[begin page 262]

Saturday Ⓐtextual note noon I went to the well and looked on a while. Merlin was still burning smoke-powders, and pawing the air, and muttering gibberish as hard as ever, but looking pretty down-hearted, for of course he had not started even a perspirationⒶalteration in the MS in that well yet. Finally I said:

“How does the thing promise by this time, partner?”

“Behold, I am even now busied with trial of the powerfulest enchantment known to the princes of the occult arts in the lands of the East; an it fail me, naught can avail. Peace, until I finish.”

He raised a smoke this time that darkened all the region, and must have made matters uncomfortable for the hermits, for the wind was their way, and it rolled downⒶalteration in the MS over their dens in a dense and billowy fog. He poured out [begin page 263] volumes of speech to match, and contorted his body and sawed the air with his hands in a most extraordinary way. At the end of twenty minutes he dropped down panting, and about exhausted. Now arrived the Abbot and several hundred monks and nuns, and behind them a multitude of pilgrims and a couple of acres of foundlings, all drawnⒶalteration in the MS by the prodigious smoke, and all in a grand state of excitement. The Abbot inquired anxiously for results. Merlin said:

“IfⒶalteration in the MS any labor of mortal might breakⒶalteration in the MS theⒶalteration in the MS spell that binds these waters, this which I have but just essayed had done it. It has failed; whereby I do now know that that which I had feared is a truth established; the sign of this failure is, that the most potent spirit known to the magicians of the East, and whose name none may utter and live, has laid his spell upon this well. The mortal does not breathe, nor ever will, who can penetrate the secret of that spell, and without that secret none can break it. The water will flow no more forever, good Father. I have done what man could. Suffer me to go.”

Of courseⒶalteration in the MS this threw the Abbot into a good deal of a consternation. He turned to me with the signs of it in his face, and said:

“Ye have heard him. Is it true?”

“Part of it is.”

“Not all, then, not all! What part is true?”

“That that spirit with the Russian name has put his spell upon the well.”

“God’s wownds, then are we ruined!”

“Possibly.”

“But not certainly? Ye mean, not certainly?”

“That is it.”

“Wherefore, ye also mean that when he saith none can break the spell—”

“Yes, when he says that, he says what isn’t necessarily true.Ⓐalteration in the MS There are conditions under which an effort to break it may have some chance—that is, some small, some triffling chance—of success.”

“The conditions—”

“Oh, they are nothing difficult. Only these; I want the well and the surroundingsⒶalteration in the MS for the space of half a mile, entirely to myself from sunset to-day until I remove the ban—and nobody allowed to cross the ground but by my authority.”

“Are these all?”

[begin page 264]

“Yes.”

“And you have no fear to try?”

“Oh, none. One may fail, of course; and one may also succeed. One can try, and I am ready to chance it.Ⓐalteration in the MS I have my conditions?”

“These and all others ye may name. I will issue commandment to that effect.”

“Wait,” said Merlin, with an evil smile. “Ye wit that he that would break this spell must know that spirit’s name?”

“Yes. I know his name.”

“And wit you also that to know it skills not of itself, but ye must likewise pronounce it? Ha-ha! Knew ye that?”

“Yes, I knew that, too.”

“You had that knowledge! ArtⒶalteration in the MS a fool? Are ye minded to utter that name and die?”

“Utter it? Why certainly. I would utter it if it was Welsh.”

“Ye are even a dead man, then; and I go to tell Arthur.”

“That’s all right. Take your gripsack and get along. The thing for you Ⓐemendation to do is to go home and work the weather, John W.Ⓐalteration in the MS Merlin.”

It was a home shot, and it made him wince; for he was the worst weather-failure in the kingdom. Whenever he ordered up the danger-signals along the coast there was a week’s dead calm, sure, and every time he prophesiedⒶemendation fair weather it rained brickbats. But I kept him in the weather bureau right along, to undermine his reputation. However, that shot raised his bile, and instead of starting home to report my death, he said he would remain and enjoy it.Ⓐalteration in the MS

My two experts arrived in the evening, and pretty well fagged, for they had traveled double tides. They had pack-mulesⒶalteration in the MS along, and had brought everything I needed—tools, pump, lead pipe,Ⓐalteration in the MS Greek fire,Ⓐalteration in the MS sheaves of big rockets, roman candles, colored-fire sprays, electric apparatus, and a lot of sundriesⒶalteration in the MS—everything necessary for the stateliestⒶalteration in the MS kind of a miracle. They got their supper and a nap, and about midnight we sallied out through a solitudeⒶalteration in the MS so wholly vacant and complete that it quite overpassedⒶalteration in the MS the required conditions. WeⒶemendation took possession of the well and its surroundings. My boys were experts in all sorts of things,Ⓐalteration in the MS from theⒶtextual note stoningⒶalteration in the MS up of a well to the constructing of a mathematical instrument. An hour before sunrise we had that leak mended in a ship-shapeⒶrejected substantive fashion, and the water began to rise. Then we stowed our fireworksⒶemendation in the chapel, locked up the place, and went home to bed.Ⓐalteration in the MS

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Before the noonⒶalteration in the MS mass was over, we were at the well again; for there was a deal to do, yet, and IⒶalteration in the MS was determined to spring the miracle before midnight, for business reasons: for whereasⒶalteration in the MS a miracle worked for the Church on a week-day is worth a good deal, it is worth six times as much if you get it in on a Sunday. In nine hours the water had risen to its customary level; that is to say, it was within twenty-three feet of the top. We put in a little iron pump, one of the first turned out by my works near the capital; we bored into a stoneⒶalteration in the MS reservoir which stood against the outer wall of the well-chamber, and inserted a section of lead pipe that was long enough to reach to the door of the chapel and project beyond the threshold, where the gushing water would be visibleⒶalteration in the MS to the 250Ⓐalteration in the MS acres of peopleⒶalteration in the MS I was intending should be present on the flat plain in front of this little holyⒶalteration in the MS hillock at the proper time.

We knocked the head out of an empty hogshead and hoisted this hogshead to the flatⒶalteration in the MS roofⒶalteration in the MS of the chapel, where we clamped it down fast, poured in gunpowder till it lay looselyⒶalteration in the MS an inch deep on the bottom, then we stood-up rockets in the hogshead as thick as they could loosely standⒶalteration in the MS,Ⓐemendation all the different breeds of rockets there are; and they made a portly and imposing sheaf, I can tell you. We grounded the wireⒶalteration in the MS of a pocket electrical battery in that powder; we placed a nobleⒶrejected substantive Ⓐtextual note magazine of Greek fire on each corner of the roof—blue on one corner, green on another, red onⒶalteration in the MS another, and purple on the last,Ⓐalteration in the MS and grounded a wire in each.

About two hundred yards off, in the flat, we built a pen of scantlings about four feet high, and laid planks on it, and so made a platform. We covered it with swell tapestries borrowed for the occasion, and topped it off with the Abbot’s own throne. When you are going to do a miracle for an ignorant race, you want to get in every detail that will count; you want to make all the properties impressive to the public eye; you want to make matters comfortable for your head guest; then you can turn yourself loose and play your effects for all they are worth. I know the value of these things, for I know human nature. You can’t throw too much style into a miracle. It costs trouble, and work, and sometimes money; but it pays in the end. Well, we brought the wires to the groundⒶalteration in the MS at the chapel, and then brought them under groundⒶrejected substantive Ⓐtextual note to the platform, and hid the batteries there. We put a rope fence a hundred feet square around the platform to keep off the common multitude, and that finished the work. My [begin page 266] idea was, doors open at 10.30, performance to begin at 11.25 sharp. I wished I could charge admission, but of course that wouldn’t answer. I instructed my boys to be in the chapel as early as 10, before anybody was around, and be ready to man the pumpⒶrejected substantive Ⓐtextual note at the proper time, and make the fur fly. Then we went home to supper.

The news of the disaster to the well had traveled far, by this time; and now for two or three days a steady avalanche of people had been pouring into the valley. The lower end of the valley was become one huge camp; we should have a good house, no question about that. CriersⒶalteration in the MS went the rounds early in the evening and announced the coming attempt, which put every pulse up to fever heat. They gave notice that the Abbot and his official suite would move in state and occupy the platform at 10.30, up to which time all the region which was under my ban must be clear; the bells would then cease from tolling, and this sign should be permission to the multitudeⒶrejected substantive to close in and take their places.

I was at the platform and all ready to do the honors when the Abbot’s solemn procession hove in sight—which it did not do till it was nearly to the rope fence, because it was a starless black night and no torches permittedⒶemendation. With it came Merlin, and took a front seat on the platform; he was as good as his word, for once.Ⓐalteration in the MS OneⒶrejected substantive could not see the multitudes banked together beyond the ban, but they were there, just the same. The moment the bells stopped,Ⓐalteration in the MS those banked masses broke and poured over the line like a vast black wave, and for as much as a half hour it continued to flow, and then it solidified [begin page 267] itself, and you could have walked upon a pavement of human heads to—well, miles.Ⓐalteration in the MS

We had a solemn stage-wait, now, for about twenty minutes—a thing I had counted on for effect; it is always good to let yourⒶalteration in the MS audience have a chance to work up its expectancy. At length, out of the silence aⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS noble Latin chant—men’sⒶalteration in the MS voices—broke, and swelled up and rolled away into the night, a majestic tide of melody. I had put that up, too, and it was one of the best effects I ever invented. When it was finished I stood up on the platform, and extendedⒶalteration in the MS my hands abroad for two minutes, with my face uplifted—that always produces a dead hush—and then slowly pronounced this ghastly wordⒶalteration in the MS, with a kind of awfulness which caused hundreds to tremble, and many women to faint:

“ ConstantinopolitanischerdudelsackspfeifenmachersgesellschafftⒺexplanatory note Ⓐtextual note!”Ⓐalteration in the MS

Just as I was moaning out the closing hunks of that word,Ⓐalteration in the MS I touched off one of my electric connections, and all that murky world of people stood revealed in a hideous blue glare! It was immense—that effect! Lots of people shrieked, women curled up and quit in every direction, foundlings collapsed by platoons. The Abbot and the monks crossed themselves nimbly and their lips fluttered with agitated prayers. Merlin held his grip, but he wasⒶalteration in the MS astonished, clear down to his corns;Ⓐalteration in the MS he had never seen anything to begin with that, before. Now was the time to pile in the effects. I lifted my hands and groaned out this word—as it were, in agony—Ⓐalteration in the MS

“Nihilistendynamittheaterkaestchenssprengungsattentaets-
versuchungenⒺexplanatory note!”Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation

—and turned on the red fire! You should have heard that Atlantic of people moan and howl when that crimson hell joined the blue! After sixty seconds I shouted—

“Transvaaltruppentropentransporttrampelthier-
treibertrauungsthraeuentragoedieⒺexplanatory note!” Ⓐemendation

—and litⒶalteration in the MS up the green fire! After waiting only forty seconds, this time, I spread my arms abroad and thundered out the devastating syllables of this word of words—

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“ Mekkamusel-
mannenmassenmen-
chenmoerdermohren-
muttermarmormonu-
mentenmacherⒺexplanatory note!” Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation

—and whirled on the purple glare! There they were, all going at once, red, blue, green, purple!Ⓐalteration in the MS—four furious volcanoes pouring vast clouds of radiant smoke aloft, and spreading a blinding rainbowed noonday to the furthest confines of that valley. In the distance one could see that fellow on the pillar standing rigid against the background of sky, his see-sawⒶalteration in the MS stopped for the first time in twenty years. I knew the boys were at the pump, now, and ready. So I said to the Abbot:

“The time is come, Father. I am about to pronounce the dread name and command the spell to dissolve. You want to brace up, and take hold of something.” Then I shouted to the people: “Behold, in another minute the spell will be broken, or no mortal can break it. If it break, all will know it, for you will see the sacred water gush from the chapel door!Ⓐalteration in the MS” I stood a few momentsⒶalteration in the MS, to letⒶalteration in the MS the hearers have a chance toⒶalteration in the MS spread my announcement to those who couldn’t hear, and so convey it to the furthest ranks, then I made a grand exhibition of extra posturing and gesturing, and shouted:

“LoⒶemendation, I command the fell spirit that possesses the holy fountain to now disgorge into the skies all the infernal fires that still remain in [begin page 269] him, and straightway dissolve his spell and flee hence to the pit, there to lie bound a thousand years. By his own dread name I command it—BGWJJILLIGKKKⒶalteration in the MS!”

Then I touched off the hogshead of rockets, and a vast fountain of dazzling lances of fire vomited itself toward the zenith with a hissing rush, and burst in mid-sky into a storm of flashing jewels!Ⓐalteration in the MS One mighty groan of terror started up from the massed people—then suddenly broke into a wild hosannah of joy—for there, fair and plain in the uncanny glare, they saw the freed water leaping forth!Ⓐalteration in the MS The old Abbot could not speak a word, for tears and the chokings in his [begin page 270] throat; without utterance of anyⒶalteration in the MS sort, he folded me in his arms and mashed me. It was more eloquent than speech. And harder to get over, too, in a country where there were really no doctors that were worth a damaged nickel.Ⓐalteration in the MS

You should have seen those acres of people throw themselves down in that water and kiss it; kiss it, and pet it, and fondle it, and talk to it as if it were alive, and welcome it back with the dear names they gave their darlings, just as if it had been a friend who was long gone away and lost, and was come home again. Yes, itⒶalteration in the MS was pretty to see, and made me think more of them than I had done before.

I sent Merlin home on a shutter. He had caved in and gone down like a landslide when I pronounced that fearful name, and had never come to since. He never had heard that name before,—neither had I—but to him it was the right one; any jumble would have been the right one. He admitted, afterward, that that spirit’s own mother could not have pronounced that name better than I did. He never could understand how I survived it, and I didn’t tell him. It is only young magicians that give away a secret like thatⒶemendation. Merlin spent three months working enchantments to try to find out the deep trick of how to pronounce that name and outlive it. But he didn’t arrive.

When I started to the chapel, the populace uncovered andⒶalteration in the MS fell back reverently to make a wide way for me, as if I had been someⒶalteration in the MS kind of a superior being—and I was. I was aware of thatⒶalteration in the MS. I took along a night-shift of monks, and taught them theⒶalteration in the MS mystery of the pump, and set them to work, for it was plain that a good part of the people out there were going to sit up with the water all night, consequently it was but right that they should have all they wanted of it. To those monks, that pump was a good deal of a miracle itself, and they were full of wonder over it; and of admiration, too, of the exceeding effectiveness of its performance.

It was a great night, an immense night. There was reputation in it. I could hardly get to sleep for glorying over it.