Копи царя Соломона
The Witch-Hunt
"Begin!begin!"pipedGagool,inherthinpiercingvoice;"thehyænasarehungry,theyhowlforfood.Begin!begin!"
Thenforamomenttherewasintensestillness,madehorriblebyapresageofwhatwastocome.
Thekingliftedhisspear,andsuddenlytwentythousandfeetwereraised,asthoughtheybelongedtooneman,andbroughtdownwithastampupontheearth. Thiswasrepeatedthreetimes,causingthesolidgroundtoshakeandtremble. Thenfromafarpointofthecircleasolitaryvoicebeganawailingsong,ofwhichtherefrainransomethingasfollows:—
"Whatisthelotofmanbornofwoman?"
Backcametheanswerrollingoutfromeverythroatinthatvastcompany—
"Death!"
Gradually,however,thesongwastakenupbycompanyaftercompany,tillthewholearmedmultitudeweresingingit, andIcouldnolongerfollowthewords,exceptinsofarastheyappearedtorepresentvariousphasesofhumanpassions,fears,andjoys. Nowitseemedtobealovesong,nowamajesticswellingwarchant,andlastofalladeathdirgeendingsuddenlyinoneheart-breakingwailthatwentechoingandrollingawayinavolumeofblood-curdlingsound.
Againsilencefellupontheplace, andagainitwasbrokenbythekingliftinghishand. Instantlyweheardapatteringoffeet,andfromoutofthemassesofwarriorsstrangeandawfulfiguresappearedrunningtowardsus. Astheydrewnearwesawthatthesewerewomen,mostofthemaged,fortheirwhitehair,ornamentedwithsmallbladderstakenfromfish,streamedoutbehindthem.
