oddly with the hauteur of his expression, and striding up to the
American, laid his two thin, talon-like hands upon the other's
shoulders, and turned him round until Earle fully faced the light.
Then, bending forward, he intently scrutinised the queer jewel, or
talisman, which Earle now wore fully exposed to view. And as he did so,
the expression of almost defiant pride which his features had worn upon
his entrance, gradually relaxed until it vanished and gave place to one
of humble conviction. Then, laying the extremities of his fingers to
his forehead, he bowed very low and backing away from Earle, gradually
bowing himself out of the chamber.
Meanwhile, the other man, Kedah, had stood, a profoundly interested and
impressed spectator of the short scene. He, too, was an elderly man,
short, rather inclined to be stout, and bald-headed save for two thick
tufts of white hair that sprouted over his ears. He was attired very
much like Earle, except that the garniture of his robe was emerald
green, instead of turquoise blue; also, instead of a turban, he usually
wore a small, close-fitting skull cap of green silk, which he had
removed upon entering the apartment. In one hand he carried, as well as
his skull cap, a rather clumsy-looking umbrella of green silk, modelled
somewhat after the pattern of the Japanese article, while the other hand
grasped a roll of what looked like thin parchment.
Upon the departure of Zorah, Kedah laid aside his umbrella and skull cap
and, respectfully motioning the two white men to be seated, drew forward
a small table, upon which he unrolled the parchment, revealing the fact
that its inner surface was covered with small but beautifully executed
drawings of a multitude of objects, such as men, women, boys, girls,
infants, horses, cattle, sheep, etc. To several of these he pointed in
turn, giving each its proper designation in the Uluan tongue, making his
pupils--for such they were--repeat the words several times after him
until they had caught the correct accent. Then, after he had named some
twenty objects, he harked back to the beginning again, pointing to each
object and then, by expressive motions of his hands and bushy eyebrows,
requiring them to repeat as many of the names as they could remember.
In this fashion they proceeded for about an hour and a half, by which
time the two white men had mastered the designations of some fifty
objects and were enabled to repeat them when pointed at haphazard.
Kedah graciously expressed his satisfaction at their progress in a flow
of words accompanied by so much action and spoken in such a tone that
there was little difficulty in understanding his general meaning. This
system of tuition was continued day after day, accompanied by a gradual
extension of the hours of study, and, after the first week, by the
introduction of short sentences, such as: "This is a table. That is a
picture. There is a man. Yonder go a woman and child. Observe that
crowd of people," and so on, the sentences gradually lengthening and
becoming more intricate, so that by the end of two months, Kedah's
pupils were not only able to gather the general sense of most of what
was said to them, but also intelligibly to ask for almost anything they
required.
Meanwhile, during the progress of that first lesson, certain muffled
exclamations, accompanied by the sounds of heavy breathing and scuffling
feet, reached the ears of the pupils from the adjoining apartments; and
when, upon the conclusion of the lesson they entered those apartments,
Dick and Earle had the satisfaction of finding that all their belongings
had been brought up and were neatly stowed away; also that Inaguy and
Moquit, two of their Indian followers, had been added to their staff of
servants. And from these men they also received the satisfactory
information that the rest of the Indians were lodged together and being
well cared for in a chamber beneath the palace.
The afternoon was by this time so far advanced that the two white men
felt they might safely venture to sally forth and see something of the
city, without much fear of being unduly incommoded by the heat, and they
were also curious to ascertain how far they were free agents to come and
go as they pleased; they resolved, therefore, to put the matter to the
test without further ado. Accordingly, each thrusting a pair of fully
loaded automatics into his belt, as a measure of precaution against
possible contingencies, they left their apartments and, descending the
stairs, made their way to the garden quadrangle, from whence they
passed, without interference, into the grand square, receiving the
salute of the sentry at the gates as they went.
The temple, situate on the opposite side of the square, was naturally
the first object to claim their attention, and observing that its great
main entrance doors stood wide open, the pair sauntered across the
square, reverentially saluted as they went by everyone they met, and
passing up the long flight of steps leading to the open doorway, they
boldly entered the building.
It was a magnificent structure, the rich and lavish ornamentation of its
interior making ample amends for the severity of its exterior design.
The four corners of the building were occupied by spacious rooms, or
possibly subsidiary chapels, the doors of which were closed, but the
main or principal temple was open, and into this the two friends boldly
made their way, Earle declaring to Dick that he was determined to put to
the test the exact measure of independence and power which the
possession of the talisman conferred upon him, which he believed to be
almost supreme, judging by the extraordinary reverence and veneration
with which it had thus far been regarded by the Uluans.
The main temple was far and away the most spacious interior which either
of them had thus far seen, Earle, after running his eye over it,
expressing the opinion that its floor would accommodate at least twenty
thousand persons comfortably. It was rectangular in shape, its longest
dimension running east and west. Its main walls were about sixty feet
high, tinted turquoise blue--as was the ceiling--with decorative designs
in white. It was lighted by windows in the sides, fitted with slats
instead of glass, so carefully adjusted that while admitting a
sufficiency of light--when one's eyes became accustomed to the
semi-obscurity--they effectually excluded rain. The centre of the
ceiling was pierced by a circular aperture about one hundred feet in
diameter, above which rose the majestic dome which, from the outside,
had already attracted their admiring attention. This dome was supported
by four enormous columns connected by arches, and its interior, while
shrouded in gloom, was a mass of subdued scintillating colour, as though
it were encrusted with innumerable gems and glowing enamels. The
eastern wall of the interior was remarkable from the circumstance that
it bore a gigantic replica of the jewel, or talisman, which Earle wore--
a fact which finally and definitely confirmed the conviction already
arrived at by the American that the possession of the ornament conferred
upon him almost supernatural powers and authority. At a distance of
some twenty feet from this eastern wall there was an immense figure--or
statue--of the Winged Serpent, reproduced in the middle of the square
and on the domes of the temple, and before it stood a very large altar
which bore evidences that sacrifices were continually offered upon it.
Upon entering the building the two friends were under the impression
that it was empty; but they had scarcely been in it ten minutes, and
were standing before the altar, studying the marvellous modelling of the
Winged Serpent, when a strain of music smote upon their ears, and the
next moment a curtain parted and a company of priests, some sixty in
number, of whom about a third were playing upon quaint-looking musical
instruments, filed into the building, headed by Zorah, their
acquaintance of an hour or two earlier. Advancing with slow and solemn
steps they halted before the two friends and, after bowing profoundly to
Earle, broke into a slow and solemn chant, which gradually changed into
a kind of triumphal hymn, at the conclusion of which they again bowed
until their foreheads almost touched the pavement, and then filed out
again.
The two white men, completely taken aback by the solemnity and
unexpectedness of this apparently impromptu ceremony, knew not what to
do, and therefore did nothing, which, as afterwards transpired, was the
wisest course they could possibly have adopted. For, although they were
quite unaware of it at the moment, their every movement was being
carefully watched, and when they entered the temple, Zorah, the high
priest, was instantly informed of the fact; whereupon he marshalled his
subordinate priests and carried out the ceremony above recorded, in
order to do honour to the individual who, in virtue of his possession of
the mysterious jewel bearing the "sign" of Kuhlacan, the Winged Serpent,
was implicitly believed to be either Kuhlacan's special ambassador to
the Uluans, or, possibly, a human incarnation of Kuhlacan himself. The
ceremony brought home a vague inkling of this state of affairs to both
of the individuals most intimately concerned, and Earle, while
expressing some embarrassment and dislike of the position in which he
found himself placed, announced to Dick his determination to accept it,
in the hope and belief that, before leaving Ulua, it might be his good
fortune to wield the authority with which he was endowed for the benefit
and advantage of the people, and quite possibly, the correction of
abuses.
Leaving the temple, the two friends passed out of the square and entered
a road which attracted them because of its extraordinary width, the
magnificence of its shade trees, the beauty of its central strip of
garden, the sumptuous character of its buildings, and the air of dignity
and well-being which seemed to characterise the people who were
promenading it. Taken altogether, it appeared to be Ulua's most
aristocratic quarter, or at least its most fashionable promenade, for
the men and women who thronged it were all elegantly dressed, and all
had the air of belonging to the leisured class, while the roadway was
thickly sprinkled with elegant and beautifully decorated chariots, drawn
by teams of two, or sometimes three, handsome horses, driven by young
men who appeared to be inviting the admiration of Ulua's fair ones.
Still unobtrusively followed by a palace official, the two friends
wended their way down the street, receiving the respectful homage of all
who passed them. They had traversed about half the length of the
street, which was about two miles long, when suddenly loud and excited
cries arose behind them, punctuated by the quick clatter of galloping
hoofs, and wheeling round, they beheld a beautiful chariot, the body,
wheels, and pole of which were entirely covered with plates of embossed
gold, coming careering along the road toward them at full speed, and
swerving wildly from side to side of the road as it came, the two cream
stallions which drew it having evidently bolted.
The man who drove was doing his best to regain control of his terrified
and mettlesome animals, and at the same time to avoid the chariots ahead
of him, the drivers of which hurriedly drew in towards the sides of the
road to give the runaways a free passage; but the lad--for he was
apparently still in his teens--might as well have attempted to control
the elements; the horses had got their heads and seemed determined not
to stop until they were tired, while it was evident that a very serious
accident was inevitable, the road being thronged with vehicles, horsemen
and pedestrians--the latter seeming to use the roadway quite as much as
the footpaths.
And even as Dick and Earle halted and turned to ascertain the cause of
the commotion, the wildly careering chariot collided with another, a
wheel of which it sheared off, while the impact of the two vehicles
jolted the driver of the runaways off his feet and flung him violently
into the road, where he lay motionless.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Dick, as the two creams came tearing along,
with the reins trailing in the roadway, "the brutes will not only kill
themselves, but dozens of people as well, if they are not stopped!" And
before Earle could reply, or do anything to restrain him, the lad sprang
into the roadway, close to the path of the runaways, and braced himself
for a spring. The next instant the frantic horses were upon him; but
meanwhile, with a leap, Dick had started to run in the same direction as
the horses, and as they tore past, with one hand he snatched at the
reins and got them, while with the other, he gripped the rear of the
chariot and swung himself into it. Then, gripping the reins with a firm
hand, and shouting all the time to warn those ahead, he brought a steady
strain to bear upon the horses' mouths, guiding them meanwhile as best
he could. And almost immediately his pull upon the reins began to tell,
for his thews and sinews, hardened and tempered to the strength of steel
by his long tramp from the banks of the Amazon, were very different from
those of the effeminate youth who had been thrown out; and after
traversing a couple of hundred yards, the animals acknowledged
themselves beaten and came to a standstill without having done further
damage. Then, turning the sweat-lathered animals gently round, Dick
drove them at a foot pace, snorting and curvetting, back to the spot
where the owner, still insensible, lay upon the footpath, being tended
by sympathisers, of whom Earle was one. As Dick came up and dismounted
from the chariot, which he surrendered to an official, he was greeted
with loud plaudits, the people clapping their hands and shouting "Aha!
aha!"
They made way for him as he came up and joined Earle, who was already
bending over the insensible charioteer, feeling the youth's body and
limbs.
"Any damage done?" he inquired, as he came to a stand and looked down on
his friend.
"Hillo! you back?" returned Earle. "You've soon done the trick, Dick.
Did you manage to stop 'em without hurting anybody else?"
"Yes, luckily," answered Dick. "Pulled 'em up, and brought 'em back
again. They're in the road there, now, in charge of a fellow who, I
suppose, is a sort of policeman. Is that dude hurt at all?"
"Left arm broken; but that seems to be the full extent of the damage,"
answered Earle. "If I could get a couple of sticks and a bandage, I'd
set it while he is still insensible. Just see if you can find anything
that will do, Dick, there's a good chap."
Dick looked about him, but could see nothing at all suitable until his
gaze happened to fall upon the window of a house opposite him, which was
closed by a kind of jalousie shutter. A couple of slats from this
shutter would serve excellently, and without ceremony he wrenched two of
them out and, breaking them into suitable lengths, handed them to Earle.
Then, while the latter brought the ends of the fractured bone into
position and held them there, Dick adjusted the splints, as directed by
Earle, afterwards assisted by a bystander, binding them firmly into
position with the folds of his turban, which he unwound for the purpose.
By the time that this was done the friends of the injured man had been
summoned and were on the spot; and to them Earle handed over his
patient, directing them by signs what to do, after which the two friends
returned to the palace, amid the admiring murmurs of all whom they
encountered.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
EARLE SETTLES A DELICATE MATTER.
The following day was marked by two incidents, namely, a visit to Earle
and Dick from the parents of Mishail, the young man who had been injured
by being thrown out of his chariot, and the presentation of the two
friends to Juda, the King of Ulua, and his granddaughter, the Princess
Myrra.
The visit occurred shortly after the friends had finished breakfast, and
the visitors were accompanied and introduced by Kedah, the individual
who, on the previous day, had begun the task of instructing the two
white men in the Uluan tongue.
Kedah introduced the visitors by simply indicating them and pronouncing
their names, that of the man whom he introduced first being Hasca, while
he named the lady Tua.
Judging by the deference which Kedah displayed toward them the visitors
were people of high degree; an inference which was borne out in the
first instance by the stately dignity of their manner and the richness
of their garb, and afterwards by the sumptuousness of their abode, which
was almost palatial in its spaciousness and the magnificence of its
furnishing. Hasca was, in fact, one of the most powerful and
influential nobles of Ulua, and the acquaintance which began with this
visit was destined to have important results.
Hasca was a very fine specimen of Uluan manhood, some forty years of
age, standing about five feet ten inches in his sandals, of swarthy
complexion, with coal-black hair, beard and eyes, the latter very keen
and piercing. There was a distinct touch of hauteur in his manner to
Kedah; but to Dick he and his wife were friendliness itself, while to
Earle they showed that deep reverence which seemed to be the invariable
rule with the Uluans.
The lady Tua seemed to be some five years younger than her husband,
dark, and decidedly handsome, but, like all the Uluan women of mature
age, she displayed a distinct tendency to become stout.
Kedah undertook the task of explaining to his two pupils the object of
the visit, and to do the old gentleman justice, he succeeded fairly
well, considering the difficulties which confronted him. He talked a
good deal, but speech, of itself, naturally did not count for much. He
supplemented his words, however, with such a wonderful wealth of
gesture, accent and tone, that the two white men found it by no means
difficult to guess the general drift of his speech, especially as he
adopted the novel method of further elucidating his meaning by a number
of amazingly clever sketches produced upon a kind of papyrus, with the
aid of a very fine brush and a small bottle of some kind of ink, which
he had taken the precaution to bring with him.
With these aids, then, he managed to make Earle and Dick understand that
the visit was, first, one of thanks for the assistance rendered to the
unfortunate Mishail on the preceding day, and next, a request that one,
or both, would be so very obliging as to visit the patient, who was
either very ill, or suffering much pain--they could not quite make out
which was meant--and see what could be done for him.
To this request the comrades at once willingly assented, the more
readily because, having, by a piece of extraordinarily good luck,
obtained entrance to what they understood was, to all intents and
purposes, a forbidden city, so far as outsiders were concerned, it was
now good policy on their part to establish the best possible relations
with its people. Accordingly, Earle routed out his medicine case and,
tucking it under his arm, signified his readiness to go at once.
As it chanced, they had not very far to go, the Hasca residence being
situated less than a mile from the palace, in an even more aristocratic
looking avenue than the one in which the accident had occurred. They
found Mishail, the patient, lodged in a sumptuous chamber, attended by
his sister Lissa, a remarkably pretty girl, some sixteen years of age.
The patient appeared to be suffering great pain, was in a high state of
fever, and in a condition bordering on delirium, which indeed was not
surprising, since the unhappy youth was in a room upon the outer wall of
which the sun beat all day, while the shutters of the two windows were
closed and heavy curtains drawn across them. The room, in fact, was as
stifling as an oven, and Earle's first act was to draw apart the heavy
curtains and throw wide the shutters, thus letting in both air and
light. Then he looked at the injured arm, which he expected to find
properly dressed, naturally supposing that upon the arrival of the lad
at his home, the family physician would be summoned and the fracture
carefully attended to. To his great surprise, however, he found the
limb in exactly the same state as when he had left it, with the
makeshift splints still there, but shifted out of position by the
restless movements of the patient, and he afterwards learned that this
was because they had not dared to tamper or in any way interfere with
the work of the illustrious representative of Kuhlacan!
Upon the arm being unstrapped, Earle found, as he fully expected, that
the bone had become displaced and needed re-setting; and this he at once
proceeded to do, having first secured all that he needed in the way of
effective splints and bandages, and put his patient under chloroform.
He took care that this time the job was properly done, and the patient's
arm so securely strapped to his body that it could not be moved; and as
soon as Mishail had recovered from his state of anaesthesia, Earle
administered a draught designed to reduce the fever, and, having made
his patient as comfortable as possible, left him, promising to call
again some time during the evening. And, not to dwell at undue length
upon the incident, it may here be said that, under Earle's skilful
treatment the patient made a rapid and perfectly satisfactory recovery,
to the admiration, delight, and gratitude of the entire family.
Upon leaving Hasca's house, the two friends indulged in a walk through a
few of the streets that they had not yet visited; consequently it was
after noon when at length they got back to the palace. Here they found
Bahrim, the major-domo, in their suite anxiously awaiting their return.
The poor man was evidently in a state of great excitement concerning
some matter which he found himself wholly unable to explain; but by dint
of signs he at length contrived to make them both understand that he
desired them to bathe, and afterwards don certain festive garments, to
which he respectfully directed their attention. Understanding at last
what the old fellow required of them, and also that he was in a most
desperate hurry, the two friends disappeared, to re-appear, about a
quarter of an hour later, bathed, perfumed--by their assiduous servants,
who insisted upon the process--and clad in garments of so sumptuous a
character that there could be no doubt the wearers were booked for some
exceedingly important ceremony.
They were immediately taken in charge by the obsequious Bahrim, who, by
expressive signs, invited them to follow him. Led by the major-domo,
the two friends rapidly traversed several corridors until they reached
another wing of the palace, finally halting before a closed door,
outside which two soldiers, clad in golden armour and armed with sword
and spear, stood on guard. Signing to the white men to remain where
they were, Bahrim opened the door, disclosing a drawn curtain beyond it,
and closed the door behind him, only to re-appear, some two minutes
later, beckoning his charges to follow him.
Not until having received the salute of the guards as they passed
through the re-opened doorway, and the door was closed behind them, was
the shrouding curtain withdrawn, and then Earle and Dick found
themselves in a small but most sumptuously furnished apartment, at the
far extremity of which were seated two people, a man and a girl.