Page:Amazing Stories Volume 21 Number 06.djvu/164

164 newspaper sheet on which he just managed to include a pencil outline of the footprint. Looking toward the mountains, he saw other imprints, as though their owner had been walking toward the sea. Following the line they made, he saw that they headed straight for his car. He took a quick run and leapt into the air precisely at the toe mark of one of the footprints in an attempt to broadjump the length of the giant's stride, but could not. He followed the trail toward his car. He says that the giant had evidently been looking back at the tent, for he did not see the car until he was within a dozen feet of it. At this point he swerved sharply, as though startled, because the right footstep here sank deeply into the packed sand (about eight inches deep), at right angles to the line of motion. From this point, the footsteps revealed a hasty retreat back into the wilderness of the hills. My friend followed the path for about an hour, then considered that he was too deep in wilderness to be without a gun. So he returned. The wind covered the footprints before they left the place. At this site, treasure has definitely been discovered, although the major portion of it still must lie there buried. One priest, well known to my closest friend here, was walking around this place when he stubbed his toe on a gold ingot that weighed forty-eight kilos! This was precisely at the same place where my other acquaintance saw the giant footsteps. But Peru is replete with such mysteries and buried treasures. A great majority of people would be very much surprised to learn to just what extent this is true

wanted to be a bishop in Bavaria in the early part of the Eighth century, but his teachings were so strange and disturbing that St. Boniface complained to the Pope.

The saint had cause to complain. He had been laboring for years to convert the pagan German tribes. It was slow, arduous and dangerous work. Troops of pagans stalked him with swords and spears, and his flock was repeatedly stripped and left destitute by wandering robber bands. He accepted all these hazards as part of his job and made his way through Bavaria and Thuringia, then to Friesland and on to Hesse and Saxony. He not only preached Christianity, but everywhere destroyed the idol temples and raised churches on their site. On one occasion he cut down an immense oak which was consecrated to Jupiter and used lumber cut from it to build a church.

The task of uprooting pagan beliefs was difficult enough, but St. Boniface also had to contend with weird theories among his own clergy. Finally he wrote to Pope Zachary (741-752) asking him to do something about Virgilius who was causing no end of trouble. The Pope replied as follows:

"I understand from your letter that Virgilius (I do not know whether he is a priest or not) has been acting maliciously against you, because you showed that he had wandered from true Catholic teaching, trying to make enmity between you and Odila, Duke of Bavaria. Nor is it true, as he says, that he has been absolved by me so that he might obtain the diocese of the deceased bishop, who was one of the four that you consecrated in Bavaria. It be true, moreover, that he teaches that beneath the earth there is another world and other men, call a council, excommunicate him, and if he be a priest, deprive him of his dignity. We have, however, ourselves written to the Duke about Virgilius, and sent a letter to the latter, summoning him to appear before us, that he may be condemned, if, after a careful examination, he be found to err in his teaching." Virgilius might have been arguing that the earth was round, and advancing his belief in the existence of the antipodes on the opposite, or under, side of the globe. This does not seem likely, however, since it would not be cause for condemnation. For centuries Christian scholars had held this theory. At the very beginning of the Christian era, Origen (185-255) in his De Principiis defended the existence of the antipodes. A century later St. Hilary also subscribed to this theory. The Church had made no pronouncement in the matter, but left the scientific question open, allowing Origen and St. Hilary to defend the existence of the antipodes, while St. Augustine (354-430), and others denied it. The early Church was concerned, however, about preserving the dogma of the Christian faith upon which the religion was founded. Therefore, if Virgilius maintained that an entirely different race of men, not descended from Adam, existed under the earth, he would have been condemned, since the Christian religion is based on the belief that all men on the face of the earth are descended from Adam, that they fell from grace through Adam, and that Christ appeared for the redemption of all men. Virgilius has been identified with Ferghil, the famous Irish missionary of Carinthia, who became Bishop of Salzburg in 768. (Healy, Ireland's Schools); but some scholars deny this (Mann, The Lives of the Popes). Whoever he was, he has posed an intriguing question—whether there were men living beneath the earth at that time, and whether they have survived and still exist.—S. O'Daniel.