Thentheceremoniesbeganwithakindofinfernalballet。Onthesmoothspacebetweenthemandthewater’sedgeappearedmaleandfemalebandsofdancerswhoemergedfromtheshadows。Forthemostparttheyweredresseduplikeanimalsandimitatedthecriesofthebeaststhattheyrepresented，althoughsomeofthemworelittleornoclothing。Tothesoundofwildmusicofhornsanddrumsthesecreaturesdancedakindofinsanequadrillewhichseemedtosuggesteverythingthatiscruelandvileupontheearth。Theydancedanddancedinthemoonlighttillthemadnessspreadfromthemtothethousandswhoweregathereduponthefarthersideofthewater，forpresentlyallofthesebegantodancealso。Nordiditstopthere，sinceatlengththeAsikarosefromherchairuponthedaisandjoinedintheperformancewiththeMunganaherhusband。EvenJeekiebegantopranceandshoutbehind，sothatatlastAlanandtheOgulaaloneremainedstillandsilentinthemidstofasceneandanoisewhichmighthavebeenthatofhellletloose。
Leavinggoofherhusband，theAsikaboundeduptoAlanandtriedtodraghimfromhischair，thrustinghergoldmaskagainsthismask。HerefusedtomoveandafterawhileshelefthimandreturnedtoMungana。Louderandlouderbrayedthemusicandbeatthedrums，wilderandwildergrewtheshrieks。Individualsfellexhaustedandwerethrownintothewaterwheretheysankorfloatedawayontheslowmovingstream，aspartofsomeinexplicableplaythatwasbeingenacted。
ThensuddenlytheAsikastoodstillandthrewupherarmsandtheyfellupontheirfacesandlayasthoughtheyweredead。Athirdtimeshethrewupherarmsandtheyroseandremainedsosilentthattheonlysoundtobeheardwasthatoftheirthickbreathing。Thenshespoke，orratherscreamed，saying:
“LittleBonsahascomebackagain，bringingwithherthewhitemanwhomsheledaway，“andalltheaudienceanswered，“LittleBonsahascomebackagain。OncemoreweseeherontheheadoftheAsikaasourfathersdid。Giveherasacrifice。Giveherthewhiteman。“
“Nay，“shescreamedback，“thewhitemanismine。InamehimasthenextMungana。“
“Oho！“roaredtheaudience，“Oho！shenameshimasthenextMungana。
Good-bye，oldMungana！Greeting，newMungana！Whenwillbethemarriagefeast？“
“Tellus，Mungana，tellus，“criedtheAsika，pattingherwretchedhusbandonthecheek。“Telluswhenyoumeantodie，asyouareboundtodo。“
“Onthenightofthesecondfullmoonfromnow，“heansweredwithaterriblegroanthatseemedtobewrungoutofhisheavyheart；“onthatnightmysoulwillbeeatenupandmydaydone。ButtillthenI
amlordoftheAsika，andifsheforgetsit，deathshallbeherportion，accordingtotheancientlaw。“
“Yes，yes，“shoutedthemultitude，“deathshallbeherportion，andherloverwewillsacrifice。Dieinhonour，Mungana，asallthosediedthatwentbeforeyou。“
“ThankHeaven！“mutteredAlantohimself，“Iamsafefromthatwitchforthenexttwomonths，“andthroughtheeye-holesofhismaskhecontemplatedherwithloathingandalarm。
Atthemoment，indeed，shewasnotapleasingspectacle，forintheheatandexcitementofhermaddanceshehadcastoffhergoldbreast-
plateorstomacher，leavingherselfnakedexceptforherkirtleandthethin，gold-spangledrobeuponhershouldersoverwhichstreamedherblack，disorderedhair。Contrastingstrangelyinthesilvermoonlightwithherglistening，copper-colouredbody，themaskofLittleBonsaonherheadglaredroundwithitsfixedcrystaleyesandfiendishsmileassheturnedherlongneckfromsidetoside。Seenthusshescarcelylookedhuman，andAlan’sheartwasfilledwithpityforthepoorbedizenedwretchshenamedherhusband，whohadjustbeenforcedtoannouncethedateofhisownsuicide。
Soon，however，heforgotit，foranewactinthedramahadbegun。TwopriestscladinhornsandtailsleaptontothedaisandatasignalunlacedthemaskofLittleBonsa。NowtheAsikalifteditfromherstreamingfaceandhelditonhigh，thensheloweredittothelevelofherbreast，andholdingitinbothhands，walkedtotheedgeofthedais，whereonpriests，disguisedasfiends，begantoleapatit，strivingtoreachitwiththeirfingersandsnatchitfromhergrasp。
Onebyonetheyleaptwiththemostdesperateenergy，eachmanbeingallowedtomakethreeattempts，andAlannotedthatthisnoveljumpingcompetitionwaswatchedwiththedeepestinterestbyalltheaudience，atthetimeheknewnotwhy。
Thefirsttwowereevidentlyelderlymenwhofailedtocomeanywherenearthemark。Theirfailurewasreceivedwithshoutsofderision。
TheysankexhaustedtothegroundandfromthemotionofhisbodyAlancouldseethatoneofthemwasweeping，whiletheotherremainedsullenlysilent。Thenayoungermanadvancedandatthethirdtryalmostgraspedthefetish。Indeedhewouldhavegraspedithadhenotmetwithfoulplay，fortheAsika，seeingthathewasabouttosucceed，lifteditaninchortwo，sothathealsomissedandwithagroanjoinedthebandofthedefeated。Nextappearedafourthpriest，evenmorehorriblyarrayedthanthosebeforehim，butAlannoticedthathismaskwasofthelightest，andthathisgarmentsconsistedchieflyofpaint，themainideaofhismake-upbeingthatofaskeleton。Hewasathinactivefellow，andallthewatchingthousandsgreetedhimwithashout。Forafewsecondshestoodbackgazingatthemaskasawolfmightatanunapproachablebone。Thensuddenlyheranforwardandsprangintotheair。SuchanamazingjumpAlanhadneverseenbefore。Sohighwasitindeedthathisheadcamelevelwiththatofthefetish，whichhesnatchedwithbothhandstearingitfromAsika’sgrasp。Comingtothegroundagainwithathud，hebegantocapertoandfro，kissingthemask，whiletheaudienceshouted:
“LittleBonsahaschosen。Whatfateforthefallen？Askher，priest？“
ThemanstoppedhiscaperingandheldthemouthofLittleBonsatohisear，noddingfromtimetotimeasthoughshewerespeakingtohimandheheardwhatshesaid。ThenhepassedroundthedaiswhereAlancouldnotseehim，andpresentlyreappearedholdingLittleBonsainhisrighthandandinhisleftagreatgoldcup。Asilencefellupontheplace。Headvancedtothefirstmanwhohadjumpedandofferedhimthecup。Heturnedhisheadaway，butathousandvoicesthundered“Drink！“
Thenhetookitanddrank，passingittoacompanioninmisfortune，whointurndrankalsoandgaveittothethirdpriest，hewhowouldhavesnatchedthemaskhadnottheAsikalifteditoutofhisreach。
Thismandrainedittothedregs，andwithanexclamationofragedashedtheemptyvesselintothefaceofthechosenpriestwithsuchfurythatthemanrolleduponthegroundandforawhilelaytherestunned。Nowhewhohaddrunkfirstbegantospringaboutinaludicrousfashion，andpresentlywasjoinedinhisdancebytheothertwo。Soabsurdweretheirmotionsandtumblingsandclownlikegrimaces，fortheyhaddraggedofftheirmasks，thatroarsofbrutallaughterrosefromtheaudience，inwhichtheAsikajoined。
AtfirstAlanthoughtthatthethingwasajoke，andthatthemenhadmerelybeenmademaddrunk，tillcatchingsightoftheireyesinthemoonlight，heperceivedthattheywereingreatpainandturnedindignantlytoremonstratewiththeAsika。
“Besilent，Vernoon，“shesaidsavagely，“bloodisyour/orunda/andI
respectit。Thereforebydecreeofthegodthesedieofpoison，“andagainshefelltolaughingatthecontortionsofthevictims。
Alanshuthiseyes，andwhenatlength，drawnbysomefearfulfascination，heopenedthemoncemore，itwastoseethatthethreepoorcreatureshadthrownthemselvesintothewater，wheretheyrolledoverandoverlikewoundedporpoises，tillpresentlytheysankandvanishedthere。
Thisfarce，forsotheyconsideredit，beingendedandthestage，sotospeak，cleared，theaudiencehavinglaugheditselfhoarse，setitselftowatchtheproceedingsofthenewlychosenhigh-priestofLittleBonsa，whobynowhadrecoveredfromtheblowdealttohimbyoneofthemurderedmen。Withthehelpofsomeotherpriestshewasengagedinbindingthefetishontoalittleraftofreeds。Thisdonehelaidhimselfflatuponabroadplankwhichhadbeenmadereadyforhimattheedgeofthewater，placingthemaskinfrontofhimandwithafewstrokesofhisfeetthathungoverthesidesoftheplank，paddledhimselfouttothecentreofthecanalwherethegodcalledBigBonsafloated，orwasanchored。Havingreachedithepushedthelittleraftofftheplankintothewater，andinsomewaythatAlancouldnotsee，madeitfasttoBigBonsa，sothatnowthetwoofthemfloatedonebehindtheother。Thenwhilethepeoplecheered，shoutingoutthathusbandandwifehadcometogetheragainatlast，hepaddledhisplankbacktothewater’sedge，satdownandwaited。
Meanwhile，atasignfromtheAsika，allthescoresofpriestsandpriestesseswhoweredressedasdevilshadfiledofftorightandleft，andvanished，presumablytocrossthewaterbybridgesorboatsthatwereoutofsight。AtanyratenowtheybegantoappearuponitsfurthersideandtowindtheirwaysinglyamongthethousandsoftheAsikipeoplewhoweregatheredupontherockyslopebeyondinordertowitnessthisfearsomeentertainment。Alanobservedthatthespectatorsdidnotappeartoappreciatethearrivalamongstthemofthesepriests，fromwhomtheyseemedtoedgeaway。Indeedmanyofthemroseandtriedtodepartaltogether，onlytobedrivenbacktotheirplacesbyadoublelineofsoldiersarmedwithspears，whonowforthefirsttimebecamevisible，ringingintheaudience。Alsoothersoldiersandwiththembodiesofmenwholookedlikeexecutioners，showedthemselvesuponthefurtherbrinkofthewaterandthenmarchedoff，disappearingtoleftandright。
“What’sthematternow？“AlanaskedofJeekieoverhisshoulder。
“Allinbluefunk，“whisperedJeekieback，“jokedone。Gettobusinessnow。Sillyfoolsforgetthatwhentheylaughsomuch。BothBonsasveryhungryandAsikawantwipeoutoldscores。Presentlyyousee。“
PresentlyAlandidsee，foratsomepreconcertedsignalthedevilpriests，eachofthem，jumpedwithayellatapersonneartothem，grippinghimorherbythehair，whereonassistantsrushedinanddraggedthemdowntothebankofthecanal。Heretothenumberofahundredormore，awailing，strugglingmass，theywereconfinedinapenlikesheep。Thenabarwasliftedandoneofthemallowedtoescape，onlytofindhimselfinakindofgangwaywhichrandownintoshallowwater。Beingforcedalongthishecametoanopenspaceofwaterexactlyoppositetothefloatingfetishes，andtherewaskeptawhilebymenarmedwithspears。Asnothinghappenedtheyliftedtheirspearsandthemanboltedupaninclineandwaslostamongthethousandsofspectators。
Thenextone，evidentlyapersonofrank，wasnotsofortunate。
Jumpingintothepooloffthegangway，hestoodtherelikeasheepabouttobewashed，thewaterreachinguptohismiddle。ThenAlansawaterrifyingthing，forsuddenlythehorrid，goldenheadofBigBonsa，towingLittleBonsabehindit，begantoswimwithadeliberatemotionacrossthestreamuntil，reachingtheman，itseemedtorearitselfupandpokehimwithitssnoutinthechestasaturtlemightdo。Thenitsankagainintothewaterandslowlyfloatedbacktoitsstation，directedbysomeagencyorpowerthatAlancouldnotdiscover。
