CHAPTER XIII. BALLOTING FOR HUSBANDS.

Completely unnerved at the sight, Leo turned from the spot.

“Come, Azurma,” said he, “we will go back to the village.”

“Yes, Leo,” was the reply; “nothing could save the man and dog from death. Their lifeless bodies are floating in the pool at the foot of the falls by this time.”

For fear that another picuasus might show up, they hurriedly left the spot.

Azurma led the way back over the same route by which they had come, and in due time they arrived at the village, without further accidents.

The girl clasped Leo lovingly by the arm when they neared the palace, and Dick and Martin Haypole, who saw them coming, flung their caps in the air and uttered a cheer that brought out almost every soul in the village.

“Well, I’ll be everlasting ding-wizzened if ther boy isn’t alive an’ well as any of us! An’ ter think that he passed through both fire an’ water without gettin’ a scratch! ’Tain’t fer him to die in this country--that’s certain.”

And Dick! The boy could hardly express his joy at finding his cousin alive.

Queen Olive, who could not help hearing the commotion, came outside and nodded when she saw what caused it, as though she was well satisfied with Azurma’s success.

“I knew that if he was alive she would find him,” said she to Dick.

“All that I can say is that I am glad of it,” was the reply.

“Azurma is a very brave girl,” said Leo. “Had it not been for her I would never have found my way to this place again. I don’t know how I shall ever repay her.”

“Oh, that is easy,” returned Azurma; “promise to become my lord and master when the proper time arrives.”

The queen then spoke, informing Leo what the custom of Hez was, concluding with:

“I have just been visited by a committee of unmarried ladies, who demand that they shall have an opportunity of drawing lots for each of you. It is the custom, and we must adhere to it. I have appointed to-morrow morning for the drawing to take place. You will all remember this, and be at the palace an hour after sunrise.”

With these words she left our friends, taking Azurma with her.

The next morning, at the appointed time, Leo, Dick, Prof. Easy, Martin Haypole and Lucky made their way to the abode of the queen.

At least half a hundred girls and middle-aged women were there, and it was with great difficulty that our friends managed to squeeze their way in.

More than one pair of eyes cast a bewitching glance at them as they passed, and Lucky and the Yankee grinned in a wholesale manner.

Queen Olive was at the further end of the long hall through the center of the building, and Dick noticed that her face wore an anxious look.

When all had assembled and the utmost quiet reigned, she arose and addressed the audience in Spanish.

“Women of Hez,” said she, “we have assembled here this morning, according to our ancient custom, to choose five husbands. Our law is that no woman shall ever marry, unless her husband be a stranger from the outside world. That is the way our race was founded, and is the reason why we are so few in number. But the custom must be kept up. There are fifty-one of us here, and there are but five strangers. Forty-six must be disappointed. As Queen of Hez, I shall choose one of the five without going into the form of drawing lots.”

A slight murmur of disapproval arose from the assemblage as these words rang out.

Queen Olive evidently expected this, for, with flashing eyes, she exclaimed:

“Silence! I am the ruler of this land, and my word is law.”

Then motioning to Dick to step forward, she went on:

“This is the man I have chosen for my husband; he loves me and I love him.”

Nothing abashed, Dick took his place beside the beautiful creature.

But that the girls were anything but satisfied was plainly apparent. They thought that in a case of this kind the queen should place herself upon an equal footing with them, and take her chances.

But Queen Olive thought differently, and that settled it, for the time being, anyhow.

As soon as her majesty ceased speaking, Azurma pushed her way through the crowd and made an eloquent address, relating how she had saved Leo from a death of starvation, winding up with a strong argument that he should be given to her.

But the Hez beauties would not listen to this, and so Azurma’s appeal was ruled down.

At Queen Olive’s order, a small, square box was brought forth, which contained a number of small pieces of coal-like substance, and one small bit of crystal of the same size and weight.

Then every female present was securely blindfolded and directed to step forward, one at a time, and pick out one of the pieces.

The one who was fortunate enough to get hold of the bit of crystal was the one to have the husband.

In case that no one got hold of the crystal, the queen had the power to give him to whoever she saw fit.

Leo fervently desired that this might be the case, for he felt that if he was compelled to become engaged to any of the females present he would rather it would be Azurma, for the simple reason that she wanted him, and he owed her a debt of gratitude for coming to hunt him up.

When everything was in readiness, the women stepped forward to draw the pieces from the box.

It was quite interesting, and our friends watched the result with bated breath.

As fast as one selected, the bandage was removed from her eyes and she retired to the other end of the hall.

Azurma was the fifth one to draw, and when a black ballot was disclosed to her view, she uttered a cry of dismay, and staggered blindly from the spot.

The next to step forward was a girl as young and fully as beautiful as she.

As she lifted the ballot from the box a murmur went up from the assemblage.

She held the piece of crystal in her hand!

With an expression of triumph upon her beautiful face, she held out her arms and approached Leo.

But she never reached him. A figure bounded forward with the swiftness of an enraged panther; a blade flashed in the air, and the would-be bride fell to the stone floor, the blood spurting from a wound in her left side.

It was Azurma who had committed the deed, and with flashing eyes and heaving breast she drew herself to her full height.

“Thus I have broken the laws of Hez!” she exclaimed, in a dramatic tone. “Do with me what you will, O queen!”

It had all happened so quickly that our friends were utterly astounded, and before they could fully comprehend what had taken place, Azurma was seized and bound, and conducted from the building.

And the girl who had proven so unfortunate in picking out the crystal--she never spoke again. The blade had severed her heart in twain, and the beautiful Azurma was a murderess!

Leo turned sick at heart when he realized that he was the cause of the tragedy, and he leaned against the wall in a dazed condition.

“Remove the body!”

It was Queen Olive who spoke.

Her command was instantly obeyed, and then, as though nothing had happened, the ballots were shaken about in the box, and it was announced that it would be decided who should have Martin Haypole.

“Gosh!” exclaimed the Yankee; “I hope no one don’t git killed on my account! I’ll be satisfied with any of ther younger gals!”

This time nearly everyone had a chance at the box before the crystal was drawn, and then it resulted in favor of a buxom Hez maiden of fair appearance and uncertain age.

“Well, I rather guess you’ll do,” observed Haypole, as he shook hands with her, “though I’ll be ding-wizzened if I don’t wish it had been one of ther younger ones. Howsumever, beggars mustn’t be choosers, an’, though I ain’t exactly been a-beggin’ for a wife, I’ll take yer when ther times comes, an’ try an’ be satisfied.”

The next victim was the professor, and, with his face wreathed in smiles, he waited the result.

Almost the first one to draw was the fortunate one, and she being one of the beauties of the country, the professor nearly swallowed his false teeth, so broad was his smile of satisfaction.

“Golly!” said Lucky, when he was ordered to step forth for inspection; “I declar’ ter goodness, if dey ain’t treatin’ dis chile well in dis yer country! Furst dey make him all white, wif de excepshun of his face, which am a yaller color, an den dey present him wif a wife! Well, I’s’ll be satisfied wif any ob dem.”

In a few minutes it was all settled, and the winner of the prize, who was old enough to be the darky’s mother, seemed to be perfectly satisfied.

“Now,” said the queen, “all who have been chosen as husbands will leave, except the one who lost his bride at the hand of Azurma. Another ballot must be taken for him.”

Even Dick was forced to retire with the others, and that left Leo the only male in the crowd.

The more the young fellow thought over what had just occurred the stronger became his determination that he would allow the farce, as he considered it, to go no further.

The part he had already played had been quite enough for him, and he made up his mind that if Azurma could not have him, no one else should.

Just as the queen was getting the box ready, he stepped forward and exclaimed:

“Stop! I have had enough of this. I will allow no further drawing for me, as I have made up my mind not to marry at all!”