The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-03-10
CHAPTER ",
AMoDERN GOD AND A RIVAL GODS DOWN

49,
He TesoIUed to keep q match qtpOn him.
81 think I've broken up this perform
ance in about as clever a manner as any
playwright ever devised" was Eric Gil
bert's reflection as he lowered his Win
chester and surveyed the result of his
shot.
Worn out by the exertiSns and hard
ships of the last two days he had slept
TAR into the morning, and found when
he awakened that the sun was pouring
down into the roofess ruin in hot fury
upon him.
AS he lay there collecting his waking
senses his ears detected a low mUrmur
that rose and fell in musical cadence
below in the canyon. Rising instantly
and gazing over the low wall of rubble
he beheld the procession mounting the
ascent to the temple. He saw the white
faces among the crowd, and his heart
leaped in thankfulness.
Selling his rife and tenderly raising
the wounded bird he ran quickly down
the slanting path to the next terrace
Here the descent was more difficult, as
tUS way IlcJl OCS11 WOIIl ny ClI0 llIlSSIS VI
the wind and rain for ages, and there
was scarcely foothold upon the shaley
rock. But he cl&mbered from terrace to
terrace till he reached the highest of the
little gardens slightly above the temples
golden top. Amazed that he was as yet
unnoticed, he stopped here to survey the
strange spectacle.
Before him the scenes of a prehistoric
age were being enacted in a prehistoric
city by a people whose dress resembled
the strange figures in the Mexican ''Man-
uscript Troano."
It seemed as though the hand of time
had been turned backward to the days
when the triumphant Cortez marched
his handful of men into Montezuma's
capital.
The whole city, with its myriad ladder
poles, was spread beneath him like a
vast circus, with its gayly caparisoned
inhabitants performing a sort of melo-
drama upon an elevated stage. The
many figures were confusing; the eye
was lost in the crowds, but his gaze fol
lowed that of the others, and his eye
caught the flash of the knife in Kulcan's
hand.
In an instant he realized that perhaps
he was mistaken, and it flashed across
his mind that he was in a city of some
wild, bloody sect, VINO sacrificed human
victims in their religious exercises.
He had not the remotest idea OF
course that he had discovered people
and city older than our own civiliza,
ton in these almost inaccessible wilds
But while these thoughts darted through
his mind he saw the priest raise his
weapon to strike, and he instantly
aimed his rifle and fired at Kulcan's up
lifted arm.
The bullet missed its aim and provi
dentially struck the knife just above
the priests hand, but its effect was one
entirely unexpected by Gilbert.
Standing ready to fire again, he was
astonished to see the entire multitude
turn and kneel together, extending theil
arms toward him with loud and joyful
cries, unintelligible, but joyous, vel
coming and fervent.
All was confusion; terror blended will
joy in the many blanched faces. Quetzal
the long expected; Quetzal, the fair god
had returnedI Returned, as the proph
ecies of ages had fortold, with the whit,
dove of peace on his arm, as he was pic
tured in the ancient rock carvings an(
paintings, and with the thunder ana
lightning of heaven in his handl H
came down the cliff side, where the path
were easy, for his ear had caught tn
word Quetzal, and he was aware of it
meaning.
Seeing that he was taken for a god o
old Toltec mythology by this strang
people, Gilbert resolved to accept tn
somewhat difficult role as his easies
forzr of Iction. Food was now his mos
pressing lecessity-the calls of scientifi
discovery and research could wait. Blu
the four chiefs, with the litter of gold
were already half way to meet him
eager to bear him in triumph into tn
city.
Overcome with emotion, Aimee ha
fallen into Ku1can's arms, and Leila wa
helping him bear her to the ground foo
of the temple, while old Iklapel, stirre
with mighty excitement, vainly begge
the dark faced Chalpa for an explains
ton of the unusual outcries.
Chalpa's face showed a deadly fea1
Pallid and trembling, he stood gain
at the yellow bearded stranger, unabl
to answer Iklapel, or move, as was hi
duty, to welcome tae descending goo
q strange, president A,r4O. paralyzed hi
limbs, and his teeth chartered audibly.
The people thronged outside the pri1
cipal gateway as Gil 'ert was carrie
tenderly in the litter oward the city
He held his rifle securely and loosene
his revolver in its holster, not KNOWN
the outcome of events, but resolved t
see the thing through in the interests {
ethnology. Every step his bearers too
revealed new wonders to him, and b
was becoming rapidly convinced of th
truth that he was In city of the pas
Up TIE temples causeway they boz