San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-02

UnOse ALREADY upon the ground. Eric
began to feel that they were really be-
sieged. No move was made by the
enemy, however, and he concluded that
they were awaiting the light of day to
begin operations. TWAS now about two
o'clock in the morning. Leila had re-
covered consciousness and had been so
Gained by the presence of her lover and
brother that she had sunk to sleep
Eric's own eyes were heavy, for he had
not slept for two nights. Jan-ila, who
was as fresh looking as a boy and as
wakeful as a cat, whispered to him
when they had grown tired of watching
and waiting for some action on the part
OF the besiegers:
Lie down, master; you and Kulcan
both need rest, and | will watch them.
If anything happens will awaken you
at once"
Realizing the need of rest, Eric felt
the force of this advice, and after a few
words of caution to theirlsentinel threw
himself upon his bearskin. Kulcan
stretched himself beside his sister, and
in very few minutes they were both
soundly sleeping. Jan-ila sat upon the
,dOorsill, with his eyes fixed upon the now
silent forces of the enemy. He felt
rather than saw that there were eyes in
the darkness watching him, also closer
perhaps than he imagined, and he invol-
unfairly drew indoors as he specialized
upon an unseen enemy piercing him with
a stone tipped spear or arrow.
Nothing occurred, however, and at
last the nights intense blackness began
slowly to give way to the gray dawn.
He awoke Eric and Kulcan, and they
surveyed the array before them with
different feelings.
Eric measured the forces with cool,
calculating eye. He knew that his re-
volver and rife were equal to the task
of defending his fortress, but he did not
relish the idea of slaughtering these
human beings, and he still hoped that
they were there only to parley with him
and not to avenge Chalpa's death. To
Jan-ila he assigned the rifle, warning
him not to fire until he was ordered.
The youth was most blOOdthirsty; he
wanted to NOW down whole rows of the
enemy at once and dispense them before
they could begin the attack, but Eric
showed him the folly of the proceed
ing
They could see that the Atzlans We're
disputing among themselves, debating
perhaps the method or propriety of an at
tack, butt was impossible to hear what
l.
to see also that there were hundreds of
priests in the horde, and that they We're
the leaders. As yet the enemy had not
seen the beseiged at all and knew not
how many were in the house. When it
grew lighter they moved up the slope
and halted again. forming in Il great
semicircle about forty feet away. Te-
pelpec, with a great AK and rude sort
of shield, was evidently in command
He was to the fore few feet, and when
a moment after they had halted, Eric
sent Jan-ila out to speak to them he
raised a shout of angry defiance. Jan-ila
took no notice of him, but stood in an
attitude Of semiridiculOus dignity, with
"a most elaborate smile of derision and
contempt on his face, awaiting silence
to begin his speech. The shouts and
murmurs subsiding quickly, he let his
gaze wander along the line and began:
''How long, o friends, have the people
of Atzlan followed the leadership of Te-
pelpec the POlecat? 1t is new thing to
me to see him in the part of chief!
Perhaps he has poured upon you the
Juice of the weed that blinds mems eyes
so that they see no longer, and you think
you follow the eagle or the great bear
Or perhaps It's | who am blind, and it is
not the polecGt | see arrayed for battle
Woe to me if he strike me, this mighty
chief! Lo, see me! how | tremble be-
fore him What seek you here, Tepel-
pee? Are there no old women for you to
fight? Are the little girls and boys no
longer alive to be terrified by your face
that you come here to meet men? Step
out, come nearer; though fear you, yet
will | speak to you, Tepelpec the Pole
catw
The priest took step forward, then
stopped.
"Ha," cried Jan-ila, you are modest.
Why, Tepelpec, never dreamed of it.
You, the great chief and warrior, hest
tate to come to me-a boyw
Il will come to you readily, answered
Tepelpec, IF you lay aside Quetzals
thunder death, which is in your hand.
It's that fear, not Jan-ila."
Eyes, that it isy Jan-ila retorted.
you know well that | can strike you
dead where you are by raising it thusH
Tepelpec recoiled with some haste, and
the whole line drew back several yards.
at is the thunder death of Quetzalv