Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 But all this was well known to Nan-a- ta; he had spent many hours here, talking with the great chieftain and looking care- fully at the work of the artists, for the young man was a favorite of the Lord of the Winged Death. Therefore, he spared no glance for the surroundings, but fell on his knees beside the couch of thick-piled skins where lay his adored leader. It was. evident even to the youth that no man could survive the terrible wounds which covered the chieftain’s body, and as this knowledge came home td him hot tears sprang to the warrior’s eyes. ‘““Nay, weep not, son of A-ta,” said the chieftain. ‘‘ Death comes to all, and far better is it to pass thus into the long dark than to live till the bones weaken and the blood turns to water.” He turned to L’vu, his old friend and chosen lieutenant, who stood near, and spoke two words: ‘The staff.” At once the burly L’vu, tears running down his cheeks and coursing over the scars of many battles, moved to a little shelf hewn in the rock, and took therefrom a roll of skins which he handed to the chieftain. The latter turned again to Nan-a-ta. | ‘“Son of A-ta,” he said, in a failing voice, ““many years since, as you have heard, A-ta, your mother whom I loved even as my own daughter did good service to the Ta-an, inventing the canoe, the cave that swims.on the water, since used and long to be used by the tribesmen in war and in peace. For this service was it vowed to her that her son should be great chieftain of the Ta-an in my stead, when should come that hour in which I must go to join my fathers. ‘“Now is that hour at hand; take you this staff of ceremony, carven. by artists of olden time from the tooth of Do-m’-rai, the Hill That Walks; holding it in your right hand, do you swear to lead well the tribes- men, serving the Ta-an in all things, ever forgetful of yourself, regarding not safety nor comfort, sparing nor life nor limb in the service of the tribe? Swear!” And unrolling the skins, the chieftain placed in Nan-a-ta’s hand the ivory staff, a cubit in length, graven with figures of men. and beasts. Reverently the youth took the staff, and in a firm voice he spoke: THE ARGOSY. ‘Even as you have said, so do I swear, the Great Father aiding me, to spare neither life nor limb in the service of the Ta-an, but to lead them well and truly so long as strength remains in my body and breath in my nostrils!” “Tt is well!” said the chieftain. ‘“ L’vu, Sar-no-m’rai, Kan-to, Sen-va, friends of my youth, bear witness to what you have heard. You others as well. Son of A-ta, these may you trust; they will not fail you. Others of the Ta-an as well, save only Tsu- ven, my son; Tsu-ven is a grief to me—him can you not trust—my heart is heavy for him.” Nan-a-ta thought of the huge rock which had so nearly crushed him that very day, but he said naught, wishing to spare the chieftain the sorrow of knowing his only son for a treacherous and cowardly assassin. Presently the chieftain’s eye caught the caked and hardened blood on the young man’s thigh, and he spoke again, anx- iously : “Son of A-ta, Great Chieftain of the Ta- an, you are wounded?” Nan-a-ta thrilled at the title, highest. among the tribesmen, thus bestowed on him, but he answered calmly enough, say- ing: . ‘Nay, .great chieftain, it is naught.” And briefly he told of his adventure with the bear, showing the claws he had taken from the beasts. The dying chieftain smiled and answered: ‘It is well; a brave man leads the Ta- an in my place.” Then, turning to the others, he said: ‘“ Make now obeisance to your new chief, vowing allegiance to him.” One by one the others drew near, each in turn kneeling before Nan-a-ta and lay- ing the new leader’s hands on his neck while the vows were sworn. And when the ceremony was completed and they turned again to T’san-va-men he lay quiet, a gentle smile on his lips; the noble spirit had fled into the long dark. Wordless, as became warriors, they stood long by the body; no sound of wailing was there—let that be left to the women—but silent though they stood, tears coursed down the stern, war-hardened faces, for these men COMnICLO© S C©@