The record-union., 1892-10-29
CHAPTER WIZ.

a z5 dawn, and Freeman
kfA : 49, Ezsg1 SWas too weak to
SI3S,ssiR III N Btravel, il was decided
Y-IIS N1 l to encanp beside the
,yssfs>Aes 80 az s4zzs pyramid till the fol-
SsttSsSs<g-Sss5sf - e lowing evening, and
EeSzz- EeSzze. iscssE; ssS = then make the trip
sSyS s1,11ffs - across the desert III
tx sSisSe u ~ the comparative cool
1-555kss 1sss45zss- ness of starlight.
~ T5I-t sS50o Meanwhile, there was
- "a G4 cs5lGn q something TO be done
planned.
The spirit of Kamaiakan had passed
away, apparently at the same moment
that the peculiar case Of possession"
under which Miriam had suffered came
/ to an end. They determined TO bury
him at the foot of the great pyramid,
which would form fitting monument of
his antique character and virtues.
/ Miriam. after her struggle, had lapsed
into state of partial lethargy, from
which she was aroused gradually. It
was then found that she could give no
account whatever Of how OF why she
came there. The last thing she distinctly
remembered was standing on the veran-
/ da at the ranch and looking toward the
east. She was under the impression that
/ kamaiakan had approached and spoken
! with her, but OF that she was not certain.
| The next fact in her consciousness was
! L Il
feeling that she had barely escaped from
some great peril. She could recall moth
| ing OF the journey down the gorge, Of the
/ adventure at the bottom of it, or of the
return.
1t was only by degrees that some par
tlal light was thrown upon this matter.
! Freeman knew that he was at the en-
| trance OF the cave when the earthquake
began, and he remembered receiving a
/ blow on the head. Consequently it must
/ have been at that spot Miriam and the
! Indian found him. lie had, too, a vague
impression Of seeing Miriam coming out
OF the cave dragging the chest, ana there,
/ sure enough, WIS metal box strapped to
the saddle of the pack mule But the
! mystery remained very dense. And al
| though the reader is in position to anal
! we events more closely than the actors
themselves could do, it may be doubted
! whether The essential mystery is much
| clearer to him than it was then.
I'VE know that the ancient AZtecan
| priests were adopts in magic" observed
the Professor, 'and it is natural that
some OF that learning should have de-
scended to their posterity. We have
| been clever in giving names to such phe-
nomena, but we know, perhaps, even
less about their esoteric meaning than
the Aztecans did. | should Judge that
| Miriam would be what is called u good
subject Kamaiakan discovered that
! fact, and as for what followed we can
only infer it from the results. / was
always an admirer Of kamaiakan but
must say l am the better resigned
to his departure from the reelection that
Miriam will henceiorth be undisturbed
IN the possession of her own individu-
atty"
LAS near as I could make out she
called herself Semitzin," putin MIR. Free
| man.
"Semitzin?'' repeated the General.
why, II Pm not mistaken, there are ac-
counts of an AZtecan Princess of that
name, an anceStresS of my Wite's family,
in some old documents that l have in
box at home"
THAT would only add the marvel of
heredlty to the other marvels," said Mes
chimes. Suppose we leave the things
we can't understand and come to those
we camp
81 have something to say. General
Trednoke," said Freeman.
Il think l have already guessed what
1t may be, Mr.. Freeman" returned the
General, gravely. "Old people have ewes
and hearts, too, as well as young ones.n
Come, Trednoke," interposed the Pro-
tessor, with chuckle, your eyes might
not have seen so much if [ hadn't held
the lantern"
II love your daughter, and 1 told her
so yesterday morning." went on Free
man, after d pause. Il meant to tell vou
on my return. 1 know l don't appear
| desirable as a son-in-law. But l came
here on commission"
| "Mesehines ana l have talked it all
| over" the General said. "When an old
! West Pointer and Professor of physics
| get together they are able to put two and
| two together. And. TO tell the truth, |
received letter from member of your
syndicate. who is also an acquaintance of
mine, which explained your position.
| Under the circumstances [ consider
| your course to have been honorable.
| You and l were both in search of the
same thing, and now, as it appears, ma
| ture has sent an earthquake to do our
affair for us. No operations Of ours could
have achieved such a result as last nights
! disturbance did, and if that does not prove
| effective nothing else will.'
''If it turns out well | was promised
share in the benefits" said Freeman.
''and that would put me in a rather
better condition from a worldly point of
view"
II would like, in the first place, to hear
| what General Trednoile has to saw about
| what | have told him." said Freeman.
! clearing his throat.
"Miriam,'' said the General, ''do Won
wish to be married TO this young man?''
The old soldier was sitting with her
hand in his, and he turned to her as he
! spoke. She threw her arms around his
neck and pressed her face against his
| shoulder.
"H is to me what you were to mamma
she said, so that only he could hear.
'Ihen be to him what she was to me'
answered the General kissing her. "Ah
me, little girl, am old, but, perhaps. this
is the right way for me to grow Young
again. Well, il you are of the same mind
six months hence"
"Worse-it will be much worse. them
murmured the Professor. Better make
it three"
The chest was made of some alloy OF
steel and nickel, impervious to rust, and
very hard. 1t resisted all gentle meth
DDS OF attack, and it was finally found
necessary to force the lock with a charge
of powder. Within was found another
case, which was pried open with the point
of the Generals bowie-knife.
1t was filed to the brim with preciOus
stones, most of them removed from their
settings. But such of the gold work as
remained showed the jewels to be of an
cient Aztecan origin. There was value
enough in the box to buy and stock a
dozen ranches as big as the Generals,
and leave heirlooms enough to decorate a
family larger than that of the most fruit
ful of the ancient patriarchs.
Il call that quite respectable dowry,"
remarked Meschines. Upon NV s0iil
Miriam, if had known what you had up
your sleeve, L should have thought twice
before allowing civil engineer'-do
you remember?-to run Off with YOU so
easily"
At dawn they prepared the body of old
Kamaiakan for its interment. In doing
this the Professor noted the peculiar an
pearance OF the corpse.
1.-The flesh IS absolutely withered, ;" said
he, Especially those parts which were
ny how f,ro, -
to the action of some destructive vapor or
gas. fatal not only to breathe but To come