The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-04-07

Atzlan country ages ago, but they have
vanished, and we know not even where
they stood; but we know they were
rich and beautiful Attain is a very
old city, but it is in truth the youngest
of them all and stands upon the site of
city far more ancient. Beneath the
buildings of this old city are under
ground passages of wonderful extent,
and more splendid than anything we
have above ground, for our forefathers
were more skilled in the art of masonry
than we are.
In these passages are huge arches
which we cannot build now, and in them
we have stored our treasures, vast sums
of gold and silver which the priests of
the sun for centuries have collected.
sour people built great roadways and
aqueducts in those days which have
passed away, which were the wonder of
all the nations, who came to us to learn
Out arts of building, mining, sculpture,
painting and writing-the study of the
sun, moon and stars, and our religion.
81 can show you," continued Iklapel,
''many things which came from At ages
ago, when the sea, now dried up, reached
nearly to this city of Atzlan."
"Whatp cried Eric in amazement.
''Have you traditions of the time when
the sea was near this placer"
''Oh, yes; there was great sea to the
north" said the priest, land chain of
large salt lakes in a great circle to the
east. All this desert was at one time
under water, and it was near our city.
But it dried away, and the land was
white with salt. In the underground
room of the temple is canoe, which
has been kept sacredly, that journeyed
often to At and returned laden with
much treasure. 1t is the boat, they say,
that brought QuetzaI to this land"
''I must see it!'' cried Eric.
''You shall this very day. I shall pro-
cure torches at once"
''Never mind Them" said Eric. ''I
have lantern that will outshine all
your torches. But what else is there
among your sacred relics from the van
ished city?'
''Many things. Images of gold and
silver, pottery, carved stones, earrings,
bracelets, stone axes and knives. The
sacred white knife which your light
ming shattered in Kulcan's hand came
from Att
''Alasp' cried Eric, with a sense of
real injury at the loss of such treas
ure. 81 regret the deed now. should
have hesitated had 1 known the worth
of the weapon"
He was trembling with eagerness to
see the relics. Almost feverishly he
hurried the old man along, and reach
ing the temple he ran up to his room
and brought down his electric light ap-
paratus, long unused, but needing only a
few touches to be in working order.
Meanwhile Iklapel had brushed away a
covering of sticks, grasses and earth
from the ground floor of the temple, re-
vealing a large trapdoor, and when Eric
arrived he told him to lift it up. 1t was
not easily moved, however, and took
several minutes of effort, but it yielded
at last, and they descended ladder into
room about forty-five feet wide, in the
masonry of which was imbedded many
decorated yellow slabs, with a glazing
similar to common modern earthen-
ware.
In an instant the light had flooded
every crevice with dazzling brilliancy
and showed to Eric's eyes sight that
made his heart beat with new emo
ton. He stood by a boat so ancient
that beside it the pyramids were young.
1t was about thirty-seven feet in
length and twelve feet wide. The bow
was high and terminated in swans
head and neck, well carved and curving
gracefully The bow was decked over
for about four feet, and the lines of the
vessel, although somewhat clumsily de-
signed, showed much nautical knowl-
edge. She had eight wide thwarts, and
had evidently carried mast inserted in
the center of the boat, as there was a
round aperture in one thwart. There
were deep, round notches in the outer
edge of the gunwale, evidently made
by the abrasion of paddles, for thus she
must have been propelled, as there was
no evidence of oars or any other appli-
ance for their use.
The wood of which she was built was
as hard as iron and as black. Great
studs of pure gold occurred at intervals
Just under her gunwale, evidently form
ing at one time prominent features of a
painted decorative border which had
been obliterated in the blackness OF
years. On her bottom he found barna-
cles, black and brittle, proving that she
had once voyaged at sea for a long pc
Rod.
1t was with a creeping feelings
shudder of involuntary awe-that Eric
gazed upon this wondrous relic, and il
was several minutes before he summoned
composure to examine it infinitely. In
the bottom of the boat lay several large
water urns and bundle of spears, each
with its shaft split and flint spearhead
inserted in it. No vestige of the lash
ings of gut remained. They had long
ago decayed. On the stern thwart rest
ed an oblong block. Eric pitched it W
and knew at once that it was metal.
''Can it be "copper" he thought, and
taking his knife he sliced small piece
from it. Lo, it was bronze, rudely en-
graved with characters slightly resem
bling Phoenician writingi A slab d
bronzel What was IL doing here? Ikla
pei did not know what it was, but hi
said that there was once knife made
of the same metal in Atz1an, but it haG
been lost for many years. 1t was stoleI
from the temple ages ago by a man whS
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