ng
horses; women busy over saucepans that bubbled upon extemporized
furnaces of piled-up bricks; children and dogs on all sides, chattering,
squealing, under everybody's feet, alternately and impartially cuffed
and caressed. An air of joyous expectancy lightened every face, for now
the long months of waiting and of anxiety were past; the outriders of
Doom had returned from the Southland with goodly store of corn and wine
and of fat beeves for future feasting. It was, indeed, chilled and aged
blood that did not run the faster on this day of days.

Outside of the White Tower stood a groom, holding the bridle of a horse
whose housings were of the most gorgeous description, a blaze of crimson
cloth and gold thread. The owner's spear, with its pennon of embroidered
silk, stood close at hand, its iron-shod shaft wedged tightly into a
convenient crack in the pavement. Upon the banneret, Constans, with his
glass, made out the symbol used by Quinton Edge, a raven in mid-air
bearing a skull in his beak. Evidently he was to command the guard of
honor who would escort the returned warriors down the Palace Road, and
the hour must be close at hand. A few moments later and Quinton Edge
himself appeared, issuing forth from the White Tower. A splendidly
gorgeous figure he presented, for over his close-fitting suit of claret
cloth he wore a surcoat of white velvet ornamented with gold lace and
buttons of amethyst. His hat of soft felt was decorated with a white
ostrich-plume, exquisitely curled and secured by a jewelled clasp, and
in his left hand he carried an ivory truncheon tipped with gold, the
emblem, doubtless, of his high position in the councils of the Doomsmen.
Apparently he was in good-humor this morning; he chatted animatedly with
those nearest to him, and once or twice he even laughed aloud.

A trumpet sounded, and, without much pretence at military smartness, the
escorting party scrambled into their saddles and the cavalcade moved
forward through the north gate and up the Palace Road. By noon at the
latest they should return, and preparations immediately began for the
feast that was to be given in honor of the long-absent warriors now
happily restored to the society of their families and friends. A score
or more of wine-casks were rolled out from the public stores and made
ready for broaching. In the centre of the square the board flooring had
been removed from a huge circular pit that measured twenty feet across
by six or