YERMAH THE DORADO
The Story of a Lost Race
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FRONA EUNICE WAIT COLBURN
1 It requires a great many shovelfuls of earth to buy truth "
— Swiss Proverb
NEW YORK
THE ALICE HARRIMAN COMPANY
Copyrighted 1897
By FRONA EUNICE WAIT
All rights reserved
Revised and Re-copyrighted 1913
By FRONA EUNICE WAIT COLBURN
All rights reserved
THIS VOLUME
1 IS DEDICATED TO THE
WHITE KNIGHTS
OF ALL LANDS AND OF ALL THE AGES
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MY FATHER
JAMES LAFAYETTE SMITH
— Frona Eunice Wait Colburn
FOREWORD
This book " Yermah the Dorado," was first pub
lished at The Sign of the Lark, San Francisco, in
1897. The issue was limited to five hundred copies,
mostly subscribed for by personal friends of mine.
The notes, manuscript and plates were all lost in the
fire of 1906.
The date of publication is of the utmost impor
tance because the Llama City, Tlamco, the scene of
this romance, was located in Golden Gate Park,
where it was destroyed by earthquake, in the long
ago.
Since the actual occurrence of 1906, the original
story has been slightly revised, but not a line of the
description of the earthquake has been changed, nor
an incident added. Whoever lived through those
days, as I did, will not need to be told why. The
use of aeroplanes and wireless telegraphy, with the
recent visit of a huge comet are additional reasons
impelling me to reprint what is very like a pre-vision
of things to be.
To me Golden Gate Park is a hallowed spot. As
a place of refuge I saw an ephemeral city reared in a
night of stress and misery. The beauty of a rebuilt
modern metropolis will but serve to recall the
vanished glory of the dream city ruled by the man
who was the real El Dorado.
FRONA EUNICE WAIT COLBURN.
TO GOLDEN GATE PARK
Where once the Wisdom-City's temples rose
Within her " Gates of Gold," our latter day
This noble pleasure ground but loves, and knows,
Nor guesses where the fanes of Tlamco lay ;
Yet who shall say what spell that vanished race
Bequeathed forever to this mystic place ?
For through this realm enchanted, wanderers stroll —
Or from the Seven Seas, or dwellers near —
And cares forget, while from each weary soul
Life's heavy burden slips — till peace reigns here
Where blue sky arches over flower and palm,
And west winds whispering, breathe a healing balm.
Here creep the old and sad, so long denied
The welcoming smile these sunny spaces hold;
Fond lovers weave their golden dreams beside
Gay, laughing children counting poppy gold ;
To all the Park brings rest, and sweet relief
From work or pain, or haunting wraiths of grief.
— Ella M. Sexton.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
CHAPTER ONE
YERMAH, the Dorado, was refreshed and
invigorated by his early morning ride. It
had been a voluntary gallop, and it would
have been hard to say which found the keenest en
joyment in it; he, his horse Cibolo, or Oghi the oce
lot, which ran beside them in long, slow leaps, cover
ing much ground yet always alighting noiselessly and
as softly as a cat.
It was a beautiful morning, one that would corre
spond to the first of June now — but this was in the
long ago, when days and months were reckoned
differently.
The tall grass and wild oats left ample proof of
close proximity along the roadside by the fragments
secreted in the clothing of Yermah and in the trap
pings of Cibolo. Oghi, too, could have been con
victed on the evidence his formidable toes presented.
Added to this was the indescribable scent of dew, of
the first hours of day and the springtime of nature.
It was the first time since his arrival from Atlantis
that Yermah had ventured alone outside the city
limits. When once the temples, and marketplaces of
Tlamco were left behind him, he had given Cibolo
1
YERMAH, THE DORADO
the rein and abandoned himself to the exhilaration
of going like the wind.
Tlamco, the Llama city, the name of which was un
known to the men who sought the mythical Kingdom
of Quivera — that will-o'-the wisp land — supposed
to be the center of the Amazon inhabited island of
California of the very remote past. Tlamco van
ished so completely that there were no traces per
ceptible to the men who founded Yerba Buena on the
same peninsula ages after. Its existence would be
laughed at by present day inhabitants of San Fran
cisco were it not true that the hills in and around
Golden Gate Park are living witnesses of great math
ematical skill.
The first denizens built some of these hills and
shaped others to give the diameters and distances of
all the planets. Who of to-day will believe that Las
Papas, or Twin Peaks, show the eccentricities of the
earth's orbit to one fifty-millionths of its full size?
At present early morning milk-trains, and trucks
loaded with vegetables from the outlying gardens in
tercept and mingle with the heavy wagons laden with
meat from South City. In short, the modern city's
food supply comes from the same direction in which
Yermah rode. Conditions and people have changed
since then, and so have many of the features of the
locality itself.
South of what is known as the Potrero was a bay.
Now it is a swamp, and the north and south points
there are the remains of forts, although they appear
to be nothing more than hillocks blown into shape
by merest chance. To the west is a hill on which
dwelt Hanabusa, the captain of the three-decked war-
galleys, or balsas. Nearby was the signal tower
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 3
which could be seen from every eminence in the city.
It guarded the western side of the sanded causeway
leading from the marketplace in the center of
Tlamco to the water's edge. Hanabusa's house af
forded protection to the north side.
Yermah skirted the range of hills on the land side,
where the granaries of his people were located and
which accounted for the presence of the war-galleys
and the defenses in that neighborhood. He rode
down what is known as the old San Bruno Road,
where he was kept busy returning the salutes of the
workmen whose duty it was to produce, conserve and
prepare food for their fellows.
Meeting Hanabusa near his house, Yermah dis
mounted to consult with him. While the men talked,
Oghi lay in wait for a flock of birds, which had been
frightened into rising from the ground. Oghi was
more like the South American jaguar than any of the
ocelots of Central America. In olden times these
animals were plentiful on the Rio Grande, and were
used by the sportsmen of the day for hunting, much
as dogs are now employed.
This morning once fairly in the country, the quick
eye of Oghi detected a fine buck deer surreptitiously
grazing in a field of oats by the roadside. Instantly
the ocelot crouched low and hugging the ground
crept stealthily forward. The black-tail, soon con
scious of danger, elevated its head adorned with a
splendid set of antlers still in the velvet. Its nostrils
were distended, and it sniffed the air suspiciously.
Like a bolt from a gun the deer made a tremendous
leap, and was off at top speed. Oghi continued to
trail in a crouching position, which made him look
like a long, black streak against the horizon. He
4 YERMAH, THE DORADO
gained on the deer from the first, and when near
enough made a furious spring.
The leap fell short, but Oghi lighted on the rump
of the buck and nearly bore it to its haunches. The
wounded animal shook off its assailant and plunged
ahead desperately, but it was plain to be seen that it
was badly hurt where Oghi's claws had torn out great
pieces of flesh and hide.
The ocelot now changed tactics. All his cruel
leonine nature was aroused by the exertion and the
taste of warm blood. Instead of hugging the heels
of his victim, he endeavored to run alongside near
the shoulder where he could fix his sharp teeth in the
throbbing throat. For a few moments they ran
side by side, straight and even as a pair of coach
horses.
Then, with a mighty cat-like spring, Oghi's long,
slender body stretched out and up into the air. When
he descended, his claws had closed on the jugular
vein of the deer. For an instant there was no break
in speed. The deer made two more leaps, then stag
gered, whirled once around, and victor and vanquished
went heels over head together in the long grass.
Yermah kept close behind, putting Cibolo to his
best paces in an endeavor to save the life of the deer.
He called repeatedly to Oghi to let go his hold.
Finally the creature reluctantly obeyed with a sullen
growl. Not only were the main arteries and veins
in the deer's throat severed, but the heavy blows had
broken the shoulder-blade.
Yermah hastily fastened the chain he carried to
the bull's-hide band on Oghi's foreleg, which was held
in place by two smaller chains fastened to the ani
mal's collar. As the captor licked the blood off his
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 5
chops, the death-struggles of his prey grew fainter,
and finally ceased altogether.
Oghi was quite a character in his way, and en
joyed an unique reputation among the inhabitants of
Tlamco. He came as a gift to Yermah from the
Atlantian colonists of the Rio Grande. He seemed
so disconsolate and lonely when first brought to his
new home, that Yermah sent to his former region to
secure the ocelot a mate. In the meantime, the young
man told all his friends about it and promised his
favorites the first litters which should follow this
happy venture. Oghi's reputation for intelligence,
docility and courage made every one feel fortunate in
the prospect of owning some of the stock.
Pika, the mate, was an ocelot beauty and carried
herself with all the haughty disdain a full knowledge
of that fact might have inspired. When turned
loose in the yard with Oghi, she flew at him instantly
and whipped him unmercifully. In no circumstance
would she allow him near her. Oghi submitted like
a sheep. He even crawled flat on his belly and
howled for mercy. In these encounters he kept
close to the wall on the opposite side, and whenever
possible scaled it with remarkable agility.
This unexpected outcome gave rise to great hilarity,
although the consensus of opinion was that Oghi had
behaved like a gentleman. There were men in those
days capable of facing a hostile regiment, single-
handed, but who capitulated unconditionally at sight
of an irate female — so this idea is not entirely
modern.
It may have been that an easy victory over Oghi
caused Pika to over-estimate her fighting abilities,
for she did not hesitate to attack a grizzly bear and
YERMAH, THE DORADO
in so doing came to an untimely end. It was a
rough-and-tumble fight, but a duel to the death from
the beginning.
Had Pika been more wary, she would have kept
well to the rear; but she foolishly got in the way of
Bruin's right paw and the result was a skull split
from nose to ear.
When Yermah's irreverent friends came to con
dole with him, he invited them to witness his en
dowment of Oghi with a badge of mourning. This
was the bull's-hide band, worn on the left foreleg by
means of which Oghi was always manageable. Sus
pended from the hook which fastened the leading
chain was a leaden heart with the inscription —
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF PIKA
which was indeed a sign manual of submission and
servitude. If at any time during the rest of his life,
Oghi showed signs of rebellion, Yermah had but to
pull the chain and the left foreleg was doubled up
close to the body, while the collar around the neck
became uncomfortably tight.
laqua, Yermah's official residence, was surrounded
by an immense octagonal enclosure, and was ap
proached by two beautiful gates. The one due
north closed a roadway composed of tiny sea-shells,
extending to the bay and overlooking the Golden
Gate. The other was a terminus of a foot-path of
flagging which led to the Observatory. Here the
adobe was laid in irregular forms and covered with
stucco.
laqua's eight towers were circular in form and had
battlements and winding stairways. Each was fur
nished with deep-set octagon loop-holes for observa-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 7
tion, and comfortably accommodated twenty men.
The entrance was a door opening into the courtyard
and connecting with a passage-way under the terrace.
It was this opening fitted with loopholes which really
made the building a fortification.
The whole structure was flat-roofed, having bat
tlements of hard wood plated with lead. The lower
floor of each tower was used as a guardroom, being
furnished with huge tables and benches which fol
lowed the outline of the room. There were stools
of terra-cotta, porcelain and hard woods elaborately
carved where the body-guard suite of the Dorado
lived. In each tower, one above the other, were
two sleeping apartments of equal size with mess-
rooms attached.
As Yermah galloped up through the wide south
ern gate, the courtyard filled with members of his
staff. As he swung lightly from the saddle, it was
noticed that Cibolo showed signs of the morning
work. Yermah led his charger to the stable door,
and, as he was being rubbed down, gave him some
salt and patted him affectionately.
Oghi took offense at this show of partiality, and
leaping over the back of the horse, stood uncom
fortably near Yermah, the hair along his spinal col
umn on end and his tail straight and threatening.
Yermah spoke sharply to the ocelot.
Disturbed by the commotion, a flock of parrots
having the freedom of Cibolo's crib began to screech
and to chatter, as if they not only comprehended but
sympathized with Oghi's jealousy. In less than a
minute they were vigorously fighting among them
selves, and Yermah, unable to make himself heard
above the noise and din, fled incontinently.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
Cibolo came from Poseidon's stud, whence his an
cestry was traced back many generations. He had
all the qualities which conduced to endurance and
speed. Cibolo's bright eyes gave evidence of en
ergy and splendid nerve, and he carried himself like
a king. His straight neck and perfect joints were
connecting links of a muscular system of great power.
In the center of a wide, flat forehead was a star,
and the glossy coat of hair distinctly oulined a del
icate tracery of veins. The nostrils were wide and
open, while the mobile ears, set well apart were small
and straight. Never in his life had the horse been
struck a blow. He was docile, obedient, affection
ate and intelligent.
With fine-cut horn brushes, the groom set to work
removing every particle of dust and sweat from his
skin, smoothing every hair into its proper place, un
til it shone like fine satin. The mane and tail were
combed like human hair and plaited into tight
strands, which would be loosened only when he was
harnessed to the chariot, later in the day. As be
came the station of his master, the head ornaments,
saddles, coronas and trappings worn when hitched
to the chariot were masses of jewels, feathers, silver
bells and embroidery.
Yermah went directly to his private apartments in
the eastern quadrangle of laqua. The approaches
to this part of the house were screened by trellises
covered with flowering creepers. After a plunge
and a shower of both salt and fresh water, followed
by a liberal use of lavender spray, of which the Do
rado was extremely fond, he emerged from the
hands of his dresser with a glow of health and hap
piness on his face. He lingered but a moment in the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 9
hallway, then crossed over to the extreme eastern
triangle, which was a private sanctuary where he
often went to consult the oracle Orion on personal
matters.
The statue was of carved alabaster exquisitely pro
portioned. It represented the figure of a man, with
diamond eyes, whose head supported a jeweled miter
terminating in a point. The belt which confined the
loose robe at the waist line had three solitaires of
purest water which were supposed to grow dim if
the petitioner were not in good health or was in dan
ger. If these stones became opaque or colorless, the
phenomenon gave rise to most dismal forebodings.
Orion was placed in a square niche exactly facing
the rising sun, holding a fan and a sickle in the hand.
A window of jeweled glass let in the first rays of the
morning, lighting up the gold and silver ornamenta
tion back of the figure. The right side was of gold,
the left of silver — one typifying the sun, the other
the moon. Back of the head, suspended from the
ceiling, was a splendid panache of green feathers
dusted with jewels, and above this was a crystal ball,
whose knobby surface reflected rainbow colors in cir
cles and zones. At the feet was a bas-relief repre
senting a golden humming bird flying over water
which was a symbol of Atlantis.
The prayer-rug in front of the statue was of
ivory, woven in strips. It was as flexible as cloth
and beautifully fine. The double-key pattern, char
acteristic of pre-historic America, formed the bor
der; but this was much broken and most effective
with its shadings of black, skillfully intermingled
with filigree carvings. Pastils of incense burned on
the altar — peace and quiet reigned supreme.
10 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The Dorado was a child of promise; that is to
say, he had been set apart as the future ruler of the
island of Atlantis and her outlying colonies. By
the Brotherhood of the White Star he had been con
secrated, before he was born, to a life of service.
Yermah was a veritable sun-god, and as the sub
dued light fell over his long, wavy blond hair and
beard, while kneeling before the oracle, he was a
specimen of manhood fair to look upon.
Tall, broad-shouldered and athletic, with not a
pound of flesh too much, his countenance was as open
and frank as that of a child. His large, round,
clear-seeing blue eyes were placed exactly on a nor
mal line — eyes whose truthfulness could not be
questioned; and the slightly arched heavy brows in
dicated physical strength and mental power. Yer
mah had a large hand evenly balanced and well
formed. The joints of the fingers were of equal
length, ending in round pink nails, denoting liberal
sentiments as well as love of detail. The small,
clean-cut ear helped to bear out other testimony of
his having been born during the morning hours.
Ever mindful of the little courtesies of life, both in
bestowing and receiving, he was a model of propri
ety and dignity even as a youth.
Yermah possessed a nature which aroused others
to the highest degree of activity. Unfortunately
this activity was as liable to be against as for his in
terests. He was high-spirited and resolute, but
generous and sympathetic. As a friend he was con
siderate and faithful. As an orator he was mag
netic, and irresistible; and as the shoulders are the
thermometer of feeling he made many gestures with
them.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 11
On the spur of the moment, under the dominating
influence of emotion, the Dorado sometimes acted
without thinking, but he was incapable of harboring
malice. In later life this qualified him for arbitra
tion, when the necessities of the people demanded its
exercise.
" The peace of a perfect day be with thee, Yer-
mah," said Akaza, the hicrophant.
He kissed the Dorado on the right cheek, the
forehead, and then on the left cheek, as he stood
clasping the young man's arms, murmuring the
names of the three attributes of Divinity. Only an
initiate of the highest order ever gripped an arm in
precisely the same manner as Akaza had done, and
Yermah was gratified by the distinction and favor
shown.
" The same sweet grace be with thee now and al
ways," was Yermah's greeting in return as he car
ried the long, thin, white beard of the old man to his
lips.
Then adroitly drawing Akaza's arm through his
own, he led the way to a nook in the private sitting-
room facing the sanctuary, on the threshold of which
he had encountered his visitor.
" Forgive my keeping thee waiting," he contin
ued. " I yielded to the seductions of the balmy air
and Cibolo's easy gait, riding farther out than I at
first intended."
" It were easier to make excuse hadst thou not
unnecessarily cast insinuations on Cibolo," answered
Akaza, smiling. " It is not fair to the horse, since
he is not here to make known how he was encour
aged and abetted in his labor of love. I have but
arrived from Ingharep, having completed calcula-
YERMAH, THE DORADO
tions of the planets concerning our journey to Yo-
Semite.1 Walking in slowly, I was glad of the few
moments' breathing time."
He helped himself to some salted melon and dried
anise seeds on the platter which his host pushed to
ward him, but he refused the cigarette the latter had
rolled of corn-husks and filled with fine tobacco.
Yermah picked at the anise seeds after ordering a pot
of chocolate and some corn wafers.
" Wouldst thou advise me to go at once, to offer
this young priestess asylum here while negotiations
are pending between Eko Tanga, the emissary of
the land of the Ian of which she is a native, and the
Monbas, holding her as hostage? "
The hierophant hesitated and looked sharply at
his auditor before replying.
" Thou hast still to overcome that which bars the
entrance before thou hast completed the labors of
initiation, and I am not unmindful of thy real destiny.
Yes," he continued deliberately, and as if the fate of
an immortal soul hung on his words, " yes. I am
prepared to go with thee into the Yo-Semite. What
ever the result of the expedition, I will help thee to
endure."
As he ceased speaking Yermah noticed that he
held both thumbs tightly and sat motionless, save
that his lips moved silently. His piercing dark eyes
focused in empty space, and he seemed for a mo
ment far away from his surroundings.
" And the gold which I came here to find — does
it lie in that direction? Will my initiation into the
Sacred Mysteries be completed upon its discovery? "
Yermah was carefully noting Akaza's abstraction.
1 The modern name is preferably employed.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 13
" The gold thou art to find lies in that direction,
and when found the Brotherhood of the White Star
will welcome thee."
" Then thy long journey from Atlantis will be
crowned with success, and we can return like a pair
of conquerors — thou to preside over the temple
whose foundations were laid the day I was born, I
to tip its spires with virgin gold. Then the initia
tion, and I am ready to assume my duties as Grand
Servitor. There is but one short year in which to
accomplish this."
' True child of the sun, full of hope and impa
tient of delay! Youth is thy eternal heritage."
" Youth, indeed! " said Yermah, with mock sever
ity. " Thirty times will the earth have encircled the
sun when the next day of my nativity arrives. I hope
soon after that to be a family man, staid and sober."
"What is this about a family?" queried a new
comer, a swarthy son of Mars, who stood in the
doorway. His head was without covering other than
a band of red leather, having a bull's head and
horns of agate, and a solitaire for Aldebaran in the
center with a gold boss on each side. He wore the
quilted cotton tunic of a soldier and his feet were
protected by leather sandals tipped with gold.
On the lower arm near the elbow, were several
long strips of leather, cut like a fringe, with different
devices at the ends to show his occupation as well as
his prowess at arms and in games; also, the temple
or priesthood to which he belonged. Those on the
right arm indicated strength and skill; those on the
left his aspirations, social and spiritual.
Over this arm was thrown a cloak of perfumed
leather, ornamented with lustrous dyes in soft col-
14
ors, which found a congenial background in the
pliant, velvety surface of the ooze finish. Around
his neck was a gorget, from which depended seven
rows of beads each of a different color.
He was a younger man than Yermah, and quite
as handsome, but in a different way. He came in
with a brisk step, without hesitation, and it was ev
ident from his manner that he belonged to the place.
He greeted Akaza as Yermah had done, and stood
waiting to be asked to join the conclave.
Yermah handed him a curiously wrought gold cup
filled with chocolate, made as only the Aztecs, of all
later races, knew how to do. It was thick like custard,
with a layer of whipped cream on top, served ice cold
and eaten with a spoon. Its nutritive qualities made
it a household confection, and it was used much as
bouillon is to-day. With it was eaten thin corn-meal
wafers, rolled into fanciful shapes and browned until
crisp and dry.
" Thou art come in time to add thy counsel to
mine, Orondo," said Akaza, kindly. " Yermah
stands in need of thy assistance in a state matter of
importance, one which is certain to be fraught with
momentous consequences to all concerned."
" I thank thee for thy courtesy. But I thought
thou wert discussing marriage when I came in.
That, I believe, is my next duty, and I have un
wonted interest. As Yermah is vowed to celibacy,
I fail to comprehend the import of his words."
Again Akaza fortified himself against conflicting
emotions, and was silent.
" Our spiritual leader bids us offer aid to the high
priestess, Keroecia, at present with her followers
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 15
worshiping in the Yo-Semite. I am expected to visit
her there and thou must bear me company."
" Thou hast but to command me. It were best
to go in state, as this may incline them to peaceful
disposition toward our future. In the valley of the
Mississippi l they already have strong position, and
could harm me infinitely when once I begin opera
tions there. It were impolitic to expose the copper
deposits in that region as the metal is growing scarce
in the land of Mexi, and we would perish without it."
" Thou wilt not see me again until we are ready
for our journey; I have need to be alone," said
Akaza, as he held up his hands in benediction, form
ing an outline of the sacred fire on the altar.
Both men arose and saluted respectfully, and,
without further words, Akaza passed from the room.
1 Modern name preferably employed.
...-•*
CHAPTER TWO
THE CITY OF TLAMCO — ITS TEMPLES AND MAR
KETPLACES
THE favorite breathing-place of the San
Francisco of to-day is the site of what was
once the Llama city, Tlamco, stretching
from the Panhandle entrance at Golden Gate Park to
the beach at the Cliff House rocks. It was a city of
seven hills, marking the orbits and the diameters of
the planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus and Neptune,, as well as forming a map of
the Pleiades.
This ancient abode of the Atlantian colonists in
California was laid out in circles, with a large tem
ple in the center, near the east end of Golden Gate
Park at the inter-section of Haight and Shrader
Streets. From this point were twelve radiating
streets, intersected by four principal avenues, con
structed on the cardinal points of the compass.
The one to the east led to Park Hill, which was
terraced up to Mount Olympus on the south, and
continued on to the East Temple fortress.
The western avenue led through the center of the
park proper to Round Top, or Strawberry Hill, now
ornamented with an artificial waterfall and an en
circling lake. This hill is a natural rock, upon
which was constructed the Temple of Neptune.
The corresponding thoroughfare on the north led
16
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 17
to the Observatory and main fortress on Lone Moun
tain. These roadways were crowned with fine sand,
still found in abundance in the dunes in the immedi
ate vicinity.
There were tall three-faced obelisks of dark-red
sand-stone at the outside limits of the streets, while
the inner terminals were marked by corresponding
pillars of marble, similarly decorated. Single and
double cross-bars at the top of each of these were
hung with huge beaten-brass lanterns.
It was these statue obelisks, twelve in number, rep
resenting Mercury in the twelve hours, which gave
the name of Tlamco to the city. The cognomen
signified Wisdom.
These columns had three faces which literally
pointed the way. The countenance on the right was
that of a bearded old man; the middle face a laugh
ing, sinister one, while that on the left was of a youth
looking dreamily out into the distance. The shafts
were placed so that the young sun-god faced the orb
rising in the east, symbolical of the future; the cen
ter denoted the present, and reflected the sun at mid
day, while the old man fronted the west. Sunset
typified Saturn, the Father Time of to-day.
The figures were armless, and their legs and feet
were incased in iron coffins set on square bases of
black basalt. The obelisks proper were tapering,
and at the points were covered with white enamel.
The lamps hanging from the cross-bars were fur
nished with opalescent glass globes, and on the apex
of the obelisks were balls of the same material
radiating the light in myriad rain-bow colorings.
Cut deep in the basaltic base t was the inscrip
tion : —
18 YERMAH, THE DORADO
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND
THE LIFE
which is a Gnostic interpretation of redemption, and
at that time had reference to the course of the
sun. The Way was Horus, the ray of wisdom
shining through the darkness; the old man was
Truth, or experience; while the center was Life, or
the Light-Giver. The iron coffin was the belt of
Orion and had reference to the death of the material
world.
Esoterically, the belt of Orion is the band of
causation, to loosen which, and to free ourselves
from its influence, solves the riddle of life itself.
In the center of the city was the Temple of the
Sun with twelve sides and four main entrances which
overlooked the avenues. Its minarets and domes
were tipped with gold. There was a dome over
each doorway, and a larger one in the center, which
terminated in a truncated spire. Under this was a
circular hall surmounting twelve arches, resting on
an equal number of pillars which represented the
astral giants holding up and guarding the Cosmos.
The capital of each pillar was carved into the
semblance of the face of a young virgin with an in
scrutably mystic expression. On her head was a
monster serpent biting the tail of another on the right.
The bodies of the serpents ran in wavy lines around
the recesses at the back of the arches, where the head
in turn held in its mouth the tail of the preceding
one, forming a long meander around the hall. On
them, and commencing at the northeast corner, was
inscribed a hymn to the Cosmic Virgin : —
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 19
EAST.
O thou who in thine incomparable beauty risest from the
deep!
Thou who dwellest in all form, and givest life to all emana
tions !
Thou, Everta, who ridest on the whirlwind !
Gird thy children with the armor of justice.
SOUTH.
Thou who at thy rising doth manifest the splendor of truth,
And at thy meridian causest the fruit of the earth to ripen
in its season,
Give, O Horo! at thy setting, peace to all thy children.
WEST.
Thou who dwellest in the manifest and the invisible,
And makest one the astral deep and the mountain of sub
stance,
Grant, O Dama! union to the souls of thy people.
NORTH.
Thou whose sandals crush the head of malice and discord
And who dost establish on the rock of eternity thy seal of
power,
Make, O Gharep! on thy right hand a dwelling for the
brethren of Tlamco.
The recesses facing the cardinal points led to the
four entrances; the remaining eight were curtained
off, and used as civil courts. In each corner was
a pair of winged mastodons, facing each other.
Their out-stretched wings touched and formed a
sharp angle. On the breast of each mastodon was
a jeweled lamp of sacred fire.
Directly under the central dome was a concave
20 YERMAH, THE DORADO
counter-part, brilliant with jeweled crystals, from the
pinnacle of which was suspended a gilt ball held in
place by four golden chains. The globe was a sun
burst with horizontal rays. The serpent meander
on the outer wall back of the recesses gave the orbit
of the intermercurial planet Vulcan, to the same
scale as the gilt ball did of the sun. Underneath
the radiating globe was a porphyry disk of equal
diameter, symbolic of the fire on the altar.
This central temple, typical of active life, was the
scene of great public ceremonies, such as the recep
tion of ambassadors, and there the awards for all
civic honors were bestowed. The floor was a circle
of radiating tiles, twelve red, alternating with an
equal number of yellow. Around the center pal
ladium were twenty-four seats for the Council of
State, with the one at the south raised for the Chief.
The populace were allowed access to the building
and to assent to or to disagree with the proceedings
of the Council. These men, in a material sense,
represented the twelve labors of Hercules. They
pictured this personality of the sun as old and elo
quent; and a councilor failing in proper persuasion
and ability to reason was driven out. It was neces
sary for him to be an experienced and ready debater,
because his colleagues, in groups of six, challenged
his statements — one set pathetically, one in ridicule,
one in denunciation and another in denial.
If the members of the Council quarreled, the sit
ting was adjourned at once, and no further meeting
was lawful until the disputants took a solemn oath
that they were reconciled. News of such an occur
rence spread over the city like a flash. It was con
sidered a great breach of decorum for a man to
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 21
speak without consideration for another's feelings,
or in a loud, angry voice while in the Council
Chambers.
Yermah had four advisers, who in turn sat as Chief
Councilors. These were Akaza, Orondo, Setos and
Alcamayn.
There were also one hundred and sixty warrior
priests in his personal suite, quartered in the fortifi
cations around laqua. Some of these were descend
ants of the pioneers who founded the city; others
were there by honorable promotion for service
rendered the state.
Yermah, alone, was accountable to the Grand
Council of Atlantis, while Akaza was the only repre
sentative of the hierarchy. He led the white magi
cians out of Atlantis when black magic gained
supremacy, twenty years prior, and had only returned
in time to accompany Yermah on his tour of inspec
tion through the outlying colonies.
Conforming to the general outline of the temple
enclosure, but on a lower eminence, was a twelve-
sided plaza which was the marketplace of Tlamco.
Every street and avenue converged upon it, and it
was always alive with men, women and children on
traffic bent. In deep porticos facing the outer
circle, were booths and bazaars where everything re
quired by the population was for barter and ex
change. Like the Temple of the Sun in the center,
this beehive of industry had an outside circle de
scribing the orbit of Mars, typical of the curious
warfare which trade was to wage in later times, be
tween man's temporal and spiritual welfare.
Long lines of white and black horsehair reatas
were carried to the top of the truncated spire on the
YERMAH, THE DORADO
temple, and made fast to the base of a colossal figure
of Hercules, which was of madrono wood — indige
nous to this locality. The wood is as hard as metal,
and the statue was completely covered with fish-
scales and feathered plates of solid silver so neatly
put together as to appear like a casting. The face
and other fleshy parts were treated to a liberal coat
ing of oil and copal, giving them a smooth and metal
lic appearance.
The other end of the hair rope was fastened to
one of the inner obelisks. These were novel bul
letin boards; for each day's transaction in the
market was heralded by the appearance of many small
colored flags flying above the particular section in
active trade, or to announce the arrival of fresh
supplies.
Akaza lived on Round Top, in the Temple of
Neptune. The monastery, which was occupied by
the highest order of initiates, was surrounded by
high white walls. The temple itself was square,
four stories high, and had entrances facing the
cardinal points. Here were tall trees and deep soli
tude, away from the bustle and turmoil of traffic.
Akaza stepped into the Council Chamber on his
way to the monastery after his visit to Yermah. Al-
camayn, the jeweler, was presiding, and Setos, the
heap of flesh, was urging the necessity for sending
a deputation of merchants into the territory of the
Mazamas, which extends from the Sierra Nevada
and Coast Ranges of mountains on the southeast, to
the confines of Behring Sea on the north and west.
Mazamas signified mountain climbers and was not
the name of a nation, race or tribe.
Traveling merchants in those days were not a set
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 23
of pack-saddle peddlers, as they became in later
times. They were a distinct guild and were allowed
to carry manufactured articles which they were free
to exchange for anything made or grown by another
people. They went about with many attendants and
were always treated with consideration, sometimes
performing diplomatic service connected with trade
relations and in exceptional cases acting as spies.
" The Mazamas are not of our faith. They are
nature-worshipers, and must fail to achieve a high
place in the affairs of this continent. They have
been in rebellion against our cousins of Ian, and it is
the part of prudence to look upon them with sus
picion."
" Will Setos be kind enough to state definitely
what he expects to accomplish by dispatching a dele
gation from the guilds in his group to a friendly
territory?" asked Alcamayn. "If war is the pur
pose, Orondo must decide; if for religious propa
ganda, then the hierophant, Akaza, should be here
to speak."
" I am here to speak," declared Akaza, coming
forward. " My voice is for a visit to the Mazamas,
but not in the manner proposed by Setos."
Setos flushed — hot and uncomfortable. He was
not intentionally untruthful, but he could not let an
opportunity pass unimproved when a keen, sharp
transaction would materially benefit his section of the
industrial guild.
Akaza looked straight at him and said quietly,
" I will not have spies sent into the house of a
friend."
' Will the hierophant enlighten us as to his
wishes ? " asked Alcamayn, respectfully.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Yermah, Orondo, Setos, Rahula, and Ildiko,
with proper following, will accompany me on a
friendly mission to the high-priestess, Keroecia."
"Are we to know the nature of this mission?"
queried Setos.
" It is my wish that the high-priestess visit Tlamco.
We offer our services as arbiters between her tribes
men and the government of Ian."
" Has the time for this undertaking been de
cided?"
" The hour of departure has not been named, but
it will be accomplished while the guild of arts is in
the seat of judgment. The Dorado desires that
Alcamayn serve in his stead. He will not be long
absent."
Alcamayn arose, folded his hands across his
breast with the open palm turned inward, and in
clined his head profoundly. There was a burst of
applause, and an expression of acquiescence from the
audience, which pleased Alcamayn mightily. He
was a young Atlantian, not quite acclimated to
Tlamco, and just beginning to exercise his prerogative
as a favorite of Yermah's foster-father, Poseidon.
Noting that it was near the noon hour, Akaza
said, making the hierarchal sign of benediction :
" Have done I If Alcamayn will go with me to
the Observatory, I will fix the time of our journey,
also its duration, that he may be better able to de
vote his energy to the cause of his fellow-servants.
May the sun preserve and keep us free from malice
and disease — two mortal enemies of the soul."
As one man they responded: " Haille, Akaza!
Haille!"
Setos was primarily a man of stomach. With his
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 25
reddish-brown cloak of coarse cloth swinging loosely
from his shoulders, and shining neck-ornaments ag
gressively in evidence, he elbowed his way out of the
building, hastening into the stalls where fresh vege
tables and fruits were laid out in tempting array.
Setos's barter was for cucumbers and squashes, giving
in exchange taos of tin, which he redeemed later,
with bags of chalk, kalsomine and staff. He was
careful to see that the custom of pelon was strictly
enforced.
For each regular customer a tiny tin cylinder was
hung up in the stalls, in full view, marked with the
name and number. For every purchase made a bean
was dropped into the cylinder, and at stated times
these were removed and counted. Sixteen beans en
titled the customers to a rebate in commodities.
Setos's square jaws relaxed and his thin lips
smacked with satisfaction on seeing some luscious
melons. He had already selected one, bespeaking
his good digestion and critical eye, when his daughter,
Ildiko, the Albino, called to him :
" Thou by whom I live, Setos, the wise father,
come with me to Rahula in the bazaar of sweet odors.
She awaits us there."
" What mischief hast thou been planning this fair
day? Is it new raiment or a bit of candied sweets? "
questioned Setos, as he followed Ildiko from the
food section past piles of cotton in bales, wool, flax,
and silk in the raw state, to where the manufactured
articles were displayed.
She did not pause in the section devoted to dress
or ornament, giving only a passing glance to the
tapestries, pottery, enameled and jeweled vessels,
baskets and rugs lying about in confused heaps.
26 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" It is neither of these," she explained as they
went along. " I crave thy judgment on a new sweet
coffer fashioned by Alcamayn. He ornamented it
according to my direction."
" Because that foolish man has humored an idle
whim of thine, must I come to barter? Out upon
both of ye!"
" Rahula is already bargaining for one of the
leather pockets held in a filigree of gold. Even
widows may carry these. Thou knowest that she
is very strict in decorum and temple service. She
says that perfumes are acceptable to the Brother
hood, and even a vestal may use them in her hair."
lldiko, daughter of the moon, knew how to play
upon the weakness of her fellows and was well aware
of her father's predilections. " Thou hast no words
of condemnation for Rahula," she pouted.
They turned into the portico where the perfumers'
bazaars were located before Setos could answer.
The young woman waited for the effect of mingled
odors on a nature whose whole bent and inclinations
were toward the appetites. By the time his senses
were fully alive to the seductive fragrance, Rahula
was speaking to him. She was past-mistress of the
art of flattery.
" There is no need to commend thee to the keep
ing of the gods of magic, Setos. Every lineament
of thy noble face bespeaks exalted favor."
Setos was fatally weak with women. He knew it,
and alternately made love to, or abused, them.
" The finger of Time has failed to touch thee," he
replied, removing his conical hat, and holding it
across his stomach with both hands, " nor hast thou
forgotten the offices of speech."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 27
Rahula, who had risen, made the usual sign of sub
mission with her long, thin fingers. As she looked
intently from father to child, she quickly discerned
that Ildiko's pink countenance was puckered into a
frown.
" Has the little weaver, Ildiko, told thee of her
latest success at the loom?" she asked with fine
tact.
Ildiko made a motion of dissent, and laid her fore
finger across her upper lip. None knew better than
she that silence was impossible. It suited her evasive
disposition to make mystery of the most trivial cur-
cumstance ; she was in reality delighted with the sen
sation she was making. Many of the shop-keepers
and some of the passers-by gathered to examine the
roll of fine, gossamer-silk tissue, which Rahula
adroitly drew out of the perfumed pocket held in
her hand. Setos may be forgiven the glow of pride
and satisfaction with which he surveyed the product.
At this moment Ildiko reached over and picked up
the identical jeweled coffer which she had in mind
when she went in search of her father. To the
feminine eye her coveting was entirely justified, and
when she managed to bring the dainty bauble be
tween the silken veil and Setos's focus of vision, he
was still smiling in a pleased manner. She leaned
on him affectionately, and said in a coaxing tone:
" The water-lily design set with brilliants was my
idea. I got the suggestion from the pond in our
garden, when the fountain left a fine spray like dew-
drops in the heart of the lilies growing there. Dost
thou see thy favorite rushes in the twisted lines on
the mouth and handles? "
Setos could hold out no longer.
28 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Must I find thee a golden chain for support? " he
queried, half petulantly.
History fails to record why a certain type of man
always finds fault with what he knows in his soul he
must do for his women-folk. Setos was troubled
with that " little nearness " which has rendered the
Scotch of later times famous.
" If the chief of the merchants' guild will send
some of his excellent wine of maguey in exchange,
we vendors of sweet odors will be content. A chain,
which we can procure from our neighbors, the artifi
cers in gold, will be included in the purchase price."
Setos was about to conclude the transaction, when
Rahula said:
" Alcamayn has confided to me his intention of
making a chain of special design, which he will pre
sent to Ildiko, with consent of Setos."
Without further parley Setos led the way out of
the stalls. When he halted, it was in front of a
booth where his beloved wine of maguey was kept
in abundance. There was a private entrance to the
enclosure through which Setos passed, followed by
the two women.
With a show of special interest, accompanied by
an insinuating smile, Rahula said: "Hast thou a
secret in the fabrication of this drink unknown to
other makers? "
Setos shook his head in vigorous negation and con
tinued giving his order for refreshing drinks. Ildiko
preferred pulque. Rahula ordered metheglin, a
spiced drink made by boiling fragments of beeswax
and honey together, allowing it to ferment after it
has been skimmed and clarified.
" Wilt thou hold it impertinent in me to ask thee,"
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 29
continued Rahula, as soon as she could attract the at
tention of Setos, " to what process thou art indebted
for the superior quality of thy wine of maguey? "
" It is made from the guava plant cut in the dark
of the moon, but roasted and matured in the light
of that orb. Care in manipulation does the rest."
Then lowering his voice and making a grimace as he
winked, knowingly, he continued:
" No one suspects that my bottles are made of
pliant glass and that only the covering is of goats'
skin."
Standing with faces toward the east, they bowed
their heads reverently; without a word they drank,
not heartily, but in moderate sips. When they had
swallowed the third mouthful, they resumed their
seats. The women nibbled at honey-cakes and
salted nuts, while Setos rolled a cigarette. Before
lighting it, he said:
" Akaza, the hierophant, announced in the Council
Chamber at meridian that a visit of state is soon to be
made to the high-priestess, Keroecia. Thou art to
be my companions to the Yo-Semite, where the Mon-
bas tribes are at the festival of renewal."
" Must we countenance the rites of these childish
worshipers of the four elements? " demanded Rahula.
Intolerance was one of the bonds of sympathy be
tween them.
" I raised that question in Council, but Akaza
vouchsafed no decided answer."
Both were silent for a moment, busy with the same
train of thought.
" Oh, that we had some of the flying vehicles of
thy invention in Atlantis ! We could then make the
journey without hardship or fatigue," said Ildiko.
30 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Setos and Rahula quickly exchanged a meaning look,
then cast furtive glances about to see if Ildiko had
been overheard.
" Let us go hence," said Setos, irritably.
" Speech is the pale, silvery reflection of the moon,
my daughter, while silence is the golden rays of the
sun and the wisdom of the gods. I charge thee keep
a closer watch over thy tongue. It is an unruly
member and performs the same office as a two-edged
sword."
When it came time to separate, Seto said : " Akaza
leads us. Yermah and Orondo go also; while Al-
camayn remains and serves in our stead. I do not
doubt the loyalty of our new subjects; but Yermah
seems to find it prudent to leave some of his own
countrymen at the helm."
He spoke in a dissatisfied way — the reflex of his
own mind. It is impossible for the best of us to see
beyond the reflection of ourselves; so, Setos at
tributed to Yermah motives which would have
actuated himself in a similar situation.
Rahula, the fish-goddess, speculated on her way
home as to how much Ildiko really knew of the rea
sons which impelled her father to leave Atlantis.
She shrewdly guessed that his presence in the camp
of the white magicians was a matter of expediency
rather than conviction, but valued her position as
companion and confidante of Ildiko too highly to
jeopardize it by an injudicious question.
Rahula was content to let matters shape themselves.
Her ambitions found satisfaction in the encourage
ment Ildiko gave Alcamayn. She was a born match
maker and intrigante and knew that Ildiko was the
apple of her father's eye despite his petulancy and
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 31
parsimony. Setos was a man of ardent love-nature
whose affections had not all been buried with his wife.
Rahula's gray hair and parchment skin did not let
all hope die within her.
CHAPTER THREE
THE VIRGINS OF THE SUN AND THE VOICE OF
TLAMCO
ALCAMAYN, the fop, and Akaza, " the old
man of the band," as he was familiarly
spoken of by all classes, presented a striking
contrast as they walked toward the Observatory,
which was enclosed in a circular wall and dedicated
to Jupiter.
Akaza, tall, spare and sinewy wore a cloak of bro
cade in varying shades of green shot with silver discs.
It was fastened to a shoulder collarette, set with
pearls imbedded in hollow glass beads containing
mercury. His breast-plate of bronze had a gold and
silver inlay, while his long, thin white hair fell over
his shoulders and the crown of his head was tonsured
in honor of the sun. Fastened by the cord at his
waist was a cluster of narcissus and lilies. He car
ried a green jade tao, surmounted by an eagle, in his
right hand, showing that he commanded in the name
of science instead of war.
Alcamayn was small, round-shouldered, hook
nosed and bushy of eye-brow. His small beady eyes
had a shifty downward glance as if he were intent on
examining the ground at his companion's side. He
had been a sufferer from small-pox and he was ex
tremely sensitive concerning his facial disfigurement.
Unable to submit to the control of others, he was
32
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 3d
a swaggerer, a braggart, and very resentful. Every
little slight irritated him and he was given to brood
ing over his wrongs. When he had magnified the
promptings of wounded vanity and selfishness into a
veritable mountain, he struck back and at the most
unexpected time.
As an off-set to these disabilities, he had sterling
honesty, unswerving loyalty to Akaza and Yermah,
and he was the most skillful artificer in metals and
precious stones in all Tlamco. He was inventive
and original, having added many fine pieces to the
collection of beautiful vessels in the temples and at
laqua. He had all the instincts of a gambler and
on more than one occasion came dangerously near
indulging in the forbidden prank of drinking too
much.
His expert knowledge of precious stones enabled
him to display magnificent jewels and he often dis
coursed learnedly on their speed, refraction and
temper, .much as lovers of gems have done in every
age since.
Alcamayn wore amethysts for luck, and usually a
tunic of ochre yellow richly trimmed with peacock
feathers and silk fringes. His head-piece was a high
cap of white lambskin. On his feet were jeweled
sandals and chamois leggins were met at the knee
by a full short cotton skirt, having the figures of the
zodiac embroidered around the hem in a bewilder
ing mixture of brilliant hues.
On the sides of Lone Mountain, which the men
were rapidly approaching, were several small mounds,
still plainly indicated. Deep tanks were hollowed
out on the top of each of these, having the circular
bottom and sides lined with cement and filled with
YERMAH, THE DORADO
filtered water. In addition to serving as observa
tion pools for the sidereal system, these tanks fur
nished drinking water for the cavalry and infantry
camps situated on the right and left hand side of the
main buildings.
A circular tower of red sandstone and brick rose
in the center of the mountain itself. On the inside
was a stone stairway, having landings at the various
windows, where there was room enough for such
lenses and apparatus as was necessary to fully observe
the moon and stars imaged in the pools below.
The reflection of the sun in these pools marked
the hours of the day and time was very sensibly
measured by studying the sidereal system. By a nice
adjustment, the lenses revolved with the earth's real
motion. The Atlantians and all of their descendants
studied the reflection of the planets and stars in a
pool of filtered water sunk below the earth's surface.
The tower tapered toward the top, and under an
eight-sided pyramidal roof hung a massive copper
bell, which was struck to proclaim the hours.
Around the circle were chime bells, one for each of
the five-note scale ; and these were so grouped that by
hearing them one knew which temple service was in
dicated. When it was time to go to a temple, these
bells were rung continuously twelve strokes; then a
full interval of rest when the process was repeated
three times.
The " Voice of Tlamco " as the huge central bell
was called, rang at dusk, warning all pedestrians to go
to their dwellings. Licensed healers of the priest
craft and patrols were the only persons allowed on
the street at night, except on extraordinary occasions,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 35
and then, the " Voice of Tlamco " tolled with won
derful effect.
Lower down, covering much of the ground now oc
cupied by San Francisco proper were the ambulance
sheds, battering-rams and other paraphernalia used
in warfare. These were enclosed by a wall which
skirted the water's edge, not where the sea-wall now
is, but as the water-front was known to the founders
of Yerba Buena.
As Akaza and Alcamayn neared the entrance of
the Observatory they met a procession of Virgins of
the Sun, coming from the Temple of Venus. It was
the duty of these virgins to replenish the sacred fires
kept burning continuously on the towers and in the
temples throughout the city. A crystal lens and a
bit of cotton was used to focus the sun's direct rays
and imprison its fires. Once ignited the flame was
held sacred and constantly fed, lest disaster should
befall the entire tribe. On the apex of the octagonal
belfry was a twelve-sided urn filled with charcoal,
upon which, with proper ceremonies, four times in
twenty-four hours were placed sticks of copal and
cedar. At midnight and at sunrise this function was
performed by a selected order of priesthood. At
midday and at sunset it was done by the vestals.
As the women advanced, Akaza and Alcamayn
saluted — Akaza, by carrying his open palms even
with his forehead on each side; Alcamayn, by the
sign of submission. To emphasize his symbol of
equality Akaza said :
" Thou shalt make me thy servant."
" Thou shalt make us to go through fire and water
for thee," they responded in unison, making the same
36 YERMAH, THE DORADO
obeisance as Alcamayn had done, bending the knee
and with a downward gesture of the right hand.
The jeweler was included in the comprehensive
bow given in passing but no further words were
spoken. He did not attempt to conceal his respect
and admiration; the vestals were equally frank in
their curiosity. They had seen but few men so
fastidious in dress, and there was a difference between
his general appearance and that of the men of Tlamco.
Passing through the gateway a confusing scene
greeted the visitors. Here two bands of warriors
had been going through a quaint manual of arms in
a competitive drill and were about returning to
quarters. Carrying snake-headed batons, at the head
of the column were the superior officers who acted as
judges. Behind them came the two ensign bearers,
one flaunting a triangular-shaped banner of em
broidered satin, depicting a white heron on a rock.
It was suspended from a gold bar, supported by a
burnished bronze standard, finished with a cluster of
brilliant-colored plumes.
The other emblem was a white satin square,
showing a golden eagle with out-stretched wings
ornamented with silver-set emeralds. The pole was
gilded, and tufted at the top with curled white horse
hair, out of which protruded a flaring crest of pea
cock feathers.
Back of each standard bearer marched the
trumpeter and drummer of the regiment. A blast
from the trumpet, and a movement of the banners
guided the companies, while general orders were
signaled by the gold-knobbed baton.
The modern drum-major is not the only man know
ing how to twirl an ornamental baton, as he casts
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 37
side-long glances at his own moving shadow, nor is
his high-stepping more admired to-day than it was
of old. Vanity often changes the details, but seldom
the actual methods of self-gratification.
The leaders wore quilted cotton tunics fitted closely
to the body. Over this was a cuirass of thin gold
and silver plates, in imitation of feathers. Leggins
of ooze leather were attached to breech-clouts of
dark blue cotton, while the feet were covered with
sandals or bull's-hide moccasins ornamented with
bead-work. Wound around the shoulders was a
gayly striped mantle of fine wool, so light and soft
in texture that in actual combat it served as a sash
for the waist.
The helmets were of wood fiber, light but durable,
from the crests of which floated a panache of
feathers. The form of head covering, the color and
arrangement of the plumes, indicated the family and
rank of the wearer. Every warrior carried a shield,
either of metal, or leather, or a light frame of reeds
covered with quilted cotton.
A perfect sea of spears and darts tipped with trans
parent obsidian or fiery copper, sparkled in the noon
day sun. The gay head coverings, the ribbons
floating in the air, and the ornate shields wove in
and out in serpentine undulations, finally disappear
ing in one of the Long Houses used for mess.
There was a clash and a rattle of arms as a com
pany of expert archers of the White Heron drew
bow and discharged three arrows at a time. But
there was quite as much spirit and dash in the hurling
of javelins by the men fighting under the eagle
blazonry. To this weapon, thongs were attached, by
means of which the knife was shot through the air
38 YERMAH, THE DORADO
revolving so rapidly that it seemed like a ball of glit
tering steel. Presently, the blade returned and fell
near the hand that gave it its forward impulse.
Seldom, if ever, was there an accident in the per
formance of this extremely difficult feat, despite the
anxiety and solicitude the undertaking always in
spired.
On constant duty was a group of fighting men who
served as lookouts at the various points of vantage in
the tower. It was from this source that the men on
parade learned that Akaza, the spiritual head, and
Alcamayn, the representative of civil government,
were inside the fortification. The intelligence was
flashed from a set of mirrors and the impromptu dis
play of prowess followed.
That there was keen rivalry in the competition,
not unmixed with envy was shown very quickly, when
a partisan of the White Heron, threw dirt into the
face of an adherent of the Eagle Banner.
The parade ground was cleared at the time, but it
was only a moment before a crowd collected around
the angry disputants. They were dragged apart and
hurried in opposite directions by friendly hands,
whose good offices did not cease until the men were
brought back and made to sing the national chant.
First one man sang, then the other, while their
auditors clapped their hands in accompaniment, and
passed judgment on their efforts.
The insulted man took the initiative. While
singing, he offered his hand to the offender. The
face of the latter clouded, but the eyes of the camp
were upon him. He sullenly took the outstretched
hand, and finally the two voices blended in unison.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 39
Their comrades swelled the chorus to a mighty
shout and the whole difficulty was over.
This was in the Golden Age, in Pre-historic Amer
ica, when the man who served was a great soul, and
he who refused to resent an insult, the brave one.
Blood surged through the veins of Alcamayn,
caused by accelerated heart-action as he kept a firm
hold of Akaza's waist, to assist the hierophant in
following the sinuosities of the winding stairway in
the tower. Finally they stood alone on the roof,
and as soon as the elder man's breathing became
normal, he faced the east, and, with outstretched
arms, cried:
" I adore Him who enables me to endure."
Alcamayn bowed his head, and, making the same
genuflection, murmured:
" I give thanks to Him whose strength hath sup
ported me thus far."
Slowly and impressively the twain faced the other
cardinal points and repeated the same words. Then
Alcamayn gave hand, and Akaza soon retraced his
steps to where the mechanical apparatus for astro
nomical calculations and observations were in posi
tion. While thus occupied, Alcamayn surveyed the
whole city, going from one lookout to another.
It was a perfect day, and his surroundings re
sembled an enormous ant-hill, with throngs of work
ers going in and coming out of the houses, or hasten
ing along the thoroughfares. He turned to the bay,
where a vision of surpassing beauty rewarded him.
Not a wisp of fleecy cloud dimmed the blue vault
overhead; the only flecks of color being the pinks and
lavenders blended into the sky-line above the horizon.
40 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The soft, limpid atmosphere revealed the outlines
of the shore indentations, whose lights and shadows
added their quota to the indescribable charm. The
water was smooth and clear as a sheet of crystal,
with big and little crafts moving here and there in
stinct with life and industry.
Off what is now Black Point, Alcamayn saw a
party of fishermen with their dogs and skiffs making
for the shore. There were two groups of men and
dogs already on the beach at stations about two hun
dred yards apart.
At a given signal the dogs started from their
given points and swam straight out seaward, single
file in two columns. At a sharp cry from one of the
men on the beach, the right column wheeled to the
left, and the left column wheeled to the right, until
the head of each line met.
Then another signal was given, at which they all
turned and swam abreast to the shore. As the dogs
neared the beach, increasing numbers of fish ap
peared in the shallow water. When their feet
touched bottom, the animals pounced upon their
finny captives and carried them to their masters.
Each dog was given the head of the fish he had se
cured, as his share of the catch. The dog who
caught nothing received nothing.
For a long time Alcamayn was unable to distin
guish any member of the party now coming city-ward,
but he could see that it was of unusual importance.
Soon he caught sight of Yermah seated in a palan
quin, which was borne on the shoulders of four black
men, and then he saw Oghi streaking along ahead of
the pack of dogs which were in full cry at his heels.
The ocelot often sprang to one side and played with
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 41
his canine pursuers, while anon he scaled a wall for
their special delection. He was a magnificent swim
mer, and a good fisher, despite the fact that he oc
casionally put his sharp teeth through the fish, ren
dering it unfit for other than his own use.
" It is near the third marking past meridian-
time," said Akaza ; " and when the circle is once
more completed there will be but ten days remaining
before we shall begin our mission of amity."
"Have fitting preparations been made?" asked
Alcamayn.
" Hanabusa must take cognizance that a compli
ment of balsas do escort duty at commencement. A
signal from laqua will apprise him."
" Yermah is but returning from a fishing expedi
tion beachward. I have visioned him from an upper
lookout."
" Then let him have speech with thee at once.
Take freely the counsel he imparts, and let me have
assurance of his assent when the windows of thy
soul greet and speed our parting hence. Peace abide
with thee."
He lightly kissed the forehead bared and inclined
toward him.
Alcamayn paused a moment on the threshold and
gazed lingeringly into a kindly countenance flushed
by close mental application.
" May the preservative principle of the Trinity
have thee entirely in its keeping," he responded, as
he passed from view down the same spiral which
had given him so much labor to ascend earlier in the
day.
CHAPTER FOUR
DISPATCHING RUNNERS TO THE YO-SEMITE
THE Servitors of Tlamco were held strictly
responsible for the conduct of their respec
tive offices. Promotion and preference did
not depend upon birth but on deeds.
"What has he done?" was the question pro
pounded when a candidate presented himself for an
office of public trust, and the same query met his
lifeless body when it was offered for burial. So
cially, and in the temples the same rule followed; so
that distinctive service was the mainspring of their
civilization.
Next to the priestly office, agriculture ranked
highest in the choice of occupations. Men pro
foundly learned in every branch of it were continually
in attendance at laqua. There were stations de
voted to observation of climatic conditions; to the
reclamation of wild fruits and cereals, or the propa
gation of new ones for food; to the surveying and
proper distribution of lands ; to the building of aque
ducts, canals, bridges, granaries and public high
ways — to say nothing of the research in the extrac
tion of dye stuffs from both vegetable and mineral
substances.
Nearly all of the cereals and fruits known to man
were reclaimed from a wild state by the contempo
raneous inspiration of these times.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 43
The surrounding country was divided into four
sections or provinces, while the populace was grouped
into tens, having an official who attended to minor
details. Every thousand of the population had a
magistrate. Each ten thousand, or fraction thereof,
had a governor, who was one of the Counselors of
State.
Orondo was at the head of the Civil Counselors,
and it was to him, as first judge, that all questions of
moment were submitted. Monthly reports were
made to him by inspectors sent out for. this purpose
— men who served a lifetime without any other re
muneration than the medals and prestige their posi
tions insured. The priests owned nothing for them
selves or their temples, nor did the advocates or
healers receive recompense for service.
The community was superior to the individual, and
the government provided for the needs of all its
people. The land was divided into three parts;
that belonging to the sun supported the priesthood,
and built and maintained its temples.
Education was in the hands of the warrior-priests
and the Virgins of the Sun; so the universities and
schools drew their support from the same source.
The next third belonged to the government and was
cultivated for its benefit.
The unit of value was a day's labor, and all the
taxes were paid in this way. When the people had
planted the remaining third of the land for their own
use, they worked alternately for the government
(constructing public roads) and on the sun lands.
Hospitals for the aged, for orphans, and for the
sick were a part of the government expense, institu
tions universally copied from, but seldom accredited
44 YERMAH, THE DORADO
to the Aztecs and Peruvians by modern civiliza
tion.
No man was allowed to take advantage in a barter.
Disputes arose every day among the guilds in the
bazaars, but there was the same clannish feeling
among them that has since made and maintained the
family. Each trade was loyal to its own. They
were ashamed to have a neighboring guild know
that they quarreled, and it was a very aggravated
case which invoked the law.
When planting-time came, Orondo turned the first
furrow of sod, and the Virgins of the Sun dropped
the seeds, while Akaza commended the undertaking
to the four elements.
There were songs of rejoicing, and much exhibi
tion of skill in cultivation, which at the close of the
season, was rewarded by prizes and medals from
Yermah's own hand. There were no idle men and
women, and no paupers in these communities, while
to be accused of laziness was a great disgrace.
The private houses in Tlamco were of sun-dried
bricks, covered with stucco, elaborately ornamented
and delicately tinted. They were seldom more than
one story high, with ceilings of ornamental woods,
while the walls were tinted or hung with simple
cotton tapestries. The flat-roofs were often bright
with potted plants, and these dwellings were invari
ably surrounded by flowers and a stretch of green
sward.
The hospitals, the barracks, the Brotherhood
houses and those occupied by the priestesses faced the
cardinal points and were the squares within the cir
cular streets. They were uniformly four stories
high, with truncated sloping roofs, and terraced
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 45
grounds, forming ornamental bits of landscape
among the trees, and commanding a fine view of bay
and harbor.
Clusters of sunflowers grew here and there in out-
of-the-way places. Free use was made of cherry,
laurel, clove and lavender plants along the highways,
because they were known to produce ozone; and the
gardens contained their favorite flowers — narcissus,
hyacinth and mignonette in abundance.
Orondo was giving an audience to the mathema
ticians who were employed in the Hall of Quippos,
at laqua, where the government accounts were kept.
And when it was known that Alcamayn had arrived
Orondo sent and begged his presence. When the
jeweler stepped into the hall, he found the place lit
tered with quippos of all kinds. They were scat
tered about on chairs, on the tables, and some were
hanging upon the walls, while clerks called the num
bers and tallied the curiously knotted cords in a mo
notonous drone.
There were intricate estimates for the warriors
shown by the red cords and fringes; yellow denoted
the gold used in the mechanical arts and industries
and in the temples ; but these were few and simple in
combination compared with the white ones, indica
ting the enormous amount of civil transactions for the
current month.
Silver was used for state accounts, and its knots
were curious little buttons, full of meaning for the
men who mastered the art of the quippos. The
largest bundle of all was the green, which, by its
varying shades and fanciful combinations recorded
the amount of wheat, corn and all agricultural pro
duce owned or used by the pueblo city of Tlamco.
46 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" One knot ! Red signal corps," called the teller.
" Signal corps, ten," answered the tally.
" Two single knots, and one knot doubly inter
twined, silver, Alcamayn."
" Two knots, twenty ; one doubly intertwined, one
hundred," repeated the tally.
" One knot, triply intertwined, yellow, Alcamayn."
"Hold!" cried Orondo. "Alcamayn, hast thou
made requisition for a thousand grains of gold?
Thy parchment is not properly stamped, and we can
not give thee so much treasure on irregular demand."
" Wilt thou grant me to see it? " said Alcamayn,
reaching out for the document. " I must have both
gold and silver quickly. There will scarce be time
enough to prepare the gifts needed because of thy
going to the Monbas."
"It grieves me that I cannot aid thee; but thou
must have recourse to the Dorado."
" A foolish blunder leaves it without number,
also," said Alcamayn, with a frown, handing the
order to a tamane. " Yermah is engrossed with the
priestesses caring for the fatherless. Dost thou
know that he has issued an edict that all guilds and
communes must sup together once in each lunation? "
" The Azes are grown lax in hospitality, and we
must give them an example," responded Orondo.
The tamane returned with the parchment properly
numbered and viseed.
" He whom we delight to serve bids thee follow
me. He would fain have counsel with thee."
In obedience to the message, Orondo crossed the
hall, and passed to the right, avoiding the audience
chambers.
Yermah had risen and was dismissing the priest*
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 47
esses, after issuing orders on the state granaries for
their requirements.
" Spare no efforts to make these flowers of human
ity happy as birds of air," he said. " I charge thee
to give them plenty of sweets, music and games for
their amusement."
" Wilt thou not lend us thy presence? "
" Affairs of urgency prevent indulgence of personal
desires, but I shall not forget to send best thoughts."
" May Jupiter the beneficent be in the ascendant
throughout thy journey."
He made the sign of submission and bent the knee
in courtly fashion.
" May his jovial and benign rays descend on all
thy efforts. Success be with thee and thy wards,"
was Yermah's reply.
" The secret of happiness," said Setos, senten-
tiously, "is in having constant employment for both
body and mind. I shall advise — "
" What wilt thou advise, Setos?" asked Yermah,
as he seated himself at the council table in his private
office, where Alcamayn and Orondo had been wait
ing for him.
" Duty compels me to suggest severe measures for
women neglecting their households and allowing
their children to be seen in filthy rags. Near the
Temple of Neptune I complain of three houses un
lawfully dirty. It surprised me that Akaza made
no mention of this in conference to-day."
" It were possible that he saw them not. He
would be for mercy; and so am I."
Yermah was in a genial mood as his voice and
manner indicated.
48 YERMAH, THE DORADO
"What hast thou done with the offenders?"
asked Orondo, quietly.
" The first family was warned ; the second are
now being paraded up and down the street. They
have been admonished once before, and if it were
in my discretion, they would be soundly whipped.
Humiliation may serve with some natures, but
corporal punishment is better for others."
" Thou sayest they. Whom dost thou mean? "
" The father and mother, and two young girls.
The law is no respecter of persons."
" And, in addition, thou wouldst have me order
them whipped? "
"N-o-o; I only wish thy consent to propose the
measure at the next council meeting."
Yermah made a gesture of dissent, and asked
pointedly:
" What punishment hast thou meted out to the
third offense? "
" I have application here, awaiting thy signet,
that I may take the children away from the shiftless
sloven who gave them ingress to light."
" Is she widowed? "
" Yes ; but she has been found guilty the third
time."
" The application is denied for the present.
Alcamayn will be guardian of streets in our absence.
Upon returning, I shall lend mine ear to domestic
affairs. Of late disturbances and complaints have
been frequent from that quarter."
Touchy, vain-glorious Setos nettled at this.
" Do my fellows think me unmindful of duty? "
" No; only over-zealous. It is not in the province
of good government to meddle with private affairs.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 49
The best interests of posterity and the economic use
of sustenance, with care of the person, are all that
can be demanded."
" Akaza is competent to advise thee," interposed
Orondo. " These matters properly come under his
dominion."
" Akaza will undoubtedly agree with me," said
Setos, catching at a straw for justification. " The
first evidence of Initiation is a sensitive condition of
the organs of smell. The novitiate is required to
discover the deadly effects of putrescent gases, and
even children are taught that whatever offends the
nostrils injures the body."
They rose simultaneously, and Orondo opened
the door leading into the public reception hall.
" The runners are here, waiting to carry our
greetings to the Monbas and their high priestess."
" Go and dispatch them, Orondo. I trust thee to
lay the lash on them lightly. Go, thou, also, Setos,
to see that they get the regulation stripes before
setting forth."
The Dorado picked up the parchments signed and
sealed earlier in the day, and locking them in a
strong box of curious design, dismissed the two
courtiers with a nod and a smile.
" I pray thee return quickly. Alcamayn needs
advice from thee respecting thy special departments
of service."
CHAPTER FIVE
THE TEMPLE OF LOVE IN THE LAND OF FIRE
THE watchers on the top of Mount Diablo
looked anxiously for sunrise the morning
Yermah and his followers rowed slowly
across San Francisco Bay, hugging the shorelines
until the mouth of the Sacramento River was reached.
Four times in the year the early visitor to Mount
Diablo sees the " Shadow of the Devil " cast a tri
angular outline against its grizzled peak. The con
tacts last but a second and fade like a breath of mist
from a looking-glass.
All of the cluster of piny hills which surrounds
Diablo like brilliants around a stone of the first water
are still in darkness, and the two large valleys at
either side seem an indistinct blur, when the heavy,
phantom-like shadow is thrown on the scene, slant
ingly, clear, and sudden.
On the right side of the mountain, the light near
est the black line that accentuates the shadow is palest
yellow, shading gradually into green, until it is lost
in the yellow-brown of the hills. To the left the
line is reddish, and the shadow blue-black.
That the triangle shaped itself perfectly, and
gave good omen of the enterprise in hand, was evi
dent from the excitement among the men whose duty
it was to signal the good news to the Observatory
50
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 51
tower in Tlamco, and also to the fleet in the bay and
river.
Without mishap or deterrent incident the expedi
tion found its way up the river past the bog-rushes,
or tules, which gossip among themselves throughout
the year. Occasionally the cry of a lone bittern or
loon warned the invaders of a priority of claim upon
the sustenance hidden by the murky waters or along
the grassy banks.
The wild things were startled and much dis
tressed by such unaccustomed tumult, but their feeble
protests failed to disturb the serenity of the human
contingent secure in a might-made right to be the
over-lords of all less gifted creatures. When they
arrived at the point which is now occupied by the
city of Stockton, the entire party disembarked, and,
taking to the saddle, pushed on with as little delay
as possible.
Who can describe springtime in California?
From Yuma to the Klamath what waving of leafy
banners, what marvelous music of bird-song, what
conquest of grass-blades, what routing of first usurp
ers!
Mystical California ! Where the Ice Age never
came, and where the magnetism of pre-historic times
still lingers to attract race skandhas which shall be
gin the upward spiral of a new sub-race great in
psychological possibilities I
The days of peonage have passed forever. The
cavaliers and the padres were oppressed by the
Aztec ; he, in turn, suffered at the hands of the Argo
naut.
Over the surface of placer and quartz mines,
vines, fig-trees and olives hide the scars made by
52 YERMAH, THE DORADO
sturdy miners, and dispute prestige with the golden
grains which have been the staff of life to many
alien born, and the end is not yet.
The California of Cabrillo's day was a contin
uous flower-garden from north to south. It must
have been fair to view before mission sheep and
horses tramped down the hills, where once only the
grizzly bear and deer roamed unafraid long after
the memory of Atlantis itself had been lost in ac
cumulating centuries.
The early mariners of our dispensation called the
southern hills the " Land of Fire," because of the
blaze at poppy-time — the copo del oro of the padre
and cavalier, the Yankee gold-cup, the Russian
eschscholtzia. Then as now the yellow lupines,
loved by the rag-tag-and-bobtail of the insect world,
flourished beside the blue and purple blossoms of
more pretentious claims, flirting with daintier bees
and butterflies.
The mints are a family of pedigree, and with all
their kith and kindred they camped in clans about
field and wood. Sage, thyme, and savory have al
ways been well spoken of for yeoman service, while
rosemary and lavender are beloved of the poets.
California has both white and purple sweet wild
mint, and her sage-bushes yield to the bees honey
next to that made from clover for richness and
whiteness. Everywhere on the trail Yermah's com
panions found the Yerba Buena, which name in later
years was applied to their beloved Tlamco.
There were no quartz or gravel mines in those
days. The battea of the Mexican and the horn-
spoon of the " forty-niner " had no place in the
pack-train — for the auriferous gravel had not been
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 53
thrown to the surface in great ridges, and the blue
veins which are the natural beds for gold were in
some instances thousands of feet below the surface.
The combined action of air, water, sunshine, frost
and earthquake were yet to disintegrate the matrix
of quartz and set the precious metals free, or else
to ingulf them in tons of molten lava after vaporiz
ing them in the bowels of the earth.
Time has wrought many of these changes since,
and the heavy rains have washed the light silica into
the water courses, and thence to the valleys, thus
forming the soil and gravel which has yielded gold
in this sun-down land.
It was here that the early prospector found his
reward, and it is here also that the battle over the
disposal of the debris left by hydraulic process has
been fought out by miner and husbandman.
Then the cactus family, those outcasts of the
desert which are said to have survived the last gla
cial period, flourished in all their quaint ugliness. By
long centuries of adaptation of scanty means to the
ends of growth, the cactus has discarded its leaves
and developed a fleshy stem, cylindrical, rectangu
lar, triangular, flat, or round, but always armed with
long needles. As a compensation, it bears exquisite
blossoms of dainty tissue pistils and yellow ravelings
of stamens, while its fruits might have been the
golden apples of Hesperides.
Akaza directed his party to take a trail leading to
the south side of the Merced River, nearly two
thousand feet lower than the route followed by
tourists of later times. Suddenly from out one of
the gray-green clusters of cacti darted a coarse-
plumaged bird, marked with brown and white specks
54 YERMAH, THE DORADO
on the upper part, while the lower portion of its
body was a dingy white.
Oghi gave chase immediately, but it distanced
him, with insolent flinging of sand and dust which
quite surprised this intrepid hunter. He did nofc
know whether to be frightened or ashamed of him
self. At an encouraging word from Yermah, he
laid his ears back close to his head and again tried
the chase. The bird manifested no disposition to
fly or to leave the trail.
The trumpeter blared a command to halt, and the
entire expedition came to a standstill.
" Dismount for refreshment and rest, first giving
attention to the horses," was the word passed along
the line.
Soon the tamanes were bustling about and making
necessary arrangements for Yermah's comfort,
while he and Akaza were intent upon examining the
covert from which the road-runner started. A shout
brought Setos and Orondo to his side, and after
them, one by one, the whole party.
" I am of opinion," said Setos, " that this strange
bird, or beast, intended to eat the rattlesnake it had
killed."
" Not so," returned Akaza. " The body has
been pecked full of holes and the bird was evidently
about to abandon it when disturbed by Oghi."
" See how well the creature has outlined a circle
in laying these pieces of cactus leaves around the
snake," remarked Orondo, intently examining the
crude architectural plan.
" Dost thou know anything about its habits? " in
quired Yermah, turning to one of the piloting ta
manes.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 55
" Yes, my master. This bird is the natural en
emy of rattlesnakes. It remains concealed until the
reptile is fast asleep in the warm sand. With its
sharp bill it is easy to take off part of a cactus
leaf, as thou seest. Instinct teaches how to place
them in a circle. This done, it throws caution
to the wind and rouses the snake. Then there
is a battle royal. The snake can not crawl over
the cactus needles and finally dies of its own
bite."
" Does the bird eat any portion of its victim?"
asked Setos.
" Nothing except the eyes. The remainder of
the body is scattered about in the sand, as thou
seest."
" Oghi will bring him back captive, but, I fear
me, badly mutilated."
" The ocelot will never catch him. These birds
outfoot a thoroughbred. They are quicker, shyer,
more alert even than Oghi. Besides, the smell of
them is quite enough for a fastidious animal."
It was long after, and when the column was once
more on the move, that Oghi came back — with his
tongue hanging out; his tail between his legs; evi
dently disgusted and thoroughly fagged.
Arriving at what is now called Cold Springs, the
party began the ascent of the Chowchilla Moun
tains. Trees begin here — Sequoia gigantea, — of
world-wide fame, but their habits were not new to
the men of this expedition.
Long before there were written words to express
the ideas of man, the forest has furnished symbols
of the various stages of human existence. The pli
ancy of youth, the exuberant strength of maturity,
56 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the decay of age, have suggested eloquent parallels
between man and the tree.
In contemplating the monarchs of the woods the
greatest poets and the denizens of the untracked for
ests have risen together to the same heights of
imagery and the same tokens of emotion and senti
ment.
Who can resist the silence, the whispering, the
soughing, the writhing, the twisting and groaning of
a pine tree, from the first flicker of a needle until
the whole growth is in a Titanic struggle with the
vagrant wind. The onset tests the strength of root,
bole, branch and tendril to their utmost, then sud
denly departs, leaving each needle erect and still as
if listening to the music of the stars.
In all ages, and among all people, certain groves
have been held sacred. The tree-alphabet of the
Chinese, the curling roofs of the truncated pagodas,
the numerous legends of the tree and vine, symboliz
ing life, are universal testimonials of this ancient
veneration.
The trees giving shelter to Yermah defied the Ice
Age and escaped destruction in the flood. There
are giants in Mariposa Grove to-day contempora
neous with the Star of Bethlehem and the departing
grandeur of Egypt. The green spires of this living
forest, three hundred feet high, filter the air through
innumerable branches, making one shiver at their
mysterious whistle, like the rustling silk robes of an
unseen company.
The mystic and appalling are there as well. How
often in active life the specter stands among men and
trees !
The very strength gained by such close lifting of
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 57
fibers during decades of existence will not permit
these giants to seek rest prone upon the welcoming
breast of Mother Earth. Still must they stand,
bleached by sun, beaten by rain, and buffeted by
winds, leading a spectral existence when remains of
other members of the forest have silently sunk to
rest, and are no longer distinguishable in substance
from the very soil from which they sprung.
For a century or so there is a struggle among the
children of the fallen monarch. At last but few
remain, to become giants in their turn — set on the
rim of the pit formed by the decaying roots of their
ancient ancestor. Rings of this kind can still be
found, showing the broken roots projecting like the
staves of a barrel, overgrown with ferns and wild
oxalis, or filled to the brim with fresh spicy red
wood sprouts.
No one who visits the Yo-Semite to-day, can im
agine the abundance in early times of wild flowers
and luxuriant grasses reaching up to the saddle-
girths, or the almost total absence of undergrowth
and brush in the groves, thus affording clear, open
views from either side. The valley lies nearly in
the center of the State, north and south, midway
between the east and west bases of the Sierras.
Not a sound broke the impressive stillness as Yer-
mah caught his first grand view from Inspiration
Point, save occasional chirps and songs of birds, or
the low, distant sigh of waterfalls in the vertical-
walled chasm below. Here and there was a dark
yellow pine rooted in the crevice, and clinging tena
ciously to its dizzy elevation. The wind swept
58
these trees to and fro, and there was a faint, plain
tive murmur in their leaves as of pain.
Yermah did not notice that coveys of grouse beat
the air with their wings in clumsy and obstinate
flight, nor did he see that deer sprang up here and
there, making for the undergrowth, lying in an oppo
site direction. He reined his horse sharply out of
the green forest and stood upon a high jutting rock
overlooking a rolling, uplifting sea of granite moun
tains of a beautiful pearl-gray. The colors were
cold in effect — all the character being given by the
vertical parallel lines of gray, brown, and black
which stripe a portion of the walls.
The sun winked at them from behind the pine-
trees on the top of the hills, and threw shimmering
lances among the cliffs and crags, burnishing up their
edges. Its rosy tints etched furrows on the moun
tain's face, seeming to take pride in bringing out
strongly the wrinkles which the master of the hour
glass and scythe had been busily engaged upon for
so many thousand years.1
The first impressive thought was that the granite
ledges were standing pale and dumb before their
Creator! The towers, the domes, the spires, the
battlements, the arches, the white columns of solid
granite surging up into the air came to everlasting
anchor! The silence seemed to quiver with sound,
just as the warm air shimmered without stir all along
the rocky outlines. The scene conveys to the soul
of man through the eye what might the orchestra of
heaven through the ear, were peals of thunder com
passed into harmonious notes of music. As the
king of day rode farther out, he gently touched the
1 J. M. Hutchings in " The High Sierras."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 59
falls of Upper Yo-Semite, transforming a downpour
of crystals into tears of liquid silver, which the
winds whirled into fantastic wraiths against the
frowning cliffs.
All that was mortal in the visitor swept back; all
that was immortal surged to the front, and bowed
down in awe.
" Here speaks the voice of God; and here His
power is manifest."
It was Akaza's voice that broke the silence.
" Hail ! smiling morn that tips these hilltops with
alchemic gold! Teach us the secret of thy magic."
Again it was Akaza's words.
" Here we have visual evidence of the power and
glory of the Supreme Ruler. The majesty of His
handiwork is in that testimony of rocks."
A softening haze hung over the valley, and the
clouds partly dimmed the higher cliffs and moun
tains. Obscurity of vision increased the reverential
mood of the party. A peculiarly exalted sensation
seemed to fill their minds, and their eyes swam with
fellowly drops of emotion, though their tongues re
fused their office. By common impulse they pushed
forward, and coming down back of Cathedral
Rocks, found themselves at nightfall near the val
ley's mouth, with El Capitan on the left and Bridal
Veil Falls on the right.
On the plains of the San Joaquin, sixty miles below,
El Capitan had been first sighted, and now they
gazed curiously at its bare, smooth sides, entirely
destitute of vegetation, towering above their heads
fully three thousand feet — a solid mass of granite,
set squarely out into the valley, as if meaning to bar
their passage.
60 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Here they were met by a delegation of Monbas
accompanied by their own runners. After listening
to an address of welcome, they were invited to meet
the high-priestess, Keroecia, at Mirror Lake, higher
up the valley.
" This glorious sun gives light to the ceremony of
purification by fire, demanding the presence of all our
people, else had they been here to give welcome to
our friends. We are bidden to serve thee in the
name of the high-priestess, and make familiar the
grandeur of this noble temple," said Ben Hu Barabe,
the Civil Chief.
" Accept our humble thanks and faithful obedi
ence," responded Yermah.
" May the warmth and light flooding us genially
be an augury of felicitous days to come," said
Orondo.
" May our inmost thoughts be in harmony with
Divine Will," added Akaza, while Setos called at
tention to a chucah, a curious basket-like structure,
suspended from a tree near where he stood. Upon
examination, it was found to contain a parchment
scroll filled with a detailed report of the runners'
journey and reception.
" The Monbas will remain only long enough to
ascertain and comply with the wishes of the Azes,
after the ceremonies now in progress cease," con
tinued Ben Hu Barabe. " The emissary, Eko
Tanga, comes on mischief bent, and we must be
ready to meet him."
The determined tone and angry scowl indicated
the sentiments of the speaker.
" When once outside these sacred precincts, we
THE STORY .OF A LOST RACE 61
have matters of moment to discuss with thy leaders,"
said Yermah.
" We are pledged to the leadership of the high-
priestess, and humbly await her pleasure. She will
hear thee fully," was the response made by the young
warrior.
There was something in his loyal speech which
impressed Yermah greatly. He looked at him with
an eye of favor, and asked him to show the way up
the valley.
Rahula and Ildiko, refreshed by a night's rest,
accompanied by Orondo and Setos, recrossed the
valley to view Bridal Veil Falls. The women were
in raptures at the sight of the great falls, and in
sisted that their palanquins should be lowered fre
quently, to enable them to examine the graceful un
dulating sheets of spray. It fell in gauze-like folds,
expanding, contracting and glittering in the sunlight
like a veil of diamonds. Then changing into one
vast and many-colored cloud, it threw its mystic
drapery over the falling torrent, as if to shroud its
unspeakable beauty.
Down the water leaps in one unbroken chain to
an immense bowlder-formed cauldron below, where
it boils and surges furiously, throwing up volumes of
spray, while the sun haloes the abyss with two or
more gorgeous rainbows. The swaying from side
to side under the varying pressure of the wind, and
the jarring roar of the water, thrilled and hushed
the beholders into silent, spellbound admiration.
Yermah followed the north wall on past the Three
Brothers which rise in steps, one behind the other,
with their heads turned in the same direction.
62 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The lofty columnar rock called Washintgon Tower
has diamond-like cascades, which tumble down the
sides of the Royal Arches more than two thousand
feet. These wing-like spans form a sort of lion's
head, not unlike the winged lions of Nineveh.
With the column which forms an angle to Teneya
Canon, they seem intended for a base of adequate
magnitude to support the North Dome.
The mighty powers of Nature, which have wrought
such wonders in this region, cleft this tower in twain,
and disposed of the fragments in a manner as mys
terious as it must have been awful.
On the opposite side of Teneya Canon is Half
Dome — a perfectly inaccessible crest. From a dis
tance one might fancy that the stone-cutter's art had
been brought to bear upon its perfectly rounded
summit. Upon closer inspection it is found that
Time has been the sculptor. The ages have cut out
huge concentric layers of granite, and scattered them
about in picturesque confusion.
Yermah rode on up the canon until his ears caught
the notes of a folk-song; then he dismounted and,
fastening Cibolo to a live-oak, made his way toward
the music. Astonishment and delight transfixed his
gaze.
At his feet lay the " Sleeping Waters," i em
bowered by trees, and environed on high by the dome
already described. This water course leaps from
crag to pool, until it reaches equilibrium, and the sur
face of the lake is as motionless and smooth as a
mirror. The reflected domes, peaks and trees are
seen on its glassy bosom in perfect outline, seemingly
1 Indian name for Mirror Lake.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 63
five hundred fathoms down, in exact representation
of the beauties that reach one mile into the air!
Yermah stood spellbound, not so much by this
stupendous grandeur as by the scene being enacted be
fore him. He was so intently regarding it that he
scarcely saw or felt the shower of flint-headed ar
rows which fell in profusion and ruffled the surface
of the lake.
His eyes were riveted on a young woman who was
in the act of speeding a golden arrow over the heads
of three other girls of nearly her own age, and who
were putting off from shore in a crescent-shaped boat,
which they propelled with long silvery oars. They
were chanting softly, and the air was redolent with
the perfume of flowers, which completely filled the
boat, hanging in graceful profusion from prow and
stern, in wreaths of all sizes and colors.
The boat moved like a thing instinct with life,
and as it disappeared on the opposite side, Yermah's
tense gaze made itself felt on its object. Keroecia
moved uneasily, and then looked fixedly into the
water stretched out before her. She first saw her
own image, then beside it the ideal of her dreams —
a helmeted figure, reflected full-length in the limpid
stream.
His tunic was of purple cloth, confined at the
waist by a wide striped silk sash, which tied over
the left hip and hung in long, heavy, fringed ends.
The short, full skirt was of orange silk, with a wide
band of embroidery around the bottom, and under
neath were long, closely-woven woolen leggins of
purple. The feet were protected by sandals with
jeweled sides and straps across the instep. From his
64. YERMAH, THE DORADO
shoulders hung a leopard-skin cloak, double-faced, so
that it was alike on both sides.
He wore a square breastplate of stones, contain
ing twelve jewels, proclaiming that he was Master
of the twelve councilmen, and ruled continuously
while the sun traveled through the twelve signs of
the zodiac. At his side hung a burnished bronze
sword, with a beautifully engraved scabbard, de
lineating a lion hunt from meet to finish.
At first Keroecia was fascinated, then a feeling of
fear stole over her. She made a movement as if to
fly, but in turning stood face to face with Yermah.
An inarticulate sound died on her lips as she started
back amazed and fearful. Her wide-eyed vision and
strained attention searched the countenance of the
pale and agitated man, who stood so near her that
she felt the radiating warmth of his body. He re
mained motionless, but she shrank back, and was
momentarily rooted to the spot.
With a regal sweep of the arm, he bared his head,
and with his right hand made the hierophant sign of
command. He opened the hand, palm outward, the
first two fingers pointing upward. He bowed pro
foundly, and carried the helmet hand to his heart
lightly.
Keroecia quickly comprehending his intent as well
as his rank and station, courteously made the At-
lantian sign of submission.
Yermah recognized it by a downward movement
of his open right hand.
" Pleasing in my sight, and welcome to all the
Monbas, is the Servitor of Aztlan," she said. " He
who created the four elements forbid that fatigue
or discomfort should be thy portion."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 65
" It were an earthy spirit which could be mind
ful of the physical in this magnificent temple," re
plied Yermah.
His calm, even tones quieted and reassured her
completely.
" Have none of my fellows shown thee courtesy?
Thy exalted station and goodness of heart demand
much."
" Ample consideration met us at the newel-post
of this wondrous structure. It were a puny effort
indeed that would fail to convey such welcome as
the season and occasion warrant. In harmony with
this spirit, I have stolen away from my companions
and have sought audience direct with thee. If ill-
considered abruptness gives rise to inharmonious
thought, forgive me. The head, and not the heart,
is at fault."
" Offense were not possible with this intent. And
I were an unworthy handmaiden should I harbor ill
will on this day, holiest of all the year to the Mon-
bas."
" I stand athirst for knowledge of the sacred rite
already partially witnessed. Is it lawful for an
alien to know its import? "
" We who find divinity in the flowers, the birds,
the sunshine, the trees, the rocks, the streams, and the
hills, have no secrets apart from any living thing.
But before thy special question, tell me of thy com
rades. Shall I face them here? "
" In this place, and soon. They skirted the
southern wall. The women came in chairs, lest
fatigue should render them unfit to give heed to thy
many accomplishments. Tell me the office of the
three graces in the flower-laden boat."
66 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" All the ills of my people are consigned to those
flowers. The ark in the center contains a symbol of
the all-pervading essence of creation, and when the
sun comes high enough to send a vertical ray into this
ark, the flowers which have been collected for the
past three days will be sacrificed by fire; and then we
can go hence happy and content, free from evil
tendency within and without. Our faith is simple.
We try to live in harmony with the laws of Life and
Love."
" An artist who revels in the beauties of creation
receives direct the thoughts of the Eternal Father,"
returned Yermah, reverently.
" A child inhaling the fragrance of a flower re
ceives in the process of transmutation the thoughts
of the Creator."
" Without the intervention of planetary in
fluence?"
" The open flower, with its sun-rayed form, is to
vegetation what the sun is to the planets, and as
man is to animal life. Flowers crown Nature's
dominions."
" The soul of man crowns all animate things,"
persisted Yermah.
" When he crushes a beetle he destroys the life
of what may some day be his brother," she an
swered, with a smile.
" Dost thou believe in transmigration? I am
agreed with thee that life is a vibration of Divine
Will, moving in a spiral, but physical man is the
lowest rung contacted by the ego."
" Oh, say not so ! Is not the ego a ray of the
creative energy itself? Thinkest thou the human
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 67
family the only emanation of Divinity worthy to
contact its Creator? "
" Yes," he answered; " and only then by aspiring
to a spiritual plane."
" How many planes dost thou allot to man? "
" Three — the physical, the mental and the spirit
ual. A novice must perform the nine labors in order
to achieve perfection. Each plane is threefold, like
the alchemical sun, whose prototype blesses us with
its preserving rays. Unfold to me the principles of
thy system."
" The first degree is that of the crystallized
mineral, typifying death. The rocks and stones are
of both sexes. Their sympathies and antipathies
constitute their laws of natural selection determined
by the vegetation produced from their soil. The
second degree pertains to the subjective spaces of
the mineral world — the tiny races within the
higher round of that zone. Each life-atom is busy
at its own appointed task, happy beyond conception
in its lowly spiritual state. The third degree is the
vegetable kingdom. The leaves are so placed that
a line wound around the stem of a plant, and touch
ing the petiole of each leaf would be a spiral.
Where the leaves are in two rows, it is one-third the
circumference, and so on in successive trines."
" No one could be more loyal than I to the great
family of endogens," said Yermah. " They all go
by threes, and are correlated to the Trinity. We
make the lily the type of purity; the palm, the type
of perfect life, which is service. The grains give the
staff of life; the grasses cover the earth, and feed
our animals. The onion not only contains the im-
68 YERMAH, THE DORADO
mortal elixir, but in its circles represents the growth
of the universe, and the orbits of the planetary
system."
" The exogens," said Keroecia, " are closer to our
own lives. The rose gains in beauty as it loses its
power of reproduction, and the flower which carpets
our hillsides with patches of gold drops the calyx
when it arrives at perfection. It lives with the sun
— opening and closing with his coming and going,
and is so delicate that we make it the symbol of the
soul.
" In the fourth degree are the flower nymphs, dis
porting themselves like butterflies in the luminous
ether of their round. Some bear resemblance to
beautiful girls, but are bright green, with large heads
and small bodies. In the full scale they show all the
colors of the rainbow. The fifth degree is the animal
kingdom; the sixth is semi-human; the seventh is man.
Love is the only condition of creation — that love
which is perfect equilibrium between thyself and the
universe."
Neither spoke for several moments ; then Yermah
said, with a sigh of contentment : " This is a veri
table Temple of Love."
" In very truth it is," she returned; " and this is
the season of renewal. It is the breeding-time of
flowers and of the feathered tribes. Look here I "
She drew back a branch of eglantine, heavy with
bloom, and nestled cozily in the fork of the parent
stem was a tiny grayish-white mass of hair, fashioned
into a nest by a gold-throated humming-bird. The
mate industriously sipped honey from blossom to
blossom, while the watcher on the nest put up its
long, tube-like bill, waiting to be fed.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 69
The birds twittered conjugal confidences unmind
ful of prying eyes. Disturbed at last by the voices,
both balanced in air, leaving exposed to view two lit
tle spotted eggs, not larger than fine shot. They
darted about in evident distress, keeping up a con
stant humming with their gauzy wings.
The man and woman paused but a second, and
then passed on.
The Monbas believed in five sub-human kingdoms,
peopled by entities. The mineral kingdom was
represented by gnomes; the vegetable kingdom, by
sylphs; the reptile, by fire or salamanders; water,
by undines and fishes. Keroecia's followers were the
forerunners of the ancient Druids and the modern
gypsies.
The aim of all religions is to harmonize man with
the laws which govern the universe. The Monbas
did this by metempsychosis of the sub-human ele
ments. They solved the great problem of absorbing
into the astral system the pure psychic elements
about them, and reached divinity by this process. It
is for this reason that the gypsies never mingle with
other civilizations. They go to nature direct for
their wisdom, and keep away from cities for fear of
losing their psychic powers.
On Good Friday, the gypsies still have their
patriarch carry an ark or basket, in the bottom of
which has been placed a Saint Andrews cross. Each
member of the tribe lays a flower on the cross to
abjure and protect him against evil influences — thus
perpetuating the idea of the immaculate conception.
The gypsies believe that the flowers give off metemp
sychosis and absorb disease.
Orondo, Setos, Rahula and Ildiko with a retinue
70 YERMAH, THE DORADO
of tamanes, a Monbas escort, and some burros laden
with stout willow baskets and bags, skirted the south
ern side of the valley in passing Cathedral Rock and
Spires.
There were splendid pitch-pine trees massed in the
foreground, which being duplicated on the top of
the cliffs, looked like a mere fringe of green thrown
into relief against fleecy white clouds hurrying across
the turquoise sky in pursuit of some fleeting phantom
of that eerie region.
The travelers found it warm work to cross the
Merced River, near by; but the cool sea-breezes
began to blow up from the Golden Gate — for they
were almost opposite, in a direct line from Tlamco.
In pushing on to Mirror Lake, they followed the same
path taken by Yermah. As they passed Indian
Canon, they looked up the deep gorge to the east
ward and saw that here was the entrance and exit
used by the Monbas.
As they neared the lake, they looked off in the dis
tance to where Cloud's Rest connects with the High
Sierra this chain of matchless pearls from the mouth
of . Nature. Around the top of this extremely
elevated, steep, barren ridge hover continuously a
bevy of cottony clouds, while a lace-like scarf of fog
softens the hard, unyielding lines, and makes them
tempt the soul of man to feats of the greatest dar
ing.
Presently was seen a thin, vapory line of smoke
issuing from the direction in which the boat had dis
appeared. Instantly the roads seemed alive with
people, coming from all directions, and making the
welkin ring with melodious sound. There were men,
women and children, gay in holiday attire, singing
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 71
and gesticulating in the very ecstasy of joy. They
crowded the banks of the lake and waited expectantly.
At length a slender silver arrow flew up from the
smoke clouds; then, another; and again, a third.
This was followed by a deafening blast of trumpets,
drums, cymbals, tambourines, pipes, and ear-splitting
whistles, as the priestesses re-embarked and slowly
approached. The first splash of the silvery oars was
answered by a shout of triumph from the opposite
shore, followed by a song, in which three voices
joined with equal zest.
Then the crowd fell back, making room for
Keroecia and the tall, fair stranger. He was intent
and alert; she, smilingly gracious. As the boat
anchored, she raised her hand in blessing, for which
Yermah reverently uncovered.
The priestess stepped forward to receive an urn
delicate and fragile as the ashes of roses it con
tained, when a treacherous pebble turned her ankle,
and she would have fallen had not Yermah caught
her by the arm in time to prevent a painful strain
upon the supporting muscles and tendons. It was the
unstudied act of a man of ready tact and faultless
breeding.
The hillsides and rock walls rumbled and echoed
the burst of cheering which greeted this feat. Again
he uncovered and stood in a respectful attitude until
the three nimble-footed young women were on shore.
They, catching the infection, shared in the general
excitement. By a common impulse they arranged
themselves in line, and stood with Yermah and
Keroecia, bowing acknowledgments and participating
in dumb show with the spontaneous outpouring of
good will.
72 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Alcyesta, Suravia, Mineola, accept the homage
offered by Yermah, the Dorado, of Aztlan, lately ar
rived from Tlamco," said Keroecia. " These are my
trusted hand-maidens. Receive service from them as
from mine own hands."
" Such grace and fair fellowship bankrupts the of
fices of speech. Alone, I am powerless to make
adequate return ; but here I have allies who will amply
requite thee," saying which he turned to make room
for his companions, who had approached in the
general confusion unobserved by the company.
Setos and Orondo uncovered and waited back of their
countrymen.
The gnomes, salamanders, sylphs, and undines of
fairyland, peeping out from each leaf and fragrant
bloom, never beheld a lovelier vision than that of
Keroecia and Ildiko, as they stood facing each other.
Keroscia's long, wavy bronze-red hair was con
fined by a jeweled band, with three white ostrich tips
in the center. She was gowned in simple white, long
and flowing. Around her neck were seven strands
of pearls fastened to a medallion composed of ruby,
topaz, emerald, sapphire, amber, amethyst and tur
quoise. Encircling her slender waist was an
enameled and jeweled girdle. The loose sleeves fell
back from exquisitely shaped arms, ornamented with
bracelets, while numerous rings adorned her taper
fingers.
In her big Oriental eyes, shaded with long lashes,
was a glint of the bronze which the sun brought out
in her hair. A ripened peach is the only fitting com
parison for her cheeks, and her tiny, even teeth
glistened white between the perfectly formed and
curved lips which in parting revealed them.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 73
Ildiko, taller, and more slight, was a sharp con
trast, her fuzzy white hair, eye-brows, and lashes
contrasting with her shell-pink skin. The pale blue
of her dress strengthened the color of her eyes, which
were so well set back that a full interpretation of
their language baffled the observer. There were em
broideries and jeweled passementeries, the rich ar
rangement of which showed the detail of her toilet.
A gauze head-dress supporting a thin veil, which fell
well down over her back, helped the illusion. She
skillfully tried to get full benefit of the roseate rays
reflected by an umbrella held over her head by an
attendant.
Yermah took her hand and placed it in Keroecia's
outstretched palm, and then put both his own over
them protectingly.
" May such love as sisters bear each other bind
thee."
Then bringing Rahula forward, he presented her.
A dark-red head-band, glistening with jetted em
broidery and drooping ear ornaments enhanced the
luster of her iron-gray hair, and somewhat softened
the expression of her wrinkled face. Not a facet
of the jet sparkled brighter than her beady, black
eyes, which were never quite in accord with her thin
smiling lips.
Simple gold bands without ornament confined the
locks of Alcyesta, Suravia, and Mineola, that of the
first and last being dark and abundant, while
Suravia's hair was like spun gold in texture and color.
These bands did not go all the way around the head,
but terminated over each ear in medallions, jeweled
and enameled in quaint design. Alcyesta wore pale
yellow; Suravia, lavender; and Mineola, pink. A
bright plaid sash was tied about each waist, and fell
to the hem in the back. Sandals with pointed toes,
reaching well over the instep, protected the feet.
The other women wore dresses of cotton cloth
made like chemises. These were of four colors, and
worn one over the other. The edges were variously
ornamented, some with figures, others again with em
broidery or saw-teeth appliques of a different shade.
Necklaces of beads, jeweled belts, earrings, bracelets
and sandals were common to them all. Some wore
crowns or other fanciful head-covering with bright
feather ornaments, while others braided their hair in
two loose plaits, and covered their heads with an in
describably fine-woven basket, highly ornate, which
came to a point at the top.
The Highlander of to-day would appreciate and
admire the markings of the cloth worn by these sturdy
mountaineers. For the leaders, there were plaids of
seven colors; for the next in rank, five colors; for
governors of fortresses, four colors; for captains,
three colors; for warriors, two colors; for the com
mon people, one color.
The warriors carried shields of flexible bamboo
canes bound firmly together, and covered with raw
hide. These were ornamented with porcupine quills,
tortoise-shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory, inlaid and
skillfully etched with mineral dyes, the rank of the
wearer being cleverly revealed in this manner. The
shields were invariably circular and convex in form.
Worn next to the body, were plain white garments
of coarse texture, and on their heads were high
conical hats, very like the Astrakhan caps of to-day.
Leggins much wrinkled and heavy sole-leather
sandals completed their costume.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 75
In the solemn hush, four stalwart warriors of the
Monbas stepped forward and knelt upon the shore,
grasping each other by the inner fore-arm, near the
elbow. Keroecia and the three priestesses carefully
lifted the ark from the boat and placed it in the recep
tacle made by the inter-locked arms.
Taking a few of the ashes left in the urn,
Keroecia mixed them with salt, which she stirred with
an aspergillus made of medical herbs tied to a hazel
stick on which the four spirits were carved. The salt
and incense ashes were consecrated separately be
fore using. She then took the four alchemical ele
ments, salt, mercury, sulphur and nitrogen, and
sprinkled them over the man holding a chalice repre
senting water; an eagle, with a nimbus around its
head representing air; a tree of life, representing fire;
and the sword of Mithra, who annually immolates
the sacred bull. These correspond to mind, matter,
motion and rest.
The special kingdom of the gnomes is in the north;
that of the salamanders, in the south; that of the
sylphs, in the east; and that of the undines, in the
west. They influence the four temperaments of man.
The gnomes, the melancholic; the salamanders, the
sanguine; the undines, the phlegmatic; the sylphs,
the bilious. The Monbas abjured them by breathing,
sprinkling, burning of perfumes, and by tracing a
pentagram on the ground.
Keroecia holding a pentacle in one hand, and tak
ing in turn a sword, a rod, and a cup, faced the lake
and said:
" Angel with the blind eyes, obey me, or pass away
from the holy water ! Work, winged bull, or return
to earth, if thou wouldst not be pricked by this
76 YERMAH, THE DORADO
sword! Fettered eagle, obey this sign, or retire be
fore my wrath I Writhing serpent, crawl at my feet,
or be tortured by the sacred fire, and evaporate with
the perfumes I am burning ! Water, return to water ;
fire, burn ; air, circulate ; earth, return to earth — by
the power of the pentagram, which is the morning
star, and in the name of the tetragram, which is writ
ten in the center of the cross of light. Auma ! "
In the Egyptian and Jewish religions, three vestal
virgins guard the ark, typical of the Immaculate con
ception — in that the ark contains an aerolite, or
Heaven-born stone. In Greek mythology, the three
graces guard the sacred urn. The name Suravia
signified the sun-way, or river of light; Alcyesta, the
ark, chest, or urn floating on the celestial river;
while Mineola, personated the divine soul-mind
liberated in the ark.
The flint-headed arrow is a phallic symbol of
thought, and when the Monbas shot arrows over
water it was to destroy their unseen enemies ; the lake,
to them, representing mind. The passage of the sun
out of the watery sign in the Spring equinox was the
festival Keroecia and her people were celebrating.
CHAPTER SIX
THE AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE THEIR SEVERAL
DIFFERENCES
IT was Jupiter's Day (Thursday), and Akaza
wore a scarlet robe of silk, with embroidered
bands, having the twelve signs of the zodiac
worked out in neutral tones of brown and green.
On his head was a scarlet liberty-cap with the sign
of Jupiter on the forehead and his long hair and
beard had been curled into nine parts, typical of the
nine phases of initiation which he had passed. He
wore a sapphire ring on the middle finger of his right
hand, and his breastplate was of emeralds, set in
silver.
With a single tamane and a guide, Akaza followed
the course of the Merced River and reveled in the
luxuriant vegetation which changes in character and
development according to locality.
Near the falls were dense growths of alder, wil
low and spruce, and in the upper valley were sugar-
pine and yellow and bastard cedar in abundance.
The Balm of Gilead, poplar and black oak
haunted the swampy places where snowy pond-lilies
rode in imperious fashion over the moisture. There
was a wilderness of sparkling mosses thriving in the
spray of waterfall and cascade.
Back in cool, shady greeneries, were an infinite
variety of ferns, ranging from tall bracken to feathery
77
78 YERMAH, THE DORADO
maidenhair clinging to the eerie crevices high up on
the sky line.
Maple, laurel, and manzanita with dainty bell-
shaped blossoms colored like a baby's palm, had as
companion another member of the buck-thorn family,
the white lilac. And these seemed intent upon con
cealing the basis of the different falls. Here, also,
was the madrono, " the harlequin of the woods," in
buff and red bark, in a chronic state of dishabille.
But who would find fault with the toilet process which
changes the older, darker bark for the delicate
cream-colored covering which lies underneath? .
A noisy, chattering bluejay, the scandal-monger of
the bird family, protested vigorously against the
incursion of this venerable old man. Vociferous and
argumentative, the feathered opponent grew tired of
useless opposition, and, as a practical joke, concealed
itself in the clump of leaves and screamed like a hawk
near where a flock of small birds were enjoying them
selves in their own fashion.
The songsters recovered from their fright while
the rascal was giving vent to a cackle which sounded
like a derisive laugh, and then they combined forces
to drive the intruder out of the neighborhood. The
bluejay proved to be as full of fight as of mischief,
but a severe conflict produced an appreciable amend
ment of manners.
Even the red-headed wood-pecker ceased hammer
ing holes in the trees and stopped long enough to in
spect the stranger. It may have been only a trick of
the bluejay's to entice the worker away from the tree
to allow a raid on the store-house of acorns. It did
the pilferer no good, however; for the carpenter-bird
never makes a mistake in selecting acorns to fit the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 79
holes made for them. From the beginning of time
the bluejay has never been able to appreciate this
fact.
The chip-munks, the grasshoppers and the squir
rels peeped and wondered from different points of
vantage, while a mother partridge by fluttering and
scurrying along the ground, sought to divert attention
from her tiny striped-back brood huddled up on one
foot under a friendly bunch of wild-strawberry leaves.
A pair of quail established themselves in the screen
of a honey-suckle vine, and the little crested head of
the family was feeding his small mate a dainty tid
bit, having coaxed her up into that leafy retreat to
discuss the viand. Ring-doves cooed lovingly to each
other, while the now extinct wild turkey sunned itself
and preened its bronze feathers, perched high on the
top of the bare rock above.
Up near the snow-line were red patches of snow-
plants, looking like huge semi-transparent globules of
crystallized sugar, having stem, bells and leaves all of
one color, curiously mingled and intertwined.
Every inch of Akaza's advance was contested by
some flowering plant. Sometimes it was the droop
ing boughs of the white blossoming dog-wood.
Again, it was a rhododendron bush stubbornly block
ing the way. Or, perhaps, it was a shower of azalea
blooms that fairly smothered him. The spice-bush,
with its long, slender green leaves, and odd-shape
wine-colored flowers, locked horns with the tall
shapely Shasta Lily.
The gossamer, glass-like mountain mahogany dis
puted honors with a flaring brown-and-orange tiger-
lily, while the pentstemon, distinctly blue at the base
and pink at the rim of its cup, coquetted with a
80 YERMAH, THE DORADO
dainty butterfly-lily. " Like a bubble borne on air,
floats the shy Mariposa Bell," with its purplish white,
its faint tint of pink or pale gold, each petal brocaded
in soft shades of bronze-brown or patched with
plush, as if fairy finger-tips had smutched them be
fore the paints were dry.
Who does not know the yellow buttercup which
faces the world everywhere, the red columbine,
whose chandelier of scarlet tongues makes light in
dark places, or the well-beloved larkspur ?
Then purple thistle, goldenrods and dandelions
shook their heads vigorously in the refreshing breeze,
and argued it out with the grasses and ice-plants lying
flat on the ground, where only a muchly debased
cactus bristled and threatened everything that
ventured even to look at its forbidden fruit.
The day was well nigh spent when Akaza ap
proached the camp near the mouth of the Indian
Canyon. Yermah and Keroecia advanced to meet
him, hand in hand, like happy children. Keroecia
did not wait for a formal presentation but came for
ward graciously.
" Patriarch and hierophant," she said, " this temple
awaits thy ministration. The love and obedience
of my people and myself are thine to command."
" Fair daughter of the gods, thou hast already
a place in my heart, as I perceive thou hast in the
affections of my comrades. Mayst thou ever be sur
rounded by a nimbus of joy and gladness."
As Akaza's lips lightly brushed her glowing cheek,
Yermah perceived that his vision was turned inward
and that he prayed silently.
Keroecia turned toward her attendants, but with
her own hands served Akaza curds and a gourd of
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 81
goat's milk. She also broke the thin corn cakes and
arranged some fruit temptingly near him. Akaza
opened an oblong comb of wild honey and laid the
ripe figs around it. As he poured thick, yellow
cream over them, he murmured:
"As it was written! As it was written! "
Concerned for him, Yermah touched him on the
shoulder.
" Is it not well? " he asked eagerly.
When the elder man saw the glow of happiness on
the questioning face, he involuntarily groaned; but
he answered steadily:
" From the beginning all things are ordered well."
*******
The evening shadows grew apace; but before
darkness came on, Keroecia prepared the pipes,
which were to be lighted as an offering to fire.
Igniting the first one, a fragile porcelain bowl with
an amber mouthpiece, she first drew three puffs out
of the pipe, and then emptied the ashes on a platter
of beaten silver. Dexterously replenishing the to
bacco and substituting an ivory mouthpiece, she
passed it to Yermah. He followed her example, and
replacing the ivory with tortoise-shell, handed the
pipe to Akaza.
The priestesses and the remainder of the company
did likewise, always substituting one stick for an
other until all had smoked and each had a souvenir
which was believed to bring good luck. The ashes
were placed in the urn with the rose ashes collected
from the ark — and the great Monbas festival was
over.
Keroecia was not a Monbas. Her people were
known to the Atlantians as lans ; to the Persians, they
82 YERMAH, THE DORADO
were Scythians; to the Medes, they were known as
Suani; to the early Europeans, they were Visigoths,
alternately feared and admired; while by later gen
erations, they were called Circassians.
Theirs was the Vinland of the Norsemen and their
empire extended over a large part of ancient Persia.
They were old in civilization, before Nineveh and
Babylon. Theirs was the land of Phrasus, where
the Argonauts sailed after the siege of Troy. At
that time, they had outlying colonies along the Sibe
rian and extreme northwestern coast of America.
The Aleutian group of islands was then an unbroken
chain, with a climate as mild as any portion of the
temperate zone.
Keroecia, a pure-blooded Aryan, was the crown
princess of the reigning house of Ian, and it was
after her abduction that the famous fortification
named by the Greeks, " Gates of Caucasus," was
built in the Darien Pass of the Causasus Mountains
leading out from Tiflis.
From the beginning of history, patriotism and
beauty have been accredited these people. Mithri-
dates and Schamyl are the heroes of later times.
There is a tragic pathos in the self-immolation this
remnant of half a million souls voluntarily under
went when they were conquered by Russia. After
this event, they emigrated in a body and became
Turkish exiles.
" Speak freely, as thou wouldst to a father," said
Akaza to Keroecia, privately, the next morning, while
the whole company were on their way to Bridal Veil
Falls. ;' If our offer to arbitrate between thy people
and Eko Tanga is displeasing to thee, consider all
things unsaid."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 83
"It is a question my followers must decide for
themselves. They need have no fear. I will never
leave them. They stole me away when a child but I
love them as my own."
" Rumor has it that thy visit was compulsory —
that the Monbas brought thee here intending to
fortify the place and then refuse to receive Eko
Tanga."
" This is not true. I came to perform the rite of
renewal and purification, and shall tell the repre
sentatives from my father that I do not desire my
so-called freedom. He should long ago have given
the Monbas all that he has promised them in hope
of having me returned to him."
"Then thou art not retained against thy wish?"
asked Yermah, who in company with Orondo joined
them in time to hear the last remark.
" No, truly. The Monbas are as dependent as
children and in no circumstances will I fail in my
duty to them."
" Wilt thou visit Tlamco while Eko Tanga is
here?"
It would have been hard to determine which of
the men felt the greatest interest in her answer.
Yermah, Akaza and Orondo were each a study at this
moment.
" My followers shall answer thy question. If
consistent with their wishes, it will greatly please me
to go."
' Then we shall be honored with thy presence
soon," said Orondo. " A feeling of delicacy re
presses an expression of opinion. But I have knowl
edge that they will feel more secure if thou wilt ac
cept our protection."
84 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" And the same feeling would prompt me to ask
their permission," she answered with a smile.
" So be it. To serve loyally is the office we de
sire."
*******
" This bright reflected glory pictures life," ex
claimed Yermah, as the warm afternoon sun spanned
the long flowing veil of the falls with a succession of
rainbows.
" Tell us why," asked Keroecia, and with a gesture
of silence awaited an answer.
The pink and pride of Tlamco was before them,
but he was still too young a man to teach philosophy.
He looked appealingly at Akaza.
" Tell them why this rainbow is like the upward
spiral compared with humanity," directed Akaza.
Then he turned to the multitude and said :
" Hear my pupil with patience. It is not lawful
for youth to speak esoterically."
Yermah flushed with pleasure and answered read
ily:
" Love, as the negative, or feminine, ray of Biune
Deity is content and ever seeks to enfold. Wisdom,
as the positive, or masculine, ray, is restless, and al
ways in pursuit. The feminine forces in nature
strive to encircle the atom, while the masculine at
tempt to propel it in a straight line. From this dual
action of spiritual potentialities is born the spiral —
the symbol of eternal progression. Man's will is
electric, penetrating and disruptive. The will of
woman is magnetic, attractive and formative. The
two express the polar opposites of nature's creative
powers."
The sun is the center," continued the speaker,
i<
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 85
" and around him, like a group of obedient children,
are the seven planets of the mystical chain. Each
orb produces innumerable types of fauna and flora,
corresponding to the action of its own peculiar grades
of spiritual force. Each comprises a miniature
world of its own. But each planet contains all the
attributes of the other six."
" We will engrave these sayings on plates of cop
per, write them on skins of animals, mold them on
cylinders of clay, that they may instruct our tribes
men," said the Monbas to each other in undertones.
" From the spinal column and the base of the brain
issue streams of vitalizing power, causing individuals
to attract or repel one another. These radiating
magnets finally assume the form of spirals, which en
circle the earth and penetrate to its very center, and
then expand themselves, mist-like, into beautiful rain
bows, such as we see here."
" In which direction do they go? " asked Keroecia.
" They flow backward in their orbit, and gradually
ascend spirally. The first round corresponds to the
earth's annual orbit around the sun, and is red. Each
convolution doubles in size as it ascends. The sec
ond round is orange; the third, yellow; the fourth,
green; the fifth, blue; the sixth, indigo; and the last
is violet."
" Haille I Haille ! " they cried. And the out
burst was as spontaneous from one side as from the
other.
*******
Kercecia held up her hand to command attention.
" Comrades, thou knowest the mission of our
brothers from Tlamco. What are thy wishes? "
" We desire the little mother to follow her own
86 YERMAH, THE DORADO
inclination. We feel that she would be safe and free
from annoyance in Tlamco," they answered.
Keroecia smiled broadly. Turning to Yermah,
she asked:
" When will thy city receive me? "
' Whenever it pleases thee to come. We will
gladly do escort duty now."
" That were not possible. But in a fortnight ex
pect me."
" Haille! Haille! " echoed again and again.
It was fully an hour before the presents were all
exchanged. There were exquisite articles of ivory,
carved and chased in colors, and inlaid with metals
and stones. Baskets of incredible fineness and
blankets such as the Navajo Indians used to make
were given by the Monbas.
Cunningly wrought cups of pottery were offered to
Keroecia by Ildiko, one being of her own make. It
was round, and had for a handle a female head,
which was an excellent likeness of herself. Taking
a finely woven horsehair rope, which terminated in
oblong onyx balls — Keroecia swung one end high
over her head, while retaining the other in her left
hand. Facing Yermah, she entangled him com
pletely by a dexterous turn of her wrists, despite his
playful protest. The two balls swinging in oppo
site directions rapidly encircled and held him as if in
a grip of steel.
" That, also, is a spiral movement," she ex
claimed, mischievously.
" And one which I have neither the desire nor the
power to control or escape," he replied, meaningly.
" The laws of hospitality declare the property con-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 87
fiscate to thee. The cord should be condemned to a
life of hard service."
" On the contrary, it shall have a high place in my
affections, and shall receive state honors."
There was that in his look and voice which sent
the warm blood mantling to her cheek and brow.
Akaza came forward and with a blessing slipped
a ring on her little finger. It was set with a garnet,
having a lion intaglio.
" This will guard thee on thy journey, and pre
vent evil machinations from having control over the
matters in hand."
What she said in return was drowned in the blare
of trumpets and the general preparations for de
parture.
" May Ambra plant flowers and make thy life a
garden spot. May the Good Spirit protect and
bless thee and thine," was shouted after the moving
column.
" May the spirits of darkness never cast a shadow
on thy pathway," came in answering echoes, as the
trees and rocks finally hid the departing embassy.
CHAPTER SEVEN
KERCECIA VISITS THE ENCHANTED GARDENS
IT was called the " Lifting of Banners " the day
that the high-priestess, Kercecia, arrived in
Tlamco and the anniversary was for centuries
after, celebrated with much pomp and ceremony.
Stout ropes of similar fiber to that in use to-day
were stretched from the inner to the outer circle of
obelisks. At regular intervals along these lines were
strung bits of cotton cloth in octavos of coloring, al
ternating square and triangular shapes with innumer
able devices painted upon them.
Pennants of the priesthood, of the civic federation,
and of the innumerable clans, were everywhere afloat
on the breeze, while laqua was a mass of Monbas
streamers, banners and flags. All of the balsas flew
the colors of the high-priestess, and there was a splen
did escort pageant along the canal.
When Kercecia approached the landing, long lines
of citizens extended from laqua to the water's edge.
As Yermah led the way in a state chariot, a deafen
ing shout arose. The wheels fairly flew over the
causeway as the thoroughbred horses galloped in
even step under Yermah's steady hand. Keroecia
stood beside him happy and smiling graciously.
The chariot was of ivory and gold, resplendent
with jewels. The hub of each wheel was a golden
sunburst, while the twelve spokes representing the
88
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 89
signs of the zodiac, were outlined with appropriate
gems and colors. This gorgeous state vehicle was
drawn by three white horses caparisoned in creamy
white and gold with rows of jewels and crests of
tropic plumage held in place with long twisted ropes
of yellow silk. A canopy of the same flaming yellow
fabric intricately brocaded, protected the occupants
from the sun.
Yermah wore a white chamois tunic, rich with
gold embroideries, his head being covered with a hel
met of the same metal. His mantle was a gorgeous
feather mosaic of bronze green. In addition to a
sword, he carried a circular shield of bronze, in the
center of which was a dragon and in the outer edge
were seven rings. The four seasons were also
shown. The scenes represented plowing, seed-time,
harvest, and winter surrounded by a meander sym
bolizing the ocean.
Keroecia was enveloped in a mantle of ermine,
lined with the soft gray breast of sea-gulls. On her
head was a rainbow band of silk fastened in front by
a jeweled aigrette. Both Keroecia and Yermah
wore the full decoration and insignia of their rank.
The out-riders and attendants were mounted and
equipped as befitted their station. Even Oghi,
chained to the back of the chariot, seemed to enjoy
the pageant.
The main entrance to laqua was on the south side,
where the massive double-doors of the vestibule led
to a terrace which was approached by broad, low
steps. There were eight of these flights, and it re
quired three more steps to reach the threshold which
was of pink-veined marble. On each side of the
rows of steps were slightly raised flat pedestals sur-
90 YERMAH, THE DORADO
mounted by groups of statuary of well-known At-
lantian heroes. These burnished figures were made
of that peculiar bronze amalgam, known only to the
ancients, which never lost its original brilliancy, and
being exceptionally hard was also of fine color.
There was a colonnade of massive marble pillars
supporting a frieze and entablature. Above this was
a flat roof surrounded by a parapet breast-high. The
outside walls were of marble veneer unpolished and
laid like rubble over the thick adobe bricks.
Once inside the vestibule, a scene of splendor
greeted the eye. On the right, or eastern side of
the entrance, was the rising sun-god driving his four
horses out of the sea, the group being of flawless mar
ble and of heroic size. The sun-burst around the
head of the figure, the trappings of the horses, and
the trimmings of the chariot were of virgin gold.
On the left, or western side, the moon-goddess was
represented as driving her horses into the sea. She
was seated on the back of one and guiding the other
six. This group was cut in black marble and pro
fusely ornamented with silver.
The square vestibule was finished in hard woods,
richly carved and polished. Rare and choice skins
were stretched upon the inlaid floor, and there was a
rose-jar of fine pottery at each side of the door.
Richly carved chairs outlined the walls, while per
fumed lamps hung above the mantel, beneath which
glowed a bed of live coals. Placed over the blaze,
on a thin glass rod, was a small ball of spongy plat
inum. The lamp was lighted and allowed to burn
until the ball became a lurid red, after which the
flame was extinguished, leaving the ball incandes
cent for a long time, gently heating the perfumed
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 91
oil and sending a delicious fragrance throughout the
room.
The vestibule opened into an interior court where
a fountain played and birds of gay plumage kept up
an incessant noise. Pet animals roamed at will.
Seats were provided in the shady nooks and cushions
for the tessellated floors. There was a colonnade in
the inner court, similar in style to the outer one. The
balcony overhead was of carved onyx surmounted by
a veritable garden of rare plants in handsome pots,
trellised and interlaced across the open space. A
pyramidal fountain in an octagonal basin, placed in
the center, was supported by eight huge bronze lions.
On the north, adjoining Yermah's private apart
ments, were the reception rooms and banquet-halls.
It was into the former that Keroecia and her women
were conducted while the men were made comfort
able in the Hall of Ambassadors, to the west.
Here was a wainscoting of odoriferous cedar,
carved as intricately as a sandal-wood fan, above
which hung richly dyed tapestries of historical im
port, strips of silk embroidery and feather-work of
indescribable beauty.
On the floor of pine, scrubbed to immaculate white
ness, lay a wonderful white carpet, bordered with
gold and silver, in which were incrusted precious
stones, representing many kinds of choice flowers.
The leaves were formed of emerald, jade, aqua ma
rine, and Amazon stones, while the buds and blos
soms were composed of pearls, rubies and sapphires
in the rough. The only cut and polished stones in
the entire carpet were the diamonds, sparkling in the
center of the blossoms, like dewdrops.
Curtains as fine as cobwebs hung over the tiny
92 YERMAH, THE DORADO
square-paned windows, and there were many terra
cotta stools, ornamented in low-tone outline work, de
tailing the mythology and folk-lore of Atlantis.
Exquisite screens closed all entrances except the
outside, where thick bronze slabs were fastened by
heavy bolts and chains. Admission was sought by
striking these plates with a mallet of inlaid bronze.
A cloudless, moonlight sky added much to the
fairy-like effect of the night scene. Between the ban
ners were silken lanterns gay in coloring, shade and
decoration, and these twinkled like spheres of many-
colored fire. The brilliant blaze of light on the sig
nal-towers, the innumerable rockets, showering gold,
silver or rainbow balls in profusion, or long, forked
arrows, made the night a memorable one.
Setos, the inventor of pyrotechnics, outdid him
self, and the whole population were in attendance to
witness and enjoy the display. Not a housetop in
Tlamco but answered the pretty code of greetings
arranged from the battlements of laqua. By these
means Keroecia was enabled to thank each regiment,
guild, clan and family taking part in her triumphant
entry early in the day.
When the high-priestess opened her door the next
morning, she found the passage barred by big-faced
velvet pansies, crisp, fresh and still moist with dew.
"To whose thoughtfulness am I debtor?" she
asked of one of the armed guardians pacing the hall
way before the door.
" To Orondo. And he begs that thou wilt accept
his escort for a visit to the gardens, at such hour as
best suits thy pleasure and comfort."
" It will please me to see him at once," she an
swered.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 93
Alcyesta, Suravia and Mineola were examining the
rare basket filled with flowers which Yermah had
sent with a kindly message.
"The daffodils show his regard; the ferns, his
sincerity; and the violets, his extreme modesty," they
said, with giggling laughter, betraying the tension of
nerves still animating them. They were agog with
expectation, and when told of the projected visit to
the peerless gardens they entered into the arrange
ment with all the zest and abandon of curious girl
hood.
" From the roses on thy cheeks, I am justified in
the inference that troops of good entities have
guarded thy slumbers," said Orondo, when the
women came into the vestibule where he was await
ing them.
" I can only hope that the same blessed oblivion
has been thy portion," responded Keroecia.
" Rahula, Ildiko and Alcamayn join us at the sun
dial, presently. They are intent upon a natal ob
servance which, by thy leave we shall witness."
Palanquins were their mode of conveyance.
" Alcyesta, Suravia and Mineola, look at the an
swer to our signals of last night," exclaimed Keroecia.
" Oh ! see the rose garlands on the obelisks, and the
beautiful flowers everywhere I "
As she said this, a delegation of school children
strewed her pathway with wall-flowers.
" Fidelity in adversity 1 How considerate and
kind thou art ! "
She begged to be set down and stood with her
hands full of the blossoms, which she repeatedly car
ried to her lips, tossing them to the children about
her. It was an indiscriminate mass of little ones,
94 YERMAH, THE DORADO
augmented by a bevy of older girls, laden with
myrrh, wheat, oats and sprigs of heliotrope. Be
fore Keroecia realized it, her vacant chair was filled
with flowering sage and Sweet William in bloom.
This language of esteem and gallantry was a
tribute from some warrior priests sent to keep order
and to assist in escort duty. Keroecia and her com
panions wound the flower-wreaths in their hair,
placed clusters of the same at their throats, and in
their girdles, and carried as many more as their hands
could hold.
" Haille I Haille I " spearsmen and school children
shouted in chorus, only desisting when the garden
gates were reached, and the party halted for a final
exchange of courtesies. Keroecia turned to Orondo.
" I love these kind, good-hearted people," she
said.
" Small wonder that they should love thee in re
turn. The Monbas are not the only men willing to
die for thee." The flush on his face, his earnestness
of manner and speech, should have warned Keroecia ;
but at that moment, she was intently examining the
sculpture on the stone aqueduct, here emptying into
an artificial lake. Realizing the situation, Orondo
was quick to turn it to advantage.
" I have a feeling of kinship with this body of
water, since it is mine by right of plan and construc
tion. The gardens are my special charge. We of
Aztlan have choice of occupation, and I have sole
command over this spot."
' Thou art generously endowed with the sense of
the beautiful," she returned, in appreciation. u I am
curious to know why this curbing is not in straight,
but in wavy lines."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 95
" Because it is a meander imitating a river of spir
itual force. The carving, also, conveys the same
idea."
*******
The party had crossed the avenue leading from
the market walls to the Temple of Neptune. The
aqueduct surrounded the outside enclosure, and was
built of solid sandstone and masonry, supported by
arches of the same. The water in the canal came
from Lake La Honda and skirted Blue Mountain.
Where it emptied into Ohaba Lake, in the gardens, it
made a pretty cascade over a profusion of rocks and
water-plants.
To the right of the market was a sun-dial, which
was a colossal bronze figure of a full-armored war
rior thrusting furiously at his own shadow. This
statue, of perfect model and workmanship, was
placed on a pivot which revolved once in every
twenty-four hours. At the feet was a glass dial,
whose grains of gold slipped out at stated intervals,
one at a time, sticking fast on the quicksilver bed
prepared for them. The warrior could only scowl
at, and threaten the shining hours.
When the sun at rising darted a direct shadow by
the gnomon, or machete, in the hand of a soldier,
and at its height, or mid-day, the figure made no
shade, the populace adorned it with leaves and odorif
erous herbs. Then they placed a chair made of
choice cut-flowers on top of the helmet, saying that
the sun appeared on his most glittering throne.
After this, with great ostentation and rejoicings, they
made offerings of gold, silver and precious stones.
Among the spectators of the ceremony, were
Keroecia and Orondo. His interest centered wholly
96 YERMAH, THE DORADO
in her — hers, in the novel rites and the people, who
seemed to feel honored by her presence.
On an eminence beyond the sun-dial was the House
of Piety, a structure having many apartments, filled
with priests devoted to the healing art. The grounds
between were laid out in regular squares and the
intersecting paths were bordered with trellises sup
porting creepers and aromatic shrubs. These
swayed in the breeze, partially screening the view
by a quaint tracery of floral net-work.
Setos had been paying a visit to the House of
Piety. On his way to the salt-water fish-ponds, lo
cated near Temple Avenue, but further up, he was
startled by a low, sullen growl, and a quick leap into
a clump of bushes near him. He was unarmed, save
for a serpentine knife in his leather belt, and this he
instantly unsheathed and was prepared for attack.
He had not long to wait before the blood-shot eyes
of Oghi peered through the greenery, and he could
hear its tail lashing on the ground as the animal pre
pared for a spring.
At this juncture, there was an ominous rattle of
the chain, and, in an instant, Oghi had turned a com
plete somersault in the air. Akaza jerked the chain
hard enough to snap the self-clasping catch planned
for such an emergency, and the ocelot came down
on three legs.
" Down, Oghi ! Down, sir ! " sternly commanded
Akaza. This was answered by a howl of mingled
rage and surprise, as Oghi crouched with each hair on
back and tail erect with hostility.
" Remain motionless, Setos ! Shouldst thou move
I would not be responsible for the consequences,"
commanded Akaza, as he hastily twisted the chain
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 97
around a good-sized flowering shrub. He managed
to get the eye of the infuriated animal, and in a few
moments the danger was over. None but a man
absolutely master of self and conditions, could have
quelled this beast as Akaza did.
" Oghi, lie down ! Lie down, sir ! "
Without the least show of resistance, the ocelot
obeyed him.
" What thievish mischief has that brute been do
ing? " asked Setos, allowing anger to surplant a sick
ening sense of fear.
" Let us ascertain. He has broken away from his
keeper, else he would not be here," replied Akaza.
" Dost thou see footprints in the soft mud at the
bottom of the tank? I am persuaded that Oghi
made a meal of the rarest fish in the pond." Setos
was at his favorite occupation — he did so dearly
love to exaggerate misdeeds of any kind.
" There are feathers, too, all about here," he
called as he ran from one rookery to another.
" There are but four of the quetzal left in the silver
fir. Yermah cannot be permitted to give away any
of them. All he can do is to present these feathers
to the high-priestess."
Setos came back with a handful of brilliant green
plumes, about three feet long showing rainbow tints
in their metallic luster. There was also a portion of
scarlet breast still dripping with blood, but that was
all.
" I find this luminous tree badly broken," said
Akaza. " Oghi must have attempted to jump over
it. He has broken the whole top off, and split the
bole down to the roots. Disappointment awaits
Orondo because he planned to bring our visitors here
98 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and show them how this tree lights up its surround
ings at night. It were best to find out whether the
torch-fish has been injured."
Setos poked and raked among the pools and eddies
of the pond, but reported the torch-fish uninjured.
This member of the finny tribe does not use the
torch for purposes of illumination. When meal
time comes, it lights up to attract smaller fish. They,
mistaking the lantern for a phosphorescent insect,
dart at it only to find their way into a pair of capa
cious jaws.
The evidence was wholly circumstantial; but, it
was decided to make an example of Oghi, so the
ocelot was led up the main thoroughfare hobbling
on three legs.
As a matter of fact, Oghi had spent the entire
morning chasing his own shadow, going into a veri
table spasm of excitement when he saw his image
reflected in the water. It took him long to decide
that it was not some other animal when the image
moved. Oghi tired himself out trying to discover
the reason why the reflection undulated and rippled,
when he, himself, was motionless. He flounced in
and out of the pond so often, that he could not pos
sibly have caught a fish. They were securely hidden
through it all, and a huge rat did the damage found
in the aviary.
Poor Oghi ! His greatest fault was an abiding
dislike to Setos, and his antipathies seemed to center
around that one idea. This was why he snarled and
snapped every time he came near the sun-dial. By
some process of reasoning, the ocelot decided that the
sun-dial was modeled after Setos.
These repeated plunges disturbed the glass-bot-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 99
tomed wooden box, used to produce a beautiful op
tical illusion in the salt water. The box was without
cover, and so placed that the glass bottom was
slightly below the surface. This arrangement en
abled the observer to look steadily downward to the
sea-floor itself. The first impression was that the
glass possessed magical powers. Not a tree, nor a
flower actually on the land above, but was here re
flected in colors and forms of airiest grace.
Orondo piloted his party to where there was a
sheltered cocoa-palm tree. This was a very unusual
tree, for on more than one occasion a vegetable pearl
had been found among its branches. Such an one
was given to Keroecia, and she was also allowed the
choice of opals taken from the joints of bamboo
reeds.
" If thou art willing," said Alcamayn, " I will cut
the seven pointed star of Jupiter in this gem at the
polishing, and then thou wilt have an amulet against
disease."
" By so doing, thou wilt give great pleasure, and,
if agreeable I desire a bracelet made of this vegetable
ivory," she answered.
" Why not put the pearl in the center and an opal
on each side ? " suggested Ildiko. " Here is a perfect
match for the one thou hast chosen. Why not have
the sign of Jupiter cut on one and his star on the
other? This will surely bring good fortune."
While they were selecting the ivory and discussing
the details of ornament, Orondo busied himself with
a tiny filigree silver cage containing a couple of giant
fire-flies.
"Am I in an enchanted garden?" laughingly in
quired Keroecia when she was tolled off to a shady
100 YERMAH, THE DORADO
nook to inspect these wonderful insects. Orondo
covered the cage with a black cloth, and instantly a
ruddy glow proceeded from two glandular spots be
tween the eyes and under each wing of the fire-flies.
Soon the rays changed to a golden yellow, equal to a
candle in brightness.
" To protect thee from genii," said Orondo, " are
a pair of racket-tailed humming-birds. These little
fellows are booted and spurred like regular warriors,
and are competent to fight any size or condition of
feather-wearer."
The cage, rich in carving, was made of sandal-
wood. From the pagoda-like roof hung four small
triangular-shaped banners.
" It were a gentle soul which planned these kind
remembrances," murmured Keroecia, softly.
" These come from one who has been deeply
moved by the simplicity of thy ministrations," gal
lantly responded Orondo.
Keroecia unwittingly led the way toward a
swampy-looking inclosure fenced by poison-ivy and
climbing sumac which she did not dare touch.
" Thou art wandering into forbidden domains,"
remonstrated Orondo, hastening to her side. " Na
ture broods her deadliest poisons in this company.
Here the carrot, parsnip, and celery families are un
dergoing regeneration. In time, I shall have them
suitable for food. That pretty lily thou art admir
ing is the deadly hemlock; and here are the fox
glove, the henbane, and the jimson-weed — "
" Surely I need no reminder of murderous quality
here," rejoined Keroecia. She was gazing at a clus
ter of aconite. " My people have used this with ter
rible effect on themselves and on their enemies."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 101
She had reference to the poisoned arrows employed
by the Monbas in their expeditions against the lans.
A swift-footed runner, wearing state livery, ap
proached, and prostrating himself before Keroecia,
said:
" Yermah, the Dorado, presents his compliments,
and begs that the high-priestess, Keroecia, will
grace the Hall of Embassadors with her presence.
Ben Hu Barabe, Eko Tanga, and the Dorado await
her there."
" Immediate compliance is the only form grateful
obedience takes," she answered, while a swift pallor
overspread her countenance. " Let us go at once ! "
A shade of disappointment came over Orondo's
face. He had hoped to show Kercecia more of the
beauties of this royal garden. There was something
of the impatience of the lover and the selfishness of
a rival in his feeling. They were passing through
the landscape set with night-blooming plants.
As they neared Lake Ohaba, a long, narrow body
of water, formed artificially, there were masses of
water-lilies anchored on the surface. Tiny air-bub
bles and tinier mouths indicated the presence of gold
and silver fish, darting about unmindful of the water
fowl feeding on the banks, or sunning themselves on
the floating gardens which dotted the miniature lake.
Bridges, ponds, waterfalls and temples covered the
landscape of the floating gardens, but everything was
constructed on the smallest scale possible. The
trees were old and gnarled, and the moss-covered
masonry was no larger than a doll's house and
grounds. Even the dahlias and the chrysanthemums
were dwarfed into pigmy sizes.
Keroecia must have felt something of Orondo's
102 YERMAH, THE DORADO
disappointment; for, she halted in front of the fan
ciful pavilion facing these movable wonders and
ordered the palanquin which was to convey her back
to laqua.
" I am loathe to leave the spot where Nature and
man have wrought so well together," she said, with
simplicity and appreciation.
" Such pretty reluctance reconciles one to that
obedience which sometimes tries the souls of men,"
responded Orondo, satisfied with the admiration so
plainly reflected in her open countenance.
As the tamanes knelt to receive their human
freight, one of them presented Keroecia with a basket
ornamented with beads and feathers in quaint com
bination, and filled with ripe pomelos. The fruit
was partially concealed by grape leaves, and was a
simple offering to quench thirst.
*******
In laying out the city of Tlamco, the four points of
the compass were designated by different colors.
The east, from whence come revivified nature and
springtime, was marked by green. This symbolizes
fulfillment and perfection. It holds out the hope of
immortality and victory, in the laurel and in the
palm. For this reason was the emerald considered
the happiness-bringing stone. The Aztecs, Chinese,
and Persians attach great significance to green as all
their uniforms and ceremonies demonstrate.
The west was designated by white, the emblem in
dicating integrity in the judge, humility in the sick,
and chastity in women. In a spiritual sense it is the
acme of all — divinity. When worn as mourning
white expresses negation of self.
The south was red, signifying fire, and all phases
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 103
of life on the physical plane. The red color of the
blood has its origin in the action of the heart, which
from time immemorial has been associated with love.
The north was black, ever the symbol of death
and despair. These people knew of the recurring
Ice Age, and to them the north was typical of death,
since all former civilization had perished from ex
treme cold.
The center of the city was marked yellow, in honor
of the sun, the symbol of light and wisdom.
The Grand Servitor was expected to wear a yellow
or red head-covering with gold ornaments, and he
must at all times use yellow for a parasol or canopy.
The highest dignitaries carried green umbrellas and
there was always a bit of green showing in the head-
coverings. The lower officials carried red parasols
or wore red; while the citizens wore black, or carried
black overhead.
Akaza was always provided with a white umbrella.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A COVETED SPOT AND A PRICELESS TREASURE
THE Hall of Ambassadors at laqua was still
the scene of an animated discussion.
There were groups of scribes, runners
and astrologers excitedly examining maps and charts,
while knots of citizens gathered around the old men
and heard from their lips the particulars. Some
were priests, others were treasure keepers, judges and
councilors ; but one and all were disposed to stand by
the records.
Patient, respectful tamanes glided noiselessly here
and there, opening and placing some of the books on
the tables ready for inspection, while they closed and
carried others back to the vaulted recesses where they
had been under lock and key since the foundation of
Tlamco. Some of the manuscripts were on cotton
cloth, others were of carefully prepared skins, tanned
and dressed until soft as silk.
For ages the Indians have known how to prepare
superior chamois. When they tan a skin it looks
like soft, pliant yellow velvet and has an odor pe
culiar to itself. These qualities are imparted by
smoking it thoroughly over a fire composed of cer
tain herbs. Rain has no effect upon well-tanned
Indian buck-skin. This is why an Indian moccasin
is always as yielding as cloth, while as thick and soft
as felt.
104
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 105
A composition of gum and silk tissue made by a
process known to-day by the Japanese and Chinese
was invariably used by the Monbas for the transcrip
tion of public documents. Their books were bound
with blocks of polished wood, and folded together,
like a fan. These surfaces were inscribed on both
sides so that the writing was continuous, ending where
it began, but on the opposite side of the same square.
Around Ben Hu Barabe, the Civil Chief of the
Monbas, were a number of Monbas warriors in full
coats of mail and side arms. Setos mingled freely
with them and appeared to espouse their side of the
controversy, while Akaza conversed in subdued
tones with Eko Tanga, the tall, fierce-looking, but
well-mannered emissary from the lans. Yermah
had that freedom and grace of movement born in
natural leaders, and there was an unconscious recog
nition of this quality wherever he went among the
disputants.
A young Monbas warrior stood near him and
leaned intently over the neatly inscribed parchment
rolls bearing the official seal of Atlantis. The leaves
of maguey and agave had been used in the fabrication
of this beautiful paper.
" These measurements and observations were
taken shortly after the shaping of Hotara (Lone
Mountain), and before the surrounding tumuli had
been finished," said Yermah.
He was seated at a round table in the center of
the room in an entirely characteristic pose. One foot
was drawn well back and poised on the toes, while the
other was thrust forward but little in advance of the
knee and leg. On his head a single band of filigree
gold was relieved by a carbuncle of rare brilliancy
106 YERMAH, THE DORADO
which sparkled warm and glowing in the medallion
center.
The Dorado's cloth-of-gold cloak, lined with scar
let and black brocade, was thrown carelessly back
from his shoulders, and his thumb, which grasped
the edge of the table to balance his body, as he leaned
forward eagerly, was banded by a curiously wrought
signet ring. There was masculinity and strength in
the jewel which was the only ornament on the virile
hand.
" Our ancestors knew these things well," answered
the warrior after a minute examination.
" The city was young then. But I see no reason
why the accuracy of this work should be questioned.
I hope that Ben Hu Barabe may be induced to see it
so."
" The scale is one one-hundred-millionths, and
shows the diameter of all the planets from Hotara.
There has been but little variation in eccentricity of
orbits since," declared Yermah, now busy with com
putations, which he made by using an abacus, as the
Chinese have always done.
Ben Hu Barabe still studied his maps and charts.
He was industriously making deductions from the
highly colored picture-writing, though the cloth on
which they were painted was yellow and musty with
age. His calculations were from Las Papas as a
center. In present day reckoning the radius extended
from Clarendon Heights along the coast to Pesca-
dero Point; then to Santa Cruz and Point Reyes.
From these observations the first surveys were made,
and it was from these markings that the treaties had
been negotiated between the Monbas and the Allan-
tians when the latter colonists first came.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 107
" It is not easy to ascertain the date of our compu
tations and measurements," said Ben Hu Barabe.
" But the land in dispute is not much, at any rate. If
Eko Tanga insists that his government has some un
settled claim against the Monbas, I am willing that
thou shouldst decide it," he said to Yermah.
" The difference is considerable between the calcu
lation of one one-hundred millionths and one of one-
fifty millionths. And there is a variance between
The Twins and Hotara as central points," Yermah
replied. " In my time the place of the sun in the
center of Tlamco has been the point of vantage.
Computations of the diameters of the heavenly hosts
are here accurately given."
" From the beginning until now, the Monbas have
reckoned all their happenings by this picture," said
Ben Hu Barabe, his voice again showing signs of irri
tation. " It is held in our inner hearts with pro
found reverence, and it is a vexation of spirit to have
it questioned. Eko Tanga has little respect for the
traditions and pride of the mountain people."
" The high-priestess Keroecia, will then lend us
her counsel," said Yermah, soothingly. " She is of
the blood of Ian, but she loves the Monbas well.
Her serene countenance confronts us," he added has
tily, as the crowd separated to make room for the
high-priestess and the entire party from the gardens.
Every woman knows that it was not the fresh air,
only, which gave the color to Keroecia's cheek, and
made her eyes sparkle like tiny stars as she permitted
Yermah to conduct her to a seat beside him under the
grand canopy. All Tlamco had a feeling of satis
faction in the manner and the method of his escort.
Some time elapsed before either could sufficiently
108 YERMAH, THE DORADO
acknowledge the applause spontaneously given; but
when the Dorado held up his hand commanding
silence, the stillness was absolute.
" Comrades and friends, a difference of opinion
exists between the emissary of Ian, Eko Tanga, and
Ben Hu Barabe, Chief of the Monbas, as to the hered
itary rights of each to the lands now held by the
Azes. Before our beloved Tlamco rested among
the seven hills, there were wise men who noted the
ways of the sun, and his attendants, and decreed that
thus far, and no farther should the limits extend.
No one disputed the rights of the Monbas. They
made The Twins their own, and no one murmured.
Then appeared the hordes of Ian. They came
through the trackless forest of the Aleuts, following
the warm tide southward. The snow-peaks of Elias,
Tacoma, and Shasta 1 pointed the way and after
many days they came to the end of the Monbas pos
sessions."
Among the Monbas there was a tempestuous wave
of displeasure against the revival of old scores and
the ill-will was as heartily returned by Eko Tanga's
attendants. As for principles, their faces effectually
masked the feelings while they gave Yermah their
undivided attention.
" Here they found an amicable agreement between
these brave men and the children of Atlantis," con
tinued Yermah, conscious of the under-current of
feeling. " It makes my heart glad to tell how the
Azes and the Monbas have always been friends."
" Haille I Haille ! " shouted his hearers, with
one voice. "Haille! Haille i "
Satisfied that the ebullition of temper had safely
1 Modern names are preferably employed.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 109
spent itself, the Dorado boldly stated the point in
dispute.
" It pleased the leaders of the Azes to erect a new
city on the ruins of an old abandoned temple site,
and they re-surveyed the vicinity from Mount Ho-
tara. Like the Monbas sages, they had counsel of
the heavenly bodies, and found the degree of proph
ecy fulfilled in the markings. It were a wearisome
task to hear all of the things done at that time, but
the Monbas and the Azes feel that they were well
done."
Again the unspoken words reached his ears and
the upturned faces before him beamed with satisfac
tion.
" The Monbas reckoned from The Twins to a
smaller scale, but they took cognizance of the stars.
Time has altered the bearings; but truth was in the
beginning and must prevail in the end. Due allow
ance was then made for the failure of agreement be
tween the new and the old reckonings, and for the
difference in the point of view. The treaty follow
ing, whereby the Monbas gave eternal consent to the
designs of the Azes, has been a source of joy to the
Azes always."
" And to us," assented the Monbas, with a clam
orous noise.
" Our friend and brother, Eko Tanga," continued
Yermah, bowing to the lans as he spoke, " comes with
a claim against the decision of our ancestors. He
denies the right of the Monbas to cede land to the
Azes, since the Monbas came under allegiance to
Ian, after the treaty was promulgated, and before the
solemn covenant had record. The patient skill and
industry of Atlantis has made this a garden spot,
110
and the lans desire recognition of their preten-
tions.
" The murmurings of the Monbas have softened
the hearts of the lans, and their king decrees that
the Monbas shall be free from tribute and have do
minion over the land claimed by them, provided they
will release the princess and the high-priestess Ke-
rcecia from bondage."
Here the Monbas laughed derisively. Even
Keroecia smiled.
" It were unseemly of the Azes to interrupt their
Servitor," said Orondo, sternly, as he sprang to his
feet and faced his people determinedly. The re
buke did not fail of effect.
The undulating walls in different portions of
Tlamco represented the gyrations of the cosmic ser
pent, which is matter, and quaintly sets forth man's
incomings to, and out-goings from, material life. On
a grand scale, the three points symbolized man's re
demption by harmonizing the three planes of exist
ence. Religious sentiment, as well as race prejudice,
had something to do with the hostile feeling preva
lent in the factions.
" Sufficient purses have been exchanged to make
trade even, but the boundaries still lie in dispute,"
continued Yermah.
"Will the Dorado and these people hear me?"
asked Eko Tanga, moved to speech.
" The safeguards of courtesy may be trusted thus
far," quickly responded Yermah. " Apply thine ear
faithfully that thou mayst comprehend the truth," he
added, as he sat on a level with Keroecia.
" A matter deserving close attention is the cor
rection of the hazy, indistinct records by which cer-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 111
tain lands are ceded," declared Eko Tanga. " The
increase in learning makes the measurements legiti
mately subject to inquiry, and I crave assistance from
the wise men here assembled. All Tlamco reckons
from its center, and observes the present houses of
the firmament for confirmation. By careful estimate,
there is yet some favor due my master from the
Monbas. A covenant to remain south of Elias's
cone is all that the king desires. He is content to
forego tribute or war service below this mountain."
It was plain that there were voices in the multitude
which favored the lans. It was known that the
Monbas originally came from Ian, and loyalty to
fatherland was a sterling virtue of the Azes.
Setos, quick to turn an advantage to himself, came
forward and claimed a hearing.
" The sacred traditions of past times," he said,
" lie deep in the hearts of the faithful, but justice de
mands much for posterity. The future is best served
by full recognition of Monbas independence ; they, in
turn, must acquit themselves with honor. No man
among the Azes desires to keep that which is not
fairly won."
" Dost thou dare to accuse us of unfairness ? " cried
Ben Hu Barabe, rising hastily.
" The lans have long discoursed against the award
of land made by us to the Azes. Much travail of
spirit has befallen us because of our pledges to
thy ancestry. Fie upon thee, for an ingrate ! " he
continued, hotly.
Yermah and Akaza were on their feet in an in
stant.
" Setos had spoken without consideration," said
Akaza, mildly. " No possible import of unfairness
112 YERMAH, THE DORADO
is due to either party here. The measurements are
the only questions to consider. Now, as of old, the
digit, the palm of the hand, the face, and the cubit
are the only means of reckoning. The first joint
of the finger is no longer; the middle of the palm no
wider; the cubit from finger to elbow is the same.
But the stars have changed their courses; even the
zodiac has slipped its leashes. Man may profit by
such example. Have done with this useless turmoil.
Let the Ian have his due, and let the high-priestess
Keroecia, loose her own bonds."
When he ceased speaking, the silence was intense.
" For this did I beseech thy presence," said Yer-
mah, aside to the agitated princess.
" We love the priestess Keroecia, and we will obey
her," said Ben Hu Barabe, simply.
;' The royal father and mother of the princess
mourn continually. They beg and implore that she
may be the light of their declining years. All Ian
awaits an answer; and for that country I agree to
abide by thy decision." Eko Tanga bowed toward
Keroecia, appealingly.
Striving to govern her emotion, Keroecia put out a
trembling hand to Yermah, and suffered herself to be
led forward where she could be both seen and heard.
She buried her face in her hands for a moment, then
lifted it pale and stricken, but resolute.
" My comrades and my countrymen, duty oppresses
my heart profoundly. That I do love and honor
these who gave me life need not be affirmed. All
that my father demands, I hereby pledge the Monbas
to render. For myself there is no peace apart from
the duty I owe these children of the forest. They
look to me for spiritual guidance, and I will not
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 113
leave them." Her voice faltered, and she seemed
ready to faint.
In the interim of silence, Eko Tanga said: " So be
it! So be it!"
" Tell my beloved father that I can best serve him
here; and that as proof of my devotion, I pledge
my people to lasting peace. Hast thou the treaty in
readiness? "
She made no pretense of reading its provisions,
but turned to Ben Hu Barabe, and said authorita
tively : " Sign 1"
He readily affixed his signature. Eko Tanga fol
lowed, and then Yermah made use of the high-set
signet on his thumb.
And this was the beginning of the end.
IT was fully ten o'clock before Keroecia, attended
entirely by women, finally made her appearance.
She drove a splendid team of woodland caribou,
harnessed to her traveling cart now made gay with
bunting and flowers. There were tiny nosegays tied
to the palmated antlers sweeping back over the long,
shaggy bodies. The ribbons were threaded from
one wide expanse to its fellow on the opposite side,
and even to the bez-tynes coming down between the
eyes and spreading protectingly over the elongated
beak-like nose.
The snap and click of the spreading false hoofs of
the caribou announced the advent of the party.
Rahula and Ildiko stood on each side of Keroecia,
while Alcyesta, Suravia and Mineola balanced them
selves by placing their hands on the shoulders in front
of them.
Matu, Saphis and Phoda, the three caribou, were
a perfect match in color, size and gait. The animals
stood over three feet high with very wide and many
tyned, spreading antlers. Matu, who was driven in
the lead had a short shaggy mane of grayish white
which lightened his reddish-brown coat, his four feet
being evenly marked by the same white band. The
strong necks, knee-joints and short muscular legs were
built for strength and these roadsters handily trotted
114.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 115
past the barking dogs in the streets and on the high
ways. Their big eyes had nothing of the gazelle
quality in them, but were alert, and the short lily-cup
ear heard acutely, while the sense of smell was their
finest quality.
If it were possible to imagine hilarity in a counte
nance so long drawn out and preternaturally grave, it
may be said that these sagacious animals enjoyed
showing their heels too, and dusting everything en
countered on the road. Or, it may have been that
they were envious of the burros with their bulging
sides, dodging out of their way as they flew by.
A word and a sudden checking of the reins fastened
to the nose, brought the team to a stand-still in front
of a basketry. Here the party alighted and Keroecia
caressed her roadsters, giving each one a cake of salt,
and scratching its nose affectionately. They mani
fested pleasure in their own special fashion, and suf
fered themselves to be coaxed away by a bundle of
dry moss.
Inside the building were girls assorting thick pack
ages of willow wands, and long stemmed, wiry
grasses as well as splits of palms.
Keroecia's eyes lit up as she recognized some of
her favorite weaves. Bending over a young girl she
took the work from her hands and began explaining
an intricate decoration.
" Fifteen stitches to the digit is not fine enough
for this acorn pattern, twenty-eight will serve thee
better. Where the point of the acorn cuts off
here, a bottom must be put in to give it standing
power."
When the coil was properly started in stitch and
pattern, she picked up a handful of grass soaking in a
116 YERMAH, THE DORADO
shallow basket basin near by, and dexterously
fashioned a tiny acorn, perfect in color and shape.
" Use this for a handle on the acorn cup suitable
to cover this basket," she said.
To the delighted exclamations of thanks, she re
plied:
" May a good husband and sweet children grace
thy home and bless thee with loving kindness."
The shamaness of the basket guild withdrew from
a coil she had been weaving a priceless heirloom,
inherited from her great-great-grandmother. This
proved to be a long needle made from the wing-bone
of a hawk and was believed to be an amulet of good
luck.
" Will the high-priestess honor and make me happy
by accepting this little token? She who uses it will
have the blessing of the whole guild."
Keroecia took the polished implement, and
motioned one of her tamanes to approach. From
his hands she received a parcel so delicate and pre
cious that it was protected by a basket-covering of
unique design. When she disclosed the contents
there was an involuntary exclamation of " A — h
— ! " from all the curious weavers cognizant of it.
" Will the shamaness make me happy by accepting
this example of my handicraft? I have worked on it
three years," she said.
The gift was a fancy basket covered entirely with
red-headed woodpeckers' scalps, among which were
placed at intervals many hanging loops of tiny ir
idescent shells. Around the rim was an upright row
of black quails' top-knots, nodding gayly.
Presently, a representative of the guild brought
forward a dice-table top made in anticipation of this
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 117
visit. It was a round, flat tray, ornamented with
dark-brown water lines on a cream-white ground.
With it were eight acorn-shaped dice, inlaid with
abalone shell and some richly carved ivory sticks
with which to keep tally. The acorn shells had first
been filled with pitch, and when hardened cleverly
inlaid with abalone. Cradle and burden baskets used
for storing grain differed in no wise from the weaves
of the Monbas.
Row after row of every imaginable stitch and
material filled the roomy building. Keroecia was re
spectful in her attention to the workers but she for
bore a longer interruption of the general trend of
the work.
Into the pueblo, set apart for the pottery, one
might with profit follow, or linger over the looms of
the rug and blanket weavers, as Keroecia did. But
it is fair to suppose that modern eyes are familiar
with the striking peculiarities of the Daghestan rugs
and Navajo blankets, the stitches of one being
familiar to the descendants of Keroecia's forebears,
while the Navajo Indians have preserved the secret
of the other. One is characteristic of native Orien
tal invention, the other of native American.
" There is need of haste in returning," admonished
Rahula, as the women climbed back into the car and
started cityward. " We are due at the marketplace
now.
«
Content thyself. The caribou is an excellent
traveler," was Keroecia's assurance, as she gathered
up the reins and shook the many stranded whip over
the horns of her team. They started forward with
the easy stride common to the elk family, and were
not long in clearing a passage way through the
118 YERMAH, THE DORADO
tamanes, trotting along the road carrying huge, well-
filled baskets, one on each end of a pole slung across
the shoulder. Mingling with them were burros so
well burdened that nothing but their noses, tails
and forefeet were visible.
The social corner-stone of Tlamco was not the
family but the clan. Husband and wife must belong
to different gentes, and the children claimed descent
from the mother. The spheres of the sexes were
clearly defined but manfully, the wife being the com
plete owner of the house and all it contained. If a
mother, she was not required to perform other than
household duties. Slovenliness was severely pun
ished in both sexes, and so was idleness.
At no time was the life of the ordinary woman of
greater hardship than is that of the wife of a poor
man in any enlightened or so-called Christian country
to-day. Should her husband ill-treat her, a woman
of this civilization could permanently evict him from
the home. The husband owned the crops until they
were housed, and then the wife had an equal voice
in their distribution. The live stock was his; but
there was an unwritten code which forbade his dis
posing of it without consulting his wife.
For these reasons, certain of the afternoon hours of
each day were set apart, in the market, by the guilds,
for the reception of the women. They came in two
sections, and took turns, so that each guild received a
weekly visit. It was to head a procession of this
kind, visiting the bazaars devoted to Monbas handi
work, that Keroecia and her attendants hurried
through the streets.
" See the crowds of children, the priestesses and
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 119
the women," said Keroecia, as they whirled through
a circular gateway leading to the bazaar.
" They are waiting for us," exclaimed Ildiko, with
a glow of satisfaction and self-importance. " Setos,
the wise and kind father, forgive our being tardy,"
she continued; " we were detained on such loving pre
texts as befits the exalted regard felt for our guests."
She gave her hand to Alcamayn and bounded
lightly to the ground.
" Shame oppresses me sorely for having kept thee
waiting," said Keroecia, as she suffered Orondo to
assist her.
" Thy dalliance was slight," he answered gal
lantly, " and our first concern is for thy pleasure."
" Let us go at once," they all said.
Each one picked up a basket of flowers and fol
lowed Keroecia and Orondo.
It was a pretty sight. The women and children
filled every nook and corner of the booths with
flowers while the priestesses swung incense up and
down the aisles and over the commodities. The men
paid their guests compliments, plied them with
sweet-meats and were as courteous and considerate
as the occasion demanded.
Fathers took occasion to have a little visit with
their children; husbands and wives consulted their
mutual interests; while lovers contrived to exchange
much of the small coin of affection, openly, inno
cently and with obvious encouragement.
Mingling freely with the crowd, were the vestal
virgins, themselves trained by Priestesses of the Sun,
in charge of the boys and girls under the age of
twelve. These eager little bodies were allowed to
120 YERMAH, THE DORADO
satisfy their curiosity. The vestals tried to explain
everything coming under their observation, so that
the visit was an object lesson as well as a half-holi
day.
Groups of older boys came attended by warrior-
priests, who trained them in the art of warfare, after
which they were apprenticed to the various guilds,
and taught to be skilled in some branch of industry.
In many cases, an elder brother or other relative was
serving an apprenticeship while a younger boy was
still studying warfare. Then, there was a pardon
able display of skill and knowledge by the elder,
which did not fail to spur the ambition of the younger.
Both sexes were allowed to study picture writing,
music or oratory, and there was much friendly
rivalry among them.
The guild awards were always those most hotly
contested. In this category were prizes for cooking,
weaving, basketry, pottery and the care of the sick,
which was the prerogative of the women, while all
the industries gave encouragement to the apprentice
boys in their charge.
CHAPTER TEN
THE FORTUNE THAT WAS TOLD WITH TAROT CARDS
SETOS, the Dogberry of Tlamco, lived in a
pretentious square house where the disused
Laurel Hill Cemetery is now located. The
house was gay in stucco ornament and artistic color
ing. The surrounding grounds were extensive, and
the rambling enclosure was altogether the most
elaborate private establishment in the city.
Quick, active, energetic and scientific, Setos had,
also, the cunning of a schemer and the ambition of
a dictator. In stature, he was short and pudgy, with
a round, fat body and with disproportionately small
extremities. He made many gestures with his arms
and carried his straight stiff thumbs downward. His
finger-nails were narrow, indicating obstinacy and
conceit, while his thick and stubby fingers showed
that he was cruel and selfish. Setos's eyes were
small and gray.
In addition to long ham-like ears was a nose which
was a cross between a hook and a beak. The thin
lips and square jaws completed a countenance which
reflected a bold and uncertain temper. The man
had a nervous habit of clasping his coarse, fat hands,
especially when excited or over-anxious. Withal, he
was inordinately vain, not of his good looks certainly,
but of his achievements — and, his godliness.
IftS YERMAH, THE DORADO
Akaza had a way of looking straight through
Setos's mean, shabby nature which mightily irritated
this entirely self-satisfied man. Setos always im
agined that he was being put upon in the civic
councils, and he was determined that the visitors
should imbibe something of his greatness at the
fountain-head.
It did not require much diplomacy nor persuasion
to induce Keroecia to pay Ildiko a visit before leav
ing Tlamco.
" When Eko Tanga says farewell, to-morrow,"
Setos said to her, " it will save thee embarrassment
to spend the remaining days with Ildiko. It would
not be politic to take thy leave at the same time, be
cause of the ill-concealed distrust between the Monbas
and Eko Tanga. Shouldst thou go immediately
after, it would be discourteous to the government of
Ian. Let me urge thee strongly to continue here
for a time."
" Give me leave to add my prayer to thine, father,"
said Ildiko, quick to see the importance of the move
to herself. With Keroecia as her guest, she would
have the eyes of the whole city on her for a time.
" Rahula do persuade our friends to make us happy,"
she concluded with a pretty, affected lisp.
" I am wholly in thy hands," responded Keroecia.
" Thy request lines with my desires. I am weary of
public function. Besides, I am enslaved by curiosity
concerning thy mode of living. Thou art not of the
Azes."
" Rightly spoken," said Ildiko. " Thou art justi
fied in seeking to know the domestic habits of
Tlamco. It is not granted me to read signs like
Rahula, but I can see the drift already."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 123
There was nothing malicious in Ildiko. Keroecia
colored quickly, but made no reply.
" Who knows but that I had ulterior motives in
asking the fair lady to remain with us? " said Setos,
pompously. " I hope for a son-in-law, some day,
and Ben Hu Barabe is entirely to my liking."
Ildiko, frivolous and vain, never doubted that she
had made an impression in that quarter. A keen
eye would have detected the sudden pallor of Al-
cyesta and the protective movement of Keroecia.
Self-centered Setos did not look at Rahula; there
fore, he did not see the swift, half-fearful glance
she gave Alcamayn, nor did he note the suppressed
excitement of Orondo.
Keroecia understood that the official character of
her visit was at an end, and she experienced a feel
ing of relief. Setos anticipated this. He knew that
the commercial benefits to be derived from a closer
association of the two people were yet unrealized,
and he did not intend to lose an opportunity to
profit by the situation.
Will it jar on the sensibilities to discover that Setos
took advantage of, and swindled the Monbas in
every transaction following? He did this in order
to make a reputation for zeal and shrewdness among
his fellow council-men.
It was Friday, the day of the bath, and not long
before the time appointed for the departure of the
high-priestess. Ildiko, Alcyesta, Mineola and
Keroecia were taking a siesta while deft-fingered maids
brushed the hair spread out over their shoulders to
dry after hammam and massage. They were seated
on cushions piled on the still heated flagging, near
the play of a perfumed spray. Their finger tips,
YERMAH, THE DORADO
nails and palms had been beautified, and the flat-iron
shaped pumice-stone rubber had been industriously
applied to the bottom of the feet, until each one was
as soft and pliant as a baby's untried sole. Long
loose-fitting robes tied at the waist with striped silk,
were the only garments worn.
The bathers regaled themselves with an ice-cream
water-melon, which had been buried in an artificial
snow-bank since early morning. Setos knew how to
manufacture ice, but he preferred to follow the
custom, long prevalent in Tlamco, of packing the
snow in winter and bringing it down from the moun
tains as needed for daily use. A water jar made of
porous clay, and completely covered by a fine growth
of timothy grass had been filled with mead and hung
in a window where a draught of air played upon it.
The Azes believed that a turquoise prevented con
tagion, and that an emerald had the quality to purify
water; so, the patera drinking-cups of silver pro
vided were ornamented with them.
" It nears the fourth hour since we commenced our
bath," commented Keroecia, helping herself to a
drink from the ewer. " We have talked about
everything I know. Now, what shall we do? "
The daintily carved orange-wood spoon in the hand
of each listener was hastily returned to the yellow
flesh of the melon, freckled with black seeds, and
three pairs of eager eyes focused on the speaker.
" I will tell thee what I should like to do," cried
Ildiko. " I should like to talk about love. I intend
to marry within a year."
"O — h, dost thou?" they all exclaimed, in a
breath. " Hast thou decreed who shall be party to
this resolve? "
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 125
" Yes — and no. In Atlantis, the parents often
select a husband or wife for their children. But one
is not compelled to accept their choice," she an
swered.
"Has a selection been made for thee?" queried
Alcyesta.
" Yes. My father and Rahula have partly agreed
that I am to marry Alcamayn."
" Oh ! Ho 1 " was all that could be distinguished,
as the wooden plates were quickly set aside, and a
general readjustment of cushions closed in around
Ildiko.
" I am not sure that I am pleased," that young lady
went on to say. " I would rather select my hus
band myself."
" No one of our tribe can do that, except our
high-priestess," rejoined Alcyesta. " Does thy re
ligion allow thy priestess such liberty?"
" Truly not. Our priestesses may marry if some
one asks them, but they cannot help themselves. Oh,
that I were a Monbas high-priestess ! "
" What wouldst thou do? " asked Keroecia, with a
smile, while Alcyesta did not seem to breathe.
" I would propose to thy Chancellor, Ben Hu
Barabe," she averred.
" Ben Hu Barabe is already betrothed," replied
Keroecia. " He will espouse my beloved Alcyesta,
when we return home."
" How fortunate thou art ! " said Ildiko to Al
cyesta, but slightly abashed. " I can always marry
Alcamayn. I should be puzzled to know what
to do in thy case," she continued, addressing Ker
oecia.
" I fail to see why," answered the priestess.
126 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" There is more than one among the Azes and
Atlantians who would speak if he dared."
Keroecia blushed and looked confused. Alcyesta
and Mineola asked in a breath:
"Who are they?"
" Use thine eyes and find out," replied Ildiko.
" We have only one marking of the sun-dial for
beauty sleep. Then we must array ourselves be
comingly for the sake of Orondo, Alcamayn, Hana-
busa and Ben Hu Barabe who arrive at the dinner
hour."
The high-priestess had arisen in the meantime.
" Not a wink of sleep to put a little rose in thy
cheeks and add diamond sparkles to thine eyes?"
chattered Ildiko.
" Not this time," declared Keroecia. " I must
away at once as I have promised early audience to
one of our friends."
" May the assurances he brings thee be good and
comforting," murmured Ildiko, already half-asleep.
" May the Lord of the Lapse of Time enfold thee
completely," answered Keroecia, with a careless nod,
as she passed out of the chamber.
Orondo usually stood with his right foot forward,
as if on guard, his broad, powerful shoulders thrown
back, and his chest well out. In civilian's dress, he
wore an agate-headed serpent of scarlet leather
around his head. On his neck was a gorget of
leather set with gold bosses, from which hung a long,
black cloak, bordered with fur. He had on a
short apron-like skirt of leather, with a triple row of
gold bosses around the bottom, and edged with a
heavy leather fringe.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 127
Wrinkled leather buckskins and gold-bossed
sandals completed his costume.
Wearing no beard, his straight black hair fell
well down over his shoulders. He was a patient,
faithful worker, self-reliant, reserved, proud, firm in
friendship, but an unrelenting foe. Slow to anger,
he was like a bull when aroused. .
Orondo's voice in speech and song was mellow and
agreeable. A countenance that glowed with anima
tion, added much to his dauntless appearance. It
was not like him to parley or waste time in useless
subterfuge; but whatever he attempted he went
straight about. So, desiring to consult Yermah, he
marched into his presence without any preliminaries.
Noting his perturbed manner, the Dorado laid
down a brush-pen he was using, and said:
" Something has interrupted the even tenor of thy
well-ordered life, Orondo. Can I serve thee?"
There were curious white and red lines on the
swarthy face, and the features looked pinched and
drawn. He was exceedingly quiet, but there was an
unusual brilliancy in the piercing black eyes.
" I have come to ask thy advice and blessing in a
matter of great import to me," he finally answered.
" The point of superior years counts but little be
tween us; but thou art my chief, and I love thee
well."
" Of that I am fully assured. My blessing and
good wishes thou hast only to command. Give me
to see the matter lying deep in thy heart, that I may
judge for thee," replied Yermah, fully aware that a
crisis of some kind was at hand.
" Duty demands that I render strict obedience to
my superiors, of whom thou art one, and the com-
128 YERMAH, THE DORADO
mand is that I shall take a wife from the native
women of this country."
" I had feared from the ominous import of thy
manner that some dark deed touching the honor of
the state oppressed thy knowledge," quickly re
sponded Yermah, a feeling of relief giving place to
his uncomfortable apprehension. " This is a more
simple matter."
" Not without thy consent. My heart rebels at
the thought of a wife among the Azes," answered
Orondo, gravely.
"Then why mis-use desire? There is time
enough. Thou hast fewer years than I. Let thy
better parts speak, then come to me," said Yermah,
rising.
" This situation confronts me," said Orondo, with
agitation.
" Unmask thy feeling. I am not fully in confi
dence. Thou bemoanest the mandate to wed a
native, yet affirm thy inner soul bespeaks its mate,"
replied Yermah, shaking his head and looking per
plexed.
" She whom I adore is the high-priestess of the
Monbas," said Orondo, scarcely above a whisper.
Yermah dropped into his seat as if he had been
shot, and put his hands before his face as if to ward
off a blow. Orondo, too much wrought up to detect
feeling in another, asked eagerly:
" Thou wilt grant me permission to woo her, and if
I win, wilt bless our union? "
" My vow to the Brotherhood forbids any other
course. Go, go now, with my blessing, Orondo,"
Yermah managed to say.
" May the Master of the Radiance shower thee
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 129
richly," murmured his auditor, as he stumblingly
found his way out.
Yermah sat like a man stunned. For the first time
in his life he drank deeply and long at the fountain
of pain.
Orondo walked like one in a dream. He was in an
exalted frame of mind, and seemed to be carried on
the wings of the wind toward the house occupied by
Rahula. He had won his first victory. He had per
mission from his civil chief. Now he would consult
the unseen forces ; then, he would learn his fate from
the lips of his beloved. Hope was holding high
carnival, and singing a merry tune in his ear, as he
approached the door of the " Divination Room," in
the center of the square building.
" An humble applicant stands at thy door, Rahula,"
called Orondo; " one who begs that thou wilt open
to him the secrets of his destiny."
" Upon what pretext dost thou invoke aid of the
unseen powers? " demanded Rahula, the reader of the
tarot cards, from behind a heavy tapestry curtain.
" If of trivial import, begone at once ! I will not
hear thee."
" Life and love are the subjects of my longing,"
he answered. " And so urgent is my mission, I
would fain discharge any obligation imposed upon
me."
Suddenly the heavy bronze bolts in the door flew
apart. There was a sliding, grinding sound as the
entrance was cleared, and he was across the threshold
of the most noted and able professional fortune and
story teller of that day.
" Welcome, Orondo. Neither pitch nor accent be
trayed thee. The triplicity of mind, heart, and
130 YERMAH, THE DORADO
bodily function are wholly at thy service," said
Rahula, coming forward and placing both hands on
the upper arms of her visitor, while she lightly
brushed his forehead with her lips. He in turn
kissed the back and palm of her left hand, thus ap
pealing directly to her intuitional powers.
A pair of bull-headed and eagle-winged sphinxes
guarded the north and south side of the square-
topped golden tripod, which was supported by twigs
of madrona wood, tipped with gold. This conse
crated table occupied the middle of the room ; and in
the mouths of the sphinxes were hooks from which
were hung perfumed, jeweled lamps.
In the center of the tripod was a round disk com
posed of various metals radiating in stripes. On the
outer edge of the rim were twenty-four hieroglyphs
of magic, at equal distances from each other. A
tiled floor liberally spread with rugs and skins, com
pleted the furnishings, save a duplicate stool of black
under-glaze with a meander in white around it, which
served as a seat for Rahula on the opposite side.
The ceiling showed twelve radiations in the folds of
colored silk, which started from the central canopy
and ended in a frieze of twenty-four enlarged hiero
glyphs, interlaced in a dragonesque meander. Pom-
peiian-red tapestries hung on the walls, relieved by
wise sayings painted on banners of silk tissue, which
were placed at intervals in perpendicular strips.
Rahula's ample, flowing robes were of purple silk,
with a circlet of jet on her head, and a girdle of the
same at her waist. Around her neck was a filigree
gold and silver collarette fitting close to the skin.
From a recess in the wall opposite the door Rahula
brought forth the figure of a youth, a young calf,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 131
a lion, an eagle, a dragon, and a dove. These were
of Atlantian workmanship, in pure gold and silver,
curiously blended, the feathers, hair, clothes and
scales being of silver, while the bodies were of gold.
She placed these on the floor on either side of her
seat, saying:
" Should thy quest of knowledge pertain to a wife,
we must consult the dove," holding the figure in her
hand as she spoke.
Orondo bowed. She placed the dove in between
the sphinxes, and continued:
" If children crown thy life, the youth must be
their champion. Shall we consult him?"
Again Orondo nodded, and the statuette was
ranged beside the dove.
" The lion has power and authority in his keeping.
This emblem I shall choose for thee." Saying which
she stood it in the same row.
" By the dragon thou shalt know thy length of
days. Does the outlook satisfy thy desire?"
" Proceed, Rahula, and mayst thou be led by the
guardian of the circuit."
The sibyl stood facing Orondo, while balancing a
plain gold ring tied with a thread of flax over the
ball of her left thumb. As soon as the string was
straight, she exclaimed :
" I cry unto Thee who makest time run, and liest
in all the mysteries. Hear thy servant ! "
Slowly the ring began to describe a tiny circle.
Then it swung farther and farther toward Orondo,
until it was opposite.
" Propound thy question, but silently," said
Rahula, watching the ring, intently.
As if moved by some hidden power, the undula-
132 YERMAH, THE DORADO
ting ring answered his thoughts. The same increase
in vibration as before, finally brought the ring in con
tact with the raised rim sufficiently to make it tinkle
like a fairy bell.
"Aila Kar!" chanted Rahula. "Affirm it a
third time. One-two-three ! " and the ring once more
hung motionless over the center of the magic plate.
" Thou standest faint-hearted at the Temple of
Love newly erected in thy heart, Orondo," declared
Rahula, with a searching glance.
" Yes. And I fain would know if I may enter,"
said he simply.
" The tarot gives us wisdom here," was her re
ply, as she returned to the recess, and brought a
sandal-wood box filled with small ivory cards.
When she drew off the sliding lid, there were three
packages, two of which she placed in a flattened disk-
shaped basket of fine weave, which divided in two.
Each side was furnished with a ring for a handle,
and when she had unwound the linen coverings of
the cards, she closed it.
" Hold the two rings firmly and shake the basket
well," she directed her visitor.
The third package contained the twenty-two keys
of Divine Wisdom, and these Rahula shuffled
thoroughly, keeping a square of fine linen over her
hands in the process.
At the four cardinal points outside the metal disk
in the center of the table were : on the north, a square
of inlaid topazes; on the east, a similar setting of
emeralds; on the south, a duplicate of sapphires;
while on the west was a square of rubies. From each
of these was a trine — numbered for the yellow, on
the yellow disks, 2, 7, 12; on the green, on disks of
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 133
green, 3, 8, 9; for the blue, on blue circles, 5, 4, 10;
for the red, on red disks, i, 6, n. These trines
were so interlaced that the rows of numerals made
an outside circle, corresponding to the signs of the
zodiac.
" Lay the basket on the metal disk," commanded
Rahula. " Then I will open the book of fate for
thee." Orondo did as he was bidden. Rahula
emptied the ivories into her lap, and quickly ar
ranged the cards in order, face upward, without
changing their relative positions. When she had
taken out the four aces (one representing a blossom
ing rod — the modern clubs; the second, a royal
chalice — the modern diamonds; the third, a sword
piercing a crown — ace of swords ; and a circle in
closing a lotus-flower — the ace of cups), she handed
them to Orondo, and told him to shuffle them well.
" The astral key to arcane knowledge is in thy
hands. As thou valuest happiness, let no unclean
thought steal in and pollute the fountain-head,"
solemnly warned the reader of magic, as she invoked
the genii of the day and hour.
The signs by which Orondo sought to divine the
future, are found to-day in the scepter of Osiris, long
the prerogative of kings and emperors. The pontif
ical staff, the eucharistic chalice, the cross and Divine
Host, the patera cup containing the manna, and the
dish of offerings were borrowed from the four aces
of the ancient tarot and its central disk. These cards
were never used for games of chance or for amuse
ment but always for purposes of divination, and they
were held sacred.
" Now place the ace of diamonds -. — > the royal
134 YERMAH, THE DORADO
chalice of life — on the ruby square, which corre
sponds to the principle of motion, action, and will,"
directed Rahula. " The blossoming rod of the ace
of clubs place on the topaz square, which is the trine
of power, influence and right. Then cover the
emerald square with the ace of cups, the trine of love,
service and favor. Lastly, cover the sapphires with
the ace of swords, which pierces the crown of physical
being, the trine of evil, malice and death."
When the four squares were covered, she con
tinued :
"•This forms the quaternary of Life, Power, Love
and Affection. Before I place the cards on these
trines, tell me what color best pleases thee."
" I am fond of red — and blue, also," returned
Orondo.
" Then thou art materialistic and passionate on the
one hand, and an idealist on the other. This will
keep thee warring with self; and if the former pre
dominates, will tend to weaken the heart-action.
What flower dost thou hold sacred? "
" The delicate flax-blossom is a symbol of my
love."
" And by this token thy ideal woman must be con
stant in conjugal fidelity. Excess in this direction
leads to jealousy, the very epitome of selfishness.
But what flower dost thou love for its own sake? "
" Myrtle, sprig and blossom, are always endeared
to me."
" Then thou hast the redeeming grace of brotherly
love. Of the three animals — the horse, the dog,
the cat — which dost thou like the best?"
" The horse first, and then the dog."
" Which tells me that thou art capable of a noble,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 135
affectionate, and faithful friendship. Trial lies
along this line. Give me leave to judge thy an
tipathies."
" Rats and mice offend me much."
" Upright and fastidious," she murmured. " Nor
does thy frank and open nature warm to spiders, nor
thy proud spirit willingly tolerate serpents."
" How well thou readest my inner thoughts 1 " ex
claimed Orondo, wonderingly. " Never have these
sentiments lent action to my tongue."
" In dreamland what rich spoils assail thy vagrant
will?"
" Happiness and joy attend my sleeping ventures."
"A sanguine temperament, normally exercised —
a personality which will die hard in the living man,
and one which is liable to wreck the body."
She examined both of his hands, minutely —
fingers, palms and wrists. Finally she said:
" To three separate warnings must I give voice.
The heart is threatened seriously as to feeling and
action. Sudden and tempestuous jealousy assail thy
future, and the divine spark will not be generous as to
years. So much for thine own self. As to outside
entities which may mingle and interweave, the tarot
must be oracle."
The king of cups represented him who cultivated
affection; the king of diamonds, the custodian of
wealth, and the proper distribution of it; the king of
swords, the inventions and skill of the inquirer; the
king of clubs was the significator of all manual labor.
The queens were the wives, actual or prospective, in
a question concerning men. They were the person
alities of the woman herself in a feminine inquiry.
The heralds and knaves represented religious and
136
civic power respectively, while the numbers from two
to ten pertained to the personalities.
Orondo watched her eagerly while she placed the
cards, face downward on the four trines. When they
were all in position she turned over the ace of dia
monds, on the western cardinal point of rubies, and
then quickly laid those on numbers i, 6, II — in a
row. Beginning with number i, she said:
" This pertains to the present state of time — thy
life as it is at this moment. All is well from this
point. Number 6 is exalted and grand, as the in
dividual contacts Deity. But in number 1 1, there are
adverse conditions — I can see neither posterity nor
extended continuation here."
"Posterity holds nothing for me?" questioned
Orondo, concern dominating manner and voice.
" Not as the matter lies. But all the cards are in
volved in the final reading. Have patience."
She next placed the ace of clubs on the northern
point, face upward, and arranged the cards on
numbers 2, 7, 12 — as before. Beginning with
number 2, directly above the ace, she said:
" This is the place of power, majesty and honor.
In such conditions thou standest well. Thou wilt
govern Tlamco in future days. A change of place is
shown by the covering of number 7. Supreme rule,
however, attends it; while in the place of 12, merit
and acquired skill stand worthy sponsors to thy de
sires."
On the eastern point, directly in front of Orondo,
she uncovered the emerald, hidden by the ace of
clubs, and proceeded to read from number 3 — the
place of love, felicity, agreement and delight. What
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 137
she saw there was so adverse that she quickly turned
over the cards, marking the place of love in service,
reception and bounty in which she found some en
couragement. Number 9, the place of favor, help
and succor were in exceeding doubt.
" What is it? " queried Orondo, impressed by her
manner.
" The trine of love is much assailed by disquieting
import. So, I pray thee, give me leave to consult
the throne of affliction at once, that the whole mat
ter may stand revealed."
" Thou hast my full consent," said Orondo, now
intent and eager.
" Swords fall on this trine of opposition, perse
cution and punishment," exclaimed Rahula. " This
portent quickens fear. Number 4, the place of
mighty retribution, is not free from evil aspects.
Treachery is thy portion in number 5, with malice at
tendant, while number 10 gives speedy death. Be
not wholly convinced by this," she entreated. " Suf
fer me to assail the doors of Divine Wisdom, sub
stituting the twenty-two keys for the cards."
She scarcely waited for Orondo's nod of assent be
fore she had swept the ivories into their basket, and
was busy shuffling and placing the keys around the
aces, still face upward. There was an intense silence
as she hastily placed the keys on the numbers — first
face downward in trines, and then the reverse, with
the outward circle completed first. She read from
the outward ring toward the center.
" Love and marriage come as thy portion, but not
without delay and much suffering. After this, the
body sleeps," she said in conclusion.
138 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The cool brisk wind felt refreshing to Orondo's
fevered cheeks as he hurried along the streets flooded
with afternoon sunlight. The every-day common
places of active life about him passed unnoticed in the
rapid whirl of his conflicting emotions.
" Fancy claims me for her own," he thought.
" Surely there can be no harm in obeying such sweet
service as links me to my loved one."
Orondo smiled softly, and as he turned into the
broad avenue leading to laqua, his serenity was fully
reestablished. He went to his own apartments, and
spent much time and labor over his toilet. Finally,
when extract and oil, brush and comb had done full
justice, he found his way into the smoking-room,
where he sought quiet for his nerves in the narcotic ef
fect of a chibouk. Under its soothing influence he in
dulged in the airiest of day-dreams. As the ap
pointed hour drew near, he repaired to the sanctuary,
where he knelt and humbly petitioned Divine Grace
to attend his venture.
*******
" Father," said Ildiko, as she stood with Setos in
the twilight awaiting their dinner-guests, " make no
demand for light early to-night. Some unseemly cir
cumstance oppresses the spirit of Keroecia. She has
been weeping."
" Yearning for her own may weigh her down. If
so, we have failed to make our welcome speak to her
heart. In this we must be more vigilant. H-s-h!
Here she is, attended! "
Scarcely had the women found seats when the voices
of Hanabusa, Ben Hu Barabe and Alcamayn were
heard responding to Setos's greetings in the broad en
trance hall.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 139
" Where is Orondo? " asked Alcamayn, as he came
toward Keroecia. " In the street at the last marking
of the sun I had speech with him, intent then upon
immediate attendance here."
Keroecia paled visibly, and replied with difficulty:
" Orondo's presence has lately honored me. He
begs to absent himself at dinner," she said, turning ap-
pealingly to Setos.
" Affairs of urgent moment must have decided
him. His convenience and wish dictated the day
and hour of our assemblage," rejoined Setos. " May
there be no evil import behind this sudden change."
" Has the Dorado been seen to-day? " asked Al
camayn. " Twice I sought him on matters of state,
but he was not at laqua."
" He rowed out on the bay at an early gnomon,
unattended," responded Hanabusa. " Many times
I hailed him, but he was unmindful of my presence."
" The cares of his office sat heavily on my shoul
ders in consequence," said Setos, with a show of as
sumed irritation.
By judicious complaint many a vain soul betrays its
self-importance. Glancing around the room, to see if
he had created the desired impression, Setos suddenly
bethought him of Ildiko's words. He bustled about
for a few moments, and then gave escort to Keroecia
who was glad to escape to the dining-room.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A REALIZATION OF LOVE WHICH BEGGARED LAN
GUAGE
RONDO returned not to laqua during the
night. He went to a favorite nook in the
gardens, the same he had taken such pride
in showing to Keroecia. Here he went over the
ground again step by step, and that same pride lay
in the dust at his feet grievously wounded. Trifles
to which he had attached peculiar significance now
seemed to him commonplace politeness.
Orondo could not accuse Keroecia of playing with
him. She had been openly and candidly indifferent.
Her effort to shield him, her kindness, were eloquent
of her disinterested friendship. He groaned under
her sympathy, but he was not without capacity to
plan a course of action.
The first watches of the night witnessed his wres
tle with overwhelming grief, but as the cool morn
ing hours came on, his thoughts turned to the future.
He looked forward eagerly to his departure from
Tlamco, which he knew from the beginning he must
take. Hope led him to believe that he would have a
companion for the exile, which now he gratefully
remembered would be a lonely one. He sat motion
less upon the curbing which bordered the artificial
lake near the perfume-beds, utterly oblivious to their
refreshing odors. His thoughts were so painfully
140
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 141
centered that he noted neither the passing hours nor
his own bodily discomfort
Finally, habit warned him that dawn was ap
proaching, and he mechanically roused himself. He
knew, without conscious effort, that he must greet the
rising sun with composure; therefore he tried to
rally his drooping spirits. Still like one in a dream,
he removed his cloak and helmet, then washed his
hands and face in the clear, cool water of the lake.
His benumbed and stiffened nether limbs protested
painfully against his essay at walking. He heeded
them not. Instinct led him in the direction of laqua.
Yermah, too, had passed a sleepless night. He
spent the day on the water, floating and drifting with
the ebb and flow of the tide, struggling to reconcile
himself with the conditions confronting him. At
night he came back to laqua, but purposely avoided
meeting Orondo. Love made him humble, and he
did not for a moment doubt the result of Orondo's
wooing. He knew that his countryman was a lov
able man, and he could not find it in his heart to
blame Keroecia for accepting him. No — Orondo
had asked his consent and blessing; he must be will
ing to give it with all his heart.
How stern and forbidding seemed the face of
duty ! How hateful the precepts of honor ! Yer
mah censured himself unsparingly. Many times as
he paced the apartments, still clad as he came from
the bay, he spoke his thoughts aloud. He argued
with himself long and earnestly.
" How beautiful, how lovely she is ! " Yermah
exclaimed for the hundredth time. But he was sick
with the thought that she belonged to another. He
told himself that he would rather give her to Orondo
142 YERMAH, THE DORADO
than to any one else. But why should she not have
loved him? If such affection had blessed his life, he
would hasten his appointed task, and then claim his
choice for a wife according to law and custom. It
would be only a few months to wait. Now what
difference did it make? Orondo stood in his place.
How unsatisfactory, how paltry seemed his life
work and aims! How completely helpless and dis
couraged he feltl But he must face the situation
like a man. With the rising sun Orondo would
come with a beaming countenance to recount his hap
piness. It would require all his fortitude to do and
to say what was expected of him.
Thinking thus, he drew aside the curtains and
peered at the sky. The first mingling of pink and
gray heralded the coming day. Performing the nec
essary ablutions, he wrapped his cloak about him and
left the house. He did not notice particularly the
direction he took, walking rapidly forward, with his
head bent in strained attention. Once inside the
main entrance to the gardens, he halted, listening for
footsteps ahead of him.
For the first time he observed the dew lying on the
bent grass in drops separate and distinct from each
other, but thickly studding each blade and leaf. Sud
denly on the curving pavement a few feet in front of
him, stood Orondo, irresolute, stricken and old. He
had not yet caught sight of Yermah, but had merely
paused in his erratic course, without definite idea
whether to proceed or to retreat.
" May truth and love be with thee, Orondo," said
the Dorado, in an unsteady tone of voice. " Mayst
thou live by them, and by such means triumph over
all hindrances."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 143
" The goodness of this place and hour be upon
thee," responded Orondo, still not recognizing Yer-
mah.
As the men looked at each other, a family of deer
roused themselves under the shelter of a friendly
live-oak tree standing in the sward to the right of
the pavement. The buck stood up and shook his
graceful, spreading horns, until the leaves overhead
quivered in the current of air set in motion. The
doe licked the side of one fawn, while the other
spotted creature wrinkled up its little nose, took a
sniff of fresh air, and clicked its hoofs together in
the very exuberance and joy of living.
The two heavy-hearted men. gazed at one an
other in an embarrassed silence. Finally, Orondo
said:
" I have seen the priestess Keroecia."
"And — she?" Yermah finished the sentence
with a supplicating movement and braced himself for
the shock.
" She — she is not for me," responded Orondo,
brokenly.
Not to have saved his immortal soul, could Yer
mah control the wave of emotion which swept over
him, making him stagger like a drunken man. The
revulsion of feeling was so strong that he put out his
hand to steady himself, while his senses fairly reeled.
Like a flash the truth dawned on Orondo; but he
would have suffered his tongue cut out rather than
acknowledge even to himself what he had seen. Pro
found pity moved him, and under its influence he
threw himself on his knees before the Dorado.
" Give me leave," he cried, " to take men and
flocks and go into the valley of the Mississippi, to
144 YERMAH, THE DORADO
begin mound-building. My mission in Tlamco is
finished."
" Stand equally with me," exclaimed Yermah, as
sisting Orondo to rise and embracing him. " A sol
emn covenant binds thee to that task. Consult only
thine own pleasure and convenience." Then, after
a pause, " I shall miss thy strong, right hand, thy
faithful heart and welcome presence here."
The dawn, bright from the Orient couch, had
chased away the stars, and as Yermah spoke a golden
ring came slowly above the horizon. The bells in
the temples and Observatory chimed inspiringly.
Nature was astir all about them, while the entire city
was at devotion. With bared heads both men turned
their pale faces toward the east. Yermah's arm lay
affectionately on Orondo's shoulder.
" Homage to Thee who risest above the horizon,"
said the Dorado, reverently. " I come near to Thee.
Thou openest the gates of another day."
"Om-ah!" responded Orondo, who continued:
" Great Illuminator out of the golden, place thyself
as a protector behind me. I open to thee."
" Om-ah ! " said Yermah, as they both stretched
out their arms and bowed three times to the now fully
risen sun.
* ******
It was the day following Orondo's visit, and
Keroecia was disturbed, downcast and depressed.
For the first time since her entrance to Tlamco she
longed for the mountain fastnesses of the Monbas.
She felt stifled. She wanted air, breath, room. A
sense of utter loneliness was upon her. Again she
could have cried bitter tears for Orondo. It was
agony to her, soul to know that she had hurt him.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 145
The surprise of it — the pity of it ! The reflex ac
tion of her hours of unalloyed pleasure was full upon
her.
So she stood under the moonless sky, while the
clouds scurried overhead in a pell-mell race with the
incoming fog. She was chilled at heart, and in
stinctively sought a sheltered nook, where she felt she
could be absolutely alone.
Keroecia remained for some time motionless,
frowning into vacancy, so preoccupied that she did
not notice a tiny moon-shaped boat of paper zigzag
ging its way down the narrow waterway at her feet.
It might have passed her had not the splash of a
pebble thrown a spray of water on her skirts.
Glancing quickly about her, she advanced toward the
wavering craft in time to rescue a red velvet rose
floating loosely In a cluster of feathery ferns.
She tucked the flower and its greenery into her
corsage and made them fast, but not before she had
inhaled their fragrance and noticed their beauty.
Then she examined the neatly folded parchment.
Across the prow was the word " Yermah." At the
sight of his name, happiness surged through every
avenue of sensibility like rare old wine. Kercecia's
face was all tenderness as she pressed her lips to the
writing.
It was a lingering, cooing movement, such as
women who love employ.
Yermah had been watching her through a tapestry
of vines, leaves and blossoms. In the interim his
hopes ran as high as her spirits had been somber
and low. He shook the branches of the hedge and
stamped with his foot; but she was too much ab
sorbed to hear him.
146 YERMAH, THE DORADO
At last he contrived to make her know that he
was near.
He had left home with the mere desire of seeing
her, and with no intention of speaking. But when
he saw her kiss his name, it was the eager impulse
and bound of impassioned love which brought him
to her side. His hungry eyes drove him there for
sight of her. Now his hungrier heart demanded
more. The same impulse impelling him forward
controlled his further action.
Keroecia made no resistance when he caught her
in his arms, nor did she deny him when his lips
sought hers, insistent and clinging. Each soul
claimed its own. Each organism responded to its
counter exhilaration. . . . Love beggared lan
guage ... It was well.
Neither had voice nor speech, as by common im
pulse they drew apart and hurried away in opposite
directions. Yermah dared not trust himself to look
back, while Keroecia groped her way into the house
and hid in her own room, safe from human eye.
" Men kiss like women," she murmured naively,
and in a surprised tone. " Their lips are the same,
but — " Then she buried her face in her hands
while a hot blush burned its way to the roots of her
hair. Her cheeks still tingled with the light sweep
of mustache and beard, and she fell to wondering if
she could see the kiss as plainly as she still felt it.
Those dear arms! How strong and masterful their
protecting enfoldment! . . . The perfume of
the crushed and broken rose brought her back to
reality. She unfastened it, and buried her mouth in
its petals, so close that a drop of blood spread itself
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 147
over her white teeth. Presently she wiped her lips
with a dainty bit of linen.
" Sealed in blood ! " she exclaimed, as she exam
ined it. " And nothing but heart's blood can ever
sever the bond. Oh, Yermah, my hero, my king!
I love thee ! "
The Dorado hurried through the streets with his
senses in a whirl, and then entered laqua by a private
gate. He did not pause until he threw himself on
his knees before the statue of Orion. The soft
light of incense-tapers and jeweled lamps revealed
the pallor of his countenance. Too agitated to at
tempt prayer, he nervously held his hands to his head,
and tried to collect his thoughts — to control his
emotions.
" Oh, truant and coward that I am ! " he ex
claimed. " Why could I not speak the words my
heart is bursting to tell? Will she know how sin
cerely, how devotedly I love her? "
He threw off his cloak, pushed his helmet on the
floor, and wiped the perspiration from his brow.
" What a lovely creature a woman is ! I can feel
her soft, yielding body yet — her warm breath and
sweet lips. No wonder I could not speak! Will
her thought accuse me? And her dear, little hands!
— I could crush them easily."
Then, as if suspicion crossed his mind, he up
braided himself for ungentleness.
•" Did my roughness hurt her? Did I frighten
her by my suddenness? ... So this is love!
. . And I not know how to express what I feel I
Why has not Akaza taught me? ... I see —
I see — no one can teach another ! I must learn
148 YERMAH, THE DORADO
for myself. . . . This is why the sages say it is
like subtle poison. My blood is on fire ! I do not
know myself — my ugly self ! " he added, as he
arose and peered at his reflection in the mirrored
wall.
Never before had he been dissatisfied with what
he saw. It was his first realization of self-con
sciousness, and he was full of the humility of a mas
ter passion.
" Her hair fell here over my arm," he continued,
smiling tenderly. " I sense it yet. The perfume of it
is sweet to my nostrils. Why did I not beg a lock
for remembrance? "
He paced the floor restlessly.
" How unmanned and undone I am ! Oh, my
Keroecia ! Thy first kiss has enslaved me ! I could
not see the luster of thine eyes, but I could feel thy
love. I can look into thy heart. Surely thou canst
see that mine is filled with thy dear image . .
I loved my mother, and Akaza, too . . . but
this is love of another kind! ... If my mate
should deny herself to me ! No, no, no ! I cannot
live without her! . . . Poor Orondo! Poor
soul ! " he cried, in accents which revealed his great
sympathy.
It was not until long after, that Yermah quit the
chamber and finally sought rest.
/ / "¥" "•" OLD the burning feathers close under
I 1 his nose," directed the chief shaman,
JL JL who had been hastily summoned to
laqua, when Orondo was found in an unconscious
condition early the following morning after his ad
venture with Yermah in the public gardens. " We
will soon determine whether it is merely a fainting
fit or of more serious import."
The pungent and penetrating odors produced no
effect except to cause the sufferer to turn his head
and moan.
" Delirium chains his physical senses," said the
shaman, when Orondo opened his eyes without rec
ognizing any one.
In their own peculiar fashion, the chief and his
two assistants examined the seven principal organs
of the body — the same that are symbolized by the
curls of Medusa, and whose appetites must be con
trolled before there can be health either on the phys
ical or the mental planes.
" Extreme heat, and a labored and painful draw
ing in of the breath is here," said the chief, while
one assistant carefully wrote down his words.
It was compulsory upon healers to post in a con
spicuous place on the temple walls to which they
were attached the number of cures made, and by
149
150 YERMAH, THE DORADO
what processes. Orondo being a civic leader, the
law required that his malady should be written on
the tablet back of the Chief Councilor's chair in the
Temple of the Sun.
" Pains in all the bones, and in the cords which
give them motion," he continued. " The air-bel
lows rise and fall one-half, and the hammer in the
left breast moves slowly and is very weak. Lend a
hand."
The scribe hastily put down his parchment and
assisted in placing Orondo in a hammock, hung in
the full glare of the sun, in a circular, glass-sided
room. The sick man was quickly stripped to the
waist, and the shamans took turns in holding first a
large red convex lens over the region of the heart
and lungs; then an orange-colored one; and finally
a yellow-green ray of light was concentrated over
the heart, to stimulate its retarded action. This
process will be recognized as the forerunner of the
modern X-Ray.
Then by what is now known as the Swedish
movement, they went over the entire body, keeping
the lenses focused on the parts being kneaded and
rubbed. When this treatment ceased, they carried
him back to his wall-pallet, taking care to lay his
head to the north, thus taking advantage of the mag
netic currents.
A small oblong bit of copper was placed in an olla
of snow-water. It was fastened by a silken-cord to
a copper anklet clasped above the patient's left foot.
Over the main artery was a small disk of copper with
Orondo's ceal on the outside.
" Squeeze the sponge gently, and slip it under the
signet," directed the head physician.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 151
Believing that the topaz exercised a powerful in
fluence over an afflicted mind, the shaman rubbed a
necklace of these stones briskly between his hands,
and put it around Orondo's neck. For the first
half-hour the fever increased, and then Orondo raved
incessantly:
"Love denies dominion in my heart I . . .
Not for thee, Orondo! She makes no return!
. . . A Brotherhood vow binds the soul ! . . .
No, no, no, poor man! . . . Help him, All-
Powerful One!"
The chief shaman put some water into hollow glass
vessels formed like double convex chromo-lenses, and
hung them in the sunlight. These were labeled ac
cording as they were yellow, blue, red, or violet-col
ored.
Later an attendant poured a few drops of aconite
tincture into a blue glass bowl, and, mixing it with
some water from the blue chromo-lens, gave Orondo
some of it to drink. It was known that pure water
under the chemical action of the blue rays of sun
light was a cooling, soothing nervine, and that it
would greatly assist the bluish herb in reducing in
flammation and temperature.
While Orondo slept a silver chafing-dish was
brought into the room, and a decoction of dandelion
was slowly simmered in water from the ambero, or
yellow lens. The remainder of the water was mixed
with equal parts of maguey spirits.
Induction belongs to the dominion of inanimate
nature, to the magnetic, or cold; while deduction is
the ruling force of animation or heat. To assist in
producing reaction, the magnet already referred to,
was fastened to the body, or hot pole, and immersed
152 YERMAH, THE DORADO
in snow for a cold pole, in order to oxygenize the
blood.
During the sleeping hours this force worked stead
ily in conjunction with other remedies, and when
Orondo awoke in the afternoon, he was rational
and without fever. Noting his condition, the mag
net was removed, and the patient lifted once more
into the hammock, where he was thoroughly sponged
with alcohol and water. After this, his throat,
chest, and shoulders were vigorously rubbed with
warm olive oil, perfumed with lavender. The odors
of plants are antiseptic, and were much employed in
sick rooms by the ancients.
While the physicians were busy, the tamanes in
attendance changed the pallet and linen completely.
Placing Orondo in it again and setting a lavender
spray in motion near the window, they retired to
bring in a lacquered tray of food. Freshly baked
tortillas, young leeks, and pickled olives, with salted
almonds and dried figs formed the principal part of
the meal, while a dish of fresh cocoanut and oranges,
sliced together, served for dessert.
The tray and dishes had scarcely been removed
before Setos came bustling in. Sanitation was his
hobby, and he was always urging the necessity for
legislation against disease, which he considered was
the result of criminal carelessness.
In Tlamco every bit of refuse was carefully col
lected and burned each day. A large section of the
water-front, where the prevailing winds carried the
smoke and odor well out to sea, was reserved for
this purpose. The flood-gates of the entire water
system were opened during certain hours of the night
and all the waste canals cleansed thoroughly.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 153
" By Him who is the breath of every living thing,
tell me how affliction befell thee? " asked Setos, sit
ting down on the bed near the foot and searching
Orondo's face anxiously.
" By the only method possible," answered
Orondo. " Because I have violated the laws of
harmony."
' This is bad, very bad ! It gives less favored
men an excuse to neglect their bodies in an unwar
rantable manner," said Setos, warming up to his
favorite theme. " If we could only send out an
army to teach the people the possibilities of water,
the difference between good arid bad food, the ne
cessity for proper rest, the inexorableness of natural
laws, disease would become what it was intended to
be — a brief, infrequent, reparative process."
He pursed up his lips and sniffed loudly in self-
satisfaction. It was so seldom that he had an op
portunity to fittingly repeat this homily.
" I think that our laws are strictly and justly ad
ministered in this respect," ventured Orondo. " The
advocates and healers are supported by the state.
Self-interest prompts the latter to report disease as
they find it. They know enough of law to name the
penalty attached to hereditary and contagious dis
eases. The advocates know enough of healing to
detect symptoms of forbidden maladies. It is a
capital offense for either party to conceal condi
tions of this kind. I do not see what more can be
done."
Utter weariness closed Orondo's eyes for a mo
ment, and Setos refrained from further speech.
" Let kindness of heart prompt thee to fill a pipe
for me," said the patient, presently.
154 YERMAH, THE DORADO
When it was handed to him, he said with a wan
smile :
" Let us indulge our nerves with a harmless sed
ative as a step in the right direction. I shall wait
until thy bowl is filled."
Setos hastened to comply, and after the first three
whiffs, which were always silent fire-offerings, said:
" Ildiko refuses to be comforted because of thy
continued absence from our house. She grieves for
thy affliction, and sends her best thoughts."
" Beauty and goodness are the crown of fair
Ildiko. It is not possible for me to do more than
receive such flattering unction. I am indeed un
done," he made answer, catching his breath pain
fully.
" The priestess Keroecia, and her sweet maids are
much concerned for thy misfortune. Hanabusa has
already been twice to hear if reason came back to
thee."'
" I pray thee leave me," cried Orondo, piteously.
" My heart! " he gasped, as the chief shaman bent
over him hurriedly, in response to Setos's call.
" All matters of importance must rest while this
man regains control of his better physique," said the
shaman, authoritatively. " It were cruel to tax him
at this time."
" Nothing except friendly greeting passed be
tween us," declared Setos, much exercised at the sud
den bad turn apparent in Orondo.
" I will come again at nightfall," he said.
" Be thou content with inquiry, only," returned
the shaman, still frowning over the complete undo
ing of all his labor.
'' The sun must be on the earth's magnetic merid-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 155
ian before quiet will come again to our patient," said
the chief shaman, as he prepared to go out for an
airing, after working over Orondo for one hour.
" The sun will not be below the horizon until the
seventh marking of the gnomon, and until that time
we can only wait and watch," he said, in answer to
Yermah's anxious question. " Setos has injured his
rest greatly, but he has asked for thee more than
once. If thou wilt exercise caution, thou mayst go
to him."
" I understand Orondo," replied Yermah. " I
have stayed away because I feared to excite him. I
am glad that I may see him."
Yermah came quietly and put his hand on Oron-
do's head. He knew how to still the throbbing, un
controlled emotion dividing the sick man's mental
and physical self. Without a word, he willed him
peace, and after a time Orondo opened his eyes and
seemed to breathe easier.
" The Master of the Hidden Spheres, who causes
the principles to arise, give thee peace, Orondo."
Orondo made no reply; his lips quivered and his
eyes filled. Yermah took both his hands, and, look
ing at him steadily, said:
" Part of thy burden falls upon me. I will share
physical pain with thee."
Soon the veins in Yermah's hands, and then those
in his forehead, stood out like whip-cords. He ex
perienced the same difficulty in breathing, the same
spasmodic action of the heart, as had Orondo. He
sighed deeply, and it was soon apparent that Oron-
do's nervous tension was relieved. In the silence
which followed both were busy with the same
thoughts.
156 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" When does she go? " Orondo asked, finally.
" The day following to-morrow."
" Hast thou seen her since? "
" Once only. I have not had speech with her."
" Twice has she sent to ask after me."
" Which newly affirms the gentleness of her na
ture."
The situation was trying for Yermah, but he hu
mored his companion, as he saw that speech was a
relief to him. He did not suspect Orondo of know
ing that he, too, loved Keroecia.
" When strength comes again, I must consider
the work before me," said Orondo, after an elo
quent silence. " Duty lays a stern hand on both of
us."
" The shamans will cause public complaint if I
indulge thee in that direction," said Yermah. " A
sharp reprimand rewarded Setos for his effort in that
line."
" Setos said nothing to me of that matter," said
Orondo, in surprise.
" But he said that to thee which taxed thy pow
ers of control, and for this reason he is forbidden to
see thee again, to-day. Dost thou wish me to have
a similar experience?"
" The shamans will see that thou hast greatly
aided me," said Orondo, as the chief shaman came
to his bedside accompanied by Akaza.
" The twilight hour approaches, and I have come
to worship with thee," said the hierophant, making
the sign of benediction over Orondo. Turning to
Yermah, he said:
" The Father of the Beginnings have thee in safe
keeping."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 157
" The same rich blessing follow thee," responded
Yermah, as he took leave.
The principle of Life is alchemical. The chem
ical elements must be absorbed in order to give
health. As making alchemical gold was really
finding the Perfect Way, so the elixir of life is the
proper use of the astral light composing the photo
sphere surrounding our physical bodies.
When the astral body is charged with oil, and the
physical body is well supplied with electricity, the
secret of magnetism is revealed. The gypsies are
the only people who have preserved the knowledge
necessary to produce this peculiar chemicalization.
The arrow shot by Orion, William Tell and
others, is Thought, the Sagitur; the same as Her
acles shot at Helios. The ability of the individual
to project thought determines the possession of oc
cult power. This force is gained by harmonizing
the physical, mental and spiritual attributes, so that
thought may function from any one of these planes.
In other words, it is to have complete possession of
all these faculties.
To project thought, is literally hitting the bull's
eye, as Orion did when he killed Taurus — the as
tronomical aspect of the world-old battle between
the higher and the lower self.
The liberty which the original William Tell
sought to achieve was not political, but a victory over
his own lower nature — a battle which the men and
women of Tlamco fought out in every phase.
" The water-holding capacity of the nerve-cells is
much impaired," said the chief shaman to his as-
158 YERMAH, THE DORADO
sistants, when giving directions for the night.
" Nervous irritability follows. Sleep will be light
and infrequent. Watch beside him. At every third
marking let him sip liberally from the ambero lens.
Between times, give him drink from the purpuro
flagon."
In company with Akaza, he left laqua.
It was as the chief shaman had predicted. Orondo
failed to find refreshment in troubled sleep, so that
the gray, foggy morning found him correspondingly
wearied and depressed. Symptoms of pleuro-pneu-
monia were clearly established, and for three days
he had a hard fight for life.
Finally, when well enough to dress himself, he
resolutely put on the same clothes he had used such
care in selecting for his memorable visit to Keroecia.
It tried him severely to reinvest himself with them,
but this was in keeping with his stern resolution to
crush out useless regret. He wisely concluded that
the easiest way out of it was to accustom himself to
the same routine as before. He must not yield to
such weakness as to shrink from inanimate things
which were associated with her memory.
Some carefully pressed blossoms of flax, fragile,
delicate, little bluecups, dedicated in thought to his
love, were the only mementos he kept. These he
hid away in an ivory dice-box given him by Ben Hu
Barabe on taking leave.
Orondo had managed to listen to the words of
greeting and farewell from Keroecia, and had re
sponded thereto manfully. What the effort cost him
may be inferred from the fact that he kept his room
closely for the week following, refusing to see any
one save the tamanes who served him.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 159
When he came again among his fellows, there was
a stern, set look on his face, which was accentuated
by the sunken eyes and sharpened cheek-bones, but
there was no alteration in his manner of life. He
began preparation for immediate departure.
Yermah lived in a rose-colored world of his own
creation. He made pretty speeches to imaginary
women, and never even in sleep lost the conscious
ness of Keroecia's presence. In his audience chamber
during the day, he granted requests for her. His
decisions were all for her benefit, and the directions
for various public works were delivered as he fondly
imagined he would do if she were present. Several
times in affixing his signature to documents he came
near to writing her name.
Yermah was singularly absent-minded, with all
his amiability and politeness. He went among his
pets with the air of a lover, and was entirely obliv
ious to the screech of the parrots and monkeys in and
around the stables. He got on famously with
Cibolo; and if the horse had understood him, he
would have made a clean breast of the situation.
It would have been such a relief to talk about her.
The Dorado usually had dressed well, as became
a man of his station; but now he was fussy and par
ticular to a noticeable degree. He taxed Alca-
mayn's ingenuity to the utmost in devising suitable
gifts for Keroecia and her attendants, and insisted
upon superintending the enameling of the medallion-
shaped mirror which he was to present to the priest
ess. The bits of blue, green, and black enamel must
be as shiny and lustrous as the gems they surrounded,
and the burnished gold rim and handle must be as
fine as the skill of his workmen could make it.
160 YERMAH, THE DORADO
This exchange of mirrors was a pretty compliment
among the rulers of olden times — for by this flat
tering method each was assured of the faithful re
membrance, of the other. They had but to look into
the mirror to discover the subject of the other's
thought — at least in theory.
An oval of burnished bronze, framed in silver
filigree, enameled with black and white, and set
with turquoise, coral, moonstones, and amethysts
was the regulation gift from Keroecia. It was man
nish enough to suit the requirements, but it was too
formal to express her feelings.
She made a strawberry of red cloth, and with fine
brown floss dexterously worked in the seed specks.
It was filled with fine sand and grains of musk.
The little cup was cleverly imitated by green cloth,
and the berry was fastened by a tiny eyelet to a piece
of narrow red cord.
Consideration for Orondo, constrained Yermah's
impatience to seek Keroecia immediately, and the
preparations for her departure were of such public
character that he had no further opportunity of see
ing her alone, until his chariot stood before the door
of Setos's house, waiting for her.
Cibolo and his three companions tugged hard at
their bridles, as a consequence of ten days' idleness.
They would have enjoyed kicking up their heels and
running like the wind, especially when music, noise
and confusion gave such warrant; but Yermah kept
a vise-like grip on them, quieting them by a word
now and then.
Keroecia's pride found complete satisfaction in his
excellent horsemanship. There were no gloves on
his strong, white hands, wound up in the reins, but
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 161
the wrists were as firm and hard as steel. It was a
master-hand that held the lines, and she was not in
the least distressed or alarmed when the horses
reared and plunged and stood on their hind feet.
The couple were nearing the round-house on the
upper limit of the canal, and Yermah's face was set
and pale. He had suddenly forgotten all the pretty
speeches he had intended to make. Finally, when
there was not a minute to spare, he turned to Ke-
roecia with an agonized expression and tried to
speak. His lips moved, but no sound escaped them,
as they fashioned the words: " I love thee ! "
That was all he could remember to say, and he
was dismayed when he realized that his voice had
failed him.
His eyes swam, and he instinctively clutched at
his heart as he swayed from side to side.
Keroecia moved nearer to him helpfully, and with
a smile of infinite tenderness slipped her hand into
his. For a moment he did not return its pressure;
then it seemed to nestle close to his palm, and, with
a caressing touch, left something in his grasp when
it was withdrawn. When he opened his hand he
found the little strawberry.
" With all my heart," she said in a whisper. He
kissed the keepsake rapturously, and slipped it into
a fold of his tunic in time to assist her to alight from
the chariot. Etiquette forbade his accompanying
her farther.
With straining eyes he stood watching and waving
his hand to her, until the balsas put into the bay.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
" When from the shores
And forest-nestling mountains came a voice
That, solemn sounding, bids the world prepare!"
THE sphinx, one of the first symbols known
to man, demands that we solve its riddle
— which is Life, not Death. The Egyp
tian sphinxes with their human heads face the West.
The mastodon-headed sphinxes of Mexico face the
East. Will future research unearth the evidence
necessary to locate the sunken Atlantis lying between
these two avenues of sphinxes, and thus reveal the
origin of man? Did the primitive races evolve sim
ilar civilization separately, or were they all from one
source? Perhaps the answer to this, is the solution
of the enigma.
Akaza, meaning " God within thee " was the
hierophant, prophet and high-priest of the Brother
hood of the White Star, which had its origin in At
lantis. His was an equilibrated, evenly balanced
mind and nature. As an initiate he knew all that
transpired on the subjective as well as on the positive
planes of consciousness. He was always a disturb
ing element on the shallow, false and artificial side
of life. He cared nothing for consequences. A
natural wanderer on the face of the earth, Akaza
was in his element when it came time for him to lead
Yermah's band away from the doomed island.
162
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 163
Akaza was waiting for Yermah this Monday
morning, or Moon's day. He stood at the entrance
of a cave extending well back under Sutro Heights.
It was called Ingharep at that time, and marked
the orbit of Uranus — from the center of Tlamco
— the planet which was correlated to Akaza's life.
In the time of our story the water's edge did not
extend inside Seal Rocks. A careful inspection at
low tide to-day will lead to the discovery of the cave
still tunneled back under the Cliff House foundation.
The Indians never fail to locate a cavern.
Where one is suspected, they wait until after sunset
on a windy day. Then they lie down over the sup
posed cave, and with an ear pressed close to the
ground, listen attentively for the roar, such as is
heard in a sea-shell. If once this roar is heard, they
refuse to search further, experience teaching them
that they have found the right spot. Such was the
method employed in discovering Ingharep.
Akaza, the hierophant, was an interesting part
of the picture as he stood at the mouth of this cavern.
The white robe which he wore was made of paca
wool, stiff and lustrous as silk, but thick and warm.
It was embroidered with five-pointed and six-pointed
silver stars, having diamonds in the center. On his
thumb was a silver signet-ring. He wore bracelets
of the same metal. At his waist was a sash of
yellow silk, with double-key pattern outlined in
silver. Over his shoulders was a purple cloth
mantle, trimmed with a coarse blue tracery in lace
pattern.
The mouth of the cave faced due west, thus ena
bling Akaza to see the last glimmerings of daylight
go out as the sun dropped, apparently, into the ocean
164 YERMAH, THE DORADO
or was swallowed up in the vaporous clouds or fog-
banks each day. For many months Akaza had
watched this process, and, since his return from the
Yo-Semite, he had busied himself incessantly with
astronomical calculations.
" Pause here a moment," he said to Yermah, after
a hearty greeting. " One of the grandest symbols in
nature stretches out before thee. Primordial sub
stance is always represented by water flowing out of
naught, or nothing."
He pointed toward the wide Pacific and looked
at Yermah with a rapt expression. " As it flows,
it gradually solidifies into mind, just as the earth was
molten and then became solid."
Yermah stood inhaling the stiffening sea-breeze,
and watching the waves cresting shoreward in cease
less motion.
" These waves scudding before the wind are ex
actly like our thoughts driven to a given point by
force of will. It is to give further instruction on
this matter of a fully controlled will that I have
asked thee to give me attention to-day," continued
the old man, as he led the way into the cavern.
There were swinging lamps, and a wide, open fire
place, so constructed that the smoke was emitted
through a pointed-arch opening. With the char
coal fire and the swinging lamps, the interior was
made quite comfortable. The stalactites, white and
frosted, or discolored here and there from natural
causes, made the walls and ceilings beautiful.
Where an opening suggested partition, blankets,
rugs and tapestries had been hung, and over the
sanded floor were rush and grass mats in profu
sion.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 165
Around to the north, where the rocks still stand,
the seals barked and roared as they do now, while
the same species of birds came and went.
An ingeniously arranged partial closing of heavy
boards screened the occupants from the wind, but
did not exclude the sunlight and fresh air.
" This eight-spoked wheel represents the life of
an initiate," said Akaza.
A round inlaid ivory wheel, supported by a porce
lain tripod, was indicated. On its outer edge were
the signs of the zodiac, chased in black, with a
mother-of-pearl inlaying to indicate the spokes. A
rough-edged parchment lay in the center, and Yer-
mah's quick eye saw that it was an orrery question,
pertaining to Atlantis, drawn in colors.
" We are not to examine the horoscope at pres
ent," explained Akaza, following Yermah's gaze.
" I brought thee in here to make sure of fire and
the needs of the inner man. Now that they are
secure, we shall devote the morning to the beach."
He occupied himself for a few moments with the
baskets of food, done up with paper napery, ready
for the ever-present chafing-dish and samovar. He
banked the fire so that it would smolder without
dying out, and then the two men went slowly toward
the beach where old ocean came in uproariously, and
sullenly ground its white teeth on the sands.
Yermah considerately took the ocean side, so as
to protect Akaza as much as possible from the cool
wind. He drew a thin, bony hand up under his
cloak and clasped it close to his side with the upper
arm.
They were an interesting study — these two men.
One the perfect embodiment of physical health and
166 YERMAH, THE DORADO
strength; the other, feeble in body, but a veritable
giant of spiritual force.
The one man stood absolutely apart from tem
poral things; the other was just beginning to live
on the sensuous, or material plane. As they walked
they left odd-looking wet tracks behind them.
" Thou knowest already," said Akaza, " that thou
hast successfully performed seven of the great labors
in the self-development of Osiris. Now thou
standest face to face with that which hinders; and
it is necessary that I should explain to thee the pur
port of this eighth labor."
" Is there something about it which I do not
understand?" asked Yermah, in a surprised tone.
" I have but to find the treasure hidden in the rocks,
and then I am ready to return home. I have
learned to fashion the gold which is to tip the spires
of my temple, and when this is done I shall demand
release from my vow. As soon as the Brotherhood
receives me, I am free." Then, with a slight hesi
tation in manner and speech — " I have already de
cided what I shall do with my freedom."
While he was speaking, Akaza moved and
breathed like a person in pain.
" What I must explain to thee is the duality of
thine own nature," he went on, turning sadly toward
Yermah, " the dual aspect of the labor thou hast
already performed, and what thou must do in the
future. First, then, Osiris is thyself — the I-am-I
principle within thee, which is the same first, last,
and all the time. Thy labor is the finding of the
Perfect Way. Love is the consummation, and
Wisdom is the way."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 167
"What wouldst thou have me do?" asked Yer-
mah, eagerly.
" First, I would have thee realize the transitory
nature of life, and its desires, not on the intellectual
plane, but as a fact in nature. The body, scientific
ally considered, is not the same through the whole
life. Neither does the mind remain the same.
Man's ability to look at his own desires and feelings
impersonally is the beginning of Wisdom. No man
can extricate himself from the result of his own
deeds."
" Give me to know this mystery."
" To bind the sweet influence of the Pleiades is
the opposite of loosing the belt of Orion," an
swered Akaza.
" It has not been granted me to know the signifi
cance of either," responded Yermah, humbly.
" Alcyone, the central sun around which the spiral
galaxy of the firmament encompassed in the Milky
Way, and all the stars, suns and planets included
in that circle, are revolving in the only one of the
seven sisters whose love is mortal. From out that
center issues evermore a ray of the divine creative
spirit, coalescing into the life of animate nature
here.
" The adept gathers the component parts of that
incomprehensible being — man — to his divine
center," Akaza continued. " He wills them into the
being of another, and that other becomes the mother
of a son, given from the depths of space. Such a
son art thou, Yermah."
"And thou art in very truth my father?" asked
Yermah, wonderingly.
168 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Yes. For this cause am I in the flesh, and for
this, also, must I remain in the body, until thou art
restored to the Brotherhood. I am the hierophant,
the second in power in our order. So it was granted
to me to create an entity which should rule the
future as Atlantis rules the present."
" Tell me all of my beginning. How and why
this should be. Thou wert an old man when I was
born; and thou art a vowed celibate? "
" Swear by Him who made us that thou wilt not
reveal what I am about to unfold."
He held up a six-pointed diamond star which
blazed on his bosom for the Dorado to kiss, as they
stood facing each other. As Yermah's lips touched
the center, he turned to the east, and, with both
hands clasped over his head, said solemnly:
" I swear."
" A priest of our order, under the same tutelage
as Orondo, was thy literal father, while thy mother
was a vestal selected from the Temple of Venus.
Thy great-grandfather, grandfather and father were
of the priesthood, and their wives were selected
vestals. To the prophet, hierophant and high-priest
was the divine self confided, and we were pledged
to produce a ruler for this generation. We willed
the conditions which gave thee birth and I must
share thy joys and sorrows until such time as the
Brotherhood releases me."
" Then I am not of royal lineage — am not the
son of Poseidon, Servitor of Atlantis?" There
was pain and disappointment in Yermah's voice.
" Thou art royal in the highest and best sense.
Thou art immaculately conceived, as is the sun by
the cosmic virgin, when he has been standing still
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 169
in Capricornus. It is said everywhere that a dew-
drop fell on thy virgin mother's bosom, as she lay
asleep in a sacred grove. Such was thy beginning."
" Then he to whom I have rendered obedience is
not in any sense my father? "
" No. Thou art a veritable sun-god, destined to
be thrice born in this life."
"Oh! Akaza, why speakest thou in riddles?
Thrice born, indeed ! How is it possible without
death and re-birth? "
Akaza smiled at his impatience.
" I charged thee in the beginning to remember
that there is a dual meaning to all labors that a candi
date for the initiation must perform. Thou hast
already had two births in this body, and art facing
the third."
Yermah could not conceal his astonishment.
" The first birth was at twelve years and six
months, when the sex principle began to assert itself.
This acme of sensuous existence culminates at
twenty-five years, when intellect has its birth and the
mind becomes capable of reasoning. Before that
time sensation and instinct have served for indi
vidual thought. The new rate of vibration set in
motion at the birth of desire is the beginning of dis
cord in the personality. Many times before in
tellect can assert itself the impetus for a plunge to
the downward spiral is overwhelmingly strong."
" What, then, befalls the divine self? "
" On the material plane it is the brutalizing proc
ess which prevents the divine self from contacting
the physical. When this happens the man has
really lost his soul. Saturn is the planet correlated
to the finding of the Perfect Way. It is the mill
170 YERMAH, THE DORADO
of the gods, which grinds out the imperfections of
human nature. The three phases of immaculate
conception are closely allied to the three re-births
which take place in the physical man."
" Eagerness to master this hidden knowledge
proves the quality of fellowship," said Yermah, anx
ious that Akaza should go fully into details.
" The twelve markings of the zodiac contain the
arcane wisdom of our order."
Before Yermah could frame a suitable answer to
fit in the pause, Akaza continued :
" The Ineffable One is a trinity of Necessity,
Freedom and Love. An ideal is the result of neces
sity, and all our ideal conceptions are the outcome
of our absolute need. It is in the achievement of
freedom that the divine within us labors, and on
this is based love. Life is the great vineyard of
the father, and all his children must toil in it until
the end. When in the process of regeneration man
is so far perfected as to see the mysterious beauty
of his being, he knows that the trials and labors
imposed upon him by the laws of cause and effect are
at once a necessity and a blessing, and he will no
longer seek to escape them.
" There is constant warfare between Desire and
Intelligence," the hierophant continued. " Why
must thou struggle to overcome? Because the only
difference between an imbecile and a genius is the
ability of the spirit or divine self to function on the
physical plane of the genius and its utter inability to
influence the fool. Thine own conduct in this life
determines which of these extremes thou wilt be
come in the next. Atavism and heredity intensify
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 171
these tendencies; so does the influence of the planets.
But neither the one nor the other can produce them.
Thou must do this by the exercise of will power.
The union of desire and mind forms the personality.
Each attribute is triple — active, passive and
equilibrated."
After a slight pause, Akaza went on :
" Thou must wield each triad into a unity. This
is real initiation — the consummation of perfect
harmony. Thou hast long since gone beyond the
reach of impure thoughts emanating from the five
sub-human orders of creation. When impure char
acteristics are removed the first labor is performed.
Thy studies and all knowledge received is the second
labor, because it prepared thee for esoteric science.
" The power of thought," continued Akaza, " if
rightly used, enables a man to transcend creation.
Misused, it will cause him to retrograde into the
condition where self is the great object of exist
ence, and the appetites of the body are the only
deities to whom he sacrifices. For such beings the
uprisings of knowledge (the wiles of Circe) glitter
with fascinating light, because further knowledge
will enable them to minister to their desires. This,
my son, is a dangerous situation for an immortal
soul. What was intended as a blessing becomes a
curse."
" Have I transgressed in this respect? "
" No. Thou art safe on that point."
Knowledge is Circe in Greek — Serket in Egyp
tian. It is the enchantress, whose realm may be
enjoyed by those who know the herb " Moly." This
word comes from the same root as the Latin Molo,
172 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and the Swedish Mjoll, to grind, indicating the proc
ess of grinding out human passions. It gives the
Norse Mjolner, the hammer of Thor, or Will.
The same meaning is implied in the weapon used
by Kanza in killing the infants of Desire.
" The abuse of this quality is what brings trouble
to our countrymen," said Akaza. " Atlantis is a
hotbed of black magic; that is, inverted wisdom.
And they must suffer for it. Setos and Rahula are
the only devotees of this school we have with us."
" Why didst thou bring them? "
" It was necessary — for thy sake — my beloved.
In the performance of the third labor the first hour
of the day begins; the two preceding labors being
only the dawn of partial wisdom. As knowledge
is the fruition of Will — the principle of the second
hour of dawn — so Love is the purpose of the
Divine Creator. This purpose must subdue its an
tithesis — the lust for material power and gain."
" If the material body is not kept in a healthy
condition, the spirit and the soul cannot be per
fected," continued Akaza.
" This is not a fault of mine," returned Yermah,
with a touch of pride.
" Thou hast guarded the temple well. The sun
never shone on a more perfect physical type. The
fifth labor," the hierophant went on, " is equili
brated Will — the caduceus which our order carries
and uses as a wand. It is a spear in the hands of
an adept, who compels all secrets and who knows
all things. It can be developed only by temperance
and moderation. It is an unlimited power for good
or evil which thou boldest in thy possession. In
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 173
thy body it is the solar plexus or brain of the
stomach. The twelve plexi around it are the full
gamut of physical and spiritual desire. Here thou
couldst use thy knowledge with great harm to thy
fellows, and more to thyself."
"But why should I?"
" For no reason, unless it be to gratify some wish
lying near thy heart. We neither act nor speak,
much less decide a question concerning ourselves,
except we have a motive."
" My motive is simple enough. Thou hast told
me that love is the first triad. I love with all my
heart."
" No need of words to assure me of this. I have
foreseen it from the first."
"And thou hast not opposed me? Then thou
wilt favor it? " The Dorado was as impulsive as
a boy.
" I will not oppose it. The great secret of ini
tiation lies in the magnetic warmth of love. It is
a threefold principle, the lowest phase of which is
sex love. This is the poetry of sensation. It per
tains to the material nature, and is therefore im
permanent."
" Oh, Akaza ! How canst thou say that my love
for Keroecia will pass away. I feel that it never
can."
" In the sense of feeling, it certainly will not en
dure. But this phase of love has three parts. We
reach divinity on its upper plane, because it be
comes transmuted from animal desire to a soul in
flux. This will come as a benediction to sweeten
the very fountain-head of thy individuality."
174 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Then I was right in claiming mine own. I have
not broken my vow, even in thought," responded
Yermah hopefully.
" But thou wilt. In so much as thou wilt imperil
immortality thou must suffer. Be of good cheer.
Whatever pain may come will soon pass. Nothing
of the real love and union between thee will ever
cease to be."
" The seventh labor," Akaza continued, after a
thoughtful pause, " is the slaying of the vampire of
procrastination — the temptation to halt in the path
of duty. Thou wilt naturally think thy work com
pleted when thou art allowed to return to Atlantis."
"Why not?"
" Thou wilt not return to Poseidon's kingdom for
many days. Atlantis is doomed."
"Akaza, what art thou saying?" In his excite
ment Yermah shook the hierophant's arm vigorously.
" Thou art forbidden to give to others what thou
Kast learned. The world needs thee more than thou
Canst imagine. Thou art now facing the eighth
labor of initiation."
" I know this. But is it not true that I shall tip
the spires of the temple building? Must I not do
this with mine own hands? "
" Thou must subjugate all internal and external
hindrances first."
" What is that, if not what I have already
mentioned? Was it not so from the beginning? In
each colony visited have I not obeyed the laws?
This year finishes my sojourn away from Atlantis.
Thou wilt remember that I am to have my wish
when the last labor has been completed."
' '"-So«thoii shalt"
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 175
" Then I shall have Keroecia for my wife, and
live in peace."
" Thou wilt neither espouse Keroecia nor live in
peace. Marriage to thee is forbidden. Only the
commonplace mortal is content to vegetate, procreate
and perish." Then after a pause, he added:
" Thine is not only race condition, Yermah, but be
fore thou wert born, the Brotherhood decreed it for
thee."
" Thou — thou durst tell this to me, the future
Servitor of Atlantis and all her dependencies! Out
upon thee and thy Brotherhood! I will not sub
mit to thy decrees ! Thou — thou hast made me
believe in thy love. Is this the language of consider
ation? The Brotherhood demands all that I value
in life! Thou sayest that I have not failed so far.
Be assured that I shall succeed finally."
" Thou hast already developed the feminine prin
ciple within thee and hast assumed the flowing locks
and robe, so that thy fellows may know thou art
fit to lead them. My personal tutorship goes no
farther. Thy future is distinctly in thine own hands,
Yermah." Akaza gave a soft reply, and his rash
hot-headed companion was mollified.
" Give thy tongue full license, Akaza. What
does the Brotherhood require of its fellows? " Yer
mah was still the master of Tlamco. His tone and
manner betrayed it.
" Absolute freedom must be achieved before the
candidate can enter the Gates of Light." Akaza
was quiet, but firm.
" Freedom from what? "
" From the enslavement of Desire. Man's per
verted love nature is the great stumbling block."
176 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Yermah's face was aflame in an instant. He was
furiously angry. He turned toward Akaza with a
threatening gesture, while his resentment was at
flood tide. Then his arm fell aimlessly to his side.
He realized that it was shocking to quarrel with his
preceptor — his spiritual father — the man who had
unselfishly followed him from one colony to another
for the past seven years.
The Dorado held his tongue, but with an impetu
ous fling of the cloak over his shoulder, he abruptly
left the hierophant.
They were on the beach opposite the present life-
saving station, and were coming back to the cave.
With swift, swinging strides Yermah turned toward
Tlamco, and was soon headed for the western 'gate
of its walled enclosure.
" I am not to make my love self-identifying," he
muttered savagely. " Am I, then, to love my ideal
without desire for possession? He asks what I can
not do. I should be no part of a man if I could sub
mit like this ! No ! A thousand times — no ! — I
have tasted the wine of life on her sweet lips ! — She
shall claim a king's ransom in return ! — And this, he
says, will imperil my soul ! — So be it ! — This is
what love means to me ! "
There was that in Yermah which would brook
no interference. Docility and obedience, both his
habit and inclination, were routed completely by the
whirlwind of resentment having control of him.
Self made a strong rally, and, for a time, he was in
toxicated with the idea of defying Akaza. He
gloried in his ability to think and to act for him
self. It was his happiness, his love, and in the
future he would do as he pleased. This was instinct
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 177
deeper than reason; not conscious lust nor sensuality
— for he mentally idealized Keroecia.
This quality was the same which arouses an animal
similarly thwarted to the highest pitch of ferocity.
Passion, heretofore a latent force strengthening and
sweetening his whole nature, now suddenly flared
into tempestuous activity on its own account. Op
position at this juncture would have rendered Yer-
mah capable of murder.
The line of demarcation between the virgin mind
and partial realization was forever obliterated.
Yermah knew desire. And its demands were all
the more urgent because of long-delayed expression.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE VIRGIN EARTH WILL NOT SUBMIT TO MAN'S
DEFILEMENT
AKAZA tottered along the shore, shaken and
agonized by Yermah's anger. The wind
tangled his thin locks, and played sad pranks
with the mantle enveloping his body. Sometimes it
seemed bent on snapping him in two, and then it al
most whipped the life out of him — that life tenure
which was feeble and old even when Yermah's
generation began.
The tears streamed down his withered cheeks and
dripped unheeded from the snow-white beard. His
breathing was labored and hard when he arrived at
the entrance to the cave, and his slight frame shook
with emotion as he turned toward the broad Pacific,
seeking to calm his agitation.
He stretched out his hands imploringly to the
vast deep spread out before him, as the waves, with
a sullen roar, dashed their spray over the rocks at
his feet.
" Great God ! " he cried in a stricken voice, " My
heart bleeds for Yermah. The rays of the sun
should make a halo around his dear head. — How
hard that there is no real strength except that born
of suffering — no enduring experience except it be
seared into the heart's core I — I have tried not to
attach myself to results ; but how can I help it ? —
178
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 179
Oh, Amrah! I shall not fail thee! Amenti, thou
canst trust me! My oath binds me for all time.
This body may succumb in the trial, but I will de
liver this trust back to thee as thou art expecting to
receive it ! — Give me strength to stand by helplessly
while Yermah suffers! Oh, Brotherhood, give me
the strength to endure I "
He sank down upon a rock from sheer exhaustion
and was silent.
For a time there was no sign of life in the bent
motionless figure peering far out into space, as if he
were seeing the visioned future.
" Oh, woman ! " he cried, " Divine part of crea
tive wisdom ! — Incarnation of man's ideal of
spiritual perfection! When will man recognize in
thee the means of reorganizing the world, and place
thee on the pedestal of his intellectual greatness!
When will he cease to crucify thee on the diverse
and conflicting polarity of his passional will?
Woman lies a crushed and soiled lily; while man, the
victim of vengeance to the powers of nature, wanders
a fugitive on the earth, chained to the hell of his
depraved imagination — The Great Spirit of Light
and Wisdom is to him a tormenting fiend! "
After a time, Akaza went into the cave. The fire
had warmed the interior, and the lamps shed a
softened glow, which was comforting to the weary
old man.
He was hungry, but the food seemed almost to
choke him. It had pleased his fancy to have Yer
mah break bread and eat salt with him in this
hidden retreat. In his weakness, he was sorely dis
appointed, and it cost him an effort to refrain from
whimpering childishly.
180 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Akaza awoke with a sudden start from a troubled
sleep. It was with difficulty that he made his way to
the mouth of the cavern and saw that the sun was
hopelessly obscured by what appeared to be a heavy
fog. He went back and threw himself down on the
cushions and rugs where he had been sleeping, and
there he would wait patiently until the time of sun
set. If it were possible to get a glimpse of the Lord
of Day at that hour, he would go back to the Temple
of Neptune, where he lived.
Later, when Akaza was removing the temporary
shutters at the entrance to the cave, a gust of wind
blew the raindrops into his face. He knew at a
glance that it would be a stormy night. The wind
was rising, and the lowering, black clouds gave prom
ise of a heavy downpour.
The sun crosses the earth's magnetic meridian
twice every twenty-four hours — once at sunrise, and
again at sunset.
Akaza made three obeisances toward the west and
stood motionless, drinking in the sweet influences of
the sunset hour. His lips moved in silent prayer.
For several minutes he communed with the subjective
world, just coming into its waking activity. The
physical world was falling asleep, and with it went
the agitating thoughts of the day.
He was renewing his spiritual vigor, listening to
the Voice of the Silence, holding converse with his
own soul. As he took counsel of his higher self, the
bells of the Observatory tower in Tlamco sounded
like a silvery-tinkling seashell, faint but distinct to
his clairaudient ear.
"Peace! peace! peace!" they seemed to say,
while the lines of care slowly relaxed, and the face
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 181
of the devotee was as serene and calm as a May
morning.
The fireplace and entrance to the cave were so ar
ranged that it was easy to produce a draught; so,
when Akaza renewed by meditation and prayer, re
turned to the fire, the atmosphere surrounding him
was fresh and pure. He made the door fast and
prepared to remain for the night, for it would tax
his physical strength too much to walk back to
Tlamco in the storm. As familiar objects outside
seemed to be swallowed up in a black pit, he drew
a stool up beside the zodiacal wheel in the center of
the living-room, and by the light of a lowered lamp
began to carefully compare and compute the bearings
of the planets and houses of the horoscope before
him. Presently he looked up and listened intently.
Could it be that he heard some one calling him?
Was it an unseen entity, or was it the wind shriek
ing through the crevices about the entrance? Re
gaining his feet, he groped his way toward the
sound. There could be no mistake — it was near
the door.
"Akaza! Akaza! Hear me! Open — open the
door, I beseech thee ! "
It was a human voice in dynamic utterance, which
the roar of the ocean nearly drowned, despite the
efforts of the wind to hurl it through the doorway.
Akaza hastened to comply with the request.
Suddenly he stood face to face with Yermah, shiver
ing, wet and mud-stained.
" Oh, Akaza ! " he cried, kneeling before the old
man and kissing the hem of his garment, " say that
thou wilt forgive me ! I can have no peace until
I am restored to thy favor."
182 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Akaza laid his hands upon the head that had been
bared to the storm.
" Thou standest always in the shelter of my love,
Yermah," he said, gently. " Offense were not pos
sible from thy lips. Be no longer humble in my
presence." He helped the Dorado to arise, and lead
ing him toward the fire, continued:
" Let genial warmth restore thy peace of mind.
The elements have undone thee."
" Distemper vanished with reflection," returned
Yermah, anxiously, as he drew off his wet mantle and
threw it to one side, " but remorse tortured me and
drove me to thy feet, sad and repentant."
Akaza patted him affectionately on the shoulder,
and occupied himself with the change of clothing he
was improvising from his own garments. He sub
stituted a purple robe for the water-soaked tunic,
gave Yermah sandals, and finally wrapped his own
cloak around him.
"Thy attendants, Yermah? It were not well to
leave them to the mercies of air and water lashed to
fury."
" None saw me leave laqua. Neither man nor
beast shall suffer because of my misdeeds," said the
Dorado. " It has taken all this time to find my way.
The dying day left me resolved."
" Thy spirit called to mine at that hour," said
Akaza with a glad smile. " I felt it then."
" And wilt thou have me for thy companion for
the night?" questioned Yermah, happy in the
restoration of harmony between them.
" That were the wish nearest my heart," said
Akaza, pouring hot water into a silver cup, into
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 183
which he had already measured some spirits of
maguey, some spices, and a bit of lemon.
" Sweeten as thy appetite dictates," he continued,
as he handed the cup to his visitor. " And may
the Father of All Mysteries attend thy ventures in
the future."
Yermah arranged his disordered locks, and then
nestled down beside Akaza in a caressing boyish
fashion. It was plain that he had something on his
mind. Finally, with considerable hesitation, he
broke the silence by asking:
" Will the unbridled license of my tongue to-day
count against me with the Brotherhood? "
His open countenance clearly showed what he
feared.
" Only emotional natures make acceptable bearers
of the Light," responded Akaza. " A mean,
starved love nature is never an acceptable sacrifice,
nor can such an one be an ideal for other men."
A troubled, hunted look overspread Akaza's face,
but Yermah's gaze was bent on the horoscope, under
the full glare of the lamp, and he did not notice it.
He sighed contentedly when Akaza finished speak
ing, and for several minutes he tried to discern the
meaning of the map.
" The portent of thy words concerning our father
land lingers with me. Was it thy purpose to share
thy knowledge with me? "
He looked up with a winning smile, and caught
Akaza's eyes fixed upon him in undisguised admira
tion. The lamplight brought out the sheen of his
yellow hair, lying damp and wavy upon his shoulders,
and the pointed beard was short enough to show his
184 YERMAH, THE DORADO
muscular white throat where the purple robe fell
away, minus its jeweled gorget. A strawberry
cleverly imitated in enamel, suspended from a gold
chain around his neck had slipped out from the folds
of his robe and dangled toward the table at which
both were seated. Akaza pointed to it with a smile.
He instinctively refrained from touching it, thinking
it might be a cherished memento. As it lay on the
palm of Yermah's hand, he took note of the inscrip
tion: With all my heart.
Yermah saw it too, and pressing the words to his
lips, slipped the trinket into his bosom.
" Now," said Akaza, mindful of the movement,
" lend thy attention, and I shall tell thee what the
stars indicate is in store for our beloved country.
First, let me make plain the signification of these
figures," he continued, using the ivory caduceus as a
pointer.
" The great band, or circle, of the zodiac repre
sents the circumference of the universe, which con
tains the essence of creation. It is the cosmic egg,
holding the germ within itself. The center of the
zodiacal ring is the sun, the former representing the
casket, the latter the jewel.
" So is it with the physical form," continued the
hierophant. " It is not the mind, but that which con
tains it. Suppose we consider the motion of this dot
within the circle when Desire has energized its move
ment. First a ray will shoot out in one direction, and
another in an opposite direction, forming four
angles constituting the four elements — hydrogen,
oxygen, carbon, nitrogen."
As Akaza spoke he rapidly sketched a swastika,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 185
the revolving cross, and then he drew a small circle,
a cresent, or half-circle and a Maltese cross.
" These three factors represent spirit, soul and
body, — or sun, moon and earth. In the circle we
have spirit active; in the cross, latent. This is invo
lution and evolution, pure and simple. The circle is
the builder of new forms, the half-circle is the pre
server, and the cross is the destroyer."
Memphis, in Egypt, was the builder of a new
civilization, receiving its impetus from the immigra
tion and settlement of a band of white magicians from
Atlantis, under the leadership of Amrah, the prophet
of the hierarchy to which Akaza was attached.
The Llama City on the banks of the Brahmaputra
River, in the fastnesses of the Himalaya Mountains,
in Thibet, where none of the modern races have pene
trated, was the preserver of arcane wisdom; while
Tlamco under Akaza, represented the section of the
earth which was to be destroyed. Akaza was the
hierophant of the triad, and Kadmon was the patri
arch whose faithful followers were to carry the light
to India.
" We shall represent Desire, Force and Energy
by placing the cross over the circle," said Akaza still
illustrating with a fragment of burned camphor and
the pointed caduceus.
What he drew was the present symbol of the
planet Mars.
" Here we have spirit pushing on toward manifes
tation, producing Experience — the supreme teacher.
The negative is over the positive, and this gives us
both construction and destruction. Let us destroy
it — place the cross under the circle — and we have
186 YERMAH, THE DORADO
a true symbol of Love. Spirit has forced its way
through matter, and it has become one with itself."
He turned to Yermah and took both his hands in
his own. Looking at him earnestly, Akaza said:
" Never forget what I am saying to thee now.
Until love has entered our hearts, we are not in touch
with anything in nature. Love is the soul; and until
we feel its sweet influences in our lives, we go on
seeking fresh experiences on the cross of discord.
Love produces harmony. Desire produces discord.
The sun represents the planet which sheds these in
fluences, and therefore stands for Power. This is
the golden bowl, the essence of Life itself. The
cross and the circle are the hieroglyphs of our spirit
ual nature."
Akaza's look became abstracted and intense, and
he mechanically pushed his hair up from his fore
head.
" I see by a glance into the future that these
symbols will become the phallic emblems of sex-wor
ship, which will touch the lowest rung of the down
ward spiral. Woman is destined to suffer much on
this account, and from another event which is close
at hand."
" Thou hast made plain the creative phase," said
Yermah, after a pause, wishing to bring Akaza back
to the subject in hand.
" Let us concern ourselves with the mind, whose
dual phases are shown by the half-circle. If we
place the cross over the half-circle we have the
Tempter of humanity, because this exalts matter over
mind. It is the great centralizing of self.
" Every one must pass these limitations and meet
the Great Judge," the hierophant continued, " and
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 187
He, in the heavens, guards Himself with triple rings.
No spirit goes through the Gates of Light into His
presence except he be well weighed in the balance of
the seventh sign."
" This is the same as initiation into the Brother
hood," returned Yermah, involuntarily.
" It is the planetary aspect of the labor thou art
soon to perform."
Akaza did not wish to go more into detail; so he
hastened to say:
" If we place the half-circle over the cross, we
have mind risen over matter, and compassion is the
result. Then we have learned the value of mercy.
The true spirit of devotion comes from the belted
planet. It abuses none who are struggling upward,
but lends a helping hand to all."
Seeing that Akaza laid down the caduceus and
drew the horoscope closer to him, Yermah said :
" Thou hast given the symbol of only six planets.
Hast thou forgotten the seventh? "
" No. That planet is made up of three factors
combined; the circle is in the center; the cross, be
low; and the half-circle, above. This is the essence
of wisdom. It is perfected manhood, and it flies
through the cosmos in search of the Infinite, whose
messenger it is."
Uranus and Neptune are octaves of Mercury and
Venus, and belong to the spiritual triad, Saturn be
ing the first.
" Tell me of the duality of the spirit, soul and
body?" asked Yermah, for the first time making it
plain that he was thinking over what had been told
him during the day.
" Spirit pure and simple is the Word which was
188 YERMAH, THE DORADO
in the Beginning. This has three phases, motion
and breath being the other two. The Ineffable
moved, breathed and spoke and the created universe,
with all it contains, was the result."
He spoke with caution, lest he should usurp divine
power.
" In mankind, it is quite impossible to define or
describe that subtle thing which is denoted by the
word ' spirituality,' " he continued, " the goal toward
which so many efforts, such fervent aspirations are
directed. Spirituality is something which differs
from all these, an essence strange and deep, not ex
pressible in other terms than itself — beyond mind,
beyond thought, and, consequently, beyond speech.
In the ardor of our present pursuit, we forget the
fact that the spiritual can be used for evil no less
than for good purposes. By failure to discriminate
between the spiritual in the service of the divine and
the same quality in the service of the dark powers, we
may find ourselves at a point where, to regain the
true path, we must with pain and agony retrace our
steps and begin again."
"And the soul?"
" Is mind in all its attributes. The animal soul,
or vehicle of desire, is dominated by the phases and
aspects of the moon, Mars and Venus. This is the
psychic world. In the body we have the physical
(or material) man and the astral prototype. The
material man lives as long as the spirit functions
through the psychic world into the astral body,
which is a part of the physical man."
" In what way dost thou mean to say creative
energy contacts the body? "
" The astral body is the medium; the psychic, the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 189
positive; and the material, the negative polarity
which attracts the magnetic current, or spirit. When
the astral and physical bodies separate, death, or the
loosing of the bands of Orion, in a physical sense,
takes place.
" The life essence in the body," the hierophant
went on to explain, " is a lateral pulsation, which
grows shorter and shorter as the impetus giving it
motion in the beginning, is stilled. Its center is the
solar plexus ; but the divine spark is released through
the cardiac plexus, the spiritual prototype of the
solar."
" What then becomes of the deathless spirit? "
" It returns to its native habitat in space, to as
similate the experiences through which it has just
passed. This act has its fitting counterpart on the
material plane. As the stomach digests the food it
receives, and as the mind assimilates the ideas it
conceives, so the divine self utilizes the experiences
it gains. As the result of the physical function is
bodily health, and that of the mental process is knowl
edge, so, also, the fruit of the spiritual operation is
wisdom. To acquire wisdom, then, is manifestly the
prime purpose of human existence."
" Through what labyrinths we have to walk in
order to find the Gates of Light!" said Yermah,
deeply interested. "Existence is like chaos at first;
and I begin to see that this is true on the three
planes."
" Certainly. Man has gone too far out in the life
of the senses. It is only in his sleep that he per
ceives the manifestations of spirit. The true student
must reestablish the equilibrium of spirit and mat
ter. Thereby he will obtain the ability to discern
190 YERMAH, THE DORADO
which are physical phenomena. He will perceive in
the waking state such forms and apparitions as he
saw before in dreams, and rise to the viewpoint
where he realizes that physical forms are only the
coarse and imperfect copies of those higher spiritual
pictures presenting themselves to his interior senses."
" Then our dreams are not without significance? "
" Their significance lies in the fact that they are
the lowest state of spiritual life. In them a man is
obliged to tolerate in himself the action of good and
bad spiritual forces."
Akaza arose, and picking up a small copper nut-
oil lamp from a shelf-like projection of stalactite
near at hand, he lighted it and led the way to a dim,
shadowy cranny of the room.
Pausing before what appeared to be a pile of rush
matting he handed the lamp to Yermah and began
removing the outer layers. As soon as the rough-
textured exterior was taken off, Yermah saw by the
cloth wrappings that it was a figure of some kind.
It proved to be a colossal head of diorite, a very
hard variety of serpentine, or greenstone.
" This," said Akaza, " is the head of Atlantis.
It was contained in the ark which we have carried
with us so long in our journeyings."
" But the eyes are closed, the nostrils plugged, the
mouth covered with a gag, and the ears padlocked.
This is death ! " cried Yermah, unable to control his
emotion, shocked and awed by the spectacle. " She
can neither tell her piteous story nor hear the suppli
cations addressed to her."
He examined the head closely, and saw that the
countenance before him was that of a dead person.
There was the relaxation of the upper eyelids which
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 191
most forcefully expressed this idea. The head was
covered with a skull-cap of shells and lines represent
ing water. On the crown of the head was a rosette-
like cap, with a button in the center.
There were four rows of these scallops. The
skull-cap terminated at the sides in ear padlocks, fin
ished with triangular appendages like that over the
mouth. In each ear there was a massive bar of
rounded metal inclosed within a broad, strong clasp.1
" Look closely at the three plates on the cheeks.
They are precisely alike in form and lie over one an
other in the same way; so it is only necessary to ex
amine one side."
" On the first disk," said Yermah, " is a cross, with
four dots within the arms. The second one is
blank, and the third has a peculiar vertical slit,
which looks as if it had some connection with the ar
rowhead appendage — as if being slipped on to one
of these, it could turn, and thus open the padlock."
Yermah tried to do what he said, but the cold,
immovable stone soon disabused his mind.
" Our prophet, now at Memphis, has the key to
this mystery. But I know its interpretation. Come
and be comforted by warmth and light, and I shall
tell thee," said Akaza, noting the shiver that invol
untarily followed Yermah's ineffectual effort, and
who was still much shaken when he resumed his seat
beside the table containing the zodiac and horoscope.
" The earth's photosphere is really the seven cos
mic serpents which enfold the planet in seven bands
of race conditions. They have seven eyes, or win-
1 This head is in the Museum in the City of Mexico. It was
found in 1830 in the streets of Santa Teresa by some workmen
while excavating for the foundation of a new house.
192 YERMAH, THE DORADO
dows, of occult perception. One of these windows
closes every time there is a new race developed.
Thou knowest that death in any form is but a new
birth. Therefore, when a new race is born its prede
cessor dies, and the section of our globe inhabited by
the dying race is purified by water and fire."
This is what prompts the Aryan race to arise peri
odically and go from one part of the earth to the
other. This impulse cast them out of Central Asia
and Africa, where the great deserts of Sahara and
Gobi now stretch their waste sands, where Assyrian
plains are given over to desolation, and also left the
Colorado, Arizona, and Alta California lying bleak
and barren in company with the continent of Austra
lia. This is the purification by fire, while tidal waves
and the ice ages purify by water.
" The earth is a virgin," continued Akaza, " and
will not submit to the defilement of man. The first
eye was in the south ; the second was Lemuria, in the
west; the third is Hyperboria, in the north, which is
still open. This will close when the white magicians
come out of Atlantis. Then its purification by water
commences. The fourth window Atlantis herself
will close, when the fifth race is born. The races will
always reproduce themselves in a triad of ten each,
divided into root, sub, and family branches. This
unfolding will cause much sorrow and misery in the
future. There will be for ages strong hatred be
tween the black, red, yellow and white men. They
will wage war upon each other unceasingly."
" Since this is race destiny and cannot be avoided,
of what use is the sacrifice and effort of the Brother
hood? It does not seem to make humanity either
wiser or better."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 193
" Many an inquiring mind has thought the same,
and many a time in future must this question be an
swered. Know, then, that individual man is the
microcosm. He has within himself all the possibil
ities accorded to his race, and his own life must move
in the same cycle. Initiation teaches him how to
harmonize himself with these laws. The ten planets
of the solar system correspond to the labors decreed
for finding the Way. Astrology is simply the meta
physical aspect of astronomy. Before man becomes
an adept, he must undergo the ten trials. When he
has done this through three successive incarnations,
he is allowed to personate the attributes of divinity,
and becomes a real savior of the world."
" Is he permitted to check the course of race con
dition itself? "
" He does not check it. He crystallizes the idea
dominating the race, and transmutes it to higher
planes. Under such conditions, what appears to be
defeat is really victory. But thou art to remember
that these heroes descend to the earth according to
orderly periods of time. Frequently through one
man countless multitudes are affected. Think, then,
how important it is that a chosen one shall lead to
the higher walks. Remember also the duality of
everything."
Tradition preserves the widespread results of this
teaching. It is found first in the ten phases of the
self-development of Ra, in the ten avatars of Vishnu,
in the ten labors of Hercules, the ten Sephiroth, the
ten Norse worlds, in the ten laws on the tablets of
stone, wherever given, in the knighthoods of the Holy
Grail and Golden Fleece. It was lost sight of when
the age of chivalry passed. In geometry, it was en-
194 YERMAH, THE DORADO
circling the square; in chemistry, it was the making
of alchemical gold.
" The wise man rules his stars, the fool obeys
them," resumed Akaza, as he lifted the horoscope,
and displayed the Grand Man of the Cosmos, figured
in the center of the table by incised black lines on the
ivory surface. The numbers and signs of the ten
planets were marked on the left side. The numbers
ran from top to bottom in succession, while the signs
began at the bottom and ran upward.
A wide, round crown, like the rings of Saturn,
surrounded the head. It emitted seven triangular
rays, in the center of which was number one and the
signet of the Brotherhood.
' We are all here," said Yermah, smiling, but
showing surprise in finding that the numbers and
signs of the planets were marked in different parts of
the body, accompanied by his own and his comrades'
names. It was a full-faced figure, and in the center
of the forehead where the flowing hair parted, was
Akaza's name, a figure two, and the sign of Uranus.
'' This is a Karmic chart," said Akaza. " I aim
by it to supply discriminative knowledge."
" Over the heart thou hast the sign of Saturn, and
the figure three with Keroecia's name. What does
this signify? "
" Keroecia typifies the occult mysteries. Her mis
sion is to guide the world to love through chastening
sorrows."
" I am the crosier in the right hand," exclaimed
the Dorado, finding his name, the sign of Jupiter,
and a figure four in the right hand of the drawing.
" Thou art Valor, and thy duty is to subdue the
earth."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 195
" Orondo is the sword in the left hand. He has
the sign of Mars and a figure five beneath his
name."
" Yes. Orondo is destructive force. His fate
decrees that he shall disappear like illusory imagina
tion."
" Over the stomach is Ildiko's name, the moon,
and a figure six. Does that mean that she has de
signs on Mars? " asked Yermah, jokingly.
" Whatever glamour she casts will be in vain. It
will avail her nothing," responded Akaza, smiling,
also. " Setos, thou seest, is the right knee. His
number is seven, and his planet the earth itself. De
sire for pomp and glory is his weakness." Both men
laughed heartily.
"Poor Setos," said Yermah; "his vanity is pro
digious."
" Alcamayn is the left knee, marked number eight,
and the planet Venus. Saturn will exterminate him,
as the desire for sensuous beauty is destroyed by ini
tiation. Over the generative organs is the sign
Mercury and a figure nine, with Rahula's name, as
thou seest. She is my antipode," said Akaza. " She
is knowledge inverted, and what she bequeaths to
men will prove fatal to them."
" Atlantis is under the feet, marked number ten,
with our beloved trident, and the cross and circle of
love," exclaimed the younger man with enthusiasm.
As Akaza replaced the horoscope, he said:
'' We have been studying three triads, represented
by our fellows. The upper one is thyself, Keroecia
and myself; the second, is Orondo, Ildiko and Setos;
while the third is Rahula, Alcamayn and Atlantis.
Dost thou understand the meaning of Azoth? "
196 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" I fear to affirm knowledge of this, lest it have a
hidden significance which is unknown to me."
" Azoth is the space between the luminaries and
the earth. Heat and light vibrate from the sun, but
it must function through the photosphere of the earth
before it is visible to us. Dost thou know that be
tween the earth's photosphere and the sun it is
dark?"
" It appears to our eyesight as dark," was the
cautious answer. Akaza smiled.
" Well then, know that this nonluminous medium
(astral light) preserves the imprint of things visible,
and the aspect of the daily heavens is reflected there.
It is in this substance that the mother's fancy or crav
ings are transmitted and impressed upon the unborn
child.
" The various atmospheric influences are conveyed
through the same medium. By the fact of birth a
child enters into universal harmony of the sidereal
system. A network of light extends from sphere to
sphere and there is no point on any planet or star to
which one of these indestructible threads is not at
tached.1
" Men bear the seal of their planets on their fore
heads, and especially on their hands; animals, in their
entire shape and characteristics; plants, in their leaves
and in their seeds; minerals, in their veins and pe
culiarities of fractures.
" Infancy is dedicated to the sun ; childhood, to the
moon; the age of puberty, to Mercury; youth, to
1 The giant Gulliver bound in a net- work of threads by the
Lilliputians is a familiar mythical form of the same belief —
Gulliver representing the whole human family with its net-work
of desires and illusions.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 197
Mars and Venus; mature years, to Jupiter; and old
age, to Saturn."
The head of man is shaped on the model of the
starry spheres. It attracts and repels. It is this
which is first formed, and appears in the gestation of
the infant. The head is affected in an absolute man
ner by astral influences, and its diverse protuberances
bear witness to the variety of these attractions.
" ' All the misery of the world is written in the
northern sky,' " quoted Yermah, from a familiar
saying. " But how fascinating is Nature's book,
with its golden letters ! It was a poetic mind truly
which gave us the science of astrology by tracing the
lines from one star to another with his mind's eye."
" Shooting-stars are like the soul of desire and the
Divine-self separated from our bodies. They al
ways seek the center to recover equilibrium and mo
tion. The soul, corresponding to the folds of Azoth
(astral light) which surrounds and imprisons these
meteors, must be disentangled, in order that the spirit
may escape from the impurities still clinging to it.
This is the magnum opus, or completed labor."
Yermah moved a little nearer, to enable him to
follow the direction of the caduceus in Akaza's hand.
He saw that the horoscope was for Atlantis in the
near future.
" At the last vernal equinox the Lord of Day was
about to leave the abode of the Lion. He now
stands between this house and that of the Virgin in
the celestial zodiac. In such aspect, he is approach
ing the fiery house of the Scorpion. When he has
gone twenty-five times in the first lunation of cold
198 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and is still within two markings of the meridian,
Poseidon's reign will terminate."
" Dost thou mean that I am then to become an
actual ruler? " was the first question which came in
voluntarily to Yermah's lips.
" Yes. The new moon at that time opens the way
for the dispensation so long foretold by our prophets.
We are about to see the literal interpretation of this
revelation : ' I will cause the sun to go down at noon,
and I will darken the earth in the clear day. The
moon shall change its laws, and not be seen at its
proper period. Many chiefs among the stars of au
thority shall err, perverting their ways and works.'
" The comet, now faint above the horizon, comes
forward with terrific force, and will cast its blight on
Venus and Mars. Soon this portent will be discerned
in the heavens and then the people must prepare for
change.
" At the time of the full moon, Saturn rises in the
first house, in conjunction with the visitor — presaging
a national calamity. The path of the vagrant is such
as to form conjunction with Venus, and, finally, to
reach the vicinity of Mars — the fiery planet which
rules Poseidon's land.
" This configuration shows that the rulers have
prostituted their authority, instead of leading men
righteously by precept and example.
' The minds of all the people have become in
tensely evil, and they have been given to all forms
of wickedness.
" The cohesive strength of Mars which binds the
land, is broken and dispersed.
" At the new moon, seismic disturbances will be of
continual occurrence; and as Mars is in the watery
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 199
sign, so there is war in the earth's interior between
uncontrolled water and fire."
" So," said Yermah, " the elementals of earth, air,
fire and water, that have been in sore bondage under
black masters, are to gather and blend their forces to
overthrow their former oppressors. So be it I Long
hast thou waited for this."
" At the full moon, when she meets the opposition
of the sun, these forces culminate. Then the crest
of angry waters, which the elements have lashed into
fury, sweeps grandly and majestically onward. The
new moon is formed while the luminaries are in op
position to Jupiter and Neptune. This is but an
other indication of trouble in the country, because
Jupiter and Neptune are in the fourth house."
Akaza indicated the places on the horoscope.
" Already this influence is beginning to be felt by
Poseidon. He is encouraging our people to perform
imposing magical incantations publicly. The first
and second warnings were given when Ruta and
Daitya sank beneath the ocean ages ago, one after
another, with a long dispensation between. He
should have known better than to trust the tempo
rary defeat of our Brotherhood. It was an unfor
tunate day for Poseidon and Atlantis when the last
remnant, led by the prophet, left there."
" The mid-heavens show Uranus and Mercury in
conjunction — or they will be so at the time midway
between the new and the full moon," said Yermah,
as he hastily calculated the positions in the tenth
house.
" This is a further token of the strained mental
attitude of the rulers, who will make a frantic effort
to retain their power. The exact conjunction marks
200 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the complete overthrow of the magicians, and frees
the elemental slaves. The activity displayed by the
physical world draws each one back to its own par
ticular element, and a righteous judgment ensues."
Akaza clasped his hands in front of him on the
table, as Yermah shifted his position, and said:
" Thou art in truth fortunate, because the last dec
ade has developed extreme luxury and selfishness in
Atlantis."
" The conjunction of Venus and Mars, afflicted by
the comet, would indicate that," responded Yermah,
referring to the map.
" Mercury in sextile aspect to Venus, in the ninth
house, implies a mental religion colored by the na
ture of Venus. The aspect of Mars adds to this a
warlike element, and that which appeals to the pas
sions."
He paused for a moment in intense thought, then
continued :
" As the conjunction of Mercury with Uranus is
made, all religion is lost. The moon signifies the
people — the sun, their rulers. Thou seest that
both are opposed to justice and right (Jupiter) and
true wisdom (Neptune). The power to remedy
this situation is refused, and retribution advances un
opposed."
Seeing that Akaza had finished, Yermah ventured
to ask:
" Does my future stand revealed in this calcula
tion?"
" Jupiter speaks for thee in the fourth house.
Thy physical body is linked with the land of thy
birth, and thy return thereto denoted."
" Thou hast my gratitude, Akaza. Grant that I
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 201
may cross over the dark way; that I may enter and
go out of the Hall of Truth with thee for a guide."
" The Ineffable One, Maker of all things, be thy
protection," responded Akaza, as both men arose.
** Thou wilt smoke and so will I, while I make
ready for our repose," said Yermah, moving about.
" I have husks and tobacco in my discarded mantle,"
he continued, trying to find its pockets.
" I can please my fancy better," said Akaza, go
ing back to a plain cupboard, and producing from its
shelves two bronze water-pipes, identical with those
used by the Chinese to-day. He found also, a
chamois pouch of fine-cut tobacco. Filling the bowl
with water, he put a tiny pinch of tobacco in the top
of the tube, and lighted it by the lamp sitting near.
He puffed three times, emptied the pipe, and re
peated the process.
Yermah denied himself until he had spread out
the rugs, and had placed the cushions so that he and
Akaza could sleep side by side.
When he sat down to smoke, the young man re
alized how tired he was. The excitement of the
day, his exertion, and the rain, caused him to yawn
frequently. It was a sign of healthy reaction which
pleased the hierophant.
Finally, unable to fight drowsiness longer, Yermah
threw himself down, and was soon in deep slumber.
He stretched out with the abandon and relaxation of
a contented mind, throwing one arm up above his
head, while his hair spread over the cushions.
Akaza watched beside him for a long time. He
slept like a child, and the old man looked at him with
as much tenderness as ever a mother displayed over
the cradle of her first-born.
202 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Fondness for Yermah was his one weakness.
Alone in the cave at midnight, he indulged it. With
out balance and discrimination, this might be mere
sentimentality or mawkish sweetness. In the spir
itual man, however, balance and discrimination must
of necessity be present.
Therefore, in Akaza love was strong and firm, as
well as tender, wise and far-sighted. Seeing clearly
amid the illusions around him, his love welcomed
even pain for its object, when by suffering Yermah
could gain treasures, and powers and gifts everlast
ing. He would lift no finger to frustrate the need
ful work, yet was rent by greater anguish than Yer
mah himself.
Seeing farther and more clearly, he had strength
to await the end, giving meanwhile all the sympathy
and help of the truest affection.
Akaza was sitting with his eyes closed — really
dozing when he became suddenly aware of a pres
ence. He looked toward the entrance of the cave,
and encountered a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him
in the semi-darkness.
He was so startled that he gained his feet in an
attitude of defense. The eyes gradually lowered,
and in a moment Akaza heard a sniffing noise. Be
fore he could cry out the long, tawny body of Oghi
came into full view.
The animal had its head down and was tracking
its master. Akaza watched Oghi approach the
sleeping man with unerring instinct.
"What is it, Akaza? Dear master, why hast
thou not slept? " Yermah asked, sitting bolt upright,
not more than half-awake. Oghi beat the ground
with his tail, and made a peculiar sneezing sound to
203
attract attention. It was his way of showing pleasure.
" He loves thee, also," said Akaza, as Yermah
patted the animal on the head. He was on his feet
in a moment.
"Oghi! Here, sir!" called the Dorado, recov
ering the chain which had been dragged through the
mud. " How could he get in here? "
" We will tie him to one of the brass staples
leaded into the wall at the entrance," returned Akaza,
" and then we can find out."
Oghi made no resistance as he was led to the spot
indicated.
" He has dug in under these shutters," said Yer
mah, as he held the light so that his companion could
see. " How could he have known I was here? "
As he spoke the ocelot shook himself, and was
about to lie lown.
" Let me fix him a bed," said his master; " he is a
good fellow. There sir I "
Hastily gathering up some rush mats, Yermah
threw them down in a pile. Oghi could not say
" Thank you," but he signified it the best way that
he could. With a final affectionate pat on the head,
Yermah turned and followed Akaza.
" Come to bed with me," he urged. " Conscience
forbids my sleeping while thou art denied rest."
Akaza yielded to persuasion; and when Yermah
had deftly tucked the rugs about him, and placed the
cushions, after shaking them up thoroughly, so that
Akaza declared himself comfortable, he extinguished
all lights but one, and cuddled up close beside the
elder man, with his right arm thrown protectingly
over him.
A few moments afterward, both were fast asleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A TRIUMPH AND A WORDLESS COVENANT
ON leaving Tlamco, Keroecia was carried up
the Sacramento River by the fleet of the
Azes, until nearly opposite the mouth of
Antelope Creek, where she was met by a company of
Monbas warriors and given escort to Anokia, their
capital city, situated south of Lassen Peak.
At a distance of from five to eight miles from the
false base of the Sierras, is a range of isolated hills
which form an irregular belt of elevation, separated
from the main chain by an intervening plain.
It was here that Anokia was built, in a rocky am
phitheater at the head of a stream which flows back
directly northeast from its source toward the axis of
the principal mountain chain.
The kettle-like form at the head of the valley
opened on the north, and extended in a huge semi
circle to the river below. Opposite the opening
stood Lassen Peak, either as a grim protector, or in
frowning distrust, according to the interpretation
given to the mountain's inscrutable mood.
There were several small domes and pinnacles on
the east side of the peak, and, in some places, the
granite rim formed a beautifully striped parapet of
bedded rock. Portions of the stone were thin
enough for the sunlight to penetrate the crevices, and
to throw faint but effective shadows on the layers of
brilliant colors.
204
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 205
The more solid sections of the wall afforded a
magnificent view of the surrounding crest of the
Sierras which here spread out like a giant harrow
overturned against the vast horizon.
Evergreen trees and undergrowth fringed the
tooth-shaped outlines which the blue haze softened
and blended perfectly with the lighter tones over
head, and blurred deep and heavy in the interesting
glades and canyons.
The whole region presented a complicated system
of sharp ridges, with immense circular cavities be
tween, as if the entire country had suddenly cooled
while boiling violently.
From out this mass, rose bold rivers which trick
led along for some distance ; then, gaining in volume
and velocity, rushed madly across the intervening
plains to mingle their clear icy waters with the tur
bid, debris-laden Sacramento.
Much of the land surface was reddened and dis
colored by the oxidization contained in the subsoil;
and over it all was the brown and yellow color-
scheme of the long, rainless summer months.
There were live oaks in the foothills, white oaks
in the valleys, with pale, yellowish-green moss fes
tooning the gnarled limbs, and swaying in the breeze.
The long acorns had been gathered and stored for
future use. Tules covering the swampy shallows
this side of the narrow timber belt on the river, were
brown and seared. The wild grape vines were
loaded with ripe fruit and each patch of wild oats
had long since shed its grain.
Here and there a white swan glided by in stately
dignity on waters so clear that the fish could be seen ;
while the sycamores, oaks, and willows afforded
206 YERMAH, THE DORADO
shelter to a chattering family of magpies, blue] ays,
blackbirds, crows and turkey buzzards. A hawk
poised itself in mid-air watching a chance to seize a
meadow lark; while the sandhill-cranes, ducks, and
geese disported themselves in the sloughs.
In the less frequented parts of the valley, lumber
ing mastodons and hippopotami mingled with grizzly
bears, elk, antelope, deer and diminutive wild horses.
They were screened from view by scrub oak and pine
whose northern exposure was rich in yellow moss.
Here was found plenty of bur-clover and bunch-
grass, both of which were withered by the hot sum
mer wind and sun. Shocks of corn and piles of
fodder, still cluttered the parched ground, bearing
mute, but eloquent testimony of the recent invasion
of an army of painstaking reapers.
California in her brown coat is a promise fulfilled
— a matured and sobered land, somewhat stern and
forbidding of aspect, and set in her ways, but rich
beyond compare in the abundance and variety of her
harvest yield.
Despite the shimmering, blistering heat, schools of
salmon had been shooting the rapids and whirlpools
of the Sacramento, hastening to the shallows. It was
their spawning time. They fearlessly deserted the
deep pools and were piled in an indiscriminate mass
in the ripples.
Animated by a kind of fury the fish were beating
the sands with their tails. Sometimes, the female
would wear her fins off entirely in this occupation.
Then she deposited her eggs in the coarse gravel;
but the greedy trout pounced upon and ate them as
fast as laid if not prevented by the male salmon.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 207
When Yermah returned to laqua after spending
the night in the cave with Akaza, he found a mes
senger from Kercecia, inviting him to attend her
birthday fete.
In addition to the autographed letter was an
elaborately decorated flower-pot filled with a bunch
of white, strawlike blossoms, on slender, cottony
stems, with little or no foliage. To-day the French
call this modest flower the " Immortelle " ; the Span
ish, in their soft language, say " Siempre Viva";
while in English, it is the u Everlasting."
" Never ceasing to remember," murmured the Do
rado, as he examined the flowers and recognized
their significance.
Yermah understood that Keroecia had wished to
send him a perfect plant, and had selected this, not
only for its sentiment, but also because of its ability
to stand the rough usage of a journey.
He undid the tiny roll of parchment tied to one of
the stems.
It said: " Though I have not the loveliness of the
rose, am I not grass from the garden where it
grows? "
He kissed the written words and with his own
hands carried the flower-pot into his private apart
ments. Never afterward, as long as he remained at
laqua, was he without a sprig of this plant.
The first of August was Keroecia's birthday, and
this particular celebration of the event was to be of
unusual brilliancy. It was also the great harvest
festival of the year which always brought forth
elaborate preparations by the mountaineers.
208 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The peculiar kettle-shape at the head of the Val
ley where Anokia was built, formed three sides of the
amphitheater where the games were to be held.
It had a ragged, uneven surface, like the lips of a
crater, which the Monbas stone-cutters had skill
fully turned to account in constructing a pavilion on
the south side, canopied and gay with flags, banners
and silk lanterns. Rubble walls, provided with seats
cut into the stone, closed the north side. Here a wide
entrance was left.
Seats rose in a continuous circle, tier upon tier,
until thousands could have found accommodation.
The goals for the racers, the pole in the center, and
each spire and battlement on the walls displayed
flags. The sanded floor had been wet and packed
down smooth and hard.
For an hour or more the crowds had been coming
in, quietly and decorously as became men, women
and children in holiday dress.
Without warning, eight forerunners dashed
through the entrance and sped around the ring,
shouting at the top of their voices.
" Hoop-ah 1 Hoop-ah ! Hoop-ah ! " cried the
first pair.
" Hye ! Hye ! Hye ! Hye ! " said the second.
" Ho-ra ! Ho-ra ! " called the third.
" O-h ! O-h ! " sharply piped the fourth pair,
moving the forefinger rapidly over the lips, and pro
longing the piercing sound.
They were naked save a white linen band girding
the loins and tied tightly in front. Their long, loose
hair quivered with motion as they sped around the
ring nerved to the highest tension by the shouts of
the multitude.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 209
Suddenly the whole city seemed to wake into
noisy, turbulent expectancy. A heavy br-r-r of
kettledrums, a sharp click of castanets, a blare of
trumpets, and the higher notes of flutes and
fifes announced the approach of Kercecia and her
guests.
With heads bent, the runners pulled themselves
together for a final effort. It was a point of honor
to reach the entrance as Keroecia arrived there. The
multitude understood this, and cheered lustily as the
men ranged themselves in even rows, four on each
side, at the exact instant that Keroecia reached the
threshold. She had time to throw a badge to each
one, before they sank into the arms of attendants
breathless and completely exhausted.
The " Hymn of Triumph " was caught up by the
crowd and carried high above the combined efforts
of the musicians, as the populace worked their fore
fingers over their lips, and followed the melody with
all of the lung-power possible.
Keroecia was attended by Ben Hu Barabe and his
bride, Alcyesta, on one side, with Suravia and
Mineola on the other, followed by Yermah, attended
by Setos and Alcamayn on the right; Rahula and
Ildiko on the left.
Arriving at the pavilion, Keroecia was received by
the priesthood of Anokia, who crowned her Queen
of the Harvest, by placing a wreath of heads of ripe
grain upon her brow. They gave her a cornstalk,
also, which supported two ripe ears, the whole gayly
decorated with ribbons.
As soon as Keroecia received this emblem of plenty
she waved it high over her head, and the whole mul
titude uncovered, tossing their round, pointed, conical
210 YERMAH, THE DORADO
hats high into the air and shouted : " Ho-ra ! Ho-ra 1
Ho-ra!"
The day was yet young, but the tamanes took ad
vantage of the confusion while seating the proces
sion in the pavilion to unfurl the canopies overhead,
and the people made themselves comfortable under
thick tapa-cloth awnings.
On the ground directly in front of the pavilion,
were squares of black and white marble. Upon
these the Monbas priests prepared to play the game
of u Stone- Warrior," a quaint, allegorical Pilgrim's
Progress, typical of the journey of life, one mile-post
of which Keroecia was passing.
Bringing up the rear of the procession were four
horsemen dressed in green, with green trappings on
their mounts; four tapirs caparisoned in red; four
war-chariots in yellow; and twelve foot-soldiers in
black.
There were two Priests of the Bow, dressed in
white. This company divided — one half taking
one end of the board, and the other half, the other
end. Six foot-soldiers stood on the black squares,
three on each side of the Priests of the Bow.
The two tapirs, horsemen and chariots, lined up
evenly on the ground back of the men in black. The
object of the game was to cross the board diagonally
from end to end — capturing as many men as possi
ble on the way. The first side to place three foot-
soldiers in a row was the winner. In no circum
stance was a man in black to touch a white square.
He must always keep on the black square.
A throw of dice determined the movements of the
participants. Five moved the Priest of the Bow,
and he could go forward and backward as he pleased,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
but he was liable to be caught around the waist and
flung off the board the same as the men in black.
A four-spot moved the tapir. This meant that
one man moved forward four blocks, while the tapirs
headed for the four cardinal points, to denote the
number of times they had been moved.
Three spots moved the horsemen; two, the char
iots; and one, the -men in black.
The musicians played a lively air. Then the game
began.
Groups of priests stood on each side shouting in
structions, warnings and words of encouragement to
the players, who were obliged to follow the lead of
their Priest of the Bow. Only the first two moves
depended on the dice; after that is was every player
for himself, counting in succession, five, four, three,
two, one.
It was a strange sight for the spectator. Appar
ently, without any good reason, the horsemen, the
tapirs and the chariots were wheeling north, south,
east and west, while the black men pushed forward
rapidly, seizing and flinging one another off the board,
until, finally, a mighty shout went up, and three men
in black stood in a row facing Keroecia.
The tapirs, chariots and all but one horseman of
the vanquished side had gone over to the victors,
while on the board there were but two black men and
the Priest of the Bow to oppose the winners.
" Beaten by a headless band ! Bah ! Bah ! Bah ! "
vociferated the adherents of the victors.
" Score five against them! " was the imperious de
mand of the vanquished. The cazique hammered
vigorously on the big copper gong, while the trump
eters blew three sharp blasts as a signal to clear the
YERMAH, THE DORADO
grounds, and as if by magic every block of marble
went with the crowd.
From the judges' stand, opposite the pavilion, ran
up a banner, with figures in black on a white ground.
It awarded the game by two points, giving red rib
bons to the three foot-soldiers who had gained the
coveted goal.
" We are obliged to count five against the victors,
since they lost their Priest of the Bow after their
first move. Had they protected him, they would
have won all possible points."
Mingled cries of " Ho-ra ! Ho-ra ! " and " Bah !
Bah! Bah! " greeted this announcement.
The Baggataway players next appeared, led by
Setos, Alcamayn, Hanabusa, and ten gamy Azes,
followed by Ben Hu Barabe with twelve athletic-
looking Monbas. This was their national game, and
Ben Hu Barabe felt a pardonable pride in his men as
he led them into position.
At each end of the field were the goals, indicated
by two poles twelve feet high and half as far apart.
There was also a center pole of equal height mid-
distant between the end goals. All were surmounted
by flags.
Each of the players was armed with a stick flat
tened at the end, and the intention was to drive the
rubber ball into goal between the enemy's posts.
The Monbas defended, while the Azes attacked.
A noisy, chattering, bantering, betting crowd surged
up and down on each side of the players, piling up
articles of every description as their respective sides
seemed on the point of either winning or losing.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 213
The attack and defense strained every nerve, keep
ing the twenty-four players constantly on the move.
Here, a man races with another; there, he makes a
prodigious throw up field; and, before any one knows
what has happened the battle has been transferred,
and the Azes stand fair to lose.
Alcamayn runs full against his antagonist, and
both come to the ground together; while Setos fells
his opponent by a sharp blow over the head. The
fallen player is carried bleeding and unconscious
from the field just as the Monbas rescue the ball, and
send it with a triumphant shout through the goal
which wins them the game.
" Foul ! foul ! " screamed the on-lookers. " The
Azes shall not have a point. They play unfairly."
A shouting, gesticulating, seething mass of men and
women surged around the judges' stand.
" Give us justice ! " they demanded. The cazique
pounded the gong madly. Finally, he could make
himself heard above the din and noise.
" Hear thy priestess! " he called. " She begs that
thou wilt remember thy duty and the occasion. There
are many reasons why we feel grateful to the Azes.
Judgment is suspended. All bets are invalid. Go
back to thy seats and be quiet. The Monbas won
their game with honor. Be content with that."
It was well for Setos and Alcamayn that Yermah
was preparing for an archery contest with Ben Hu
Barabe and Hanabusa and was therefore ignorant of
the cause of the offense. The officers of the balsas,
the warriors, and the other players among the Azes,
instinctively huddled together, humiliated and
ashamed, but silent.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
A plaited disk of straw having a central circle of
yellow nine inches in diameter, surrounded by rings
of red, blue, black and white, was hung up on the
center pole.
The Monbas served Yermah and Hanabusa with
arrows, while the Azes performed a similar office
for Ben Hu Barabe.
During the years spent in the Atlantian colonies,
the Dorado had been the actual head of the fighting
men; but this was the first time he had been called
upon to show his skill in bow-craft to the Azes.
The fame of Ben Hu Barabe was spread far and
wide, and the Monbas waited with smiling concern as
to the outcome. Hanabusa had won his position
with the bowstring, but Yermah's capabilities were
unknown.
The stubborn pride of three races was in the strug
gle, and bitter defeat awaited some one. It was
strictly a war function. There were precision, rigid
enforcement of rules, and exactness in the attitude in
which the warriors stood — motionless and impas
sive, while the three contestants marched in step to
warlike music through the entrance and halted at the
first vantage-ground.
The three men bowed and smiled in recognition of
the plaudits showered upon them right and left, as
they watched for the signal. A refreshing breeze
fanned their faces and set all the flags in motion.
Yermah was in full regimentals as commander-in-
chief. Scarlet, purple, gold, and green were his col
ors; but they were blended with all the skill of the
ancients, so that they fitly set his personality.
Ben Hu Barabe showed his insignia as Civil Chief
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 215
and defender of Anokia, while Hanabusa was re
splendent in feathers and jewels.
Yermah felt that he was the doubtful one. His
glance rested for a moment on the anxious faces of
his followers, but he was cool, confident and col
lected. There was something magnetically infec
tious in his encouraging smile, and before he had
touched a bow, he had the undivided attention of the
assemblage.
Hanabusa and Ben Hu Barabe seemed dwarfed
beside him. His easy, nonchalant bearing, his un
conscious grace were never more conspicuous. Still,
Yermah was an alien. He stood in their midst a
stranger, and fully comprehended that the loyalty of
his own men would be severely tried if he failed to
acquit himself with credit.
Over in the pavilion were a pair of luminous, mas
tic brown eyes, with glints of bronze in their depths,
which were bent upon him eagerly. He could feel
them drawing him in that direction, but he did not
trust himself to return their questioning gaze.
There were neither knots, gnarls, nor cracks in the
waxy brown six-foot hunting bow of continuous
straight-grained mulberry used in the first trial. Its
tips were of polished elk-horn, and there was a green
chamois handhold in the center of the elaborate carv
ing. The well-seasoned hickory arrows, forty inches
long and as smooth as glass, carried flint-heads three
and a half inches wide, and two inches broad, with
sharp saw-teeth edges. There was a trinity of pea
cock feather vanes outlined in parabola above the
notch end.
Courtesy gave Yermah the first shot. As he
216 YERMAH, THE DORADO
pulled a stout buckskin shield over his right hand,
he looked full into Keroecia's face. His eyes said:
" Trust me. I shall not fail."
Under the inspiration of her answering nod, he
quickly raised the bow from the ground and placed
it against his knee-cap, thereby securing a good pur
chase. With an upward body movement, he drew
the long bow to its fullest capacity, faced the target
and let fly.
Like the arrow of Acestes, which caught fire as it
flew, or the dart of Abaris, which is the wisdom of
concentrated thought, this winged thing sang through
the air, and imbedded itself in the blue ring above
the center, where it rocked violently from the shock
of impact.
" Yermah of Tlamco, scores five at elevation of
forty-five degrees; drawing force, one hundred and
thirty pounds."
The tally-keeper in the judges' stand droned the
words after the official scorer. Then the people
seemed to catch their breath.
" What skill ! " said one, pointing to the still quiv
ering arrow. " What strength I " cried another,
while the men of Tlamco, but lately humbled, lifted
their heads proudly and looked with admiration at
their leader.
The exertion flushed Yermah's face, but there was
that in his expression which seemed to augur better
things. He had yet to prove himself; so he re
newed his efforts with energy and determination.
The second shot sent the arrow into the red ring
below goal, and nearly opposite the blue, scoring
seven points.
" Here is fine aiming ! " said the judges to one an-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 217
other, while the spectators leaned forward in strained
positions and watched intently.
There was just the shadow of a smile around Yer-
mah's mouth, as he bent for the final shot.
" Ping ! " murmured the third arrow as it hit ex
act center.
" Haille ! Haille ! " shouted the Azes. " Haille I
Haille ! " responded the Monbas, catching the enthu
siasm, and complimenting their visitors by adopting
their cry.
The whole crowd were on their feet, all talking at
once, not paying the slightest attention to the tellers
and scorers, who rushed about bawling the result.
" Five — seven — nine are the points; twenty-one
for final score," they said.
Yermah flung down his bow and stepped aside to
make room for his competitors. He stood helmet in
hand, wiping his brow, pleased with the warming
sentiment manifested toward him.
" Hanabusa, the Azes, scores three, five and seven.
Fifteen for final count."
" Ben Hu Barabe can do better," was said on all
sides, as Hanabusa made way for him.
" Now the Azes will learn how to shoot! "
" He will never equal the first score," said other
archers. " The Atlantian is a fine bowman."
Ben Hu Barabe bent to his task. He sent his
first arrow with a vim and energy which bespoke long
familiarity and constant practice. He, too, made a
center shot, but it was the upper edge of the gold
disk which received the barb ; next time, the red ring
suffered; but the final shot sped feebly, and barely
indented the black ring.
" The first fort yields to the Azes," announced
218 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the judges. " Move on to the next coign of
vantage."
Now came the real test of skill. Here every man
was interested, because they all made use of the bow
and arrow themselves. The first trial was of
strength, but this would require finesse and nicety of
calculation. Hundreds of the spectators left their
seats and crowded around the contestants.
Extremely light, highly elastic but tough yew
from the forests of Oregon was substituted for the
heavier bow of the chase; and the arrows had finely
pointed obsidian heads, notched and smooth, but
sharp as a needle.
Yermah looked well to the sweetness of his clear,
clean, lemon-colored bow. When satisfied that it
had the requisite softness of flexure and recoil, and
that the arrows were properly seasoned, he placed
one on the left side of the bow, above, and resting
on the forefinger knuckle of the clenched left hand,
with its notch set on the string.
The first three fingers of the right hand hooked
around the string, keeping the arrow-notch between
the first and second. Extending the left arm vigor
ously but steadily, Yermah drew the string back with
his right hand to just below the chin — and loosed.
He stood with his left shoulder toward the target,
looking straight in that direction, having the heels
well apart, and toes turned out, leaving his legs
straight, but not stiff. Raising his bow gracefully
with the left hand, he drew the arrow four-fifths of
its length, aimed over the arrow-tip, drew again, and
let fly!
The spectators were quick to see that he made the
four points perfectly. Each element of the draw,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 219
aim, finish, and loose required the greatest nicety
of execution; yet, he sped the arrows with almost in
credible swiftness.
When shooting three at once, Yermah used the
three sights — center, above and below aim-points.
His control of the loose was so accurate, he under
stood the variation of vision between the right
and left eye so well, that he drove all three arrows
into the gold within a quarter of an inch of each
other !
By the rules, he must aim above center at one
hundred yards, and there was not one of the seventy-
two arrows, whether sped singly or in threes, that
hit below the mark. At eighty yards he was
obliged to aim blankly with the four dozen arrows
loosed at this distance. He chose the outer circle
of white, and planted his darts at equidistance
around the entire circle.
" But one more fort remains to be captured, and
the Atlantian still leads," announced the judges.
" Clear the enclosure ! Warriors, do your duty ! "
With this, the men made a rush for their seats,
not waiting for the spear-points the warriors were
preparing to level at them.
In the noise, confusion and excitement no one
paid attention to the birds, perched on top of the
pole supporting the target. There was a blue-jay,
a raven, a white dove, and a green parrot, with
strong cords attached to one leg of each, sitting on
a crossbar or else on the gilt ball at the apex. Now
every one suddenly remembered, and interest re
doubled in the final score at the sixty-yard limit.
" Yermah of Tlamco fails with two points out of
twenty-four shots, below aim-point. Two are above
220 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the center line. Hanabusa looses six, and Ben Hu
Barabe, four. Shall the victor take the citadel? "
" Merit wins him a shot at the birds," came from
all sides.
" Yermah of Tlamco, wilt thou capture the citadel
of our hearts by a final test of skill before being
crowned with the yew wreath? "
When he could make himself heard, Yermah signi
fied his willingness to comply with this request. For
the first time in an hour Keroecia caught sight of
his face. It was pale, set and resolute, and she
saw that the strain was telling on him.
" The parrot shall cry thee aim, and must remain
unharmed. Thou mayst kill the blue or the black
bird, but thou must only release the peaceful dove.
Wilt thou remember the conditions? "
Satisfying this demand from the judges, Yermah
came within range, and waited a favorable oppor
tunity. By a sudden jerk of a cord extending down
the side of the pole, the ball and crossbar began to
revolve, and the birds were on the wing.
" Chay! chay! chay! " shrieked the mocking, inso
lent blue-jay.
"Caw! caw! caw!" croaked the raven; while
the parrot screamed banteringly;
"Boy what ails thee? Come on! Ha! ha! ha!
Oh, dear! Ah! ha! ha I — Sit still! Who will
catch thy barb? I'll catch it? Thou fool, never! "
Then changing tone entirely to one of biting sarcasm:
" Here's a pretty mess — a pretty mess ! " There
was silence for a time. Then in a thin, piping voice
and ludicrous intonation :
"I shall faint! I shall expire! Help! help!"
screeched the bird. Then, she became sympathetic:
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
" That's bad, very bad ! What a poor shot !
Dear me ! Ha ! ha ! ha ! ha-ha-ha-ha ! Aim high !
aim low ! don't aim at all ! Ah ! ha I ha ! ha ! —
ha! ha! ha! ha!"
The parrot was chained to the top of the pole, so
that it could not fly. To make the aim more diffi
cult the other birds were fastened by cords of unequal
length. Each one must be freed by the arrow, and
then the marksman must wing it before it escaped.
The first liberated was the blue-jay. Yermah cut
the cord neatly, and then hit the bird while it was
still rising. The arrow fell near the base of the
pole, bringing the right wing with it.
The Dorado had won the yew wreath, and he now
turned to the women's side of the pavilion for a
signal. They could demand the last three shots.
Would they do it?
He waited for Keroecia to say. She was sur
rounded by a perfect rabble, gesticulating, shouting
and leaning eagerly toward her.
Finally, she arose, and threw up her hand to com
mand silence. In the lull, she turned to Yermah,
who removed his helmet and inclined his head toward
her, while she picked up a black flag and waved it.
There was an answering shout and a cheer and
Yermah prepared to shoot again. This time he
aimed at the raven. He cut the cord near the pole,
and its weight caused the bird to fly downward in an
oblique line. Quick as a flash the second arrow sped,
and the raven came down pierced through the heart.
Once more the ball at the top was set whirling.
The dove, seemingly more accustomed to this mo
tion, rose slowly, so that the final arrow took off a
toe, in severing the cord. The bird soared up in
222 YERMAH, THE DORADO
concentric circles, but long before the plaudits ceased,
it was perched in exactly the same place from which
it had risen.
The Monbas and Azes fought and struggled with
each other for the privilege of carrying the hero off
the ground on their shoulders, while the musicians
played the folk songs of the Azes.
At this juncture, Setos, Alcamayn and Cezardis
galloped into the ring, and began putting arrows
into the target as they rode by. Round and round
they went, sometimes shooting forward, more often
backward, first on a leisurely gallop, then on a dead
run. Suddenly they wheeled and headed for the
entrance where they were met by Yermah, Hanabusa
and Ben Hu Barabe, mounted on thoroughbreds,
armed with shields, horn-bows and quivers full of
murderous-looking arrows.
" Hih! hih! hih! " chorused the multitude, as the
horsemen made for the target, which was moving up
and down while revolving.
"Click-ety! click-ety! click-ety! click!" pattered
the horses' hoofs in a fine burst of speed.
" Wheel and fire ! " shouted the Dorado, suiting
the action to the word when nearly opposite the disk.
" P — sh ! " whistled the arrows as they hit the
target almost simultaneously.
" Three arrows full tilt ! " was the next command,
which was no sooner given than obeyed.
" Backward shot — three arrows ! Send them in
to the pole; then circle it and pull them out."
The horsemen were crisscrossing each other in
every direction, flinging sand into one another's
faces. The spirited animals were rearing and ca
reering, standing on their hind-legs or sitting back
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
on their haunches while this maneuver was being
executed.
"A souvenir for the women before we go! Let
every man of us put a dart into the post on a level
with our heads. Then race out of here together."
The horses bent themselves nearly double. With
mouths open and nostrils distended, they responded
to the impulse of bit and spur. While the spent ar
rows were vibrating like whipcords, they plunged
forward and raced for the entrance neck and neck,
urged to their utmost capacity by the fire-crackers
and bombs exploding at their heels.
The people rose en masse, and shouted themselves
hoarse, drowning the kettle-drums and gongs in the
general uproar. In the midst of it the horsemen
whirled and dashed back into the arena, in hot pur
suit of Yermah, whose head was almost level with
Cibolo's neck, as this splendid racer stretched himself
over the ground.
All the men had on wadded cotton tunics, covered
with bull's-hide armor, put together in strips and
riveted with brass bosses. They wore visored
helmets, and carried circular shields of burnished
bronze. Before they had encircled the ring, it
was evident that it was a sham attack on Yermah.
They tried to ride him down, but Cibolo foiled them
with an instinct almost human. They often fired at
the rider, but were never able to hit him.
Yermah returned arrow for arrow, sometimes
from behind his shield, sometimes forward, more
often backward, single arrows, and three at a time.
Throwing up his shield to protect himself, or dropping
over on the side of his horse so there was but one leg
over the saddle, on and on he went.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
At an unexpected moment, Yermah wheeled and
charged furiously, lassoing the horse ridden by Setos,
and then, by a skillful maneuver and a daring leap,
broke through the circle which had formed around
him.
He escaped into the tower of refuge — a low semi
circle in front of the pavilion — taking his captive
with him.
When Yermah rode out to receive the yew wreath
and red ribbon of valor, there was not an arrow in
his armor nor a dent in his shield. He had escaped
without a single scratch.
While his name was on every one's lips, he
modestly sought Keroecia. There were tears in her
eyes, which welled over on the two bright red spots
on either cheek, as she turned to greet him. Her
lips trembled, but she smiled while giving him her
hand. He sat down beside her almost equally over
come. Close to her ear he said earnestly, and but
little above a whisper:
" I love thee. It is thine opinion I value. All
else is naught."
He read his triumph in her eyes; she heard the
one declaration in the world for her. They were
alone in the crowd, whose unheeded plaudits came
to them in an impersonal sort of way.
They had a few minutes' respite from the duties
of the hour, a little season of quiet communion, while
a feeling of adoration welled up from their hearts
and submerged all the other senses. It created a
halo about them and moistened the shining eyes gaz
ing steadfastly at one another. Overpowering emo
tion rendered them speechless, while the soul union,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 225
the mating of their real selves, was consummated
in a wordless covenant.
During the eloquent silence each had knowledge
that the other had set up a shrine in the holy of
holies of their being which none of the trials of
after-life would desecrate, nor would either ever be
capable of violating its sanctity.
In this expression of love was that perfect blending
of ideality and desire which is the very essence of
marriage. It is the molding and cementing influences
which, in fortunate cases, so dominates such intimate
and close association that in old age they look, speak
and act alike. Nor does death finally take one and
leave the other.
The skill and dexterity of the bowmen, the wild,
fearless riding, the daring onslaughts, the imminent
risk of life and limb smacked strongly enough of
actual warfare to arouse the tiger which at our best
moments only sleeps within us.
Like true children of nature, these people entered
with much zest into the ridiculous performances of
a monkey and clown perched upon the backs of swift-
paced burros.
In the midst of this race, jugglers with balls, jave
lins, disks and parasols, gave exhibitions of their
skill, while heavy copper bars and hammers were
tossed and flung about with apparent ease. It was
a busy time with the gamblers and fortune-tellers,
as well as with the venders of all kinds of trinkets.
"Clang! clang! clang! clang!" sounded the big
gong.
" Clear the ring for the caribou race ! " shouted
the cazique, as he clattered by on horseback.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Clear the ring, everybody 1 This is the women's
race!"
While the performers were scurrying about, obey
ing this order by getting their belongings out of the
way as rapidly as possible, three chariots were driven
in, containing Keroecia, Ildiko and Alcyesta.
" Yermah, the victorious, challenges for the high-
priestess, Keroecia," announced the judges, as Yer
mah advanced to the head of the priestess's team.
In the deafening outburst following on all sides,
the caribou became unmanageable, and it was several
minutes before the entanglement could be straight
ened out sufficiently to warrant further procedure.
" Alcamayn of Tlamco, challenges for fair
Ildiko."
The little jeweler stepped out proudly and took
a position in front of the state carriage of the Azes,
the same ivory and gold vehicle which Yermah had
driven when Keroecia visited the Llama city.
" Ben Hu Barabe, of Anokia, challenges for Al
cyesta. The contest is for a gold cup, given by this
city. Partisans of each team must lay wagers lively.
Stand back, men, and give the women a chance!
Once and a half around the ring! Now for the
cup!"
The three chariots went over the chalk-line in a
fairly even start, and the sharp click of running hoofs
and the buzzing of the wheels told of the speed
being made.
It was easy to distinguish the racers. The wide
palmated horns made each runner instinctively pull
apart, so that bunching was impossible. Besides
this, the colors were very distinct.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
Keroecia wore yellow, with a jeweled agraffe and
girdle, while on her head was still the ingenious
crown of golden grains. Her chariot was of pale
green, elaborate in decorations of dull gold on raised
patterns. Streamers of the same color fluttered here
and there, and were threaded in a network over the
heads of the caribou.
Ildiko was in light blue, with an embroidered
Zouave jacket of black. A jeweled band confined her
long, crinkly white hair, while red and white cords
interlaced the wide-spreading horns of her racers.
Alcyesta's chariot was black, but rich in traceries
of silver and painted flower ornaments. She wore
a pink robe, with a silver agraffe and girdle, set with
pearls and turquoise. Pink and white cords trim
med her whip and tied the horns of the caribou.
For an instant the chariots moved side by side,
the women giving free rein, but withholding the
whips. At the first quarter, Ildiko led slightly; but
in attempting to round the curve of the half-goal,
Alcyesta caught a wheel in the post, snapping it in
two, like so much straw.
With such momentum, it was not possible to check
the speed, and before either could prevent it the
horns of Ildiko's and Alcyesta's teams were tightly
interlocked. Instantly there was a terrific hubbub.
Men from all sides ran to their assistance.
" Let us race it out ! " cried Ildiko.
"Agreed! " answered Alcyesta; and both women
laid on the lash forcibly, scorching the ground with
their flying wheels.
" Keep clear! Give them leeway! " shouted the
cazique, charging the crowd with his horse. The
caribou had shaken themselves loose.
228 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" It is a splendid race ! " cried the judges, as the
last quarter stake was passed.
" Run, Ildiko ! "
" Use thy whip, Keroecia ! Thou must not let
them beat thee after all! "
" Give them their heads, Alcyesta ! Thy reins are
too tight I "
The women were leaning forward talking to
the nervy roadsters, with hair flying over their
shoulders, ribbons fluttering, and the wheels fairly
singing as they flew past the chalk-line.
" It is an open race for the cup. Keroecia took no
advantage. Now she must run for it ! "
And she did. Saphis and Phoda knew her voice.
They caught her impulse as she loosed the rein, and
they went like the wind.
" Crack! crack! " snapped her tiny whiplash.
It seemed as if the caribou would jump out of their
skins. Not being accustomed to the whip, they were
much more frightened by its noise than by the sting
of its lash. Theirs was simply a mad headlong
plunge forward, taken in time to clear the first goal.
Ildiko and Alcyesta had enough to do in prevent
ing a break as their knowing animals neared the
scene of their former mishap. They were fearless
runners, and responded gamely to the lash ; but there
was an imperceptible hesitation, a disposition to shy,
and Keroecia whipped in a full neck ahead.
On she went around the ring, unable to control her
terror-stricken team. It was the whip laid on their
tender backs for the second time which rendered
them unmanageable.
" Hold them steady until they calm down," ad
vised the cazique, galloping beside her.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 229
Setos and Alcamayn hastened to Ildiko, assisting
her to alight, while Ben Hu Barabe carried his wife
through the crowd and set her down in safety be
fore turning his attention to Keroecia.
"Ho, Saphis! Ho, Phoda! Fear not, little
ones! Thou hast done nobly! Steady! Steady
now! Ho! Ho!"
She had braced herself against the front of the
chariot and was pulling back with all her might.
With a quick, sharp turn, the cazique reined up in
front of the vehicle just as Yermah caught the bit
of one of the caribou.
The sudden stop threw Keroecia across the dash
board. She quickly recovered her footing, bruised
and shaken, but much more concerned for the steam
ing, panting, high-strung winners than for herself.
She spoke soothingly to the animals, as she stroked
their ugly proboscis-like snouts, while they champed
their foam-flecked bits and gazed at her with still
a gleam of terror in their eyes.
As soon as the ring was cleared, the people set
tled themselves back and looked expectant. Fa
miliar as they were with a mammoth elephant there
was always something fascinating in its unwieldly
bulk.
The crowd had waited all day with characteristic
patience to see the tricks of some performing ele
phants, brought down by the Mazamas from the
far north, especially to honor Keroecia.
Zoyara, Cezardis and Zombra came through the
entrance dressed in black skin-tight garments ablaze
with mica spangles and barbaric jewels. They wore
gayly striped sashes around their waists, and ostrich
230 YERMAH, THE DORADO
feathers in the silver head-bands, while their arms
and ankles jingled with bracelets and bells.
Back of them came two keepers leading a pair of
tremendously large rusty-black, shaggy-coated ele
phants, with long, ivory tusks, which curved out
and curled up viciously. Zombra and Zoyara
stepped to one side. Cezardis called:
" Hear ye all ! These young and tender creatures
are in love. Sven here is about to offer himself to
the shapely Loke, whom he loves to distraction.
Bashful young men, please take notice ! This exhibi
tion is for thy especial benefit."
He gave both elephants a sharp prod with a
bronze-tipped goad which he carried. Sven began
to tremble all over. His huge loose skin, much too
big for his ponderous body, moved forth and back
mechanically, in well-simulated emotion, and the hair
raised in every direction as he approached Loke.
" Down on your knees, sir ! Down, sir," shouted
Cezardis, hitting him a heavy whack across his fore
legs. The elephant fairly shook the ground beneath
him as he came to a kneeling posture.
" Bow your head respectfully, sir ! " commanded
Cezardis.
Sven laid his ears close to his head, and drew his
trunk well under, giving himself a ludicrously shame
faced expression.
" Give Sven his answer, Loke. Answer, I say! "
Loke stuck her trunk up in the air, and with a dis
dainful toss of her head, waddled off in an opposite
direction, to the delight of the audience. Their
shouts of laughter were a signal to Sven.
He fell over on his side, and stiffened himself out
as if he were dead.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 231
"Oh, poor fellow! P-o-o-r fellow!" cried
Cezardis, with mock pathos. " I know how it is my
self, sir."
The elephant raised its head and looked at him.
" Think better of it, old man. Thou mayst have
had a lucky escape. Here comes her sister and hus
band. Let us stand to one side and observe how
they get on. Brace up, sir ! "
Sven and Loke were on the outside when the
keepers brought in the other pair of elephants —
Loke keeping her head in an opposite direction.
Cezardis gravely introduced the newcomers, and
then turned to the putative husband and asked:
" Didst thou have a good breakfast this morning,
sir?"
The elephant shook his head and trumpeted dole
fully. His mate stamped the ground indignantly,
then rushed at him, butting him in the side. He
whirled around and kicked at her. Then they locked
trunks and seemed bent upon annihilating each other
with their sawed-off stumpy tusks.
"How is this for married life, sir?" inquired
Cezardis.
Sven turned to his audience and winked prodigi
ously, while his sides shook as if he were convulsed
with laughter.
At this moment Loke picked up a saw-tooth palm-
leaf with her trunk, and hid her face.
Cezardis allowed the putative benedict to toss
him up in the air several times, and finally, by a
dexterous leap, landed between the mammoth's
ears.
" The long-looked-for elephant race is about to
begin. To give some idea of the individual gait,
232 YERMAH, THE DORADO
we shall first walk the animals, and then they will
trot side by side for points. Do not let the disgrace
ful conduct of the wedded pair weigh against them.
A bad breakfast tries the best of us."
There was a loud blare of trumpets and a vigor
ous beating of kettle-drums, while the spectators
cheered heartily, as Cezardis turned somersaults,
stood on his head, and played all sorts of pranks on
the back and above the ears of the elephant.
The animals walked first leisurely and then more
hurriedly around the ring. When the second round
was completed, Cezardis boldly slid down the trunk
of the leader, and with a graceful bow ran out of
the way.
The keepers adroitly arranged the elephants in
pairs, throwing a gourdful of capsicum into each
mouth, in order to increase their pace.
" The race begins! Close thy bets!" shouted
Cezardis.
The trainers of the animals used the goad un
sparingly, and soon the huge mountains of flesh were
stretching their tree-like legs to the utmost.
They trotted ponderously side by side for a few
moments amid the clangor of bells, the deafening
shouts of the multitude, and an ever-increasing tempo
of music.
" Sven and Loke lead the first quarter!" yelled
the judges.
" Their pace increases ! " cried everybody, and the
excitement was at fever heat when the elephants be
gan to trumpet.
Before they reached the half-stake they were all
galloping wildly, and the spectators were beginning
to look at each other with blanched faces.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
On the racing animals came round the turning-
point, trumpeting and bellowing furiously. Every
jump shook the ground under them like an earth
quake, until the pavilion itself rocked like a ship
at sea.
Fortunately, the race started near the entrance, and
the panic-stricken people were now scrambling reck
lessly, some through the wide-open gates, while others
clambered up for the highest seats where they hud
dled together and clung to one another frantically.
On the maddened animals came, with* their mouths
wide open and their swinging trunks sprinkling cap
sicum, copiously mixed with saliva, over everything.
They were in a compact mass, moving with all the
irresistible velocity of an avalanche, and growing
more and more terrified at their own freedom.
Great rivers of brine poured from their bulging
eyes, while their mouths drooled as if they were on
fire.
The unerring instinct which distinguishes their
descendants caused these forest monsters to fall into
line one behind the other, as they made for the open
air.
Men and animals fled before them in every direc
tion as they thundered down the valley, stampeding
everything for miles around. Their trumpetings
could be heard long after they were out of sight, and
it was easy to track them — for they beat down a
solid pathway fully a foot below the surface.
Cezardis and the keepers mounted and hastened
after them. After an hour's hard riding, they were
found, standing in the river industriously spouting
water over their unsubmerged backs.
" The heat and excitement has been too much for
234 YERMAH, THE DORADO
them," Cezardis said, making an ineffectual attempt
to stay the panic. " There is nothing to fear. It
is only their idea of a frolic."
To the keepers he said, " What under the sun
didst thou give the brutes? "
" A gourdful of capsicum," answered one of them.
" We knew thou wert in the habit of slipping a
pepperpod in their mouths when thou wouldst have
them appear lively. And," he naively continued,
" we knew they would be thirsty in the heat and
crowd."
" It will not be safe to take them back to the
pavilion. An elephant never forgets an injury, and
they would probably demolish the whole place if
they saw it again. Thou art sufficiently punished
by being obliged to remain here on guard, while
the feasting, music and dancing goes on, to-night. I
shall send thee covering and food," he promised, as
he swung into the saddle and started back.
The massive feet of the mammoths threw up
clouds of dusty sand, thickening the air like fog,
while the floor of the amphitheater looked as if it
had been newly plowed.
With their exodus the still terrified people rushed
out of the enclosure pell-mell. They pushed and
crowded through the gateways as if danger assailed
them from behind.
Those in the lead made great haste after they had
passed out, dragging their children by the hands,
while the little ones looked back over their shoulders
and cried as they ran along.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE FEASTING THE DANCING AND THE BE
TROTHAL CUP
THE sun was inclining well toward the west,
and there was a savory smell of roasted
meats, steaming vegetables and ripe fruits
assailing the olfactory nerves, and appealing strongly
to the inner man — the unchained tiger of the
stomach.
The children set up an impatient clamor for some
thing to eat, as they caught sight of the long, low
tables spread under the trees; but, there was a de
corum to be observed, which the elders rigidly en
forced.
Whole animals had been roasting through the
previous night in trenches twelve feet long, two feet
wide, and two feet deep. Fires were built in them,
and when thoroughly dried out, great spits were put
in half-way to the top, and over a bed of red-hot
charcoal the meat was cooked. During this proc
ess it was moistened frequently with spiced vinegar,
and a sauce piquante of chili, with which salt had
been freely mixed.
Beef, venison and bear-meat were prepared in this
way, while rabbits, wild turkeys, geese, ducks, quail
and small birds were roasted and stewed by separate
methods. Near the trenches, pots of curry, rice and
mutton were simmering over slow fires. Deep brass
235
236 YERMAH, THE DORADO
cylinders, with glowing charcoal in the bettor^ kept
steaming tamales ready for instant service.
There were great ash-heaps filled with sweet pota
toes roasted to a turn. Huge chafing-dishes con
tained beans, tomatoes, stuffed cucumbers and stews
of all kinds, while lettuce, cresses, red peppers,
radishes, leeks and onions were heaped upon the
tables in profusion.
Nasturtium seeds, capers and olives were among
the relishes. Great brick ovens hid many a fruit con
fection and pastry, and there were stacks of tortillas
fresh from the hands of the baker. Fresh curds and
honey were in liberal allowance on each table, while
large wicker baskets groaned with their burden of ripe
peaches, pears, apples, guavas, bananas, tunas and
pineapples.
On clean grass mats were water-melons, cantaloupes
and grapes while oranges, lemons, pomegranates and
quinces were among the candied and preserved fruits.
Walnuts, peanuts, filberts and pine-nuts by the
bushel, were at hand for service, while immense jars
were filled with pulque, metheglin, tequila and kou
miss. These drinks were called " zadar " meaning
to spin, as the head feels after indulging in them.
For the more soberly inclined there was chocolate
flavored with vanilla, and piled high with whipped
cream, served either hot or cold.
Cotton napkins and pottery ewers filled with water
were beside each earthenware plate. Despite their
impatience, the children were compelled to perform
ablutions the same as their elders, before sitting to
eat. For their use, lacquerware dishes were pro
vided.
Gay-colored silk lanterns hung from the trees,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 237
which were also garlanded overhead with ropes of
flowers, filling all gaps for the nonce and excluding
the too-searching sunlight. All made haste to sit,
while lips moved in silent thank-offerings.
The musicians played softly as Keroecia passed
rapidly along the lines, hospitably sprinkling ashes
of aloes and rosewater over the people. Many
kissed the hem of her garments, or murmured bless
ings or good wishes for her health and happiness.
With a bound she was up the steps of the canopied
dais upon which the tables were laid for herself and
special guests. Civil and military officers filled the
outer seats, while the priests and healers faced them.
At the inner table, Yermah sat on the right of
Keroecia, and Cezardis on the left. Facing them
at the opposite end was Alcyesta, with Zoyara and
Ben Hu Barabe. The intervening spaces were oc
cupied by Setos, Rahula, Alcamayn, Ildiko, Zombra,
Suravia, Hanabusa and Mineola.
Fragrant blossoms in the form of globes, stars and
cresents hung from the blue domelike canopy, while
fern brakes and loose bracken wound around the sup
porting columns. Vases of silver, gold and onyx, set
with jewels, supported the daintier blooms that
adorned the table, and plates and spoons of tortoise-
shells, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, contrasted sharply
with the white cloth.
Drinking-cups of polished horn, ewers of gold and
silver inlaid together, and hand basins of bright
enamel, made the table both elegant and luxurious.
As Keroecia approached, her guests arose and
joined in the shout " Ho-ra ! Ho-ra ! Ho-ra ! "
which went up from the multitude. With a simple
gesture, Keroecia bade them be seated. Then, with
238 YERMAH, THE DORADO
a sign of benediction to the four cardinal points, dur
ing which time all joined in her prayer, she seated
herself, and the feast began.
For three hours they ate, drank and made merry,
passing compliments and toasts along the lines of
tables, calling pretty sentiments across to one another,
until the verge of temperate indulgence was fully
reached. Long before this, the children had been re
leased from the table refreshed and ready for a
romp under the shade-trees. With a sigh of satisfac
tion, their elders waited for a signal to rise.
" A libation to the Ineffable One, the Indivisible, I-
am-I," called Ben Hu Barabe, standing back of his
wife, holding a patera cup of ivory, having a gold
tracery over its surface, and filled to the brim with
pulque.
" Om-ah I Om-ah ! Om-ah ! " was the reveren
tial response.
Ben Hu Barabe faced west, and with a graceful
sweep of the arm, poured the liquid on the ground.
" A libation to the Trinity, whose creative, de
structive and preservative aspects are everywhere
manifest," said Yermah, as he stood behind Keroecia,
and held up a jeweled cup evenly full of metheglin.
" Om-ah! Om-ah 1 Om-ah! " responded the as
semblage, as Yermah made a low obeisance to
the east, and poured out the offering with a wide
splash.
" A libation to the four elements of the All Power
ful — to earth, air, fire and water — to the four parts
of the heavens where His kingdoms are," said
Cezardis, rising, followed immediately by Zoyara,
Setos and Hanabusa, each holding an onyx and silver
cup brimming over with koumiss.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 239
Each faced a cardinal point and quickly emptied
his cup.
A crash of music mingled with the " Om-ahs ! "
and every eye turned expectantly toward Keroecia.
At this anniversary each year since Keroecia had
been among them, a bethrothal cup had been set in
the center of her table. It was the one day in the
year when she was privileged to choose a husband.
The marriageable men loyally showed themselves, but
stood with averted faces lest their intent gaze should
embarrass and disconcert her. Every one withdrew
from the table and left her free to act.
Would she merely bow her head and follow her
maidens, as she had done before, or would she re
turn the confidence of her people in full? She was
still standing as they left her, amid a feeling, impres
sive, and intense silence.
Quickly she called :
" Alcyesta, Suravia, Mineola, intercede for me ! "
Then she hastily signed to the musicians, and, soft
as a breath of ^Eolian harps, came the answering
notes. The three priestesses intoned in low, sweet
voices, stretching out their arms in supplication to
the north, west and south. Their bodies swayed
forth and back as they brought their open hands even
with their foreheads, palms downward, and then
opened their arms as wide as possible again, repeat
ing the process continually. Many of the women
were moved to tears as they heard the familiar
strains, while some of them mechanically joined in
the chant.
Since freedom and unconsciousness are the only ex
pressions of modesty, why, in the name of all that is
simple, sincere, and natural, is it considered wrong
240 YERMAH, THE DORADO
for a woman to give expression to affection. As
well might it be held a shame to live and breathe be
cause uninvited to be born. It may be that it is for
the harmony, delicacy, joy, mystery and beauty of
love that the .differences of sex should be recognized
in the right of initiative. Or the notion may lie
in the atavism of human nature which stands
trembling between the glory of its destiny and the
meanness of its achievement.
Keroecia had a naive, tender, shrinking, sensitive
nature, but one in which love clothed itself with many
charms and graces. There was no sense of original
sin hanging over her head to suppress, intimidate and
pervert her love nature. She knew no reason why
she should not select a mate. With the confidence
of this assurance, she picked up the betrothal cup.
The act combined the strength of the sea, the firm
ness of the mountains, the freedom of the winds, with
all the shy grace of the violet hidden by tall grasses
and veiled with dew.
The cup, a pale violet stone which had been
blocked out and ground down, was supported by a
slender golden stem, twisted and set with pearls and
emeralds.
Something of the import of Keroecia's action
dawned upon Yermah as he stood transfixed, pale
and agitated, while his very life seemed to hang upon
her every movement.
It was a woman's courage, born of love — the love
of giving herself wholly to the object of her choice.
Nerved by this feeling, she came toward him confi
dently, but with a timid smile and rising color, and
gave the cup into his trembling hands.
For a moment, he shrank back from her.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
" O God! My oath! " was wrung from his lips.
It was for an instant only.
" But I love her with all my soul ! " he cried, as
he knelt and kissed the preferred hand.
Ignorant and innocent alike of the cause of his
emotion, Keroecia sought to reassure him.
" The Monbas will love thee, too," she said.
" Hear their assenting shouts."
" Atlantis and her dependencies shall worship and
adore thee, as I do. Keroecia, my love, I shall be a
loyal husband to thee."
" As I shall be a dutiful and loving wife to thee ! "
The betrothed couple were nearly swept off their
feet by the crowds which surged around them. The
Monbas and Azes embraced each other, called one
another brother, and pledged fealty to the new al
liance.
Thus was the compact ratified.
Every one was anxious to talk the matter over with
his neighbor. So, they all sought their homes in ani
mated groups, leaving behind a scene of disorder.
Napkins were scattered wherever the last ablutions
were performed. Ewers and cups with their contents
had been frequently overturned. Fragments of food,
cooked and uncooked, some untouched and others
partly eaten, were abandoned by the sated appetite,
and left without further thought, until hunger should
recall their excellence.
In a short time the streets were silent and de
serted, the remaining hours of the day being devoted
to a siesta indoors. No one issued from his house
again until night unpinned a black curtain and rolled
it down over the earth.
When God had hung His lanterns in the sky, the
YERMAH, THE DORADO
people came together again. They went back to the
pavilion which was now a blaze of light from the
many flambeaux stuck into brass urns around the
high walls, augmented by hundreds of silk lanterns
festooned on wires stretching across to the center
pole. There was breeze enough to keep the flags in
motion, and to cause the lights to flicker fitfully, add
ing to the fairylike beauty of the scene.
The character of the music had entirely changed.
The kettle-drums were muffled and beaten with the
fingers only. Instead of the blare of trumpets, there
were harps such as the Yaqui Indians use, and differ
ing but little from the modern instruments.
Slabs of black and white marble covered the ring
floor, save where a wide passageway had been left
on all sides for use of the people in seating them
selves. The pavilion had been transformed into a
bower of roses and artificial trees.
Under a floral canopy, Keroecia, dressed in white
and silver gauze, sat with one of the judges on either
side of her. She was waiting to crown the victors.
The musicians made victory, love and triumph their
theme, as Yermah, escorted by Ben Hu Barabe, ap
proached and knelt to receive a crown of lilies and
a palm.
" Rise in thy majesty, bearer of the victorious
palm ! Go forth and renew thy triumphs, until the
sun comes again to strengthen thy lion heart. Peace
be with thee ! "
" Hear me, O Priestess ! Grant thy servant leave
to encircle thy slender fingers with a set of rings made
for thee, having the virtues of the planets and sent
with the blessings of the people of Tlamco," entreated
Yermah, kneeling.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 243
" Thy wishes and those of thy people are law unto
me," responded Keroecia, giving him her hand.
Alcamayn presented him with a cushion of purple
silk on which lay the seven rings.
" A sapphire set in gold, worn on the first finger,
brings the blessing of the sun," said the Dorado, slip
ping the ring on her finger. " Beside it I place a
bloodstone set in tin, to enlist Jupiter in thy welfare ;
the cautious guardianship of Saturn is in the turquoise
and lead, with which I encircle thy middle finger;
Venus, the goddess of love, governs the third finger,
and for an amulet demands an amethyst set in copper;
the moon inclines the heart of thy people toward
thee, and will bless thee with children, if a diamond
in silver setting is also placed on this finger."
Yermah lingered a moment over his task, and
looked up at Keroecia for approval.
" This curiously wrought band contains a magnet,
and is intended for the little finger, the throne of
Mercury, the wise one, who stands as an outer
sentinel to guard and strengthen love," he continued.
" The seat of will-power is in the thumb. Let
this serpent of iron with an emerald eye bring to thee
the warrior spirit of the planet Mars, subdued and
sweetened by the quality of Venus. May the All-
Seeing Eye supply thy inner vision, and may every
craving of thy heart be satisfied."
" Then must thou express the gratitude oppressing
me, when next thy voice is heard in the Llama city,"
replied Keroecia, as she motioned Yermah to rise.
Wreaths of bay-tree, of laurel in berry (whence
the term baccalaureate comes when it is given to young
physicians), olive, myrtle, and nasturtium vines were
bestowed and proudly worn by men who had con-
YERMAH, THE DORADO
tested for them earlier in the day. To the less suc
cessful, were given ribbons of red, blue, and green.
The whole scene was animated and brilliant. The
gayly dressed throng pushed and elbowed one an
other, paying little or no attention to the award of
prizes, in their desire to see and to be seen.
The dances were about to begin, and there was a
bevy of pretty girls ready to do their share. Up the
steps of the pavilion, dancing on their way, came
boys dressed as birds and butterflies, in garments of
blue, green, and yellow plumes. They ascended into
the artificial trees, moving from branch to branch,
pretending to sip dew from the flowers. Then came
the special guests, who were garbed like gods, having
blow-guns in their hands, with which they feigned to
shoot the birds.
Keroecia invited the visitors into her bower, and
gave them a mixture of rose-leaves and tobacco to
smoke.
Immediately the familiar strains of the harvest
dances were heard, and the people began to clap their
hands in accompaniment. From the four cardinal
points a line of dancers was forming, composed of
young girls dressed as fairies. The sylphs came from
the east, dressed in sheer white, made short and very
full, with graduated spangles of gold coming out
like a sunburst from the gold band at the waist.
Orange and jasmine blossoms wreathed their heads.
They danced quickly up to the pole in the center, and
took the yellow streamer hanging from the immense
flower parasol suspended over the top. Joining
hands, they waited for their companions.
Next came the salamanders, in parti-colored dresses
of flame-red and black, so thickly spangled with mica
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
that in the flaring light they looked as if sparks had
been showered over them. Their long black hair
was full of diamond powder, and they had red roses
and carnations on their heads. The same dainty
steps, with the hems of their stiff skirts in their
fingers, brought them to the center where they se
cured a red streamer.
Then came the undines, the water-sprites, dressed
in Nile-green gauze liberally trimmed with silver,
while their girdles were of silver filigree, shaped like
serpents. Their fluffy white hair was crowned with
lemon and citron blooms, and agraffes of silver were
also worn. They came from the west, and selected
a white streamer.
From the north came queer little hunchbacked
creatures, wearing conical caps which terminated in
sharp points. These gnomes sparkled with mineral
wealth, in jeweled bodices and caps, while their
skirts were earth-colored gauze, brightened by iri
descent sequins and embroideries. These dancers
picked up the remaining black streamer.
Slowly the columns began to circle around the pole,
going faster and faster until the streamers were
wound around it, and as often reversing the process.
Forming a square, they began a basket weave, during
which time little children ran forth and back to repre
sent the shuttle.
With a grand apotheosis of the seasons, during
which each group danced separately, and, finally, all
together, they bowed, threw kisses to Keroecia, and
ran off the platform.
A few minutes afterward, each square of marble
was occupied by a young woman dressed as a priest
ess, in long, voluminous robes of pale pink, lavender,
246 YERMAH, THE DORADO
blue, and white, with double and single key patterns
marked out in black. The necks, the bottoms of the
skirts, and the edges of the sleeves were so orna
mented. Gold bands coiled around the back part of
the head and held the long hair in place. Sandals,
having pointed toes curling well up over the foot,
and laced together with gold cords, completed their
costumes.
The dancers were placed so as to form a repre
sentation like the maze of Dasdalus, and each whirled
separately and at such a rate as to confuse the be
holder.
Ildiko took a parti-colored handkerchief and chal
lenged Alcamayn to follow her. * The dancers kept
up the whirling wherever she was, while the others
held their interlaced hands high over their heads and
danced in an indescribable labyrinth.
In and out darted Ildiko, with a tantalizing fling
of the handkerchief, taxing all Alcamayn's ingenuity
to follow, especially when the spectators sought to
mislead him by an incessant clamor of gratuitous ad
vice over and above the hand-clapping. Finally, he
succeeded in securing a corner of the square, which
he retained, dancing with Ildiko up in front of the
pavilion.
As soon as Keroecia recognized them, the whole
group prostrated themselves before her, and then
rising simultaneously, executed a serpentine dance, in
which all the colors were beautifully blended.
As the music ceased, the crowd began moving to
ward the gates, and soon after, quiet reigned supreme.
Yermah gained courage from the unfailing kind
ness shown him everywhere. It loosed his tongue,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 247
and he longed to talk of his hopes and plans. Lover-
like, he was tormented with curiosity concerning the
minutiae of Keroecia's life ; so he lingered the greater
portion of the next day at her house.
These two indulged in the dearest, sweetest possi
ble exchange of confidences. The revelations they
made amounted to nothing in themselves, yet were
priceless treasures to the recipients.
Halting sentences, eloquent silences, phrases
broken by kisses sweeter than honey of Hybla, ex
planations emphasized by a caressing touch of the
hand, tones and accents whose inner meaning was
made plain by a love-lit eye, all the sweet nothings
talked heart-to-heart by lovers gave them several
hours of unalloyed happiness.
" I am of the same descent as thou art, my be
loved," said Keroecia, as Yermah drew her head to
ward him, and kissed the hair where it parted on her
forehead.
" How art thou related to me except by the silken
cords of affection?" he asked, ready to indulge her
for the sake of hearing her talk.
" Because years ago, my ancestry came from At
lantis."
" Very true, the lans were originally from Atlantis,
but they have long made war on Nimrod's descend
ants."
" Oppression and ill-use drove them to rebellion.
They were forbidden to worship as I do, and for this
reason they set themselves free."
" I went directly to Nineveh, a callow youth, un
gainly, beardless and without discretion — "
" Wouldst thou have me quarrel with thee? " de
manded Keroecia, as she held her hand tightly over
248 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Yermah's mouth. He shook his head, and with his
hands imprisoned the audacious member.
" Then thou must not abuse my property," she con
tinued, with an engaging pout.
" Wouldst thou have loved me then? " he asked.
Being satisfied with her reply, he added: " There I
performed the first labor of initiation."
"What meanest thou, by initiation? Is it some
thing Akaza teaches thee? "
" Initiation is a task imposed upon me by the
Brotherhood of the White Star in my father's court.
When I have finished the labors I shall be of the
Brotherhood myself. This is necessary for a Grand
Servitor."
" Tell me of thy journeyings," she said, nestling
close beside him, yet with a coyness and reserve all
her own. " Thou hast traveled very far."
" The second year was spent at l Memphis, Egypt,
where I performed the second labor. Then I went
among our colonists in 1 Phoenicia; thence to the
1 Etruscans, where I learned to work in metals; then
among the 1 Kelts, where I learned bow-craft; thence
to the l Vikings and the land of the 1 Basques. Re
turning to Poseidon's kingdom, I set sail for the land
of the 1 Incas; and from there I came to Tlamco, the
last outlying colony of the 1 Toltecs, one of the three
main tributaries to the Grand Servitor Poseidon.
Art thou satisfied? " he asked.
" Not quite. Hast thou loved no one all these
years? "
' Yes; and very much," confidently assented Yer-
mah.
Kercecia shrank back as if a blow had been dealt
1 Modern names preferably used.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 249
her. Everything swam before her, and she was
faint and wan.
" Whom? " she gasped.
" Myself," said Yermah, holding her tightly.
"Art thou jealous?"
" Not now," she replied, with a look that en
chanted her admirer.
" Wilt thou hear other confessions ? I can accuse
myself of much more."
" And compel me to love thee the more for them
all. Thou shalt leave me sufficient mind for beset
ting affairs," answered Keroecia.
" Wouldst thou have me for thy slave? "
" No. But I would be thine."
" Lend thy confidence fully, that I may worship
where thou art pleased, and abhor that which offends
thee."
' That which I value most of all my possessions is
this distaff given me by my mother," said Keroecia,
bringing forward a slender strip of bamboo, not-
much larger than a darning-needle, lightly weighted
with pellets of clay.
It had a jeweled handle and a wheel of hardwood,
polished and set with mother-of-pearl. A tiny shell
served for a socket, should the weight of the spindle
prove too heavy for the gossamer threads used.
" Wilt thou spin? " asked her companion, placing
a seat for her.
With girlish eagerness and gratified pride, Ke
roecia sat down so intent upon a display of dexterity
and skill that she was unconscious of the fact that
her soft clinging skirts were tightly drawn over one
leg the entire length, and high enough to reveal the
ankle and instep to good advantage. With the other
250 YERMAH, THE DORADO
foot she set the treadle going, and soon her shapely
arms were following the flying shuttle. The well-
poised head, the long, slender throat, and the regular
rise and fall of a perfect bosom helped to complete
the poetry of her motions, and Yermah feasted his
eyes while she worked.
Glancing upward by chance, Keroecia caught the
expression of his face, but was by no means displeased
because she saw desire mirrored there.
Who can resist the intoxication of the senses ? —
especially their instinctive pledge, which does not rise
to the mental plane, but is merely a matter of exqui
site feeling on both sides.
In his agitation, Yermah busied himself clumsily
with the spider-web threads, and soon had them hope
lessly entangled. He was so genuinely distressed
when they broke that his companion hastily put the
wheel away and substituted an instrument like the
zither, only much larger, played with thimbles of
tortoise-shell fastened to the fingers.
Keroecia sang a plaintive love-song to her own
accompaniment. When she had finished, Yermah
sat down beside her and slipped his arm around her
waist.
" Something in thy song makes me sad. Tell me
again that thou wilt be happy as my wife."
She patted his cheek tenderly and gave the as
surance.
" And wilt thou pray that children may bless and
sweeten our lives together? "
Kneeling beside him, she promised. Seeing that
he was still in a serious mood, she said soothingly:
" Let not ungentle doubt knit thy brow. For all
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 251
time, and for all eternity, I give myself to thee ab
solutely and without reserve."
" And I bind my soul to cherish and love thee al
ways. Thou art a jewel imbedded in my very heart's
core. Hast thou a wish in my power to grant? "
She stroked his temples gently for a moment, and
then said:
" Thou art both skilled and learned, and I delight
in thy achievements. Hast thou shown all thy qual
ity? Thou art as modest as a violet, but thou hast
said that thou wilt do much to please me. Make me
to know thy handiwork, and it shall be to me above
rubies."
It was such artless flattery that Yermah promised
with swelling pride and an inward conviction that his
every thought and wish would find a quick response
and ready sympathy in her companionship.
After this they talked but little, much of their time
being spent in the strange silent awe of perfect love.
With a pretty show of confidence which thrilled
Yermah, Keroecia lifted his disengaged hand and car
ried it to its fellow, which was yet about her waist,
and of her own accord added slightly to the pressure.
Baffled by the subtle change of expression which ac
companied this movement, Yermah asked quickly:
" What is it, loved one? "
" I feel securely sheltered from all the world," she
said, " when thy strong arms enfold me. I wonder
if thou canst realize what a complete haven I feel
that I have in thee? "
" Not more than I find in thy sweet mind, thy pure
soul, and thy warm heart," he answered, as he kissed
her 'forehead, eyes and lips.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
He had taken her fully into his protecting care.
She leaned on him without restraint and suffered her
eyelids to droop for a moment. Gradually both of
them yielded to a sense of weariness — a reaction in
evitable from the tension of the previous days.
Drowsiness came on apace, but sleep claimed Yer-
mah an instant only. With a tenderness akin to holi
ness, he occupied himself with Keroecia's comfort.
He was completely subdued by her helplessness, and
she was in every sense sacred to him.
" She trusts me," he whispered softly, as he ob
served the relaxation of her pose.
In his gentleness and solicitude, there was that in
cipient quality indicated which would make him a
kind and indulgent father.
She was to him still such a wonderful being that he
was intensely interested in her personality. Curious
as a boy with a new toy, he longed to arouse her,
yet hesitated to do so. He felt diffident about
touching her. Before he could decide what to do,
she had opened her eyes with a start.
" Beloved, I thought thou hadst left me," she
murmured, only half-awake.
" No. I am still beside thee. We have both
been in dreamland, but thou art more laggard than
I."
" I am much refreshed," she said, apologetically.
" Thou wilt pardon my neglect? "
. " I, too, am renewed," he answered, stroking her
hair affectionately.
*******
" Thou wilt not forget me when thou art engrossed
with affairs of state? " she asked wistfully, as they
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 253
stood together in the twilight taking leave of each
other.
He was to go away at daybreak the following
morning, and she elung to him in longing farewell.
" Remember this," he answered, taking her face in
his hands, and looking deep into her eyes : " Nothing
can for one moment blot out thy dear image. The
first thought of the day, the last thought of the night
is of thee."
" Thou art my whole desire and inspiration.
Memory serves thee faithfully. May the energy of
the cosmos conserve thy strength of purpose, thy
health and happiness," was Keroecia's reply.
" To Him who was in the beginning, and shall en
dure to the end without mutation or change, I com
mend my sweet love. May angels of content hover
over thee, Keroecia, my treasure ! "
A tender, lingering embrace, a shower of kisses on
eyelids and lips, and then the princess stood alone,
straining her eyes into the dark, trying to retain a
glimpse of her departing lover.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE JEWEL BOOK AND WHAT CAME OF IT
ON the way home, and for days after his ar
rival at Tlamco, Yermah thought of what
he should do to please Keroecia. She had
said that she wanted to know of all his handiwork
and achievements, so he studied out a plan to fulfill
her wishes.
Being a master in metallurgy, a skillful artificer,
and an expert diamond lapidary, he decided to make
her a tablet of stones, which should be a book of
his life, confident that she understood the language
of the genii, since her father's court copied the letters
used in their cuneiform writing from the arrow-head
crystals imprisoned in sapphires.
Yermah's belief was that gold, silver and the
precious stones had but one foundation in nature.
They were simply augmentative thought, purified
and perfected through the operation of magnetic
life. This power was invisible and unattainable
under ordinary circumstances, and unknown to all
except the alchemist.
With him all yellow gems and gold were appro
priate to wear for Sunday, either to draw down pro
pitious influences or to avert antagonistic effects.
On Monday, pearls and white stones (not dia
monds) were worn, because this is the day of the
moon, the second power in nature.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 255
Tuesday, the day of Mars, claimed rubies and all
crystallization of a fiery luster.
Wednesday was the day of the turquoise, sapphire
and all species of stones which seem to reflect the
blue vault of heaven, and to imply the lucent azure
of the spiritual atmosphere where the sylphs dwell
— those elementals who are always striving to com
municate with mortals, because they desire immor
tality.
Thursday demanded amethysts, and richly colored
stones of sanguine tint, because the day is correlated
to the male divine sacrifice.
Friday, Venus's day, had emeralds and reigned
over all green stones.
On Saturday, diamonds, signifying the great
deep, were worn, because Saturn's rule is death to
the physical, but birth to the spiritual nature.
" The first effect abides as long as the thing re
mains," said the Dorado to Alcamayn, as they exam
ined and assorted some uncut turquoises brought from
the mines in the Cerrillos Mountains, in New Mexico,
then a flournishing Toltec settlement.
Opals came from Zinapan, pearls from La Paz,
emeralds from Peru, and diamonds from Brazil,
while the rubies had been lately sent from Montana
by Orondo. There were beautiful sapphires from
the Caucasus, secured by barter with Keroecia's
people.
" All things material have a proper form," an
swered Alcamayn, " and are subject to certain con
ditions. Gems, being material, derive virtue from
a specific shape, and are likewise subject to the influ
ence of the planets."
256 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" I require four stones for my purpose, and will
see to it that the symbol engraved has the same qual
ity as the stone itself, in order that its strength may
be doubled," continued Yermah.
;< To be efficacious, this book must be made by
election," rejoined Alcamayn. " Each stone must
be worked at the hour its particular planet's position
is strongest. This will prolong the good aspect for
ever, unless the stone is broken."
" The sapphire reflects the blue of heaven, and be
longs to the Bull," explained Yermah, critically ex
amining some polished gems, having arrow-head
crystals standing out in startling distinctness in the
prismatic colors. Sometimes they appeared in
clouds, again in fields, shifting their scenes as often
as he changed the focus. " This shall be placed in a
square of gold."
'' The house of the Twins requires an agate, which
is the natal stone of the priestess Keroecia," ob
served Alcamayn, handing the Dorado a beautifully
marked moss-agate.
" Let that be placed in the gold below the sapphire.
The emerald pictures the depth of the sea, and is the
delight of its parent, the Light Bringer. It shall be
in the third place."
" The first gem for the blue square is a topaz,"
said Alcamayn, " which rules the Lion, thy house of
nativity."
" This pale pink coral, with its delicate leaf-work,
shall be its companion. It is of our common country,
and will out-tongue my feeble words in its own be
half," the Dorado continued.
" Here is a dewdrop laden with sunbeams," said
the little jeweler enthusiastically, as he opened a
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 257
square of maguey fiber, and disclosed a first-water
brilliant.
" Equilibrated love could have no better expo
nent," assented Yermah, sharing his enthusiasm.
" The bow and dart are here at rest in the sign
Libra, where the Lord of Day begins his journey
through the nether world. This sparkling thing
shall find rest beside the coral branch fresh from the
brine of Atlantis."
" The scarlet block must have a fiery opal, and
I have here an exquisite finding, recently brought
from the Toltec kingdom," exclaimed the jeweler.
" This shall typify the sting of the scorpion, which
is the separation forced upon us. Its changing hues
shall be to her a sign that three lunations more com
plete my exile, and then comes joyous union. Put
this in the first place, and with it a turquoise for
the present time, when all my thought is of thee,"
he continued, unmindful of Alcamayn's presence.
" The ruby mirrors my imprisoned soul, which awaits
release into the sunshine of thy love."
Alcamayn was looking over a handful of garnets.
Finally he found a suitable one, and laid it at the
top of the purple square.
"This shall be the opening page," said Yermah;
" and I will so cunningly fashion it that Keroecia
shall go with renewed zest from one chapter to an
other. When she has my whole life spread out
before her, I shall conceal the spring, so that she
may not close it again. It will be to her a pledge
of constancy."
" I like not this amethyst," commented Alcamayn,
" but we have no other stone large enough."
" The sign of the fishes is well represented by a
258 YERMAH, THE DORADO
pearl," rejoined Yermah. " Hast thou black and
white gems sufficient in size? "
" Here is one of each, ovum-shaped and perfect.
Thou canst fashion the fishes of the amethyst and set
the two pearls between."
" A square of jasper gives promise of fulfillment.
As the verdant earth responds to the warming rays
of the sun newly come out of the region of cold and
darkness, so man's heart is warmed into life by love.
Canst thou make room for me among the lapida
ries?" he asked, turning to Alcamayn in direct ap
peal. " I desire to work with these materials my
self."
i( Wilt thou grant me leave to make thee com
fortable here? Thou mayst command me in all
things," said Alcamayn, proud of his knowledge of
the craft, and flattered because he had been con
sulted in a matter so personal and delicate.
They were in the treasure-room of laqua, and it
was not long before Yermah had a temporary work
shop improvised in a corner where he had a good
light, but was screened from observation.
In addition to a copper wheel and the necessary
tools, there was a vessel filled with a carbonate of a
brownish-green, opaque color, porous like pumice,
and as hard as a diamond, which he used for polish
ing and cutting. An emery-wheel and a ewer of
olive oil were also at hand.
The Dorado spent a portion of each day in this
work-shop, and while employed at his labors of love,
he either hummed or whistled the plaintive melody
Keroecia had sung for him.
The gold plates which Yermah had so dexterously
contrived were put together on the principle of a
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 259
screen, in four sections, containing three stones each,
set solid. The first strip was of purple enamel, the
second gold, the third blue, the fourth red. At the
four cardinal points were squares of gold, with stone
intaglios.
When folded, the east and west formed a clasp,
which had a spring concealed on the reverse side.
As soon as Keroecia received the tablet of stones,
she dispatched Ben Hu Barabe and Alcyesta to
Tlamco with a pair of golden eagles for Yermah.
These birds were carefully trained in falconry, and
were highly prized because of their sagacity, courage
and skill. She also sent him the filmy muslin square
with its broken and tangled threads, just as he had
left it. With it went a diamond ring set with
brilliants all the way around. She obeyed the re
quest accompanying the tablet, and did not open
it until the three days specified had elapsed, being
careful, also, to observe the exact time named.
It was Yermah's first attempt at telepathy; but
as Keroecia turned the key in the elaborately carved
ivory box, she felt his thought distinctly. She spoke
and acted as if he were actually present.
A delicate odor of jasmine filled the room, and
Keroecia was so eager and nervous that she fumbled
clumsily with the neatly rolled maguey fiber, thin and
soft as a spider's web, on which the accompanying
message was written.
" The book has two parts," said Suravia, when
Kercecia uncovered a thick gold wheel having de
pressed spokes and a hub which acted as an upright
standard. The representation was perfect, and on
what corresponded to the felloes were the blossom
260 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and leaf of the siempra viva in an elaborately chased
design.
" How thoughtful and delicate ! " exclaimed
Kercecia, as she recognized the flower, and recalled
the occasion of its choice.
" Press the spring in the clasp, and then my life
is before thee as an open book," she read, looking
at the three uppermost stones in the closed tablet.
" This is the language of the genii ! " she cried,
" and has a pearl, an amethyst, and a garnet."
" Which means modesty, sincerity and constancy,"
declared Mineola, who was of the party.
" Sincerity of speech and freedom from slanderous
thoughts," continued Keroecia. " Wisdom, cour
age, patience, and the power to keep those who serve
loyal. Fidelity in every engagement — "
" Where seest thou this? " asked Suravia, looking
intently, but unable to distinguish so much.
" I know not," answered Keroecia. " The divine
gift of song is also here, with a low sweet voice and
love of home for my portion."
" Seest thou this flying eagle with an arrow in its
claws?" asked Mineola, pointing to the green jade
intaglio, on a square at the top.
" His thought is always of me," murmured
Keroecia. " See how perfect the polish and how
exquisite the cutting."
" The bottom has a black onyx square with an
altar and fire," said Suravia, gazing curiously at the
opposite end.
" This will keep the heart cheerful and merry, be
cause it foretells deathless union — "
" Be merciful to our curiosity, by touching the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 261
spring which conceals the other chapters," cried both
girls in a breath.
" I cannot tell why — but I feel as if something
were going to happen. How strange the light is ! "
The priestess still held the tablet in her hand, but
went to the window and looked out. " Dost thou
not think a storm is approaching? "
" Let us put back the curtains which keep out the
light," said Suravia, suiting the action to the word.
" Low-hanging clouds oppress the upper air. But
this is nothing."
" Thou hast no cause for apprehension," said
Mineola, kindly. " Thou hast all the world to
make thee content."
Thus gently urged, Keroecia came back to the
table, accidentally setting the gold wheel in motion as
she approached.
" Dost thou notice that the square indentations in,
the inner circle of the wheel are the same size as the
top and bottom?" asked Suravia, intent on her dis
covery.
" And dost thou see that the clasps are the same
size?" asked Alcyesta, whose quick eye had already
noted the resemblance.
Keroecia was still pale and unaccountably agitated.
Finally she said, with her thumb on the spring :
" I am face to face with Fate! But — Yermah
loves me, so why should I fear? "
She pressed the spring and the screen spread out
instantly. In the center was a slip of parchment,
on which was written : " When once my heart opens
unto thy loving touch, never again canst thou close
it."
YERMAH, THE DORADO
Woman-like, they all exclaimed at once, and were
in a flutter of excitement over the beauty of work
manship, the flight of fancy, and the loving senti
ments expressed in this novel fashion.
" Did I not tell thee the squares would fit into the
wheel?" demanded Suravia, when she finally man
aged to make herself heard.
" Let us try it," said Kercecia. " Thou art
right. It fits perfectly. The tablet is square, but
the wheel is circular, which is in itself a great mys
tery with the Azes."
The priestess blushed scarlet as she realized that
she had betrayed her study of Yermah's religion.
" Tell us about it," demanded both auditors,
eagerly.
" To circle the square, means to find the perfect
way of living," she answered.
" And he means to say that his life with thee will
be perfect? He is the square, thou art the circle? "
" It were more worthily put the other way," an
swered Keroecia, touched by his tenderness and devo
tion.
" See the clasps," said Mineola. " At the eastern
point is a man's figure with a bull's head, holding a
spear over his left shoulder, from which hangs a
hare."
" What a quaint, odd symbol of himself ! " said
Keroecia, smiling.
" Placed opposite the balances, it will keep his be
loved in health and preserve her from despair," said
Suravia.
" Why sayest thou balances? " asked Keroecia.
" Dost thou not see that the stones corresponded to
the zodiac? The diamond blazes like the sun in a
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 263
clear sky," answered Suravia, pointing to the blue
square.
" I have only eyes for this beautiful hyacinth in
the opposite clasp. It looks as if smoke were rising
from it. Now it glows like a burning coal," cried
Mineola.
" Cut deep in its smooth surface is a woman with
her arms asunder, like a cross, and having a triangle
on her head," commented Keroecia.
" The stone is in the house of the Lamb, the be
ginning and renewal time of Nature. Therefore,
art thou given refreshing sleep and quick recovery
from fatigue," returned Mineola.
" The desire and thought of both is centered on
the altar."
Keroecia was speaking to herself, and lightly
touching the blocks with their intaglios marking the
four cardinal points.
" Thou art right in adoring him," declared
Suravia, enthusiastically. " In the first block of
gold is a sapphire, meaning that the language of this
book is the same as that thy childhood knew; and the
agate below it is thy birth-stone."
" The emerald underneath both has a perfectly
straight and smooth surface; so there shall be no
darkening shadows thrown over thee," said Mineola.
" The topaz and coral in the next block pertain
to thy future home; and the diamond placed under
them symbolizes the water which surrounds it,"
read Suravia.
" It will also be thy home — and thine too,
Mineola. I cannot be happy parted from thee."
Each one of the girls affectionately embraced and
kissed her in turn.
264 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" The ruby contains an imprisoned soul," said
Mineola, looking again at the tablet. " There is a
perfect asterisk in the center. How tender! How
beautiful ! How sweet is the language of love ! He
intends to say that his heart awaits the freeing touch
of thy devotion to release it from apathy, and warm
it into life. Thou art indeed blest and fortunate."
" Thou shalt not read backward," declared
Suravia. " The first stone in the red ground is an
opal. It must bring a precious message, since it is
the only gem which man cannot imitate."
" It has a changeable character, and is in a moving
sign — ."
A piercing scream from Keroecia startled them,
and before either companion could prevent it, she
fell to the floor in a deathlike swoon. Mineola ran
to the courtyard, where a water jar, overgrown with
green timothy, swung from the portico, and brought
back a gourdful of ice-cold water. Suravia knelt
beside Keroecia and sprinkled her face liberally.
" Speak to thy handmaiden," she cried. " Speak,
I beseech thee ! "
In their excitement they did not notice that the
room was suddenly growing dark, and that the cool,
moist air had become close and stifling.
" Use the fan gently," said Suravia, with a sharp,
peremptory ring in her voice. Mineola made no an
swer. She was praying.
Keroecia recovered her senses with a start. She
seemed dazed for a moment; then she sat bolt up
right, gasping for breath pitifully.
"What has distressed and hurt thee so?" asked
Mineola with quivering lips, kneeling beside her
and offering support.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 2G5
The sound of a voice seemed to recall Keroecia's
wandering senses.
"O God! Give me courage!" was her ago
nized cry. " My beloved is vowed to celibacy, and I
must die ! "
" What sayest thou ?"
" Keroecia, what dost thou mean? "
" Tell us fully," they both said at once.
" Didst thou not see ? In the opal — It was so
from the beginning! O Thou Merciful One, take
thy wretched servant ! What have I done ? Shame
everlasting is my portion ! "
"Why did he not tell thee of his vow?" asked
Suravia, a note of rising indignation in her voice.
"How could he? I am to blame. He would
not humiliate and degrade me before my people."
She gave way to a paroxysm of heart-breaking
grief, while Mineola, weeping in sympathy, sought
to console her.
Suravia went back to the tablet. The opal was
entirely opaque; not a particle of its fire and sparkle
was visible.
" I will see what the other stones have to reveal.
The sensitive turquoise, the forget-me-not of gems,
lives and suffers as we do. It has the power of re
production, and by its employment the Dorado in
tended to express a hope for the future. But this
symbol of youth, love and tenderness seems to have
shriveled in size, and has turned to a sickly green.
Beside it is the sympathetic ruby faded to a pale
coral. Misfortune — "
A sharp, swaying, rocking movement, sending the
windowpanes to the ground with a crash, and throw
ing the women against each other violently, blanched
266 YERMAH, THE DORADO
their faces and caused them to cling together for
support. A deafening explosion followed, and then
the cry of her panic-stricken people aroused Ker-
oecia.
" Run for thy lives ! " shouted a voice in the
street. " The mountains are smoking and spitting
fire! Quick! quick! quick! Run!"
They barely escaped in time to miss the falling
walls. In the streets an indescribable scene was being
enacted.
What is now known as Lassen Peak sent up a
long fiery column, and the earth heaved and groaned
under the exertion.
Ashes, smoke and lava began pouring down the
sides of the peak, and there was a mad rush of wild
animals, coming to man in their mute helplessness
from the rocking mountains hemming in the little
valley.
Suddenly the gloom was lighted by a meteoric
shower, which for an hour made the heavens blaze
in a magnificent electrical display. A terrific crash
of thunder followed, then an ominous rumble, ending
in a long groan which seemed to rend the bosom of
the trembling earth.
Red-hot stones and burning cinders fell like a
storm of fire upon the whole surrounding country.
Land surfaces subsided and rose again like immense
chests in regular and lusty breathing. The rubble
walls and battlements of the pavilion fell as a pack
of cards.
A second shock leveled every house, and brought
trees and rocks crashing down the mountain sides,
dealing death and destruction everywhere. The
whole artillery of the heavens was in action, drown-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 267
ing the feeble cries of man, dying terror-stricken in
the heaps of ruins.
Lizards, snakes, rats, mice, and moles raced madly
in every direction, while timid owls and other birds
flew close to the ground and screeched in their fright
and bewilderment. The larger animals huddled
close together, while the dogs howled dismally.
A little handful of men and women, surviving the
first terrific shocks, attempted to escape over the lower
range of hills, but, to their horror, a yawning gulf
opened at their feet.
Moving in sinister majesty and strangeness, was
a bottomless abyss, impassable in width and several
miles long. Before their very eyes, it swallowed up
human beings, houses and forests, grinding and
crushing them between its gigantic jaws. With an
other terrific wrench, it belched them up again, fol
lowed by a deluge of steam, mud and hot water.
The river lying below Anokia had deserted its
natural bed, driven before the avalanche of lava, and
the sea of mud, vapor, gas, black smoke and effluvia
showed where it had forever disappeared through a
crevice.
A thick shower of ashes filled the air. The earth
undulated and quivered for a few seconds, and then
a tempest of lightning and hail cleared the suffocating
atmosphere.
In the lurid flashes could be seen the oscillation
forth and back as if the very heart of Mount Lassen
were being torn out. Its black vomit, streaked with
red, trailed like a snake over the floor of the valley,
setting fire to the combustible wreckage, and steal
ing up the base of the peak as well.
Keroecia led her little band of devoted followers
268 YERMAH, THE DORADO
up the high mountain walling in the western side of
the valley. The subterranean rumblings sounded in
her ears like the drum-beating on stumps of trees or
logs done by the wings of male pheasants when they
are calling to their females.
" I hear not the call of a mate. It is death —
and thou art welcome ! " she said, turning a pale but
composed face to the burning heights.
" Thou hast heard my prayer ! " she continued,
stretching out her arms in supplication. " Thou
hast granted me the purification by fire ! Thy spirit
laughs and licks out long tongues of flame straight
from thy fiery throat ! Thy countenance is wreathed
with smiles, for me, O Death! But if consistent
with thy will, spare these children of the forest.
They share not my humiliation, degradation and
despair."
A hissing, howling hurricane stormed and raged
around them. With a convulsive lurch the ground
underneath shivered, and finally the elevation on
which they stood was rent in twain from top to
bottom.
One half collapsed and fell in, while through the
kettle-shaped opening in the valley swept a flood of
mud, scoria and molten lava, which completely sub
merged the burning ruins. The rain fell in a solid
sheet, but now the hot air and steam rising from
below tortured them with heat.
Suddenly a dog, maddened with terror, leaped into
the seething cauldron, and its cry was stifled by a
sizzling, crackling sound, as the poor creature was
crisped to a cinder.
Those who clung to life made frantic leaps over
the frightful precipice to the other side, only to be
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 269
dashed to pieces in the valleys below. The whole
district was overwhelmed with lava and hot water
pouring out from the lesser peaks around the center
of activity. Despite the gales of wind and the heavy
downpour, sulphur and other noxious gases per
meated the upper air, so that long before the lava
crept up and ingulfed them, death by suffocation
overtook the wretched remnant.
In their extremity the people obeyed Keroecia im
plicitly, and many touching exhibitions of heroism
marked their last moments. They huddled together
at the root of a sequoia gigantea, newly wrenched
out of the ground. Nor did they refuse shelter to
a grizzly bear, a mountain lion, some wolves, some
wild sheep, a colony of snakes, nor the birds hover
ing in the air, screeching in abject terror or stupefied
beyond resistance.
The twisting, crackling swish of the trees, the
thundering clatter of the rocks shaken loose, and
bounding downward with prodigious velocity, passed
unnoticed by the martyrs looking at death, calmed
and awed by the terribly destructive fury of animated
nature.
Keroecia gathered Suravia and Mineola in her
arms protectingly, and waited for the end. Up to
the very last she sought to comfort and console her
companions, so worn with fatigue and excitement
that they made no further effort.
Some had already crossed the dark waters; others
were gasping their last, when death touched her —
and she slept.
With the passing of her spirit, Keroecia groaned as
she remembered how she sat at the spindle, and of
the answering look she then gave Yermah.
270 YERMAH, THE DORADO
To the everlasting honor and glory of woman
kind be it said, that she never sinks so low in the
moral scale as to be indifferent to the opinion of the
man she loves. Loss of his respect crushes and kills
— not the physical, but all that is essentially woman
in her nature.
Showered with affectionate appreciation, she
reaches her highest development; for love is as
necessary to her growth as is sunshine to a plant.
Denied it, woman can at best but droop and die.
Since learning that Yermah was not free to espouse
her, Keroecia was appalled and overwhelmed with
the knowledge that she had allowed him to surprise
her secret thoughts — to guess accurately at future
possibilities.
" It is not true," she murmured. " Yermah, my
beloved, think not that I have the heart of a wanton !
Forgive — "
But there was no answering voice to cry out in
return — no one to assure the breaking heart that
her love was a priceless treasure — no one to make
her see that every emotion was fully appreciated and
understood. So the sunshine went out of another
life when the breath left Kercecia's body.
*******
Yermah had named the day and hour when
Keroecia should examine the tablet of stones, to
enable him to put himself in communication with her
mentally. For three days he kept the door of his
private sanctuary closed; but at the hour named he
knelt before the shrine and fixed his mind intently
upon Keroecia.
He smiled softly to himself as he realized that she
had opened the ivory casket, that she was examining
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 271
the workmanship, that she comprehended the signifi
cance of the square within the circular wheel.
Now she has touched the clasp, and her eyes are
greedily drinking in the beauty of the groupings
while her senses are thrilled with their message. In
his rapture he goes with her, step by step.
" She is pleased with the coral-bound island of my
birth," he murmured, " and she gets some idea of
her future home. — Thou art right, Mineola, my soul
is in the ruby. I have laid my heart bare. Look
long and earnestly, Keroecia; thou art welcome to
know its secret places. The opal will tell thee how
soon release comes. Thou must not be frightened
at its suddenness. Three more lunations separate
us. Then to Atlantis, where — "
He was wrenched violently and pitched face down
ward to the floor by the sudden impact of Kercecia's
agonized thought.
" Thou art mistaken ! " he cried aloud. " The
changing character of the opal must speak to thee.
Thy thought dishonors me, for I love thee truly!
The vow binds me not for all time. Look again,
beloved!"
To his finely attuned senses came the knowledge
of her anguish and sorrow. He choked and smoth
ered under it. Mentally, he heard her piercing
shriek.
" O Unseen Divinity! Hear and be gracious to
thy distressed servants ! " he supplicated, rising to a
kneeling position. " O Powers of Air ! Convey
my thoughts clearly ! Make her to see ! " Some
thing of the horror of the situation flashed over him.
" O Earth yield now thy hidden treasure ! Give
gold in abundance, that I may fly to her side. Re-
272 YERMAH, THE DORADO
lease me, O Brotherhood! I will not be longer
bound—"
Without sensing it, Yermah had broken the spirit
of his vow !
The door of the sanctuary stood open, but his or
dinary faculties were dormant, while his subjective
consciousness sought to penetrate the gloom ingulfing
Keroecia. He did not hear approaching footsteps,
nor did his wandering senses respond when a light
tap sounded on the door, nor did he see the face
peering in at him.
" He kneels before Orion," said Alcamayn hur
riedly, as Akaza approached. " Thou wilt find him
distraught already."
" Hasten back to the Observatory and have the
bells tolled to quiet the alarm showing itself among
the people," said Akaza in dismissal. " Soon the
dread visitation will be upon us, and it were gentle
to forewarn them."
Akaza had been making observations night and
day since Yermah's return from Anokia. He had
said little, but his face was set and stern, like one
in deep trouble. He made a peculiar rat-tat! on
the lintils of the sanctuary with his fingers, which
brought Yermah to the doorway.
" A sign of great portent is in the heavens," began
Akaza, after a mute salutation. " When the sun
is passing from Libra to Capricorn is a season pro
lific in visitations from outer space. The fiery mes
sengers come near the sun at that time. Dost thou
remember the night in the cave? "
" Memory serves me well," answered Yermah,
unable to concentrate his attention. " Is the visitant
of the usual complexion and order ? "
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 273
" It is a burning coal, red and glowing. Its face
is like a double crescent, and it is a formidable rival
to the sun in size. It comes retrograde with the
constellation Orion rising. Its illuminated hair
floats over one half of the zenith, and is not quite on
a straight line opposite the sun. It pulsates as
though it had been agitated by the wind, and is
curved like a threatening saber.
" To-day, it will pass through the plane of the
earth's orbit, and when it meets the influence of the
new moon, it will be in sore affliction with Venus.
In this condition it comes under the influence of
Mars. It will then disperse that planet's cohesive
strength and there will be war in the earth's interior
between uncontrolled water and fire.
" All the planets in our system afflict and oppose
each other so that the waters of the sea and the winds
of heaven will be lashed into furious activity."
"What means this sudden clangor of bells?"
asked Yermah, now fully aroused to the commotion
in the courtyard outside.
" It is a solemn convocation to call the affrighted
people together to watch and pray, while the sign
hangs suspended behind the dying sun," answered
Akaza, hurrying after him. " Many times of late
the orb of day has gone to rest in a bed of blood,
but to-night the red glow comes from another quar
ter. The scourge is upon us, Yermah, and the hour
of thy trial is at hand."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
YERMAH BECOMES ONE OF THE WHITE STAR
BROTHERHOOD
YERMAH did not hear him. He had
caught a glimpse of the comet hanging
low over the Golden Gate — a double
crescent of fire joined together. Its tail bent out
over Tlamco, and curved downward like a great
broad-sword. It throbbed and panted like a living
thing, sinister and awful, as Venus twinkled between
its two horns, an evening star of horrible aspect.
A tremor, ominous and indefinable, seized the pop
ulace, hushed and awed by the dreadful apparition.
It was a premonition, followed instantly by a low,
rumbling sound, an angry roar of waters, and then
the earth shook under them like a leaf in the wind.
A mad rush for the streets, an instinctive huddling to
gether, a breathless wait for a second impact !
A heavy, long boom, like a roll of distant artillery,
and a wave mountain high, but crested in the center
like a spine, rose up between them and the Golden
Gate, and, for a moment, shut out from view the
grinning, mocking comet.
The ground surged up and down under their feet
in simultaneous waves. Trees bent over and touched
their tops together, houses rocked and swayed, and
all that was breakable in them went down with a
crash.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 275
Living close to the heart of Nature, her moods
were not mysterious to these people; so, they waited
for the third, and what they supposed would be the
final shock. It came with such terrible force that the
Observatory tower fell in a cloud of blinding dust,
and all the other buildings were rent or cracked
grievously, but were not over-thrown simultaneously.
A thievish wave stole in silently, and embraced the
whole city.
The stricken people looked into each other's faces
with dismay, as they stood waist-deep in water, a
nameless fear chilling their hearts. The water re
treated precipitously, while lurid streaks and tongues
of flame lit up the whole eastern heavens. Shock
after shock succeeded each other, while the clouds
lowered heavy and sullen close overhead. Brokenly,
but in unison, thousands of throats lent voice to
prayerful entreaty :
" Wilt thou blot us out forever, O Lord? Is this
punishment intended not for our reformation, but for
our total destruction? "
One impulse seemed to move the entire concourse ;
and as if Nature heard, she answered by a gust of
wind and a downpour of rain.
* ******
Ben Hu Barabe, Alcyesta and their attendants had
a mad gallop for life. They were within an hour's
ride of Sacramento River when they saw thin, blue
flames suddenly shoot up from the earth, followed
by heavy cannonading of the internal elements.
In the cosmic melee they were tossed forth and
back like a shuttle in a loom — so violently at first
that the horses fell to their knees and were whirled in
opposite directions. In terror the animals tried to
276 YERMAH, THE DORADO
lie down and roll over with their burdens; but their
riders whipped and spurred vigorously, and the mad
dened creatures ran until they dropped exhausted on
the river bank. A thick shower of ashes fell over
them, and the air was like a blast from a furnace.
Behind them came smoking streaks of lava, poured
into the plain by a row of flame-mantled hills.
Flocks were scampering wildly in every direction,
and the scattered herdsmen were taking to the boats
and skiffs tied along the river bank.
Ben Hu Barabe and Alcyesta climbed into the
balsa awaiting them, and their attendants hastened
with them. They had scarcely pushed out into mid
stream, when the very bed of the river seemed to rise
and hurl its waters forward. Waves rose in an
undulating wall of water, breaking the banks of both
sides, sending death and destruction broadcast over
the valley. The boats were carried along by an irre
sistible impulse and with incredible swiftness,
straight across sinuous windings of the stream on
ward toward the sea.
Lightning played over their heads; but the crash
of thunder, the explosions of the volcanoes, the
mighty heaves and groans tearing the breast of the
trembling earth were lost in an angry roar of waters.
A canon-shot would not have sent them forward
with greater impetus; and this prevented their boats
from swamping, despite their shipping water fright
fully.
The shock which leveled the Observatory tower
shattered all the windows and cracked every build
ing in Tlamco, letting the accumulated waters
through what is now Carquinez Straits, and widened
an arm of the sea into an open inlet.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 277
The impounded water inundated the surrounding
country, swept over the intervening islands, and spent
itself in a series of waves mountain high, whose
impact disturbed the ocean's surface for thousands of
miles, after severing Lime Point from the peninsula
and plowing out the famous Golden Gate entrance to
the bay.1
One of the most violent tremors caught the little
colony of boats, which by a miraculous coincidence,
were thrown together in the trough of the sea, and
tossed them ashore, high and dry, on the Berkeley
hills.
The water receded so rapidly that the boats stuck
fast in the debris and mud. All except the strongest
one, containing Ben Hu Barabe and Alcyesta, were
crushed like egg-shells.
With broken arms and legs, bruised and battered
bodies, scarred almost beyond recognition, the little
band huddled together, reviving each other when
pain brought unconsciousness, while the elements over
head and below them rioted with unabated fury.
The morrow brought no surcease, except that the
waters subsided and took on something of their nor
mal aspect. The earth still trembled and groaned,
and the sun was so completely obscured for days
after, that it seemed always twilight.
So soon does the mind become accustomed to dan
ger — so familiar does it grow with death, that Ben
Hu Barabe was able to direct his men how to reach
the back waters of the bay, where the motion was
less violent and marked.
They helped each other, with tears and gratitude,
to some of the fruit and nuts which had been spared
1 Indian Legend.
278 YERMAH, THE DORADO
to them. Alcyesta's left arm was broken, and she
could scarcely move without intolerable pain; but
she made no complaint to the half-crazed men about
her. None of them could ever tell afterward how
they contrived to reach Tlamco.
Heart-rending scenes greeted them everywhere,
and many of the frenzied inhabitants rolled con
vulsively upon the ground. Others accused them
selves with frantic insistence of all kinds of crime.
Others could not speak. Some were helpless
paralytics, and numbers could not retain food, so
terrible was the reflex action on the nervous system.
The mind that has passed through such a calamity
has lost its tone. Instead of being braced up, as by
war, the earth's epilepsy makes the mental fabric
flabby, and paralyzes by a hopeless fear from which
there is no known refuge. The fluttering soul, tying
itself to matter as something solid and enduring, finds
that the globe itself is but a poor shivering thing,
liable to be taken in some monster demon's clutch
and shaken back into its component parts. No lan
guage can adequately express the stupendous feeling
of instability conveyed by the idea of the earth's
possible dissolution and dispersion.
Yermah sat in a stupor, and it was with
difficulty that he could be aroused when Ben Hu
Barabe came to speak to him. He was completely
worn out with anxiety and exertion on behalf of his
people. At first the Dorado did not recognize his
visitor in the semi-darkness. When he finally caught
sight of the ravaged and altered face before him,
he went almost insane with grief. He had hoped
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 279
against hope to the very last. Now he knew with
out a word that his worst fears were realized.
Six weeks later, when brain-fever loosed its grip
upon him, Akaza found Yermah lying face down
ward at the door of the Temple of Neptune. He
was moaning and sobbing piteously. In a half-
crazed condition, he had eluded observation, and
started out to find his foster-father, but had fallen
by the wayside, overcome by sheer bodily weakness.
Akaza lifted him up, and hushed him as he would
a child.
" Thou art wrong to grieve like this," he said
gently and soothingly. " The Father in the Trinity
is the Universal Creator; the Son is man himself.
Therefore, thou art in essence — God, since thou art
in possession of this higher principle and must live."
Yermah was like a maimed lion — a pathetic and
pitiable object — as he lay with his head on Akaza's
shoulder, while his pent-up feelings found vent in
choking sobs.
" Thou art weakening thy sacred manhood in
yielding thus to despair. Thou art intrusted with
a mission for all peoples, for all tongues, and for
all time. Think, my son, of being the world's ideal
lover through all the eons to follow ! It Is a blessed
privilege! Thou hast witnessed a demonstration of
the destructive majesty of cosmic force. Now thou
art called upon to obey thine individual destiny.
THOU HAST PERFORMED THE EIGHTH
LABOR!"
" And the gold for the temple? " questioned Yer
mah, in a stricken voice.
" It was alchemical gold thou wert sent to find.
Thy body is the temple, and the Perfect Way of
280 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Life is the magic which produces alchemical gold.
Dost thou comprehend the occult significance of
Osiris, with a crook in one hand and a flail in the
other?"
" No," answered the Dorado, more calmly.
" Come into the temple and I shall tell thee."
When Yermah followed him, he continued:
" The crook is the attraction to the earth, and the
flail is the repulsion from it. Man oscillates con
tinually between the masculine and the feminine
qualities of his nature. When Osiris says, ' Let the
heart be given back to the deceased ' * after it has
been put into an urn and weighed in the balance
against the image of Truth, we are to understand
that the candidate is no longer swayed by his emo
tions and appetites. He is self-centered. Sorrow
will lift her pall, and thou wilt stand face to face
with Truth."
Akaza drew from his bosom a heavy serpent ring
of silver with a rare green jade setting. It had a
turquoise with diamond eyes cut intaglio.
" This means Silence," said the old man, as he
took Yermah's right hand, and slipped the ring on
the little finger. " It is the signet of the Brother
hood, and thou must sacredly guard the divine wis
dom imparted to thee.
" Thou wilt be sorely tried in the future ; but I,
who am responsible for thy soul's welfare, give thee
this sign manual of the King Initiate."
Yermah knelt before him, and was anointed on
crown, forehead and breast with perfumed oil.
" Rise and receive the Sacred Word. It is
* Aision,' which is Truth. Seen in the distance, this
iFrom the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 281
quality is personated as stern, harsh, forbidding;
but, when we approach near enough to distinguish
the lineaments of its countenance, it contains all that
is gracious, benignant and inspiring. The Spirit of
Truth dwells within the sanctuary of the heart."
Akaza then put his hands together, with the fin
gers closed and bent so as to form an acute angle.
With the tip of his fingers pointed, he touched Yer-
mah's forehead, and said:
" Let there be no complaint."
The joining of the right and left hand sig
nified the union of the masculine and the feminine
principles, and of spirit and matter.
It represented the pyramid, the cone, the center,
the heart, the ten Sephiroth proceeding from the
One; the naught of the ten numerals in the tenfold
ratio.
" And I am commanded to get rid of the wry-ness,
as a giant weed whose roots lie deep in the human
heart? " said Yermah, slowly.
" Remember always," responded Akaza, glad to
see that Yermah's mind was for the moment nor
mal, " that the true self of man is God. Look
for it in thy fellows; find it and hold fast to it in
thyself. Thou must ponder these things well. I
can tell thee what I have experienced and known;
but thou wouldst only have my word for it.
"A river cannot rise higher than its source; so,
therefore no man ever sees beyond the reflection of
himself. First, sense the truth intuitively; then
mayst thou examine it at leisure with thine intellect.
" To break the law is identical with breaking the
God within thee. Now that thou art one of us,
bear in mind that our Brotherhood can only instruct.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
We cannot give real knowledge. Experience must
do that for thee."
" Experience! thou art a cruel monster! Because
of thee am I deprived of my sweet love," said
Yermah, giving way to an outburst of grief.
" What sayst thou? Look! "
Yermah raised his head and gazed with streaming
eyes at an apparition of Keroecia, as he had last seen
her in life, standing in the eastern entrance.
" She smiles and beckons me ! " he said, in an
awe-struck whisper. " Oh ! my soul, why hast thou
forsaken me? Why should death touch thee, if I
must live? "
" Death claimed nothing but the physical body,"
said Akaza, softly. " She feels not its loss. Look
at her serene countenance. Wouldst thou spare her
pain?"
Yermah cast a reproachful glance at Akaza.
" Canst thou ask the question? "
" Then master and control thy feeling. She can
only manifest by absorbing thy magnetism. If thou
wouldst see her at will, thou must give of thy
strength freely."
" And she does not know that she is out of the
body?" asked Yermah, eagerly.
" No. She never will, unless thy indulgence in
grief plunges her into the vortex of pain, which is
now thy portion."
" By all that I hold sacred — by all I love, hope
and fear, she never shall! " exclaimed Yermah,
rising.
On his face was the uplifting and exaltation of a
saint.
" O Keroecia ! Core of my heart ! I am ready
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 283
for thy spirit to flutter over me ! Never can I be
sad with the knowledge of thy sweet presence."
He stood in rapt attention, communing long and
silently with the beatific vision. There was not a
trace of care in her benign expression. She had
solved the mystery and knew the truth.
For such love there is neither time nor death nor
space.
Akaza stole away in the dim light, murmuring
softly :
" Although a separate entity, she personates the
feminine principle dormant in himself. This is what
the ideal always does. Through this he will
learn to harmonize desire and knowledge, and in
time he will see that the grinding out of animal
propensities, represented by the ringed planet, has
come to him in a form more beautiful than a poet's
dream. Keroecia is the disillusionizer, the dweller
on the threshold, the chastening rod. But the hand
that smites will also bless him." x
1 Later, in all the distorted legends of Adam Kadmon, the
cosmic man, — Woman was accused of causing his fall through
lustful desire ; and what was originally an allegory of initiation,
or of being able to distinguish between the true and the false
in the battle-ground of our own hearts, has been perverted into
a literal interpretation of dread consequence.
This false idea has degraded millions of men and women.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AKAZA KEEPS HIS VOW AND IS FINALLY FREE
AS he passed out of the temple, Akaza turned
again to look at Yermah whose face was
illumined, serene and calm. With his
hands clasped before him, the Dorado stood as if
in a dream, taking into the inner recesses of his
heart the comforting assurance of immortality and
of final union with the Divine, in which Keroecia
was a part.
"Farewell, beloved!" said the old man, as his
eyes filled. " Thou hast passed the Gates of Light,
and art come into thine own. Amenti, thou un
known, receive thy son! Amrah, King of the Bro
therhood, give back my vow! I have kept the
faith!"
He stood with bowed figure, and seemed to be
communing with the Unseen. Presently he lifted
his head, and the crowning white hair haloed a daz
zling countenance. His lips were parted in a
pleased expectancy.
" I am free to go hence," he said, as he turned
and walked out with renewed vigor.
Akaza bent his steps toward Ingharep, and when
he reached the cave, he went in and made ready for
a journey. The blurred, reddened and obscure sun
shed but fitful light over the still agitated waters
of the Pacific.
284
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 285
The hierophant went out on the rocks jutting into
the sea, remnants of which are still visible below the
Cliff House of to-day, where he sat gazing long
into space. When his strength was fully regained,
he hailed the officer on watch in the tower-house of
the hill overlooking the point, and was soon swal
lowed up in the night.
Crossing the bay, he came upon a few refugees
from the far north, led by Cezardis, who cried
childishly when he encountered for the first time in
many days this evidence of any living thing. Run
ning toward Akaza, he kissed and fondled him in
his excitement, while the others gave every evidence
of thankfulness and joy.
" Tell me all that has befallen thee," said Akaza,
holding him at arm's length.
" It would need more than man's allotted time to
convey all," answered Cezardis. " Death and de
struction are everywhere. A puny chain stands be
tween the main land of the lans and my country.
The peak next the shore opposite, and over which
the priestess Keroecia passed, has fallen into the sea,1
and all the high mountains are putting forth smoke,
ashes and melted rocks. In some places the earth
heaves and groans continuously; in other spots,
water pours all the time; while hot air makes man
and beast labor for breath."
" Ben Hu Barabe and Alcyesta are in Tlamco,"
said Akaza. ' They alone of all the Monbas sur
vived the visitation of the fire-spirits."
" We knew as much from the terrible rocking
still going on in their country. The water has de
serted the rivers everywhere, and is making new
1 Aleutian Island chain.
286 YERMAH, THE DORADO
places where it has not sunk into the earth. Didst
thou see the dread messenger in the heavens near
the place of Venus? "
" Yes; and it will soon make the house of Mars,
and then there will be contention in Tlamco."
" How fares Yermah, the beloved of Keroecia? "
" Thy heart will be wrung by sight of him. Rea
son fled for many days. But it is decreed otherwise,
and he will soon find peace. Farewell 1 I go to
fulfill an obligation," said Akaza, embracing the
weary travelers. " Commiseration and surcease of
care be thy portion."
" May the Divine bring thee speedily on thy jour
ney ! " they said with one accord. " We will pray
the Azes to afford us shelter."
' Thy petition will be quickly answered. Thou
wilt find them altered and distraught, but in bodily
health."
They crowded into the boats kept on the Oakland
shores for such emergencies, but in their half-fam
ished condition they made poor headway against the
choppy sea.
Akaza went back over much of the same ground
traversed in visiting the Yo-Semite Valley. Where
possible, he went due east, facing the rising place of
the sun. A less stout heart would have been appalled
by the devastation and ruin all around him.
The rivers in many places had been lifted out of
their courses, and changed about in an almost incom
prehensible manner. Mountains and forests no
longer afforded shelter to the huge animals of that
time.
On his way into Calaveras County, Akaza saw
herds of mastodons with their tongues lolled out, in
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 281
company with elephants and elk huddled together
around a spring of fresh water.
He encountered many a fierce grizzly bear so
nearly famished as to be unable to harm him.
Wolves and panthers were dead and dying by the
hundreds, and the rhinoceros and hippopotami had
great raw cracks in their backs because of the ex
treme heat and the dryness of the atmosphere.
No tongue can picture the thrilling and inspiring
condition of the heavens. The mountain peaks con
tinued to send up streams of hot air, which ming
ling with the cool breezes from the sea, brought
about gales and storms of incalculable velocity, with
all the drying capacity of a furnace blast. The upper
air was an amphitheater of gorgeous electric effects.
Streaks of lightning as big as the body of a tree
licked out their long tongues, or darted with deadly
effect among the ashes and smoke, which rolled in
and out over the crest of the Sierras, scattering a
sediment broadcast for miles. The heavy cannon
ading of the upper strata of air could never be com
pared to the weak peals and crashes of a thunder
storm, and yet not a drop of water fell to ease the
sufferings of the creatures who still lived.
" Yermah's prayers have been answered literally,"
said the old man, as he trudged along, upheld by
some hidden force — carried forward by an indom
itable purpose. " The gold is being vaporized and
brought to the surface in the upheaved quartz and
gravel. It has tried to come south toward him, but
it cannot escape the rigors of the ice, soon to overtop
this region."
He passed close to the great " mother lode," and
not far from the mysterious " blue lead," the wonder
288 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and admiration of our pioneer days. But there was
no detritus then, no decomposed quartz, no aurifer
ous gravel-beds.
" There will be no faults in these veins," he said,
" because the uplifting is simultaneous. And in
aftertime the deposits will be accessible to another
race of men. They will find our copper mines, but
will lose the secret of amalgamation. The first over
flow of mud and water has hardened into cement,"
he continued, examining the deposit critically.
" It is indeed time I were here. Rivers of ba
saltic lava will follow this, and I must be prepared.
Four successive strata will pour over me, and still
my grinning skull will be preserved to confound and
astonish. The very name of the monastery, Guata-
vita, the Gate of Life, will incite men to deeds of
blood. But thy will be done! I thank Thee that
Thou hast given me the power to endure."
Akaza turned to the east, and made a low salaam,
and then went into the entrance, now covered over
and known as the Natural Bridges of Calaveras
County. He performed ablutions in the two rock
basins still sitting under the stalactites and arches of
the upper bridge and then passed to the lower en
trance, a few yards away.
On the east is a high mountain which for a quarter
of a mile is supposed to contain innumerable caves.
In reality, It is a natural rock temple, very like the
Elephantine Caves, and it was here that the Ameri
can lodge of the Brotherhood kept a record of the
entire time man had existed on the earth.
" Twice already has the face of the globe changed
by fire, and twice by water," said Akaza; " and each
time has a new race been born. The Aryan comes
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 289
into leadership by the joint action of both ele
ments."
The hierophant carried a little copper hammer,
which he used to tap the various squares of solid
masonry closing the entrance, listening each time a
stone was struck. Finally a peculiar singing noise
reached him, and he reversed the hammer, springing
from its side a sharp, dagger-like point of hardened
copper. With this he began patiently to pick the
glaze which held the blocks of granite in place.
He worked all day taking out the exact squares
marked on a curious diagram held in his hand. As
night fell, he found himself through the entrance,
and inside the temple and monastery.
The incomparable odor of jasmine greeted him,
and a light flickered in the distance.
Akaza's heart stood still.
Here for a hundred years no intruding footsteps
had entered! The man who lighted the perfumed
lamp was long since in spirit life. The hierophant
never doubted his ability to accomplish the task im
posed upon him, but he trembled with the knowledge
that it was so nearly finished.
" Refreshment awaits thee on the right" he read
from an inscription on the wall.
Following the direction given, he found an
abundance of hulled corn, rice, dried fruits and nuts
securely sealed in earthen jars, and there was also
one containing garments and other things.
He took the edibles and came back to the arched
entrance, where he lighted a fire, and prepared a
meal.
" The elements have made my bath ready," he
said, dipping his hand into one of the larger basins.
290 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" The water is warm, and I am not insensible to its
charms."
When he came out of it he clothed himself in
spotless linen, embroidered with orange-colored silk.
Around his neck was a collarette of diamonds and
black onyx set in gold, from which hung a leaden
medal cast in the sign of Saturn, and about his waist
was a yellow silk girdle. After he had anointed his
hair with an unguent, he gathered some cypress and
crowned himself with it.
He was careful to perform every rite before and
after eating, and as a sacrifice to fire piled up copal
in one of the small basins, and ignited it by the
friction of two hardwood sticks. While it burned
he smoked; after which he allowed tired nature to
drift into a short but deep sleep.
Roused by an extra heavy shock of earthquake,
he gathered up the remnants of food, his discarded
garments and prayer-rug, and threw them into the
burning basin piece by piece, until all were in ashes.
Wherever possible, the firelight cast weird
shadows against the beautiful stalactites still hang
ing.
These novel instruments responded in sweetest
melodies to Akaza's magical touch.
The hierophant used a rod made from a perfectly
straight almond branch, just before the tree was in
blossom. It was hollowed and filled with a needle
of iron, which was magnetized. A many-sided prism
cut into a triangle was fastened to one end, with a
black resin figure of the same at the other. In the
middle of the rod, which was the length of the arm,
and wrapped in silk, were two rings — one of red
copper, the other of zinc.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 291
On the extremity which ended in the resin triangle,
the rod was gilded; the other end was silvered to
the central rings. On the copper ring was a mys
tical word, and another also on the one made of
zinc. This rod had been consecrated by the last
initiate at Guatavita, and had not been seen by any
one since.
The sounds evoked grew more and more weird
and peculiar, and Akaza's exertions became more and
more violent, until he dropped exhausted near the
basin, where only a few sparks smoldered.
From a chamois wallet he took bits of assafcetida,
alum, and sulphur, and threw them on the heated
coals. As their combined fumes permeated the
air, he touched a spring in the side of one of the
marble basins, and a thin, smooth slab slipped
out.
Hastily covering it with a chamois skin, he pro
duced writing materials from the jar which had con
tained the robe he wore, and prepared to write. He
had scarcely seated himself on an overturned stone
before he was entranced.
" Thy Brother in Lassa, on the Brahmaputra,
sends thee greeting!
" All save the high regions of the Himalayas,
where our monastery is situated, are sorely pressed
by raging flood.
" The heavens have opened. The plains with
their chains of mountains, rivers, lakes and inland
seas, have been suddenly heaved up.
" Fire lurks in the hidden depths, and the beds of
the sea vibrate and tremble. Its waves hide islands
and continents in its abysses.
" The sun's rays drink up the scattered waters,
YERMAH, THE DORADO
and pour them down again, mingling with the rivers
and the ocean.
" They cover the plains, filling the valleys, roaring
around the fire mountains, hollowing out the slopes,
and surging up to their summits. In it are swal
lowed flocks and pasturage, forests and wild beasts,
fields and crops, towns and hamlets, with myriads
of mortals."
Akaza held the rod to his forehead, and sent an
answering message, detailing fully all that had hap
pened here.
" Sign and seal thy parchment, and restore to its
hidden place. The spirit of fire hovers near thee.
Prepare to go out in peace. Thy pilgrimage is at
an end.
" Thou art in the place of destruction, and Truth
will hide her face there until thou art again incarnate.
May thy birth into light be speedy and joyful.
" Accept the love of thy brother and servant,
" Kadmon the Patriarch."
Akaza put the manuscript into a jar and sealed
it, and with infinite pains closed the steplike opening
through which he had entered Gautavita. Then,
realizing that he had received his last summons, he
laid him down peacefully to sleep.1
1 In the year 1866, a miner found Akaza's skull, while sinking
a shaft in a strata of gravel one hundred and thirty-seven feet
below the surface. It was in a beautiful flat, about fifteen miles
north of Table Mountain, a mass of basaltic lava, six hundred
feet thick, which was not erupted until after Akaza's death.
The skull no longer surmounted that last nudity of man
which instinct bids us conceal in the Earth. It was coated
with a deposit of gravel and sand, that told of its lying in a
river bed while mountains were worn to plains, and the decom
posed quartz and loose gravel were plowed up by glacial ero-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 293
sion, and scattered over the hillsides. The skull was broken
in its strongest part, an evidence of the force with which some
torrent had dashed it against bowlders in the lapsing centuries.
Some time during its wanderings in the river beds, or while
resting on the banks, a snail had crawled under the malar bone
and died. Its shell was found there, and no such species of
snail has been known since the volcanoes ceased pouring lava
over California.
The skull 1 and the snail-shell have been the cause of great
discussion among the scientists of our epoch: Its age is too
great to agree with the preconceived idea of man's existence.
1 Calaveras skull, Smithsonian Institution.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE DORADO FACED UTTER NEGATION OF SELF
IN returning to laqua from the temple, Yermah
stopped to inspect the work being done by a
company of warrior-priests on the cracked and
broken wall surrounding the public gardens. These
men had already restored the aqueducts, so that
danger of a water famine no longer threatened
Tlamco.
The still terrified populace were totally incapable
of consecutive action. Not one of them doubted
that the destructive agencies at work would blot them
out. All of the secular temples were crowded con
stantly, and the voice of prayer and supplication rose
above the low rumblings still going on in the earth.
Death played sad havoc with women burdened
with motherhood, and the priestesses and vestals were
overworked in their efforts ' to take care of the
motherless, whose pinched and frightened faces
peered from everywhere.
The people were too stupefied to formulate any
definite plans for themselves, and lived in hourly ex
pectation of a final summons.
Military discipline, instituted by Akaza, prevented
frenzied acts of self-destruction, while the fleet of
balsas found it necessary to protect the granaries and
stores.
The first upheavals produced some curious phe-
294
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 295
nomena in the honeycombed hillsides containing the
jars and baskets. After being buried for a quarter
century, many of the former were thrown up on the
surface with such force as to break and scatter their
contents hopelessly. The baskets were also tossed
and rolled about in a surprising manner.
By right of seniority, Setos assumed command of
the land forces, while Hanabusa cooperated heartily
from the sea.
The Observatory tower was a complete wreck, and
there was no way of predicting changes of weather,
the knowledge of which added much to the horror
of the situation. It was a nameless, undefined dread
— a something they could not determine, which ap
palled and overwhelmed even the stout-hearted.
For the first time since his bereavement, Yermah
showed an interest in his surroundings. His heart
was wrung by the scenes about him, but it was no
longer a self-centered grief.
" Our Dorado is beginning to share the woes of
his fellows," said one of the bystanders as he ap
proached. " He no longer walks apart speechless
with sorrow. Let us greet him as of old."
The crowd uncovered and shouted: "Haille!
Haille ! Haille ! " so weak and feebly that the sound
seemed to die in their throats. Yermah was too
much moved for words, but he made a pitiful effort
to smile, as he raised his hands in benediction in re
turn.
" Peace be with thee ! " they answered, trying
manfully to conceal their anxieties and fears.
" Yermah ! " called a familiar voice. " Give thy
servant greeting."
296 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Orondo ! Brother in all save blood — "
The Dorado staggered and would have fallen had
not Orondo caught and embraced him.
" Thy hollow, wasted cheeks and thy shrunken
frame pierce my heart like a dagger ! " cried Orondo,
while the tears ran unrestrained down his weather-
beaten face. " Anxiety and fear for thee urged me
here. Speak ! — Surely thou wilt not snap the slen
der thread ! " he continued, alarmed at Yermah's
silence. He held the Dorado up, searching his hag
gard countenance anxiously.
" Long have I stood within the shadow," mur
mured Yermah feebly, struggling to overcome great
weakness. " The body refuses to support the spirit
in manifesting joy in seeing thee — Thy pardon — "
" No need of words 'twixt thee and me," answered
Orondo.
" Thy heart is like a crystal spring, and I know
its full depths."
Orondo's strong right arm upheld the Dorado,
but his prompt, soldier-like habit stood him in good
stead. By a nod he beckoned to the warrior-priests
waiting, to bring forward a palanquin, which they
had gone into the temple to procure. Gently as a
woman could have done, he seated the Dorado and
motioned the attendants to go on.
Yermah's look of gratitude made his strong chin
tremble, and brought the old haunted expression back
to his face. A cold, clammy perspiration stood out
on Yermah's lips and brow as he sank back utterly
exhausted. When he closed his eyes, Orondo said
to himself: "He will never be paler in death.
Poor heart-broken soul ! "
Orondo had a good profile view as he trudged
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 297
beside the chair. He observed the ravages that ill
ness of body and mind had wrought, and wondered
in a vague sort of way if he could not share some of
his own vitality.
Loyalty forbade direct speech, but he had learned
from others enough to understand the situation. His
owns wounds bled anew, but they were rated second
in comparison.
" Thy master has need of sleep," he said to the
attendants as Yermah was carried into the private
apartments. " Should solicitude find utterance, tell
him that I am waiting his pleasure in my old quar
ters."
Wandering through familiar rooms, he was able
to estimate the effect of constant shaking on walls
and ceilings. He saw many evidences of their being
out of plumb.
Despite everything Orondo had a comfortable
sense of being at home again. He busied himself
unpacking his surveying instruments, and looked over
a pile of hieratic picture-writings, containing reports
on the mounds, earthworks, and temples he had been
inspecting.
Two hours later, while Orondo was still absorbed
in the work a tamane came and asked if he would
receive the Dorado.
" Rather entreat thy master to summon me," re
plied Orondo. " Care sits heavily upon him, and
it were better to encourage health and strength."
Still intent upon additions to, and corrections of,
the documents in hand, Orondo did not look up when
he heard the door open and close.
' Thou art always unselfish," declared Yermah,
coming close to him; " but thou art prohibited from
29$ YERMAH, THE DORADO
inciting me to shirk duty. Not a word hast thou
spoken of thine own case. Acquaint me with all
which hath befallen thee."
There was a touch of his old self in tone and
gesture, but he seated himself like an old man.
" Wilt thou insist on a detailed account of my
journey hence and sojourn in the great valley? "
" Leave dry circumstance to the custodian of
archives. But tell me if success full and complete
crowned thy efforts."
" The mounds and the earthworks are perfect in
location and design, and where finished are of en
during workmanship. Only a few temples have been
erected; but when the flood subsides, work will go
on again — slowly now, because of depleted num
bers."
" Has the dread scourge touched that fair land,
too?"
' Yes ; and with much violence. For days a great
double-headed dragon hung directly over the sun,
as if it would fall down over and obscure the light.
Its long body flickered with every current of air and
the mountain divide, running north and south from
ocean to ocean, heaved and shook responsive to it.
This went on for many days; then the dragon was
seen to back away into space; but it went very slowly,
as if the sun held it transfixed. Clouds and dark
ness followed, and the waters lay over the tops of the
trees, by the last accounts."
" Thou wert not eye-witness ? "
" Not in all the district. My labor was in the
south. The waters did not oppress me."
" Thou art newly come from our brethren in
Zuni ? Is it well with them ? "
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 299
" The hotah has blown steadily one whole luna
tion, parching the surface dry as a desert. Years of
patient artifice made water plentiful, but the sources
have hidden in the earth, and every green thing is
withered and dead. Windows fall out of the houses,
doors refuse to hang, and are much too small for
the openings. Man and beast suffer frightfully.
An ashy hue overspreads the countenance. The
eyes, lips and throats become parched and painful;
then the only hope was to smear themselves with
grease."
" And wert thou obliged to treat thy body so? "
asked Yermah, mindful of Orondo's habit of exqui
site cleanliness.
" Yes ; and to a liberal coating of olive oil do I
owe my life doubly. The evil omen overhead
warned me of impending danger to us all, and my
fealty to thee made me hasten homeward."
In answer to Yermah's grateful look, he con
tinued :
u Coming through the narrow pass in the moun
tains lying south, I went always ahead of the
tamanes to spy out the best places. One morning
I found myself in close proximity to a grizzly,
ravenously hungry. I had neither time to retreat
nor to defend myself before the bear was upon me.
I fell flat on my face, and lay motionless while he
smelt me all over. The oil both puzzled and dis
turbed him, for he made off into the woods and left
me to win back courage as best I could."
" This animal eats no flesh he hath not killed,"
said Yermah, " but thou art fortunate to escape a
blow from its powerful paw, or a crushing squeeze."
" He was very hungry ; and I was glad to be
300 YERMAH, THE DORADO
thoroughly saturated with oil, even if I did imagine
it was rancid," observed Orondo, naively.
For the first time in many days, Yermah laughed.
" Nevertheless, thou art justly called the fearless
one," he said.
" The same heat and distress lies everywhere in
the south, and there is a faint, luminous mist, dry
as the hotah itself, which makes the sun look like
blood. It desposits whitish particles upon every
thing, very like a cottony wood fiber. Near the sea
it disappears although the dry wind prevails. All
of the testimony confirms the report that a brilliant
rainbow surrounded the moon at the time the mist
came."
Both men lapsed into silence, and profound de
pression came back to Yermah.
" The gardens have suffered comparatively little,"
said Orondo. " Not finding thee here, I went to see
them immediately after ablution and prayers."
" Tlamco has been spared much which hath be
fallen other sections," responded Yermah. " The
Monbas — Thou hast heard? "
" I have heard," said Orondo in a low voice.
" My heart is still tender toward the high-priestess,
Keroecia. So long as I live, memory will hold her
first among women."
Before Yermah could reply, he hastened to ask:
" Hast thou news from Poseidon's kingdom? "
" My summons hence is hourly expected. I am
already of the Brotherhood. Seest thou the sign
manual given by Akaza ? "
He held up his hand while Orondo inspected the
ring.
" Runners were dispatched down the coast to
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 301
communicate with the balsas coming in from At
lantis, but no answer was possible before my de
parture."
" Alcamayn desires speech with the Servitor
Yermah," announced a tamane, answering a com
mand to enter.
" Direct him here," said Yermah. " Thou hast
not seen him since coming? " he asked Orondo.
When the two men had exchanged greetings, Al
camayn refused to disturb the conference.
" My only office was to bring tidings from the
far north. Cezardis of the Mazamas is here, more
dead than alive from hardships unparalleled, and
begs thou wilt give him leave to remain in Tlamco."
" Willingly. But how fares his countrymen? "
" They are sore oppressed by the elements, espe
cially by ice and snow, and there is only a handful
of them left. The land of Ian is forever separated
from this continent. An arm of the sea lies between
them."
" Setos, come in! Thou art most welcome," said
Orondo, catching a glimpse of him through the open
doorway.
" Knowledge of thy presence hath but newly
found me, and I came direct in quest of thee," said
Setos, embracing Orondo. " This dread calamity
is lessened, since thou art preserved."
" If unalloyed happiness were possible, thy speech
would give it me," responded Orondo.
Yermah was about to dismiss Alcamayn, when
Setos saluted him pompously, as became the head of
the military.
There was the shadow of a smile on Orondo's
face as he noted the new air of dignity, and he re-
302 YERMAH, THE DORADO
fleeted that it was quite like the man to think of self
in the midst of such appalling disaster.
It was evident, from Setos's punctilious, ceremo
nious manner, that he was the bearer of important
news. His face and voice bespoke gratified vanity
as he said:
" Hast thou had audience with the emissaries from
Poseidon's kingdom? "
" No," answered Yermah, trying to read the
masked countenance before him. " Art thou ad
vised of the import? "
" Yes. It is most terrible. Through the agencies
of earthquake and tidal wave, the whole island of
Atlantis, with every living thing, is on the bed of the
ocean."
A sharp, agonized cry from Yermah, who swooned
and fell face downward at the feet of Setos, pre
vented further remark.
" His proud warrior spirit quails under him," said
that individual peering at him curiously, but offering
no assistance. " His courage kisses the ground be
fore disappointed ambition. For the first time he
knows fear." Setos's words were between a sneer
and a hiss.
" Thou art destitute of humanity," exclaimed
Orondo, springing forward and supporting the fallen
head on his knee. " Thy brutal abruptness is want
ing in loyalty," he continued, as long, white streaks
mingled with the ruddy bronze about his sternly set
mouth and chin.
" When thou art in Tlamco longer thou wilt find
that discontent is rampant — that Yermah no longer
has a united following," returned Setos, surprised at
the outburst into saying more than he had intended.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 303
" If so, thou art at fault. Speak not thus to me,
Setos! I know that thou wert called a black magi
cian in Poseidon's kingdom, and that none of the
White Brotherhood except Akaza would suffer thy
presence among the chosen."
Orondo's face was ablaze with indignation, while
Setos and Alcamayn exchanged significant glances.
" Thou art unduly exercised, Orondo," mildly in
terposed the jeweler. " Setos meant no offense.
Stress of the times and Yermah's long affliction have
caused people to babble idly. When once he is
among them, and when the earth is stable again, it
will all pass like mere vaporings."
" I had sought thee for private conference on this
very subject," said Setos, apologetically.
" And thou hast my answer," repeated Orondo,
his eyes still sparkling angrily.
Alcamayn assisted in the restoration, and Setos
was constrained to pull up a reclining chair, as the
prostrate figure was being assisted to rise.
"Thou wilt not repeat?" whispered Setos,
guiltily.
" Not until thou hast forgotten to be loyal," as
sented Orondo, looking him squarely in the face.
"Am I going mad, or am I dying?" wailed
Yermah, pushing his fingers up through his tangled
hair. " Did I hear aright? Tell me, Setos — didst
thou say that our native land and all our people are
blotted out?"
" Such is the word from May ax. They also
report that the land of the Mexi is split from east
to west with a great rent in the earth, from which
seven great volcanoes have sent fire and smoke ever
since the crevice closed. In that section the disturb-
304 YERMAH, THE DORADO
ance came from the east, and went far out into the
surviving islands of the lost Lemuria on the west."
Alcamayn and Orondo shared Yermah's consterna
tion; but, like Setos, they never expected to return
to Atlantis, and therefore their interest was not so
personal and keen.
Yermah still seemed stupefied, but he roused him
self by a mighty effort of will.
" Call all the people together in the Temple of
Saturn, on the proper day, and let the four inter
vening suns rise on a fasting and contrite nation.
Let every house and roadway be swept for purifica
tion. Let the anointing and ablution be thorough,
and let them come to the temple laden with flowers ;
because where flowers grow, love has been. This
is the end of a divine cycle; and it is befitting that
we come together in chastened spirit to mourn its
myriad dead."
Seeing that they stood uncertain as to how to pro
ceed, he added:
" I will make proclamation. See to it, Setos, and
thou, Alcamayn, that the edict is posted on all the
temple doors and all the obelisks, and make it known
to the fleet and to the warriors. None shall be
exempt from this Festival of Humiliation, and it
shall be an anniversary for ages to come."
" Before thou art engrossed with quill and parch
ment, accept another service of wine of maguey,"
said Orondo, while the tamane was arranging writ
ing materials. " Thy physical strength is indeed at
low ebb."
" But my agonized spirit hears the shrieks of de
spair of our dying brothers. May they find com
fort in the bosom of the Ineffable One ! "
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 305
" Amend ! hear and grant, we beseech thee ! "
they all said in heartfelt sympathy.
" Wilt thou give us leave to smoke? " asked Setos,
as Yermah prepared to write.
" With both assent and blessing. Thou art kind
to remember what my poor confused brain is unable
to recall at this moment."
He wrote :
Brethren of Tlamco — Greeting:
He whose face is always inscrutable and hidden begins
another eon of time. Countless thousands of our fellows
heard the dread voice and are silent.
Alcyone, the great central sun, has once more suffered
eclipse, and a fiery sign hangs in the heavens.
The north is ingulfed, the south is on fire, the sacred
east frowns and threatens in gray obscurity, and blood
drowns the fading light in the west.
Desolation mocks the eye on all sides.
Thou art each and all commanded to prepare for a solemn
commemoration of humiliation and despair. Go ye all to
the Temple of Saturn, and there do honor to our beloved
dead.
Bear thy burdens helpfully and with courage; for in the
innumerable wanderings, upheavals, and cataclysms of our
earth's stupendous career each creature has some time been
summoned under penalty of death to make good use of its
wits.
How many courtiers go into the presence of a king a
hundred times, not to have speech with him, not to hear him,
but merely to be seen, that he may know they are willing
to serve.
When thou art in the house of death, speak if thou canst.
If not, show thyself, and let thy heart be content.
Done by the hand of thy humble servitor,
YERMAH.
306 YERMAH, THE DORADO
In dismissing Alcamayn and Setos, he said :
" Send the couriers from the lands of the Mayax
and of Mexi to me in the early morning. I will
have all their sayings engrossed on parchment and
read in the temple.
" Let our brethren know this."
After a deep sleep of exhaustion, Yermah arose at
early dawn and went into the private sanctuary.
Before he crossed its portals his attention was at
tracted by a ray of light near his feet. Looking
closely, he saw it was a pentagram graven on mica.
It had two points on the side toward him, and placed
so — it was a charm to repel evil.
Picking it up, he noticed that the reverse side
had a circle for the sun, a crescent for the moon, a
winged caduceus for Mercury, a sword for Mars, a
hieroglyph for Venus, and a scythe for Saturn.
The glyph was in the center, and interlaced with it
was the word " Azoth."
A scrap of paper catching the Dorado's eye, he
stooped and picked up Akaza's will. After giving
minute directions about finding the manuscript and
sacred relics hidden in the cave at Ingharep, it said:
I who am old and weary of the world sink into its dust.
But I swear by him who sleeps at Aision that never did I
not exist, nor will any one of us hereafter cease to be —
though in this body thou wilt never see me again.
Farewell, my beloved! When thou hast mastered the
pentagram, that sublime figure whose geometrical form con
nects the five senses of man with the throne of creative power,
thou wilt fully realize that that which we hold as evil is
in reality the greatest good.
Farewell, beloved! Treasure the five-pointed star, and
meditate continually upon its teachings. Fear not. The
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 307
promise to return to thy native land shall be made good to
thee when the times and seasons are propitious. When the
inner spirit prompts thee, go. Thou wilt find a pentagram
of similar make in the right spot. Let the seal of silence
be on thy lips. May thy courage wax and grow strong as
a lion. Though absent from the body, yet I am with thee
always. Thou art my successor in all things. Wear the
mantle of authority as if the All-seeing Eye were bent upon
thee continually.
Farewell, my best beloved! May that formless entity
whose presence is everywhere felt, yet never comprehended,
guide and bless thee always.
. AKAZA THE HERMAPHRODITE.1
Trying to fully realize that Akaza had crossed
the boundary line between the two worlds, Yermah
passed into the sanctuary.
But before he knelt he saw a tiny white square
lying on the altar. He had only to glance at it to
recognize the broken threads and entangled mesh of
Keroecia's weave. Some thoughtful hand had placed
it there. He carried it to his lips reverently and ex
amined it curiously. It was water-stained and
wrinkled from compression in a pocket, but he
divined that she had sent it to him by Ben Hu Barabe.
Some time, when he could bear to speak of it, he
would make inquiry — but not now! " O God! —
not now! "
He sank down before the statue.
1 Initiates were always considered hermaphrodites, but not in
a sex sense. The name itself implies this, being a compound
of Hermes (wisdom) and Aphrodite (love). When sex takes
precedence over humanity it is hard to explain a divine mystery,
because organs are mistaken attributes, and the whole world is
sex mad. Nevertheless, activity and repose, positive and nega
tive, equilibrium and discord, cause and effect, involution and
evolution, differentiation and polarization of atoms, and the laws
governing them are united in the one word — SEX.
308 YERMAH, THE DORADO
"All, all is lost! " he cried in agony of soul —
" Keroecia, Akaza, and my fatherland! It is more
than I can endure ! Grant release to this tortured
spirit — Thou whose whole essence is love and wis
dom! "
Hoarse moans and sobs choked his utterance,
while everything in the room seemed to vibrate with
overwhelming sorrow.
He was crying man's tears — those that leave the
eyelids dry, but drip inwardly and fall scalding hot
on the heart. His poor routed will power inter
posed no opposition, while grief hurricaned through
his non-resisting body. He was fighting the battle
alone — facing the utter negation of self — the
complete overthrow of desire.
Finally, overcome by physical exhaustion, he lay
with his head at the feet of Orion, too weary to
make an effort of any kind. After a while a sort
of stupor came over him, and then he heard voices,
while a cool breath of air fanned his heated cheek,
and he felt the presence of his loved ones.
" Behold in tribulation the key which unlocks the
mystery of the soul! The initiate cannot speak to
the heart of man until he has himself drained to the
dregs the bitter cup of life's miseries."
Yermah lifted a startled face, and peered intently
about him in the vain hope of locating the speaker.
" Fear not, my beloved ! Man is only what he
thinks. He mingles his aura with that of his fel
lows, and the Redeemer becomes the fellow-sufferer,
because the twain are made one in sorrow. Rise
and go forth comforted. Thou hast loosed the belt
of Orion. Thou hast crossed the bridge of Kinevat."
Without a moment's hesitation, and with implicit
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 309
faith, Yermah obeyed. He had touched and re
bounded from the lowest rung of personal grief and
despair, and he would never again sink so deeply in
the Slough of Despond.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A COMMEMORATION OF HUMILIATION AND
DESPAIR
THE Temple of Saturn, where the Festival
of Humiliation was held, was situated on
Park Hill, southeast of the center of the
city, near Mount Olympus. It represented one of
the rings of Saturn, while a hill now occupied by
an iron water-tank gave the outer ring.
The temple itself marked the orbit of Saturn, the
reaper who gathers the harvest of the dead. It was
a square edifice, and had towers which were of the
same form at the base, but became round as the tall
spires rose skyward. A high arched entrance of
elaborately carved sandstone led to a long quad
rangular hall. The ceiling was of heavy paneled
redwood, polished and treated with copal, while the
walls were an elaborate mural broken, double and
single key patterns, interspersed with squares, circles
and triangles in porphyry bas-relief. The floor was
a succession of interlaced hoops and balls of blue
enamel on squares of white marble.
Unlike the other temples, there was but one en
trance, which faced west, signifying that all who
entered the Hall of Death came by the same road;
and, also, that the sun going down in the west was
typical of physical life departing from the body.
An intricately carved ebony arch, relieved by
310
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 311
pieces of crystal and tiny panels of isinglass, enclosed
the eastern altar, containing a gold sunburst and
throne of the same, on which was seated a green
jasper statue of Maia — the Virgin Mother of all.
The elevated platform of black marble had in
cense vessels, urns, and vases of gold, set with black
onyx and diamonds, in a delicate tracery of black
enamel.
Emblematic brocades of pale blue silk hung be
tween the square, windows, whose innumerable small
panes were of frosted glass set in a circular frame.
A circle inscribed within a square is the geo
metrical emblem of death, and the veiled light con
veyed the same idea.
In the center of the southern wall, under a richly
canopied entablature of arms of Atlantis, embla
zoned on a heavily fringed and corded brocade of
shaded blue, was a high granite slab, back of which
was a square ark containing an aerolite stone.
The Immaculate Conception also pertains to the
mystery of death, since it is a new birth, and the
heaven-born stone signifies that the newly released
spirit is immaculate. In other words, that its birth
into the body and contact with material life have
left no stain upon its intrinsic purity.
Before this shrine Yermah ordered a purple veil
of Akaza to be placed. Skulls and crossbones in
white were painted upon this, to show that he was
master of the living as well as of the dead.
The queen of odors, jasmine, which corresponds
to G in alt, or equilibrium, filled the perfumed lamp
suspended in the center of the shrine; while ewers
of oil, containing citron, lemon, orange-peel, ver
bena, and rose sat on either side.
312 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The Azes recognized the octaves of odor, and
offered the higher grade to age; while the lower,
consisting of almond, heliotrope, vanilla, clematis
and neroli, were placed in ewers on the altar oppo
site, as a sacrifice to youth.
Musically, these correspond to the lower bass and
upper treble clefs.
On a square base of onyx rose a pyramid and
obelisk of prismatic glass at each side of the north
ern niche. The pyramid was composed of glass
squares, ingeniously piled up, and the obelisk was of
round balls of glass, beginning with twelve, and
ending with one. Several lighted lamps placed be
hind them gave a bewildering effect of color through
the crystal.
The niche itself ended in a sharp triangle, and
contained a blue enamel swastika, familiarly known
to-day as the Keys of Saint Peter.
Astronomically, it is the sign Aquarius, which is
Janus, or Saint Peter, while Pisces is the swastika in
his hand. It is correlated to the spiral movements
in nature everywhere, and its hieroglyph is a dragon,
serpent meander, or two rivers of fire.
Three marble steps led to this altar, and there was
a constant stream of people praying before it. They
entered barefooted, and silently threw themselves on
the floor before the altars. The swastika not only
indicated the time, but also the unsettled condition,
and they implored continually:
" O Thou who art master of all motion, hold
Thou the earth fast in the hollow of Thy hand!
Grant that it may no longer be swayed in its orbit,
but may go in peace, freed from evil influence.
Hear and answer, we beseech Thee ! "
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 313
Rising at daybreak, the whole populace made their
ablutions with scrupulous care, and dressed them
selves in spotless white.
They waited in vain for a glimpse of the rising
sun, and then betook themselves to the housetops.
Turning with infinite yearning to the north, they
cried out:
" Spirits of the lost ones, come quickly, since thou
art expected ! "
This curious practice was kept up at this yearly
festival until the time of the conquest of Mexico.
All the native races of America believed with the
Norsemen that hell was situated in the north doubt
less in memory of the overwhelming destruction of
the great Ice Age.
Esoterically, ice is spiritual fire.
Reentering their houses, the populace took their
canapas * which were the same as the Roman titular
deities, and hastened to a great funeral pyre already
smoking in front of the Temple of Saturn.
Since fire was the substance of the sun, and since
the sun's ray was the medium through which Deity
contacted the earth, the devotees did not venture
near it without prostrating themselves, kissing the
earth, and making manifestations of abasement.
The worshipers made low obeisance to the four car
dinal points, and threw cassia, cinnamon, sweet cala
mus and myrrh into the flames. Braving the heat,
they held the canapas in the smoke until the figures
warmed perceptibly, then wrapped them in linen
scorched by the fire, and ran back to their houses.
It was no longer possible to summon them to the
temples by ringing the big bell on top of the Observa-
1 Lares and penates — household gods.
314 YERMAH, THE DORADO
tory, as the tower still lay in ruins; so they waited
for the trumpet-call.
Incense was burned on the sacrificial altars, and
a pot-pourri of resinous gums was carried in the
hand, in alabaster or jeweled boxes, along with palm
branches, which indicated a new period of mani
festation of matter.
A procession issued from the western gate of the
Temple of the Sun, in the center of Tlamco. First
came a troop of warrior-priests with spears held up
right and garlanded with roses.
The next was Yermah, robed in cloth of gold, with
a white linen mantle over his shoulder. His head
was bared, and he had submitted to tonsure as a
sacred observance.
The Azes considered the human head a magnet,
having a natural electrical, irregular circle, moving
in the path of the sun.
The os-frontis, sinciput, and os-sublime are the
positive pole, while the occiput is the negative.
In the right hand of the Dorado was a lotus-
headed scepter, an emblem of religious dominion;
while in his left hand was a sword constructed in
the form of a cross, with three pommels, or two
crescents for guards. It had been newly conse
crated by being thrust into a fire made of laurel and
cypress woods, after which it was wiped and pol
ished with the ashes and wrapped in a linen cloth.
Behind the Dorado were one hundred youths,
dressed to represent the four seasons; and after
them came Imos, the high-priest, in green robes and
tiara, borne on a litter by twelve priests, represent
ing the sun in one of its zodiacal houses.
Following, walked the Virgin of the Sun, Oahspe,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 315
who was to be offered up in sacrifice, as a solemn
atonement for the people.
This observance did not involve the horrible rites
of later superstition, because she did not represent
death to the physical, but death of transgression and
new birth into righteousness.
Back of her were one hundred vestals, dressed in
white and crowned with myrtle. After them came
boys and girls to the number of three hundred and
sixty-five, each representing the sun and moon in their
daily journey.
Last were five hundred warrior-priests clad in
black, with white crosses on their backs and breasts.
The procession wound slowly around the serpen
tine avenue, and up the winding path to the temple,
the priests chanting a hymn as they walked. Fil
ing in, they stood ranged in rows on each side of the
hall, and in the gray morning light their voices
mingled with melodious strains of harps, flutes and
lyres. The music rose grandly, floating through the
dim aisles and out into the crowded spaces before the
entrance. There were no lights on the altars, and
the congregation moved like specters in the semi-
darkness.
Imos knelt in the center before the veil which en
closed the figure of the ever-youthful Virgin. On
his right side knelt Yermah, and on his left was
Oahspe.
A hush fell over the people, the music ceased and
all waited with bated breath to see if Divine help
would be vouchsafed them.
Suddenly, through a rift in the clouds, shone a
resplendent sun-ray, which flooded the figures and the
statue with a golden light.
316 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The tense, strained, fearful looks relaxed, and a
long sigh of relief escaped their lips, while an elec
tric thrill ran through the crowd, and many of them
wept unrestrainedly.
The gates of the enclosure swung open, and Imos
stood within, facing the sun. Then Yermah took
Oahspe by the hand, and led her to Imos, who made
a sign of hierarchal blessing and poured a few drops
of olive oil over her hair. The high-priest stepped
back, and, placing his right hand over his heart,
held his left up to the figure of Maia, the Cosmic
Virgin, and proclaimed in a loud voice :
" It is consummated ! "
There was a moment's silence.
The sunshine faded from the golden hair of
Oahspe, and a light, made by no mortal hands,
flickered around the statue, illuminating the whole
niche.
" In thy strength and wisdom, O Father-Mother,
join Thou the heavens above with the earth below! "
cried the people in response.
Again the music swelled through the temple and
the warrior-priests made use of their long spears to
light the lamps.
Yermah received the three-handled silver cup of
humiliation from the high-priest Imos, and partook
of its bitter contents. From him it passed to
Oahspe, then to Orondo, Setos, Alcamayn, Ildiko,
Rahula, Cezardis, Ben Hu Barabe, and Alcyesta and
then on to every man and woman in the temple.
The priests composed and arranged the music
used in the temples; and now a choir chanted a
funeral text from their sacred books, referring to the
sinking in earlier cataclysms of the continents of
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 317
Ruta and Daitya, which extended into the Gulf of
Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
These continents included the Azores, the Cape
Verde and Grand Canary Islands, while the peaks
of Teneriffe are all that is left of Poseidon's king
dom. The latter, an island three hundred and fifty
miles long and two hundred miles wide, contained
the crystallization of ancient civilization, and had
colonies in the four quarters of the globe.
The history of this race is written in the public
works of the ancient kingdoms; in their bridges
crossing great rivers and swamps; in the highways
leveling mighty mountains and uplifting plains; in
the matchless gardens and aqueducts; in the beauty
and splendor of the cities; in fabulous treasures of
gold and silver; and, more than all, in the grandeur
of the mighty pyramids, temples and obelisks erected
and dedicated to the glorification of a Supreme Being.
It was also written in the provident laws of the
nation — in its progressive civic life, its happiness
and its calm, delightful view of the world.
The priests chanted:
" The end of the Etherean column that extended
to Kinevat, on the borders of the vortex of the
earth, was made fast by the pressure of Thy wide
heavens.
" And the vertex closed in from the extreme end,
and, loj the earth was broken ! "
The people looked at each other and shuddered.
They understood the significance of Orion's Belt,
and they knew, also, that the three hills overlooking
the Golden Gate, where the waters had lately rushed
through, typified one end of the Bridge of Kinevat.
Some among them knew that this referred to ini-
318 YERMAH, THE DORADO
tiation, but it was generally supposed that the mys
tery had reference to death.
One variant of this allegory was personated in the
heavens by the constellation of Orion. The three
bright stars in his belt represented Will, Aspiration
and Harmony.
For this reason the Dorado was required to pray
before a figure of Orion which was the official lares
and penates of laqua. In the abstract, the statue
symbolized the god-hood in man.
As an. image of his own higher self, it was a
something on which Yermah could concentrate all of
his thought-forces.
A low, plaintive wail from the instruments, and
a chill seized the audience.
" A mighty continent was cut loose from its
fastenings," sang the bass voices. " The fires of the
earth came forth in flames and clouds and loud roar
ings."
" And the land rocked to and fro like a ship at
sea," chimed the tenors.
" Again the vortex of the earth closed in on all
sides," they all sang together.
" By great pressure the land sank beneath the
waters to rise no more," they repeated three times.
Then, after an impressive pause:
" The corporeans all went down to death ! "
The wails and cries of the mourners drowned the
music.
In the midst of the exercise, Yermah was invested
with a purple robe and the pointed hat of a hiero-
phant, while Imos took position in the northern
niche, in front of the swastika. When quiet was
319
restored the high-priest knelt with the entire congre
gation, and after a long and fervent supplication
rose and hung a broken heart of rubies on a little
gold hook in the center of the revolving cross.
" Sacred to thy memory, O Atlantis !
Fit semblance of our grief for thee, O Poseidon !
Reminder of our transition hence to Kinevat —
The bridge between us and eternity ! "
chanted the entire assemblage, making genuflections
continuously.
Yermah found his way to the platform, and as
Imos gave the hierarchal blessing he handed the
Dorado a parchment scroll, which the latter slowly
unrolled and read :
BUNDLE OF WONDERFUL THINGS *
The Great King of the Dazzling Face, the chief of all
the Yellow Faces, was sad, seeing the sins of the Black
Faces. He sent his air-vehicles to all his brother chiefs with
highest men within, saying:
" Prepare ! Arise, ye men of the Good Law, and cross
the land while dry ! The Lords of the Storm are approach
ing.
" Their chariots are nearing the land.
" She is doomed, and they have to descend with her.
" The nether Lords of the Fires (gnomes and fire ele-
mentals) are preparing their magic-worked weapons.
" But the Lords of the Dark Eye are stronger than these
elementals, and they are the slaves of the mighty ones.
" They are versed in Astra. Come and use yours.
" Let every Lord of the Dazzling Face cause the
vehicles of every Lord of the Dark Face to come into his
hands, lest any should by this means escape from the waters ;
1 H. P. Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine.
320 YERMAH, THE DORADO
avoid the rod of the four elements, and save the wicked
people.
" May every Yellow Face send sleep from himself to
every Black Face.
"May even they be free from pain. May every, man
who is true to the Solar Gods bind every man under the
Lunar. Gods, lest he should suffer or escape his destiny.
" And may every Yellow Face offer his life-water to the
speaking animal watching beside the Black Face.
" Let him not awaken his master — The hour has struck
— the black night is ready — Let their destiny be accom
plished. We are the servants of the Great Four — May
the King of Light return."
" The Great King fell upon his dazzling face and
wept.
. . . " When the kings assembled, the waters had al
ready moved. . . . The natives had now crossed the
dry lands. They were beyond the water-mark. Their
kings reached them in their vehicles, and led them on to
the lands of fire and metal (east and north) . . .
" Stars and meteors showered on the lands of the Black
Faces, but they slept. . . .
" The waters rose and covered the valleys from one end
of the earth to the other. High lands remained dry.
. . . There dwelt those who escaped — the men of the
Yellow Faces and of the Straight Eye.
" When the Lords of the Dark Faces awoke, they be
thought them of the vehicles, in order to escape from the
rising waters, but they were gone. Some of the most pow
erful of the Dark Faces awoke first, and pursued those who
had spoiled them. Many of the faint-hearted perished on
their way.
" The pursuers, whose heads and chests soared high above
the water, chased them. Finally the rising waves reached
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
them, and they perished to the last man. The soil sank
under their feet, and the earth engulfed those who had
desecrated her.
When Yermah ceased speaking, he crossed over
to the southern altar, and laid a small wreath of
jasmine on Akaza's veil, saying:
" Thou hast quashed the will-o'-the-wisp of
doubtful spirits. Thou hast crossed the Bridge of
Kinevat * and art come into bliss."
The congregation followed the example of the
Dorado, and for the remainder of the day made
offerings upon the different altars. They deposited
palms in the eastern niche; on the north, cypress and
aloes; on the south, quantities of white flowers;
while about the entrance they strewed branches of
weeping-willow.
The sun went down on absolute silence.
Every animal was either muzzled or shut up in a
dark place.
There was not a light in the city, nor did a human
being speak above a whisper.
Just before midnight the people retired, without
breaking fast during the whole twenty-four hours.
1 It is a mistake to suppose that the personality originates
thought. The sphere called mind reflects thought, as the earth
reflects the light of the sun. It is quite as mis-leading to as
sert that the spirit leaves the body at death as it would be to
assume that the sun is actually in the earth, because this planet
lives by its rays. The spirit never is in the body — therefore
it has neither birth nor death. It contacts and vivifies the
body in the same manner as does the sun the earth. The
photosphere of the earth, and the aura of man are universal
exemplifications of the mysterious Bridge of Kinevat.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
In the dead watches of the night they communed
silently with hordes of disembodied entities who had
crossed the bridge which connects one phase of mind
with desire, and the other with spirit. By this
means the upward surging forces of the animal king
dom, are united with the downward cycling emana
tion of the Divine — the most profound myth asso
ciated with the Bridge of Kinevat.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE ARROW-HEAD MEMORIAL TO THE LOST MONBAS
TRIBES
F | ^HE legend of Humoo, or the Lost Arrow,
associated with the Giant's Thumb, one of
1
the wonders of the Yo-Semite Valley, had
its origin in the building of the enormous arrow
head in a triangular plateau two thousand feet above
the level of the sea, in the ribbon-like convolutions
of the San Bernardino Mountains, about six miles
from the little village bearing the same name.
The Mexican hero, Santa Anna, is immortalized
in the name of the valley stretching southward to
the peaks of Temescal, where tin and other ore of
value was being formed in nature's laboratory, as
Yermah and his men fashioned the arrow-head l
which would serve as a memorial stone, an arrow
head burial for the lost Monbas tribes.
A circle intersecting Twin Peaks, in Tlamco, and
including the North Dome, in the Yo-Semite, and
the arrow-head, is exactly one fifth the diameter of
the moon. The dual reference to the mind and to
people, always ascribed to the influence of the moon,
here found adequate expression in this giant monu
ment. It commemorated the loss of a continent, the
extinction of a race, and also pictured the mental
anguish of the surviving nations.
1 Sixteen hundred (Egyptian) feet long by five hundred feet
wide.
323
YERMAH, THE DORADO
The arrow, typical of thought, was composed of
disintegrated white quartz on light gray granite,
and it stands out bold and white against a dark
background of entirely different soil. Short white
grass and weeds cover the arrow-head proper, while
dark shrubbery and trees mark the surrounding
country. So perfect is its contour, so elevated its
situation, it can be descried from every part of the
valley, and is plainly visible at a distance of thirty
miles.
So cunningly was the soil mixed for the molding
of the arrow, that the ages since have not caused it
to diminish, nor can it be made to support vegetation
of a larger growth, or of species common to its
surroundings.
The flint points downward, and at its base is a
cluster of twenty medicinal springs, famous for their
curative powers.
Westward Santa Catalina Island had but recently
appeared, and although eighty miles away, it still
smoked and rocked, animated by the hidden forces
which called it into being.
The blue coast line rises out of the purple mists
in the distance like spectral silhouettes. And there
are deep canons in the rugged mountains in the im
mediate vicinity, carrying ice-cold streams in close
proximity to the steam and sulphurous vapors issu
ing from the boiling springs dotting the narrow pass
below.
Yermah did wisely to bring his men south — for
the northern mountains were still shaking and spit
ting black vomit over the valleys at their base.
The heat was too fierce for rain, although the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 325
moisture-laden breezes were sucked in from the
ocean in perfect hurricanes.
Lying well south, inland, and sheltered by a moun
tain range, the San Bernardino Valley afforded
shelter for distressed man and beast. It was here,
and while waiting for seed-time, that the arrow-head
was outlined so strangely on the mountain side.
Much that is curious in Indian lore clings to this
spot. Like a pillar of fire, the arrow is said to have
guided their forefathers to this place, where it finally
rested. Evil has been put to flight here more than
once.
The Azes' judges drew the death-circle and square
over the breast of the condemned with an arrow,
and this is why the arrow-head burial was given
Keroecia and her followers.
The Festival of Humiliation began a period of
mourning which was continuous and fervid until
this curious monument was completed and dedi
cated.
While Yermah was away from Tlamco, Orondo
served in his stead much to the annoyance of Setos,
who was as busy as a mole in the dark, stirring up
sedition, and adding to the general unrest and sus
picion everywhere manifest.
The high-priest, Imos, at the suggestion of Setos,
openly charged that the Brotherhood of the White
Star were to blame for the destruction of Atlantis.
Some solemn vow had been broken, and Deity was
mortally offended.
This assertion gave pestiferous, meddlesome Setos
the desired opportunity, and he instituted a severe
and rigorous investigation into the conduct of all
326 YERMAH, THE DORADO
public affairs; also, into the lives of every man and
woman in Tlamco.
No one escaped; nor was any situation sacred to
the inquisitors, who in the name of morality did not
hesitate to go to any length.
Setos did not dare to openly accuse Yermah of
breaking a vow made to the Ineffable One.
He refrained from fixing this unpardonable sin on
any other person, and by innuendo and insinuation
contrived to strengthen every breath of discontent
inherent in the unusual conditions arising from a
mixture of races, habits and modes of thought.
He urged Yermah to give all refugees asylum in
Tlamco, knowing that enforced idleness and nameless
dread opened the mind for seditious propaganda.
Both he and Imos insisted strenuously that some one
had sinned against Divinity.
This accusation made each one distrustful and
suspicious, and in their anxiety to clear themselves
many an overt act or word was let loose to strengthen
the intangible something which hovered in the air.
None pretended to name it; nor was there anything
but the most circumspect language used.1
Setos knew better than to show his hand. He
was content, at present, to merely discredit the
Dorado. As to his future plans — time would
prove them.
Yermah felt, rather than saw, the change, but he
1 Profane and blasphemous words were unknown to the native
races in the Americas. These people believed that speech was
given man to enable him to praise his Maker.
To this day the Indian is chary of words — and in all the
relations of life his language is circumspect, and dignified. He
only speaks when it is necessary, and rightly has profound con
tempt for the human who talks too much.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 327
was above indulging a personal grief. He had
already consecrated his life to his fellows, so that
work was the one thing which absorbed and inter
ested him.
He saw that planting must be confined to the
southern part of the country, since steady downpours
marked the spring and early summer months.
He also knew it would require his best endeavors
to procure food for the ensuing year.
Reports from the Valley of the Mississippi stated
that heavy floods had prevailed for months, caused
by preponderance of hot air blown over the Rocky
Mountains and condensed into rainfall early in the
season. The winter months set in with unparalleled
rigor, and the spring found that whole country under
one solid sheet of ice.
Many of the inhabitants had fled to the south.
The exodus to Mexico was in full tide. This migra
tion caused the mysterious race, the Toltecs or the
Mayas, to leave their mounds and earthworks, their
canals and busy centers, their cities and civilization,
to puzzle the antiquarian in later ages.
The earth still moaned and sighed under the im
pulse of subterranean fire, while the surface froze
stiff in the accumulation of waters and low tempera
ture. Man, ever the creature of circumstance, was
still panic-stricken, oppressed by dismal forebodings,
all his settled faiths rudely shaken, and he an easy
prey to cunning and unscrupulous design.
Setos flattered himself that he managed the situa
tion very cleverly when he said to every one whom
he met:
" It is rumored that our Grand Servitor intends
to marry. Traditional law and custom forbid his
328 YERMAH, THE DORADO
remaining in supreme control more than a year with
out giving promise of succession."
To which his auditor invariably gave tongue with
speculation as upon whom his choice could fall.
" Property and descent are traced through the
female side; therefore, he should espouse Ildiko,"
said the high-priest Imos. " It is better that pure
Atlantian blood should be continued in power."
Flattering things were said to, and of, Ildiko, un
til her silly head was in a whirl, and she began to
take on grand airs of importance. She snubbed Al-
camayn unmercifully, not because she really disliked
him, but — to be perverse, especially when her
woman's wit discovered that Rahula cherished hopes
of supplanting her in her father's affection.
Like many a child since, she had no intention of
cheering her father's declining years; nor was she
unselfish enough to allow any one else to do so.
She would marry, of course, and would place her
self to the best possible advantage, thanks to her
father's influence and position; but gratitude to him
or to any one else was entirely foreign to her thoughts.
She secretly hated Rahula, because the latter had
been like a mother to her; and it gave her keen
delight to thwart Rahula's scheme to marry her to
Alcamayn. She was not only dazzled by the pros
pect of occupying laqua, but she knew that this would
disappoint and hurt a woman who had unwittingly
aroused an unwarranted but common phase of
jealousy.
As is often the case, Yermah, the most interested
man of them all, was the last to hear the gossip. At
first he took no notice. But one day Imos asked
him pointedly :
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 329
" Wilt thou comply with the demands of the peo
ple?"
" If thou wilt name thy wish, I shall answer thee
truly," responded Yermah.
It was in the Temple of the Sun, near the noon
hour, and the audience chamber was crowded, Yer
mah presiding.
" If thou art to be the head of this commonwealth,
a helpmeet becomes thy station. Ildiko, daughter
of Setos, thy councilor, is of pure blood and comely.
Her heirs would be acceptable as future rulers."
Yermah seemed to shrivel and grow small as the
words reached him. He unconsciously assumed an
attitude of defense, mechanically passed his hand
over his ashen face, and said in a low voice :
" Let this honor in service pass me by 1 "
Instantly there was tremendous excitement, and
Setos's small pig-eyes emitted a dangerous gleam.
" So he refuses the only chance he has to reign in
peace. So be it ! I — Setos — will make it cost
him his position."
In the hubbub and confusion, Yermah beckoned
to Orondo, and the two stood in earnest converse for
a few moments. Finally, the Dorado held up his
hand for silence.
" By the will of our beloved Akaza, I am made
his successor as hierophant in the exalted Brother
hood. The vow of my boyhood still binds me, and
my heart lies buried in the lava-flow of the north.
My fellows and brothers, will ye not release me from
civic service? The dead have laid imperative com
mands upon me."
" It is our duty to obey the ' Voice of the Silence,' '
quickly responded Imos, knowing that reverence for
330 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the dead, and for their commands and wishes, was
an article of faith with the Azes} and one which
Atlantian rulers had always respected.
" He will be hierophant only," muttered Setos.
"Good! His order forbids resort to force, and in
case of necessity he can be expelled. It is well to
resign what thou art in imminent danger of losing."
There was an angry scowl on Setos's red face, and
his lips curled scornfully.
Yermah stood with bowed head, and when he at
tempted to speak his voice was shaken with emotion.
" A sense of gratitude unmans me ! I have no
wish but to serve ye well. In resigning civic honors
I desire to name Orondo as my successor."
The Dorado turned to Orondo, and giving him
his hand, drew him forward, as his astonished
auditors recovered their presence of mind and began
to cheer. Both men, deadly pale, faced about side
by side and bowed gravely.
" The fair and gentle Ildiko will find a good hus
band in Orondo, and the Azes a Servitor worthy of
their fullest confidence. Will ye have it so?"
"Haillel Haille! Haille!" The well-known
shout of triumph had something of the heartiness
of the olden times.
"Does this arrangement please thee, Setos?"
asked Yermah, kindly, taking the hand of Setos in
both his own, and reading his countenance closely.
" Since thou wilt no longer serve — Orondo is my
second choice," stammered Setos, politely, if not sin
cerely.
"And wilt thou have me for thy son?" asked
Orondo, simply, but without a shade of animation.
The substitution of men was not so rapid as to
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 331
prevent Setos from realizing the advantage to him
self; so he answered readily and with heartiness:
" No man could desire a better or a more worthy
son. Come with me to Ildiko."
There were several degrees of dignity added to
Setos as he linked his arm in Orondo's and passed
out of the building.
The crowd manifested some curiosity, which Setos
noted out of the corner of his eye as they went by.
If he had failed to win all he had played for, he had
at least accomplished something.
Gratified ambition sent a glow of satisfaction
through Setos which made him feel quite amiable
toward Yermah, despite his fixed determination to
either rule or ruin the Dorado — beloved of the
people.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
FOR REASONS OF STATE ORONDO ESPOUSES ILDIKO
THREE months intervened between the be
trothal announcement, immediately after
Ildiko's consent was obtained, and the be
ginning of the wedding festival, which lasted thirty
days. This brought the actual consummation down
to the time in October when the sun and moon were
in conjunction.
Those were happy days for Ildiko, who was in a
flutter of excitement from morning until night over
the preparation of her trousseau. Everything neces
sary for her comfort was furnished in sets of twelve.
There were exquisitely ornamented terra-cotta jars
provided for each of her dresses, which were placed
in a row around the walls of her room, much more
suggestive of tea than of a wardrobe.
For the ceremony in the Temple of Venus there
was a creation of vivid yellow, wrought in heavy
bands of silk embroidery and tawny gold. The veil
to match was of the finest yellow gauze, worked with
floss and glitter until it was like a cobweb with the
sun shining through it. The material of the gown
was that of rare, fine texture which writers are always
drawing through a finger-ring.
In the voluminous skirt, at least twenty yards of
gossamer silk had been used, but the effect was soft,
clinging and graceful in the extreme. The waist
332
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 333
was like an Eton jacket, too short to reach the skirt,
and had half-length sleeves. The substitute for ma
terial at the waist line was a broad girdle of jewels.
Orondo himself superintended the making of this
article. It would be his privilege to unclasp it on
the nuptial night and hang it outside the bridal
chamber, as a pledge of his wife's honor. It was
not a straight band, but broadened over the hips, and
was sacred to Venus, the love planet.
The second of the bridal robes was of scarlet silk,
almost covered with gold-thread embroidery, in which
precious stones were skillfully imbedded. With it
was provided a red gauze veil edged with gold fringe.
Both gowns were fashioned alike, except that the red
skirt was narrower, and finished in a long train
edged with peacock feathers, which hung as a mantle
from the shoulders.
As soon as the city was decorated, and during the
entire thirty days' preliminary festivities, Ildiko wore
simple white, destitute of ornament.
She did not appear in public, except in going to
and from the Temple of Venus, where she greeted
the rising sun every morning and offered special
prayers on behalf of her new duties.
Orondo made similar supplication at the same hour
in the Temple of Mars. Though not a demon
strative man, he was careful to observe all the nice
ties of his position.
When with Ildiko, his countenance bespoke con
tentment; and at some of her witty sallies his face
would light up with a rare smile. She was all bustle
and excitement, and made heavy demands upon her
bridesman, Yermah.
Ildiko was neither resentful nor sensitive. When
334 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the Dorado took her hand, and begged forgiveness
because of his seeming disloyalty, her sympathies
went out to him, and she impulsively told him that
she honored his choice. She loved Keroecia too,
she said, and hoped that this mutual affection would
prove a strong bond between them.
Setos was in his glory. He strutted about the city
officiously, and assumed a dictatorial manner, in the
Council Chambers, which was tolerated in a good-
natured way. Setos was also allowed to indulge him
self in several flights of fancy not strictly in ac
cordance with facts.
With his thumbs in his arm-holes and his conical
hat set well back on his head, he unbosomed himself
to Rahula, whose adroit flattery now fell upon very
willing ears.
He was paternal and patronizing to Alcamayn,
who was galled almost beyond endurance by what he
fancied were the pitying glances of his fellows.
Alcamayn angrily told himself that he was not in
love with Ildiko; but he was keenly sensible of the
fact that a bachelor was not only taxed — he was
looked down upon.
The jeweler knew that there was no chance for
promotion so long as he remained single; but his own
vanity and Rahula's insidious teaching made him hold
himself entirely aloof from alliance with any but a
pure-blooded Atlantian.
His share in the preparations was wholly perfunc
tory, a situation not lost upon Orondo, whose deli
cacy deterred him from seeking advice on the nuptial
ring and girdle.
Alcamayn himself was keenly alert on these very
points. When he purposely wandered in where the
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 335
workmen were putting on the finishing touches, he was
so exasperated that he could with difficulty restrain
himself.
Day by day his irritation grew, fanned by injudi
cious remarks, insinuations and exaggerated reports
of Orondo's devotion.
Divining something of this, Ildiko often inquired
concerning him, and sent many messages by Rahula.
Now that she was having her own way, she was very
amiable to the other woman. Rahula's sad face,
and what Ildiko imagined Alcamayn must suffer,
added to her own high spirits. So it was that shal
low-brained, selfish Ildiko enjoyed being the center
of attraction, and accepted as justly her due the
thousand and one courtesies the time and situation
showered upon her.
Not even a vague suspicion of her lover's former
attachment crossed her mind.
Northeast from the center of Tlamco was the
Temple of Venus, set apart for marriage and all
domestic affairs. It was here that the vestal virgins
lived, and taught the young children. It was an
oval-shaped structure, with rows of pillars inside,
supporting a convex-domed roof of colored glass.
The pillars were ornamented elaborately with stucco,
rainbow-tinted, each one showing a solid color. The
interstices between had mirrors with beaten copper
frames placed over the glass itself. The tessellated
floor was of black marble, the vessels of exquisitely
hammered silver, while the altars were of onyx on
copper bases. Passion-flowers, gillyflowers and hol
lyhocks, emblems of fecundity, were employed in the
336 YERMAH, THE DORADO
decorations of the temple for the wedding. Ivy,
meaning fidelity; grasses, showing submission; helio
trope, for devotion; syringa and roses, for love, were
freely intertwined about the pillars and altars.
On Friday, the day of love and marriage, no blood
was allowed to be shed for food.
At the wedding, the vestments of Imos and his
assistants were of azure, their ornaments of polished
copper, their head garlands of white and red roses,
and they carried myrtle and olive branches.
Apple-green and pale rose were the colors of the
canopy placed in the southern niche, under which the
ceremony took place. It was an open, flaring tri
angle with a lamp in the apex, having the pedestal
of iron, the joint of brass, the bowl of silver, and
the center of gold. It had two arms, composed of
three metals interlaced in such a manner as to leave
a triple conduit for oil.
There were nine wicks; three in the middle, and
three in each arm. The lower rim of the pedestal
represented a serpent, while the globe was large and
double, having compartments filled with colored
waters and perfumed so that the air was cool and
fragrant.
The lamp was on a revolving standard of polished
wood, and at its base were three smoking incense-
jars of burnished bronze.
Early on the morning of the wedding, a brilliant
pageant formed in front of Setos's house and marched
through the principal streets. It consisted of beasts
of burden, and tamanes, loaded with presents for the
bride, and also carrying her belongings to laqua.
First came the jewel bearers, armed to the teeth,
escorted by cavalrymen, brandishing broadswords
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 337
and performing many feats of horsemanship and
skill.
This was followed by a cavalcade of burros, laden
with scented jars and baskets containing the trous
seau, which had kept half of Tlamco industriously
occupied for three months.
The presents came from military, naval and civil
guilds; from the priesthood, from the vestals, and
from the children and the aged.
Poets walked in front of them reciting odes, and
the musicians performed special compositions in honor
of the occasion.
As soon as the procession turned into the beauti
fully decorated avenue leading to laqua, the populace
hastened to the Temple of Venus.
It was also the signal for Orondo, with Setos on
one side and Hanabusa on the other, to issue from
the eastern entrance of the official residence. His
warrior dress of white kid was rich in golden bosses,
bands and fringes. Over his shoulders hung the
green feather mantle of his rank, held in place by
shoulder medallions of brilliants.
On his head was a tall liberty cap of white kid,
ornamented with gold filigree, and having three
quetzal feathers in the apex. He doffed his head-
covering at the temple door, exposing a simple gold
band over his hair.
Setos and Hanabusa wore a silver and green com
bination, ornate with eagle's feathers and embroidery.
They carried large bouquets of roses, and supported
the sword and shield of the bridegroom.
Behind them, in single file, carrying a jeweled lan
tern in each hand, came Alcamayn, Ben Hu Barabe,
Cezardis, and twenty-two young officers of the high-
338 YERMAH, THE DORADO
est rank, in full regimentals, followed by the repre
sentative men of Tlamco, with the priesthood and
councilors of state in the lead.
Their wives stood in line in front of Setos's house,
waiting to perform the same service for Ildiko.
" Blessed be he that cometh ! " shouted the people
in the streets.
" Blessed indeed is he ! " responded Orondo's es
cort.
"Haille! Haillel Haille!" they shouted to
gether.
Then the same formula was repeated.
The first greeting and exchange brought Ildiko to
the door. She glanced about her half-fearfully, and
seemed in need of Yermah's supporting arm.
In addition to the yellow robe already described,
she wore a mantle of yellow brocaded with silver
and gold, which swept the ground far behind her.
For the last time in her life would she be permitted
to wear her hair flowing, and its gold band, an exact
duplicate of the one Orondo wore, was the only orna
ment, save a crown of white lilies, attesting her purity
of heart. Strand after strand of pearls wound
around her neck; bangles and bracelets dangled at
her slender wrists; but her small white hands were
uncovered, and her fingers were unadorned.
Yermah wore pale blue cloth embroidered with
silver stars and bands, and a blue cap, with silver
ornaments and white plumes. His mantle was of
plain white silk. From his left arm swung a large
reticule of silver cloth crusted with turquoise, con
taining the yellow gauze wedding-veil.
Supporting the train of the bride's mantle came
Rahula, in a purple robe, elaborately worked with a
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 339
pattern of leaves in pale metallic green, outlined in
delicately frosted silver. The jacket was lined with
green, and the undervest was a mass of silver and
jewels.
Beside her was Alcyesta, in a lavender robe. Iri
descent bead embroideries set with amethysts, and
copper ornaments in quaint symbolic design, such as
the Monbas were wont to employ, made a pleasing
contrast to the rows of vestals and priestesses in pure
white.
Two fierce-looking fencers led the way, followed
by hundreds of children, who scattered roses along
the pathway, or accepted some of the nuts and small
cakes given out by the bride's orders on all the thor
oughfares.
A delegation of priests barred the entrance and
stopped Orondo on the threshold. As soon as Ildiko
joined him, he purchased an ear of corn of Setos,
handing him an eagle-quill of gold. Turning to
Ildiko he asked:
" Dost thou wish to be mother of my household? "
" Yes," she answered, and proceeded to buy a
similar ear of corn from Yermah, paying the same
price for it. Then she turned to Orondo and asked :
" Hast thou the wish to be father of my house
hold?"
" Yes," he asseverated, solemnly. Taking the ear
of corn he had purchased, he handed it to her, say
ing:
" Where love and harmony dwell, I am master."
Ildiko gave Orondo her purchase as she replied :
" Where thou art master, I am mistress."
They both began to twist roses and myrtle and
olive branches into a garland wrapped with gold and
340 YERMAH, THE DORADO
silver wires, as a symbol of their blending lives.
Still weaving, they advanced slowly down the aisle,
and paused before the canopy, while harps and voices
blended in a bridal hymn.
Setos stood beside Orondo, while Yermah sup
ported Ildiko.
When the music ceased the priests and vestals
chanted in unison :
" We give thee myriads of years. Like the moon
advancing to the full; like the sun ascending to the
heavens; like the everlasting southern hills; like the
luxuriance of the fir and cypress — never waning,
never failing! — may such be thy succeeding lines."
« Om — ah ! Om — ah ! Om — ah ! " mur
mured the four at the altar.
" Orondo, servant of the Most High," said Imos
impressively, " art thou in any way related to this
maiden by ties of blood, intimate or remote?"
" The silken cords of affection are all that bind
me here."
" Dost thou swear this by the sacred fire on the
altar before thee? "
" I do." Orondo spoke firmly.
When the high-priest had asked the same questions
and received the same responses from Ildiko, he con
tinued :
" Orondo, on thy honor as a man, is the solemn
covenant thou art about to make voluntary on thy
part?"
" It is."
Ildiko gave the same assurance.
Imos handed Orondo the marriage-band, which
was so large he could slip it over his right hand and
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 341
then clasp Ildiko's easily. It was a broad circlet of
silver set with turquoise, lapis lazuli, and beryl.
" In the name of the Trinity, I command thee,
Orondo, and thee, Ildiko, to join right hands and
seal thy promise of fidelity with a kiss."
As they obeyed, Yermah, Setos, and Imos covered
them with the gauze veil, murmuring blessings in
the name of the three divine attributes. Yermah
knelt before the twain and said:
" Orondo, my beloved, I give unto thee this dam
sel adorned with jewels and protected by the Lord
of Creatures."
" So be it."
Setos knelt beside Yermah and said in a tremulous
voice :
" Orondo, beloved, I give to thee my only begot
ten, to be thine honor and thy wife ; to keep thy keys
and share with thee thy joys and sorrows."
" Let them be trampled upon and confounded who
maliciously endeavor to create ill-will between us,"
answered Orondo, loud enough to be heard through
out the temple.
Rahula involuntarily gave Alcamayn an apprehen
sive glance.
That young man stared straight ahead of him with
blood-shot eyes and a dull, half-foolish expression.
He did not seem to hear Imos, when he said:
" By the power vested in me, I unite and bind
thee, Orondo, and thee, Ildiko, one to the other.
Live ye in peace."
Lifting their veil he anointed their foreheads and
wrists with unguent. Then he carefully drew a gold
thread from the bride's mantle and another from the
342 YERMAH, THE DORADO
groom's, and tied them together. He handed the
knot to Ildiko, saying:
" Be this always a sign of indissoluble union."
Picking up a sprig of ivy, Setos bound it across
Orondo's forehead, adding:
" Be this a similar token unto thee."
Receiving a cup of mead from the hands of an
assistant, he blessed it, drank of it, and passed the
libation to the newly married couple.
After Ildiko took a sip, she threw the cup on the
floor, and as she did so every unmarried man in the
temple followed her example by dashing into pieces
a porcelain, glass or pottery vessel, as a signal of re
nunciation.
The bridal party filed out of the temple to the
music of harps and flutes. There was an eager wish
to witness the leave-taking of the bride and bride
groom, "who formally separated at the door and
returned to their respective homes until nightfall.
Then the bride would enter laqua in state, and the
matrimonial coronation would take place.
*******
" Impatience lends wings to my desire, Ildiko,"
whispered Orondo. " I long for thee incessantly.
Come quickly."
" Only this poor body is absent from thy side,
Orondo. Thy wish is but an echo of my thought."
" From meridian to sunset is a lifetime in the
history of love," said Orondo, as he glanced at the
unclouded sky overhead. " Oh, misery ! that I must
leave thee ! "
' Thou art a flattering and indulgent husband,"
responded Ildiko, smiling up into his face affection
ately.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE
He stood uncovered, and waited for her to pass
on; then he turned ever and anon on his way back to
laqua, waving his hand to her, until Ildiko reached
her father's house.
The lanterns, banners and flags flapped lazily in
the breeze or sunned themselves listlessly. There
was a grand naval demonstration on the bay, an ex
change of shots by the mangonels in the forts, and
a review of warriors on parade.
The citizens young and old made various sense
less noises in their exuberance of spirits, while the
Chief Councilmen went into session immediately
to await the announcement of the formal resignation
of Yermah and the taking of the oath of office by
Orondo.
It was not without a sinking heart that Yermah
had given up his old habits of life. It cost him many
pangs to abandon his quarters; and for days he had
that houseless, homeless feeling inseparable from re
moval to new surroundings.
Orondo pleaded long and earnestly that he would
still reside at laqua. The Dorado steadily re
fused. He would content himself with the unpre
tentious quarters of Akaza in the Temple of
Neptune.
With his own hands, he took an inventory of all
things pertaining to his office, the jewels, the horses,
trappings and chariots.
He removed nothing except his personal effects,
and, as a wedding present, he gave Orondo his last
state mantle — the one he had worn on Keroecia's
birthday.
Orondo still had the garment on his shoulders,
and would wear it in the Hall of Embassadors, when
344 YERMAH, THE DORADO
he solemnly pledged his life and sacred honor to the
service of the Azes.
Later in the day, there was feasting and rejoicing
in all the community houses, the institutions and
barracks, as well as in the homes.
Enthroned under a canopy of scarlet, Ildiko sat
out the afternoon, surrounded by her family and
friends. It was her formal leave-taking of girlhood
days, and her eyes filled with tears as she slowly
passed from one room to another.
She yielded to a fit of weeping when she reached
the door of her own room, and saw that in her ab
sence it had been denuded of all her possessions.
" Oh, my father ! " she cried, " is it possible that
thou wilt turn me out of thy heart as well as out of
thy house ? "
She threw herself across the foot of her bed, and
sobbed convulsively.
Rahula brought her father, and by a sign mo
tioned the others to leave them. Setos gave her a
grateful look as she closed the door, but it was a
long time before he could speak. He sat motionless
and helpless until Ildiko could get command of her
overwrought nerves, and then he soothed and quieted
her as best he could.
Rahula returned presently with a sleeping potion,
but the bride refused to drink it.
" Let me remember every hour of this day," she
pleaded, and so had her way.
As the sun went down the bride arose, and per
formed anew her ablutions, and prayed with fervor
and abandon. Then she arrayed herself in scarlet,
and wound herself up in the voluminous red veil
with as much skill and ingenuity as possible, so that
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 345
her husband might find it difficult to see her face,
since it was his task to unwind it, as soon as she
crossed the threshold of laqua.
With the appearance of the evening star, came the
state chariot drawn by four spirited bays, ready to
carry her to her new home. The whole city seemed
to be alive with torches and lanterns, which rivaled
the brilliant illumination overhead, as Ildiko, accom
panied by Yermah and her father, stepped into the
vehicle.
The populace ran alongside, singing bridal songs
and shouting good wishes into her ears. Little cakes,
nuts, and bouquets were thrown from the chariot as
souvenirs, while the blare of trumpets added to the
general noise and confusion.
All the notables of Tlamco were assembled at
laqua to welcome the bride. A very timid, fright
ened little morsel of humanity she was, as Orondo
carried her into the house.
She had intended to make a great show of resist
ance when he attempted to remove her veil; but she
was so dazed that she lost all presence of mind, and
actually helped him.
With grave sweet tenderness, Orondo freed her
from entanglement, and led her in triumph to the
dais prepared for them, where for the next two hours
they received congratulations.
When divested of their mantles, the bride and
groom led the dancing, and with it Ildiko's spirits
rose. It was her privilege to challenge any swain
in the company, and he was obliged to follow her
through the maze of whirling dancers until he should
succeed in capturing the illusive veil she occasionally
tossed at him.
YERMAH, THE DORADO
As soon as the formal change was danced with
Orondo, she threw the veil over Alcamayn's shoulder.
He was a splendid dancer, and she knew that he
would give her ample opportunity to display her own
skill.
Round and round they went — he in hot pursuit,
she alert to provoke and yet escape him.
At last, panting with exertion, she suffered him to
touch the gauze, and then the dancers rushed away
to get something to drink and to recover their breath.
No precaution was taken to prevent over-indul
gence in the use of the liquids, because it was con
sidered a crime punishable with death if any one
came to harm through excess of this kind.
The high-priest, Imos, first proposed and drank
the health of the bride and groom. Then came
Hanabusa, who did the same for the navy; Setos
performed a similar office for the civil authorities;
Ben Hu Barabe, for the lost and loved ones; Cezar-
dis, for the stranger within the gates; after which
friends of each saluted and offered a libation to their
future.
Abstemious by nature, Orondo did little more than
touch the various liquors with his lips, but Ildiko
quenched thirst freely, and soon the heat and excite
ment began to tell on her.
Nothing escaped the eagle eye of Alcamayn.
Ildiko had sought to appease him by a show of
preference in selecting him to dance, but he resented
it as a mean attempt on her part to parade his hu
miliation. Before coming into the ballroom, he had
taken a copious drink of hemp and opium, and had
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 347
purposely selected the wine of maguey (mescal) for
his toast.
Now this fiery liquid mounted to his infuriated
brain, and he was positive that every one in the room
was thinking how badly he had been treated, and
secretly deriding him for not seeking revenge. —
Revenge ! That was it 1 But he had come pre
pared.
Red and white lines mingled with the pockmarks,
and his misshapen body seemed to writhe like a
snake under the goad of his malicious thoughts.
He was growing noisy and boisterous ; so much so
that his companions tried to prevent him from ap
proaching the bride, but he angrily refused to heed
them.
" Come on! " he loudly proclaimed. " She is a
discarded love of mine, who still adores me. Come
on, and I will prove her! She shall give me her
wedding ring — the one Orondo made with his own
hands!"
Ben Hu Barabe, Hanabusa, Yermah and Cezardis
closed in around him, but he broke away from their
restraint and boldly bantered Ildiko for an exchange
of rings. He had the face of a fiend, as he said:
" Wilt thou not, for old times' sake, give me one
of thy little rings in return for one of mine? Choose
among these," he continued, holding up a hand
loaded with beautiful gems, quaintly set.
She looked at him unsteadily, simpered foolishly
and was about to make some maudlin reply, when
Orondo, white with anger, whispered to her :
" Make the exchange quickly. Thou art under
observation,"
Startled by his tone, and only half-comprehending
348 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the situation, Ildiko slipped off her wedding ring, a
flat silver band covered with an intricate gold inter
laced filigree. Without looking at it, she handed it
to Alcamayn, receiving from him a diamond mar
quise for her little finger.
" What did I tell thee ! " cried the hunchback
triumphantly. " Thou knowest the pledge that goes
with this? Poor Orondo! I envy thee not! "
Alcamayn turned with a sneer on his ugly face,
just as Orondo, who had risen, made a pass at him
with his sword. The weapon went wide of its mark,
but the outraged husband lurched forward, and fell
heavily to the floor, before the horrified spectators
could offer assistance.
Yermah raised the fallen head, and as he did so
blood spurted from the half-open mouth. Orondo
groaned and shivered. His breath came in one ster
torous gasp, and all was still.
" It is death ! " cried Yermah, in alarm, " death,
sudden and terrible! My poor friend!" he re
peated, as Setos leaned over and peered into the
ashen countenance. Hanabusa hustled Alcamayn
roughly, but held him in a viselike grip.
" Thou art a murderer," he exclaimed, " and must
answer well for this ! Thou art my prisoner ! "
The high-priest, Imos, assisted Yermah to lift the
dead man, and Setos stood near Ildiko.
The bride was still toying with Alcamayn's ring,
and giggling hideously to herself, utterly unconscious
of the tragedy being enacted before her.
Rahula fluttered between the two principals. She
could not comprehend what had happened, and began
to shriek hysterically when iron bands were placed on
Alcamayn's neck and wrists.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 349
The panic-stricken guests departed hurriedly, while
warriors surrounded the house, and no one was
allowed to enter under any pretext whatever.
All eye-witnesses were put under oath, and an
armed guard soon filled the room.
Ildiko was kept under surveillance, and Setos found
his movements closely watched.
The news went through the city like wild-fire, and
the excitement kept the streets alive all night, while
the death-watchers sat with the linen-swathed body
of Orondo.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE TRIBUNALS OF GOD DEAL WITH ALCAMAYN
THE " Tribunals of God," as the courts of
justice were called, convened in the Temple
of Mars, situated northwest from the center
of the city.
It was here that the highest courts assembled four
times a year to hear and to judge the most im
portant criminal cases.
There were twelve judges and eighty jurors, who
were seated in a semi-circle facing the south, where
sapphire tablets in gold plates set forth the ten great
laws of the land. In front of them were two blocks
of stone, on which the accuser and the accused stood.
Outside this were seats for the jurisconsults, hedged
in by a^wall of solid masonry, always guarded.
The building itself was square, with each corner
exactly on a cardinal point, and finished with square
towers, from the tops of which the decisions were
announced at sunset.
The size of the temple was one three-hundred-
thousandths of the diameter of Mars.
Outside the walled enclosure were quarters for the
jurisconsults and their families, also for the students
and the instructors. A long subterranean passage,
dimly lighted, led to the chambers for solitary con
finement, and it was from the arches overhead that
criminals under death-sentence were executed, by be
ing hung by the heels.
350
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 351
Dull gray walls, ceilings and floors greeted the
eye everywhere, while leather and iron fittings added
to the gloom and depression. Over the door of the
main entrance was the inscription :
" THE WISE EMPLOYMENT OF PUNISHMENT IS
THE BEST MEANS OF TEACHING THE LOWER ANI
MALS : MAN LEARNS ONLY BY EXPERIENCE, WHICH
IS A VARIED FORM OF PUNISHMENT."
The awning over the head of the presiding judge
was a splendid woolen tapestry, representing the
" Judgment of Hirach," and underneath was the in
scription :
"THE MISFORTUNE OF THE CRIMINAL is THAT
HE MAKES A BAD BARGAIN: HE GIVES SO MUCH
FOR SO LITTLE."
*******
As hierophant and Past Grand Servitor, it was
Yermah's duty to preside at Alcamayn's trial. His
official robe for this occasion was flame-colored, with
belt, bracelet, and thumb-ring of iron set with ame
thysts, while on his head was a skeletonized iron
crown.
The extreme gravity of the case hastened the pro
ceedings, which were concluded on the following
Tuesday — Mar's day. In ordinary circumstances
it would have been considered a monstrous thing to
appeal with such haste to an extraordinary tribunal;
but the diversity of frictional causes underlying the
main issue made it expedient to act with vigor and
promptitude.
The people themselves claimed the right to punish
352 YERMAH, THE DORADO
crimes of peculiar gravity or of exalted personages.
Since the action pertained to their Servitor, they were
the ones most grievously wronged, and they clamored
loudly for the life-blood of the jeweler.
Alcamayn's life should be forfeited to the state
because of high treason, inasmuch as he had made
it impossible to maintain traditional relations with
other nations, by removing the only man of conse
crated blood capable of carrying out the solemn cov
enants.
It was Hanabusa's duty, as accuser, to present the
findings of this tribunal to Yermah for final consid
eration.
The high-priest, Imos, received similar instruction
later in the day, when the warrior-priests, without
a dissenting voice, found Alcamayn guilty of sin
against the Holy Pneuma,1 because by curtailing
Orondo's physical life, he had cut the ego's earth
experience short, thus dooming his victim to early
reincarnation. Death, incurring a similar fate, was
but just retribution.
Setos must stand as an accuser when the final trial
began. In his own selfish way, he was attached to
Ildiko; but he could have killed her with his own
hands for having placed him in such a difficult posi
tion. He had no pity for her blighted prospects.
The father was enraged against the daughter, be
cause he knew that no man would offer her marriage
again — that she must live in perpetual disgrace.
Pity her? Not he ! Had she not dashed his am
bitions at the very moment of fulfillment? Was his
incipient greatness always to be subservient to infe-
1 The Breath of Life.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 353
riors? Was he never to have the opportunity to
show what was in his heart?
Poor Ildiko! Frivolous feather-brain that she
was, many a sympathizing glance fell upon the closed
windows of her bridal chamber. She was not al
lowed to return home again. So in hideous mockery
she paced the floor of this room, sick to death of its
luxury, and hating the sight of her wedding finery.
Yermah found her lying prostrate, twisting her
hands in and out of her disheveled hair; and when he
gently raised her and spoke kindly to her, she broke
into a fit of hysterical laughter, infinitely sadder than
tears. She had the curses of her father still ringing
in her ears, and remorse held such carnival that
blows would have been easier to bear.
" Beat, curse and abuse me, Yermah, or I shall go
raving mad! Don't even look at me kindly! I
cannot endure it ! "
Yermah feigned not to hear her.
" Where is Rahula ? " he asked in an ordinary
tone. "Hast thou seen her?"
" No. She must be with Alcamayn."
" That were not possible. He is in solitary con
finement, and is allowed to see no one. She is prob
ably occupied with his defense."
" Dost thou think there is any hope for him? I
have loved him from early childhood — more than
I did Orondo," she said simply. " Canst thou not
plead for him? "
Even with tear-stained, grief-distorted face, Ildiko
was attractive and winning.
" All that is possible will I gladly do, for both
thy sakes."
354 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The Dorado talked long and earnestly with her,
knowing that words would be a harmless safety-
valve for her tortured mind, and when he left her
she was comparatively calm.
Yermah was as good as his word. In the Tem
ple of the Sun, on the following day, he made an
eloquent plea for compensation for Ildiko, since
Alcamayn had stolen away her senses by drugging
the wine she drank in honor of the state. The coun
cilors by vote exculpated her from all blame in
Orondo's death, and allowed her the living usually
given the widow of a Grand Servitor. It was a
foregone conclusion that they would fix the death
penalty on Alcamayn for depriving the Azes of their
rightful ruler.
The unit of ancient society was the community or
gens; of modern society, the individual. Since the
first ten great laws were compiled and graven on
tablets of stone, there have been but two forms of
civilization. One exemplifies the principles of
brotherhood; the other, crystallizes around individ
ualism. Both ideals have had many variations and
degrees of success in racial and national expression.
The Egyptians thought their laws were given them
by Menes, the Greek Hermes; the Hindus believed
that Menes received his laws direct from Krishna.
The Lacedaemonians claimed that Apollyon in
spired Lycurgus to write them wise and just laws
for their guidance.
Many branches of the Aryan race look to
Zoroaster as the man to whom the Good Spirit com
municates the first rules of government.
The Toltecs say it was Mexi ; the Quiches ascribe
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 355
it to Votan; while, through the Jews, we claim
Moses as the great law-giver.
But from whatever source, the principal rules are
the same. In none is property held to be of greater
value than human life. The precepts of Chris
tianity do not contradict this teaching, but actual
practice is often quite another matter.
The legislation known as labor laws would be
difficult to explain were precept and practical Chris
tian civilization the same thing.
The first step inspired by selfishness was to sub
stitute the family for the tribe, making it a cor
poration sole, so that co-ownership was the original
law of property.1
In Yermah's day, no one could forfeit or transfer
his rights, and all holdings went back to the com
munity at death. Personal property was interred
with the body, in order to destroy the magnetic at
traction which would still hold the astral man to the
earth, especially to his familiar haunts.
There was no law of crimes, no criminal juris
prudence such as we have to-day. But the com
munity had the right to compel the wrong-doer to
compound for injuries inflicted. The state under
took to mete out punishment the same as an indi
vidual would do in similar circumstances.
When speedily caught, a criminal was sure to
suffer severely. If apprehended a year later, the
penalty was much lighter as the fictitious anger of
the state was supposed to be cooler.
Towers of Refuge were not only common to Asia,
1 Co-ownership of property necessitated the institution of civil
marriage, in order to define inheritance.
356 YERMAH, THE DORADO
but were found all over the Americas and the accused
was immune when once inside its sacred walls.
The trial of Alcamayn was a proceeding wholly
extraordinary, irregular and independent of set rules
and fixed conditions. Yermah sat with the Council
of State, and was deputed by them to represent the
civic interests in the final judgment.
Equity was supposed to flow from the conscience
of the Servitor. He, alone, could pronounce the
death sentence, after the judges and jurors had passed
upon the case.
Yermah asked Ben Hu Barabe, the civil chief and
law-giver of the Monbas, to personate him in the
commonwealth. The four preliminary trials were
before the assembly of the tribes, represented by
Ben Hu Barabe; the tribunal of God, represented
by Imos; the assembly of one hundred, represented
by Setos; and the laws of nations, represented by
Hanabusa.
These men were the four accusers, who appeared
before Yermah and demanded the forfeit of Alca-
mayn's life, when, at sunrise, the final sitting began.
In addition to the twelve judges and eighty
jurors, there were as many more students, who stood
behind their elders, and in this way learned to prac
tice in the courts.
*******
With a thin iron collar around his neck, to which
three chains were attached, held by a soldier on each
side and one behind, Alcamayn was led before the
Tribunal.
He was dressed in black, with a light weight iron
crown on his head shaped like an inverted penta
gram.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 357
The high-priest, Imos, preceded Alcamayn, carry
ing a rod of iron in his hand. Stationing himself at
the left of the prisoner, the high-priest waited Yer-
mah's question:
" Why comest thou here, Imos? "
" To claim the life of this man," touching Alca
mayn with the rod, then laying hold of him.
The prisoner made a show of resistance, until
Yermah bade them relax their hold.
" Alcamayn, what means thy interference? "
" I crave the right to establish and prove my
innocence," answered the accused in an unsteady
voice.
" May the life within me be forfeited, if there
be no justice in my cause." Imos spoke with decisive
emphasis.
"If this man merit not death, take thou vengeance
on me," said Ben Hu Barabe, standing beside Imos.
" The same dread fate await me too, if there be
reason for merciful judgment here." Hanabusa
spoke with deliberation, as he joined the other ac
cusers.
"Woe is me!" wailed Setos, unsteadily. "Yet
I and all my posterity would be forever accursed if
we hindered justice. I am here to claim the life of
Alcamayn, and to stake my own on the demand."
He did not look at the jeweler, and it seemed dif
ficult for him to stand, while the accused said in a
low voice:
" May I be early deprived of physical life in four
succeeding incarnations, if I be not innocent of this
charge."
' Thou standest in a perilous position, Alcamayn,*'
cautioned Yermah. " Weigh thy words well I "
358 YERMAH, THE DORADO
" Had my days four times their natural span, I
should risk them without fear."
There was no bravado in Alcamayn's tone or man
ner.
He feared the worst, and there was a hungry, des
perate expectancy in every glance. The days had
gone over his head like years.
Stripped of all finery and with close cropped hair,
his bat-wing ears stood out from his head. The
hawk face, clean-shaven, showed the cunning and
courage of a cornered rat. The hunchback's supreme
egotism stood him in good stead, but the inner man
had no compunction for what he had done. He was
appalled at the unexpected death of Orondo, never
having counted on such an outcome.
But what criminal ever does look forward to being
caught and overwhelmed with his own guilt?
Alcamayn had succeeded in getting even with his
tormentors, and he was secretly glad of it. If it had
only been Ildiko who had died instead of Orondo,
he would have been entirely satisfied; and, as it was,
persuaded himself that he was innocent of any wrong
doing.
He hated Orondo, and the jilted man deemed that
justifiable since his rival's success had been a prime
cause of humiliation.
The prisoner was seated on a revolving stool,
and made to face each judge and juror while the
questions and responses were being given.
One of the most damaging circumstances against
Alcamayn was his own soberness compared with
Ildiko's sudden intoxication. He reluctantly ad
mitted that he had deliberately gone to the wedding
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 359
meditating revenge, and had carefully carried it out
at the first opportunity.
The accused did not deny that he was actuated
by a petty, mean jealousy, although he scorned the
insinuation of loving Ildiko. His deformity told
against him greatly, because of the belief that the
body was but an outward expression of the inner man.
Each of the four accusers took turn in examining
the testimony, analyzing the motives, inquiring
minutely into extenuating circumstances; and the
judges and jurors were equally divided for and
against.
The arguments continued all day, but at sundown
the decision had been reached.
There was no prerogative of pardon. The com
monwealth had the right to interfere directly and by
isolated acts, to avenge itself on the author of the
evil which it had suffered.
" Alcamayn, hast thou aught to say which can
delay judgment about to be meted out to thee? "
Yermah spoke perfunctorily.
The strain was telling on them all; and Alcamayn,
more dead than alive, answered mechanically:
" I have none."
" Alcamayn, face thy accusers."
The condemned man dragged himself to his feet,
and stared doggedly ahead of him.
" Alcamayn, never more canst thou be heard in
thine own behalf. I charge thee, as death must
soon be thy portion, speak the truth. Art thou
guilty?"
The stillness was intense.
Every man waited to see if the convicted man
360 YERMAH, THE DORADO
would imperil his immortal soul by withholding the
truth.
The prisoner felt this. He knew what a shock
he could give them, and the leading passion being
strong upon him, he answered defiantly :
" I am innocent I "
Trouble had not softened him. On the contrary,
he had grown bitter and vindictive as he realized his
desperate straits.
Yermah picked up an iron-headed arrow, as the
guard brought the prisoner forward. Leaning
toward him, he drew a circle over Alcamayn's heart,
and then made a square around it with the arrow.
This was the death sentence.
" May the Father of Justice and Mercy claim the
divine within thee, Alcamayn I "
The doomed man merely bowed his head.
" Let Saturn's day witness the carrying out of this
decree. Away with him I "
Yermah felt the words more keenly than the man
to whom he had spoken them. Alcamayn's thin
upper lip curled in a sardonic smile, which did not
leave his face while the badge of death, a square of
sheet iron with a white enamel circle in the center,
was being fastened to his breast.
The condemned man was kept in solitary confine
ment. Once the door of his cell closed upon him,
he gave way to a frenzy of despair, butting his head
against the wall with so much violence that the
guards were obliged to tie him down to the floor.
Frantic hysteria closed his throat, and threatened
strangulation, and when his teeth were pried open,
he shut them on his tongue with such force as to
nearly sever the end.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 361
Shamans worked with him all night, but nothing
save physical exhaustion quieted him. Under sen
tence of death, the miserable man was allowed to re
ceive any consolation possible.
There were no restrictions placed upon the visit
of friends, the only regulation being a complete and
thorough search before and after the visit of both
prisoner and caller.
Long before light, came Rahula. She was nearly
distracted by Alcamayn's shrieks and groans, but
tried to show a brave face. The prisoner was sink
ing into a drowse, and Rahula did not know whether
he recognized her or not. She had brought him
some ripe persimmons, and occupied herself trying
to make him comfortable.
To her surprise he awoke hungry, and did full
justice to the appetizing meal prepared for him.
There was no objection to her providing the food,
but the authorities insisted that she should partake of
it freely. So it happened that she furnished and ate
all meals with him.
Many and long were the confidential talks these
two had together, and on more than one occasion
Rahula committed to picture-writing things that were
told her.
Nothing escaped her tightly closed lips, nor did
she utter one word of complaint. She was surly
and defiant when questioned, but made no resistance
at the last moment.
On Friday morning, Ildiko, pale and agitated,
knocked timidly at the outer gate, and begged to see
Alcamayn. He received her quietly, but there was
not a shade of pity for her broken fortunes.
The widow's face was drawn and pinched, and
362 YERMAH, THE DORADO
she looked utterly forlorn and helpless while the
search went on.
Once in the cell, she tried to speak cheerfully to
her childhood friend, but she could not prevent a
revulsion of feeling when she saw the perfumed
dandy shorn of all his splendor; his long, thin neck
and large ears grated upon her senses unpleasantly.
How was it ever possible that she had loved
him?
Ildiko began to suspect that it was remorse and
not affection which had prompted her feelings. She
had never practiced self-restraint, but had always
given voice to every passing emotion. What she
said was true at the time it was spoken, or, at least,
she thought it was.
Alcamayn huddled over in a corner opposite, una
ble to control his repugnance, and instinctively shar
ing something of the aversion apparent in Ildiko.
Wholly surprised and half-frightened at herself,
Ildiko arose to take leave. She tried to feel very
sad, but instead of the passionate tears, and protest
of undying love, she gulped down a dry sob, ex
tended a cold clammy hand, and in a queer little
voice, said with painful articulation :
" May Infinity hover over and guard thee ! "
" May Justice find and abide with thee ! " he an
swered, ignoring her proffered hand.
Alcamayn held her eyes unflinchingly until she
reached the door, to which she made a halting
journey, hoping that he would say some kind word
in farewell.
This was balm to his revolted feelings, and he had
a grim sort of satisfaction in knowing that she
had sued for his good will, and had been repulsed.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 363
It was one way to revenge himself upon her choice
of another for a husband. The homicide really
cherished no ill will toward Orondo. Ildiko was the
one he despised, and he would leave her his dying
curses.
The last hour of his life was spent with Yermah,
who did all that could be done to sustain the
wretched man through the anticipation of the coming
ordeal.
Imos prepared the spiced and tinctured wine,
which Alcamayn was obliged to sip through a straw.
This was done to produce drowsiness; when the vic
tim was fully under its influence, a white powder
having the quality of cocaine was sprinkled upon his
face to deaden pain.
Alcamayn's under-garments were of chamois-skin,
over which was a loose robe of coarse cloth made
from the beaten fiber of nettle. A hideous mask
was put over his face, to show that his lower self
would be disguised in animal form in its next incarna
tion.
Ben Hu Barabe and Hanabusa placed Alcamayn
gently on the floor, giving directions to the priests
and warriors as to the number of cords which should
bind his body.
When securely pinioned they sewed him up in
another layer of coarse cloth, and then placed him
on a litter. This they carried up to the second floor,
where by stout cords they tied Alcamayn's feet to
the arch in front of his cell. The body was held up
right on a trap-door, and allowed to fall full length,
striking the head upon the floor.
" May all who thus invert good be compelled to
die head downward ! " said ImoSi solemnly, as the
364 YERMAH, THE DORADO
trap-door closed, and the executioners stood, blankly
facing each other.
Great care was taken to preserve a semblance of
lifelike proportions in the outlines of the funeral
basket, to enable the spirit to manifest easily at some
future time.
Four lusty tamanes shouldered the basket-covered
remains and the little procession filed out of the
temple inclosure.
Men, women and children turned their backs as
it passed, and there was no one to receive the body
when it was delivered to the priest at the judgment
hall of Hirach.
Early next morning Imos announced in the Temple
of the Sun that Alcamayn's body had been refused
burial.
Then the citizens went to the hall, and carried the
remains down to Land's End, opposite Point Lobos.
When the strongest ebb tide was at its full, they cast
it into the sea. At this point the current runs at
the rate of from three to four knots an hour, and
the people knew that when once washed out to the
north, the body could never, in time or eternity,
return again to Golden Gate Bay.
The continuous barkings and roarings of the now
extinct sea-cows which congregated on the rocks in
that vicinity were supposed by the populace to be
wails and lamentations from the unfortunate dead
whose bodies had been literally condemned as food
for the fishes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
RAHULA'S DENUNCIATION OF YERMAH — AT THE
FUNERAL OF ORONDO
THE Azes believed that every part of a
man's body had a counterpart in the world
of matter. At the moment of dissolu
tion, the individual ego was thought to be re-united
to the Absolute, if Will, which is the real body of
the individualized spirit, is free from Desire. If
bound by these ties, it must reincarnate again, and
it was thought possible to sink so low in the scale
that the life principle would contact the animal king
dom.
These people did not practice cremation of the
dead, because they did not think it right to skip all
the intervening purgations, or reincarnations, by
projecting the ego back into the Absolute at once.
They embalmed their honored dead and mummi
fied their bodies in order that the individuality
might be preserved, so that in the next incarnation
memory might function on the physical plane.
There are excellent examples of this practice
found in the catacombs in Mexico and Peru as well
as in Egypt where the descendants of Atlantis em
ployed the same rites. The Egyptian " Book of
the Dead " pertains entirely to initiation, or the
finding of the Perfect Way in this life; and the wel-
known portions of it found with mummies are sim
ply certificates of initiation.
365
366 YERMAH, THE DORADO
It is a curious fact in psychology that, so long as
the physical body is preserved, the astral counterpart
cannot disintegrate; and as memory is a function of
the astral man, the Egyptian adepts expect to take
up their life work again with a full knowledge of the
past.
The negative magnetic laws govern the astral and
psychic qualities of man, while the positive electric
currents control the physical. Time and space have
no influence over the former conditions — facts
which were well known to primitive civilizations.
The papakoo, or cemetery of Tlamco, was a ter
raced range of hills, south of Mountain Lake, then
called the River of Mystery, which still lies between
Golden Gate Park and the ocean on the north. It
is much shrunken in proportions and depth, though
retaining the same oblong outline. The hills form
a natural divide between the Park and Sutro Heights,
and then as now jutted into the ocean at their north
ern extremity.
For six weeks the embalmers were engaged with
the body of Orondo, and when they had finished, it
was completely mummified. They put salt on his
breast, as an emblem of immortality, and a gold
gorget around his neck, with the inscription :
" O Hidden Being ! Turn thy face toward the
body of thy son 1 "
The corpse was wrapped in fine linen bandalettes,
and a Saint Andrew's cross of copper was laid over
the region of the heart outside the enveloping
swathes.
In the northwestern portion of the city, at the
upper end of the lake, was the Temple of Uranus,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 367
where dwelt the priesthood who had charge of the
dead.
This mound had a circular earth vallum seven
hundred feet in diameter, which is one three-hundred-
thousandths of the diameter of the planet Uranus.
It was here that Orondo's body was prepared for
burial, and it was from this place that the funeral
cortege embarked. While it was being rowed across
the lake, the mourners scattered rushes on its smooth
surface as a sacrifice and peace-offering.
Yermah, Setos, Imos and Hanabusa rowed the
funeral barge; and when it landed at the opposite
end, they lifted the mummv onto the catafalque
standing ready to receive it.
All that was mortal of Orondo was laid In a bed
of aloe, yew, cypress, weeping-willow, rosemary and
yellow marigolds, while over him was spread the
fated mantle given to him by Yermah. On top of
this was the sword, helmet and shield of the de
ceased.
A long line of warriors, with reversed spears,
whose pennants trailed in the dust, marched up a
long line of mastodon-headed sphinxes, to the judg
ment hall of Hirach, where the deceased would be
tried for the deeds done in the body.
"O Maker of the material world! Thou Holy
One! Whither shall we bring, where shall we lay,
the bodies of our dead? "
After the body came Yermah, Setos, Imos and
Hanabusa, followed by civic deputations, priests and
priestesses, and a great concourse of people.
The judgment hall stood on the south side of
Mountain Lake, near the plowed out Golden Gate,
868 YERMAH, THE DORADO
and had a rock foundation which the Azes called
Gharepo. The building was erected in the exact
center of a huge pentagram, the apex of which was
on the rock Gharepo, the east foot on the north
peak of Las Papas, and the west in the ocean, near
the Cliff House shore. The feet of Hirach were
correlated to those of the pentagram. He was step
ping from the ocean to the mountain, signifying the
involution of the ego from the astral universe into
the material world. Hirach was a counterpart of
the Amen of Revelation, who had " one foot on the
sea and one on solid land," etc.
The circle surrounding Hirach described the orbit
of Mars, which corresponds to the body of Desire.
The sixth labor crushes this principle, but in so doing
opens the path for the initiate to measure the propor
tions of the cosmos; and properly adjust them one
to the other.
Mars is the planetary phase of the Red Dragon,
the eating of whose heart forms the means by which
Sigierd, the Norse hero, attained Wisdom. The
heart is triple, emblematic of the three cardinal vir
tues, Will, Aspiration and Harmony, and their com
mon center — the spirit, was the altar in the middle
of the judgment hall.
From the center of the holy of holies were struck
the distances of the four inner planets; hence it not
only showed the three radii of the earth, but the
three phases of Hermes, or Wisdom, and the ego
in the three worlds, which in this instance was the
higher personality sitting in judgment on the deeds
done in the body.
The relative size of the earth was represented by
the tip of the devotee's fore-finger as he entered
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 369
the western door and held up his hand in adoration
and salutation to Deity.
The structure was shaped like a cross, and was
surmounted by tall spires. Over the entrance was
an entablature propped by two square capitals.
Above this was a frieze with the hieroglyphs of
Truth, Fire and Light surrounded by twelve sym
bolical groups.
Between the sixth and seventh, a figure knelt and
stretched out its arms above the two sacred eyes,
symbolizing the north and south. This alluded to
the diurnal motion of the sun, which is an implicit
promise of resurrection, from the sky above us.
At the ends of the emblematic row was another
figure, poising a pair of balances.
In the western arm of the cross was a throne,
surmounted by a canopy representing the Tree of
Life. The golden fleece hung in its branches, and
in the center was the lamb immeshed in a nimbus.
Seated on the throne was Hirach, a priest from
the Temple of Neptune, whose face was hidden by
a green mask. On his head was a tall conical hat
made of alternating stripes of red and green, and
the same combination of color was observable in his
costume.
The mantle was green; the tunic, red; while the
arms and legs were covered with striped cloth, as
he sat with arms crossed over his breast. In his
right hand was a crook, while in his left was a flail.
Hirach, or Conscious Life, personated the higher
self of the dead man, and it was his office to weigh
the thoughts, words and deeds of Orondo, against
the image of Truth. On each side of him stood a
priestess, representing the two phases of truth. One
370 YERMAH, THE DORADO
held a lily in her hand, to show that she stood for
Truth in Action ; while the other held the quill of an
eagle, signifying that she was Truth in Thought,
itself.
The two attendants were clothed in trailing white
draperies, and their hands were crossed over their
breasts. The sleeves came only to the elbow, but
were long and wide, like those worn by Japanese
women. Only the throat was revealed at the neck,
and there was a peculiar allegorical girdle around
the waist. These figures were known as Ma.
When we call our mothers " Ma," we are ad
dressing them as the Principle of Truth — a singu
larly fitting name; since the mother is the literal
image of Truth to the child, until he is old enough
to discover it by reasoning processes.
Osiris, the spirit within the earth, draws every soul
to him with a crook, and repulses it with a flail.
The ceremony about to be enacted quaintly set
forth the trials by the law of causation, or experi
ence, undergone by the individual in the process of
being drawn into and thrown out of earth life. It
was an enactment of the tragedy within each human
heart.
On a square lectern in front of Hirach was a
huge parchment scroll, tied with seven seals. By
an ingenious arrangement, the lectern was also a
support for a pair of balances. On the left side
was a gold vase containing the heart of Orondo,
which was soon to be weighed against a small image
of Truth, on the right scale.
Between Hirach and the altar of offerings sat four
intercessors, or Associate Judges, representing the
material body, the astral body, soul and spirit.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 371
They were dressed in black, gray, purple and
green.
The official mourners, selected from each of the
guilds, and from the priesthood, made offerings to
the four elements in nature corresponding to the
four attributes of man. That to earth was a bunch
of bearded wheat; that to water, a pond-lily; that
to air, a white dove; while that to fire was a
chalice of bergamot oil. After being consecrated
and blessed, the offerings were brought forward by
men dressed in blue, and laid upon the altar in their
proper succession. The fires in the sacred urns in
the burial service were used, in order that the life-
principle present in fire might find the individual
body it once inhabited.
Along the outer wall, in a semi-circle, were seated
the forty-two assessors who were to try this novel
case. They wore cloth-of-gold robes, and had a
golden feather of Truth in the headbands over their
closely curled hair, to show that they represented
mental traits, and corresponded to the forty-two
phrenological organs of the brain.
These assessors were divided into three groups,
distinguishable by the color of their mantles. The
first typified the psychic attributes, and pertained to
the front of the cerebrum; the mental to the middle
part of the head; while the material stood for the
cerebellum.
The problem of the perfect life is solved by the
even balance of these parts of the brain with the
corresponding worlds of cosmic essence.
When the remains were placed between the altar
of offerings and the lectern, the priestesses knelt
on each side, followed by the official mourners.
372 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Every eye was turned anxiously toward the Left-
Hand Path, as the second entrance was called.
Any citizen who had been wronged by the deceased
in his lifetime, had a right to come into the temple
and accuse him.
There had been mutterings and ominous shakings
of the head, but no one seemed to be able to make
definite statements.
Suddenly the door was flung open, and Rahula
came in with an angry scowl on her face. She had
on the mantle and red cap of the accuser of souls,
and back of her was a numerous following; they,
also, were dressed in red.
Each face whitened, and there was a tense, ap
prehensive feeling everywhere.
Yermah and Setos supported Ildiko, who rushed
forward and threw herself at the foot of the bier.
She was completely shrouded in black. On her head
was a round wreath of black ivy, having a crown
and long pennants of white gauze in the back.
Her close-cropped hair was still better concealed by
a broad band of the gauze which fastened to the
wreath and came down under the chin, hiding the
ears.
Ben Hu Barabe and Alcyesta stood near Ildiko,
ready to offer assistance and sympathy, while Hana-
busa supported Setos.
Oahspe, the Sun Virgin, enveloped in black, and
wearing a gold mask for unknowable Deity, broke
the seal and unrolled the parchment. As she did
so, Imos prepared to record the verdict. Flinging
his arms out on either side, he exclaimed :
" I give glory to Hirach, lord of the essences, liv
ing in truth ! I have come to thee, bringing to thee
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 373
truth. Where art thy attendant gods? Grant that
I may be with them in thy company."
A deep guttural voice behind the mask responded :
" Peace will not abide with thee until thou hast
overthrown thine enemies."
From out the phalanx on the right, Yermah
stepped forward and lifted a determined face, pale
as the linen robes he wore. Bringing his hands to
gether high over his head, he said:
" Homage to thee, O Master of Truth! I come
toward thee! I am here to contemplate thy
splendor ! "
" Give thy tongue truthful license, but speak no
evil of the dead," was the admonition of the Hirach.
Repeating the sign of asseveration, the Dorado
began :
" Great and mighty Hirach, thou knowest that
the gloom of the tomb is but the cradle of the sun.
Before thee lies a pure, unsullied soul.
" Orondo had the three cardinal virtues of piety,
because he loved his Creator, loved virtue, and loved
man. He gave bread to the hungry, water to the
thirsty, garments to the naked. He who perceives
him says he comes in peace.
" May he enter into rest, praised; may he go out,
beloved — for there is no more fault or evil in him.
Save him; protect him; for his mouth is clean and his
hands are pure. He was free from the oppression
of the widow and the fatherless.
" There was not by his fault either a fearful, or
poor, or suffering or wretched one. He did not
cause any one to weep.1 He — "
Rahula who had been growing more and more ex-
1 Egyptian Book of the Dead.
374 YERMAH, THE DORADO
cited, rushed to Yermah's side, and throwing her
hands up wildly, cried out :
" Hirach, thou who art mirrored in truth, palsy
the tongue departing from thy formula ! Orondo
merits not an honored place in the Vale of Peace.
The fishes yearn for his body. He lived not in truth,
nor walked in the ways acceptable to the gods of
magic mystery."
What more she would have said was drowned in
a chorus of protest from the warrior-priests. The
mourners added their supplications, and the priest
esses murmured:
"Om — -ah! Om — ah! Om — ah!"
Without noticing the interruption, Yermah com
pleted his sentence.
" Orondo did no evil. Nothing can be pro
duced against him. He committed no violence, nor
did he torment any heart. No one was by him
treacherously slain."
" Hear him, O just powers ! This man stands
here and claims to be a vehicle for truth ! How
darest thou say that Orondo caused no man to be
treacherously killed?
" On both thy heads lie the curse of Alcamayn's
death. Robbed of his own by Orondo, and done
to death by thee !
" Thou art a mighty representative in the Hall
of the Two Truths. Hear me, Yermah ! — A
mother's curse is on thee I Thou art a doomed
man!"
" A mother's curse ! " exclaimed Yermah, in a
whisper, sharing the consternation around him.
A curse in the time of the Dorado was a thing of
fearful import.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 375
The intemperance of her speech showed the un
controllable rage of Rahula.
" Yes," she screamed, — " a mother's curse ! Al-
camayn was my first and only born. Oh, there is
no need of thy horrid looks! He never knew the
relationship. Because of thy spiritual father, Akaza,
thou hast a heritage of my hate. But for him I
should have claimed my son."
Seeming to realize that temper had carried her too
far, Rahula tried to repair what she had already
said. Setos made a threatening gesture toward her,
while every one looked at his neighbor, and said in
an undertone :
" She is a black magician. Akaza was obliged to
take her child away from her."
Her attendants hissed angrily and stamped with
their feet to prevent Yermah from being heard. He
realized that the demonstration was against himself
personally, and was appalled at the virulence of the
attack, but went bravely on.
" Orondo afflicted no one; neither did he commit
perfidy. He was never an accuser, and was only
angry when there was just cause — "
" Thou art a monstrous liar I He had just
cause to be angry with thee, who enticed his first
love away, and repaid him with another man's
choice."
Crossing over to him and shaking her finger in
his face, defiantly, Rahula fairly shrieked:
" Thou hast imperiled thy immortal soul 1 Dearly
shalt thou pay for thine own perfidy! I dare tell
thee to thy face, thou art guilty of the unpardonable
sin! Thou who wert coward enough to compel thy
dead friend to marry this poor misguided creature
YERMAH, THE DORADO
lying at thy feetl For this cause my Alcamayn
died in dishonor! "
The warrior-priests clanked their swords angrily,
and the smoldering disloyalty was like a tinder-
box to the furious gestures and acts of the fac
tions.
Setos grabbed Rahula by the arm and shook her
violently before she would heed him.
" Hast thou no sense of decency, Rahula? Cease
thy upbraidings, else wilt thou ruin all ! "
She quailed before his determined look and was
silent.
Shaking like a leaf and wounded to the death in
his tenderest parts, Yermah once more essayed to
speak.
Finding that he could not command his voice, he
turned appealingly to the musicians, who responded
with a funeral air. When they had finished, Yer
mah, with tears coursing down his cheeks — which
he made no effort to conceal, said:
" Hirach, as I expect to stand face to face with
thee finally, hear me ! In that I love Orondo well,
conscience doth acquit me of evil intent toward him.
Whatever service he rendered me was a pleasure
to him, and was of his own choosing. That he
preferred duty to success, is one more reason why
his bones should be interred with the blessed. There
was no guile in him.
" He was as tender as a woman, as simple as a
child, and faithful unto death. The heart weigh
ing even in the scales of Truth was burst in twain
by the sorrows which oppressed his high courage.
Struck down in the flower of manhood, hurled
through the Gates of Light by unseemly circum-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 377
stance, Orondo, the soul of honor, merits the rite of
consecration. Hear, Hirach, as thou wouldst in
turn be heard, and grant as thine own hope of future
reward may prompt thee I "
The non-resistance and manliness of Yermah did
not fail to appeal to a people equable in temper and
given to just decision. The waves of feeling which
surged through the temple made him aware of this,
though the sounds were almost inaudible.
Every one waited in dread suspense for Rahula's
final plea. She was still laboring under ill-sup
pressed excitement, and resentment blazed anew as
she spoke.
" Hirach, thou who art unshaken by emotion or
desire, hear and give heed! Orondo was ever the
craven tool of him who stands here in his defense.
He sought more to obey the will of his master than
the will of the gods. Once again I beseech thee,
give his body to the fishes 1 "
"No! no! no!" burst from the lips of the
mourners, the priestesses, and the warrior-priests,
augmented by the intercessors, too.
Yermah stood with his hands clasped and head
bowed low. His dejection and silence angered
Rahula still more, because she instinctively felt that
he was right, and that she could not provoke him
into a show of resistance. She hated him for the
sympathy he had unconsciously aroused.
" Finally, I demand this body of thee, Hirach 1
" Bloody deeds shall follow thy refusal. Never
canst thou make it right to bless this man, while
Alcamayn's shade is doomed to wander through
myriad years because of him. I charge thee to weigh
and consider thy decision I "
578 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Hirach, using the flail for a baton, waved for
silence.
Then the two intercessors, earth and water, arose
and pointed to the left. Thus far the decision was
against Orondo.
The kneeling figures arose and joined the warrior-
priests in supplication. The remaining intercessors,
air and fire, stood and pointed to the right.
With bated breath they waited for Hirach's
action. In an impressive silence he arose and
pointed to the right.
uHaille! Haille! Haille!" cried the people,
in a spontaneous outburst, which a sense of decorum
quickly quelled.
" Let the heart of Orondo be given back to him.
Let him go into the Hall of Mystery by the Right-
Hand Path," read Imos in a sonorous voice.
As soon as the verdict was announced, the funeral
cortege formed as it came, and filed out of the
temple. Rahula and her followers departed to the
left, with their arms crossed before their faces, and
their heads drooping under the knowledge of defeat.
*******
A granite sarcophagus was placed at the entrance
of the long tunnel-like tomb, cut deep into the
side of the mountain. Here was desposited all of
the personal belongings of Orondo, sealed up in curi
ous-shaped jars and baskets. After the body was
placed in the tomb, these were laid around it, and the
whole securely sealed.
A never-dying perfume-lamp of wrought bronze
was suspended over the head, which was laid to the
west. The granite doors were hermetically closed,
and Orondo was finally left to sleep with the justified.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
" DOWN WITH THE APOSTATE, YERMAH " STRIFE
IN TLAMCO
Iff I AHOU knowest, Imos, how I execrate
the memory of Akaza," said Setos, as
JL the two sat in conference, at the high-
priest's house, shortly after Orondo's burial.
" So do I. How often has he come between the
sacred hierarchy and their rights. He was always
intent upon the spirit rather than on the ritual
practice of our faith. By his will Yermah is made
hierophant, and I, who have served a lifetime, am
cast aside with scant courtesy."
Imos was a man advanced in years, having a
broad high forehead, aquiline nose, square-cut eye
brows, and thin, finely compressed lips. His bald
head, protruding like the knob of a knee, revealed
a combative and tyrannical disposition.
Setos had much ado to conceal a grin of satisfac
tion, as the high-priest bared his secret ambition.
He was unusually affable as he answered :
" Thou art shamefully ill-used, but I am thy
brother in misfortune. When war devastated
Atlantis, Akaza stood continually before the rabble,
out-tonguing them in demands. The powers of
right were on our side; but in the third day's battle
he turned the tide of victory by his infernal en
chantments. Our gallant spearsmen were advancing
379
380 YERMAH, THE DORADO
two deep, when he charged them with three bodies
of horsemen.
" ' It is Akaza ! ' " cried our leader, Poseidon.
" * The traitor comes to certain death.' Some say
that bolts from a mangonel struck through our
ranks; others, that he cut off the spear-heads. Of
this I know not. Poseidon rode at him in mortal
combat, but fell uninjured at Akaza's feet. Fail
ing to kill him, he was obliged to give the Dorado
as hostage. Ichanor, the war-chief of Poseidon,
was compelled to surrender his son Orondo. By this
means the schemer contrived to gain supremacy in
Atlantis and all her dependencies. So long as he
lived oppression hung over me. Thou mayst judge
what love I bear his successor."
The two men gave each other a searching glance,
which said as plainly as words, " How shall we be
rid of him?"
" We must be masters of caution," said the wily
priest
" Suspicion abides not with Yermah and he knows
nothing of black art."
A loud rapping at the front door and hurrying
feet along the passage-way caused both to rise and
listen intently. Simultaneously with the permit to
enter, came Cezardis, flushed and in breathless haste.
" Exigency compels the waiving of ceremony,"
said he. " A great concourse are in the theater
listening to Rahula's arraignment of Yermah. By
a cunningly contrived tragedy, called ' The Lost
Soul ' she scores him without mercy, and has given
utterance to all that Alcamayn confided to her con
cerning the Dorado having concealed his divinity in
a ruby which he sent to the high-priestess, Keroecia.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 381
" Yermah broke his vow, and was blaspheming
violently when the swift and terrible punishment
came. Alcamayn heard his awful words, but feared
even to repeat them, lest we be doomed to suffer
again. Rahula has inflamed the populace against
him, and they are running through the streets
shouting : ' Down with the apostate, Yermah !
He has committed unpardonable sin against the In
effable ! He shall no longer rule Tlamco 1 ' Dost
thou not hear the bugle calls? Signals are flashing
from the forts, and the whole city is in uproar."
Many extraneous sounds bore out this testimony;
but neither auditor evinced surprise, though both
showed concern.
" So," said Setos presently, " the prophecy con
cerning the lost planet has come true. A great and
momentous change is upon us."
" Hast thou not heard the Blessed Books read in
the temples? "
" Thou shouldst remember that I have been in
the house of enemies. It would have been unsafe
for me. Wilt thou refresh early recollections now
and hurriedly? "
As far as he was capable, Setos was devout, and
was always comforted by the rumble of long words.
Imos had a voice which fitted him for such an oc
casion, and he was much pleased to have the oppor
tunity to use it. With the proper degree of
solemnity, he crossed to the east side of the room,
where the books lay, and then making three profound
genuflections, he began reading promptly :
In the beginning the Great Spirit, surnamed Cohesion,
breathed into chaotic disorder the fire of life. Verily, it
382 YERMAH, THE DORADO
grew to mighty proportions. It had two arms dividing the
Supernal from the light of this world, which is darkness to
the ones reposing in the sunshine of eternal peace. So vast
was the chasm yawning between Spirit and Matter, that no
mortal crossed the void for a million years. Then the twi
light changed into morning, and there arose from the Celes
tial Shore an Archangel strong and mighty.
Hirach was his name. May it ever more be blessed!
And a great voice was heard in the expanse like unto the
sound of a trumpet, saying:
" Who is able to cross the chasm, to give to souls unborn
the Key? To open the book to them that therein they may
read the Way of life? "
And the bodiless and formless ones sounded the lEolian
harps, and sang:
"Hirach is his name! Thrice blessed is he — Hirach of
two threefold wings, encircling heaven, earth and the vast
ocean! He alone is great; he is able to cross the vast abyss"
Then Hirach called unto himself a great Red Dragon,
whose name was Marah — for he shall deceive the nations,
and they shall war with one another. He who sat on the
dragon was calm and silent. His lofty, godlike brow was
wrapped in the golden splendor of the morning sun. Over,
the deep chasm which divides mortals from the highest
thrones swirled the Red Dragon, and the worlds trembled
and feared. And the mountains from before whose eyes
the clouds had vanished said to the stars shining in the
majesty of their being: " Who Is the terrible Red Dragon,
and whose splendor anointeth the brow of him sitting there
at *>
on?
The stars answered: " From infinity to infinity we roll
in our courses; ages on ages have spent themselves in our
existence, yet we remember not when the Red Dragon rose
into life; neither can we comprehend the splendor on the
brow of him who sitteth thereon."
Now as the Dragon gyrated in his course, his fiery breath
caused new suns to spring into existence, and new planets
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 383
rolled in their orbits around them, peopled with living beings.
Then the Dragon exalted himself in pride, and puffed out
his cheeks, saying:
" Behold the glorious suns which I have created, to give
light and life to all creatures, that they may praise me and
give glory for that which I have done."
Then he who sat on the head of the Dragon, clothed in
splendor, rose and smote the ugly beast, whose death-agony
dashed into pieces the beautiful planet circling between Mars
and Jupiter, thus forever destroying the equilibrium between
War and Justice. The souls thereon were drawn into the
vortex of the earth. With his two tails he laid hold of
Mars and Venus, seeking to destroy them also; but H track
raised the great two-edged sword in his hands and cleft
asunder the tails of the Dragon. He cut the body into five
pieces, which fell to the earth, and the Dragon was no more.
" Such," said Imos, " is the account of the Red
Dragon. It is said that the chain of hills which
encircle Tlamco are the remains of his body. Yonder
hill to the east, is his skull, and is called Calvu. It
is furthermore stated that Hirach shall at the end of
the cycle come from a cavern beneath it. Akaza — •
curses be his portion! says that the Blessed Story is
an allegory. He, a viler apostate than his pupil,
claimed that he would come again, as Hirach incar
nate, to break the power of the black brotherhood."
" Rather let us exterminate the last remnant of
them, and give their bodies to the fishes ! " was
his companion's intemperate rejoinder.
" Face thy duty resolutely, and may victory be on
thy side 1 " said Imos, piously, as Setos hurried out
of the house.
" He who holds our destiny, plans all things well.
May thy hopes find fruition also ! "
384 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Setos knew that his seditious work among the
warriors was ready to bear fruit, but he was gratified
that Rahula had provoked the outburst. She had
been in a frenzy of rage since her defeat in the
judgment hall, and this was her revenge. Setos was
determined to take advantage of it and be made
Grand Servitor of the Azes.
*******
The theater stood on a sloping hill southeast of
Lone Mountain. It faced the south, shielding the
spectators from the north wind. They had a com
manding view of the bay and islands in the fore
ground and the tawny leonine hills in the distance.
The edifice was a semi-circle, provided with tiers
of seats, and would accommodate many thousand
people. It was an earth embankment fitted with
stone seats and a sanded floor, with an open roof,
supported by stout poles. An arch under the right
wing marked the entrance to the stage, and led to
subterranean dressing-rooms. There was small pro
vision for artificial setting, the beauty of natural
scenery being deemed sufficient.
"Haille! Haille! Haillel Setos sent to de
liver us from peril ! " cried a company of warriors
who were escorting Rahula home from the theater.
" Haille, Setos ! Chief of the Turghati — men
loyal to the true faith of Atlantis!" exclaimed
Rahula, whose disordered dress, sparkling eyes, and
flushed cheeks, bespoke her excitement. When she
approached Setos, she was trembling violently, but
every sense was on the alert.
" Thou who art the man of destiny, come with me,"
she continued. " I will tell thee all that has hap
pened."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 385
" Rahula, the silver-tongued, is thy worthy fore
runner, as Mercury is of the sun. Go with her and
then come to the Observatory. Thy presence will
put heart into the wavering ones, who are in consulta
tion. Thou mayst depend upon us."
The crowd was noisy and unruly, but Setos under
stood that the warriors would hold them in check.
He followed Rahula indoors. Acting on the impulse
of the moment, Setos drew Rahula to him and kissed
her passionately.
If he had been blind before, he certainly knew now,
and he suddenly realized that she was necessary to
his success.
" Thou art worthy of my best love," he said,
" and thou shalt command it. Open thy heart to
me."
" Thou hast surprised its secret, and made me
forget our danger. Death were not unwelcome in
this guise," she murmured, nestling down closer in
his arms.
" Thy lips must pay forfeit for speech once more,
and then thy sweet voice must quell this inward
tumult. I could drowse like a sleepy god in thy
embrace."
" Duty stern and uncompromising faces us, and we
must yield to other influences," said Rahula, slipping
out of his arms. " The die is cast, and thou must
not falter or linger in sweet dalliance."
" Pearls of wisdom ever fall from thy lips, Ra
hula. Thy well-chosen words sober me again.
What dost thou know? "
She held both his hands to her breast, and looked
at him steadfastly.
" I am aware that discontent has been flourishing
386 YERMAH, THE DORADO
like a poisonous weed in Tlamco. It needed but a
spark to fan it to a blaze and I have produced that
spark. It is in the suspicion that Yermah is an
accursed and lost soul. Thou knowest the tradition
concerning other calamities in the dim ages. Fan
this flame judiciously, and thou wilt sit in the seat
of power."
He would have strained her to his breast again, but
she eluded him. She was certain of her hold upon
him, and was anxious to strengthen it.
" Thou canst not be sure of unqualified support,'5
she went on. "If thou canst not silence Yermah's
adherents in argument, then thou must resort to
arms."
" Thou art my love, and a wise counselor," he
answered, still actuated by gratitude and what he
called love. " Go thou to the Camp of Mars, and
I will be guided by thee," he added, aiding her in
the readjustment of her mantle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE SHOCK OF CONFLICT AND YERMAH'S OVER
THROW
WAR was undertaken for religious purposes
— never for conquest — which accounted
for the methods used in stirring up sedi
tion in Tlamco.
The object in conquering an outside power was to
civilize it; and if captives refused to accept hos
pitable treatment, they were scattered throughout the
country, man for man, and kept under surveillance
until reconciled to their positions. No confiscation
of property was allowed, and after taking the oath
of allegiance, the rebels were returned to their homes.
Setos found Imos laboring with Hanabusa and
Ben Hu Barabe, who remained loyal to Yermah.
These faithful adherents made earnest and eloquent
pleas in his behalf; but, finding themselves powerless,
withdrew and prepared to defend the city against
inevitable attack.
It was a semicircular bay, five thousand feet across,
which brought the water to Montgomery Street up
to the days of 'forty-nine. From a line parallel with
what is now Market Street, but a little to the north,
was a grand canal, deep and wide enough to accom
modate all the commerce of Tlamco. These waters
terminated in a basin near the junction of present-
day Van Ness Avenue and Market Street, where a
circular port of entry was strongly fortified.
387
388 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Leading from this was a broad avenue, which
ended in another circular building, half a mile nearer
the Observatory, and in a direct line with it. This
was, in modern parlance, a bonded warehouse, and
was amply protected.
The port of entry was in the center of a circle
which included Telegraph Hill, Lone Mountain and
the Potrero hills, all of which were formidable forti
fications. Rincon Hill, south and directly opposite
Telegraph Hill, guarded the entrance to the canal,
while Yerba Buena Island, on the east, lined with its
center.
A hostile fleet sailing around Telegraph Hill would
be under fire from these forts, and as they came into
the canal an assault could be made on them from the
ramparts and battlements of Nob Hill.
Should enemies approach the port of entry, they
would be in range of the mangonel batteries at East
Temple, Alamo Hill, and the Temple of Venus,
which also shielded the bonded warehouse and the
main, or eastern, avenue to the city. On the top of
the hill, was another fortification, guarding the ap
proaches to the Observatory, which had a complete
system of defense in itself.
South of the Potrero Hill fort was a harbor for
the balsas. It is now a broad marsh intersected by
Islais Creek. A curved canal separated two fortified
hills and turned west to within the radius of the
Camp of Mars. The waterway skirted the closely
guarded fortification on Bernal Heights.
From time immemorial Mars was not only con
sidered the god of war but the guardian of sailors as
well.
On the west side of the camp, a road ran south,
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 389
parallel with what is now Valencia Street direct to
the port of entry. This was the only approach from
the south, and was well protected by the armored
hills, where the granaries and storehouses were lo
cated.
Much of the food supply came by this route.
Due west of Bernal Heights is a companion hill,
which was garrisoned and used as a signal station,
being on a line with Mount Olympus, and from the
high Observatory tower news could be flashed to all
the outlying stations.
The center of the port of entry lined exactly with
Telegraph Hill. By this means a message could be
sent from Hanabusa's quarters to Mount Olympus
and Lone Mountain direct, and thence to the port of
entry and Telegraph Hill, thus making it easy to
command the entire situation.
The horsemen's camp lay close to laqua, west of
the Observatory, while the spearsmen's grounds were
east. From these points were trained catapults,
loaded with highly explosive lead cylinders filled with
sharp spikes. Mixed with the spikes were balls con
taining a stifling, overpowering, deadly smell, which
were exploded in the air, to shower the inhabitants,
barracks and forts.
*******
Setos saw with the eye of a military genius the
advantage to himself of a sudden attack, and as a
politician he felt the danger of remaining inactive
in such treacherous times. With a long, hissing
screech, four rockets shot into the sky from the signal-
stations, electrifying some, but prostrating the spirits
of those who loved law and order.
Instantly, the warriors rushed pell-mell into the
390 YERMAH, THE DORADO
streets and confusion seized the populace, who ran
about aimlessly, and looked into each other's faces
with half-averted eyes, like members of a family who
are determined to punish one another, but not too
severely.
Around what is now known as Potrero Point came
a fleet of thirty balsas, with the blades of the rowers
flashing in the sunlight as they rocked and glided
over the choppy waves of the bay.
Rowing swiftly to the Rincon Hill fort, they em
barked a strong force of spearsmen who were still
loyal to Yermah.
Ponderous mangonels capable of throwing darts
twenty feet long, shod with bronze points and
securely lashed to the shaft with strips of bull's-hide,
surmounted each fort. This formidable weapon car
ried a distance of several hundred feet with sufficient
force to penetrate the side of a stoutly built balsa.
On the poop of the foremost galley stood Hana-
busa, in full armor, with a black plume in his helmet,
while beside him was Ben Hu Barabe. They were
both tall and powerful men, and the grim, deter
mined expression on their faces augured ill for the
insurgents. Soon their balsas were gliding over the
smooth waters of the semicircular entrance to
the canal and making directly for it.
" Beware of the bolt ! " shouted Ben Hu Barabe,
and every man threw himself under the stout oaken
seats of the oarsmen, as a murderous missile rose
high in the air and fell with a crash on the stone
coping of the canal, sending a shower of splinters
over the men.
" There is little danger to fear here," said Hana-
busa, " as the east fort is still in our possession. It
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 391
stands midway between the gangway and basin at the
end of the canal, and forms the strategic key to the
operations to-day. Yermah will lead a force between
that fortress and the granaries, as if ready to fall
upon the city, whilst we, with our noisy drums and
trumpets, draw the rebels north of the canal, to
repulse our feigned attack."
" Wilt thou forgive me for asking if this is thine
own or Yermah's plan? "
" It is the Dorado's instruction. He is proving
to be a worthy disciple of the great tactician, Akaza,
who never failed to gain a victory. See 1 They are
warned of our approach."
As Yermah had predicted, the revolted troops, not
being commanded by a leader skilled in strategy,
had signaled to the forts around the city for re-
enforcements, and then turned toward the canal to
repulse the invaders.
A rocket was sent up from East Temple, signaling
the defenders to disembark south of the canal. See
ing this, the insurgents swept around the basin to
engage in a close-range combat and overwhelm Han-
abusa and Ben Hu Barabe by superior numbers.
Before they could execute this maneuver, the glit
tering ranks of Yermah's own household guards
marched through the pass between Las Papas and
the Mission Hills, south of East Temple, with a
company of horsemen bringing up the rear.
The two columns marched side by side, but sep
arate, that on the right charging the insurgents on
the right flank. There were about three thousand
men hemmed in between their own ranks and Hana-
busa's command.
Finding they were cut off from the main body, the
392 YERMAH, THE DORADO
rebels made a desperate and gallant defense, but
were obliged to surrender, with half their force either
killed, wounded, or made captive.
Simultaneously, the main column under Yermah
wheeled toward the Observatory, driving their ene
mies before them with great slaughter. The
Dorado's guard swept over the rising ground between
the center of the city and the Observatory in a solid
phalanx nine deep. Behind them came detachments
from the fleet at the head of the canal, who harassed
the stragglers and completed the general rout.
Archers and swordsmen, cutlass and javelin
wielders excelled each other in feats of generous
daring, while shield clanked against shield, and
spearsmen tilted against spearsmen, in the shock and
clamor of fratricidal warfare.
Underneath all their apparent fury was a fraternal,
conciliatory spirit, causing the insurgents to make
only a half-hearted fight against their hereditary
leader.
The revolted troops were oppressed by a secret
fear that Yermah's soul was perjured; but this
did not overcome their inherent sense of loyalty to
him.
" Down with the Mazaleels ! " urged Setos, now
in the thick of the fight. " Spare not a single apos
tate! If thou art true-hearted Turghatis, stand by
the old beliefs."
He spurred his horse into the fray, shouting :
"Mazaleel! Mazaleel! Mazaleel! Who loves
a Mazaleel?"
" Kill ! Slay ! Burn 1 Fire every building ! Do
duty with torch and sword ! " hoarsely commanded
Imos, seeing that the lines about the Observatory
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 393
trenches were wavering. " Who will help me cut a
way through to the canal?"
Urged forward by his example and words, a body
of warrior-priests threw themselves against Hana-
busa's flank, and succeeded in driving him to the
water's edge. Many of the oarsmen tried to re-
embark, but the fleet was on fire and a swift and ter
rible conflict ensued.
In the meantime, Yermah had stormed the eastern
entrance to the Observatory, which finally yielded,
and he rode in under the mocking inscription :
" Peace and Good Will Abide With Thee."
" The victory is ours ! " he cried, sheathing his
sword, and surveying the Temple of Venus on his
left, apparently deserted.
" Take a dozen horsemen," said he to an aide,
" and ascertain if the vestals are safe. If so, we
will send a strong guard to prevent further disorder
and then retreat; for it is not seemly to fight our
brethren."
As rapidly as possible, reconnoitering parties were
dispatched to discover the damage done and to pro
vide suitable care for the killed and wounded. To
this day the native American races make strenuous
efforts to prevent their dead from falling into the
hands of an enemy.
The defeated troops were ordered back to quarters
and Setos was seized and brought before Yermah.
" Back into thy houses under penalty of arrest! "
shouted the mounted patrol, as they galloped
through the streets, and rode down the turbulent
mob. Soon the cry went up :
" Setos is in chains ! Run for thy life ! " This
startling news sent the crowd flying in every direction,
394 YERMAH, THE DORADO
until even the stout-hearted seemed paralyzed by the
result, and the defeated ones slunk away to their
homes, like children caught in an act of disobedience.
The men were secretly humiliated and ashamed,
none of that generation having ever been guilty of
insurrection, and they stood aghast at sight of the
carnage and slaughter.
The shamans and priestesses ministered to the
wounded and dying, and many heart-rending scenes
were enacted on the spot where some turbulent spirit
had received its quietus.
The marketplace and temple walls were gallantly
defended and by nightfall comparative order reigned
in the city itself, though heavy firing from the forts
told of the strife along the banks of the canal.
Imos, aided by a band of fanatical warrior-priests,
was doing all in his power to destroy the fleet. Han-
abusa was retreating slowly with his shattered forces,
but every inch of the ground was being stubbornly
contested. As darkness came on, the balsas slipped
by unobserved, and Hanabusa steered for the Camp
of Mars with less than half of his original numbers.
The battering-rams and catapults had done deadly
work on the feebly defended Camp of Mars. Here
the flood-gates of the canal had been opened by a band
of marauding insurgents, under cover of the dark
ness, and the rising tide inundated the whole plain.
Imos marched rapidly across the peninsula, keep
ing well out of range of the mangonels, and was in
possession of the camp when Hanabusa arrived.
Ben Hu Barabe engaged the warrior-priests in a
hand-to-hand struggle, while Hanabusa hastened to
the signal tower only to find it dismantled. There
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 395
being no way to inform Yermah of his desperate
straits, he rushed back to his house, and hurriedly
securing things necessary for flight, joined in the
unequal contest Ben Hu Barabe and a handful of
men kept up at the water's edge.
In the uncertain light, the commander could dis
cern only three seaworthy balsas, and into these his
followers scrambled, and, pulling Ben Hu Barabe
aboard, put to sea, closely pursued by the leaky, dis
abled or badly manned balsas which had already been
captured by the enemy.
On the heels of Hanabusa's flight came a company
of horsemen, sent by Yermah, who dashed into camp
with drawn sabers and boldly demanded the surren
der of Imos. Realizing that he was completely sur
rounded and that resistance was useless, the high-
priest suffered himself to be put on horseback and
carried back to laqua. Upon arriving there he was
brought before Yermah, in company with Setos.
" Why hast thou made war upon me, Setos? "
" Because the Azes deem thee unfit to rule them,"
was the blunt answer.
" I have no desire for temporal power. Hadst
thou confided thy ambition to me, I would have aided
thee."
" Thou hast mistaken me. I am only an instru
ment in the hands of Providence for the deliverance
of Tlamco," answered Setos, in his best temple-serv
ice manner.
" Thou art incapable of delivering thyself, much
less Tlamco. But I desire thee to become Grand
Servitor. Art thou willing to accept its full im
port?"
396 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Setos could scarcely believe his ears. Was the
Dorado speaking from choice, or was he sore beset,
and capitulating on the best possible terms?
" What dost thou mean by the full import? "
" The law dost require thee to marry. Thou
mayst not demand the oath of allegiance without a
consort. Atlantis no longer exists and thou must be
responsible for the succession."
Setos opened his eyes wide in astonishment when
the real nature of the situation dawned upon him and
he realized that fear had nothing to do with Yer-
mah's abdication. As soon as he could recover him
self, he answered:
" I am willing to fulfill thy conditions."
" Not my conditions, but the law of the ages,"
corrected the Dorado, with a frown. " Rahula has
long been thy willing handmaid. Wilt thou espouse
her?"
" Yes."
"And to-night?"
'Yes; but canst thou say as much for her?"
" She shall answer for herself, as she is already
under this roof. And while the tamanes conduct her
here, wilt thou tell me, Imos, why thou, too, art in
bloody array against me?"
Encouraged by Setos's success, Imos answered
boldly:
" Because thou art a lost soul, and art unworthy
to succeed Akaza."
" For his sake must I endure persecution. But
thou art rash in attempting to defy the Brotherhood.
Thou art enslaved by forbidden ambition." Yer-
mah's voice quivered with suppressed anger, and his
eyes blazed scornfully, but he kept himself under
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 397
control. Catching Rahula's eye as she entered, he
said with cutting emphasis :
" Every soul is lost on the downward spiral, and
can only regain its original position by a long and
painful succession of incarnations. Desire is the
prison-house of the ego."
Rahula stood abashed, uncertain how much Yer-
mah knew, and just what his speech implied. An
uncomfortable and awkward silence followed, which
Setos finally broke by stepping forward and taking
her by the hand. Then he asked with gentleness :
" Art thou willing to share the perils of office with
me? Yermah wishes to make me Servitor of the
Azes."
" My heart acknowledges no other master, and
my happiness is indissolubly linked with thy fortunes.
I am willing to serve thee." She spoke in a low
voice, while a flush of triumph overspread her coun
tenance. She was almost as much surprised as Setos
had been.
" Name thy witnesses, and let Imos hear thy mar
riage vows at once. Matters of state compel haste."
All three hated him, but they obeyed with alacrity,
nevertheless.
" I will administer the oath of office at sunrise,
and at meridian thou must be ready to receive the
allegiance of Tlamco," said Yermah later, before
leaving for the Temple of Neptune.
He had not lived at laqua since Orondo's death.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO SETOS AND RAHULA
SETOS could not refuse the Dorado an armed
escort. But there was treachery in the very
air, and Yermah did not retire when he found
himself alone and safe inside the temple walls.
He could hear Oghi howling dismally in the stable
inclosure and in the intense stillness he heard Cibolo
pawing the ground and snorting as if some one were
prowling on the outside.
Opening the door cautiously, the hierophant peeped
into the long, empty aisles, dim and shadowy in
the faint light flickering from the lamps overhead.
None of his senses relaxed vigilance, as he pressed
his ear close to the floor and listened intently.
Yermah had not long to wait before he heard a
grating sound, as if some heavy body were being
pushed through the north gate. Returning to his
room he hastily tied the leathern pouches around his
waist containing the relics of Keroecia and Akaza.
He grasped his sword and came back to the door,
and was horrified to find a catapult being dragged
into position almost against it.
Recognizing Imos, it flashed over him that the
high-priest had seized upon Setos's nuptial night to
make himself hierophant; but his blood ran cold when
he thought of the helplessness of the recluses around
him.
398
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 399
Fear and distrust counseled against apprising
Setos of the situation, and his own loyal guards were
fast asleep, believing him safe at laqua.
His heart almost stopped its beating when he com
prehended that his enemies were attempting to slip
the bolts and chains of the door.
Something caused him to turn his head in an op
posite direction, and there he saw an apparition of
Keroecia, luminous and perfect in outline. He could
only hold the image a moment; but she smiled and
beckoned to him as she flitted through the doorway.
Instinct bade him follow her.
It was his blood for which the rebels thirsted, and
none of the other inmates would be disturbed —
Yermah thought, as he ran along the aisle.
While Yermah was unbolting the door, a projectile
from the catapult shivered the northern entrance
with a crash that rocked and shook the whole struc
ture. The aisles filled immediately with half-awak
ened monks, but their voices were silenced by an
explosion against the opposite wall, which sent the
spikes flying in every direction and felled them with
stifling and deadly odors.
Yermah could never remember how he succeeded
in reaching Cibolo's stall. The sagacious animal
seemed to help in getting into his trappings, and
Oghi had already buried his teeth in the back of a
miscreant slipping up to the half-opened door through
which Yermah had passed. The ocelot darted out
of the inclosure ahead of Yermah — all the tiger
instincts in him aroused and ready to attack the first
thing in sight.
Oghi rolled over and over with a victim, marking
and maiming him for life. The man's cries brought
400 YERMAH, THE DORADO
assistance; but neither arrows nor sword thrusts dis
patched the assailant until several persons had been
wounded.
The Dorado found all the wall entrances locked
from the outside, which accounted for the absence
of guards at the doors. Escape was only possible
through the north-gate, and there more than a dozen
warrior-priests were waiting for him.
Man and beast knew there was desperate work
before them, but they were nerved for the encounter.
As he dashed past Oghi, Yermah saw with a sinking
heart that the poor creature was writhing in its death
agony.
Cibolo laid back his ears, and tried to take a piece
out of the arm put forward to seize the bridle.
When the animal found that he could not break the
ranks at the open gate, he wheeled and kicked at the
assailants viciously.
Yermah reined him back, and charged again,
using his sword arm constantly. A spear-point
pierced the upper part of Cibolo's neck, causing him
to squeal shrilly, while an arrow went through the
flesh of Yermah's left arm near the shoulder, break
ing the point on his armor. A well-directed blow
felled his antagonist, and horse and rider cleared
the open space at a bound.
The Dorado rode straight to the west into a red
wood forest, long since submerged. Covered with
dust and faint from exhaustion and loss of blood,
with broken armor and disordered dress, he struggled
on toward Tlamco's Tower of Refuge, situated on
an artificial hill south of the present Alms House.
Upon arrival there, he found the citadel filled with
women and children, who had fled from Tlamco
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 401
during the day, and among them were Ildiko and
Alcyesta.
Yermah. only took time to bind up his own and
Cibolo's wound before making his way through Visi-
tacon Valley to the bay, where Alcyesta told him
Hanabusa and Ben Hu Barabe were expecting him.
" The Turghati have sworn to kill thee," confided
Alcyesta, " and it were not safe for thee nor for thy
followers to remain even here in this tower."
" Before daylight, this place will be surrounded,"
added the keeper. " They will suspect thy hiding
place. Shouldst thou surrender and stand trial, thou
knowest behorehand what the verdict would be."
" Be advised by me," pleaded Alcyesta. " For
this purpose am I come."
" Ample provision has been made," urged the
keeper. " Go thou quickly. I fear for thy safety."
Seeing that Ildiko prepared to accompany them,
Yermah turned to her, saying:
" Why art thou here? Thy father is married to
Rahula, and will be proclaimed Grand Servitor in
a few hours."
" I know all that thou sayest. But dost thou think
I should be allowed to live at laqua? If so, thou
knowest neither Setos nor Rahula."
" What is thy purpose? "
;' To go with thee and thy followers. Do not,
I beseech thee, turn me away, since I should be left
to perish miserably."
" That is thy probable fate with me."
" So be it."
Seeing that she was not to be dissuaded, Yermah
offered no further objection.
The bay extended down to Monterey at that time
402 YERMAH, THE DORADO
— Monterey, the quaint old Spanish town, where
the first American flag was unfurled on this coast.
Hanabusa had managed to pick up six other balsas
loaded with provisions and manned by stout rowers
whose fealty was unquestioned.
When this little remnant of Atlantians and Monbas
reached the seas through Monterey Bay, they were
the last of the Mazaleels — a term of derision ap
plied to them by conservative Azes. Mazaleel was
simply another name for half-breed, and for ages
after was a despised epithet.
Steadily and in secret, before there was light
enough to betray their movements, the conspirators
wheeled the catapult back to the parade-grounds near
the Observatory. Thinking that Yermah would re
turn to the temple, they securely closed every door
and window.
None of the monks ever awoke from their first
insensibility.
Imos ordered the stable-doors to be left open and
the north-gate ajar, so that Yermah's absence might
be discovered by some passer-by, but he took good
care to be at home when the news flew over
Tlamco.
He was the first to suggest that the Dorado's
flight was to conceal a crime, and was properly
shocked and horrified when the facts were made
known.
With a preternaturally long face and proper unc
tion, Imos went to Setos, and offered to officiate in
Yermah's stead.
Setos was genuinely surprised, yet not displeased
over the turn of affairs, and readily agreed with Imos
that the temple should be razed and never rebuilt.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 403
He had always opposed the White Brotherhood, and
could see them exterminated without regret.
*******
It was rather an imposing procession that filed out
of laqua at noon, and marched over the rising
ground, lately a scene of bloodshed, to the Temple
of the Sun, where Setos and Rahula were to receive
the fealty of the populace.
Each male adult in Tlamco, brought earth in a
square jar and water in a deep disk for an oath-offer
ing. Unclasping a pair of interlaced bracelets, the
citizen placed his right hand flat upon one band, and,
detaching the other, carried it to his forehead, say
ing:
" Name I thee to witness, I make loyal oath by
two rings. So help me, All Powerful One."
This formula was repeated thousands of times in
the next three days, and then, in response to a general
proclamation, the warriors and citizens assembled
to give burial to the slain. These were interred in a
large circle at the base of Mount Olympus, with their
heads turned toward the center.
Setos's first public work as Servitor was to erect a
tall shaft with four fire-altars at the base, on the
cardinal points, on which sacrifice was offered to the
" Martyrs of the Lost Soul," as the dead in this con
flict were subsequently termed.
Beginning at the northern side of East Avenue,
and circling in a radius of three thousand and ninety
feet to the same side of West Avenue, was a set of
pillars supporting a low crenellated wall along which
was a sentry-path, used for public observation in the
residence part of the city.
This crescent gave the distance of the lost planet
404 YERMAH, THE DORADO
from the center of Tlamco, Mount Olympus being
in the same radiation. It was indicated again from
Las Papas to Lime Point, and also from Lone Moun
tain to the artificial sugar-loaf surmounted by the
Tower of Refuge, south of Blue Mountain, and be
tween Las Papas and Strawberry Hill.
The gilded domes on the Temple of the Sun were
the five-pointed star in the center of the crescent, a
device which anciently figured as the lost planet 1 —
the present star and crescent of the Turkish Empire.
1 A planet runs through its grand period of life from a form
less nebula to a globe, which solidifies into a planet with or
without satellites. It is involution as long as the planet is in
process of formation ; but when matter begins to manifest, the
first step in evolution is taken, which goes on from protoplasm
to man. Then comes the blooming-time, when this flower of
space will scatter its seeds, as did the huge planet once re
volving between Jupiter and Mars.
Where once was unity, light and power, we have now a con
fused mass of asteroids moving in eccentric orbits. This was
not merely the experience of a planet, but was a tragedy of the
solar system; and in it the extremity of individualism finds
exemplification. The mind of humanity is broken and divided
in a corresponding manner. Both represent the fluid side of
nature, and are correlated to the soul on the downward spiral.
No one claims that the ego contacts through the animal king
dom, but the soul of desire may.
When the latter does so, it is lost — until brought back on
the upward spiral by aspiration and harmony, where it becomes
one with Divinity.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THE MEMENTO FOR GENERATIONS BUILT BY
SERPENT KINGS
LL \ LCYESTA, hast thou the silver casket
safe? " asked Ben Hu Barabe, as soon as
A
they were comfortably afloat.
" Yes."
" Give it me."
He leaned forward eager to take it, but she held
back, saying:
" Dost thou remember the injunction to loosen the
eagles in time of peril and to follow their lead? "
" Yes. I have freed both birds. Dost thou not
hear the cowardly gulls screeching with fright be
cause of the eagles' presence?"
" Then thou hadst best confide thy secret."
" Yermah, wilt thou hear me? "
" If it is to accuse thyself, no 1 "
" It is to give into thy hands a message from
Akaza, and to impart to thee the manner of its com
ing."
" Speak," returned Yermah, in a whisper.
" Before the awful time of wrath, a pair of golden
eagles trained in falconry were intrusted to me by
our beloved high-priestess, who intended them to be
thy companions in the chase. She gave me, also,
a ring set with diamonds, which I carried safely until
I met Akaza after we left our battered balsa. I
405
406 YERMAH, THE DORADO
should never have known how, or when, the ring
and the birds left me, had I not received this from
the hierophant"
He handed over a tiny, silver locket taken from the
casket in Alcyesta's hand.
Yermah pressed the spring and revealed a ring,
large enough for his thumb, and having a fine silk
tissue evenly fitting its broad band.
" Before removing the contents of this locket, hear
me fully," pleaded Ben Hu Barabe. " This treas
ure was made fast in a leather pouch, which was
securely tied to the wing, next the body, of one
eagle. Here is the parchment slipped in beside it."
Yermah reached out his hand, but Ben Hu Barabe
retained it.
" Thou canst not read without more light. Hold
a lantern close by," he ordered.
When the tamane obeyed, Ben Hu Barabe gave
Yermah the writing.
Beloved:
The eagle shall lead thee into strange lands. Never again
wilt thou be separated from Yermah. Withhold from him
all knowledge of the birds until such time as thou shalt find
him in great danger.
Then loosen and follow thy guides.
Akaza.
The Dorado was so astonished that he held the
parchment on his knee and made no further effort
to examine the tissue message for himself.
" Well do I remember how anxious Keroecia was
about this ring. She went every day to superintend
its making."
Alcyesta's words aroused Yermah.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 407
Unrolling the tissue, he saw a finely traced map,
with a few lines written on the margin :
Yermah, Beloved of the Brotherhood:
Follow the way marked out before thee.
When one bird hovers in the air while the other sits on
a rock with cactus flowering at its base, halt thou and receive
thy future task from him who was appointed to aid thee.
Go willingly. Thou hast no further mission in Tlamco.
Fear not.
I have been before thee — and am with thee even unto
the end of time. Akaza.
The eagles led them southward by sea for many
days after leaving Monterey Bay, but on coming
ashore they traveled inland until they reached the
pueblos of the Colorado.
Here they were evidently expected by the Brother
hood, who reprovisioned and sent them forward.
" Thou art the forerunners of an exodus which will
strip this fair land of the white race for ages to come.
Ice imprisons every vestige of life to the north, and
the seeds of total destruction are already planted in
the Llama city. Whither thou goest, we, too, will
follow. Peace be thy portion ! " solemnly spoke the
high-priest in adieu.
It would not have been a very difficult journey
down the singularly even plateau stretching beyond
the Colorado to far Anahuac, had it not been for
the dread scourge of waters flooding the plains and
settling in the deep cup now known as Tezcuco Lake.
Nature's tropic prodigality had done much to hide
the ugly scars earned in a life and death struggle
between the raging water courses and the still smok
ing mountain peaks muttering curses to the clouds.
408 YERMAH, THE DORADO
It looked as if the earth in trembling fright had
shaken everything down, ready for the receding
waves to wash into the sea.
Forty long, weary days, the little party pushed
ahead.
Cibolo, the gallant, was as resolute and brave as
any man among them; but even the eagles seemed
to lose their bearings occasionally, and then Yermah
called aloud to Akaza :
" Make me to know thy wishes. Humbly and
obediently will I follow them."
Instantly, Cibolo's ears would go forward, and
with a start he would shy at a dim, hazy outline
directly in front of him. First it took the form of
Akaza; then, gradually it changed into the beatific
countenance of Keroecia.
In the beginning only Yermah could discern them,
but before the journey was completed every member
of the party saw and recognized them.
" Thou art under Divine guidance," they said to
Yermah, and held him in higher esteem than ever.
On the last day, the eagles circled in the air,
screaming uneasily, and refusing to go forward.
" We must be near the place," the wanderers said
to each other, in awe-stricken whispers.
" Dost thou not see the rock and the flowering
cactus? "
" One eagle sits and the other circles — "
" O Thou seen and unseen powers! Search our
hearts, that thou mayst know all our gratitude," cried
the Dorado, falling to his knees, and prostrating
himself on the ground, an act which was quickly
imitated by his comrades.
" I am Gautama," said a voice.
409
When Yermah looked up, a man old as Akaza,
stood making the hierophant sign of blessing over
him.
" Rise and receive from me word from thy be
loved teacher.
" Fear me not.
" These hands have guided thy puny baby foot
steps, and now thou must lend thy strength to me.
We have some days yet before thou art at rest."
The survivors were near the ancient site of
Tenochtitlan,1 then a dreary waste of water, with
its first city ingulfed, but to have rebirth again and
again until the present time.
Gautama was accompanied by two of the Brother
hood and some tamanes, amply provided with food
and fresh raiment, which they gave to the travelers.
' Thou art the last admitted, and art the youngest
initiate," said Gautama to Yermah, later. " But
thine is a special mission. When once in Cholula,
I shall tell thee all. Thou art anxiously awaited."
The augmented company went into camp for the
rest of the day but they resumed travel shortly after
sunrise, the next morning.
The holy city of Cholula 2 did not exist in those
days.
There was nothing on the plain but the splendid
" Memento for Generations," built by the men of
Atlantis, whose descendants were gathered into the
hungry maw of the sea.
This massive pile is twice the length of the Pyra
mid of Cheops, but not nearly so high. A long cir-
1 City of Mexico.
2 Cholula was to the primitive Americas, what Jerusalem is
to the Christian ; Mecca, to the Mohammedan ; Benares, to the
Brahman.
410 YERMAH, THE DORADO
cular stairway led to its top, which measured an acre
in its area, and supported a teocalli — the last temple
of the Brotherhood of the White Star which was
built in America.
Nothing could be more sublime and beautiful than
the view from the top of this pyramid. Toward the
west stretches the bold barrier of porphyritic rock
which nature has reared around the valley of Mex
ico, v/ith huge Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl stand
ing like two colossal sentinels guarding the entrance
to this incomparable region.
The word pyramid means a place of fire, while
Palai, or Pele, of the Hawaiians, is the spirit of the
volcano center, or precipice of fire, as a pyramid
was often called. The Arabic word Alcyone
means the center, or cone, the spiritual apex
around which the sun and all the sidereal galaxy
are circling.
The two mountains represented the masculine po
tency and the feminine passivity of all which is
generated in nature giving all things their proportion.
Acting on this principle, the ancient sculptors down
to and including Phidias, fixed the respective heights
of man and woman as twenty and nineteen palms
of one-third of a foot each, up to the organs of
casualty and comparison, at the roots of the hair on
the forehead.
Comparison with casualty on each side is the
psychometric eye — the Cyclopean third eye, scouted
by the would-be wise. Comparison is feminine;
casualty is masculine.
The union of these forms the true vision of the
soul, which, developed to its fullest capacity, gives
that mysterious faculty of psychic perception, com-
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 411
parison and deduction beyond the intellectual compre
hension of ordinary man, and marks the adept.
It was this transcendent power which the Pyramid
of Cholula, built to the east of these two volcanoes,
symbolized.
Farther in the same direction, towers Orizaba,
correlated to the macrocosm, of which the Pyramid
of Cholula was the microcosm.
Orizaba equals the height of Popocatepetl, signi
fying that the adept manifesting energy on the sub
jective plane is equal in function to the cosmic mind.
In this capacity the initiate is Quetzalcoatl, who,
like Osiris, Krishna, etc., was black — that is, the
unknowable and mysterious in Deity. This is why
Quetzalcoatl is always shown with a black face, al
though he was called the Fair God. He belonged to
the white race, and was the Aztec Yermah.
The antediluvians — the men who invented archi
tecture — used the human form, the pyramid, the
pentagram, and the interlaced triangles as a basis of
measure and form.
The pyramid and pentagram denote the cone, or
center, of sacred fire; the interlaced triangles were
the balance of spirit and matter; while the obelisk
was intended to show the purified nature of man.
The pillar of fire of Jacob was an obelisk. So
were Stonehenge, Ellora, the Babel towers of Central
America, Babylon and Judea, the gigantic ruins over
all Tartary and India, and the totem-pole of the
Eskimo — even the tombstones have the same grand
origin.
That the obelisk everywhere outside of Egypt be
came a sign of the phallus does not alter its primal
significance nor militate against it.
412 YERMAH, THE DORADO
The pyramid was often called the Pillar of the
Cosmos because it is the ideal form of the principle
of stability, and cannot be assailed by any of the
four elements.
Its tapering form guards it from destruction by
earthquake; nor can it be overturned; and it is proba
bly the only fireproof structure in the world.
The immense base and weight render it secure from
floods ; nor can the wind get sufficient purchase to do
any damage.
Even the insidious encroachments of Time itself
are baffled and outwitted by this cunningly constructed
pile. It is, also, a perfect instrument for estimating
the weight of the earth ; and, it is an excellent astro
nomical observatory.
In its central chamber the temperature never
varies.
Does any one believe this is the result of chance ?
Will any part of to-day's civilization survive the
same flight of years?
Posterity has no claim on us which individualism
— the god of the age — respects; nor will it require
a cataclysm to destroy any of the works of to-day on
any plane.
Science and invention make many discoveries, but
our mental flights fall far short of the ancients in
the discernment of the basic principles of philosophy.
In religion we have lost the meaning of the simplest
symbols, and, apparently, we do not understand
where to place the credit for the principles and pre
cepts we profess to believe and practice.
Gautama led the travelers on by the west, while
far away to the east was seen the conical head of
Orizaba, soaring high into the clouds.
413
Near by was the barren, though beautifully shaped,
Malinche Sierras, casting broad shadows over the
plains of Tlaxcala. At their feet lay the Pyramid
of Cholula, reposing in denuded gardens in the once
fairest portion of the plateau of Puebla.
" Thou seest but a remnant of former glory," said
Gautama. " We, too, have bowed to the chastening
rod. Only such as climbed the long flight of steps
to the top of the pillar escaped destruction. Thou,
too, art able to bear witness?"
It was like probing an old wound, but Yermah
answered bravely :
" The lash found my tender parts, but I am learn
ing to be content."
" It is to assist thee in this endeavor that I am
come. When once thou art ascended to the teocalli
heights, thou mayst not return again until thou art
fully prepared. Thy next labor is to quash doubtful
inspiration. Thou art still leaning on thy earth
loves, when thou art commanded to have but one
ideal — "
" I stand face to face with inner consciousness,
and hear the still small voice."
" He hears the bells, but he does not know where
they hang," commented the priests of the Brother
hood, smiling at each other.
" Seclusion in rarefied atmosphere, where the whole
basin of the earth has been purified, will give peace
beyond thy present capacity for understanding," re
turned Gautama.
" Thy will be done ! " responded Yermah.
" Thou art a doer of penance, and must be able
to say literally, ' Thy will be done ! '
The devotees were ncaring the pyramid, when they
414 YERMAH, THE DORADO
were met by a delegation of priests, who crowned
them with garlands, and conducted them up the first
flight of steps. On the truncated face of the terrace
was the inscription:
BEFORE THE LIGHT WAS OBSCURED
THIS MEMENTO FOR GENERATIONS
WAS BUILT BY SERPENT KINGS
THEY WERE SCATTERED OVER THE EARTH
TO CARRY TRUTH AND WISDOM
THEY WILL COME AGAIN
TO RECEIVE THE TREASURES
HIDDEN IN THY BOWELS
ALL MEN WILL SPEAK AND HEAR THE
I AM I
The thoughtful band was allowed to rest at this
juncture of their pilgrimage after partaking of some
refreshment; but they ascended to the top of the
pile in time to see the sunset.
Next morning, Yermah called his small aggrega
tion of faithful adherents together, and told them
that he had received Akaza's final commands.
" It imposes upon me seclusion in this spot. There
is work for me here," he said with an odd smile.
" The temple requires a central spire, and I shall
build and cover it with pure gold. Go thou all to
the valley, and make thy life apart from me. I love
thee well and need thee sadly, but even this love
must be merged into the universal."
" What wilt thou have me do? " asked Hanabusa.
" Go thou and build a balsa capable of riding the
storm and stress of an angry sea. In twenty luna
tions more thou must be prepared to go voyaging
with me."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 415
" To what task dost thou appoint me? " It was
Ben Hu Barabe who spoke.
" Go thou amongst thy fellows and teach them the
arts of peace. Show them how to coax back fertility
to the denuded soil, and build up civil power, until
I call thee."
"Hast thou no thought for me?" asked Ildiko.
" The Brotherhood will guard thee until such time
as a new Temple of Venus shall arise on this fair
plain. Seek thou knowledge diligently, that thou
mayst be able to teach the virgins committed to thy
care. When thou art separated from thy beloved
Alcyesta, thou wilt be conducted to a refuge in this
teocalli, where other women are waiting to return to
their homes."
Seeing that she made a brave effort to keep back
tears, he added gently:
" Be not downcast. The first days of loneliness
will find me near thee. Shouldst thou need, call, and
I shall come straightway."
To Alcyesta, he said, covering her hand with both
his own, and holding it close to his breast :
" Promise if thine unborn shall be of thy sex, thou
wilt name her, Keroecia ? "
" I promise," she returned, " and if it should be
a son, wilt thou give him thy name?"
" I shall be to thy son what Akaza was to me, but
thou must call him Gautamozin. In after years, he
will understand the significance of this command." l
1 Gautamozin — meaning son of Guatama — was the nephew
of Montezuma, and the spiritual leader of the Aztecs at the time
of the conquest. He was the last hierophant of the Brotherhood
of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec Messiah. He defended Mexico City
and was tortured and slain by Cortez. The statue erected in
his honor in the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City, is one of
the finest monuments on the North American continent.
CHAPTER THIRTY
YERMAH RETURNS TO THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS OF
ATLANTIS
THE remnant of the survivors obeyed the will
of Yermah, the leader, and for one year
he was a recluse, giving himself up to soli
tary meditation, save when Gautama came to converse
with him.
In that time Yermah developed rectitude of judg
ment, correct appreciation, breadth of view, and an
all-roundness of perception, habitually associated
with a well-balanced and perfectly poised mind and
character.
As an initiate, he had marvelous sensibility vi
brating to, and stirred by the faintest touch, yet
remaining steadfast in purpose, because he saw all
things in their proper proportion and estimated them
at their real value.
Possessed of discrimination, Yermah perceived
the relative permanency of all that had befallen him.
Measuring all by the standard of the Eternal, he
was not swept out of equilibrium by any temporary
or illusive appearance.
Exaggeration, over-coloring, all that savored of
unreality or falsehood, was absolutely foreign to his
nature. Yermah, the hierophant, was no cold abstrac
tion, too self-absorbed to think and to feel deeply —
but he was strong in the love that gives, equally joyful
416
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 417
though he who received knew not the source. He
never repaid injury or scorn. This quality showed
itself in many ways.
In quick and ready sympathy; in alertness to see;
in watchfulness to note the needs of the hour ; in the
constant, instinctive attitude of mind which spon
taneously saw and felt every opportunity to give —
whether it were service or sympathy, silence or speech,
presence or absence — in short every attribute of
character defining utter selflessness, rounded and
molded the strong individuality of YERMAH, THE
DORADO.
When the recluse began to mingle freely with the
Brotherhood, he was quickly made aware of all that
was transpiring, not only in the pueblo of Cholula,
but also among outside colonies.
There was never a day when some pilgrim did not
climb the zigzag stairways to see, and to receive ad
vice from him. No attention was paid to their
comings and goings, and it was not thought unusual
when a stranger approached and asked for Yermah.
" Cezardis, why hast thou left Tlamco?" asked
Yermah, as he embraced his visitor.
" I am come to request thee to return. Thou hast
many devoted friends there to mourn thy absence."
" Is not Setos master of the councilmen? "
" Yes; and he has most grievously taxed and out
raged the Azes."
" I am not surprised," said Yermah, calmly. " He
is by nature fiery and imperious, combative and blood
thirsty. The restraining influence of Saturn held him
in check for a time, but now it will add malefic
tendencies."
" Of late, he has been trying to bring about chem-
418 YERMAH, THE DORADO
ical affinities, investigating secret laws, and dabbling
in the knowledge forbidden an earthy mortal. He
overeats, and sends in haste for a shaman and priest
while all Tlamco waits. He will allow no business
transacted when he is sick. Fully half our time is
spent in the temples praying for him. We have no
choice, as he is the self-appointed guardian of our
morals and compels attendance."
Cezardis's words, looks and actions betrayed his
feelings.
" How is it with Imos? "
" He is given unlimited power, because he allowed
Setos to espouse Oahspe, the vestal. This power he
uses to advance his own interests."
" Dost thou say Setos hath another wife? I gave
him Rahula."
" So thou didst. But she bore him no heir; ancl
on this pretext, Setos has two wives, instead of one;
and, he makes it lawful for any man to do the same."
" Poor hot-tempered Rahula ! How doth she bear
the new affliction?"
" She hath obliterated her own individuality until
she is an echo whom Setos values no more than the
mats under his feet."
Yermah sent Cezardis away for rest and refresh
ment before giving an answer, when he was again
urged to return to Tlamco.
As soon as he was alone Yermah's mind reverted
to its normal condition, and he was entirely dispas
sionate in his reply.
" I cannot comply with thy wishes, Cezardis," he
said. " Not that I dread the conflict inevitable with
the overthrow of Setos. I have another and more
difficult battle to fight."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 419
" I have made oath not to return without thee,
and I will not. The whole country is preparing to
follow thee south, and thou art the only one capable
of holding them back."
" Nothing can stay the exodus. It is the breaking
up of old lines. A new dispensation is beginning,
and the present order must pass forever."
"Wilt thou let me serve thee? I would have
come with thee in the beginning, had I known."
Cezardis was aware that Yermah could not refuse
to accept his offer. It was an old-time custom for
one man to serve another, voluntarily, and the serv
ant's was the honored position. To serve sweetly
in any capacity was the aspiration animating this
entire dispensation.
The Dorado smiled as he said:
" Thou wilt be the last to make such an offer.
The generations following will reverse our beliefs
and practices. Go thou to Ben Hu Barabe, and tell
him to give Hanabusa leave to stock his balsa with
food and raiment for five men. See to it that there
is plenty, for thou art of the company."
Yermah worked incessantly for several days mak
ing a llama of silver, as an emblem of suffering
innocence. Its belly was a golden sunburst, and it
was seated upon the back of an eagle, rescuing a
rabbit from the fangs of a serpent. This repre
sented the unequal conflict between good and evil;
but the serpent being obliged to give up its prey,
manifested the final triumph of goodness.
There were eight altars in the temple; and, at
sunset on the last day of his stay, Yermah placed the
llama on the altar facing the east. Simultaneously
with this act, Gautama headed a procession at the
420 YERMAH, THE DORADO
base of the pyramid, which slowly climbed to the
top.
The worshipers performed a sacrifice on each of
the four terraces, and did not reach the temple until
midnight.
They found Yermah in the great, dark structure,
intently watching the constellation of the Pleiades.
As Alcyone approached the zenith he sprang forward
with a glad cry, and vigorously swinging a copper
hammer, made the sparks fly from a granite rock.
The venerable Gautama held the cotton, and care
fully nursed the sparks into a blaze. As the light
streamed up toward the heavens, shouts of joy and
triumph burst forth — for once more the children
of men received a direct ray from the spiritual sun.
Carriers with torches lighted at the blazing beacon
ran in every direction, carrying the cheering element
to every part of the country. Long before sunrise
it was brightening the altars and hearthstones every
where.
Yermah sent up orisons from the eastern altar,
and then took an affectionate farewell of the priests
in attendance, but before beginning to descend he
gazed long at the matchless scenery below.
Soft spring verdure lay everywhere, and he drew
courage and inspiration from the fact that the lower
forms of creation neither sulked nor held back be
cause the elements had been remorselessly cruel to
them.
Wherever there was enough soil to support plant-
life, flowers and grasses put forth, and all nature
was making a brave effort to swing back into har
mony.
Gautama walked with him, and so did an unseen
host led by Akaza and Keroecia.
The Dorado wore all the insignia of his office.
He had a cloth-of-gold robe, and a pale violet mantle.
On his head was a high cap of the same color crested
with jewels. There were jeweled sandals on his feet,
and he carried a caduceus of silver running through
a circle, which was a gold serpent with its tail in its
mouth.
At the foot of the pyramid Yermah found Alcy-
esta and her infant son waiting for his blessing.
Beside her was Ildiko, in the white robes of a high-
priestess, surrounded by the few vestals possible to
the depleted numbers.
Ben Hu Barabe, Hanabusa and Cezardis were
ready to accompany him.
Taking a handful of salt and holding the baby up
to the sun with the left hand, Yermah spake :
" By right of initiation, I name thee Gautamozin,
and by the power of adeptship endow thee with
Brotherhood inheritance. Thou shalt have a long
line; but the last of thy name shall be as I am, a
sacrifice to another order of being."
As Yermah ceased speaking, he sprinkled salt over
the child's face, and at this juncture a tamane ap
proached leading Cibolo. With his disengaged arm
Yermah drew the horse's head down until its nose
touched the baby's soft cheek, and when Cibolo had
tasted a morsel of the salt his master laid his face
close to the horse's jaw, and said softly:
" Thou wilt be a good and faithful friend to Gau
tamozin, as thou hast been to me? Thine shalt be
a name to conjure with — as thy love and obedience
YERMAH, THE DORADO
hath been worthy of example. Farewell, my com
rade ! Thy days shall be as the sunny hours."
From his breast Yermah drew the locket contain
ing Kercecia's ring. Taking Alcyesta's hand, he
silently slipped it on her finger, while unchecked
tears coursed down her cheeks.
Turning to Ildiko, he handed her the locket.
Facing them all, he said :
"Be of good cheer! A long era of peace and
prosperity is for thee and thine. Thou art saved
from the floods for a divine purpose. Let this
knowledge be thy secret refuge, lest thou be tempted
to depart from the way."
At the water's edge he embraced and blessed each
one.
" Grieve not for me. In the fullness of time I
shall come again."
The young men went out on flower-laden rafts
with him, and cast gold and emeralds into the sea
in his honor.
The stone of promise signified renewal after the
cataclysm, and Yermah was El Dorado, — " He of
the golden heart."
The men on the raft strained their vision to catch
a last glimpse of the balsa, as it was known that he
was going away for purification, and they believed
implicitly that he would come again.
It was not long before the people on shore began
the weary watch for his return, which makes Cortez's
conquest of later days so pathetic and pitiful.
The heart aches with the memory of the treachery
and cruelty of the Conquistadors at Cholula, after
its inhabitants had sent Cortez a helmet filled with
gold nuggets, because they saw with surprise that he
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 423
whom they mistook for their Fair God, valued this
metal.
The gold, itself, thrown up in the days of the earth
agony, lay untouched for centuries, but every precept
of the " golden one " * was cherished as priceless
gifts over all the Americas.
The tribes had different local versions of him,
where they built pyramids and teocallis in his honor,
sculptured his sayings in enduring granite, repeated
his exploits in poetry and song, until finally his name
and fame excited the cupidity of the European ad
venturers who sought the Golden Fleece in crusades
and voyages of discovery.
The American version of the Argonauts' expedi
tion for the golden apples, under Columbus, began
in violence and ended in crime.
But the search for the fabled El Dorado did not
end here.
Like a veritable will-o'-the-wisp, it led some into
the fever-infested swamps of the Orinoco, in South
America,2 and finally induced Coronado to push
northward into Kansas, after he had nearly perished
in the desert sands of the Colorado. He pounced
down upon the Zuni pueblo, and tried hard to per
suade himself that he had found the land of Quivira,
though he vainly tried to locate the seven cities of
Cibolo.
The magic words " El Dorado " attracted another
1 All the heroes and ideal men of primitive times were sun-
gods. Buddha was the shining one. Zoroaster (zoe, light ; aster,
star) ; was called the glittering one. The Son of Man came
clothed in the glory of the sun. When the padres attempted
to teach the natives of America the story of Jesus, they ex
claimed : " El Dorado ! " Such at least is the Spanish trans
lation of what they called their own spiritual leader.
2 History of the Conquest of Mexico.
424 YERMAH, THE DORADO
bond of gold-seekers, who have made the name and
the country their very own.
In their wake are the forerunners of the men and
women who will make California 1 a great center of
occult knowledge — the alchemical gold, correspond
ing to her mineral wealth.
*******
" The land ! The land ! O my beloved country !
How art thou humbled by misfortune ! I know not
thy desolate bosom ! " cried Yermah, springing ashore
upon the island of Teneriffe, the mountain peak of
Poseidon's kingdom, his lost Atlantis.
" I kiss thy blackened and charred face 1 Thou
mother of the white race ! Thou source of all learn
ing! Grant that thy dependencies may not forget
and deny thee 1 "
Gautama, too, had prostrated himself, while a
stifled, smothered feeling kept him silent. For a
time, Yermah forgot that the three bronzed men who
stood looking at the shepherds gathered about the
shore were not Atlantians.
It seemed doubtful what kind of a reception they
were to receive, until Yermah called to the natives in
their own tongue.
" Our Dorado ! Come to us out of the sea ! "
they shouted almost beside themselves with joy.
" O thou blessed one 1 Dost thou see the scourge
laid upon us?
" Thy father, Poseidon, and all thy countrymen,
1 Esoteric students everywhere understand that California is
one of the occult eyes of the world, because it still retains the
magnetism of prehistoric times, never having been visited by the
ice ages nor the flood, and only in recent geologic reckoning
being partially purified by fire. Its Sanscrit name is Kali (time)
and puma (fulfillment).
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 425
save us, poor Guanches, are perished. Evil days
have fallen on Majorata. Dost thou not see the
new mountain choking and filling her wide-open
mouth? Tell us how thou art come."
" Thy servant brother, Hanabusa, skilled in sail-
craft, is my deliverer."
" The sun and stars lent countenance to our ven
ture," said he, " save when obscured by a passing
shadow. Then the corposant ran in balls and spirals
from sheet to sheet, and we could not fail."
" I am of the Monbas," said Ben Hu Barabe,
" far to the west, and I am brother to thee in
sorrow. The destructive power of the Divine took
all my people."
" And I am of the Mazamas," said Cezardis,
coming forward. " My country lies under sheets
of ice mountains high, and no living thing is there."
" Misfortune is known in the land of Mexi, whence
I come," said Gautama. " Flood and fire hidden
in the earth made us tremble for days lest we all
should perish."
' The Azes, too — " Hanabusa was not allowed
to finish his sentence.
"Thou art of our blood!" exclaimed the
Guanches, in a breath.
" Never again shalt thou depart from us. Thou
wert with the Dorado? "
" From the beginning," he answered.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
FINAL PEACE IS MADE WITH COSMIC LAW
THESE Guanches were splendid specimens of
manhood, the remote forefathers of the war
riors who, five hundred years ago, held their
European conquerors at bay for more than a hundred
years — never more than a handful of men at any
time.
First the fierce and ruthless Normans, then the
Portuguese, and lastly the Spanish, laid a destroying
hand on the brave Guanches. Now, there is but
little more than their goats left of the surviving At-
lantians. These goats are of a Vandyke brown, with
long twisted horns, venerable beards, and hair length
ening almost to a lion's mane.
Teneriffe was the Island of the Blessed of the Hin
dus, the Elysian Fields of the Greeks, and the Tla-
pallapan of the Aztecs.
The Greeks had their Hermes; the Norsemen,
Ymer; the Egyptians, Kema; all words correlated to,
and having the same significance as Yermah,1 which
means the Divine Germ incarnate.
As El Dorado, his love nature was typified, but
he transmuted passion, and became a god among
men. He was Votan to the Quiches; to the Mayas,
he was Kukulcan; and to the Peruvians he was
1 Yermo and Yermina are diminutives and corruptions of
Guillermo, the Spanish for William, and are in common use
among the natives of Mexico and the neighboring states.
426
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 427
Manco-capac — all types of the same character, and
emanations from the same civilizing source.
The next morning the Guanches made a part of
the company which gave escort to Yermah, as he
essayed climbing the still smoking peak. After they
had passed the line of vegetation there was naught
to be seen save a sea of red rocks, and thirsty yellow
pumice.
The scorching sun and blue, unvaried sky con
demned everything far and near to barrenness and
desolation forever.
Climbing higher, there was no solid rock, no soft
earth — nothing but black stones, piled one upon
the other so loosely that under the crenellated edge
of the sky-line were frequent glimpses of daylight.
It was not necessary for the Guanches to explain
that a marvelous bombardment of the heavens had
but recently taken place. The wrenching and heav
ing, when the crater of eruption was active, had
cracked the cooling and hardening surface repeat
edly, sending masses of cinders and stones rattling
down only to be caught and piled one over another
fathoms deep.
The granular lava had crystals of white felspar
mixed in it, liked chopped straw, which were formed
into spherical shells, veined, curved and frothy. Un
der the varying effects of pressure, the still pasty
mass was rolling, falling and crystallizing in gro
tesque cascades.
In some places the trade-winds had hardened them
into wild, dreamlike faces, while some were pictures
of contending beasts. Yermah could hear them
grinding and crushing in low snarls and growls as
they rolled heavily downward.
428 YERMAH, THE DORADO
Many times these writhing and twisting forms
threatened to remain forever suspended in mid
air.
The Dorado imagined that he recognized some of
the effigies, and was made dizzy and seasick by their
ceaseless progression in a community of pain.
How inexpressibly varied were the colors, bathed
in the brilliant light of a vertical tropical sun, un-
dimmed by impurities of the lower atmosphere!
The tired and thirsty party halted at the Guajara
Springs near the spectral Lunar Rocks of the
Canadas, standing like white teeth newly cast from
a granite mouth opened wide enough to admit a
tongue of lava thousands of feet higher in air.
These grayish white spikes line the " Road of the
Guanche Kings " where the crater of elevation sticks
out its ragged and torn lips, eternal witnesses to one
of nature's most stupendous debauches.
Yermah groaned in spirit as he looked across the
dreary waste, and he mourned unfeignedly for his
lost people. It seemed to need this grand, harmo
nious outburst of unseen forces to give voice to the
wild and passionate utterances seeking vent in his
heart. Nature speaks to each soul alone, and no
mortal may interfere with the communion.
In taking a tender farewell of his comrades, Yer
mah appointed the life work of each loyal heart;
nor had he the least doubt of their faithful obedience.
" Go thou to Egypt, Gautama, and tell them the
task is finished."
" Mayst thou be eternally at one with the Divine."
" And thou, Cezardis, journey on beyond Egypt,
until thou art come to Lassa. Find Kadmon, and
tell him all is well."
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 429
"And thou, Yermah, wilt thou come with me?"
asked Ben Hu Barabe.
" No. Thou must teach Gautamozin in my stead.
He will learn from the Brotherhood. Farewell, be
loved! I shall return, but not now."
" Thou art come to thine own, Hanabusa," he
continued. " Stay thou here with the despoiled."
He kissed each one on brow and cheeks, murmur
ing affectionate words ~of encouragement and fare
well.
" Go now to the sea level. I am come to the end
of my journey, and would fain be alone."
It was difficult for him to persuade the Guanches
to leave him.
"Thou wilt see me again," he promised; "but
at another time."
The shepherds turned again and again, kissing
their hands to him as long as he was in sight.
Weary and exhausted, Yermah slept soundly until
the first streak of dawn appeared in the lowest place
on the horizon, while the long glade of zodiacal
light shot up amongst the stars of Orion and Taurus.
Yermah knew how to interpret this heavenly sign.
Gradually a reddish hue appeared, and as soon as the
lonely watcher comprehended its meaning the zodi
acal light faded, and golden yellow gradually over
came and drove out the red tinge, grown to ver
milion.
The cold region of gray at its upper limit blushed
a rosy pink as the first point of the solar disk leaped
from behind a horizon of ocean and clouds.1
The Dorado performed ablutions with marked
care, dressed himself in fresh, white linen, and before
1 Chas. Piazzi Smyth, at Teneriffe.
430 YERMAH, THE DORADO
the sun was an hour old was picking his way to the
higher regions.
Finally, a bright spot of fire appeared in the mal-
pais, then a lengthening red and smoking line, widen
ing and growing deeper as it flowed down the
mountain side.
Nothing but the extreme high altitude made the
heat bearable. Occasionally a fresh tongue of fire
shot up from the fountain head, and the whole mass
of fluid lava and scoria felt the impulse. Alternate
cascades of fire and dross thundered precipitately
against the lower slopes.
The tense and elastic vapors in their struggles for
freedom here made one collective heave to gain the
light of day, as the Island of Atlantis slowly settled
down on the bed of the ocean, and the crater of erup
tion came up like a huge lava bubble.
During this process the cold atmosphere did effect
ive work on the outside.
The mass was hidebound with hardening stone;
but the violence of the heated gases made a grievous
rent in the wrinkled coating, thus causing the moun
tain to shake as with the ague.
Finally, the internal pressure being too great, the
massive shell was shattered into a thousand pieces.
Not once, but many times, has this battle between
heated gases and cold air taken place in the years
since then, as the extinct craters amply testify, before
the pent-up, unruly spirits of the mountain finally
escaped.
Prior to reaching his destination, Yermah discov
ered a lava figure resembling Keroecia, kneeling with
her hands joined in prayer, and appearing to have a
heavy mantle thrown over her shoulders.
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 431
This effigy is still one of the many fantastic shapes
pointing the way to the Ice Cavern — that wondrous
sepulcher of the Dorado.
It was not then an ice-cold spring banked with
snow, in the midst of desolation, but was a vent where
three conical mouths of the volcano flared open from
different quarters, and hardened there in a dome-
shaped elevation.
Lying to the south is a particularly large mass of
scoria turned upside down, which has been used from
time immemorial by the Guanches as a place to pack
and make up their parcels of cavern snow before ven
turing to carry it under a vertical sun, thirty miles to
the capital below.
It was nightfall when Yermah reached this spot,
where he found the pentagram mentioned in Akaza's
will.
Nature had made it for him of whitish felspar on
the western side of the scoria table. Certain that he
had been guided aright, he sat down to await the
appearance of Venus in the eastern horizon.
Astronomers call it lateral refraction when a star
oscillates and makes images in the heated atmos
phere; but to Yermah it had a different significance.
He first saw Venus seven degrees high, apparently
motionless. The planet oscillated up and down, then
horizontally, outlining a Maltese cross — the pri
mordial sign of matter.1
Finally, it rose perpendicularly, descended side
ways at an angle, and returned to the spot whence
it started, completing a triangle — the universal em
blem of spirit.
While Yermah sat on the rock lost in reverie, the
Humboldt at Teneriffe.
432 YERMAH, THE DORADO
sub-conscious man made its final peace with cosmic
law. His entire life passed before him in successive
events when he knew that here was the end; but with
this realization he leaned confidently upon the
Divine.
Under the impulse of utter helplessness, he arose
and kissed his hand reverently to the evening star — •
a practice taught him in the nursery.
As a child it was his first act of adoration before
his tongue learned to fashion appropriate speech or
his mind to comprehend veneration. In this supreme
moment, he turned back to that time insistently.
Finally, he knelt — and lifting up his arms as if
to embrace a heavenly ray, Yermah kissed the air as
if it were the raiment of God. Turning his face up
to the sky, he closed his eyes in silent prayer.
Rising, he approached the mouth of the crater
which faces north. He could hear the angry, hissing
roar of the subterranean fires, and the scorching
flames licked out at him as he fed them his belong
ings one by one.
But a short time previous, Yermah had passed his
thirty-third birthday, and, as he now stood ready for
self-immolation, he was in the prime and glory of
vigorous manhood.
He had the illumined face of a saint, and was up
lifted by that spirit which sustained martyrs in the
after years. Even his fair young body seemed to
be spiritualized.
" O Thou Ineffable One ! Thou Spirit of Fire !
Take that which is thine ! Lap thy purifying tongue
about me, and leave no dross ! "
The desolation about him was the veritable home
of black despair. Of what use was it to cry out to
THE STORY OF A LOST RACE 433
the deadly calm of the rarefied air, amidst the crush
ing, strangling and appalling stillness?
Coming nearer, Yermah looked down into the
white heat of the pink-throated cavern.
"O Thou Sacred Fire! Thy kiss was welcome
to her sweet lips. Feast Thou on mine I "
With the fervor of an enthusiast he rushed for
ward to fling himself headlong into the yawning
chasm, but a dazzling effulgence obscured the way,
and a voice from the land of shadows said:
" Yermah, son of light, no further sacrifice is re
quired of thee ! "
It was the gentle, unseen hand of Akaza which
halted the action * * * then a Higher Power
suffered Yermah's lifeless body to be at rest.
" Keroecia, beloved, receive thy twin spirit!" he
cried, in passing.
In the transcendent radiance of the Presence en
veloping all, the twain appeared — transfigured and
glorified.
Being thus reunited, Keroecia realized for the first
time that she was out of the body.
*******
Yermah was neither Krishna, nor the Christ, but
the Ideal Man of all time, and of all people.
He was LOVE, the eternal mystery; that love
which Madame de Stael has said confounds all notion
of time, effaces all memory of a beginning and all
fear of an end.
FINIS
JUN 3 1985
DATE DUE
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