The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-17

/ a low voice. HIS COuntenance, at this
moment, wore solemn and humble eX-
| preston, beautiful to see; and Miriam
| bent and laid her cheek against his. Mes
chimes knocked the ashes out Of his pipe
| and sighed.
"No woman ever took compassion on
| me-" he remarked, ''and you see the re-
| sult-ashesI"
''Ashes-with their wonted fires living
in them," said Trednoke
| I'VE were talking about this Indian OF
yours, " said Meschines.
"Ay, to be sure. Well. he was attached
to Inez' Sfam1ly when l first knew them.
1t was peculiar relation; not like that of
servant. One finds such things in
Mexico. The conquered race were of as
good strain as their conquerors; the blood
OF MonteZuma was as blue as the best of
the Castilian. There were many inter
marriages; and there are many instances
OF the survival of traditions and records:
though the records are often symbolic
and would have no meaning to persons
not initiated. But they have been sutfi-
Gent to perpetuate ties of a personal ma
ture through generations; and the alliance
between kamalakan and 1nez was of this
kind. His forefathers, | imagine, were
priests, and priests were a mighty power
in TenochtiIlan. For aught | know, in
deed Kamaiakan may be an original
priest of Montezuma's; no one knows his
age, but he does not look an hour older
to-day than when l first saw him over
twenty years ago."
He must be!'' said Miriam, with some
positiveness, HE has told me of seeing
and doing things hundreds of years ago.
And he says" She paused.
What does he say, Nina adorada?''
asked her father.
sit was about the treasure, you know"
Let us hear. The Professor is one
of u.s."
Its one of our traditions that my
mothers ancestors, at the time OF Cortez,
were very rich people," continued Mi
RAM, CHANGING at Meschines. and then
letting her eyes wander across the gar
den, blooming with roses and fragrant
with orange trees, and so across the trel-
Used vines toward the soft outline of the
mountains eastward. "a great part of
their wealth was in the form OF Jewels
and precious stones. When Cortez took
the city one Of the priests, who was rel
alive OF our family, put the jewels in a
box and mid them in a certain place in
the DESERT"
And does Kamaiakan know where the
place is?' asked the General.
He can know when the time comes"
Nv hlch will be, perhaps, when you are
ready for your doWry," observed the
Professor, genially.
"a spell was put upon the spot" Mi
riam went on, with certain imaginative
seriousness, for she loved romance and
mystery so well, and was of a tempera-
ment SO poetical, that the widest fairy
tales had sort Of reality for her. mo
one can find the treasure while the spell
remains. But kamaiakan understands
the spell, and the conjuration which dis
solves it; and when he dissolves it the
treasure will be found"
land, between ourselves" added the
II 81 io1r g l., ~ L.,
priestly relative by whom the spell Was
wrought. He bears an enchanted life,
which cannot cease until he has restored
the Jewels to Miriam's hands,"
There might be something in it, you
know" said Meschines, after a pause.
1.-The treasures of Montezuma have never
been found. Is there no old chart or
writing in your collection of curiosities
and relics that might throw light on it?''
THE scriptures of Anahuac were of
the hieroglyphic picture-writing,"
replied the other. mo, I fear there is
nothing to the purpose, and if there
were l should not know how to decipher
it''
But, papa, the tunicp' exclaimed Mi
riam.
Admitting that, what clue does it give
to the treasurer"
You must ask Kamaiakan," said Mi
RAM, "only he wouldn't tell you.'
Possibly" the Professor suggested,
the place where the treasure is hidden
is the place whence the water is to flow
out, and the water is the treasure"
"Seriously, do you suppose that such
phenomenon as the return of an inland
sea is physically practicable?' asked
Trednoke.
it?''
"Is that the queer wooden garment with
tho gold hrpidorv e,
lessor, becoming more Interested IT
took fancy to that, you remember.
Has it story?"
well, it is kind of an anomaly, be-
heye," the General answered, looking
up at his daughter with a smile. THE
AZtecs, you are aware, dressed chiefly in
cotton. Even their defensive armor was
Of cotton, thickly quilted. Their orna-
ments were feathers, and embroidery of
gold and precious stones. But wool, for
some reason, they didn't wear, and yet
this garment, as you can see tor your
self, Is pure wool, and that it is also pure
Aztecan is beyond question"
mo phenomenon IN this part of the
world would surprise me-" returned
Meschines. 'Tbe Colorado might break
its barriers, or it is conceivable that some
huge stream, taking its rise in the nights
hundreds of miles north and east of u.s.
may be flowing through subterranean
passages into the sea emerging from the
sea bottom hundreds Of miles to the west
ward. Now, if rafting good earthquake
were to happen along you might awake
IN the morning to find yourself on an ISL
and or even under water"
"a moderate Mediterranean would sat-
isfy me-" the General said. II wouldn't
exchange the certainty Of it for the treas
ures Of Montezuma."
1.-The thirst for gold and for water are
synonymous in your case?"
'Giye this section moist climate and I
need not tell you that the Great Ameri-
can Dessert would literally blossom as the
rose. Even as it is, expect great deal
OF it viii be redeemed by scientific irri-
cation. The soil only needs water to be-
come ineXhaustibly productive. Our
desert, as you know, is not sand, like
parts of the Sahara; it has all the ingredi-
ents that go to nourish plants, only their
present powdery condition makes them
unavailable. Now, / can, to-day, buy
hundred square miles of desert for few
dollars. You see the point, don't your
And all you want is expert opinion as
to the likelihood of finding water?''
The man who solves that question for
me in the affirmative is welcome to half
my share OF the results that would ensue
from it."
why don't you engage some expert
to investigator"
One cant always trust an expert.
don't mean as to his expertness only, but
as to his good faith. He might prefer to
sell the idea to somebody who could pay
cash-which l cannot"
"Why, you seem to have given this
thing good deal of thought, Trednoke."
well, yes; it has been my hobby for a
year past, and L have made some investi-
cations myself. But this is the first time
have spoken of it to any one"
II understand And what of tha in
vestigations?'
Il can say that found enough to in-
terest me. I'll tell you about it some
lime l should be clad To leave Miriam