Rumalcowhiskeyhol: A Modern Monster

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Rumalcowhiskeyhol— A Modern Monster

BY ANNIE D. PALMER

Rumalcowhiskeyhol was the fiercest and most powerful of all the monsters.With a glance of his evil eye he could cause strong men to totter and even fall and wallow in the filth of the streets. With the heat of his fiery breath he could waste their substance and reduce to pauperism every soul dependent thereon. With the bellowing of his ghoulish voice he could strike terror into the hearts of brave men insomuch that they would drop their weapons nor attempt to defend their own. Nor was this all. Rumalcowhiskeyhol's back and dragon-tail were covered with shining scales that dazzled men's eyes and ;

if at any time the monster were hard pressed he had but to drop a scale in the way of his pursuers and immediately they left off fighting him to search in the mire for the glitter of the scale. In every city of the land Rumalcohowhiskeyhol had a lair and in every village and hamlet a rendezvous. And because men so loved the glitter of his scales he went boldly forth by day as well as under cover of the darkness seeking whomsoever he would devour.. Daily his victims numbered scores of men, and the substance he wasted would have built an empire and ever his appetite ;

/grew and was insatiate. The women of the land became sick with dread and wise men shook their heads and were appalled for none could say whose manly sons or fair young daughters might next be prey to the monster's grip. Now the king had many daughters, but an only son, Morrion. And Morrion was brave of heart and strong of limb, and he said, "I will fight the monster to his death. Shall my father's kingdom be devastated by the power of a single demon while my father's heir sits idly by and views the ruin?" So Morrion chose five hundred men, the noblest from his father's realm and when they had counseled together many days ;

they set out with their battle axes and spears, determined to slay the monster or drive him from their border. When Rumalcowhiskeyhol saw the strength of the men who came up against him he knew that neither the glance of his eye nor the fire of his breath nor the bellowing of his mighty lungs would stay the onslaught. He needs must turn him about as if in flight, and try the lure of the shining scales. With one hoarse, demon-like yell from his brazen throat he turned, leaving

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where he went a trail of slime and mire in which there glittered here and there a yellow scale. Into the sickening' trail they — plunged Morrion, the good, the brave, the princely one, and all his followers, the noblest five hundred of the land. So there was mourning in the land, and in the household of the king was bitterest grief. And when the knightly Landon came as suitor to the princess Isa, she sent him away and would not be comforted for sorrow for her brother. One day while Isa walked in the cypress grove in the far end of the garden, her brother came to her by stealth. Isa threw up her hands in fear and would have screamed, but Morrion spoke quickly and calmed her. "Fear not, sister," he said, "for weak and worthless as I come to you, I am still no spectre." "But we have thought you lost," the princess answered, "and we have mourned for you since the day you and your noble band went down in the trail of the monster. Come, let us go to our father the king and to our most queenly mother, that their hearts may be made glad at your return." "Not so, my sister," replied Morrion sadly, "for though they are not visible to your eyes, the shackles of the monster are upon me." "We will unbind those shackles, Morrion!" Then Morrion laughed, and it was like the laugh of a demon. "Unbind the shackles of Rumalcowhiskeyhol? Never. Wives whose tears have not been dried since they pledged their faith on their wedding morning, have tried to unbind them; mothers whose children cried for bread have sought to unloose them; and children with pinched faces and wasted forms have tried their puny strength. The shackles hold in spite of each, in spite of all combined. "But mother's perfect love and father's great wisdom shall find a way to free you. Must the only son of a king remain in slavery to Rumalcowhiskeyhol ? Come!" "Isa, it cannot be! I have been in his domain too long al-

ready. I despise myself for the weakling that I am; I shudder for the wretchedness I have caused I ; am horrified at the misery to which am bound. But his power is upon me—his eye, I it

beckons me to come— his breath, it destroys my will, it makes go— it thunders in my ear, it calls, it me staler as I his voice, commands— oh, sister, I am consumed with a burning sense of I must away! I must away! helplessness, of shame !

cling to him and "In vain did the sister plead, in vain did she he flung her to the ground and hur- weep. With a mighty effort ried from her as she lay prostrate. When the princess was sufficiently recovered from her sur- parents with the intelligence prise and terror she hastened to her

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824 IMPROVEMENT ERA that her brother yet lived. At first they were joyful beyond measure at the tidings, but when they heard how he was bound by the shackles of the monster, they both declared that it had been better that he had died. "For," said the king, "to live in such bondage is to surrender his manhood to the beast; it is to bring misery and disgrace upon himself and all his kindred. If he marry, his wife is doomed to a life of humiliation and want, and suffering; his children will be born heirs to disease, to slavery, to pauperism. Passion and crime are ever ready to lay hold on him who is bound by Rumalcowhiskeyhol. There is little hope for his escape." The kind mother, who was nothing if not motherly, added that his little children would probably be victims of harsh words and cruel blows instead of love and tenderness. Much of what they said seemed vague and dark to Isa. She had so much to remember of her brother's love and gentleness, his song and joyous laughter. "Surely," she said to herself, "he was under some dreadful spell when he came to me in the cypress !" grove. But that spell must be broken Morrion must be free !

"Yes, Morrion must be free." She said it over and over to herself during the week that followed before Landon came again. When she saw him, a new hope sprang up in her heart. Landon did not fear the monster. From earliest childhood he had gone where he chose and with closed lips and averted eyes had even passed the open doors of the monster's den in safety. Nay, so potent had been the teachings of his mother that the youth listened not to tales of fear, nor turned he to the right or left to heed the bellowings of the monster's voice. "Gracious princess," Landon said, in courtly manner, "send me not away. You are sorrowful. Is there no way in which I may serve you, that I may prove my love and gain your favor?" "There is, noble Landon, but the way is hard and — "I care not though it lead over the burning sands of Sa- hara's Desert, if so I may serve my princess. Speak." !" "It is of my brother, Landon. Morrion lives "Morrion lives !Then he is — "Yes, though I blush to say it, he is a slave in Rumalco- !" whiskeyhol's domain "Know you that he lives, my princess?" "I have seen him. He came to me in the cypress grove. Rescue him from the monster, and on the day you restore him to us I will become your wife." "It is enough. The task may be hard, because men who can be trusted in such service are scarce but were it an hundred ;

times more difficult than it is, believe me it should be accom- plished. Your father will lend his aid ?"

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  "In men and means, yes, to the extent of his power "
  "It is enough."

For thrice twelve months Landon had been training the mighty forces that he was to lead against Rumalcowhiskeyhol. First he had drilled the thought into their souls that they were always to look toward heaven when they came within range of the evil eye. Next he had trained them to close their lips and cover their nostrils against the fiery breath, and with heart and soul to sing their own glad song of victory to drown the bellow- ing of the monster's voice. And against the lure of the shining scales they had been warned until every one of them knew that rather than stoop to pick one from the mire, he would suffer his strong right arm to hang stricken at his side. And so every one walked with head erect, nor deigned to look where fell the glit- terings. Many times Morrion had come to his sister in the cypress grove where she daily walked in the hope of seeing him. Each time he came she saw that his walk was more staggering, that his form was more wasted, that his eyes were more bleared, than before. Once she told him about the great plans being laid to rescue him, about the constant training of the forces under Landon. "It is useless, sister," he had said. "They drill to go up against Rumalcowhiskeyhol. Did not I and my five hundred go bravely out against him? And where are we? Most of us are perished long ago. Those of us who survive, what are we?" "It is because of this, Morrion, that the war must go on. And we will win. Landon is strong — "Landon may be strong, sister, but if he goes to battle against us, he is lost!" "Against us? Are you, then a willing slave?" "There can be no slavery, sister, except for him who wills it so. The body, indeed, may be kept in bondage, but the spirit can never be enthralled, so long as it chooses to be free." "My brother," Isa pleaded while she wept, "I have set Lan- don the task to rescue you. When he has done that he is to claim my hand in marriage. Morrion, I love Landon. Should he lose — but he shall not lose. His cause is the cause of right His !

banner is the banner of humanity This fight is a fight against !

vice, against misery, against pauperism, against death! Oh, brother, you will help us, you must!" For a moment he hesitated, and the fond sister felt that her pleadings had won. Then the savage blare of the monster's voice was heard Morrion broke away from his sister's embrace, and ;

was gone. That evening Landon came.

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826 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Fear not, my princess," he said, assuringly, when she had told him all the details of her brother's visit. "We shall surely win when we are ready to lead our forces against the monster, and trust me, we shall find a way to save your brother." "But, Landon, if my brother will not be saved — "He is under the evil spell. If he can be so hedged about that he fall not in the fray, methinks he will return to his own gladly when once the terrible influence is removed. My belief is that many of those who now consort with evil will join us

gratefully when once the haunts of vice are sealed." Thus assured, the princess trusted her cause with the noble knight and when her brother came again, she only warned him ;

that he go not where the fight was thickest in the struggle that was to come. And now they were on the eve of the decisive conflict. The decree had gone forth from Landon that on the morrow Rum- alcowhiskeyhol must be done to the death or driven from the kingdom with his every den forever closed and Rumalcowhiskey- ;

hol had snorted forth in derision and scorn his unmistakable defiance. "Noble Landon," the princess said, when he kissed her hand at parting, "do you think you will be able to destroy the mon- ster?" "We can scarcely hope that, my princess, since he has so many strongholds beyond our borders but we shall give him ;

such terrible battle that in all our land he shall henceforth find no resting place." "Is everything ready for tomorrow's conflict?" "Everything. The uniform of the soldiers is perfect their ;

banner is inspiring their armor will be proof against every as- ;

sault and their slogan, 'Death to the monster is joy to the — ;

home' no man will waver when he hears the call." "And the women's division?" "Never was an array more beautiful Those hundreds of !

white-robed women who will march at our right and sing of vic- tory and peace, will be an inspiration under which no one can turn his back to the foe. It lacks but one thing to make it per- fect." "And that?" "That the Princess Isa be its standard-bearer. Think not, my beloved, that I would expose you to danger — "But you once refused to let me join the ranks." "Because then I feared. Now I am assured that no harm can come to that division. Those women will not be influenced by eye or breath or voice of Rumalcowhiskeyhol, neither will they stoop for the shining scales. And you may be of service to your brother. It is for him —

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"Enough, Landon. I shall go.'' "Good night, my princess." "Good night, Landon." The rising of the morning sun was the signal for Landon's forces to form in line of march. Long before that the blare of the enemy had been heard and his fiery breath had been belched out to defile the morning air. Here and there were squads of slaves who, like Morrion, had grown to love their slavery. These made show of much bravado, while they already staggered with the breath that was upon them. At noon the battle raged in all its fury. The monster, hard pressed by the forces that now crowded upon him, shot glances from his evil eye the like of which men never had seen before. He belched forth fiery breath that kindled into flame the very shrubbery in his pathway. His great red tongue lolled from his mouth or rolled from side to side as though he would literally lick men from the earth. He bellowed and blared and snorted at every breath such sounds as aforetime had stricken his foes with deadly fear. But Landon's forces, advancing, drove him stead- ily backward ; and the women sang their triumphant songs as they kept pace with the advancing legions. At length, finding himself powerless to offer further resist- ance, the fierce Rumalcowhiskeyhol turned and began to throw here and there a few of his shining scales. It was useless. The scales were trampled in the mire by the hosts of Landon. He threw more scales and still more until his back and tail were almost bare. Finding that these availed him nothing, he bel- lowed forth his rage, lashed his great tail with all his fury, and made rapid retreat toward the nearest border. The soldiery pushed hard upon him with battleax and spear, and ever by their side the women marched radiant and joyous. As they came near to one of the monster's old retreats a host of slaves poured forth through wide-flung doors. With sickening dread the princess looked upon them. A man in rich apparel^ was supported as he walked by men in rags, and the filthy vomit on the rich was not less vile than that upon the beggar at his side. Two women with emaciated forms and disheveled hair clutched at each other in fury over a string of yellow beads that a bleary- eyed man had tossed them. There were ragged urchins and swaggering youths, and bloated grandsires and following them ;

some two score men and women of grave demeanor tried to keep up a show of respectability and order. Such was the following of Rumalcowhiskeyhol. As she was turning away in disgust, the princess saw her brother stagger from behind a tree. He stood irresolute when he saw her approach but when she took him by the arm and spoke to him in tones of sympathy and comfort, he gladly went over to the

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828 IMPROVEMENT ERA ranks of Landon. So, too, did eight of his once brave com- panions. At set of sun they returned to their homes triumphant. Mor- rion had received many wounds and scars in the haunts of the monster, some of which he needs must carry to his death. But he was still young and had yet hope of a vigorous manhood. There were many others among the rescued whose lives were not seri- ously wrecked, and some whose only hope of happiness was in the sleep of death. ,

The king and queen made a great feast to welcome the re- turn of their son and celebrate the victory of Landon and there ;

amid the joy and merrymaking of their loyal subjects, they gave to the noble knight of Landon, to be his happy bride, the beauti- ful Princess Isa. So Isa was happy in her love, Morrion rejoiced in his free- dom, and all the people of the realm were glad because the terror of Rumalcowhiskeyhol was ended.

The Tell-Tale Two men Encamped beside a forest grove. Heard in the wind a song. It sang a lay of life well lived; Itsang of life lived wrong.

To one The moaning, mocking wind sang in Accusing monotone Of wanton waste of precious time Void yield of wild oats sown.

To one It sang, the cheery, laughing wind Whilst whistling by in glee, Of happy hours of bygone years, Of happy days to be.

And one That night tossed restlessly, reviewed With pain his days ill spent. And one reviewed his well-lived days. And that night smiled, content. So live That every breeze will sing to thee Of joy that none may mar. Remember this, though joy or woe It sings just what you are. Guy C. Coleman MIDWAY, UTAH