San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-14

that betrayed MS character.
He had already acquiesced in the old
priests decision and realized the use
lessness of opposition. In him there was
none of the stuff of the hero who would
die defending the woman he loved, ner
dared he kill himself with the knife that
slew her. No, he would wait-perhaps
some miracle might occur. Whatif TX
lapel were wrong after all, and Quetzal-
coatl should appear?s And, too, it was a
question not only of self preservation,
but of his religion, of his priestly order
and their fat livings and cherished privi-
leges. Though he loved Aimee with all
his heart, yet he questioned, What was
one mans love to be set against the in
terests of q whole Observation-Disclosures
them though he did one and all from the
bottom of heart?
Then his thoughts turned in bitter
hatred against them, and he felt that he
could do no better than to shatter the
whole system of lying and deceit, pre-
tense and jugglery. But he was not
sure, even were he to die, that such
would be the result. In the turmoil of
his thoughts, for he was used to little
thinking, having heretofore allowed TX
lapel to perform that duty for him, he
finally resolved to let affairs take their
course, weakly hoping against hope that
something would intervene. Skeptical
though he was as to his religion, he had
still strong faint of AtZlan supersti-
ton inrooted in him, part of his very
nature, and the prodigy of the night, as
Iklapel related it, certainly signifed
something at least unusual about to oc-
cur.
He made his decision, or allowed it
rather to be made for him by the force
of circumstances as we'll as habit, and
awakening the high priest they descend
ed the trapdoor behind the altar to-
gether and attired themselves in their
sacred robes.
Unlike the continuous encircling
building, the temple was not without
doors or windows on the ground floor.
Its stories were set successfully one be-
hind the other, giving the structure
somewhat the appearance Of pyramid,
each story having a wide terrace or
platform completely around it, and
stone steps leading to the one above.
The second floor was reached on the
outside by graded ascent thirty feet
wide, the platform being even wider.
Within there were also ladders, as in
the other parts of the city.
Upon the top of the temple before the
perpetual fire stood an Immense effigy
of the sun, made of solid and virgin
gold, supported by heavy braces of sill
yer, facing toward the east and reflect
ing the rays of the heavenly luminary in
blaze of binding splendOr. The small
square apartment on which it rested was
built of cedar, covered externally with
alternate plates of gold and silver, the
walls within being coated with a white
cement composed of gypsum and nearly
approaching plaster Of paris in compost
ton. AS l have said, the temple stood
toward the western end of the court,
where the houses were lowest and near
the canyon walls, the distance therefrom
being about sixty feet, SO that for the
greater part of the day it rested in the
cool shadow of the cliffs.
At the southwest corner, close to the
altar, now stood Iklapel, holding in his
hand his pointed tiara, like that of the
modern pope, made of the skin of huge
rattlesnake, with the head surmounting
it pointed upward. The placing of the
tiara on his head was the signal for the
great procession to begin its march.
He had resigned all other duties to
the young and vigorous Kulcan, who
was already below, busted in arranging
the last details Of the festival. In the
complicated mythology of the Atzlans
there were minor gods to be appeased by
| lesser sacrifices, and these were to be
performed in the regular order of the
| day, leading up to the monday rite-the
sacrifice of maiden, chosen by lot, be-
| fore the altar of Kinchahan.
The people were all within the court
with the exception of few tardy strag-
| glers bearing bundles of fagots from the
pinon orchards outside the city; even
these were hurrying in order to obtain
| places in the procession. The uproaI
was immense-each citizen seemed Wy.
ing with the other as though to drown
thought and anxiety-the pressure OF
feeling bringing a feverish hilarity tc
the surface in naturally grave and
serious people.
Opposite the temple, at an open door
whose wooden Intel was scarce three
feet from its threshold, which was
rounded and followed by centuries O
constant footwear, sat little child al
most hidden in the mass of jasmine
like flowers that grew closely about thu
narrow portal Her beadlike black eye
| glIttered with aaner iInnatienca as shl