The Wizard | Page 5

very hodman, a spiritual
Sisyphus. And now I must go back to carry my load and roll my stone
again and again among those hopeless savages till I die of it --till I die
of it!"
"At least it is a noble life and death!" exclaimed Owen, a sudden fire of
enthusiasm burning in his dark eyes.

"Yes, viewed from a distance. Were you asked to leave this living of
two thousand a year--I see that is what they put it at in Crockford-- with
its English comforts and easy work, that /you/ might lead that life and
attain that death, then you would think differently. But why should I
bore you with such talk? Thank Heaven that your lines are cast in
pleasant places. Yes, please, I will take one more glass; it does me
good."
"Tell me some more about that tribe you were speaking of in your
sermon, the 'Sons of Fire' I think you called them," said Owen, as he
passed him the decanter.
So, with an eloquence induced by the generous wine and a quickened
imagination, the Deputation told him--told him many strange things
and terrible. For this people was an awful people: vigorous in mind and
body, and warriors from generation to generation, but superstition-
ridden and cruel. They lived in the far interior, some months' journey
by boat and ox-waggon from the coast, and of white men and their
ways they knew but little.
"How many of them are there?" asked Owen.
"Who can say?" he answered. "Nearly half-a-million, perhaps; at least
they pretend that they can put sixty thousand men under arms."
"And did they treat you badly when you first visited them?"
"Not at first. They received us civilly enough; and on a given day we
were requested to explain to the king and the Council of Wizards the
religion which we came to teach. All that day we explained and all the
next--or rather my friend did, for I knew very little of the language
--and they listened with great interest. At last the chief of the wizards
and the first prophet to the king rose to question us. He was named
Hokosa, a tall, thin man, with a spiritual face and terrible calm eyes.
"'You speak well, son of a White Man,' he said, 'but let us pass from
words to deeds. You tell us that this God of yours, whom you desire
that we should take as our God, so that you may become His chief

prophets in the land, was a wizard such as we are, though grater than
we are; for not only did He know the past and the future as we do, but
also He could cure those who were smitten with hopeless sickness, and
raise those who were dead, which we cannot do. You tell us, moreover,
that by faith those who believe on Him can do works as great as He did,
and that you do believe on Him. Therefore we will put you to the proof.
Ho! there, lead forth that evil one.'
"As he spoke a man was placed before us, one who had been convicted
of witchcraft or some other crime.
"'Kill him!' said Hokosa.
"There was a faint cry, a scuffle, a flashing of spears, and the man lay
still before us.
"'Now, followers of the new God,' said Hokosa, 'raise him from the
dead as your Master did!'
"In vain did we offer explanations.
"'Peace!' said Hokosa at length, 'your words weary us. Look now, either
you have preached to us a false god and are liars, or you are traitors to
the King you preach, since, lacking faith in Him, you cannot do such
works as He gives power to do to those who have faith in Him. Out of
your own mouths are you judged, White Men. Choose which horn of
the bull you will, you hang to one of them, and it shall pierce you. This
is the sentence of the king, I speak it who am the king's mouth: That
you, White Man, who have spoken to us and cheated us these two
weary days, be put to death, and that you, his companion who have
been silent, be driven from the land.'
"I can hardly bear to tell the rest of it, Mr. Owen. They gave my poor
friend ten minutes to 'talk to his Spirit,' then they speared him before
my face. After it was over, Hokosa spoke to me, saying:--
"'Go back, White Man, to those who sent you, and tell them the words
of the Sons of Fire: That they have listened to the message of peace,

and though they are a people of warriors, yet they thank them for that
message, for in itself it sounds good and beautiful in their