est be
gone before the god of the Mountain appeared, and perhaps treated him as
he had done the sorcerers. In his name, however, we commanded Marama to
bring materials and build us a proper house upon the rock, also to be
sure to keep up a regular and ample supply of provisions. If he did
these things, and anything else we might from time to time command,
we said that perhaps his life and those of his people would be spared.
This, however, after the evil behaviour of some of them of course we
could not guarantee.

Marama departed so thoroughly frightened that he even forgot to make any
inquiries as to who this god of the Mountain might be, or where he came
from, or whither he was going. Of course, the place had been sacred
among his people from the beginning, whenever that may have been, but
that its sacredness should materialise into an active god who brought
sorcerers of the highest reputation to a most unpleasant end, just
because they wished to translate their preaching into practice, was
another matter. It was not to be explained even by the fact of which he
himself had informed me, that during the dreadful storm of some months
before, the cave mouth which previously was not visible on the volcano,
had suddenly been lifted up above the level of the Rock of Offerings,
although, of course, all religious and instructed persons would have
expected something peculiar to happen after this event.

Such I knew were his thoughts, but, as I have said, he was too
frightened and too hurried to express them in questions that I should
have found it extremely difficult to answer. As it was he departed
quite uncertain as to whether one of us was not the real "god of the
Mountain," who had power to bring hideous death upon his molesters.
After all, what had he to go on to the contrary, except the word of
three priests who were so terrified that they could give no coherent
account of what had happened? Of these events, it was true, there was
evidence in the twisted carcass of their lamented high sorcerer, and,
for the matter of that, of certain corpses which he had seen, that lay
in shallow water at the bottom of the lake. Beyond all was vague, and in
his heart I am sure that Marama believed that Bastin was the real "god
of the Mountain." Naturally, he would desire to work vengeance on those
who tried to sacrifice and eat him. Moreover, had he not destroyed the
image of the god of the Grove and borne away its head whence he had
su