llapse with terror written in their countenances. They were the
unfortunate guards, as the boys quickly saw.

They were unable to answer the indictment of the Chief, because the
escape had been as much of a surprise to them as to the Chief. Uraso and
Muro were quick to recognize the situation, and they informed John of
the progress of the conversation.

The negligent guards had been condemned to take the places of the
Korinos, as sacrifices. The rites demanded some victims, and the boys
now saw that the escape of the Korinos would not avoid the carrying out
of the bloody rites.

The new, victims-to-be were firmly bound, and placed in the center of
the crowd, and, strangely enough, it was now noticed that the people
expressed the same degree of hatred to the poor unfortunates that they
had manifested toward the Korinos an hour before.

The Chief was now at the head of the procession, which, instead of going
to the north, passed alongside the slight elevation that led north of
the grove, and toward the high elevation which the boys had noticed the
day before.

The march was but a short one, and when the upper level was reached the
boys were astounded to see that beyond, and next to the hill, on the
north, was an open space, the floor of which was of solid rock. This
space covered nearly an acre, and near the center was a flat rocky
table, fully ten feet in diameter and about four feet high, with a huge
boulder in the center of the table.

The Chief and the victims marched directly to the stone table, the
executioner tramping with a measured tread immediately ahead of the
victims. The people did not go near the rocky shelf, but circled about
at a respectful distance.

CHAPTER VIII

HYPNOTISM ON SAVAGES

All those with the Chief's party, approached the table, upon which the
executioner mounted the rock, and stood there, as though inviting the
admiration of the crowd.

John spoke a few words to Uraso, and the latter addressed the Chief as
follows: "The White Chief says that to offer these men as a sacrifice
will be against the wishes of the Great Spirit, if they are destroyed by
the weapon which is now in the hands of the one on the rock."

The Chief quickly turned. "What would the White Chief have me do? I
cannot free these culprits, because it is the law that they shall die in
place of those who are appointed to be the victims."

"The White Chief does not ask for their lives, but only that the manner