CHAPTER XIV. AZURMA SUFFERS THE PENALTY OF HER CRIME.

The next morning the swamp explorers were up bright and early.

They had been invited to be present at the execution of the murderess, Azurma, and though none of them were bloodthirsty enough to long for such sights, the novelty of the thing caused them to make up their minds to see it out.

That Leo was very much put out about the affair was certain. He considered that he was the direct cause of the whole trouble, and while the fair girl deserved punishment for her rash and bloody act, he made up his mind that a jury in any civilized portion of the world would hardly find her guilty of murder in the first degree. She might receive a sentence of imprisonment for life, and probably not as bad as that.

He concluded to speak to the queen about it, and got Dick to accompany him to the palace just before the procession was ready to start for the place of execution.

She granted him an audience readily enough, but would not listen to his appeal that she might be a little more lenient with Azurma.

“No,” said she, with a decided shake of her head; “she must die as I have ordered. I cannot; nor would not if I could, countermand my orders. We are ready to start now, tell the rest of your companions to fall in line, and be sure to go with us to see the vile murderess take her death ride into the Devil’s Kingdom!”

There was no getting over it, so our friends promptly fell into line with nearly the entire population of Hez.

Azurma was then brought forth by two men, and she cast a look of defiance at Queen Olive and the rest of the women.

The word was given, and the procession filed away, the swamp explorers keeping near the doomed girl, and marveling at the fortitude she possessed.

Torches were lighted, and they passed through the dark passage into the magic chamber.

Here Azurma turned her gaze upon Leo, and said:

“It was in this place that I first met you, my Leo. Then I thought you would be mine, but they robbed me of you. But I promise, that though they kill me, I will meet you in another world, and then we will be happy. This I swear!”

At this point the girl was hustled on, and deeply impressed by her words, Leo and his companions followed with the crowd.

In a short time the spot that overlooked the place dubbed the Devil’s Kingdom was reached, and the party came to a halt.

A shudder came over Azurma as she surveyed the horrible place below, but in an instant she had regained her composure and was as calm as ever.

The puffs of fire and smoke roared and hissed below them, and the stream which flowed through the place seemed to rush along with unusual speed.

“I am ready to suffer the penalty of my crime, O queen! It is sweet to die for those we love!”

It was the doomed girl that spoke, and as she turned her eyes upon the assemblage her face looked more beautiful than ever.

“If you have anything to say, out with it at once,” said the queen. “According to our ancient laws you must die, and our laws must not be broken.”

“I will say this much,” replied Azurma, advancing to the very edge of the steep, rocky slant: “The women of Hez have robbed me of the one I love, and now, as I stand upon the very brink of death, I set my curse upon all who took part in it. And, furthermore, I do swear that I will return from the undiscovered country into which I am now to be hurled, and heap destruction upon all Hez. This I promise you; and if I do leave this country to find a haven of rest in another more beautiful one--as I firmly believe I shall--I will do my best to get the people of that country to follow me to Hez and aid me in accomplishing my revenge.”

She paused for a moment and looked keenly around to see the effect of her words.

She was evidently satisfied, for a smile broke over her beautiful face.

Then, directing her gaze upon Leo, her lips parted.

“Farewell, my Leo; forget not what I said in the magic chamber.”

The next instant, to the astonishment of all hands, she turned and sprang over the verge of the awful place and went gliding toward the flame and smoke below!

She had cheated the executioners from throwing her into the Devil’s Kingdom by committing the deed herself.

Down--down the horrible descent she glided until the lurid flames hid her from view, and then, with a mighty splash, the beautiful murderess plunged into the rushing stream.

A shudder crept over everyone in the party, and one and all they turned their heads.

For fully a minute a deep silence reigned.

At length it was broken by Queen Olive.

“Come,” said she, in a strange, unnatural tone, “let’s go back.”

Everybody seemed to be willing, so they started at once.

As soon as they arrived at the village, our friends sought the seclusion of their own dwelling to talk over the startling events that had so recently occurred.

About an hour after darkness set in the younger population of Hez began moving toward the magic chamber, and among them were Dick, the professor, Haypole and Lucky.

Each of these escorted the fair one to whom he had been engaged, and the Yankee and the transformed darky presented an amusing spectacle as they made their way along in the procession.

Dick was more or less elated at being at the head of the line with the beautiful queen at his side, and for the time being he forgot all about Leo.

When they reached the magic chamber, he found it was lighted by a number of brightly burning torches, stuck in niches in the rocky walls.

Almost as soon as he and Queen Olive entered a strain of music struck up, he knew not from where, and he found his partner and himself leading a fantastic, weird march.

Back and forth, through the roomy cavern, they made their way, the boy doing as the queen directed him.

At length, after about ten minutes of this sort of thing, the music suddenly ceased and everybody came to a halt.

Then it again struck up, and the opening dance began.

It was very similar to the old-fashioned Virginia reel, and our friends had little or no difficulty in going through the figures.

Prof. Easy seemed to be in his seventh heaven.

He danced about like a wild man of the woods, and laughed like a child in possession of a new toy.

And Martin Haypole. He swung his long legs around regardless of any mischief he might do, and forgot all the cares and troubles of his life.

Lucky was probably the most nimble-footed male on the floor, and he soon laid all the rest in the shade.

When the first dance came to an end, Queen Olive informed Dick that a number of the girls would give the dance of death--the same that our friends had witnessed on their arrival in Hez.

This, she informed him, was always indulged in by those who were not fortunate enough to have a partner for life, or a chance of soon having one, at every occasion like this.

Now that they knew what was coming, the four were anxious to see it, and they took seats with those who were not to participate in it on the stone floor of the cavern.

It was but a repetition of what they had seen before, but it was entrancing, for all that.

The graceful, undulating movements of the gaudily bedecked creatures seemed to move as if by a strange mechanism, and when their skeleton partners dropped down from above, the scene was complete.

As before, when the thing wound up, a crowd of figures resembling animals rushed in and seized the girls, and the skeletons disappeared.

At the same instant the lights went out and all was in total darkness.

This was evidently not on the program, for the audience gave a cry of alarm, and a number hastened to light up the scene again. When they had done so it was found that both Dick and the queen had mysteriously disappeared.