below, and in their place were seen its smooth and shining outlines
clothed in a cloak of everlasting snows.

The ordeal was ended. No touch of colour, no golden sunbeam or crimson
shadow stained the ghastly surface of those snows, they were pallid as
the faces of the dead.

"A white dawn! A white dawn!" roared the populace. "Away with the false
gods! Hurl them to the Snake!"

"It is finished," whispered Otter again into Francisco's ear; "now take
your medicine, and, friend, farewell!"

The priest heard and, clasping his thin hands together, turned his
tormented face, in which the soft eyes shone, upwards towards the
heavens. For some seconds he sat thus; then Otter, peering beneath his
hood, saw his countenance change, and once more a glory seemed to shine
upon it as it had shone when, some hours since, Francisco promised to do
the deed that now he was about to dare.

Again there was silence below, for the spokesman of the Council of
Elders had risen, and was crying the formal question to the priests
above:

"Is the dawn white or red, ye who stand on high?"

Nam turned and looked upon the snow.

"The dawn is fully dawned and it is white!" he answered.

"Be swift," whispered Otter into Francisco's ear.

Then the priest raised his right hand to his lips, as though to partake
of the sacrament of death.

A moment later and he let it fall with a sigh, whispering back to Otter:
"I cannot, it is a deadly sin. They must kill me, for I will not kill
myself."

Before the dwarf could answer, Nature, more merciful than his
conscience, did that for Francisco which he refused to do for himself,
for of a sudden he swooned. His face turned ashen and slowly he began to
sink backwards, so that he would have fallen had not Nam, who saw that
he had fainted with fear, caught him by the shoulders and held him
upright.

"The dawn is white! We see it with our eyes," answered the spokesmen of
the elders. "O ye who stand on high, cast down the false gods according
to the judgment of the People of the Mist."

Otter heard and knew that the moment had come to leap, for now he need
trouble himself with Francisco no more.

Swiftly he turned his head, looking at Nam, for he would know if he
might carry out a purpose that he had formed. It was to seize the high
priest and bear him to the depths below.

It was not possible, he was out of reach; moreover, were he to snatch
Nam away, Francisco would fall backwards, and the others mi