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Where the Rishis wereBryan Kinnavan, (William Q. Judge), THE PTH, January !"#!.

W.Q. Judge

The Rishis were the sacred Bards, the Saints, the great Adepts Known to the Hindus, whogave great spiritual impulses in the Past and are said to sometimes reincarnate, and who

at one time lived on the earth among men.

"The world is made of seas and islands. or continents are onl! great lands water

encircled. #en must ever live upon sea or land, then, unless the! a$ide in air, and if the!

live in the air, the! are not men as we %now them."

Thus & thought as the great ship steamed slowl! into the port of a small island, and $efore

the anchor fell the whole scene seemed to change and the da''ling light of the past

$lotted out the dar% pictures of modern civili'ation. &nstead of an (nglish ship & wasstanding on an ancient vehicle propelled $! force un%nown toda!, until the loud noises of

disem$ar%ation roused me once again.But landed now, & was standing on the hill overloo%ing the town and $a!. The strangelight and the curious vehicle again o$tained master! over sense and e!e, while the whole

ma)est! of forgotten !ears rolled in from the *cean. +ainl! did modern education

struggle and soar & let the curtain drop upon the misera$le present.

-ow softl! sings the water as it rolls against the shore, with the sun $ut one hour old

shining upon its surface. But, far off, what is that spot coming nearer from the est,

followed $! another and another until over the hori'on rise hundreds, and now some areso near that the! are plainl! seen/ The same strange vehicles as that & saw at first. 0i%e

$irds the! fl! through the air. The! come slowl! now, and some have $een $rought still

on the land. The! light on the earth with a softness that seems nearl! human, with a s%illthat is marvelous, without an! shoc% or re$ound. rom them alight men of no$le mien

who address me as friends, and one more no$le than the others seems to sa!, "ouldst

thou %now of all this/ Then come," as he turns again to his vehicle that stands there li%e a$ird in wait to $e off.

"1es, & will go2" and & felt that the past and the present were $ut one, and %new what &

should see, !et could not remem$er it $ut with a vagueness that $lotted out all the details.

e entered the swift intelligentl!moving vehicle, and then it rose up on the air3s wide

spreading arms and flew again fast to the est, where the water was still softl! singing to

the $eams of the sun. The hori'on slowl! rose and the &sland $ehind us was hidden $! thesea from our sight. And still as onward we flew to the *ccident, man! more $irds made

$! manli%e that we were in flew $! us as if in haste for the softsinging waters lappingthe shore of that pea% of the sea mountain we had left in the *rient. l!ing too high atfirst we heard no sound from the sea, $ut soon a damp vapor that $lew in m! face from

the salt deep showed that we were descending, and then spo%e m! friend.

"0oo% $elow and around and $efore !ou4"

5own there were the roar and rush of mad $illows that reached toward the s%!, vast

hollows that suc%ed in a world. Blac% clouds shut out the great sun, and & saw that the

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crust of the earth was drawn in to her own su$terranean depths. Turning now to the

master, & saw that he heard m! unuttered 6uestion. He said,

"A c!cle has ended. The great $ars that %ept $ac% the sea have $een $ro%en down

$! their weight. rom these we have come and are coming."

Then faster sailed our $ird, and & saw that a great &sland was perishing. hat was left ofthe shore still crum$led, still entered the mouth of the sea. And there were cars of the air

)ust the same as that & was in, onl! dar% and unshining, vainl! tr!ing to rise with their

captains2 rising slowl!, then falling, and then swallowed up.

But here we have rushed further in where the water has not overflowed, and now we see

that few are the $right cars of air that are waiting a$out while their captains are entering

and spoiling the might! cars of the men whose clothing is red and whose $odies, so hugeand ama'ing, are sleeping as if from the fumes of a drug.

As these great red men are slum$ering, the lightstepping captains with suncolored

cloa%s are finishing the wor% of destruction. And now, swiftl! though we came, thewaters have rushed on $ehind us, the salt $reath of the alldevouring deep sweeps over

us. The suncolored captains enter their light aircars and rise with a sweep that soonleaves the sleepers, now wa%ing, $ehind them. The huge redcoated giants hear the roarof the waters and feel the cold waves roll a$out them. The! enter their cars, $ut onl! to

find all their efforts are wasted. Soon the crum$ling earth no longer supports them, and

all $! an inrushing wave are engulfed, drawn into the mouth of the sea, and thetreacherous ocean with roars as of pleasure in con6uest has claimed the last race of that

&sland.

But one has escaped of all the red giants, and slowl! $ut surel! his car sailed up, up, as ifto elude the suncolored men who were spoilers.

Then, loud, clear, and thrilling swelled out a note of marvelous power from m! captain,

and $ac% came a hundred of those $rilliant fast cars that were speeding off eastward. -owthe! pursue the heav!, vast, slowmoving car of the giant, surround it, and seem to avoid

its attac%s. Then again swells that note from m! master as our car hung still on its wings.

&t was a signal, o$e!ed in an instant.

*ne $rilliant, small sharppointed car is directed full at the red giant3s vehicle. Propelled

$! a force that e7ceeds the swift $ullet, it pierces the other, itself, too, is $ro%en and falls

on the waves with its victim. Trem$ling & ga'ed down $elow, $ut m! captain said %indl!,

"He is safe, for he entered another $right car at the signal. All those redcoated

men are now gone, and that last was the worse and the greatest."

Bac% eastward once more through the salt spra! and the mist until soon the $right light

shone again and the &sland rose over the sea with the softsinging water murmuring $ac%to the sun. e alighted, and then, as & turned, the whole fleet of swift sailing cars

disappeared, and out in the s%! flashed a $right strea% of suncolored light that formedinto letters which read

"This is where the Rishis were $efore the chal% cliffs of Al$ion rose out of thewave. The! were $ut are not."

And loud, clear and thrilling rose that note & had heard in the car of swift pinions. &t

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thrilled me with sadness, for past was the glor! and naught for the future was left $ut a

destin!.