will send to my cave your scribe, I will show to him all my art, so that he may make the picture flats, likewise. You know that he is no evil worker, and he can tell you all my art. If not, you will know that I am speaking with a false tongue, and can throw me from the cliff down where the waves roll white." ""T is little risk," replied my ruler; "a scribe more or a scribe less does not count in the roll of the fighting men. Take him, and work thy wicked will upon him until the moon is a round in front which gleamed like the fire-flashing fly of the swamps in the early of the year. And we ate of divers strange things. There were two-shelled soft fish that he did fry until they were toothsome. [Note: Perhaps a form of the fried oyster.] And there were also the thinshelled sea-pinchers who go sidewise as doth a maiden seeing a gnawer of grain. Wearied by the walk, I slept till the birds. sang, and then rose to the meal of dawn. Soon after, the wizard brought out his box, "THE WIZARD SAID: 'I CAUGHT YOU WELL. I THINK IT WILL COME OUT GOOD." shield. Come then again, and thou shalt be released or thrown into the sea which eats boats." Then went I on my knees to the great Batta, trying with my tears to melt his heart. But as the drops from the wide-foot bird's back, so rolled my tears from the heart of Batta, who cared only for the good of his people. and though I shrank in terror from it, he did smile and encourage me till I put a finger upon it. It bit me not, and I felt braver. But a scribe is not a warrior. His blood is but ink. The wizard said: "O Scribe, fear not. 'T is a box such as holds thy styluses and reed-pens. But it has curious bits of bronze and of rock-you-can-see So went I with the wizard to the cave to through, whereby it makes pictures. Come, and learn of the picture-flats. Midnight moonless was bright day to the lightless gloom of that cavern. But there was a fire I will give you the knowing of it." Then he did open it; and it was black inside as a burnt stick, and had an eye in the fore part. He clicked at it with the forefinger, and did put in a flat piece like gray flint, and behold! a picture thereon, like unto the clear view of mid-day, but smaller than the face in a baby's eye. It was most marvelous! He did also twist a bit of bronze around and brought a fog upon the little picture, which, however, presently cleared away as he did twist more. [Note: Apparently the "wizard" was trying the focus upon what answered for the ground glass.] Thus did he several times, and behold I grew bold, and did the same under his direction! Then went we forth under the sky, and the wizard asked if I would throw up my hood and catch it again. In wonder at his silliness, I nevertheless did that folly. And just then I heard the clicking of the box, and the wizard said: came a flat light-colored shell, four-cornered, and thin like scraped horn. This was dropped into an earthen dish which held some most illsmelling compound. And he rocked the dish, to and fro, smiling a ghastly smile,—such as is the grin of the long shark in the water of the deep. But behold, the dark and the light took shape and became an image! And if all the prophets and if all the counselors of the tribe were to prophesy till the hair of all was gray upon their shoulders, they could not have divined what was the image which came forth to mock me! It was my soul. For as I leaped in the air to catch my hood, the wizard had caught my soul from me and fixed it there within the awful black-box-which-has-an-eye! But I was changed so that my own dear mother would not have known me. My face, paler than that "I caught you well. I think it will come out of the sun-burned warriors, was black like those Gladly I saw the sunlight again, and heard the birds chirp as if black caves were not. "More washing ?" I asked; for it seemed that there would never be an end of the plashing of water. 66 Only a little," said the wizard. He did fix the flat piece next in a four-sided frame, and cooked it in the sunshine, while I wondered if he would desire me to eat my soul, baked in the sun, for dinner! But after he had baked the frame, he did break it open, and then came more washing. I thought that the wizard would wear out his fingers with much plashing in the water. I think that my eyelids must have shut me to sleep for a while, but when I opened them there stood the wizard, and in his hand he did hold a picture wherein I was shown to leap like a horse in fresh pasture, bounding after my hood in the air with the fool-play I have told. Thus saw I first the making of pictures, and that day was like many that followed. Nay, I did even make pictures myself with the wizard to stand by and say, " Do thou this," "Do thou so"; but of the witchcraft of it little did I know. I was but as his hand or foot in doing his bidding. In all that we did the wizard feared the light. For he said that the sun would steal away the pictures—which seemed strange enough to me. Meanwhile grew the moon, till it came round like a shield, and we were to go to the ruler. The last day I was with the wizard, I did make two pictures by myself, and he did praise me and gave me one wherein I did look too sweet, like unto the coo-bird, and brave as the roarer is brave before the bleater. This received I gladly, for I knew not before how comely I was. At sunrise did we set forth for the dwelling of Batta, the sagacious-in-combat. The wiz ard carried the wonder-box. I did carry earthenware jars filled with liquids and compounds, very heavy, and I did also carry many of the flat pieces, each closed cunningly in a case like a quiver. When we came unto the town, Batta sat upon his throne beneath a sun-shield. "Aha! Wizard," he cried, " then you have not eaten our scribe? 'Tis as well, mayhap. Now, has he learned your art?" "In sooth, that has he," said the wizard, cheerfully. "Will not you try him?” "That I will," spake Batta. "Go thou to work, Scribe, and take three trials. Paint me the picture of Batta Batta who puts foes to flight! Three trials shall be thine, and then-" So ceased Batta. But when the wizard tried to go with me to the hut, Batta forbade him. Then did I as I saw the wizard do ere he took the box for making a picture, and forth I sallied to do my best. As I came forth, I pointed the box at the great Batta, and I pushed upon the magic piece, and hurried back to the hut, which had been made dark save for the crimson light which we brought from the cave. Here went I through the washing. But no picture came! Then strode I forth in sadness. The wizard pointed an accusing finger at the box, as I came out from the darkness of the hut, and then knew I what I had done! I had not uncovered the eye of the box! Again I essayed, and fled into the hut, but with careless hand did put the flat into the wrong dish. And behold again no picture came ! Then came I forth in sadness. The wizard's face was like a dull day when the leaves are falling. But when I again pointed the magic-box, and opened its eye, and set in the proper pieces with all due caution, he smiled again. With backward step, I betook myself for the last time to the dark hut, and rocked and washed and soaked and washed till I was weary like unto the slaves that row the galley of Batta. And this time the picture came forth like sunshine after a rain; and it was Batta-Batta upon his throne, and dressed as for war. Then rushed I forth rejoicing with my prize, and the wizard made merry. Into the warm sun did I set the picture to cook, and when I took it forth it was so like to Batta that I thought it would speak; and I showed it to him proudly. But, as the cloud comes over the face of the sun, so descended wrath upon the black brows of the great ruler as he gazed. "Do I look like that?" cried he to the wizard. "It is your very image!" spoke up one of the younger warriors. "You are banished for life!" roared the just and great ruler of his people. And it was so from that day forth. "Do I look like that?" he asked again, with the voice of a thunderpeal, this time turning to the white-haired counselor, he-who-speaks-little-but-wisely. And it was done upon that instant. "It were best to send thee with thy tools!" said Batta; and in a moment the wizard was hurried to the brink of the cliff which hangs over the playground of the waves Here the manuscript is torn, and it is impossible to decipher it further. But I am sure that "I would not be so foolish as to say it was the reader will agree with me in deciding that like you, great Batta!" answered the counselor; it contains an early account of photography, and the rest who stood about said that his words and also that the conclusion, imperfect as it is, were wise. "Your art is no art!" then said the great Batta; and, calling the swordbearer, he ordered that the wizard's box should be thrown into the sea, together with his vile compounds, his dishes, the liquids, and his flat pieces and the baleful red-fire maker. would lead one to suppose that the art was somewhat discouraged. Those who desire to verify the translation will find the original document among the archives of the Grand Lama's Museum in Tibet. You will find it at the back of the top shelf on the left-hand side. 917 By Eudora S. Bumstead. We gathered moss for a throne of green, And with violets blue we crowned her; We played that she was a Fairy Queen, |