At length she retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal attractions, came up to the first.
When the chosen girls had all danced, the king lifted his hand.
"Which deem ye the fairest, white men ?" he asked.
"The first," said I unthinkingly.

Next second I regretted it, for I remembered that Infadoos had told us that the fairest woman must be offered up as a sacrifice.
"Then is my mind as your minds, and my eyes as your eyes.

She is the fairest! and a sorry thing it is for her, for she must die!" "_Ay, must die!_" piped out Gagool, casting a glance of her quick eyes in the direction of the poor girl, who, as yet ignorant of the awful fate in store for her, was standing some ten yards off in front of a company of maidens, engaged in nervously picking a flower from her wreath to pieces, petal by petal.
"Why, O king ?" said I, restraining my indignation with difficulty; "the girl has danced well, and pleased us; she is fair too; it would be hard to reward her with death." Twala laughed as he answered-- "It is our custom, and the figures who sit in stone yonder," and he pointed towards the three distant peaks, "must have their due.

Did I fail to put the fairest girl to death to-day, misfortune would fall upon me and my house.

Thus runs the prophecy of my people: 'If the king offer not a sacrifice of a fair girl, on the day of the dance of maidens, to the Old Ones who sit and watch on the mountains, then shall he fall, and his house.' Look ye, white men, my brother who reigned before me offered not the sacrifice, because of the tears of the woman, and he fell, and his house, and I reign in his stead.