in silence they embarked; gained the great vessel, and slaughtered every soul but Yillah. The bud was torn from the flower; and, by our father Aleema, was carried to the Valley of Ardair; there set apart as a sacred offering for Apo, our deity. Many moons passed; and there arose a tumult, hostile to our sire’s longer holding custody of Yillah; when, foreseeing that the holy glen would ere long be burst open, he embarked the maiden in yonder canoe, to accelerate her sacri flee at the great shrine of Apo, in Tedaidee. — The rest thou knowest, murderer!”
“Yillah! Yillah!” now hunted again that sound through my soul. “Oh, Yillah! too late, too late have I learned what thou art!”
Apprised of the disappearance of their former captive, the meager strangers exulted; declaring that Apo had taken her to himself. For me, ere long, my blood they would quaff from my skull.
But though I shrunk from their horrible threats, I dissembled anew; and turning, again swore that they raved.
“Ay!” they retorted, “we rave and raven for you; and your white heart will we have!”
Perceiving the violence of their rage, and persuaded from what I said, that much suffering at sea must have maddened them; Borabolla thought fit to confine them for the present; so that they could not molest me.
CHAPTER 101
THE IRIS
That evening, in the groves, came to me three gliding forms:— Hautia’s heralds: the Iris mixed with nettles. Said Yoomy, “A cruel message!”
With the right hand, the second syren presented glossy, green wax-myrtle berries, those that burn like tapers; the third, a lily of the valley, crushed in its own broad leaf.
This done, they earnestly eyed Yoomy; who, after much pondering, said —“I speak for Hautia; who by these berries says, I will enlighten you.”
“Oh, give me then that light! say, where is Yillah?” and I rushed upon the heralds.
But eluding me, they looked reproachfully at Yoomy; and seemed offended.
“Then, I am wrong,” said Yoomy. “It is thus:— Taji, you have been enlightened, but the lily you seek is crushed.”
Then fell my heart, and the phantoms nodded; flinging upon me bilberries, like rose pearls, which bruised against my skin, left stains.
Waving oleanders, they retreated.
“Harm! treachery! beware!” cried Yoomy.
Then they glided through the wood: one showering dead leaves along the path I trod, the others gayly waving bunches of spring-crocuses, yellow, white, and purple; and thus they vanished.
Said Yoomy, “Sad your path, but merry Hautia’s.”
“Then merry may she be, whoe’er she is; and though woe be mine, I turn not from that to Hautia; nor ever will I woo her, though she woo me till I die; — though Yillah never bless my eyes.”
CHAPTER 102
THEY DEPART FROM MONDOLDO
Night passed; and next morning we made preparations for leaving Mondoldo that day.
But fearing anew, lest after our departure, the men of Amma might stir up against me the people of the isle, I determined to yield to the earnest solicitations of Borabolla, and leave Jarl behind, for a remembrance of Taji; if necessary, to vindicate his name. Apprised hereof, my follower was loth to acquiesce. His guiltless spirit feared not the strangers: less selfish considerations prevailed. He was willing to remain on the island for a time, but not without me. Yet, setting forth my reasons; and assuring him, that our tour would not be long in completing, when we would not fail to return, previous to sailing for Odo, he at last, but reluctantly, assented.
At Mondoldo, we also parted with Samoa. Whether it was, that he feared the avengers, whom he may have thought would follow on my track; or whether the islands of Mardi answered not in attractiveness to the picture his fancy had painted; or whether the restraint put upon him by the domineering presence of King Media, was too irksome withal; or whether, indeed, he relished not those disquisitions with which Babbalanja regaled us: however it may have been, certain it was, that Samoa was impatient of the voyage. He besought permission to return to Odo, there to await my return; and a canoe of Mondoldo being about to proceed in that direction, permission was granted; and departing for the other side of the island, from thence he embarked.
Long after, dark tidings came, that at early dawn he had been found dead in the canoe: three arrows in his side.
Yoomy was at a loss to account for the departure of Samoa; who, while ashore, had expressed much desire to roam.
Media, however, declared that he must be returning to some inamorata.
But Babbalanja averred, that the Upoluan was not the first man, who had turned back, after beginning a voyage like our own.
To this, after musing, Yoomy assented. Indeed, I had noticed, that already the Warbler had abated those sanguine assurances of success, with which he had departed from Odo. The futility of our search thus far, seemed ominous to him, of the end.
On the eve of embarking, we were accompanied to the beach by Borabolla; who, with his own hand, suspended from the shark’s mouth of Media’s canoe, three red-ripe bunches of plantains, a farewell gift to his guests.
Though he spoke not a word, Jarl was long in taking leave. His eyes seemed to say, I will see you no more.
At length we pushed from the strand; Borabolla waving his adieus with a green leaf of banana; our comrade ruefully eyeing the receding canoes; and the multitude loudly invoking for us a prosperous voyage.
But to my horror, there suddenly dashed through the crowd, the three specter sons of Aleema, escaped from their prison. With clenched hands, they stood in the water, and cursed me anew. And with that curse in our sails, we swept off.
CHAPTER 103
AS THEY SAIL
As the canoes now glided across the lagoon, I gave myself up to reverie; and revolving over all that the men of Amma had rehearsed of the history of Yillah, I one by one unriddled the mysteries, before so baffling. Now, all was made plain: no secret remaining, but the subsequent event of her disappearance. Yes, Hautia! enlightened I had been but where was Yillah?
Then I recalled that last interview with Hautia’s messengers, so full of enigmas; and wondered, whether Yoomy had interpreted aright. Unseen, and unsolicited; still pursuing me with omens, with taunts, and with wooings, mysterious Hautia appalled me. Vaguely I began to fear her. And the thought, that perhaps again and again, her heralds would haunt me, filled me with a nameless dread, which I almost shrank from acknowledging. Inwardly I prayed, that never more they might appear.
While
