San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-03


like that which drives the Malay into
the>state of blind fury called "amuck, y"
for while they ragged many of them
seemed oblivious to Jan-ila and strobe
about with frantic gestures and unmean-
ing cries.
Tepelpec ran few steps toward Jan
lila, and stopping hurled his AK at the
youth it passed close to his head and
fell in the room beyond. Kulcan
crouched closer behind the door, and his
sister, with a blush of shame upon her
face, picked up the weapon.
keep back" said Eric to her. Come
inside, Jan-ila" he cried, but the boy
had raised the rifle again, and he heard
the click of the hammer as it fell and
the cartridge failed to explode.
Jan-ila looked amazed; the whole mass
of men rushed at him and were almost
upon him before he realized his position
and turned to the sheltering doorway
As they came up the slope Eric stepped
forth, and they halted for a moment at
the sight of him who, as Tepelpec had
assured them, was dead. He was calm
and collected, but his face was stern and
terrible TepelpeC himself, terrified,
staggered back with his eyes bulging;
but three other priests-tall, wiry men
mad and raving, in a ferOciOus ecstasy
of hate or intoxication, sprang at him.
One of them drew his bow taut, and as
he stood for a single second with his arm
drawn back Eric fired at him, and be-
fore the others had recovered from the
startling sound they both fell beside the
archer. Tepelpec, either losing his head
in his fear or gaining courage in his
desperation, took three steps forward,
and he, too, fell, pierced by the great
forty-fOur bullet from Eric's weapon.
There was a great scattering; the
crowd melted away like mist before the
wind. Into the shelter of the woods
they rushed. falling over one another
casting aside their weapons and even
their garments in their haste. Eric stood
there alone beside the four bodies. The
inevitable regret which comes to those
who have to kill filled his soul as be
looked upon them. They were all dead
proofs Of his sure hand and skill-but
it was a sad and pitiful sight. Hus-
bands they were, perhaps, and fathers,
too; little children would weep for them
and need thcm it was sad, and the more
that it was his duty to kill them But
ere these thoughts had passed through
his mind there was another wild rush,
and the air was again filled with con-
fused Outcries.
He saw the priests and their followers
emerge from the wood, and, with every
sign Of terror increased, come wildly up
the slope toward the house Resolved
to kill no more unless sOrely pressed, he
entered the house, but the cries of
NQuetzal, Quet%al, save u.s. caused him
to halt upon the threshold. lis it a
ruse:" he thought. No; there was evil
dence of the most extreme terror in all
the faces; the backward chances of fear
and surprise were too real to be simu-
lated. He stepped toward them, and
they gathered about him, crouching and
falling PROSTATE. Leila and Jan-ila came
out and stood beside him in Alrprise.
The whole great crowd seemed ami
mated by a common fear; their looks |
pointed in one direction-toward the lit
tie forest. At the same time came
body of people under Listah, from the
city, along the riverside. They had
barely reached the mill when they were
also affected in the same manner as the
rest, and some retreated to the CITY,
while those about Listah broke into a
wild run, and reaching Eric threw
themselves upon the ground. He could
hn
about him had subsidized into silence as
he stood there, weapon in hand, wonder
ing what strange, terrible and unnam-
able monster was about to appear.
Then out of the morning silence came
the long, ringing call of a bugle Sweet
and clear it rang out and swept along
the canyon and echoed back from its
walls, and re-echoed again and again.
until it sobbed away its life far down
among the pointed pinnacles upon whose
tops the red and scarlet and crimson
were just fading in the sunlight. He
sprang over heads and recumbent bod
les and rushed to the riverside. There
he saw sight that filled his heart with
thrills OF surprise and delight, and
caused him to whirl his sombrero above
his head, shout loudly and dance with
JOY in a most undignifed manner.
1t was wondrous sight; coming as it
did just in his hour of need. it seemed
the more prodigious a marvel, more
wondrous in its improbability, for there,
before him, along the canyon trail, came
train of horsemen, riding eagerly with
searching looks and listening attitudes;
behind them a line Of white canvas
covered wagons, coming more Ieisurelv,