Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-13

then | looked about NE ivi 'hst IL, ..
escape. By this time al desire had leit
me 70 discover the hidden suppiy OF the
gold. duet. and the thought uppermost IN
80. cioried mind was TO devise some
means OF escape from my perilous posi-
ton. t:.....~,,.,,., I'LL
- -, foe4 "a | made ms way through
lie dense underground. and the woods
sae,nod fairlv alive With grinning, chatter
;,,,, roo,Eevs Beautiful birds OF brilliant
,,i,,,,,aee fitted from tree 70 tree. ard had
y NOT been for the shiny black pools that
ot every step yawned grim ana terrible at
nav feet. ] could have imagined myself IN
Paradise. As the suns rays ei,nteq rom
10 ocenrred TO me 70 climb tree and
end # nossihle. what direction TO take 10
Get ont of the swamp. Sultlng the action
fo fine thought ] climbed huge cl press
frae. and now. senores. only ask as q
recomnense that YOU believe what ! tell
"As 7 reached the topmost branch and
climbed ont on huge projecting lnb
found that what | had taken 20 zoe me d.
rect rays Of tho sun w3s only the renect on
from some brilliantly dazzling object winch
at first / could not maze out 50 Diihg l.,C
we're my ewes. gazed long aud steadily
at the mvsteri0us thing. and when my eyes
became somewhat accustomed TO the g.are
) saw a SIGHT that ha4 never for a moment
faded from NV memory since that memoTa-
lie morning Glistening and SHINING IN
tho morning sun, flashing a thousand
RAYS of GLORIOUS light into my wondering
owes was what ! con only term silver
city spread out before nv gaze. rot over
a quarter OF a mile away was the mos.
eunerb uanOrama nv eyes had ever rested
A frl~ gnlrnMgu1 between "A
low rance of mountains. completely cover
inc the broad. green bosom OF "A pctu-
rescue valley, rested a CITY 80 rayishingly
beantiful that at first | thought 1t must be
tie city OF the gods. 70 praise could Oe
too sweapinglv extravagant IN describing
This enchanting spot. The city did not
appear to cover vast track OF ground. DuI
ne far as | could judge it must have been
the home of some ten thousands OF PEG
ple. The streets appeared to be regularly
laid ont and graded, but a curious thing
which attracted nv attention was that
every square contained only one houic.
and this house seemed to be constructed
OF marble and looked mole like strange
tnmula than "A dwelling-hous". Immense
pillars supported strangely shaped roofs,
and apparently endless lights OF stone
steps led down FROM each house 10 me
street. while huge carved stone animals
rested on blocks of the same material az
the foot of each fight of steps. Inc whole
CITY seemed a collection OF MASSIVE towers
and aucient-lOoking castles, paTapetad
VOLS orralneuted cylindrical columns,
and q maze OF heiices, arches, ana strange
looking cornices. 80.
"That which most claimed by attention
was dazzling blaze of light reflected from
the conieal tower of what appeared 70 Zoe a
huge place OK worship. At first thought
il Iaust be q market-place. tor the lower
portion OF the edifce was open on an siu
and an infinite number OF tail pillars sup
ported a tremendous steeple which formed
q perfect cone Is It rose in tie ar II was
some time before my eyes com accustom
themselves 10 the intense light reflected
from this tall cone and permit me- 10
maze out the details of this Wond erul
palace. When did make out what 1t va
/ Wa for the moment struck dumb WIN
netouishment. for | saw that the rooI OF
| this Grand building was covered WIN 2
olisteuipg white metal, and tins metal ap-
reared to be silver. The. wave OF lglt taN'
was reflected from its .ymmetrical sides
was something grand, sublime, awful \
multitude OF persons were moving AROUND
among the tall pillars, and from one S.ie
| OF the huge building poured dense Yviuih'
| Of black smoke.
| Tins mt once struck me rs coming from
| a sacrifcial altar. The people were drcs SEQ
! in white. the flowing tOga worn by tl'
| women much resembling that worn by tho
| Nava Indians The FAINT notes OF an cS
quistelv.tOned bell stole family Oh my
strained ear and filed the dark. danb
! depths of the swamp with strange nieio
DIV. In view Of the dilapidated state O
tbe ancient Spanish architecture OF Mexico
it would be taxing your creAuEtF
| should TIL you OF the Symmetrical proper
! ri0ns and noble archit -Cture that claTa
teriZes the edihces of this silver city. Niti
nv limited vocabulary II would be utterly
| impOgsible Tor me 10 describe to you tho
/ marvnls that my eyes behcld.
THE city rested, rs | have said, on
, level plain between two CHAINS OF very low
mountains. Not q sheep br1wsel on tn'
Green sides Of these hiils. aud not even
! dog polluted the White streets Of this en-
chanted spot The people appeared to b'
! Lusy, for outside of the temple thc'
! tEronged 20 and fro like on the treets O
our own Merida, offering sacrifice TO
! strange deity.
AS IS always the case in Indian villages
| this sumptuous temple stood on the sum
mt OF a small, symctrlcclly shaped mound
and from the clouds Of smoke issuing iron
is sides / inferred that sacrifice was n
| the time being offered 10 the mystic ulet.
! Of this strange people.
"Nothing could be more grand than n,
view VIII h stretched away beyond this ma
icsticnile. Tow ri tho north rs far as 'hc er
could reach rested q bold barrier Of rut-e.
mills. seemingly reared expressly by natur
10 protect from sacrilegious eyes the iai
promotions Of this encnalted region. fa
away 20 the south the blue waves OF ol'
ocean plunged and rolled N tncr ma
ru-h 10 kiss the peObly beach Of the DIS
? e lnttl nstI a fh
the low RANGE OF mountain, their g-eel
sides ribbed AMI torn by yaTning c'.asin'
! their peaks tinged with delicate turluo s
blua tlat made them appear like Jewelie
soeptres "a the aads OF the god OF ayr
! OuetZalcuati. ever ready 40 smlte TO "a
earth the intruder of this las LAST ana mos
sacred domain. -
The architecture of this city difere
! from the prevailing STYLES IN Merida, an
appeared more like that OF Cxmal, Cni
/ cLen-itza. NOchilCglco, and lalenque.
- fact that appeared strange % re We
that moi an animal was in sight, and loo
as might could not dis cover one.
The streets werc filed with Indians
hut the main attraction seemed 10 be I'd
AS my fever cooled and my brain grey
cle0rer / bean 10 examine Times nor
infinitely and noticed tnat this city ha
an CIR OF cleanliness and e. '1Rnce N straI y
contrast 10 Merida. Every part OF In
place reflected 4 shimmer.ng wave 81 whit
and not a speck appeared 10 mar the pei
feet ail1astgr whiteness.
How long ! gazld on this gloriou
sight know not. but the an was - IN
In the west when / perceived an india
leave the silver city behind him and tg
low a small beaten path that led from "a
former place into the swamp IN which
was concealed.
Il was faint from the loss OF blood an
lack Of food, and | remember dimly G.
making up my mind TO follow tins mar
who | suspected was going to Merida.
"he came into the swamp and pesse
within 100 feet OF where | was concealed
and a. he passed me | slipped down froI
nv position and logged his footsteps.
II must have followed him with u
= cunning of an insane man. for the me-
thing remember was five weeks late
| when found myself under the roof OF n
master, who sits by your side, and VIII
nursed me through severe attack I
brain-fever.
} Il have never told this story to any OF
J hut my master for fear of being ridicule
, but, sehores," and here the voice OF d
old man yibrated with intense earnestnes
! THAT is the story OF Of the wound on II
forehead, and | will stake the remainir
} years Of my life that the silver city exis
and that my eyes have beheld it.n