science, rose to his feet and thrust it in among the pile of wood on
the top of the altar, beneath the body of the llama. The crackling of
the dry twigs that formed the substructure of the cunningly arranged
pile, and the curling wreaths of fragrant smoke, soon showed that the
wood was fairly alight; and as the little tongues of yellow flame leapt
from twig to twig and gathered power, and the smoke shot upward from the
altar in a thin perfectly straight column to the ceiling, the great
building fairly resounded with the shouts of jubilation of the enormous
congregation, for this was the last and most important omen of all. If
the smoke column had bent or wavered in the least it would have foretold
trouble--ay, or even disaster, had the wavering been sufficiently
pronounced. But, on the contrary, every omen, from first to last, had
been of so exceptionally favourable a character that the special
sacrifice of thank-offering that was always tentatively arranged for
upon such occasions as the present became a foregone conclusion, and the
assembly, instead of dispersing, as they would have done had the omens
been less eminently favourable, settled again into their seats with a
great sigh and shudder of tense expectancy; for this would be the first
time that many of them had ever been present at a ceremony of the kind
that was now pending.

Escombe, who was by this time beginning to feel very tired, as well as
distinctly dissatisfied with himself for taking part in all this
mummery, noticed vaguely that something out of the common was evidently
toward, but he was too thoroughly distrait to even seek an explanation
from Motahuana, and he watched, as in a dream, the long procession of
priests file out of the building to the accompaniment of an unmistakable
song of triumph. Presently, with more singing and music, they came
filing back again; but in the comparatively brief interval of their
absence they had contrived to effect a complete change in their
appearance, for, instead of the white garments which they had previously
worn, they were now robed in crimson, heavily bordered with gold
embroidery, while Tiahuana's robe was so completely covered with gold
embroidery, encrusted with gems, that it was as stiff as a board, the
crimson colour of the material scarcely showing through it. He still
bore his wand in his hands, and the mitre which he now wore blazed with
gold and precious stones. On this occasion, instead of leadin