ce of every man's field and garden--that is, when they did not take
it all, and his life with it.

Twice in every year great festivals were held in the temple of Jal,
at the beginning of the spring season and in the autumn after the
ingathering of the crops. At each of these festivals many victims were
offered in sacrifice, some upon the stone and some by being hurled into
the boiling pool beneath the statue, there to be consumed by the Snake
or swept down the secret course of the underground river. The feast
celebrated in the spring was sacred to Jal, and that in the autumn to
the mother-goddess. But there was this difference between them--that
at the spring ceremony female victims only were sacrificed to Jal to
propitiate him and to avert his evil influence, while at the autumn
celebration males alone were offered up to the mother-goddess in
gratitude for her gifts of plenty. Also criminals were occasionally
thrown to the Snake that his hunger might be satisfied. The priests had
other rites, Olfan added, and these they would have an opportunity of
witnessing if the spring festival, which should be celebrated on the
second day from that date, were held according to custom.

"It shall not be celebrated," said Juanna, almost fiercely.

Then Leonard, who had hitherto listened in silence, asked a question
through Juanna. "How is it," he said, "that Nam and his fellows, being
already in absolute power, were so willing to accept the gods Jal and
Aca when they appeared in person, seeing that henceforth they must obey,
not rule?"

"For two reasons, lord," Olfan answered; "first, because the gods are
gods, and their servants know them; and secondly, because Nam has of
late stood in danger of losing his authority. Of all the chief priests
that have been told of, Nam is the most cruel and the most greedy. For
three years he has doubled the tale of sacrifices, and though the people
love these sights of death, they murmur, for none know upon whom the
knife shall fall. Therefore he was glad to greet the gods come back,
since he thought that they would confirm his power, and set him higher
than he sat before. Now he is astonished because they proclaim peace
and will have none of the sacrifice of men, for Nam does not love such
gentle gods."

"Yet he shall obey them," said Otter, speaking for the first time by the
mouth of Juanna, who all this while was acting as interpreter, "or drink
his own medicine, for I myself will sacrific