San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-23

the knowledge OBTAINED from ETC. heI
aptitude for learning amazed him at
times; it seemed so phenomenal In one
whose life had been passed in such an
environment. But in truth the Attain
mind was in some such state as was the
pagan world at the time of Christ. Like
children the Atzlans listened, believing
all that they heard, and DESTROYS to EN-
ulate the people who had learned so
much they watched all of Gilberts en-
terprises with vague wonder and huge
expectancy.
Upon the day that Gilbert was to start
the machinery of the mill the entire
populace gathered at the riverside. In
all the vast crowd standing there walt
ing there was not one incredulous OBJ
server, not one skeptical dOubter of the
success of the project, as there would
have been in any other city on earth
perhaps, but every man felt confident
that its success was assured. They were
there not to test nor criticise, but to see
the triumphant beginning of new era.
Gilbert did not feel the usual tremOrs
of the inventor thrill his frame before
this audience. for he knew that if the
machinery failed to respond to the wa
ter's power the people would not be dis
appointed or doubtful; their ignorance
of mechanics assured that, and any eX-
PLANTATION would have sufficed them.
But to make it certain he had tested 1t
the evening before and knew that every
70 hi Of
and he mounted the stone steps leading
to the sluiceway with confident smile.
accompanied by Leila, Iklapel, Kulcan
and several of the principal citizens.
Standing there beside the water gate,
with his hand upon the long wooden
bar WHICH raised it, he turned to the
multitude of upturned faces and said:
My brothers, when | lift this gate
you will begin to live in new age.
The past will be no longer with you. 1t
will do in one day more than all your
women, anG they will rest and teach
your children. We will make the river
weave our cloth and water our fields
and do other things for us in times to
come. In the land from whence | come
the elements are bound to our service
and they toll for US night and day.
And SO they shall toll for you, for we
shall go on and on until we have here in
our city all that other lands have to
make life pleasant and toll less ardu-
GUS"
Then Iklapel stepped forward, and
after waiting for the noisy cutlery to
subside spoke to them. He said:
Our brother is right. He has told me
many things of the fair land he lived in
before he came to us. In that land there
is no night, for they turn it into day
with many suns and moons which they
have made for themselves. They have
made great monsters that work for
them increasingly; they can speak TO
each other afar off, even when they car
not see on, another; they make wood
and gold AMI silver talk; they walk upon
the water and under it, and they fly
through the air like birds; they kill
their enemies with their eyes and with
thunder. We are glad that our brother
has come to us. He is Quetzal, tho long
awaited, the restorer of Attain"
This speech of the aged high priest
was greeted with tumultuous applause.
but Kulcan's sharp eyes detected around
Chalpa group whose silence and Pc
culiar looks denoted that there was
some feeling among a few inimical 10
Gilbert and his ideas. He noted ii with
mental resolve to investigate its mean
ing, but it passed from his mind . mo-
ment later as Gilbert raised the gate and
the water rushed down the sluiceway
and poured over the wheel.
For an infant it seemed to resist, as
though the long ages Of superstition,
barbarism and ignorance were loeth IL
relax their dead grasp, and then 1t slowly
turned with majestic motion and be-
gan to revolve easily and gracefully
under the steady flow. Gilbert ran into
the mill while the people stood in silent
awe outside, and he saw the yellow grain
pour out upon the stones, and in a few
moments the meal, rich and tempting
| appeared, and he called them all with 8
glad, triumphant shout to come and see
it. They crowded in with rather timor
Gus looks and gazed wonderingly upol
the moving wheels and the golden mea
pouring into the bins in steady streams
and they voiced their thanks most heart
lily. TWAS touching sight indeed t.
Eric and to Leila, for it meant SO mucl
to them, with their minds filled, as they
were, with plans for the good of the PEG
pie of Atzlan.
That night they Toasted, merry gath
ering, and the principal Wand was breaC
and cakes made from the new meal. l
was delicious, perfect, and for Ions
time it was regarded by the people q
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