The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-10

thrown away, by your scheming. too, on
that teothIeso and brainless old ape here,
about the brat There was no need of it.
But come along Once over the first inter-
view, matters viii be all right.
So saying, our hero led the way out
through the gap in the hedge toward the
figure standing II the swart shadow of the
forest trees, who moved away as they APP
preached, and they followed him IS he led
them to see Teresa.
Across many IN open glade in the forest,
down in dry ravines, up over ridges of
bald rocky lodges, they followed their
silent conductor. They had gone more
than league when Pacho declared him
self unable to proceed much further. In
vain Ignacio shouted to the guide to stop
and explain.
ct is rather an imposition on her part
to lead rs such . devil of tramp as this.
Stop, You fellow ahead there! command
You to stopp'
But as he ceased speaking his teeth chat
tered in his head from sheer terror, for on
the path behind them four dark figures
stopping rs they stopped, always at the
same distance behind them, and the now
trembling adventures, with many hur-
ried glance backward as they hurried on,
saw six black phantoms on their trail.
They rounded an acute anglo of jutting
rock, where they saw their guide dis
appear. 1t was in . deep ravine. This
long hall, with its roof Of woven reeds and
the glare Of fifty torches, shone on ct least
100 forms IN black masks arrayed on each
side. A colossal black image with hideous
features sat enthroned on 9 great ledge Of
granite, and in front of it, facing the
council chamber, sat five hideous figures,
each painted to represent a skeleton hold
ing skull in the left hand and in the
right the emblem of the mode Of death,
corresponding with the hideous head
representing a fish; fire, cleaning tiara
Of red serpents; poison, . chalice of arrows
with the woorara plant; steel, tiara OF
flashing knife blades. The fifth head dress
represented the gigantic ant. the horhigo
candelada.
There was not q whisper or murmur
among the masked ones until figure came
from without and passed up the hall. She
threw bsck her veil and Ignace saw Teresa.
The wretched dissembler dropped on HIS
knees before this vision Of beauty that
looked upon him with q glance Of perfect
indifference, as If she had never seen the
animal before. Az she looked her glance
changed to one of scorn and loathing. Al
he essayed to speak his faltering Tongue
and trembling lips refused their office. The
portly Pacho, the legal oracle of Valencia.
W - Qu1uO 0ibO, anu Al III &XOuY Oh lear
for he knew that they had been called to
Judgment in the council chamber Of the
Caribees of Parma.
Teresa spoke, and It was translated from
the Indian tongue to the prisoners.
have come, my people, at your sum-
mons, to identify the wretch who robbed
me of my home and my fathers love; who
sold me as slave. Here and now / re-
nounce the hated race of whites, who
would koa hal =,
was an Ottomaco and l claim the protec-
ton of your council. / shall live and die
here among my own people. Punish that
cowardly wretch according to your laws.
shall never look upon his hated face
again, never listen to his detested voice"
And she was gone. All the papers and
letters bearing on the conspiracy we're
translated to the listening council. the
torgeries OF five years before, even to the
letter, written by the exuItant Nunez, an
nouncing the capture of the child only q
few hours ago. There was but one single
word-Death was the sentence of the
council. The cold, harsh voice that an
nounced it told the quivering coward he
could choose his own mode of death,
telling him at the same time the meaning
of the symbols. "Take that reed in your
hand and touch one of the five seated
figures"
"Great God Is there no escaped Mercy!
Teresa, save me! I cannot do it! lean
not choosel"
sYou had better" came in husky tones
from the trembling Pacho. ''if they do 1t it
may be worse"
"How can il be worses D-n you. this
is all your fault. cannot die!
The interpreters voice chilled him again
with its icy tone of warning.
"You will not choose? The council
chooses for your And as each masked
figure passed out into the darkness of the
rocky glen beyond the torchlight and
seemed to mingle with the black shadows
of the defile each one as he passed touched
the figure that wore the emblem of the
tocandyra.
The han was empty, except for the five
figures, who seemed now endowed with
the activity of demons. They came about
the crouching pair, and seeming to ignore
Paoho entirely, grasped the limp figure of
Ignacio, and bound him hand and foot.
He would have sacrificed all his earthly
relations and all his hopes of heaven to
hear once more that harsh, cold voice. to
apart from this now detested Pacho, the
scheming idiot and cause of his misfor-
tunes and perhaps his DEATH
There was a small oblong island there.
in the center OF a tributary Of the Yao; q
swift but shallow current on each side,
and in the center of this small island great
bongo trees, perhaps fifty feet in circum-
ference, two or three men might have
stood in the hollow at its base. An open
framework of bamboo, with horizontal
Stats two feet apart, fitted to the front of
the hollow like door frame when fastened
1t its place. In the body of this huge tree.
and its great gnarled branches, was the
home OF the dreaded tocandyra. These car
nivorous ants, as they may be called, are
the most terrible insect scourge of the
tropics They seem to know the most
Vulnerable points for attack and would
Kill an OK In twenty minutes, swarming in
the eyes, ears and nostrils. An inch and
a half in length, half of the BODY black.
and half blood red, they will lock their
mandibles on the lighted end of cigar
and die happy in fulfilling their duty.
Here, IN front OF this bongo, the naked
form OF Nunez was dashed to the bamboo
frame by bejucas (vines). The crescent
shaped fire to illuminate the scene was
lighted
Poor, trembling Pacho had been forced
to accompany these tive masked figures
and their victim. He saw the bamboo
frame with Ignacio on it, dashed upright
against the dark hollow of the bongo. his
moaning, struggling nephew on the inside.
He did not comprehend it. He lanrhed
but feebly, deferentialiy as it were, in the
presence of these black figures that never
spoke. 1t was severe joke to play on the
nephew. How he would laugh at him to-
morrow about it. He had been trembiine
terribly, for he thought they would burn
him. He saw now they did not intend
that, but he would certainly invoke the
these brutal savages. Suddenly. the Are
flashed up brightly and the Tocandyra
demon had struck three or four blows on
the hollow trunk, and what was this that
happened? A rain Of jet black CRYSTALS
and ruby sparks falling, covering the