o disturb the
devotions of the Puritan, who prayed on with closed eyes and a vigor of
utterance making mock of all other sound. Silently as they moved, it
was nevertheless plain to be read in the grim, savage faces closing
about us, that we were being driven forth to no scene of pleasure.
Harshly did their gripping hands hustle us forward. The heavy mat
shading the entrance was flung aside, and like the unexpected flight of
an arrow, into the black gloom of the lodge, weirdly lighting up the
wild faces, streamed the clear, white light of the dawn. Far off upon
the highest summit of the yellow cliff there already rested the first
rosy reflection of the rising sun. One shout rang discordant from the
surprised throats of our captors; the brutal hands released their
grasp, and De Noyan and myself sank back helpless upon the ground.

CHAPTER XXV

A VISITANT FROM THE SUN

As by magic the uproar of the infuriated savages died away. Gazing up
from where I lay, my eyes beheld every face turned outward, every eye
fastened upon that distant wall of rock. Suddenly a strange cry arose,
each throat giving utterance to the same sound as if in trained
obedience to some recognized signal, and immediately every Indian lay
prostrate, his face in the dust. Gazing toward the spot they had
watched so intently, I could perceive how the rose tints of the early
sun flecked the upper extremity of the precipitous rock with spots of
color, checkers of red and gold, while just below its lofty crest,
seemingly touching the deep blue of the morning sky, hardly more than
dim specks against the dull background of gray rock, appeared several
moving black figures, and I could distinguish a series of flashes as if
they waved blazing torches in welcome to the King of Day.

"_Sacre_! 'tis an uncanny sight," muttered my companion uneasily.
"Have yonder foul priests been given wings whereby they mount the very
rock in their devil worship?"

"Hardly that," I returned tersely. "There will be a footpath leading
to the spot either from above or below."

"True, perchance; yet 'tis not from above. Of that I am certain, as
the crest of the rock overhangs; you may perceive the deep shadow of it
even from here."

Before I could distinguish clearly the peculiarity pointed out, the
woman chief came forth through the open entrance, appearing more fair
and white of skin than ever in the clear light of the dawn. Scarcely
glancing toward either the