A Goddess of Africa

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 6, 23 January 1903, Page 7

A Goddess of Africa

ST. QEO RATHBORNE

CHAPTER XII. ON THE ROAD TO HADES, When he had thus made sure of the quart or so of glistening gems that may have once bedecked the form of the ugliest of idols, Rex found that he could condescend to smaller things. The queer images and vessels fashioned out of pure gold claimed his attention. Their intrinsic value most be, quite a snug dot, if one could but convey them to the busy marts of men, where such things were scrambled for with the most feverish eagerness. Really, he was surprised to see how calmly he could view such a collection of the most precious of metals ; but then when one has already dined upon the most exquisite of viands, he is able to look upon an ordinary Feast without emotion, though at another time the sight of the same spread might sot his mouth to watering. Ricking up a couple of the least cumbersome of the images, he lugged them out of the receptacle and planted them at the feet of the working artist, who halted in his labor long enough to vouchsafe the antiques a scrutinizing glance and then say; “Found ’em all right, eh—well, they are daisies, now, I’ll admit, (let Jim and the rest to assist, old boy. I’m too much engaged, you see—really, wouldn’t put a stop to my sketch for all the gold in Africa, Haggard and his King Solomon’s mine to the contrary,’’ and he scratched away for dear life. Illudsoe was quite ready to help, and the others also came quickly to the front, so that in an exceedingly brief space of time the little pile of golden relics had been switched from the interior of the old barbarian god to a spot in the middle of the chamber. Lord Bruno had finished his sketch of the remarkable three-headed deity and condescended to inspect the collection with the eye of one who might bo called a connoisseur. And forsooth, it was a sight well worthy the attention of prince or peasant, a bravo accumulation of qua ini vessels that bore such mute though eloquent testimony regarding the cunning ami skill of ancient goldbeaters in the days when the Pharaohs reigned over Egypt. The professor actually went down on his knees before the treasures, as did the reprobate children of Israel before the golden calf. To him the intrinsic part was as tinkling brass when placed in comparison with their amazing- historical value. Even, the cowboys were quite taken with the oddity of some among the images, and Red Eric burst into a loud laugh as ho snatched up one that appeared to he half way between a gorilla and a man, with a certain I suspicious loaning toward the Egyptian style of sculpture as witnessed in the temple of Luxor. That laugh, how weird it sounded —a dozen tongues seemed tp take it up—from one end of the chamber to another it was echoed, and hustled back and forth with the rapidity of a tennis ball in a hard fought championship game. It was as if the grave assemblage of hideous old gods had been given the breath of life, and were mocking the merry cow-puncher, whose merriment came to a speedy end. At the same moment, as though there might be some connection between the nuui, rebounding echo, and the spirits that haunted the ruined temple of Az.or, the brilliant light which had served them so well all this while, suddenly went out, not oven deigning a parting flicker in farewell. Exclamations arose, for the first thought that flashed over them was that there might bo something supernatural about it all they had heard of a curse being loft with a hidden treasure, a poisonous vapor perhaps, fastened in a Pandora box, that would immediately finish any one wdio dared open it. All of them were plain, practical men of good common sense, ami whoa the first shock had departed, they found themselves ready to laugh at the thrill which had involuntarily swept over their frames under the impulse of that queer coincidence. “The powder has given out,” spoke up the Englishman in a voice that'showed no trace of a tremor — “be patient a moment, my hearties. I’ve another package handy, and we’ll soon have plenty of light.” Then a match crackled—puff! the darkness w r as shattered, and in its stead came that same dazzling light wdiich had before permeated almost every crack and cranny in the great low coiled chamber. Hastings uttered an exclamation. “What now?” demanded the Briton, recognizing In this cry a note of alarm, and perhaps believing Rex had been shaken by a sudden winnowing of wings overhead, as some gigantic bat beat the air, frightened at the new flood of light. “Yonder—l could swear I saw a crouching figure, a giant black, suddenly spring out of sight behind that leaning god.” j All eyes w r ero instantly glued upon I the spot lie indicated, but no sign remained of the phantom figure Rex believed ho had seen. | “Possibly a delusion,” said Lord Bruno, us lie bent over the treasure- 1 trove and examined some of the queer conceits that were fac similes of the barbaric gods with which they were even then surrounded. Rex had some good stubborn Scotch blood in his disposition, and having taken hold it was hard for j 1 him to lot go. Ho shook his head : i in a negative -way, saying: j i "Of course that would be a possi- ! 1 bility, but lam far from willing to t admit that my eyes deceived me. f Hero is Bludsoe—perhaps he too saw | 1 it vanish like the smoko on a windy t day—how is it, Jim?” ‘ x The cowboy confessed that he had i been looking in another quarter when 1 the light resumed sway, and therefore failed to see what Hex mention- j ed, as no sign of its presence hovered 1 about the spot when he did fasten his i eyes upon the angle. t “Still, it’s an easy thing to make a i

dead certainty of it. Come with me, , Mr. Hastings, and unless the thing of evil possessed the wings of a bat | I we’ll be sure to discover some sign • of his presence, I swear.” Rex instantly understood what he meant to imply. The dust that lay | I so promiscuously around would bej tray the fact whether a human being I ! had entered the chamber in that j quarter or not. | Jim Bludsoe, ere trusting himself \ j in such a subterranean trap as the i black temple of Azor, had prepared j for an emergency by securing several j billets of wood to serve as torches ! should the occasion warrant. • Possibly they were not equal to j j the lightwood flambeaux he might t j have secured had he been given a f | better opportunity, but they promis- *, j ed to answer the purpose. • j One of these ho now dipped in the ! glowing furnace on the pan. It im- - j mediately took fire, and while its , ■ puny flame held no comparison with > ; the intense glow of the flash-light. ■ : still he was satisfied. ’ I Rex followed at his heels, leaving i : the others busily engaged in stowing . ; the golden images that were worth i five times their weight in sovereigns, ' j into a couple of leather saddle bags, ; fetched for the purpose, i Straight over to the spot designat- ‘ •ed by the adventurer Jim Bludsoe ! ; stalked, holding the blazing torch i above his head. ■ j Rex, even while quivering from ex- ! ' cjtement, could not but remark what • i a wonderfully fine picture the athlai tic cowboy made as he moved on, for ; I you see Rex had been somewhat of | an artist in days gone by, and once | that spirit finds lodgment in a man j it never leaves him. , j A dozen strides and Bludsoe was j at the spot—he swept his torch in j advance as he bent low. Almost im- ; j mediately Rex heard him give an | clamation, and from its exultant j ring ho knew in advance that his sus- : ! picions were confirmed, j That flying glimpse of a disap- ! pearing object was not the stretch : ; of imagination. ! "What have you found?” he asked, j coming alongside the plainsman, and also riveting his gaze upon the • ground. I * "Footprints, and not made by an ! angel, either, you bet,” returned ■ blunt Jim, pointing to where the : dust had been disturbed, and there i Rex discerned a giant imprint. I It meant much to them—discovery—ian alarm, the assembling of the ; | black hosts, the destruction of their | only path out of the deep crater, a | siege, and ultimate destruction! No' j j wonder then, with these possibilities i I staring them in the face both Rex | { and the cowboy were anxious to ; j know whither the black spy had ; flown. i Besides, Bludsoe was at once overwhelmed by a feverish desire to follow, that being a part and parcel of his religion. He flashed the light over the trail, and Rex did not say nay—indeed, he was in quite the mood to accompany Bludsoe down through the infernal regions if so be there was an object in visiting that abode of the dark shades. As ho went on Jim kept up a running commentary upon the situation, j and in that way gave vent to his i feelings, while at the same time im- I parting a certain amount of information; for Rex had never had much ! practice as a trailer, and might be i looked upon as something of a "ten- I derfoot” in cowboy parlance. j “See, here’s where he made that j flying leap when you had a glimpse of him, and I just reckon as how the critter must have been scared nigh to death when the fire flashed up so sudden like. He landed yonder—you can see how he slipped as he came down, but recovered and ran like a scart deer. "Here’s the wall of the place, but jest in this spot you see it’s riven, and through that opening our chap wont licketty split. “Now, if you asked my advice, sir, I’d surely say we’d be foolish not to go a little way into that ere crevice and see if we can’t run across this cussed spy, because if lie once gets clear, we’ll have to pay the piper. Is it a go, Mr, Rex?” His tone and manner were persuasive, and Rex, falling in with the spirit of adventure, as lie recognized the value of keeping this scout from giving the wild alarm, immediately acquiesced. So they plunged into the black crevice, which looked more like some freak of nature, resulting from a convulsion of the mountain in the days when Krokato was violent, than any possible passage constructed by man’s ingenuity. It was astonishing how rapidly the experienced Bludsoe pushed bn. He seemed to keep one eye on the ground so as to follow the trail, while with the other he endeavored to pierce the darkness that lay like a pall just beyond the line marking the limit of their feeble torch’s power. Hastings could not but experience a sensation of thrilling interest as he kept at the other's heels. They had quickly passed around several angles, so that a backward glance which Rex shot over his shoulder failed to reveal the first i sign of light from the rear. On either 1 side wore the roughened, black walls, : which looked very much as though i they had been burned by the fire of agc«, while under their feet the base of the crevice Avas threatening to trip f them up with every move. J To acid to the Interest of the af- t fair, both of them began to sniff sus- f piciously of the atmosphere, as ’ though it aroused unbidden fears, for it became strongly impregnated with 1 sulphur or brimstone, as though they ] approached the bottomless pit. And as they thus rushed on Rex c was surprised to have the flambeau thrust into his hand, while his com- i panion shouted over his shoulder: i "We’re closing on him fast, sir!” CHAPTER XIII. < LHE SNAP OF A ROPE. j It was easy to sec that the cow- * boy had some plan of action in his mind—that even as he ran he had arranged a scheme by means of which he hoped and expected to accomplish the downfall of the black spy who e scurried on before, and of whom they n had occasional glimpses as he bound- fi ed from pillar to post in a sullen, B unwilling way, as though he liked c not the idea of being thus chased so heartily into the bowels of the earth. Rex entered into the spirit of the e; game with a zest known only to the ti hunter —an eagerness that is seldom w reciprocated by the fugitive, be it man i ci or beast, straining every muscle and g< nerve to escape. J h

> He kept close at Blucisoe’s heels, ? and waved the torch above his head t so that with the draught caused by 1 this double movement, the flame hissed and roared,- and ate deeper into the e wood of which the flambeau was composed. The air grew even more suggestive f of the infernal regions—it was fetid k and strongly impregnated with that sulphurous odor which they had nof | ticed ever since plunging into the 3 j crack in the black rocks. 1 Still Jim Bludsoe ran on, and Rex 1 I would not allow any man to outdo } I him in an affair of this kind, no matj ter where it led. That was the > ' Scotch blood of his way-back ancestt j ors again—he owed much that was L ] wholesome in his disposition to those - sturdy men of brake and fen from whom he was descended. s As his eye rested momentarily on - his companion he discovered that : Jim had made his lasso ready i | that weapon which is more than j knife or revolver in the hands of I one to the manner born, and with ■ ! which an adept can perform feats | that might stamp him a wizard in ' I the eyes of a tenderfoot, j Ho coiled it ns he ran and woe ; betide the black fugitive once the ! rope was launched forth by that practiced arm. All the while they gained, possibly because the man who fled before i them experienced an unwillingness to ; explore the mysteries of the sub- : te&'anean passage, and also on account of their avoiding obstacles he ' stumbled over, thanks to the light. : Now he could be seen very'plainly —Rox even caught the look of deadly fear upon his dark face as he twisted his head around in the en--1 deavor to discover whether they were still gaining. He really felt sorry for the wretch, and yet, knowing what it meant for them should the Zambodi ; warrior escape to sound the alarm, ' and arouse the black, impis within ten leagues of the sacred crater, he i was just as determined as Jim to I continue the mad race until it came i to its legitimate conclusion, i Twice he shouted to the fellow to I slop and surrender, but his voice i sounded like a trumpet blast in that j narrow, ragged cleft, and appeared ; t» only inspire additional terror in the fugitive, judging from the fresh i spurt he took, fear lending him j wings. I Bludsoe was almost ready to hurl : his rope—he had begun to swing I it around his head as if to give j warning to Rex that he might keep i : his distance. i The black runner no longer I scrambled over the rocks like a ! frightened chamois—ho had come to : a full stop, and his attitude was that of a man who finds himself between the devil and the deep sea —behind him were those white, adventurous spirits fitom whose touch ho had fled in such haste like one | possessed, while before him yawned j an abyss whence arose a weird va- ' por that looked like a phantom | smoke, together with a dull glare ’ as of some fiery furnace far down j in the bosom of the earth. j Rox saw and his heart was chilled j with horror at the terrible choice I I thrust upon the fugitive. I ' To make the leap meant but one i | chance in ten of his reaching the op- ; ! posite side, such was the width of i I the awful chasm from which these ! I sulphurous fumes drifted, and should i j failure be his portion his flight to j | the gates of Hades must be rapid in- i j deed. I I As tbo black athlete stood there, 1 with every muscle strained in an- 1 ticipatiou of the fearful task before him, and with one foot drawn back to give impetus to his leap, he presented a picture young Hastings could never forget to his dying day—a picture that has since graced the walls of a salon and aroused the most intense admiration for the marvellous look ol fear and resolution j combined upon the black face of the sinewy Zambodi warrior. j Bludsoe was swinging his lariat . with increasing power, as though it ! were his intention to wrap the reckless spy in its coils ere he had a | chance to launch himself forth upon j such a haphazard mission. | He was too late to prevent it. I The black athlete suddenly leaped j through space, his form describing a | parabola as it rose and fell again, j Bravo! he struck the other side, clearing a greater space than the highest record of a standing jump ever readied, for the dread of death gave the amazing power of steel springs to his muscles. “Great Scott! what a magnificent leap, and he made it —he has landed ; on the other side —a tiger could have done no better. Not yet not I yet—he staggers wildly on the brink—his footing is insecure and he failed to throw his weight forward. Poor devil—he is lost after all—my God! what a fate for a bravo man.’’ Even while Rex was thus speaking the black warrior had been going through tho most tremendous contortions in an endeavor to maintain tho slight advantage secured by planting his feet upon the rocky brink of the cleft; but instead of gaining ground his most frantic and exhausting muscular efforts only served to keep his balance for a space not exceeding fifteen seconds of lima. Then from his lips burst a shriek such as might proceed from the lost souls in torment. Despair had j swallowed up hope, and a con- ' scion,sness of his terrible doom over- I whelmed him. I So ho ceased his mad efforts, and ■ toppled over into the abyss, to go plunging down into the awiul depths : where mortal man could never descend and live. But Jim Bludsoe was there, the man who had handled a lariat since a lad, Jim Bludsoe, who while the wretched brave wildly endeavored to maintain an equilibrium had rushed dangerously near the other edge, and giving his coiled rope a part- i ing whirl, flung it out across the gulf. (to be continued.)

MY LODGING IS ON THE COLD GROUND. My lodging It is on the Cold ground, and very hard is my fare, But that which troubles me most is the unkimhicss of my dear. Yet still I cry, 0 turn, Love, and I prethee Love turn to me, Fer thou art the Man that I long for, and alack, what remedy? I’ll Crown thee with a Garland of straw then, and I’ll Marry thee with a Rush ring, My frozen hopes shall thaw then, and merrily we will Sing,. 0 turn to me, my dear Love, and prethee Love turn to me, For thou art the Man that alone eanst procure my Liberty. But if thou wilt harden thy heart still and be d-'af to my pittyful moan, Then 1 must endure the smart still, and tumble in straw alone, Yet still I cry, 0 turn, Love, and I prethee Love turn to me, For thou art the Man that alone art the cause of my misery. —“The Rivals.” 1668,