The carriage was driven rapidly for about five minutes when it came to a temporary stop, and I heard some one climbing up in front as though to the seat beside the driver. Then we continued on again for at least three hours without a single stop. During all this time my companion was as silent as the grave, and the only idea I could form of the route taken was from the turns which the swift motion of the carriage made plainly perceptible and the sound once made from crossing a bridge. At last we came to a stop and I heard a low whistle, shortly followed by another; then the carriage moved slowly forward and in a few moments came to a stand. As on the preceding drive my conductor handed me a hood, and without saying a word motioned me to put it on. Silently I obeyed, and together we got out. Pulling down my hood to see that it was actually on, my companion took my arm and we ascended a "Ha! ha! Ha! ha!" Then one of the figures lifted his hand—which "Ha! ha! Ha! ha! be his food, be his food, to-morrow!" "Poor man," said the first speaker in the same icy tone, "you have yet one chance to return. Take it and go back." Now came Garcia's warning; now did I think of Iole; the foul odors sickened me, but with a determination which bordered on desperation, I answered: No! Go on!" Quick as thought the hood was again thrown over my head, and two strong hands seized me on each arm and forced me in a run for some forty steps, when I was again brought to a sudden stop and the hood removed. I was in a room like the one just left, but finished throughout in green; and, as though by instantaneous change, my conductors were dressed in like-colored garments, as also eleven figures who sat around a center-table as before. My conductors seated me at one end of this table and each took a seat beside me. The robed figure at the end opposite now drew forth some papers, and addressing me said: "I am," I answered firmly. Passing the papers in his hand to the figure at his right, the latter took them and in deep solemn tones commenced to read: "THE OATH. "I believe in the eternal, immutable, relentless and universal reign and rule of law. "I positively do not believe in the forgiveness of sins, or the possibility of escaping or expiating them by or through any means of substitution or penitence. I believe that every evil thought, every evil wish, every evil word and deed brings to man a corresponding and not to be evaded pain. "I do not believe that even God, angels, death, or all the powers that be, of heaven, earth or hell, can avert the sufferings that follow as the effects of evil thoughts, desires, or acts. "I believe that from the humblest molecule of the most degraded and noxious matter to the highest and most exalted essence that pervades the minds of God-illuminated geniuses, all is life. "I believe that every atom in my form is filled with life; I believe that every atom in my form is a life; but that all are bound by the power of my unconscious will to work together for the good of my organism as a whole. I believe that, even as my body is filled with a vast multitude of lives, even so is the circumambient air, the all-pervading æther and all-material and immaterial things, visible and invisible; through and in all are swarming, innumerable hosts of beings, beneficent and maleficent. "And now, in the presence of all these and my superiors, I do most solemnly swear and affirm; in the presence of my immortal soul, in the presence of God and angels, in the presence of all things, good and evil, I swear never, through all eternity, to reveal, without permit, the teachings, persons, symbols or proceedings of this lodge, either by word, act, sign or intimation. "I further swear never to reveal the signs, passwords, grips, symbols, times or places of this lodge and its members. And I further swear, that not even death, torture, cell, flaying, rack or flame can force me to violate this, my most sacred and solemn oath; neither will fame or ill-fame, power, misrepresentation or ignominy lead me to break this my most sacred pledge. "Hear and register ye this my most sacred oath, pledge and affirmation, Gods, angels, demons, hear! Now have I sworn, and now do I, in calm, sound mind add this never-to-be-recalled invocation: "O, swarming lives that fill my form, if I should ever, now or in eternity, violate this solemn oath, consume me! Gnaw in slow agony my vital parts! In awful cancer eat me! "And thou, O, demons of destruction, who dwell in air around, when I seek relief in death seize nay surviving soul and force it back to earth again! There at thy pleasure give it pain, and thus may my eternal life be filled with awful misery! Thus do I swear, and thus do I evoke." The reader ceased, and for a moment all was silent; then the leader spoke: "Man, you have heard the oath; do you understand, accept and sign?" The leader handed the paper across the table, and, having again carefully re-read, I signed. Having taken the signed oath, the leader handed another paper across the table and said: "Write as I dictate." I took the paper and pen and he commenced, as follows: "Be it known to all whom it may concern, that I, Alphonso Colono, am tired of this life, and after due thought and consideration have concluded to drown myself in the Seine——" "Hold on!" I interrupted, as I dropped my pen, "that is untrue, and will bring dishonor on my name." "Ah!" said the leader, "you still care for the opinions of the world, do you? We thought you had killed out all thoughts of self; did you not burn the black square?" I made no answer, but thought to myself this is risky business. Then, concluding to view it as a test, I took up my pen and wrote as dictated. "Now sign it," said the leader; and, with some hesitation, I signed. "Now sign this," he commanded, as he handed another paper across the table. Taking it up I found it to be a check upon the Bank of France, and reading as follows: "Well, will you sign?" "Yes, I sign," I answered, as with a bold hand I signed away my entire fortune to an unknown man. "’Tis well," said the leader. "If you pass you will need no wealth; if you fail, your last letter will identify your floating body in the Seine." With this cold-blooded speech he put both papers carefully away in his robe and drew forth a deck of peculiarly colored cards. These he shuffled and passed around the table, each figure shuffling in turn. Having passed entirely around, "Not that I know of," I answered. "Well, Brotherhood or no Brotherhood, you are surrounded by invisible powers, and this being the case, contrary to all precedent, we, even at this late hour, give you an opportunity to withdraw. We do not wish to assume the responsibility of what threatens. Woe to you if you fail; and woe to her! Man!" he exclaimed abruptly, and his tone was fierce, "we care naught for your poor, miserable life, but the fates here say that if you fail our virgin sister, Iole, is doomed." "I will not fail; go on; "I cried, between my set teeth. "Man! the elemental powers you evoke will shatter life and mind and make a raving maniac of your sister—forbear!" "I will not fail; her blood be on my head. Go on!" The words had scarcely left my lips when all was black as night, and the room was filled with
At the same instant, and while I hesitated to follow this uncanny guide, a voice which seemed to speak from my stomach said clearly and distinctly: "Follow, and never turn back; behind you lies destruction, your only hope is on. Follow!" Having regained my breath during my ride Reaching my hand out to the side I felt the wall; it was cold and slimy. Feeling my way I proceeded cautiously to advance, when the wall abruptly came to an end and I almost fell upon the floor which had suddenly become rough. Stooping down I felt a rock and concluded I would rest awhile; but as I sat down on its cold, slimy surface, a hissing sound arose, and my hand came in contact with the cold body of a snake. Hurriedly rising, a huge bat flew past my head and a swarm of others commenced to circle around me. Somewhat nervous, but still possessing a wonderfully cool head, I made another forward step. The air had now become full of flying bats and all around was the hissing and noise of serpents. "My God!" I exclaimed, "am I in truth deserted?" And again the mysterious voice within spoke and said: This strengthened me, and I again thought of my divine self. But now a snake commenced to coil around my feet, and with a momentary terror I rushed forward, only to strike a rock and fall into a viscid pool. A suction drew me down; I could not rise, and commenced to sink. Vainly I battled; now to my breast, now to my shoulders, slowly up on my neck it rises until it reaches my mouth. "My God! my God! have all indeed forsaken me?" I cried, as the viscid, tar-like mass reached my mouth. As though in answer to my last despairing cry I ceased to sink—my feet had reached the bottom. Now my mind again became quiet, and I felt for a place less deep. "Ah! thank God, I have found it!" I cried, as I again rose in the glue-like mass until it only reached my breast. Laboriously I made my way along, each step making the pool less deep, when—oh horror! I am in another whirlpool and down I go! Vainly I strive, while the fluid is thick and viscous, the bottom seems to slide and I sink slowly to my mouth again. For the second time I stop sinking, and slowly and with toil reach a more shallow place, only to again be drawn into another pool. Now the truth dawns upon me. I am crossing a series of pools, and as fast as I get out of "Lost man," he said, in a voice intended to be smooth, but which grated harshly on my ears, "pledge me your soul to do as I may bid and I will lift you from this mire and make you King of Earth." "I am King of Night, the ruler of the earth; matter is my element, all material things are mine." "Then go," I answered, "I seek you not. Spirit is my element and I prefer to die, for death is but entrance into spirit life. Away!" Without a word he tapped the rope, the boat was drawn rapidly away and I was left again in darkness. I had now concluded to die and end it all, for I was completely exhausted; but no sooner had I surrendered when a new strength arose, and the inner voice, louder than ever before, spoke and said: "I, thy God, the Christ within thy soul, am with thee. Fight on! Work! work! work!" With renewed vigor I returned to my labor, determined at least to die fighting. Six pools had now been crossed and I was in the seventh. Whether it was from growing strength or less viscous pools, I knew not, but each pool since the fourth had been less difficult to cross. And now I had crossed the seventh pool and again reached land. A cry of thankfulness escaped my lips and I was about to pause for rest, when the inner voice again spoke and said: "Go on! Go on! never tarry; delays are dangerous." "Man! man!" she cried, "go back! Go back! See this old hag! ten years ago she was young and beautiful, a princess of a royal house! now behold her, cursed victim of a gang of monstrous murderers!" Then looking around as though she feared some one would hear her, she huskily continued: "Like you, I gave up all for knowledge and
"Man, down that passage they will meet you and command you to take a human life. No one can join their Brotherhood who has not killed a man; their compact is one of blood." As she spoke she pointed down a narrow passage to the right. "But," she continued, still speaking with suppressed voice, "one chance is left you. They demanded this of me; I refused, and they threw me back here in this dismal cavern to live a death amid the slime of earth. Ah! who would think that I would thus speak—I, a monstrous hag! but you have touched my heart. Many souls have I sent along that dark passage, but you I cannot. Listen: For long years I was buried in this dismal gloom without one ray of sunlight; but one day I
But I had determined to be guided solely by my inner voice, and this mysterious speaker within had, all through the woman's wild and desultory talk, kept saying: "Go to the right! Go to the right!" It spoke so loud that I thought the woman must have also heard it, but, as she continued to glare around in silence, I spoke: My poor sister, give me a firebrand to light my way; I will continue to the right, join the Brotherhood, and see that you are relieved from this dismal place." Lost! lost! lost!" she cried; then regaining her first appearance, clawed at the air and laughed that same witch laugh. " Ha! ha! Ha! ha! Yes, I will give you a torch; go on to your death—go on." She carefully brushed aside her slimy pets and got a flaming piece of wood. Handing it to me, she pointed her long bony The passage was rough and had many devious windings; swinging my torch, I must have proceeded along this way for about three-quarters of an hour, when I entered a narrow, vaulted passage leading upward. Along this I continued for about fifteen minutes, when it came to an abrupt end. A blank wall blocked the passage. Swinging my torch over my head I could see no opening, but stooping down I discovered a small hole near the floor on the right side. It was scarcely as large as a man's body, but, with torch in front, I crawled through, to find myself in a large, black room surrounded by a number of black-robed figures. A number of torches lit up the chamber, and looking around I saw a coffin beside a newly-dug grave in the center of the dirt floor of the chamber. In front of the open grave and coffin sat a man, bound in a chair like a captive. Now I recalled with a feeling of horror and doubt the witch's words. Was I after all astray? Was I, indeed, in the hands of the Black Brotherhood? Doubt brings fear, and as these thoughts found place in my mind a tremor ran over me; but with an earnest invocation to my inner self for guidance and strength I gave no outward sign of weakness. Then turning to the man with the garments, he said: "To the bath." Gladly I followed to a bath at the end of the chamber, thinking they at last were beginning to show some consideration for myself, but all the time wondering if they would try to make me take the life of another. Having changed my garments, all the time under the eyes of my silent conductor, I was led back to the chamber, and two figures advanced and took my arms and led me in front of the bound man, while the black-robed assembly gathered in a circle around. As I stood in front of the bound man, whose face was only partly masked, the leader advanced with a long, ugly-looking dagger, while another figure, robed in red, came forward with a blood-stained bowl. "Candidate, "said the leader," it is your glorious privilege to secure initiation by meting justice to a traitor. This man, in violation of his most sacred oath, has revealed our secrets to the outside world. All to whom he gave these secrets must now die, but he must first expiate his crime; and it is your
"I will not take human life; by no man shall man's blood be shed; all life is sacred and vengeance belongs to God." A hiss arose from the assembly and the leader, grasping the knife, advanced in front of me and said: "Do you refuse? Do you defy our laws and orders?" "Yes, when contrary to the laws of God and eternal law." "Then you, yourself, shall die," he hissed, and raised his arm as though to strike, when a cry arose from those around: "Stay! The coward, bury him alive; the worse than traitor—bury him!" A dozen strong hands seized me. Better truth than self," I cried, as they bound me hand and foot. A storm of hisses greeted my remark, and, bound until I was rigid, I was thrown into the open coffin. All is over now, I thought; I have indeed fallen into the hands of those sworn to evil. Had my search for truth been but a chimera of my "We have bought you with a ransom," said the new leader; "one of our members has agreed to do your duty to the Blacks, and you are saved." "I want no man to do my duty; every man should do his own," I answered. "We will attend to that," replied the leader, then turning to one of his men, said: Instantly a hood was thrown over my head and I was led forward between two conductors. In a few minutes we came to a halt and, the hood being removed, I found we were in another large chamber with a glowing furnace at one end. "Disrobe," said my conductor, as we came to a table near the wall. I had thus far obeyed and was yet alive; I therefore concluded to still obey and take all chances, and so without a word of dissent commenced to disrobe. "Now let me take your measure," he said, as he motioned me to stand in front of a peculiar chart upon the wall. This chart was covered with small squares made by intersecting white and black lines upon a yellow background. In the squares were letters, symbols, signs and numbers, painted in various colors. Against this chart I took my stand with heels together and arms outstretched, while a man who had just approached, and who wore a white cube hat, marked my outline on the chart. "What does he measure?" asked the leader, as I stepped aside. "By the black lines, the four lengths which make "’Tis well; put on your garments," said the leader. The white-capped calculator had now gone toward the furnace, and the leader continued: "Your measure is acceptable, but you must have your number branded on your arm. Can you hold your arm still by power of will and without bands?" "Bring on your iron," I answered, fully confident of my will power. The brander now advanced with a glowing iron and I laid my bare arm upon the table. "Brand the figure seven," ordered the leader, and in obedience to his command the red-hot iron was placed upon my arm. A darting pain shot through me, but with clenched fist I held my arm unmoved. Before he could complete the figure the word "Hold!" rang through the chamber. The brander drew back and the leader arose. "Who thus commands?" he asked. "A herald from the king," replied a white-robed figure who now advanced and handed a letter to the leader. Who informed him before the hour?" he asked, turning to the messenger. "Candidate," said the leader, turning to me, "you are summoned to appear before the king. His herald will conduct you; follow where he leads." At a motion from the herald I arose and followed. Straight toward a blank wall we proceeded, but when we reached it a hidden door flew open and we passed through into a small vestibule-like room finished in pure white. "Take off the black and don the white," said my conductor, as he opened a cabinet filled with white silk garments fragrant with perfume; "nothing that wears the black can cross the river and appear before the king." Ah! I thought, the day begins to dawn. As I removed my black garments and put on the white, soft and pleasant to the touch, a feeling of indescribable happiness came over me. My heart seemed to be burning with a consuming love, and, although I had had no food for many hours, a new strength arose within me. An airy lightness filled my body, and looking at my form I saw it had become a pearly white. Having robed myself, my conductor led me from the vestibule into a large, white-walled cavern filled with a radiant light. It was of immense size, and the floor at our feet was of golden sand, thickly strewn with As he finished speaking we reached a white boat drawn up on the sand by the river, and I answered: "Yes, I will cross the river; I believe the purity of my motives will draw to me the protection of the Masters." My faith, indeed, was strong, and a great love filled my entire being. "Noble brother of to-morrow," said my companion, as he pushed the boat into the river and I got in, "may the power of your heart and mind reach the protectors of the good." With these And to! as I gaze a queenly form leans forward in the prow of the boat and—joy of heaven! it isDEATH-LIFE.