"Where is your sword and where is your armor?" he tauntingly asked.

"My steel is hid until I find a foe worthy of its mettle."

Blackana quivered and resumed his task. He told me that above us, deep in the bowels of these mountains, were the more refined legislative halls of Satan; while below us, at varying and terrible depths, lay scattered many a brooding station where the lowest laws of h.e.l.l are hatched.

"Let us go downward," I said, and scarcely had the words escaped my lips ere Blackana had ushered me into an elevator, holding me as we dropped down and down with increasing velocity, while a cold chill was freezing my heart, and my body playing the part of an aspen leaf.

Never before had I been touched by so dreadful a hand, but I thought again of the ten thousand, and that lent warmth to my heart and calmness to my nerves. "To what great depth are we falling?" I soon ventured to ask, as I perceived that we were dashing downward at terrific speed.

"We fall to no great depth; we go only a thousand furlongs to reach the first grand level, not stopping at these lesser places of which you get a glimpse in pa.s.sing."

"A thousand furlongs," I repeated, "down into the earth! Who ever heard of such a descent before?" But I still thought of my ten thousand, even though I could not conceive how they could follow me in such places.

"At what rate do we now travel?" I nervously asked, for I felt the hand of Blackana still pressing me down lest the great elevator would fall faster than my body.

"According to earthly reckoning we are falling twenty furlongs a second and our speed is still increasing with the descent," was the startling answer.

I spoke no more, but found myself clutching the raised bars of the floor. I saw the glimmering light of many a region as we darted by at our lightning speed.

In an incredibly short time we reached the first grand level. Blackana led me forth from the elevator into an immense cavern whose dimensions were apparently as limitless as the s.p.a.ce between the earth and sky.

It was illuminated by infernal lights and all astir with moving thousands in fabled dress and shape.

Never before had I imagined or beheld such a scene. Pure gold was as plentiful as the water of the earth, and was abundantly used in the construction of vast halls whose overarching vaults were encrusted with priceless gems that dazzled like jets of crystallized light.

"What weird world is this?" I asked in an awed tone.

"This is one of my master's legislative centers, devoted to each separate government on earth. The many legislators of this whole region are ever busily engaged in determining upon their policy and methods of operation, and in endeavoring to influence the law-making body of each government to create and modify laws in harmony with the underground legislation here enacted."

"Ah!" said I, "but this place is far from the surface where man dwells.

How can there be such close connection?"

Blackana smiled as he made a wonderful revelation to me. "This strange empire is in close touch with the whole human family, for there are thousands of wires leading from this dark realm to each government centre of earth. Satan thus communicates his wishes to each lawmaker, of every land, who will lend a listening ear to his schemes."

Blackana then conducted me to an immense building divided into many sections. "Here is the electric centre of this level," he said.

As I gazed I learned the secret of Satan's power in law. Thousands were here engaged in conversing with legislators on earth.

I could understand no word of all these communications, for the section where I stood was devoted to Asiatic countries and the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

"Take me, O Blackana, to the section connecting with the Western world that I may see the very wires that run to the United States of America."

I soon stood in the interior of another large building, and with great interest listened to the operators communicating with some who were in authority at Washington, and with persons elsewhere who were interested in the formulation of laws for the whole country.

"Does this never cease?" I questioned.

"It continues through the days and nights of earth forever," came the reply.

I was looking at the intricate system of wires and the stupendous proportions of the place, when suddenly I heard some one mention a name with which I was familiar. I was attracted close to the side of the operator that I might hear at least the one side of the conversation.

"That bill should never become a law," said the operator, but I could not hear the reply.

"Fight hard to defeat it. You will get heaps of gold if you succeed,"

were the next words I heard at the lower 'phone.

"Never mind them. I'll take care of that crowd. I will try once more to get their ear. I failed the last time, but I hope to succeed at my next endeavor." These words were spoken very plainly, but still I could hear no reply.

"Suppose the other element has chances to win. Get ready at once and meet the situation. Go and speak to the chairman of the committee and early influence his mind in our favor. Offer any bribe you wish, for we have unlimited resources at our command."

"If only I could hear the answer," thought I.

Then the operator listened a long time, and I almost envied his privilege, wishing that I might also hear the human voice from the earth's surface.

Blackana conducted me to other parts of the building, and I saw the fiendish program carried out at each point. Thousands of demons were in league with the law-makers of the world!

"Oh! that I could cut these wires and restrict Satan's laws to these underground dominions," I said with rising boldness,

"Silence, puny mortal! Know you not that others can hear you speak?

Would you here be crushed to death so far from the light of day?"

Superhuman strength moved me to answer thus: "Though all these hosts should hear me, I fear nothing. I am invincible, and should you take me to the deepest depths, amidst foul crawling imps, not one can harm me. Neither can you, Blackana.

"Come on," he sneered, "cease your senseless sentences and follow me."

I saw that Blackana endeavored to conceal the counter-currents of his heart, but nevertheless his agitation did not escape my notice.

Back to the elevators we went, and with a throng of evil spirits we entered the central car and fell another thousand furlongs into the depth of the earth.

We stopped at the second grand level into which I was ushered. I looked out over what seemed to be a new world with more light and more animation than was manifest on the first level.

Boisterous demonstrations were heard on every hand, all made more hideous by the variety of evil spirits who added their din to the general bedlam. "What furious world is this?" I shouted.

"This is Satan's political headquarters, and the place where his state laws are made. We are here connected with every state or divisional government in the world, and with every political movement that can be influenced by these underground voices."

My indignation leaped over all bounds as the vileness of these iniquitous schemes pressed upon me. I heard the bands of music from those who had prost.i.tuted their talent to the second level.

Blackana pushed me on through all the demonstrations, and then led me into a great structure more secluded than the electrical stations.

Here the state laws are hatched, but, thanks to a higher sanctum, not all the brood see daylight.

The plotters of h.e.l.l sat in this underground legislative centre, and I saw, to my horror, some state legislators occupying seats in this infamous quarter.

Then said I to Blackana: "It is no more a mystery to me how so much of h.e.l.l is incorporated into the laws of the states in the country where I hold residence, as well as in all other parts of the world.

How long have these things been?"

"Since the beginning of law," was his indifferent reply.

"It will not be so forever," I prophesied under a sudden spell of inspiration. "The time must come when the power of this level will be blasted forever. The owner of the tree will burn the worms and their nests from every branch."

Then said Blackana tauntingly: "Neither flood, poison, fire, nor knife can ever destroy this section." Just as he spoke these words the whole edifice shook, and I heard a noise as if a shower of great stones had crashed into the roof and sides of the building. The legislators quaked with fear and all looked toward the ceiling. All of this instantly reminded me of the thousand lords who looked at the ominous handwriting on the wall at the feast of Belshazzar.