ys known I
must and as the Shaman here has always known I must. Yes, I will match
my strength and magic against hers, as it is decreed that I shall do. To
the victor be that crown for which we have warred for ages."

Then suddenly Atene sprang to her saddle, and turning her horse's head
rode it back through the water to the shore, followed by old Simbri, who
lifted up his crooked hands as though in woe and fear, muttering as he
went--"You have entered the forbidden river and now, Atene, the day of
decision is upon us all--upon us and her--that predestined day of ruin
and of war."

"What do they mean?" asked Leo of me.

"I don't know," I answered; "but I have no doubt we shall find out soon
enough and that it will be something unpleasant. Now for this river."

Before we had struggled through it I thought more than once that the day
of drowning was upon us also, for in places there were deep rapids which
nearly swept us away. But Leo, who waded, leading the Khan's horse by
the bridle, felt his path and supported himself with the spear shaft, so
that in the end we reached the other bank safely.

Beyond it lay a breadth of marshy lands, that doubtless were overflowed
when the torrent was in flood. Through these we pushed our way as fast
as we could, for we feared lest the Khania had gone to fetch her escort,
which we thought she might have left behind the rise, and would return
with it presently to hunt us down. At that time we did not know what
we learned afterwards, that with its bordering river the soil of the
Mountain was absolutely sacred and, in practice, inviolable. True, it
had been invaded by the people of Kaloon in several wars, but on each
occasion their army was destroyed or met with terrible disaster. Little
wonder then they had come to believe that the House of Fire was under
the protection of some unconquerable Spirit.

Leaving the marsh, we reached a bare, rising plain, which led to the
first slope of the Mountain three or four miles away. Here we expected
every moment to be attacked by the savages of whom we had heard so much,
but no living creature did we see. The place was a desert streaked with
veins of rock that once had been molten lava. _I_ do not remember much
else about it; indeed, the pain in my arm was so sharp that I had no
eyes for physical features. At length the rise ended in a bare, broad
donga, quite destitute of vegetation, of which the bottom was buried in
lava and a debris of rocks