A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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violent agitation, as though all were possessed by one common impulse
which forced them toward me. At such a sight I thought of nothing else
than that I was the object of their wrath, and that they were all with
one common fury rushing toward me to wreak vengeance upon me and upon
Almah for the slaughter of the nightmare hag.
All this was the work of but a few moments. And now as I stood there
holding Almah--appalled, despairing, yet resolute and calm--I became
aware of a more imminent danger. On the top of the pyramid, at the
report of the rifle, all had fallen down flat on their faces, and
it was over them that I had rushed to Almah's side. But these now
began to rise, and the hags took up the corpse of the dead, and the
paupers swarmed around with cries of "Mut! mut!" (dead! dead!) and
exclamations of wonder. Then they all turned their foul and bleary
eyes toward me, and stood as if transfixed with astonishment. At
length there burst forth from the crowd one who sought to get at me.
It was the Chief Pauper. He still held in his hand the long knife of
sacrifice. He said not a word, but rushed straight at me, and as he
came I saw murder in his look. I did not wait for him, but raising my
rifle, discharged the second barrel full in his face. He fell down a
shattered, blackened heap, dead.
As the second report thundered out it drowned all other sounds, and
was again followed by an awful silence. I looked around. Those on the
pyramid--paupers and hags--had again flung themselves on their faces.
On the square below the whole multitude were on their knees, with
their heads bowed down low. The silence was more oppressive than
before; it was appalling--it was tremendous! It seemed like the dread
silence that precedes the more awful outburst of the hurricane when
the storm is gathering up all its strength to burst with accumulated
fury upon its doomed victim.
But there was no time to be lost in staring, and that interval was
occupied by me in hastily reloading my rifle. It was my last resource
now; and if it availed not for defence it might at least serve to be
used against ourselves. With this thought I handed the pistol to
Almah, and hurriedly whispered to her that if I were killed, she could
use it against herself. She took it in silence, but I read in her face
her invincible resolve.
The storm at last burst. The immense multitude rose to their feet, and