VII.
THE REVENGE.
Alma came in and hung his sickle on the wall. Although he assumed cheerfulness, his wife, who greeted him brightly over the pile of colored wool with which she was working, knew that he was sorely troubled. The room was airy, but simple, in its appointments. The floor was carpeted with rush mats and bears' skins, while the walls bore trophies of the chase in the form of antlers and deer heads. The supper looked inviting, and Alma came to it with the hunger born of hard labor in the fields.
"I wish you would not work so hard," admonished Zara, laying her work aside. "Amulon exempted you from labor."
Alma laughed shortly. "Small satisfaction that, to rest in the shade while I see my brethren toiling in the hot sun, with hard taskmasters over them. When I refused to be king, I explained that we are all equal in the sight of the Lord. Now that disaster has come upon us, I am no better than they. The drivers will not even allow our people to pray aloud any more."
"Surely Amulon has not forbidden that," gasped Zara, with dilated eyes.
The Lamanites had conquered all the southern provinces of the Nephites. The latter had only saved their lives by paying tribute of one-half their substance to their hard masters. At the time he fled from the armies of King Noah, Alma had traveled with his followers to a land of pure water where they built the beautiful city of Helem.
When Amulon and the gay priests stole the Indian girls and married them, King Laman had been wrathful. He sent out spies, located them where they were living and was getting ready to visit punishment upon them when his daughter Lamona, the wife of Amulon, came and threw herself at her father's feet and pleaded for mercy for the white men. She prevailed and the king of the Lamanites gladly welcomed his big son-in-law into favor. The head priest of King Noah rapidly resumed his old place of king's favorite. He introduced his own liberal schemes with the learning of the Nephites, and King Laman appropriated part of his kingdom for Amulon and his daughter to rule over. It so chanced that this province included the city of Helem.
When Amulon, accompanied by his dusky princess, and flanked by the barbarian armies, marched in, he was much surprised to find that the inhabitants were the followers of Alma. He found them easy prey, for their leader commanded them not to shed blood. The new ruler did not make it any easier for the captives because Alma had been a fellow priest of his who had won his sweetheart.
"Something has got to be done," pronounced Alma, looking across at his wife. "The people must break this yoke of bondage, for they cannot stand it any longer. I want you to unite with me in calling on the Lord for help."