Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-03-30

"Can it be copper" he thought, and
taking his knife he sliced small piece
from it. Lo, it was bronze, rudely en-
grayed with Characters slightly resem-
bling Phenician writingl A slab Of
bronzel What was it;doing here? Rla-
pel did not know what it. was, but he
said that there was once knife made
of the same metal in Atzlan, but it had
been lost for many years. 1t was stolen
from the temple ages ago by a man who
went into the desert and never returned.
In At there were many such knives, he
said, but they were very precious, and
but one, which Quetzal had brought,
was ever seen in the west. he had
heard of arrows and spearheads and axes
of the same metal, but had never seen
them. The slab had been preserved
sacredly, yet he had thought more than
once Of trying to conyerts'it into axes,
but knew of no way to do it.
At this moment Eric glanced up and
beheld the evil face of Chalpa, his eyes
lighted with malice, peering down upon
them. AS Eric's eyes met his he drew
his head back and disappeared, but there
was an unpleasing suggestion In the sus-
picious, vindictive look in his face that
left feeling in Eric's mind that Chalpa
would be good man to make a target
of before very long. klapel had seen
nothing, but, when Eric explained the
occurrence he angrily called to Chalpa,
but received no answer. The man had
slipped out stealthily, and this added to
Eric's unpleasant feeling. That Chalpa
hated as ell as feared him he knew full
well from the evil glances he cast upon
him, and there seemed something oni-
nous I'M his stealthy lowering andspying.
Still, as he had disappeared, neither
Eric nor Iklapel allowed 1t to rest long
upon their minds, and they continued
their examinations Of the relics undis-
turbed.
Each of the glazed tiles inserted in
the walls, klspel asserted, had been
brought in the very earliest times from
At. They were covered with rude pic
.ture writing, among which Eric found
representations OF elephants, lions and
camels, distinctly and carefully drawn,
animals of which Iklapel had no con-
ception whatever beyond these rude out
lines. There were boats delineated
there somewhat resembling the one be,
fore them, and figures in costumes re-
sembling those in the early Toltec
manuscripts. Temple fronts and houses
war chariots with prancing horses, and
most wonderful of all, battle scene
in which clouds of rolling smoke and
curiously carved tubes belching flames
moving down whole rows of men, were
depicted with rare skill. It would have
stood for rude picture of modern
field of war.
It was with wonder and amazement
that Gilbert studied the strange pic
lures, undoubtedly relics of long past
age, for he was convinced that the
priest had no knowledge of their import
and meaning; in fact the characters II
which the records were written upon
them were with few exceptions unfa'
miliar to him, they having been super
seded by more convenient if less pic
turesue method in later times. In these
characters he found many resembling
those of the Maya alphabet, but more in
the nature of pictorial representation
These were similar to the characters
upon the slab of bronze, and there
flashed across his mind memory Of
Plato's statement-that the people OF
Atlantis engraved their laws upon col.
umns and plates Of bronze and gold.
Could it be that this was one of those
tabletsi
While he was occupied with these
thoughts the old priest broughta a quaint.
ly carved cedar box, and removing it's
cover disclosed 8 double handful Of
roughly cut gems, the great value OF
which Eric discerned at glance. he
examined them with appreciative eyes,
finding among them several diamonds OF
the size of hazel nuts and many fine
rubies and emeralds.
"These," said Iklapel, "came from the
far south; they are the seeds Of the ser.
pent. Before he came and covered the
world with clay and stones and water
there was none of these on the earth;
no man had seen them before. Such Il
the tradition. The people of Atlantis
had no such shining stones, but they had
stones such as this" handing Eric an
oval of carnelian, with fattened sides.
Carved on one face was an intaglio,
finely executed, representing a pyr-
amidal mountain, with city surround
ing its base, evidently q picture Of the
fated city. Around the edge was a
border of small characters in the ancient
writing. On the reverse side was cut
the Crux Ansata, the mystic Tau, the
sacred symbol Of the Phallio god of the
old. world, which has puzzled the sayants
for ages.
"What treasure" thought Eric, "to
lay before the scientists of the country.
and what deal Of discussion it would
arouser'
There was nothing more to be seen,
and with glance around the room he
took up his light and followed Iklapel
up the ladder. They had spent several
hours in the vaultlike place and found
Kulcan above waiting for them. he
looked anxious and moody, and catching
Gilbert's eye motoned to him to follow
him. The young priest led the way
silently, yet casting quick, cautious
glances about him, to the large gate,
and when they were outside, almost into
the pinon orchards, he turned to Eric,
and after moments nervous hesitation
he began, "Did my brother ever gambler
"Well," replied Eric, with a smile,
"I've played the game my people call
poker many times, I'm sorry to say
too many times in fact-and I've tried
faro also once or twice, with poor re-
sults"-
"But,n interrupted Kulcan, "did you
ever allow yourself to be so carried
away with the excitement Of these games
that you forgot your duty to your sisters
and brothersf"
"No," answered Eric, "but l have
aean manv men lose their heads and