men halted, and Scragga stood still
before us, his spear lifted.

"Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he
will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall be
speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with him."

I glanced up at the moon despairingly, and now to my intense joy and
relief saw that we--or rather the almanack--had made no mistake. On the
edge of the great orb lay a faint rim of shadow, while a smoky hue grew
and gathered upon its bright surface. Never shall I forget that
supreme, that superb moment of relief.

Then I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky, an example which Sir
Henry and Good followed, and quoted a line or two from the "Ingoldsby
Legends" at it in the most impressive tones that I could command. Sir
Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament, and
something about Balbus building a wall, in Latin, whilst Good addressed
the Queen of Night in a volume of the most classical bad language which
he could think of.

Slowly the penumbra, the shadow of a shadow, crept on over the bright
surface, and as it crept I heard deep gasps of fear rising from the
multitude around.

"Look, O king!" I cried; "look, Gagool! Look, chiefs and people and
women, and see if the white men from the Stars keep their word, or if
they be but empty liars!

"The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be
darkness--ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for
a sign; it is given to you. Grow dark, O Moon! withdraw thy light, thou
pure and holy One; bring the proud heart of usurping murderers to the
dust, and eat up the world with shadows."

A groan of terror burst from the onlookers. Some stood petrified with
dread, others threw themselves upon their knees and cried aloud. As for
the king, he sat still and turned pale beneath his dusky skin. Only
Gagool kept her courage.

"It will pass," she cried; "I have often seen the like before; no man
can put out the moon; lose not heart; sit still--the shadow will pass."

"Wait, and ye shall see," I replied, hopping with excitement. "O Moon!
Moon! Moon! wherefore art thou so cold and fickle?" This appropriate
quotation was from the pages of a popular romance that I chanced to
have read recently, though now I come to think of it, it was ungrateful
of me to abuse the Lady of the Heavens, who was showing herself to be
the truest of friends to us, however she may have beha