o illumine a pageant grotesque and
terrible in its barbaric splendor. The drums throbbed louder. Jerry
saw them in their fire of burnished metal, beaten by the bands of
naked men. Beyond, a group of warriors waited. Stalwart and strongly
muscled, they stood erect in copper armor beside a platform of metal
bars, whose floor was of latticed gold. The victims were placed upon
it to stand erect. Jerry balanced himself upon the golden floor as the
warriors raised it slowly to their shoulders.

Priests, in robes of heavy golden rope, were ranged about; they formed
a guard and escort ten deep about the living sacrifice. At that the
drums increased their volume, and to this was added a nerve-racking,
discordant and rasping jangle, when sheets of copper, paper-thin, were
struck with a heavy hand. The pulsing, throbbing pandemonium was
terrific as the march began.

Slowly they made their way through a winding gallery. Slowly they came
to where a portal, high-arched, gave entrance upon the great hall.
Solemnly, proudly, the priests lead the way as they circled the vast
room. Their wrappings of gold were a scintillant quiver of light;
above each hard face a circle of gold--symbol of the sun--was borne
imperiously high.

* * * * *

The priestly guard surrounded the platform where the three standing
figures were huddled. And behind, and on either side, the men with the
drums and the discordant, ringing sheets gave full force to their
blows. The high vault above thundered and roared to the thunder and
roar of the drums. And, high over all, a wailing began.

The thin shrillness beat with the tempo of the drums in a pitch that
steadily descended. The glittering procession had come to rest at its
appointed place in the pathway, of light as the wailing came down to a
moan. "_Oong! Oong!_" the voices groaned, while the walls re-echoed
the despairing tones. Only from the band of warriors did the ear of
Jerry Foster detect anything but misery and despair. The priests were
silent, but the warriors, in their shining armor, stood erect and
roared out the syllables in exultant joy.

The priests were now upon the dais--the rocky platform, divided by the
great, glowing parabola of light. They stood erect as a new high
priest, replacing the one Jerry had killed, crossed to bow and grovel
in the radiance from their god.

The room was silent with the silence of a great tomb as the march of
death began. Softly,