Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-04-07

I h"t A. tutiu true tpthtif tpeul-
.U... fI f 81. tuus vy rule them and not
v.. ra-.u ~ philosophy. lis the
O.. Hr, Tl} tu mt ilcct-thc tribute
81 h.'' pHil f.r countless ages and
r...l .1 -.m. f.rm c.mIiuu' t" pay
$500 Do. &c.. umlul u interrupts
Dl k..,ar. .fha t.! W,rr hr 'u-ht -
... f.ln' these cruel. iDhuman sacrifices
,h.a.l o." abolished something, know
u.t NlIt t,li- mr that we are beyond
.I' a|e.,r th,m NV. and that the people
i.. fa,,it,s will welcome the change uiid
u.I.I,o That thor ulldr,n no longer may
Bee thrown tu tho scus,less image of tho
fierce hiopdthirsty sun god! Oh, father"
be- cried. shudaering. can we not devise ,
before lt u iorcveItoo late, some NEAR s
to prevent this murder of Aimee
1t Il even now too late" answer ed
~" ng'i priest colIly. Can you not see
with what frvcrish Impotence the peo-
plr await the light Of this day? they
know their children are safe now that
thr ~ has fallen on the girl Aine }, and
they thirst for the spectacle for which
th'y have waited thirteen years. Today
they believe QuetzalcOatl, with l. is dove
upon his hand. Will return, as ON this
day fur ages they have looked for him.
ln vain will they look; he vii not re-
turn, bat they must have their sacrifice,
or their wrath will turn upon ne priests,
anl We shall perish. Upon i { rests our
very existence Murmurs have already
le"u heard against us-we are called
oilers and bread eaters Of the poor. 1t is
our only hope. and upon You it will rest
today. Were IL only gu estion Of my
life or your hfe alone. would willingly
die, but We cannot prevent the slaughter
10y our deaths.
Alas. my son" Che OH mans voice
softcned and quivered). slime brings but
the same tale. Eighty long years ago l,
too. loved maiden AS you, know-nsy,
start not love Aimee; yet she was
chosen, and this withersd hand plunged
the sacred knife into her throat. Her
eyes wcro on me as she fell upon my
brcast-they are with me now! / killed
her, and when the day was done
climbed the cliff and wandered out upon
the desert plains which lie about the
city ia search Of some other land. For
days | roamed. retaining for water and
food. and then starting anew in other
directions. AS you, too, have done, In q
spirit Of discovery. and finding, as you
have done, that we are alone in the
world-a city In q desert-the remnants
d once great people, returned to my
duties. and since that day have been
the most Jealous in guarding the tradi-
tional customs Of our religion"
But, NY father, we have the power,
II We will. to prevent this horrid sacri-
6ce todayl Some plausible excuse can
be offered TO the credulous people, and
An animal perhaps be substituted for the
beautiful maiden"
"li il too late, even were willing"
replied the aged priest. "As Is the Gus
tom when the feast of the Thirteenth
Year approaches, all prodigies in nature,
IL the skies and on the earth, are eagerly
regarded rs omens Of good or evil. The
birth Of the six horned calf has been &C.
,epted by the priests and the people as
IN evil sign. and the terrific storm of
w higher pitch. And now will reveal
W you n cause Of secret uneasiness and
great fear even to me.
Last night, rs the storm ragged with
fury | have not often seen, there came
q blast that shook the temple, and there
seemed TO sweep over my head some
hing, know not what, but I felt its
ouch rs though long, slender threads
brushed by me. and ont Of the cloud
here came loud voice in wailing; then
I passed, but heard the voice, and
Itlers. too, must have heard its loud
ones. Think not that was dreaming,
m that 1t was the vagary Of blind
mans mind. 1t is the truth. Long
nave preached signs and wonders, yet
his Is the first have myself witnessed
,r believed in. Were to attempt to
prevent the sacrifice the envious priests
themselves will turn upon US, and we
will but add our own bodies to the offer
ng know it and it is impossible"
IL had grown lighter while the two
alked, and the housetops were already
lack with the forms of the people con-
rcgated there TO greet the rising sun.
All were silent, waiting till the lumi-
,ary appeared over the edge of the cliffs.
t. beams already blazed upon the north
IN wall of the canyon and brought out
q strong relief the banded colors Of the
lime. sandstone and slate. The sky VA
all afiame. and q food Of sunlight
poured over into the abyss, and the
glowing. radiant orb appeared. The
people raised q mighty shout. bowed
their heads before the god in prayer fol-
few moments and disappeared within
their houses. The day had begun in
Atzlan.
Kulcan stood beside the high priest
neither Of them joining in the welcoming
shouts nor the prayers of the populace
o. the sun rose. The eyes of the young
sr man we're 80 blinded with tears that
he saw nothing Of the scene. while he en-
doavored to control his emotions. Be
foro him stretched q canyon less than q
mile in width at its widest part and mar
rowing to n few fee. in places, the eye
being Lost in its sharp turns. Through
II ran . stream about forty feet wide
with many shallow fords, making curve
about the city and sinking into danger
GUS quicksands ut the western extrem
ity. The walls Of the canyon, two thou
aand feet high above the city and sink
ing 10 seven hundred feet at the western
snd. had been terraced by the floods into
huge steps, upon which the ruined cliff
houses stood, one row above another
Stairways and ladders were carved in
the rocky walls. giving access to the
heights above. although these were now
only used by venturesome urchins.
This city was built In o huge circle
three thousand feet in diameter, form.
ing. In fact, ono continuous structure
with large open court in the center full
OF fruit trees and garden plots. This
gigantic tenement contained nearly q
thousand rooms. having in its eastern ex.
tremity seven stories Of apartments. II
was built In q regular and beautiful al
formation Of large and small square cut
stones laid in white mortar, or, more
strictly speaking. gypsum cement There
had been In earlier times no doors OF
windows upon the ground floor, and the
entrance had been effected by ladders
hundreds Of which leaned against the
walls and protruded from the roofs; but
now o few largo doorways opened into
tho fields outside the city.
Tho successive stories were set back,
ono bohind the other, leaving the high.
est tier single line Of apartments, each
story being reached by short ladders.
Tho houses were three rooms deep, open.