gly. At
length Leonard could bear it no longer, but rose, declaring that he
was going out to see whatever might be seen. Juanna tried faintly to
dissuade him, and Otter wished to come too, which was impossible. The
end of it was that he went alone.

First he revisited the Settlement men and tried to cheer them, and sadly
did they need cheering. Then he passed to the great gates of the palace
yard and looked through them. The mist had lifted a little, and about a
hundred paces away he could perceive the doors of the temple, on either
side of which rose Cyclopean walls fifty feet or more in height. It was
obvious that here preparations for some ceremony were in progress, and
on a large scale, for immense crowds of people were gathered about the
doors, through which bodies of priests and armed men passed continually.
More he could not learn, for the gates of the palace yard were barred
and guarded, and the soldiers would not let him through. He stood by
them watching till sunset, then returning to the others, he told them
what he had seen.

Another hour passed, and suddenly the curtains were drawn aside and a
body of priests entered, twelve in number, bearing large candles of fat
in their hands, and headed by their chief, Nam. Prostrating themselves
before Juanna and Otter they remained plunged in silence.

"Speak on," said Juanna at length.

"We come, O Mother, and O Snake," said the priest Nam, "to lead you to
the temple that the people may look upon their gods."

"It is well; lead on," Juanna answered.

"First you must be robed, Mother," said Nam, "for without the temple
none may look upon your divinity, save your priests alone."

Rising as he spoke, he produced a black dress from a grass bag, which
was carried by an attendant. This dress was very curious. It fastened in
front with buttons of horn, and either was, or seemed to be, woven in a
single piece from the softest hair of black-fleeced goats. Moreover, it
had sleeves just long enough to leave the hands of the wearer visible,
and beneath its peaked cap was a sort of mask with three slits, two for
the eyes and one for the mouth.

Juanna retired to put on this hideous garment over her white robe, and
reappeared presently, looking like the black ghost of a mediaeval monk.
Then the priests gave her two flowers, a red lily and a white, to be
held in either hand, and it appeared that her equipment was complete.
Next they came to Otter and bound a scarlet fringe