San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-16

whlte,> so, that there were evidently a
white and a reddish brown race occupy
ing the great circular tenement, having
intermingled and intermarried until the
general type was dark brunette. He
noted also the surprising beauty of the
young women and many of theimen.
There was a decided facial resem-
blance among them all, as in the Mon
golian race, but it was far more pleas
ing one--the features of the people were
markedly regular. He observed no
weapons among them of any sort, al
though few days later he detected the
presence of bows, arrows and small
stone tipped javelins in the houses, and
several skillfully made crossbows of
horn, showing an advance in civilization
far beyond that which the prehistoric
Aztecs had; attained at the time of their
overthrow. He was surprised at the pro-
fusion of gold and silver ornaments,
worn by even the children, denoting a
source near and easily worked from
which the precious metals had been OBJ
tanned.
Perplexing as was the situation in
which he found himself, he felt that he
was fortunate in the opportunity it af-
forded him for delightful study of an
unknown race. Il can at least do the
doctoring for the whole city, if all else
fails me-" he thought. 81 doubt if there's
another NJ. D. in the place. And there's
ohnra +harot I ,~l,
turn an honest penny making photo
graphs"
While these practical ideas were going
through his mind he strobe down the
steps and began to descend the cause
way At the foot of it stood little Eliza
her hand, having evaded her grand
mothers eyes. Gilbert took her up and
kissed the merry mouth with a welcome
sense of gratitude for the tender smile,
for he loved children. The action was
greeted by the crowds with a generous
shout of joy; they ceased that moment
to fear and began to love the fair haired
god.
He walked around the court in
scrutiny of the gaudy and hideous idols
until he came to that Of Chalcu, the
serpent god, and then a strange thing
happened. AS, he stood smiling up at
the hideous face, which bore no more
meaning to him than a thousand other
misshapen heather effigies, the appar-
emily solid rubble masonry of its pedes-
tai fell apart, and the heavy image tot
tered and fell PROSTATE upon its face be-
fore him. The occurrence was seen by
the entire populace, and for an instant
there was deep silence, which was fol-
lowed by cries of intense rejOicing-the
event was accepted instantly by the
Atzlans as a natural and proper one.
They felt that the evil god had fallen
and bowed before his master, and that
his dread reign was ended.
A single glance convinced Gilbert that
the disaster to the evil deity was the re-
suit of lack of care in the construction
of the masonry of the pedestal. The fire
which burned upon it before the image
had in some manner weakened the
plaster that held the stones together, and
the weighty idol had forced them apart
at very opportune moment. 1t did not
need very bright intellect to see the
force of the event and the impression it
had left, as we'll as the beneficial result
to all concerned. One of their idols, and
by all odds the most hideous, was pros
trate, and although he had no very
strong religious scruples, and wished to
establish no particular form of worship,
he felt that it was good beginning.
Already, as he walked about, he had
begun to plan means of elevating the
people and rendering their condition
more in acceptance with the times in
which they dwelt.
Here he stood, a man of the telephone
| phonograph-electric era, among a peo-
| pie of the stone age, his mind stored full
| of scientific and mechanical facts, the
| simplest of which would be a miracle to
these crude yet evidently intelligent
barbarians. He perceived that they had
books, letters and records perhaps, yet
they ground their meal by hand while q
swift stream was flowing by their door
and wasting its valuable power unno
ticed.
Here was occupation and amusement
at once; he had no ties to bind him t
the outer world, and he could, he
thought, at any rate return thither wher
he desired at any time; he had no nea,
relatives to mourn his absence or seel
for him in his retirement. Then, too
he could write book about these pes
pie after he had learned their language
traditions and social conditions. Tn
prospect began to be pleasant; he say
the future city with its water wheel
turning merrily, grinding the yellov