Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-05-11

trouble, but there will be no lootlng
this village; what you can obtain by
fair trade is one thing and wholesale
robbery another. If any man is detected
using violence ne will forfeit his pay.
These people are nervous and fright
ened; any overt act might precipitate a
conflict for which the United States
government viii hold US responsible.
Therefore warn you all to be careful.
Disobedience to orders now means sum-
mary punishment. No man enters the
city until permission is given. We will
go into camp here and await further
orders from Mr.. Gilbert"
The men withdrew, leaving Pierce,
Whitley and the sheriff with Eric.
Breakfast was prepared for them, and
they were soon discussing the situation
over the table, at the head Of which sat
Leila, Kulcan having departed, in sud-
den accession of courage, to the city to
calm the people there. Eric explained
the state of affairs briefly, giving them
an insight into the politics and religion
of the Atzlans, the recent effort Of Chal-
pa to obtain a hold upon the Offices, and
an account of his attempt upon Eric
and of Chalpa's death, leading up to the
action of the previous night, when the
firing had attracted the attention of the
rescuers camped in the canyon.
Knowing nothing of Gale or the sher-
if he refrained from any description of
the treasure he had found, but he stated
that he had accumulated considerable
gold and silver, which he thought per-
haps had better be equally divided among
the men. This arrangement he felt
would reward them literally, in addi-
ton to their stipulated pay. 1t was
agreed by Gale and the sheriff that this
would be most satisfactory, and the
matter was then dropped.
Pierce now regaled Eric-and Leila as
well-with resume of political and
other events which had occurred in the
world from which Gilbert had been shut
out, and the noon hour was upon them
before he had finished. Meanwhile the
other two men had grown tired and
withdrew to the camp. Then it was that
Eric took Pierce more fully into his con-
fidence and made his eyes fairly bulge
with an account of the vast treasure
within the city, but he had scruples
hard to overcome, which made it diff
cult to see his title to the hoard, and
these were shared by Pierce.
After their noon meal they resolved to
go to the city and confer with lklapel
both upon this matter and the general
effect of the new arrivals upon the city's
welfare. In passing along to the temple
Gilbert noted carefully the faces of the
people, and was glad to observe cheer
full temper apparent. While there was
mourning, he knew, in several houses,
he could see no evidence Of an Ill feel
ing, and he hoped that the crisis was
over and the deaths Of the most violent
and powerful leaders had ended all trou-
BILE.
They found old Tklapel at the temple
and many priests around him. He had
Just finished a wise and forcible sermon,
in which he had outlined the many bene-
its which would accrue to the nation
from following Eric's plans, accusing
Chalpa's memory bitterly and with great
force as the cause of all discord. He had
deprecated the craving for power and
place which had caused all the trouble,
and had drawn his hearers by his power
full logic and noble oratory to recog-
milton of the truth-that civilization
would, if adopted at once without re-
serve, place them upon an equality with
the rest of the world and prevent the
miserable decadence which would surely
ensue if they continued in their old
customs and beliefs.
Then, following upon the old priests
words, Eric stood before them and told
them simply and carefully of the his
tory of other nations. For two hours he
addressed them-and the gathering Of
priests grew to great multitude ere he
had ended-telling them of Greece and
Rome; Of England and America; Of
Peru and Mexico, and Of the race Of In
dams dying off the face Of the earth be-
cause civilization is too powerful for
them to resist, and they are too weak to
accept its customs. When he had fin
ished, behold, Kulcan arose, and raising
his hands cried:
'My brethren and friends, our Quet-
zal speaks wise words. ! fear he will
leave us if we are stubborn and head
strong, and we want him with us. Dove
A. - -
notY' He was answered with shouts of
hearty volume and feeling. "Now that
Chalpa is gone from us there will be no
more trouble, and I feel that if Quetzal
were our governor we would be prosper
GUS and content. Idesire not the Office;
it i'll BELTS me, for I am too easily inau-
enced this way and that. You want a
wise man, great father like our Quet-
zal, who knows the men of all the earth
and their tongues and their willy ways,
that he may protect us from them and
guard us from the enemy who comes in
forms we know not. Let us have great
meeting in the estufa tonight and hold
another election. Go now and tell all
the people, and think we'll upon Iklapel's
words and Quetzal's and mine, the least
of you ALL"
They dispersed, and Eric led Iklapel
into the temple and seated himself be-
side him, Pierce standing outside looking
down with curious eyes upon the city.
Eric opened at once upon the subject
of the treasure, telling him frankly how
much it was valued by the rest of the
world and to what mad extremes men
would go for tenth or twentieth of
it, He told him its worth, but succeed
ed only in dimly ilnpressing it upon the
priest, but Iklapel realized keenly the
evils that would follow repetition of
the scenes of Cortez or Pizarro's plum
derings as depicted by Eric. He heard
the latter through without saying much
until Eric finally said:
"Now, my father Iklapel, you are the
oldest here. You have said the treasure
ismine. but 1t isyours and your peoples