The Ancient Gods Pursuing 39

far away, on the hills around; and on the
ridges above the river children ran about
with blazing brands of pine-wood, and
young men and maidens gathered at the
flaming beacon. Wheels, too, wrapped
round tire and spoke with straw and flax
smeared with pine-tree gum, were set alight
and sent rolling down the hill to the river,
amid wild cries and clapping of hands.
Some of the wheels went awry and were
stayed among the boulders; on some the
flames died out; but there were those which
reached the river and plunged into the water
and were extinguished; and the owners of
these last deemed themselves fortunate in
their omens, for these fiery wheels were
images of the sun in heaven, and _ their
course to the river was the forecasting of
his prosperous journey through the year
to come.

Thus these outland people held their fes-
tival, and Hilary marvelled to see the many
fires, for he had not known that the land
held so many folk. But now when it was
time for the wayfarers to cast about in their
minds how and where they should pass the
night, there came to them a stranger, a grave