al, girt about
the waist with a gold-embroidered belt; and each youth bore in his arms
a mass of beautiful flowers, the delicate perfume of which quickly
diffused itself throughout the building. Priests and youths were alike
barefooted; and a more careful scrutiny soon revealed to Harry the fact
that he was the only individual in the building--so far as he could
see--who remained shod.

Led by the instrumentalists, the procession wheeled to the right and
passed slowly down the first aisle of the building to its eastern
extremity, then right across it, past the great eastern door, up the
fourth aisle, down the third, and up the second, which brought them
finally to the altar which stood on the right of the main or high altar,
as looked at from Escombe's point of view. Then, while the priests
continued their chanting, the flower-laden youths piled their fragrant
burdens upon the right-hand altar and twined them about it until it was
completely hidden from view by the vari-coloured blooms and their
delicate foliage. This done, the youths retired, and the High Priest--
or Villac Vmu, as he was called--standing before the flower-draped
altar, with his back to the people, uttered what appeared to be a short
invocation or prayer, during which the worshippers all knelt upon the
beautifully tessellated marble pavement. This prayer lasted three or
four minutes, and upon its conclusion the people rose and resumed their
seats; while Tiahuana, turning and facing them, delivered an address of
some twenty minutes' length, after which another hymn was sung by both
priests and people, the former slowly filing out of the building during
the singing, and so timing their movements that as the last note was
sung the last priest disappeared through the arch, and the curtain fell
behind him.

Harry not unnaturally concluded that this ended the ceremonial; but he
was quickly undeceived by Motahuana, who informed him that one, if not
two, burnt sacrifices yet remained to be offered. And indeed, scarcely
had this piece of information been conveyed when the music and singing
again made themselves heard, and the priests filed into the building
once more. But, instead of the band of flower-bearing youths, there
appeared a llama, decked with garlands and wreaths of flowers, and led
by two young priests. This time the order of procedure was reversed,
the procession crossing over to the fourth aisle, passing down it and up
the first, down the