| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: bother me again or I shall have you whipped."
But Werper persisted. His liberty and perhaps his life
depended upon his success.
"Listen to me," he pleaded. "If I can give you as much
gold as ten men may carry will you promise that I shall
be conducted in safety to the nearest English
commissioner?"
"As much gold as ten men may carry!" repeated Abdul
Mourak. "You are crazy. Where have you so much gold
as that?"
"I know where it is hid," said Werper. "Promise, and I
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: planks in the deck above. Had they not done this I believe that
every soul of us must have perished, and I set down my own escape
from the sickness to the fact that the largest opening in the deck
was made directly above my head, so that by standing up, which my
chains allowed me to do, I could breathe air that was almost pure.
Having distributed water and meal cakes, the Spaniards went away.
I drank greedily of the water, but the cakes I could not eat, for
they were mouldy. The sights and sounds around me were so awful
that I will not try to write of them.
And all the while we sweltered in the terrible heat, for the sun
pierced through the deck planking of the vessel, and I could feel
Montezuma's Daughter |
