FLESH SUCCEEDS STONE
Lady Tennys rubbed her eyes and stared blankly about her when Hugh awoke
her. The darkness and the strange forms frightened her, but his
reassuring words brought remembrance of the unique trip and with it the
dim realization that they had landed at last.
If their first landing place was wonderful, this was doubly so. Despite
the darkness, they were able to see quite distinctly the general outline
of the coast. Two mammoth rocks, as large apparently as the one they had
left behind, rose toward the hazy moonlit sky, far in shore, like twin
sentinels, black and forbidding. Between them a narrow stretch of sky
could be seen, with the moon just beyond. Entranced, they gazed upon the
vivid yet gloomy panorama bursting from the shades of night almost as if
it were advancing upon them. So immense, so startling, were these vast
towering columns, so brilliant was the sky behind them, that the
wonder-struck strangers found difficulty in controlling a desire to turn
about and fly from the impending rush of mountain, moon and sky. In the
first moments of breathless observation it seemed to them that the great
rocks were moving toward the sea and that the sky was falling with
them, giving the frightful impression that they were soon to be crushed
in the ponderous fall. They were exchanging expressions of relief when
the big chief came up and prostrated himself at their feet.
Ridgeway touched his shoulder and bade him arise, pointing toward the
mounts and their attendant glory. To his amazement the chief uttered an
exclamation of satisfaction and abruptly ran back to the boats. In an
incredibly short space of time the restless savages were coming up the
beach with their canoes on their shoulders, heading straight for the
opening through which the moonlight streamed. Two of them formed a
"basket," and Lady Tennys, taking her seat upon their hands, and holding
timidly to their hard, muscular shoulders, was borne swiftly onward and
upward, Ridgeway having some difficulty in keeping pace with the
human carriage.
Big rocks told them that they were at the base of the rocky columns and
the course of the little band indicated that they were to pass between
the towering, almost perpendicular monsters. Suddenly the little
cavalcade of the night came to a halt, the boats were thrown down and
Hugh arrived at the conclusion that they were to stop until morning. In
this he found himself mistaken, for with the very next moment he heard
the splashing of water, seemingly beneath his feet. Up to now he had
been looking upward at the rift in the rocks. Instead of a rocky gorge
he now saw the shimmering of water, and a fresh exclamation of surprise
fell from his lips.
"Can this be fairyland?" he cried, completely dazed.
"We must be dreaming, Hugh," murmured she. The party stood at the
water's edge, looking up through the miniature cañon, the rushing of
distant rapids coming to their ears.
The boats were lowered, and the oarsmen were soon pulling sturdily
between the tall twins. These frowning monsters formed a perfect gateway
from the sea to the home of the savages. Hugh felt that he was shut off
forever from the outside world as he surveyed, with sinking heart, the
portals through which they had passed. Soon a second landing was made,
this time upon soft, rich soil, instead of crunching sand. It was easy
to tell that they were standing on velvety grass, soft, cool and dewy.
The boats were made fast, the spar and shell were swung upon broad
shoulders, and then the party plunged straight into the wood, Lady
Tennys being carried as before.
After ten minutes of rapid walking over a well-beaten trail the band
halted, and the chief uttered several piercing cries. From afar off in
the still night came an echoing answer and again the march was resumed,
the travellers keeping close to the bank of the river. In time they
reached an open stretch, across which the escort started, turning away
from the stream.
There were fitful flashes of light ahead. Across the little plain came a
jumble of flying human beings, two or three bearing torches. They seemed
to have sprung from the ground, so abruptly did they appear before the
eyes of the dumbfounded strangers in this strange land. The chief went
forward rapidly and checked the advancing figures, preparing them for
what was to follow. The entire company prostrated itself in good form.
With the horde of stupefied recruits at their heels, the white people at
length entered the village, which nestled against the hillside. Hundreds
of dark, almost naked, savages rushed from the shadows, the news of the
great visitation having spread like wildfire. By the time the halt was
made in front of a large, odd-looking structure, her Ladyship was so
overcome with excitement that she could hardly stand. Ridgeway caught
her as she staggered from her improvised litter. Presently she grew
stronger, and with her companion entered what was apparently a palace
among the squat, queerly built houses.
The chief ordered torches stuck in the ground, and a bright, strong
light filled the interior. They found themselves in a large apartment,
twenty by thirty feet in size. A reed or grass roof provided covering.
This roof, like those in civilized lands, ran to a high point in the
centre, the sides being fully twelve feet from the ground. There were no
windows in the walls, but as they did not come within three feet of the
roof, there was ample provision for ventilation and light. The entrance
to this structure was through wide portals, reaching from ground to
eaves. There was no floor save the earth, but there were rugs made from
the skins of wild animals. Hugh noticed with a thrill of excitement that
among them were tiger and leopard skins. Directly opposite the entrance
stood a rough and peculiarly hewn stone, resembling in a general way the
form of a man, colossal, diabolical.
"An idol," whispered Lady Tennys in awed tones.
"Perhaps it would be wisdom on our part to kneel before the thing," said
Hugh calculatingly.
"I'll do anything you think best," she said reluctantly, kneeling for a
moment with him before the idol. Whereupon the chief and his attendants
shouted for joy and fell upon their much-used faces. The populace,
thronging about the temple, took up the cry, and all night long they
chanted praise to the living gods. The weird, ghastly figures flitted
from end to end of the mad village long after the chief and his party
had left the temple to the sole possession of the new divinities.
"I wonder if they expect us to sit up forever as sedately as that old
party over there," mused Hugh, after the savages had withdrawn, greatly
to the mystification of their guests. "We're evidently left here to make
the best of it. I fancy we are now supposed to be in business as real
gods with a steady job in the temple."
"I am beginning to think we have come to a terrible place, Hugh. How
fierce and wild these people are! What is to become of us?" asked she,
shivering as with a chill. "How horrible it would be if they brought us
here as a sacrifice to this beastly idol. Is there no way of escape?"
"Nonsense! We've queered this antiquated old fossil forever. Two real
live gods are worth ten thousand stone quarries like that. If you say
so, I'll have a few of his worshippers take him down and toss him in
the river."
The big room was devoid of furniture save for the rugs and several
blocks of stone grouped about the idol. Ridgeway was convinced that they
were in the sacred place of worship. Seating themselves rather
sacrilegiously upon the stone blocks, they looked about the place with
tired, hopeless eyes. The walls were hung with spears, war clubs and
other ferocious weapons, evidently the implements of defence to be used
by the stone deity in case of emergency.
"Well," quoth Hugh, after the gloomy inspection, "they must think that
gods don't sleep. I don't see anything that looks like a berth around
here. God or no god, I am going to turn in somewhere for the night. His
Reverence may be disturbed if I snore, but I dare say his kick won't
amount to much. I'll pile some of these skins over in that corner for
you and then I'll build a nest for myself near the door." Suiting the
action to the word, he proceeded to make a soft couch for her. She sat
by and watched him with troubled eyes.
"Do you think it safe to go to sleep when we don't know what they may do
during the night? They may pounce upon us and kill us." Hugh paused in
his work and walked to her side.
"Something tells me we are safe with these people. We may as well make
the best of it, anyhow. We are in for it, and I'll bet my soul we come
out all right. Go over there and sleep. I'll be the first one killed if
they attempt violence. Here's a club that will down a few of them before
they get the best of me." He took from the wall a great
murderous-looking club and swung it about his head.
"I want to be killed first, Hugh, if it comes to that. If you are
merciful, you will kill me yourself when you see that it is their
intention to do so," she said earnestly.
"Pooh, there's no danger," he said, and went back to his work, impressed
by her manner more than he cared to admit. With her chin in her hands
she resignedly watched him complete her bed of tiger skins.
"We have desecrated the temple by disturbing the rugs," she said at
length.
"I'll have 'em make some hammocks for us to-morrow and we'll hang 'em in
each end of the temple. And we'll also have this place divided into two
or three apartments, say two sleeping rooms and a parlor, perhaps a
kitchen. If necessary, an addition can be stuck on just back of where
the idol stands. There'll be great doings around here when Yankee
progress takes hold."
"You surely do not mean to ruin their temple! They will be up in arms,
Hugh."
"Well, they'll have to endure a great many things if they expect to
support such luxuries as we are. If those fellows don't quit falling
down and bumping their faces on the ground, I'm going to have a lot of
pads made for them to wear when they think there is danger of meeting
us. They'll wear their faces out." It did him good to hear her laugh.
"Well, your bed is ready, my Lady."
"I am dying for a drink of water. Do you know how long it has been since
we touched food and drink?"
"All day! I never thought of it until this minute. I am half famished
myself," he cried in dismay. Then he rushed to the door and shouted to
some natives who were standing near by eyeing the crude building
inquisitively by the light of a single torch. "Hey! you fellows!"
At the sight of his white figure and the sound of his voice, torch and
all fell to the ground.
"Get up, you blamed fools," called the white man, walking toward them in
exasperation. They arose tremblingly as he drew near, and he managed by
signs to make them understand that he wanted food and drink. Away they
dashed, and he re-entered the temple. Lady Tennys was laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked in surprise.
"It was so funny to hear you call them fools."
"I hope they understood me. Anyhow, they've gone for the fatted cocoanut
or something equally as oriental."
In less time than seemed possible the happy messengers arrived at the
door with food enough for a dozen hungry people. The giant chief
followed his subjects, and it was through his hands that Hugh received
the welcome food. The white people were gratified to find in the
assortment rich bananas and oranges, raw meat, peculiar shell fish,
berries and vegetables resembling the tomato. At first the natives
looked a little dismayed over the disordered condition of the temple,
but no sign of resentment appeared, much to the relief of Lady Tennys.
The luscious offerings were placed on one of the stone blocks as fast as
they were handed to Ridgeway, the natives looking on in feeble
consternation.
The chief was the only one to enter the temple, and he started to
prostrate himself before the stone idol. He appeared to be at a loss as
to what course he should pursue. Hugh promptly relieved him. Shaking his
head vigorously, he pointed to the stone image, signifying that there
were to be no more salutations bestowed upon it, all homage being due to
himself and the lady. The fickle pagan, after a waning look of love for
their renounced idol, proceeded to treat it with scorn by devoting
himself entirely to the usurpers. He brought cocoanut shells filled with
cool water, and the thirsty ones drank.
"We seem to have got here in the fruit, fish, vegetable and novelty
season, to say the least," observed Hugh.
"Isn't it wonderful?" was all she could say, her eyes sparkling. Never
had he seen her so ravishingly beautiful as now, filled as she was with
the mingled emotions of fear, excitement, interest, even of rapture. He
could not prevent or subdue the thrill of indescribable joy which grew
out of the selfish thought that he had saved her and that she must lean
upon him solely for protection in this wild land. Turning sharply from
her, he glanced at the tempting feast and unceremoniously dismissed the
chief and his followers. The big savage stood undecided for a moment in
the centre of the room, wavering between fear of the new god's
displeasure and an evident desire to perform some service.
After an instant he boldly strode to a stone block back of and to the
left of the image. Seizing it by the top, he gave the impression that he
was about to lift the great stone. Instead, however, he merely slid from
its position a thin slab, pushing it half way off of its square base.
Instantly the sound of rushing water filled the ear, and the
unaccountable, muffled roar that had puzzled them was half explained.
The block was hollow, revealing a deep, black hole, out of which poured
the sound of the hidden stream. The mystified observers could plainly
see the water some ten feet below the surface of the earth, gliding
swiftly off through a subterranean passage. The chief made them
understand that this well was for the purpose of supplying the image
with drinking water whenever he needed it.
"That's very interesting," said Hugh to Tennys. "I'll have to see where
this water comes from to-morrow. From a practical point of view it is
the finest bit of natural sewerage I ever have seen. I'll make
arrangements to tap it, if we are to live here."
"You lawless Americans!"
Apparently satisfied, the chief and his staring companions withdrew,
devoutly prostrating themselves not to the graven image, but to the
living, breathing beings who were awaiting, with an ungodlike appetite,
an opportunity to make way with the tempting fruit.
"It is ridiculous to allow those poor things to fall down like that
every time they turn around before us," she said, when they were alone.
"We must encourage it. If we are to be idols we can't afford to give our
subjects a bit of relief from their religious obligations, and I'm quite
sure we are idols or sovereigns, more than likely the former, judging by
the snubbing our flinty friend has received."
"If we are to live among these people, Hugh Ridgeway, I, for one, intend
to tell them, if possible, of the real God, and to do what I can for a
cause I served but feebly in the past. I may be a poor missionary, but I
intend to try in my weak way to do some good among these poor, benighted
creatures."
"I think we'd better let well enough alone," said he disparagingly.
"Why, Hugh, how can you say that?"
"I haven't thought very much about God since I've been in this land.
I've been too busy," he muttered, with no little shame in his face,
although he assumed an air of indifference.
"He saved us from the sea," she said simply, with a tremor in her
voice. "Surely you remember the prayers you uttered from your very soul
on that night. Were they not to God?"
"Begin your missionary work with me, Tennys. I am worse than the
savages," he said, not in answer to her question.
Silently and greedily they ate of the delicious fruit, and found new
sensations in the taste of more than one strange viand of nature. A calm
restfulness settled down upon their tired bodies, and all the world
seemed joyfully at peace with them.
Almost overcome by sleep, he managed to toss a few tiger skins on the
ground near the door, not forgetting to place his club beside the
improvised couch. "Sleep comfortably and don't be afraid," he said. She
slowly arose from the block and threw herself on the bed of skins.
"You are so good to me and so thoughtful," she murmured sleepily.
"Good-night!"
"Good-night," came his far away voice, as out of a dream.
Outside, the celebration was at its height, but the tired idols heard
not a sound of the homage which was theirs that night.