hty wave breaking upon the shore of the
ocean.

"The earthquake!" whispered Kamaiakan, rising to his feet. And then he
pointed to the stone basin. "Look! the spring!"

"It is gone!" exclaimed Semitzin.

And, in truth, the water, with a strange, sucking noise, disappeared
through the bottom of the basin, leaving the glistening cavity which had
held it, green with slimy water-weed, empty.

"The time is near, indeed!" muttered the Indian. "The second shock may
cause the waters from which this spring came to rise as no living man
has seen them rise, and make the sea return, and the treasure be lost.
In a few days all may be over. But you, princess, must vanish: though
the shock was but slight, some one might be awakened; and were you to be
discovered, our plans might go wrong."

"Must I depart so soon?" said Semitzin, regretfully. "The earth is
beautiful, Kamaiakan: the smell of the flowers is sweet, and the stars
in the sky are bright. To feel myself alive, to breathe, to walk, to
see, are sweet. Perhaps I have no other conscious life than this. I
would like to remain as I am: I would like to see the sun shine, and to
hear the birds sing, and to see the men and women who live in this age.
Is there no way of keeping me here?"

"I cannot tell; it may be,--but it must not be now, Semitzin," the old
man replied, with a troubled look. "The ways of the gods are not our
ways. She whose body you inhabit--she has her life to live."

"But is that girl more worthy to live than I? You have called me into
being again: you have made me know how pleasant this world is. Miriam
sleeps: she need never know; she need never awake again. You were
faithful to me in the old time: have you more care for her than for me?
I feel all the power and thirst of youth in me: the gods did not let me
live out my life: may they not intend that I shall take it up again now?
Besides, I wear Miriam's body: could I not seem to others to be Miriam
indeed? How could they guess the truth?"

"I will think of what you say, princess," said Kamaiakan. "Something
may perhaps be done; but it must be done gradually: you would need much
instruction in the ways of the new world before you could safely enter
into its life. Leave that to me. I am loyal as ever: is it not to fulfil
the oath made to you that I am here? and what would Miriam be to me,
were she not your inheritor? Be satisfied for the present: in a few days
we will meet and speak again."

"The power i