“Yet it fell that, as the years went by, they grew careless, attending not to the voice of the priests, nor hearkening to their counsel. Empty was the temple of Ramouni; neither was the sound of worship heard any more before the altar. In sloth were the days passed, and in revelry the nights. Then Ramouni waxed wroth, and hid his face from his people, and a thick cloud of smoke arose from the earth many days, whereby much people were choked. The waters of the sea, also, overflowed the land, and vast rents appeared in the face of the earth. The earth quaked exceedingly, and there were sounds like unto thunder. So for many days it continued. “Then the remnant which was left, being but three score male and female, fled unto the refuge of the dead fire-mountain, whence they dared not come forth again, for the land of my people was become a desert, wherein grew no green thing. And it chanced that they found a passage in the heart of the mountain and ventured therein. Three days they journeyed, and on the fourth the passage ended. Before them was darkness; but, being like to starve for food, they were bold, and lowered a rope, down which one was sent and found firm ground below. “Then sent they down a second, that the twain might search out the land. In a while they returned, telling that they had seen a great jungle of fearsome-looking plants wherein abode many monstrous beasts. Caring not so that they might find a place to dwell in and withal food to eat, the rest went down into this strange land. My hand groweth weary to write of all they suffered hereafter; how they found the fearsome barbarians which dwelt in the land; of the mighty beasts they fought and overcame. They grew and multiplied into an exceeding great people, taking unto themselves as slaves many of the barbarians, who, for all their loathsome appearance, were willing enough to obey. “Unto these my people taught the language of Ayuti, they having no speech of their own save queer howling cries, like unto the voice of a wolf, for the which cause called they them ‘Wolf-people,’ being of a mind that they were perchance arisen from wolves.” Here Mervyn paused and shook his head decidedly. “I guess the evolution theory’s considerable older than we thought,” said Haverly, “accordin’ to that. But wade in, Mervyn; the old man can tell a decent yarn.” Once more the scientist bent over the manuscript: “With the aid of these their slaves my people builded a great city of stone, and in the midst a mighty temple to Ramouni. An image also they built, carven cunningly, and set it up that it might face the passage through which they came. And each day the light of Ramouni fell upon the eye of the image.