The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-06-08

and after q moment nervous hs-ltAl1oa
he began. did my brother ever gamble.
Well" replied Eric. with a smile,
Ave PLAYED the game my people call
tsoker many times. I'm sorry 10 say
too many times in fact-~and I've tried
faro also once or twice. with poor re-
sulrsr-
But interrupted Kulcan, did yon
ever allow yourself To be so carried
away with the excitement Of these games
that you forgot your duty to your sisters
and brothersg'
No" answered Eric, but / have
seen many men lose their heads and
gamble away all they owned.
Then said the priest. lyon viii IN
derstand | must confess To You, my
brother. aud burden you with niser-
able talle-a tale of grief and shame.
cannot look You in the face, bc- must
tell vou. We have, as you have seen, a
game called titlaca-meaning the I'M
known, unknowable-a game OF num-
-bers. All. how can tell you? You will
despise me"'
..Go on" said Eric. who surmised what
was coming, although he did not guess
its full meaning.
The your ger priests" resumed kul-
can, have always played this game
among themselves. as do all our people,
but | had always, by Iklapels advice.
| avoided il, and knew not even how 1t was
| PLAYED until year ago. Then III an
| evil hour | ventured wager against
! Chalpa's game, and | won sixty silver
| taos. Elated by my success and mag
| ming myself to be blessed by fortune,
tried again and won. But the next even
ing lost all that had won, and in the
| endeavor to reclaim it l parted with as
! much more. | did not feel willing to
stop then, but was eager to get my own
money back. Then | said would never
| gamble again, but before had succeed
| ed had become a victim to the habit
which dominates all the people of Atz-
| Ian.
"This was before my father, the gov
ernor, died, and soon Chalpa had won
all the money and cattle which l pos
sessed. Then l began to be indebted to
him. and in my now frantic endeavors to
win enough to free myself-for debtors
are slaves here-I became reckless, and
Wien my father died Chalpa laid claim
to all my property. But l had no sus-
picion of his methods and believed him
honest. Chalpa changed his plans, or
rather broadene them, for l think his
object at first was only to win my pos
sessions. He cast his evil eye upon
Aimee, my betrothed, and although she
despised him he wished to wed her.
| hi II that
very month she was selected for the sac
rifce, and he is the ons who cast the
lots. / dare not say-I scarce dare
think him so treacherous, so villainous
as to do such deed! Nor do think he
dare, for the decision is made in the
presence of three others-priests in high
standing. But she was chosen and you,
my bl other, saved her and restored her
to me. Then my fortune altered for a
time, and Recovered some of my money,
but yesterday horrible thing happened.
1 went again to his house and lost all
all; worse than that, alas!
''Seeing me feverish, blind, despairing,
he offered to wager all that he had won
from me-everyth ing-agains my sis
ter, my Leila. You know that under our
laws she is mine to be given away, sold,
bartered or wagered-as the head of the
family possess her-and perhaps you
may not know that such debts as these
are legal. Flushed with the aitsi which
he provides, and dazzled at the chance
to recover all my possessions, accepted
the offer. The next moment regretted
and tried to recall my hasty words, but
it was too late. | had lost! I staggered
forth and roamed about for hours, crazed
with shame and terror. I thought of
self destruction, but what would that
avail me? Then 1 sought you. my broth
er, who know all things"
Gilbert reflected for a moment. To
him, apart in thought and feeling from
Kulcan and his people, the case seemed
almost trivial. He could not realize that
by the young priests indiscretion he
might lose the very light of his life. He
viewed the transaction in semiludi-
crous light, and attempted to lay that
part Of it aside and consider only Kul-
cans financial condition, but the priest
soon convinced him that his terrible
wager was reality-a most serious and
momentous reality-and showed him the
difficulty of an attempt to defeat Chal-
pas desires, in view Of the fact that the
entire priesthood and populace would
stand by him in exacting his just dues.
Kulcan reiterated his statement of the
legality Of the wager, and said that
) Chalpa had offered him his revenge in
affording him an opportunity to recoup
by wagering thousand taos of silver,
well knowing that he could by no posi-
bility obtain that sum. Herein, how
ever, Gilbert saw vague chance to es-
cape as he reflected upon Iklapel's ac-
count of the fabulous sums of gold and
silver In the underground vaults of the
temple. In his character of god he
might. without doubt, convert some of
this idle hoard in the endeavor to save
his darling, and he resolved to do So.
But the difficulty was, even after the
money had been obtained, to play the
game to prevent Chalpa's winning again.
Although convinced that the evil eyed
villain had grossly cheated Kulcan. he
had no knowledge of the game and
knew of no means of detecting his
.. fraudulent practices.
. Underlying all his meditations was a
stern resolve to settle the affair, as well
as Chalpa's existence, as a last resort.
by the argument of the pistol bullet,
but he determined to try all other chan
nels before availing himself of tina.
source.
Curiously enough, upon his suggesting
Chalpa's swindling. Kulcan, whose ma,
: ture was utterly unsuspicious, himself
showed how he thought it could be done,
and with wild CLEAN in his eyes as
the truth seemed for the first time no,
!, ! merely to dawn upon him, but to burst
upon his mind in noontime glory, in q
crushing. binding fash of conviction,
started up as though to seek the de.
. stroyer OF bis happiness and face him
with ms accusations. But Eric restrained
nim' and after he had grown calmer he
told him that he would endeavor to heir
him.