoni. Turning to the man -he continued, "That you may appreciate the honor I confer upon you, I -will add that the hand of my daughter has been sought by every noble -in the kingdom." He did not explain that a decision in any one's favor -would probably precipitate civil war and that he was pawning her off on -the newcomer to gain peace for himself. - -"I do not know him," interposed Alla. - -"The women of our country choose their own husbands," abetted Ammon. -"Moreover, missionaries do not marry. They cannot divide their -attention between their work and a woman." - -"Then you refuse her," repeated the king dully. The humor of the -situation burst on him. "Alla, there is one man who will not have you." - -With one look at Ammon, she tossed her head and swept out. - -"She will make you regret it," remarked Lamoni with a twinkle in his -eye, "No one ever offends Alla with impunity." - -"I meant no offense to the princess. Under the circumstances what else -could I say?" - -"Since you have refused to become the king's son-in-law, may I ask what -you propose to do?" - -"No work is too humble for my new calling. Let me be your servant," he -suggested with enthusiasm. - -"The training of a king's son seldom fits a man for labor. What can you -do?" - -"I have herded cattle and I love the open." - -"Then a cattle herder you shall be." - -He clapped his hands. To the servant that appeared he ordered, "Take -this man and give him a place among the herders. Provide him with all -necessities." To Ammon he said, "If there is anything I can do for you -let me know. I shall see you again." They were dismissed and with a -sigh of relief he sank back among his cushions. - -II. THE CATTLE HERDER. - -For three days Ammon rode among the cattle. A born horseman he sat -well the king's mount that had been sent him. During that time he had -seen no more of Princess Alla though his ears had been filled with -a multitude of servant's tales about her that were both weird and -startling. - -It so chanced that early in the morning as the herders drove the cattle -to the waters of Sebus to drink, that the robbers from the mountains -had congregated there to scatter the herds. This was not an unusual -thing for the vast wealth of Lamoni in live stock was known and -coveted. A rather peculiar criminal code existed, by which any servants -who allowed the king's cattle to be stolen, were put to death, while -the robbers retreated to their mountain fastnesses unmolested. This -prevented collusion but encouraged the thieves. - -As the cattle neared the river the robbers, with wild whoops, plunged -in among them, scattering them in all directions. This was what they -wanted so they could drive them off in bunches to their rendezvous. -Ammon, who was not familiar with the conditions, viewed the scene with -astonishment; but his surprise knew no bounds when he beheld the king's -servants throw themselves violently to the ground and begin to weep in -a paroxysm of grief. - -"Look here, you will be run over," he cried heading off a frightened -heifer. The chief danger was over, as the stampede was swallowed up in -a cloud of dust across the plains. - -"We are all dead men," wailed an old man to whom life was still sweet. - -"I leave a young wife," added a youth in a lifeless monotone. - -"What do you mean?" Ammon impatiently exclaimed. - -"Simply this," explained a man of middle age, "when the king's cattle -are stolen, the herders are put to death." - -"Then they must be brought back," said Ammon with finality. "Instead of -driveling here, spread out to the sides and help drive them in when I -turn them this way." - -The others eyed him as if paralyzed as he dug his heels into his horse -and sped off across the plains like the whirlwind. As his flying figure -wa? swallowed up by a cloud of dust, they arose and mechanically began -to spread out on the prairie. - -Ammon was handicapped as the cattle had the start of him. He leaned -forward and swirled his lariat in the air although his poor beast was -already panting with distended nostrils. Slowly he gained on the herd -which was impeded by its own numbers. His horse was frothing with foam -as he reached the front. He dared not plunge in to destruction but he -edged along the outskirts, curving the herd to one side. His alert -eyes had espied the leader, a young bull, and he made for him. Without -putting himself directly in its infuriated way, he uttered a wild whoop -and almost imperceptibly turned him in another direction. The cattle -followed suit and traveled in a circle and by the time that the cowboys -hedged them in they were able to drive them back to the waters of Sebus. - -The robbers, unprepared for such tactics, had after their first -unsuccessful attempt massed themselves together at the watering place -to again scatter the herds as they came up. - -Ammon called cheerily to the herders to encircle the cattle and guard -the outskirts in case they again turned that way. Then he rode straight -at the robbers. They were amused at this onslaught of a lone rider and -thought that they could kill him at will, but when he hurtled among -them and began to hew right and left with his polished blade, they took -notice and heaved stones at him. He emerged from the shower unscathed -and retaliated by striking down man after man. When he reached the -leader, whom he distinguished by his white crest, he stopped long -enough to kill him. For the rest he was content to disarm them, for -they were panic stricken. Ammon understood a trick probably learned -in his fencing at court, which stood him in good stead. His opponents -fought him with clubs. By a dexterous stroke he disabled their -arms so that they fell limp by their side. The robbers, completely -routed, fled, and Lamoni's awestruck servants crowded up and gathered -together the arms of the cattle thieves. Bearing these trophies of the -encounter, they hurried to tell the wonderful tale to the king. - -Ammon leisurely betook himself to the courtyard where he got out the -horses and began to harness them to the king's chariot, as Lamoni had -given instructions that it was to be prepared. He purposed to attend -a feast given by his father, a neighboring but greater king. As he -led the spirited animals out, one of them reared but Ammon yanked the -bridle down and forced the brute into place. A flower fell at his feet -and he looked up to see Alla watching him from one of the windows. - -She leaned out and called, "My father wants you to come so he can thank -you for saving his cattle today." - -Ammon finished fastening the straps to the gilded chariot, picked up -the blossom, and went in. - -III. - -THE TRANCE. - -The queen sent for Ammon to come to the death chamber where the body -of the king had lain in state for two days and two nights. Though her -husband was apparently dead and the magnificent sepulchre stood gaping -for the interment, the grief-stricken wife would not have it so. As -in all southern countries, it was the custom to bury a corpse within -twenty-four hours after death. The servants began to go about holding -their noses as they exclaimed, "He stinketh." In this dilemma, the -queen sent for Ammon. She had heard of his fame through Alla. - -She met him at the entrance and conducted him into the funeral -chapel where she had been keeping sorrowful vigil. Coming out of the -sunlight into the damp chamber, a cold chill swept over him. The vast, -dimly lighted apartment, constructed entirely of stone, was bare of -furnishings except for the bier in the middle where the body was laid -out. - -As the queen led Ammon over and removed the draperies, displaying the -king garbed in his royal robes, she murmured in agonized tones, "They -tell me you are a prophet of God, and have power to do mighty works in -his name. See, some say that he is dead and ought to be placed in the -sepulchre, but to me he is not dead." - -The missionary bent low over the wax like face still as a mask. Closely -he scrutinized the veins. Looking up he announced, "He is not dead, but -he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore -bury him not. Believeth thou this?" - -"I believe it will be according as you say." - -"Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith: I say unto thee, -woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the -Nephites." - -All through the still hours of the night the queen kept vigil over the -lifeless figure. When the gray dawn stole in through the casement she -welcomed it with relief. At the appointed hour when the king should -rise came Ammon to give her courage. - -As they watched the form stirred, then slowly arose and shook off the -shroud. When the king recognized his faithful wife he stretched forth -his hand and blest her. His face shone with a transcendent light, and -overcome by the spirit, he sank down by the side of the bier. The -queen, in sheer weakness of joy embraced him. Ammon fell on his knees -and poured forth his soul in prayer and thanksgiving. - -It so chanced that Alla was hovering near. She felt strange influences -in the air; also was she piqued by this Nephite prophet who ignored -her. When she came into the room, beheld the trio on their knees and -her father risen from his bed, she uttered shriek after shriek. The -frightened servants came running, and when they saw the king risen from -the dead they also fell upon their knees. - -One alone, Abish, a waiting woman, who had been converted to the gospel -sometime before, retained her presence of mind. - -"It is the power of God," she opined, and ran carrying the news from -house to house. - -A vast multitude assembled and when they beheld the spectacle at the -palace and noted the Nephite in the strange group, they began to murmur. - -"A great evil has come among us," cried one. - -"Nay, let it fall on the king's head for harboring the alien," -interposed another. - -Still others said, "The king has brought destruction on himself for -killing his servants when they lost the herds at Sebus." - -The friends of the men whom Ammon had slain there heaped their -maledictions on the Nephite. One, whose brother had been killed, -obsessed with frenzy, drew his sword, and rushed at Ammon, but as he -raised his blade to strike him, he himself reeled and fell dead. Was it -apoplexy, a deep seated heart trouble, or had the Lord, who promised -Ammon that he should pass unscathed through perils, struck him down? -The awestruck populace did not know. - -"This man is the Great Spirit," said one clinging to some vestiges of -the old faith. - -"He is a monster," disagreed another. - -They straightway quarreled over the matter; the crowd took sides. A -clash was imminent whereat Abish burst into tears. In this emergency -she went over to the queen, and tenderly helped her to her feet. The -latter's face was radiant as she took hold of the hand of the king. He -confronted the multitude. In few words he endorsed the work of Ammon. -His conversion was wrought during his trance. From that time forth he -was the missionary's ablest advocate. - -That night a great feast was given to celebrate the recovery of the -king. The palace gardens were thrown open to the people. Bands played -on the terraces, fountains sprayed by the lurid light of the bon fires, -and the moonlight kissed the lake. The whole city rejoiced in gala -attire, while the attaches of the palace, relieved from the recent -strain, relapsed into abandon. The queen's heart expanded toward all -mankind; the king, snatched from the grave, lorded it graciously over -his subjects. The nobles exchanged merry quips and the banquet was long -drawn out. People treated Ammon with semi-worship. He was in an exalted -frame of mind for he knew that his work was auspiciously begun. - -Blinded with the lights and deafened with the noise, he felt faint, -and clambered out into the open air to walk beneath the stars. Back -and forth he paced when he heard his name called in a soft voice. He -wheeled to behold Alla beneath the rubber plants. As he went towards -her, she, in her yellow robes against the dark green of the foliage, -reminded him more than ever of a gorgeous butterfly. - -"I have not had a chance to thank you before for what you did for my -father," she said between sips of fruit juice. - -Ammon disclaimed credit, saying it was all due to the power of the Lord. - -"I want you to help me tonight. Come into the garden. We will have to -hurry, or Hebron, who went to fetch me an ice, will be back." - -Without more ado she took hold of his arm and hastily urged him down -the stairs. On reaching the garden she plucked a burning brand from the -fire and led him through dark, circuitous paths beneath the umbrella -trees till the roof of a round topped building loomed before them. - -"Be careful of the steps," she cautioned as she started to descend into -it, but she herself jumped when a black beetle fell from one of the -overhanging branches. He came to her rescue and together they entered -the underground chamber. Ammon looked about him curiously. The place -was lined with hewn stone. He laid his hand on a porphyry vase that -contained incense. - -"See," Alla held the light up to the wall. "These paintings depict the -principal events in my father's life." - -Ammon's eyes followed the intricate designs without grasping their -meaning. - -"You will notice," she continued, "that the other side of the room is -blank. That space is kept for the scenes yet to come." - -"But if he should die--" his gaze traveled to the middle of the room -where reposed a marble sarcophagus with its maw gaping wide for the -dead. - -She read his thoughts, "Yes, this is my father's tomb. The lid was -removed when we thought we would have to bring him here. He must not -see it in this condition. I dared not bring the servants to shut it, -for they talk. You are strong, will you not lift the lid back into -place?" - -The missionary bent his shoulders to the task. He clutched the marble -slab in his arms, rocked for a moment under its weight, then closed it -down on the tomb. - -"So it is cheated of its occupant," he finished. - -"I hope it stays sealed a long time," sighed Alla. - -The torch flickered out and they stumbled out of the musty tomb into -the garden scented with honey suckle blooms. They found their way -to the rose garden whose charms Ammon had never known before. The -excitement of the day had not yet worn off and the allurement of the -tropics got into his blood. Seeing the city gone wild with pleasure, -gave rise to resentment that he should be cheated of it. With parched -lips he thirsted to quaff this sweet cup that was held to his lips. He -glanced at his companion, natural and more fair than any wild thing in -the woods. Seized with moon madness the couple wandered down to the -sluggish waters of the lake. - -"Yonder is my chinampa,--my floating garden." She indicated a black -oasis. "When I grow weary of the world I flee to it and while the day -away on the bosom of the waters. I have there a little chapel filled -with the images of our Lamanite gods. Would you like to see them?" - -Ammon assented, so she clambered over the rocks and shot out her canoe. -They took their places in it and the man drove it across the lake with -broad strokes. - -Alla fell silent. What availed all her little vanities in the presence -of this man who read her very soul. He was her master; already she -worshiped him. The calm also gave Ammon time to think of where his -folly led him. Even if he should marry, this creature of impulse was -not the woman for him. Linked with his austere life she would beat her -brilliant wings out and become a limp, draggled thing. He could not -spoil her life. On the other hand, if he made her happy, his mission -would have to be abandoned. If she were only different. Then he -reflected a little sadly that if she were anything but what she was he -would not love her. - -As if to make his resolve harder she broke the silence. "You remember -that day when we first met, my father offered me to you?" - -He inclined his head. - -"You said then, 'The women of my country choose their own husbands.' -Would it make any difference if the woman offered herself to you?" - -Ammon felt a sharp twinge of pain, but he steadied his voice. "No. You -remember that I said afterward that a missionary cannot marry." - -"That day, smarting with hurt pride, I determined that I would make you -love me. Now, I wish I hadn't." They had reached the island and she -hid her confusion in landing. The garden was one bouquet of fragrant -posies. Their feet sank into long moss beneath, while festoons of -Spanish moss draped above. Alia led the Nephite to a grotto, whence -issued the sound of running water. The sanctuary was built around a -gurgling spring. Dark and dismal, it was but illy lighted by the white -moonlight that streamed in. - -"These are the images of the gods of the Lamanites." She indicated huge -figures carved in stone that lay about the place. "This is Tlalac, god -of rain; yonder the goddess of grain." Stroking the most hideous idol -she added, "This is Huitzil, god of war." - -Ammon's eyes were fastened on a slender white cross reared in front of -the last. - -"That is the symbol of your religion, for I saw a little cross hanging -around your neck. I have embraced your faith and I brought the new -symbol here in their own temple to deride the fallen idols." - -Ammon, deeply touched, took off his own chain and fastened the pendant -crucifix around the neck of the girl. She reached up to thank him. For -a moment he felt his head reel. Then very gently he took hold of her -arms and pushed her away from him. As they stood thus the sound of a -paddle fell on their startled ears. They both started back and then -Ammon impulsively stepped out to the edge of the water. He saw Hebron, -a noble who paid court to Alla, rowing alone on the lake. He hailed -him. "The Princess Alla came here to show me the ancient idols. Will -you not take her back." - -Hebron, who was surprised to find the lady that he had missed earlier -in the evening, came up with alacrity. If Ammon had a momentary flash -of jealousy as he helped Alla in, it was soon dispelled, for she -crouched down in the further end of the boat in a dejected heap, her -poor little wreath of flowers drooping forlornly in her hair. Still as -a statue he watched them speed across the lake. When they touched shore -and the man arose to help her out, he turned away his eyes, for they -were blinded with tears. - -"It is better so," he muttered with finality. He took the other canoe -and resolutely turned his back on the scene. He plowed viciously -through the water until his mighty arms ached. When he had worn himself -out he landed on the opposite shore of the lake. - -In the shadow of the giant trees he walked. The hoary cypresses held -the secrets of a thousand years, but never before had they witnessed -such a struggle in the soul of a man. When the hateful dawn came -stealing through the branches, wan and haggard, Ammon sought his cell. -Never before had it seemed so bare, nor the hard bed more uninviting. -At his order prison doors should break and kings should bow the knee, -but the greatest thing that Ammon ever did was to conquer himself, that -night. - -IV. - -THE JOURNEY. - -Ammon and the king had been playing totoloque, a game of ball, in -the garden. Lamoni sat himself down to rest, for the heat of the day -approached. - -"Ammon, I would have had you for a son, but I must needs be content to -keep you for a friend." - -"It is an honor to be counted the friend of the king," he retorted, -ignoring the first part of the remark. - -"Alla takes it rather hard." An amused twinkle came into the father's -eye. "She has been unbearable since you refused her." - -"I have consecrated my life to the work of the Lord, Alla is too young -and fair a creature to be tied to a somber personage like me." - -"Your church is well started here. Let me take you to Nephi to meet my -father, the emperor. He would like such a man as you." - -"He is not a believer. He would seek my life. Moreover, I must journey -in the opposite direction to Middoni for my elder brother Aaron and his -friends, Muloki and Ammah, are in prison there. I go to deliver them." - -"I know that in the strength of the Lord you can do all things, but I -shall go with you. Antiomno, king of Middoni, is a friend of mine and -I will flatter him that he will release your brethren from prison." He -added curiously. "Who told you that they were in prison?" - -"The voice of the Lord. Much of the power you attribute to me is gained -through listening to the inner spirit that always prompts me aright." - -Without question the king ordered his chariots and horses to be got -ready for the journey. "We will travel together," he said. "Perhaps I -may be able to help even you." - -When a king journeyed it meant the moving of a cavalcade. That they -might travel faster, Lamoni simplified his preparations. Besides his -immediate servants he took only a small body guard. As he went as the -guest of a neighboring king, what he lacked in number he made up in -magnificence. He remarked to Ammon as they started out that they would -fall an easy prey to robbers who could see their gold from afar off. - -To give color to his predictions, they had not gone far when they -descried a cloud of dust across the plains. - -"Whoever they are, they far outnumber us." They had all been straining -their eyes when Lamoni raised a shout. "It is my father, the old king -himself. Only the ruler of all the Lamanites would travel with such a -concourse." - -The new comers bore rapidly down on them, and soon the heavy chariot -of the emperor shot out and pulled up along side of them. The old man -embraced his son but scowled at the white man. - -"Why didn't you come to my feast?" he demanded. "And where are you -going with this Nephite, who is the son of a liar?" - -"I accompany him to get his brother out of prison in Middoni." He -explained his absence at the feast by telling how he had lain as if -dead for two days, and would probably have been buried alive had it not -been for the missionary. - -To his astonishment his father became furiously angry. "I am astonished -that you have been caught in their toils. These Nephites have come here -to rob you. Kill this man with your sword. Then turn about and come -back to Ishmael with me." - -His son defied him: "I will not slay Ammon, neither will I return -to the land of Ishmael, but I go to Middoni that I may release the -brethren of Ammon, for I know that they are just men, and holy prophets -of the true God." - -Enraged by his disobedience, his father raised his sword to strike him. -Ammon interposed, "You shall not slay your son, though he is better -prepared for death than you for he has repented. If you should kill him -his blood would cry from the ground, and you might lose your soul." - -The old man hesitated; his voice almost broke. "I know that if I should -slay my son I should shed innocent blood. It is you that I ought to -kill." He turned his blade toward Ammon, but the latter was too quick -for him. He whipped out his own sword and with the stroke that had -stood him in good stead at Sebus, he disabled the king's right arm. -He could not use it. Realizing that the other was at his mercy, Ammon -followed up his advantage. "I will smite you unless you grant that my -brethren be released from prison." - -Lamoni would not interfere. The retainers kept at a respectful -distance. In fear of his life the emperor promised, "If you will spare -me, I will give you anything you ask, even to half my kingdom." - -The Nephite had the old man where he wanted him. "Release my brethren -from prison. Let Lamoni retain his kingdom. Be not displeased with him; -allow him to be his own master. Then I shall spare you; otherwise I -strike." - -The emperor's temporary feeling of relief at being spared from this -whirlwind Nephite who swept everything before him, was supplanted by -wonder. Ammon had asked for nothing for himself,--only for favors for -Lamoni. Should he let a stranger be more generous than he? Touched by -the missionary's love for his son, he rejoined, "Because this is all -you have asked, I shall have your brethren cast out of prison. My son, -Lamoni, may retain his kingdom from this time and forever, and I will -govern him no more." - -"Come, let the mid-day meal be prepared," exclaimed Lamoni, overjoyed -at the turn affairs had taken. "We will eat together." - -A hastily served meal it was, that consisted mostly of cooked meat and -bread taken from leather pouches, but to the diners it was relished -with the sauce of interest. - -The two rulers asked each other many questions. They exchanged much -news of family and national interest. The emperor asked eagerly after -his granddaughter Alla. Lamoni, looking at Ammon out of the tail of his -eye, explained that she was temporarily indisposed. - -They took their siesta during the heat of the day while the attendants -watered the animals. In the late afternoon when they arose to continue -their journey, the emperor took an affecting leave of his son. Slipping -off two gold bands that had encircled his left arm, he held one out -to Lamoni, "Give this to Antiomno, to aid your quest. Say it is from -the emperor, though, if rumor be correct, a gift from Alla might be -appreciated more." He slipped the other bracelet on the arm of Ammon. -"As for you, strange man, that asks nothing for yourself, if perchance -you should think of something, bring this to the king, and he will -redeem his pledge. The doctrine that holds such an exponent as you -cannot be wholly wrong. You and your brethren come up to me to my -capitol at Nephi, for I would know you better." - -With that he took his departure. As the cavalcade wound across the -plains, Lamoni and Ammon continued their journey to Middoni. - -The herald of their coming had preceded them, for Antiomno, accompanied -by his nobles, sallied out to meet them. The two rulers hailed each -other like boon companions. After the formalities of greeting had been -exchanged, the young Antiomno ventured to enquire after the health of -the Princess Alla. - -"So even when I leave her at home, I cannot get rid of the minx!" -laughed Lamoni. "Take this cue from me, oh king, she is disconsolate. -A sore heart is impressionable. It is ever ready to attach itself to -something else. She has been disappointed." - -"I will remember it," said Antiomno. "You may expect me to return your -visit." - -Lamoni looked relieved. There were still hopes of marrying his daughter -off. After they reached the palace and had refreshed themselves from -the journey, Antiomno was much astonished to learn that he owed the -honor of the king's visit to some imprisoned missionaries that he had -never heard of before. - -"They may be here," he admitted dubiously, "I shall send and find out." - -Leaving Lamoni to be entertained by his royal host, Ammon took his way -toward the prison in search of his brethren. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF THE PALACE OF THE INDIAN KING] - -V. - -IN PRISON. - -The guard admitted Ammon on his passport. As they passed through the -corridors of the jail, he eagerly scanned every group of prisoners in -anticipation of recognizing a familiar form. When they reached the -large sunny courtyard in the middle of the rambling buildings his hopes -ran high, for the place was crowded. Here were the prisoners accused -of petty thieving. In the center, in a murky looking fountain, a -bronze Hercules bathed his mighty shoulders. Others fashioned sandals, -wove baskets, or arranged ingenious feather work. One clever person -manufactured a tiny stringed instrument out of bits of wood that he -inlaid with mother of pearl. Queer sight in a jail incarcerating -thieves, wrought the jewelers, tracing filigree work out of gold. -Another group cooked over clay ovens filled with glowing charcoal. The -attendant explained to Ammon that the trinkets were sold to defray the -expenses of board. Prisoners were dependent on their own ingenuity or -the bounty of their friends for their food, a condition which explained -the presence of women with baskets who hovered about the jail, waiting -to send in cooked delicacies to their enchained lords and masters. - -Aaron was not there. The visitor was conducted through musty chambers -and oozy passages very different from the breezy courtyard vaulted by -the sapphire sky. So far did they go that Ammon almost began to suspect -foul play. The guard threw open a door. - -"The missionaries are here." - -Stumbling in the dark, he stepped in. As his eyes became accustomed to -the gloom, he distinguished the forms of men almost naked. - -"Is my brother Aaron, son of King Mosiah here?" he enquired. - -At the sound of his voice a wretch raised himself on a pallet of straw. -He staggered toward him and peered in the new-comers face. - -"Ammon!" he exclaimed. - -The latter had more difficulty in recognizing in this emaciated, broken -form the brother from whom he had parted in the pride of his youth and -strength. - -Genuine grief shook his voice. "Aaron, how did you come to this?" - -"It is a long story." He sat down again wearily. "How did you know I -was here?" - -"The Spirit of the Lord prompted me to come," he answered simply. - -"You have prospered?" He contrasted the fine physique of his brother -with his own gaunt frame, the other's glow of health with his -parchment-like skin. - -"Yes, the mission is established at Ishmael. And you?" - -"Have met with little success. After I separated from you and our -younger brothers I went to the city of Jerusalem. The people were -hardened, and when I preached in the synagogue, they arose and disputed -with me. When they saw that I had the best of the argument, they mocked -me. They refused to listen. Then I heard that Muloki and Ammah here, -were preaching over in the village of Ani-Anti; I went there. We could -make no converts. We came to Middoni. Though we have preached the word -of God to many, few believed. Then they cast us into prison." - -During this recital Ammon had noted the flayed flesh, the mark of the -thongs that had bound them. Ammah came up and greeted him with sunken -eyes. Muloki was too ill to greet him except by a wan smile. There -were two others there whom he did not know. Their plight was pitiable. -Ammon's whole soul revolted against the squalor and foul air of the -place. - -"I tried to get word to Omner and Himni, but without avail. We would -have starved to death had it not been for a poor shoemaker, one of the -faith, who has deprived himself to bring us sustenance. It has not been -so bad for us, but Muloki broke down with a disease." - -A heavy tramp resounded through the outer corridor. Guards entered. -They were followed by servants who carried clean raiment. - -"King Antiomno says that the prisoners are to be released. They are to -be fed and clothed and presented before him. You will step this way to -the baths." - -"It means--" cried Aaron. - -"That you are free," finished Ammon. "Moreover, I shall give you a -talisman that will assure you of future success in your labors. Take -this bracelet to the emperor. You will convert him; with the head -gained, you can win the nation to the faith." - -"And you?" - -"I return to Ishmael with my friend Lamoni. I may be called upon to -perform a marriage ceremony there. Our missionary work is just begun." - - - -WEST WITH THE SHIPS OF HAGOTH. - -[Illustration: THE ISLAND CHIEF] - -The man fought with the waves, throwing out his white arms ever more -feebly. At times it seemed that he must give up, and under would go -the black head, only to reappear again a little nearer the shore, -with eyes bent on those smiling, white sands, that seemed to mock in -derision. Hawai was half defeated by famine before he began the battle. -One of the survivors in the storm-tossed bark, he had seen two of his -companions drown before his eyes, when the craft was dashed to pieces -on the rocks. That sight had cost what strength yet remained in his -exhausted body, for, presently, where his friends had gone down, he -caught a glimpse of the glittering belly of a shark. - -Remembering that he had been the best swimmer of the Panama coast, he -struck out with renewed courage, although his limbs were numb, his arms -had lost all sense of feeling, and his face was purple. Dazzled by the -sun-light, the coast seemed ever further away, so he shut his eyes and -floundered blindly on. When he reached the cove, the tide pushed him -gently in, and the sea-foam billowed around him like a bed of down. -When he reached the beach, half senseless, he sank down like a tired -child, but the greedy waves would fain suck him back, so he crawled -higher up, digging his nails into the sand, and tearing his hands till -the blood came, but he gave no heed to that. He could go no further, -his brain reeled, he sank into the oblivion of exhaustion. - -Pallid of aspect and slender of form, he lay like a withered lily on -the strand. How long he was in this damp trance he knew not, for the -day was as the night to his congealing blood and dim senses. - -With throbbing pulse and aching limbs he came back to consciousness. -As he opened his eyes, he looked into the black eyes of a girl, whose -face bent so low over him that her breath fanned his cheek. As she -chafed his chilled arms, he felt the warmth of life slowly returning. -She raised his faint head and poured water through his blue lips. Soft -hands smoothed the black curls from his death-like forehead, and wrung -his damp locks. The sun came up and warmed him into feeling. Loa, the -girl who had found him on the beach, did not explain that she had tried -for hours to make a fire by striking a knife with flint, as she had -seen the men do. Failing in this, she threw her mantle over the slender -frame, pillowed his head in her lap, and waited for the day. - -Straining every muscle of her lithe, young body, she dragged him to -the protecting shelter of a cave. There, with the juice of shell-fish, -breadfruit, and wild strawberries from the woods, she slowly nursed -him back to life. She dared not leave him very long, as she, unlike -the original Eve, was afraid of the snakes that haunted the jungle. -The space around the cave was bare, but, in the midst of some foraying -expedition, Loa would have a vision of a white body coiled around by -a green snake, and, seized with terror, would race back to the cave, -only to find her charge a little stronger and more roguish than ever. -Gradually the color crept back into his alabaster cheek, for Hawai was -young. - -As soon as he was able, he took over his share of the housekeeping -duties. One of the first things he did was to go to work with the -flint. He made the sparks fly, and finally succeeded in getting fire. -That night they had broiled fish for supper, and around the genial -blaze they looked into each other's faces in the flickering light, half -understandingly, half expectantly. - -She approved of the poise of his head upon his bare shoulders, and he -watched the firelight play on her expressive features and illumine the -gold of her hair, that fell all around her like a voluminous mantle. - -"Are you the princess of this island, or Mother Eve in the Garden of -Eden?" he asked, quizzically. - -"Neither, but a poor, ship-wrecked mariner like yourself." - -He stared. "Did _you_ come in one of the ships of Hagoth?" - -She inclined her head. - -"But the others? Where are the others from your boat?" - -"The same place that your companions are, I'm afraid. There was a body -washed upon the shore down there, and when I first found you, I thought -you were like it,--dead!" - -"Must have been Shem or Mirror. We'll go down and take a look at it." - -The woman shuddered. "I believe I'd rather stay here by the fire." - -"Poor little girl! So you are all alone, and have had to care for a -lugger like me." - -"I was alone--until I found you. That helped me; I had something to do -besides think about myself." - -"How long were you--alone?" - -"Two days." - -"And during that time you found no signs of life? There are no people -living here?" - -"No, I saw no evidence whatever. I was afraid to go very far inland, so -stayed mostly on the beach, but I have a feeling that there is no one -alive on this island except you and me." - -"How do you know it is an island?" quickly. - -"Because I have seen it melt into the haze of the sea on three sides, -and I imagine if we climb that peak over there that we could see the -blue water on the other side." - -"Nonsense! There may be big cities in there. When we are better able -we will reconnoiter a little. How was it that you, a girl, of all your -crew was saved?" he asked curiously. - -"I do not know. When the boat began to fill, and it was only a question -of a few moments before it would sink, my father lashed me to a large, -flat board. As an afterthought, he took out his big knife and fastened -it at my waist. 'If you should be saved, you can cut yourself loose,' -he explained, while his hand shook. We could see the blue outline of -the land over here, and there was a chance that some of us might reach -it. After that the hulk settled, and I felt a cold wave sweep over my -limbs, and then I was strangling with the salt water in my nose and -throat. I was churned around, and then the plank righted itself, with -me on top. When the salt water got out of my smarting eyes sufficient -for me to see, I noticed that the ship was gone, with most of the -passengers, only a few were floundering around like me. Nowhere could -I see my father, and though I called, no one answered. I could see -one man clinging to a cask that bobbed around, and the black head of -another would appear, only to be submerged again. That swimmer fought -hard, but he stayed under longer each time, till at last he went down -and did not come up again. After that the storm broke, and the rain -lashed us in sheets. I could see nothing, but the cool water was -grateful to my parched throat. Something was singing in my ears, and -then I must have fainted, for I knew no more until I found myself lying -high and dry here on the beach, scorching under a tropical sun. Its -rays warmed me back to life, and then I felt for my father's knife. It -was still there, and with it I cut myself free, rose to my tottering -feet and looked around. The place was pretty enough, with its white -sand and glittering sea. I made my way over to some cocoanut palms and -found a fresh water stream, that emptied into a little cove. I drank -deeply, and bathed my hot forehead in its cool depths. Then I walked -along the beach to see if any others had been saved." She hesitated. - -"You found--?" - -"Two corpses. When I saw that they were quite dead I went up to the -jungle, but a wailing cry, like a soul in purgatory, issued from the -trees. I went back to the beach, but the bodies were gone." - -Hawai jumped. - -"I did not know what to do, so I crawled into the cave. Then I was -afraid of snakes. I have since found out that the cries in the woods -were made by the little monkeys. I do not know who carried off the -bodies." - -"Probably washed out by the tide," he reassured her. - -"I think not," she continued slowly. "The next day was worse--when I -realized that I was alone. I should have died if I had not found you. -My only fear, when I saw you lying so white and still on the sand, was -that you, like the others, were dead." She caught her breath with a -little gasp. - -He reached over and impulsively touched her hand. - -"Poor little girl! You came up out of the sea and saved my life." - -"I don't know what I should have done if you had eaten very much," she -explained, half tearfully. "I could only gather the poor cocoanuts off -the ground; but when you are strong you can climb the trees and get -fresh ones. The bananas were hard to get, and there was strange fruit -I was afraid to try, for fear it might poison you. See, we shall have -eggs for breakfast. They are quite good." - -She poked one out from among the ashes where they were roasting. - -"Did you lose any other relatives besides your father on the boat?" he -asked suddenly. - -She shook her head sadly. "No." - -"Then you were not married?" - -"No; only betrothed." - -His brow darkened. "Was he, to whom you were betrothed, drowned?" - -"I think so." But the look of pain which flitted across her face when -he spoke of her father did not return. "It was this way: when we -embarked in one of the ships of Hagoth to seek new homes in a foreign -land, my father, being old, made me promise to marry Isar, when we -reached the new country. I agreed, for Isar was a good man and would -take care of me, though I did not love him, or even know him very well." - -Hawai looked relieved, and his eyes glowed as they rested on her. - -"You have my story, but you have not told me yours," she burst out. - -"Mine is similar to yours. I sailed on another ship of Hagoth's only we -floundered around in the waste of waters in search of land for so long, -that all the crew except three died of famine before she foundered." He -dismissed the subject with a shrug of the shoulders, as if unwilling to -fill the night with further horrors. - -"You must sleep now, and gain some rest, for tomorrow we go on a -foraging expedition," he added with gentle raillery. - -Loa's eyelids were already drooping, and, soothed with the grateful -warmth, she lay down and was soon fast asleep. Hawai piled dry brush on -the camp fire until it roared and crackled, and then, like a sentinel -on guard, he sat looking moodily into the blaze for hours. - -The day dawned auspiciously, and Loa led Hawai down toward the place -where she had seen his companions lying. Suddenly she drew back with -a little cry. At the exact spot where the mariner had lain, reclined -an immense devil fish, with its tentacles wrapped around something. -Hawai watched it a moment. He thought perhaps that explained the -disappearance of the other two bodies. He silently led Loa away. - -They went into the woods to hunt for food, and Loa in helping him soon -got back her spirits. They found raspberries and a strange apple, both -of which Hawai pronounced good. The man who first tasted the tomato had -more courage than did Columbus. He decried the date palm afar off, and -remarked that they should soon fare like princes. The man cut sugar -cane, and showed Loa how to chew the pulp and extract the sweetness -thereof. - -That was but the beginning of their rambles. Every day they sauntered -forth to gain new strength, and came home laden with their treasures. -One night they dragged in armfuls of bamboo. Another time Hawai brought -a mealy root which he had found by accident. It proved a novelty in -their diet, for it was the sweet potato. One day they skirted the coast -and found a secluded beach where the turtles had come to lay their -eggs. The latter they gathered eagerly, while Hawai jocularly remarked -that, when they had something to cook it in they could have turtle -soup. They had gradually gone over the whole island, and on the night -that completed the circuit, and proved conclusively that they were the -only human beings there, despair descended on them. They had traveled -far that day, and the dusk overtook them, but Hawai insisted on cutting -armfuls of a tough rush that grew in a swamp. - -"What do you want that for?" inquired Loa. - -The man was a born woodsman, and was very clever. - -"To make a net to catch shrimps with," he answered. "The little shrimp -is better than the mussels we have been eating so long." - -Loa acquiesced. She was tired of shell fish. So she helped carry the -rushes back to the cave, in the long walk through the night. - -The next day Hawai spent fashioning the shrimp net. Loa amused herself -making festoons of brilliant flowers and garlanding them around his -neck. That gave her an idea. She gathered a large quantity of fleshy, -fibrous leaves, and began weaving them together. - -"Why can't I make clothing out of these?" she queried. - -Hawai glanced at her. Their clothing was rent in strips, and sadly in -need of repair, and Loa had a skin averse to the sun. He watched her -amusedly, until she got tired and threw them aside. - -"I believe I could make better things out of feathers." She glanced -at a squawking sea-bird that sailed overhead. "I could make you a -headpiece that would crown a chief." - -He smiled at the woman's vanity that would think first of adorning the -head, but humored her by saying gently, "If you will lend me some of -your tresses, I shall try and snare some birds." - -She shook out her mane, for she firmly believed him capable of -anything. When she went over to help him tie the net, she voiced the -thought that had haunted both of them. - -"If we are the only persons living on this island, how long must we -stay before others come?" - -"Perhaps forever." It was no use deceiving her. She might as well know. -"Some of the ships may have reached one of those bodies of land over -there; for owing to the warm current all of Hagoth's crafts came in -the same direction. If some of our compatriots are alive, sooner or -later they may visit this island." - -"Or you could build a boat and go to them." Her faith in him was -unlimited. - -He shook his head. "I intend to keep you here, and not risk you with -the treacherous sea again." Something in his tone made her drop her -eyes. "Would it then be so distasteful?" - -"No," she answered bravely, "I have been very happy here." - -"I want you to give me the right to protect you. You must marry me." - -"But there is no priest," she subterfuged. - -"Kings make their own laws. You and I, by right of possession, -are joint rulers of these islands. We shall effect a union of our -interests. Come, we will ask the Heavenly Father, who watches over even -the outcasts, to guard and protect us." - -Kneeling, he invoked a blessing on the new life on which they were -embarking. He prayed fervently that they should not die out, but live -to perpetuate a new race in this paradise of the Pacific. - -They arose with rapt faces, and in a spirit of exaltation wandered down -to the beach. It was a glorious, starlit night, and the wind from the -sea was tempered with a summer softness. They gazed upon the glittering -sea, heard the wave's roar and the wind's low moan. They saw each -other's dark eyes darting light into each other. In early days the -heart is lava and the blood ablaze. They were alone, but no feeling of -loneliness oppressed them. Around them lay the white expanse of the -sand; beyond, they heard the drip in the damp caves. They clung to each -other; for them there was no one else in the world. - -The shrimp fisher flung in his net, and Loa, afraid to trust him in -the water alone, went surfbathing. The catch was successful, and at -last Hawai, with the consciousness of work well done, threw down his -net and joined her in the sport. Loa took the flat board on which she -had been rescued and rode on it on the crests of the waves, keeping -well to the shallow water, for she dreaded the flitting black fins that -portended the shark. It was a sunlit honeymoon, and, surrounded by -gorgeous flowers and brilliant birds, they imbibed the brightness of -the atmosphere. As Loa did not like the gloom of the cave, Hawai built -her a summer house of bamboo, and thatched it with grass. Gradually -their comforts increased. One night, after they had dined off a young -roast pig, Loa remarked, "Hawai, don't you ever say that you and I are -the only people on this island." She looked him straight in the eyes. - -He put his arm around her tenderly, but this thing worried him more -than he liked to show. - -"I want you to declare war on the wild boars," she continued, "for this -place must be safe for a little child to play in." - -He mentally resolved to do it, although he was at a loss how to -commence. After that he renewed his efforts, and toiled indefatigably -to bring in every necessity his ingenuity could devise. - -One night he had gone to look at some traps. One had been dragged -away, and in looking for it he went farther than he intended. When -he returned to the hut he was panic-stricken to find Loa gone. Wild -with fear, he dashed up to the mouth of the cave whence smoke issued. -Inside, guarded by the fire at the entrance, lay Loa. A thin, piping -sound issued from her side. - -"Come in," she said, "and see your little son." - -"My little son!" he repeated in wonder. - -With a mighty thankfulness, Hawai gathered up his family in his arms -and carried it to the house, with a heartfelt prayer that he might not -drop all that he held dear. - -Thus Hawai and Loa founded their island kingdom and were progenitors of -a new race in the South Seas. - -[Illustration: THE CLIFF DWELLERS' DAUGHTER.] - - - -THE CITY IN THE GLOOM. - -I. - -THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE - -The thing sprawled on the white stone of the Giant's Steps, in the -canyon. Closer scrutiny proved it to be a man who lay on his stomach -drinking out of a blue pool of water. He stood up and showed what a -miserable thing he was. He had been white, and displayed the pitiable -plight of the civilized man reduced to dire extremity. His horny feet -were encased in ungainly moccasins, shaggy goatskin swathed him about -the middle, while his poor shoulders shivered under their covering of -rabbit skins pieced together. The muscles stood out like whip cords -on his emaciated limbs. The head, unkempt and shaggy, had a ferocious -appearance which was enhanced by the eyes that seemed starting out of -his head. - -He stooped and filled a misshapen jar with water, then gathered up a -leather pouch that contained wild grapes, and a haunch of venison. They -were all presents for Gualzine, the woman up at the clift house in -gloomy Cave Valley. The deer had cost the life of a man. When the woman -sickened and could no longer munch the corn nor drink the water of -the place, Ulric and his friend Izehara, had ventured forth in search -of fresh meat. A rash undertaking at any time, it was particularly -dangerous when the cave dwellers were expecting an attack from their -inveterate enemies, the Lamanites. So the chief of the tribe told them -when they left, but the remembrance of the woman moaning on her pallet -lent wings to their feet. - -They shot the doe on the morning of the second day out. They startled -her at dawn as she grazed. Though the arrow sped true, she ran a -hundred and fifty yards before she fell. They found her panting in the -brush. Ulric left Izehara to carve the meat and prepare the camp while -he went higher up to look at the traps. - -When he found that one of them had caught an old silvertip, he wished -that the other man had come along. He beat her to death with his club, -and when the quivering brute lay down, the day was well advanced. "I -will bring Izehara up to help me skin her. It will make a warm robe for -Gualzine." Then panic seized him. What if she were already dead? - -Haunted by this new fear, he hurried back to camp where new horrors -awaited him. By the side of the partially dismembered deer, Izehara -lay writhing in the last stages of poisoning. He had been bitten by -a rattle-snake. Ulric flung himself down and applied his lips to the -wound. He was too late; even as he sucked the poison out, his friend -looked at him for the last time, then closed his eyes forever. - -The survivor built up the fire and gnawed at the rarely, broiled meat -from a sense of duty, for he knew that he must keep his strength up. -He devoted what daylight remained to getting in the wood. During the -everlasting hours of the night he prodded himself to keep awake to -watch the precious food and the corpse. The coyotes howled in the -distance, but more to be feared was the mountain lion, that sends no -halloo of its coming. - -Though seldom seen, wherever the prey is, there will it be. As his -straining ears imagined a padded footfall, he built the fire up until -the flames arose and lighted the rock walls of the canyon. Even the -"cat" fears man's "red flower"--fire. - -At dawn he dragged the dead body down to a gully and covered it up -with leaves. He wondered how long the wolves would leave them there. -He regretfully left them most of the deer, for urged on always with -the thought of the woman, he must travel light. If the horrors of -their surroundings palled on him, what must it be to her? A forlorn, -transplanted thing she had come among these wild men and won their rude -hearts. - -Even Ulric, a long time before, had lived in a city. It was called -Teotihuacan, which means "House of God," and was famed far and wide for -its great pyramids for worship. This fair city contained many splendid -houses, although Ulric did not know so much about that, as he was only -one of the common people. It had been prophesied that the inhabitants -would be destroyed because of their unbelief. Then the Lamanite hordes -swept down upon them, and the men went out to fight them. The fields -around Teotihuacan were spangled with black bits of obsidian where the -opposing warriors shattered one another's spears. When the Indians -began to massacre the women, they, with children clinging to their -skirts, fought them back. After that Ulric didn't like to remember what -happened. - -He, with a few survivors had taken refuge in the subterranean city, -where there were chambers just as above ground, and a black well with -plenty of water. Only they had no sunlight and some of the women -sickened and died. When their enemies had left, they sneaked out and -made their way across the desert to the north until they reached -the Sierra Madres, on the pinnacles of whose peaks they perched -their eyries built of sun dried mud. They carried up handfuls of soil -from the valley and plastered it on the ledges, where they raised a -little stunted maize. There, in deadly fear of the marauding bands of -Lamanites that were wiping out their race, they eked out a miserable -existence, a little lower than the beasts. - -So outnumbered were they that only by the utmost caution did they -manage to live. The rooms were dark as the apertures were small and -had to be crawled through by means of rope ladders that they pulled in -after them. They had got so used to climbing over the rocks that they -sprang among them like goats. - -People who exist in daily fear of their lives do not go in for art. -So the cave dwellers' implements were crude, their pottery deformed, -and their necessities scant. Obsessed with the idea of keeping the -life in them from one day to another, they had lost their sense of -feeling, when Gualzine came among them. She was sent accompanied by -two attendants, from a neighboring cliff dwelling, for safe keeping -during time of war. The other cliff house was demolished, so Gualzine -took up her abode in the new place. She was the daughter of the High -Priest and the last of her blood. A wan, washed out thing, she took -little interest in her mediocre surroundings. Time was when she had -been beautiful, as her portrait on the wall of the casa of the priests -at Teotihuacan could prove. They called it "Queen of Hearts." But grim -circumstance will leave its impress on the fairest form. - -Though she toiled not, a new impetus evinced itself in the colony. -Like the queen bee, others worked for her, and comforts appeared. She -showed the boys how to mould their pottery better, and played with the -children and hushed their wails, so that their dragged out mother might -be less dispondent. She made ready threaded needles out of the thorns -and fibers of the maguey that grows on the foothills, and taught the -men how to make medicine from its juice. She was eyes to old Malcre -when she sewed the skin garments in the poor light, and she cut out -better patterns for their sandals. Because she would eat nothing but -cooked food, the others gave up their way of eating it half raw. The -men brought fresh pine boughs to sleep on, and they hunted up warmer -covering because this frail thing had to be protected. When she fell -sick it was a dire calamity. All the inmates loved her. Little wonder -that Ulric showed such dog-like devotion. - -Dropping with exhaustion, every step a pain, he approached Cave -Valley. Finally he lost consciousness of his aching muscles; only one -nagging instinct whipped him on. He must get to the house with his -precious burden, fresh meat and grapes and good water from the Steps. -That ought to put her on her feet again. The water was the hardest to -carry. He was afraid that he might spill it. She would have liked the -big thick bear robe. It would have been so soft while she was sick. -Izehara had died and he couldn't bring it. Poor Izahara, up there in -the cold. Then the old gnawing fear. What if she were gone and all of -his torture were in vain? The thought spurred on his flagging strength, -so he stumbled into the valley. Ulric looked towards the cliffs that -he called home. In the evening haze he could not distinguish the -familiar curl of smoke. Torn by uncertainty, he hurried up the side -of the mountain. He stopped short. The growing feeling that something -was wrong was realized. What was the matter with the garden? The corn, -which was almost ripe, had been trampled down. At the same instant his -foot touched something soft. He reached down, then drew back. The boy -Kohath lay there with an arrow in his breast, stark dead. He had been -shot down while he was carrying wood. Why hadn't they picked him up and -carried him in? Cold chills shook him. What if they were all dead? What -if the Indians were there now, waiting for him. Where was Gualzine? -Cautiously, he crept along the terrace through the maize. - -He waited for what to him seemed an age, while the wolves howled in the -distance. No sign of life issued from the place. He could stand it no -longer. He must find out what had happened to Gualzine. Careless of his -own fate, he went down. - -[Illustration: THE CORN CRIB OF THE CITY IN THE GLOOM.] - -The entrance showed signs of a conflict. Chunks of plaster had been -dislodged. His people had put up a fight. As little things will often -attract attention in dire extremities, so the first thing he noticed on -entering, were the dead white ashes scattered on the hearth. Nearby was -a broken pot of hominy, partly spilled. - -The massacre had taken place the day before. One of the men lay dead -by the fireplace, also the thirteen-year-old girl. The marauders -would have no object in slaying her. Ulric wondered if she had killed -herself. The form he sought wasn't there. He passed into the next room. -To do so he had to step over the body of the chief that lay through the -doorway, a hatchet cleaving his skull. In her chamber he found Merari -decapitated. Dear old Merari, Ulric reflected, her servant, who loved -her as much as he. Parts of her pallet were scattered about the room, -but Gualzine was not there. - -Many of the inhabitants were missing. Old Malcre was gone. She could -make good corn cakes. The Indians had a use for her. The other woman -with her babe was missing. They also had a use for her. Ulric hoped the -child would live. He did not think that Gualzine would be carried off -without a struggle, yet, search as he would, he could find no shred's -of her cotton clothing. What if she had died before the cliff dwelling -was attacked? In times of siege it was the custom to bury the dead -beneath the floor. He hastily searched through the house but he found -no sign of a recent excavation. - -The next morning he renewed the hunt. He found that a number of bodies -had been thrown over the cliff. Hopeful, yet dreading, he made the -precipitous descent. Her remains were not there, although he felt -rewarded for the climb, for there were several bodies of the Lamanites. -The Nephites had clutched their antagonists and locked in their -embrace, and leaped over the cliff with them to destruction. - -II. - -Alone. - -At first, overwhelmed with the disaster, Ulric did not realize his -condition. He spent a number of days burying the dead beneath the -floor. He placed their implements of war with them, and at the head he -put an olla, containing a little of the corn that was left; over all he -put a layer of charcoal and covered it up with earth. Merari's head he -placed upon a shelf, saying, "You stay there old fellow, and help me. -You and I are great pals. You are the only friend I've got left." - -In the after days he realized his utter desolation. At first he clung -to life and he bounded over the rocks like a hunted thing. One night a -party of Lamanite robbers passed through the valley and he watched them -from the cliffs. He looked hungrily down into their camp, but dared not -move, for fear that they would shoot. Later, when he got frightened -of the solitude, he would have gladly given himself up. He became -a perfect coward. Most scared of all was he of the stillness. The -mountains made him infinitely lonely; he felt as if the peaks weighed -down on his chest and he could not get his breath. He foresaw that he -would go insane, which gave rise to a new fear. What would happen to -him there among the hills if he lost his reason? He could not journey -to his own people, for he knew not if any of them were alive. - -It was not so bad when he could get out and hunt, but one day he -slipped and sprained his ankle. It swelled up and pained so he could -not walk. After that he crawled down to the stream to get his water. A -new horror developed. The corn was almost gone. Already he could see -the bottom of the big olla in which it was kept. Since he could not get -out and hunt food he must surely die. - -He began to prepare for the end. He would write his story on the wall -in red and blue and yellow hieroglyphics. Future generations should -know how he, Ulric, had outlived his compeers. He picked up a chisel. -As he struck the wall with it, it resounded hollow. He remembered the -limestone cave back of it. Funny he hadn't thought of it before! He -grasped his bludgeon, and with what was left of his remaining strength, -hit the wall. It took many of his weak blows to cave it in, but he -also went down with the earth. Staring straight at him was Gualzine. -She sat upon a stone dais. Her body had been preserved by the peculiar -atmosphere of the cave. On her shrunken form the cotton cloth hung limp. - -Slowly the realization forced itself on Ulric. The queer little men of -the caves, determined that the daughter of their High Priest should -not fall into the hands of the enemy, had walled her up there when -threatened with attack. She was alive when they took her there; perhaps -she lived when he returned. He had let her be slowly asphyxiated. - -Ulric threw himself at her feet with all the grief that his warped -nature would allow. That marked the beginning of the fever. Starvation -had prepared him for it, for he had got down to counting the kernels of -corn. Perhaps the rotting skull had been a friend indeed and lent its -malignant aid. - -Alone, with parched lips burning with thirst, with no human being to -speed the parting soul, Ulric died. - -* * * * * * * * * * * - -One of an alien race, exploring the cave, found there the skeleton of -a man lying along the wall, a crumbling skull on a ledge above, and a -mummy seated on a dais. - -He pondered, "What a tale those blackened lips might tell if they could -only speak!" - -[Illustration: STAIRS THAT LEAD TO THE SUMMIT OF THE PYRAMID] - -[Illustration: PYRAMID OF THE SUN, MEXICO] - -[Illustration: JARED WAS MURDERED AS HE DESCENDED FROM HIS THRONE] - -THE CONQUEST OF AIDA. - -I. - -THE PLOT. - - -Jared, as he reclined on the roof-garden, looked out over the city -basking in the afternoon light. Although it was yet warm, he had -stumbled out into the open air from his siesta couch where he had -smothered and tried in vain to sleep during the sultry afternoon. -There was a discontented look in his eyes as his gaze wandered over -the vast extent of the roofs, the palms silhouetted against a pastel -sky, to the crystalline peaks in the distance crowned with eternal -snow. The nearby stone mansions were resplendent in red-tiled roofs, -sun-burnished walls, and purple shadows, while an occasional opening -afforded a glimpse of a green courtyard or paved street. Nor could the -beauty of his own aerial gardens, a riot of color, with subtile perfume -of violets and verbenas, win him from his trouble. The laughter of -girls floated up from the pool below, where his daughter Aida with -her women, was disporting herself in the water. Unlike less active -women, who let an indented pillow in a hammock tell the story of the -afternoon's exertions, she preferred violent swimming in the humid -plunge. - -Wearily he leaned back, as if he found the cushions hard for his -emaciated limbs. Jared had once been ruler over this vast domain, and -he who has tasted power cannot soon forget the flavor. Lusting for the -kingdom, he had dispossessed his old father, King Omer, but his younger -brothers had risen up and wrested it from his greedy grasp. They -defeated him in open battle, took him captive, and Jared only bought -his freedom with the promise that he would never go to war again. After -that he found life, shorn of its glory, but a worthless thing. - -Evening is unknown in the tropics, for night descends swiftly, -shrouding the earth in a black pall. Tonight, for a transitory -period, a crescent moon hung in a sapphire sky, a breeze sprang up -from the sea, and the city shook off its lethargy. A hum arose as its -inhabitants prepared for the traffic and activity of the night. Lights -sprang out. A step on the stair and a rustling of the leaves made the -man turn to behold the laughing face of Aida, like a lily on its stem -above a bed of narcissus. - -"Come here to me, daughter," he said fondly, his face lighting up. - -She shook out her mane of black hair, which was still wet, and -went toward him. Her shoulders and arms emerged like snow from her -loose-fitting, black gown, and the dead pallor of her face was relieved -only by the scarlet streak of her lips. Her gray eyes were so heavily -shrouded that they appeared black. As she knelt before him, her father -leaned forward and touched her forehead with his lips. - -"Father," she murmured, "it is eating my heart out to see you always so -sad." - -"I fear I am but a broken shell from which the life has departed," he -lamented. - -"Can't you shake this depression off?" - -"I have tried," he sighed. - -"I know it. You will never be yourself again until you are restored to -your old place. The throne is yours by right. You are a younger man -than Omer, and can manage the affairs of the nation better. You must be -king." - -"How?" he raised his eyebrows. - -As she had watched her father waste away, gnawed by festering ambition, -Aida had realized that something must be done or he would die. So she -had evolved a plan. - -"Listen," she glanced hastily around and lowered her voice. "There is -only one thing between you and your lawful right to the throne." - -"My father!" - -"Then remove it," she hissed. - -"You mean kill the king!" He started as if she had surprised his own -guilty thought. - -"Why not?" - -"It is not for a son to spill his father's blood." - -"Get someone else to do it." - -"And who, in all the realm of the Jaredites would dare?" - -"Only one that I know of. The dark and moody Akish could if he wanted -to, for he controls the secret societies." - -"True," he ruminated, "but he is a friend of Omer's." - -"Every man has his price." - -"What would his be?" he shrugged his shoulders. "The coffers of Akish -are bursting with gold now." - -"Tempt him with something else." - -Jared scowled. What office in the kingdom could he offer for such a -crime? - -Aida broke in on his reflections. "Send for him here, and I will dance -before him, and when he covets me, say, 'Bring hither the head of Omer, -the king, and I will give you my daughter for wife.'" - -Fond father that he was Jared never doubted but what Akish would want -Aida, but the thoughts of bartering her shot a pang through his heart. -He would sacrifice his aged father for his soul's desire, but to give -up his daughter, that was another thing. - -After a silence, he said gently, "Have you thought, my child, that -after this is accomplished there must come a day of reckoning?" - -"What of it?" - -"You are willing to pay the price?" - -"Certainly," then hurriedly as the color crept into her face, "I am -sick of these effeminate nobles with their perfumed locks, and if I am -to have a master it must be one worth obeying. Akish is such a man." - -As he watched her with half-closed lids, her father thought that it -must be a strong trainer indeed to hold such a splendid tigress in -leash; but when he thought of the cruel Akish, his heart was full of -misgiving. - -II. - -AIDA DANCES BEFORE AKISH. - -Akish stood at the gate of the gardens of Jared on the night of the -banquet. In crimson tunic he leaned a vivid patch against the gray -stone arch. A nearby torch illumined his figure, lean, brown and -muscular. Black-eyed, hawk-beaked and cruel-lipped, he conveyed a -suggestion of power that was felt in the magnetic personality of the -man. A band of dull gold hung low over his brow, sheathing his glossy, -black hair. Collar and sandals of the same material were the only -ornaments he wore. As he surveyed the scene, a gleam came into his eyes -for it was well calculated to stir a more sluggish soul than his. - -Cruets of burning oil filled the gardens with soft radiance and -changeful shade. Interspersed with these were braziers of incense whose -aromatic smoke curved upwards in spirals. In the fountain the figure -of a sea-nymph upheld a conch shell from which the water trickled. It -ran into the swimming pool of blue-veined marble which in turn emptied -itself into a miniature lake covered with lotus leaves and yellow -water lilies. The lagoon was not entirely given over to white-necked -swans and pink-legged flamingoes, for a dainty shallop lay moored to -the shore as if inviting one to a trip to fairyland among the floating -gardens of the lake. One tiny isle grew purple hyacinths, another -yellow daffodils, a third flaunted gaudy tulips. In the somber green -of the grove was caught the occasional gleam of the white magnolia and -pomegranate blooms. - -To one side was the aviary, filled with the strange and gorgeous-hued -birds of the tropics; beyond, causing an instinctive shudder, were the -many species of Central American snakes. The cages of the wild animals -were still farther removed so the roars of their inmates would not -disturb the ears of the diners. The banquet table was spread on the -terrace which was gained by a magnificent sweep of stairs. - -The stone glowed yellow, while the supporting columns were of marble, -shot with amethyst. Even as Akish devoured the scene, the portals were -thrown wide, and the guests thronged out upon the terrace. Throwing the -loose end of his tunic across his shoulder, he strode forward. - -The table groaned under its golden service, many of its dishes designed -in grotesque forms of birds and animals. Overhead stretched a net from -which roses fell upon the board. Akish found himself seated next to -Aida whose presence he felt intuitively, before he looked at her. She -wore a loose-fitting, white robe from which her bare arms emerged like -alabaster. No ornament marred the purity of the throat, nor the poise -of the head crowned with living night. The jade bangles which dangled -from her ears only heightened the pallor of her skin. - -"So I have met you at last," he murmured. - -"I have known Akish long, by reputation," she flattered subtly. - -"Three times have I seen you before, but ever failed to make your -acquaintance." - -"Three times? Twice only do I remember. Once as you rode by, leading -your troops to battle, I thought that your eyes rested on me for a -moment. Again in a little park in Heth you passed me with a group of -gray-beards." - -"But first I saw you bathing one morning in the pool at Ether's house -in Heth. I noticed that you were the best swimmer among the women. I -went back that afternoon and enquired of their guests only to find that -you had left that day. As for the night in the park--after I went to -the council with the old men, I excused myself, and hurried back to the -park but you had gone." - -"After you had passed I went home," she confessed. - -He replied with a burning glance, and she saw her father watching them -with furtive eyes from across the table. - -A troupe of acrobats, assisted by deformed mountebanks, performed. A -group of dancing girls, garlanded with flowers, went through a series -of figures for the guests, while ever roses fell from above. Everyone -did as he pleased as the banquet progressed. Some of the diners were -stupid from gormandizing, others had partaken too freely of the -intoxicating juice of the maguey. Aida tasted little of the rich meats -before her, but Akish seemed possessed of a burning thirst which goblet -after goblet of frothy mead failed to quench. His veins were on fire, -and as he whispered in Aida's ear, he suddenly swooped to cool his hot -lips on the clear expanse of her shoulder. But even as he clutched -her she eluded his grasp and slipped away, leaving him with distended -nostrils like blood-hound thwarted in pursuit. - -Presently Jared, arising from his seat, announced, "My daughter has -consented to dance for us." The guests crowded forward and waited -expectantly, but then they were not prepared for the sight that greeted -their eyes. Aida slowly made her way to the center of the terrace. As -she emerged into the light, the spectators uttered an exclamation of -horror, and Akish swore under his breath, for wrapped around her body -were the thick coils of a snake. - -A snood fastened over her brow made her head resemble that of the -serpent, and her form, sheathed in green, writhed so with the monster -that the watchers could scarce tell where one ended and the other -began. Slowly the undulations of the snake-dance started. The onlookers -watched fascinated, much as the shivering little monkeys are hypnotized -by the dance of Kaa, the rock python, before they are devoured by him. -Akish, with bulging eyeballs, crept nearer under the spell. The woman -and the serpent swayed together; then out darted a white arm, followed -by the glistening writhe of the snake. At times it seemed almost a -battle between the two, and again it seemed as if the monster would -hug her to death in its embrace. Finally, at a signal, two attendants -rushed forward and helped disengage the python which seemed loath -to leave its fair prey. As it was coaxed off, the audience heaved a -sigh of relief. As the snake sheds its skin, so Aida threw off her -outer robe, and emerged in roseate gauze of dawn-like hue. The music -crashed into gayer strains. First the dancer depicted the awakening of -love,--joy, bliss, rising to the delirium of ecstasy,--then languor, -and when it seemed that she had fairly swooned away, her muscles became -taut, and she arose to show the fury of love scorned. Snatching a -dagger from her belt she brandished it in the air. Wildly she struck, -faster and faster resounded the music, more passionate became her -motion, until she was fury incarnate. She seemed a harlequin of the -desert, as she struck right and left. Akish did not realize how near -he was until she plunged the blade at him and he drew back with a cold -sweat on his brow. Her vengeance seemed to rise to the height of black -hate. Centering her strength she drove the dagger into her imaginary -enemy, and the knife went clattering down on the pavement. - -The dance was ended. The spectators broke into wild applause. Aida -staggered toward the shade of the orange trees, and not realizing what -he did, Akish plunged after her. He reached her just as she swayed and -fell, with utter exhaustion, on his outstretched arm. - -III. - -FRUITION. - -Lured on by the bait of Aida, Akish called the secret societies -together and started his diabolical machinations, but the Lord warned -Omer, in a dream, of his impending danger, with the result that the -old king gathered his household together and departed secretly to the -land of Ablom, where he pitched his tents by the sea-shore. Jared was -anointed king by the hand of wickedness, and at the same time Akish was -wedded to Aida. - -If Jared loved power, Akish did more so, and his vaulting ambition led -to the throne itself. He fretted inwardly; and, because such a nature -must be active in evil, he began to lay his subtle plans to consummate -his end. He must get Jared out of the way. By reason of his control -of the secret organizations, whose members were bound by dread oaths, -he was already a more influential man than the king. His marriage to -Jared's daughter strengthened his position. Strangely enough, the -thing that should have deterred him from the murder, consideration for -his wife, confirmed his dire decision. Akish loved Aida as much as a -nature of his kind is capable of, but mingled with it was a desire to -domineer. He derived pleasure from torturing the beloved object. During -their brief married life, he had been afforded some rare flashes of -her temper, and he now saw a chance to quell the rebellion in her, and -crush it with one blow. - -The arch conspirator sent out his band of assassins to kill King Jared -as he sat upon the throne, and as they departed he called after the -bullies, "That I may know that you have done your work well, bring me -a token, bring me the head of the king," and he smiled grimly to think -that the same fate that Jared had decreed for his father, should now be -meted out to him. - -Akish did not know what fear was, but he could ill brook delay. He sat -in his great stone chamber and essayed a dozen tasks only to throw them -aside and listen impatiently, as the afternoon lengthened into night. -When the heavy tread of his accomplices resounded in the corridor, he -could have shouted with relief. - -"How goes it?" he questioned sharply, as the men filed into the room. - -"It is done," answered Simon. - -"How?" - -"With twenty wounds, Chief," broke in one of the followers. - -"We went in and mingled with the people as he sat high upon his throne, -and when the petitioners for justice had all gone, and he started to -descend, we stabbed him. Our men watched the entrances so we would not -be interrupted in our work." - -"And the proof?" - -"Behold, my Lord," Simon threw back his cloak and held up by the hair -the ghastly trophy, but it was not this gruesome spectacle that froze -the look of horror on the face of Akish. - -Instinctively he looked in the other direction to behold Aida, clad in -her night robes, in the doorway. Whether or not she had recognized the -head of her father, in the half light of the room, they could not tell, -for she turned silently, and they heard the swish of her draperies down -the hall. - -Confusion fell upon the retainers, and Akish, shaking as if he had the -ague, said, "I did not mean for her to see that. Get out of my sight." - -If they had any doubts they were soon dissipated, for Aida shut herself -up in her apartments, and for three days her screams resounded through -the palace. On the third day Akish commanded her to appear at a -banquet, for he dared not face her alone. She came and sat stony-faced -at the board. - -During the coronation ceremonies which followed, when Akish sat in her -father's place, and she, on his right hand, was crowned queen, neither -of them ever mentioned Jared's name. - -Not until her son Ether was born some months later did Aida smile -again, and somehow, because Akish was his father, the little newcomer -renewed the bond between them. - -IV. - -REAPING THE WHIRLWIND. - -Beyond the initial step, Aida had taken no part in Akish's crimes. When -he attained the throne, she thought that his violence must cease, but -his increased power only offered him more opportunities to sate his -lust for wickedness. Because his honor was bound up with his queen, -as well as for her innate charm, Akish had cared more for her than he -did for anybody. But, steeped with satiety, he constantly sought new -sensations; and, as he grew more brutish, Aida's influence with him -waned. His crimes became more vicious, and he reveled in bloodshed, -until the people called him monster, and prayed for a liberator. - -[Illustration: THEY BROUGHT HER BABY BOY IN DYING UPON HIS SHIELD.] - -Their eyes turned naturally to the tyrant's eldest son. Ether, now -grown to splendid manhood, who through his mother, had kingly blood in -his veins. The old king saw with jealous eyes how the populace loved -his son, and despised him, and his hate knew no bounds. He incarcerated -Ether in prison, and gradually starved him to death. - -His mother, who could stand no more, left the monster, and retired to -her desert castle to mourn. Nimrah, her second son, fearful that his -father's wrath would now fall on him, fled with a few followers to Omer -at Ablom. - -Not to please a paramour but to punish Aida for leaving him, Akish -yielded to the importunities of one of his favorites, a vulgar, blase -woman and flaunted her openly at the palace. - -It is said that the reason the criminal always gets caught is because -he stands out against organized society; nay, more than that, he is -fighting the law of the universe, progression. As soon as a man impairs -his own usefulness, or injures his fellow-men, he becomes a clog to -block her advancement, and nature is going to crush him. She has no -use for weaklings, but on the useful worker she will lavish power a -hundredfold. - -The debased debauchee had become a menace, so the immutable laws -prepared to destroy him. Grief-stricken over the death of his brother, -and smarting under this latest insult offered to his mother, Gilead, -the third son, arose in wrath, and declared war against his father. -Thousands in the kingdom, who nursed grievances, rallied to his -support. So Aida saw her own flesh and blood arrayed against their -father. Deep as she had drunk of the bitter draught of sorrow, she was -destined yet to drain it to the dregs. - -As befitted her mood, the queen had retired to a bleak castle, partly -in ruins and surrounded for miles by barren cacti. Bats lurked in its -turrets, and the wind claimed its ancient towers for its own. The -nation had risen in arms, and when rumors of battle reached their -retreat nothing would do but that Aida's youngest son, a boy of -fifteen, must sally forth to join his brothers on the field. In vain -did his mother plead; he was obdurate. Finally with trembling fingers -she fastened the armor on his stripling limbs, kissed him, and let him -go. After that the queen of tragedy haunted the edge of the battlefield -like a vampire, until they brought her baby boy in dying upon his -shield. Then her already tottering reason gave way, and she went stark -mad. A few hours later, when they placed the fair, slender body in the -sepulchre, his mother was a raving maniac. - -All the tragedies of her life were babbled forth in the drivel of -the insane. One night, under cover of a storm, she escaped from her -keepers. The next morning they found her body in the well, but, whether -blinded by the rain, she had stumbled over the curbing and been plunged -by accident into the pit, or had sought to drown her troubles in the -Lethean waters of suicide, they did not know. - -Couriers carried the news of the queen's death to the king. It stirred -the remnant of feeling left in him, but his last hold on life was gone. -Scarce had the messengers ceased speaking when the guard from the watch -tower broke in to say that the legions were advancing on the citadel. -Then a captain came to report that his soldiers had been bribed by the -enemy. Hated by his own followers, with half-hearted officers who knew -they were on the losing side, with fear written on every countenance, -Akish realized that he had lost, before the enemy had raised a spear. - -"At least we'll die with harness on our back," and he motioned for an -attendant to get down his armor from the wall, and, as the boys' hands -shook, he kicked him for a coward, and stooped and fastened the straps -himself. He ordered his chariot, and when seated on high, the gates -were thrown back. Like a bull who charges the toreadors, he glanced -over the plain, which, as far as the eye could see, was alive with -plumed warriors. His whip sang out over the heads of the horses, and, -undaunted to the end, he plunged into the maelstrom to his death. - -(THE END.) - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Cities of the Sun, by Elizabeth Rachel Cannon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITIES OF THE SUN *** - -***** This file should be named 50955.txt or 50955.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/5/50955/ - -Produced by Allie Bowen, Mormon Texts Project Intern, with -thanks to Mariah Averett for proofreading -(MormonTextsProject.org) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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