The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-06-29

!
Now IklaleI and Ku!csn bad co
ceiyed a plan which delighted the
both beyond measure and their thong h
ran i'll this wise: Instead of a Katt
feast of horrors, bloody sacrifices al
dread sights. that brutalized the peop
and made them cruel and hard hearte'
they would have marriage feast! An
the bridegroom would be the wond,
worker. Quetzal, and the bride Leila, Il
daughter of Attain The audacity {
this scheme staggered them at first, br
they grew familiar with the thought {
they pondered it. and were pleased wit
themselves nightly. But it was a Ion
time before they approached Eric upo
| the subject. ..;,,..,.
When they did they were fortifie
| with many grave reasons and convint
ing arguments with which to overcom
all possible objections, but to their sut
prise he fell in with their views at ono,
But he7said: ,,...r,, 3. 10 .un
; Not l, but Leila, , must decide tn
question, my friends. Let us go to he
and ask her now.
They went to her apartment, and a
they entered she perceived that they ha5
come upon some more than ordinary e,
rand. She l,aled as she gazed upon thei
serious faces, and looked from one +
another with questioning glances.
Taking her hand Eric spoke: ..4-.-I
"My Leila, Iklapel and Kulcan hav
discovered, | know not how that W
love one another, and they wish to have
instead of human sacrifice at the feas
OF the Katun, a marriage feast, to max
1t day of gladness and rejoicing, an,
they have chosen us as the victims. :
have left the decision to you.""ae eI,
She hid her face upon his shoulder
and they had no other answer. In fac
when she raised her head they had botl
departed and gone about their business
In the midst of his happiness Eric wa,
seized with a feeling of insecurity, {
foreboding of evil, which was in, truth
the prelude. to a period of illness. . .Afte,
battling with ii. for awhile he; resolved
to avail himself of the only means OF
reaching the outside world ,by releasing
his long captive carrier pigeon. ManI
time its soft eyes had petitioned fol
freedom, many a time he had almost
opened thewicker cage. but had checked
the generous impulse! determined, te
await the hour of need. Somehow if
seemed to him that the time had now
arrived.
He wrote the message upon a niece Of
squirrel skin, the parchment Of the
priests, and fastened 1T to the pigeons
tail The bird looked bright and well.
1t seemed eager to be off as it pazed at
him with its head on one side and string.
gled to free its wings. Leila, took. It
from his hands, for it had long been her
pet, and covering it with her scarf she
carried it up to the temple top where no
one would observe them. Here thew
released it with a toss into the air.
otrasht as an arrow tits fight. for
i've hundred feet it darted I'D. then be-
gan to circle in ever widening sweans
-aSter and faster, ever higher. ever
stronger as its wings gained power.
1ntli at last, high in the armament. it
passed beyond their vision, and the can
7on wall shut it out. They stood 81.
entity watching until it had gone from
new; then Eric said with a sigh of
abstraction: ~, rf.. x..-.- O.. -: -. >,
Hes well off! Now if no hawk seizes
ilm' nor hunter bag him, he will, be, in,
'an Francisco in a few days ~
And then?' she inquired obviously.
"Iheil! Wen, then in a. few more
lays perhaps you will see other men en-, of
ny Kind, many of them, fTlaybe--L. 1
maybe, too. you will fird some one ia >
more to your liking He looked tslvlv
/ ner' but she scorned to, reply. She
'ae SO sure there was no man like him
all the wide world that she conla
nile at the very thought. II
mat night in her dreams she follov1vad 1
ne bird IN his fight over the desert IA
ne mountains, and it seemed thet II 1.,os
sight of fair city, but suddenly /
aWk with the face of Chalpaf swooned ]
own and struck it to the earth. then d.
CURED q, It at his leisure. She awakened |
'lth shudder, glad to find if hnt . |
feam She did not tell it to Eric for I
le was superstitious and feared Il v,n,I,a
.ouble him. TJagH sTEii0D 49, -
he very next day the council, oe ~ /
a.an was called Its duty was to select /
v1ctin and arrange for the great feast
!. was composed of twelve priests. the
ice De.ng hereditary, the only heredi-
ny Office in Atz1an. Some Of H.,
ere old, but the majority were ,nan t
ider thirty. Chalpa was the CHIEF - T
us council and one of the three ~
81 the fatal lot to decide which Of fbe
'en1y maldens selected by the council
M = ItGgs ste.1 l,yrfs /.
council was in secret sessia,,
.heeen days; no one knew its decision
u even the high priest, and the resnI,
Ns dehoerations would not he kno T,
o,,1d - EEK before the feast. tn T.
-, o LII, Ie tne week of the election and b
&c laoiic mind was in "a ferment. a III
,an. were neglected, and the naop,a L
80 80 snelr Tune discussing these I've
~ PICS from morn until night T,,aIs.
a. :, seen everywhere, using ali ctba. ~. e
'ne poilnc1an; the priests were ~,
al nours; the maidens. with foaue f
-. anu oianched cheeks, went and
~, ! !. snlooos for themselves, for NO r,1a +
e" VINO would be taken, -. ..t9s,'
=, - me midst of all Eric, becama y, L
- J;n overwork and lay for ten davs -
i,fioos Fever. tenderly nursed h. I = . = /.
= 1an-ala, but unconscious IF ~. ia {.
She rarely left his rhad LII =
to him the ,ne5;o;ss.s $3.50 81
placed at his side--as he shas ne
ucted her when he felt the fsra as'd m 2
upon him-and giving I'm, .ha gam !
: 1an-lla prepared: hangine ar .a 100 9
tenuer brooding when ba yss. nam ?
ndlng at his side in terrif;sd OF =
en- ne faved in his deliriumTtaffllg ps = 7
tnose demons whom he s.s, s11 LIZ 9
ugat, menacing his life, 80" =" iz.s sne !,
ler sweet. face was the first ha 60 =
y tne FEVER left him, and he onanas K.