The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-05-04

each story having q wide terrace '.
r,Iaffarrn completely around H. anu
stone steps leading 10 the one above
The ss-r~nd fsoor WAS reaci'cA tl '''s
o4tsia.. Try 3 traded assent tH3f'N ie''
Wild. ,.4e platform being even "idsF'
within There were also is'"',s - "a
.as. other part II the y.ty,
I-r.aa the t.;a 81 the temple i@i1re the
n-r,s:uai ire stood an Isnmen~5 enlsE
# the sun. made IF solid and rlrsln
gold. supported b. heavy braces OF sil'
yer. fAriu. toward the east AMI reflect
,ns- fine rsys If the heavenly luminaTy IN
a blaze of binding splendor. The small
square apartfacnt CA which II rested was
built Of cedar. covered externally with
alternate plates Of gold and silver, the
walls within being coated with white
cement composed of gypsum and nearly
approaching plaster of p11ls IN compost
ton. AS | have said. the temple stood
toward the western end If the court,
where the houses were lowest and near
the canyon walls. the distance therefron
being about sixty feet, SD that for the
greater part Of the day 1t rested IN the
cool shadow Of the cliffs.
AT the southwest corner, close 10 tine
altar. now stood Iklapel. holding in his
hand his pointed tiara, like that Of the
modern pope. made Of the skin of a hinge
rattlesnake, with the head surrounding
il pointed upward. The placing of the
tiara on his head was the signal for the
great procession 10 begin its march.
oil 3t4r lntY.-G tn
the young aud vigorous kulcan, who
was already below. busted in arranging
the last details Of the festival. In the
complicated mythology of the Atzlans
there We're minor gods to be appea5ei by
lesser sacrifices, and these were TO be
performed in the regular order of the
Gay, leading UP to the monday rite-the
sacrifice of a maiden, chosen by lot, be-
fore the altar Of Kin, H,.han.
The people were I'll within the court
with the exception of Il few tardy strag-
glers bearing bundles Of fagots from the
pinon orchards outside the city; even
these We're hurrying in order to obtain
places in the procession. The uproar
was immense-each citizen seemed Wy
ing with the other as though to drown
thought and anxiety-the pressure of
feeling bringing feverish hilarity to
the surface in a 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 of
constant footwear, sat a little child al
most hidden III the mass of jasmine
like flowers that grew closely about the
narrow portal. Her beadlike black eyes
glittered with eager Impotence as she
watched the groups of people gather.
While she wove the delicate blossoms
into garland to deck her black hair
for She was to walk with other children
in the rrocession-she ever cast her eyes
into the dark recesses Of the room and
murmurcd petulantly, calling now and
then:
"Oh, grandmother, hurry! Eliza is
waiting. | shall be left outr'
After time slow and feeble footsteps
were heard within, and an old woman
appeared--an old woman bearing the
weight Of years SO heavily that she
scarce needed to bend an inch in emcrg-
ing through the little opening 1t was
the Chllds grandmother, IntZu the oldest
woman III the city, one Of the weavers Of
the cloth of which the sacred white robes
were made-a duty which devolved upon
the most aged and most skilled of the
women. Her face was shriveled like an
old dried apple, so full of wrinkles that
not an eighth of an inch of skin was left
increased, yet her teeth were as white
and regular as her grandchild's and her
eyes as bright and piercing.
She came out into the glaring light
blinking her eyes and pickering the
skin about them in concentric wrinkles
in an endeavor to see the child among
the flowers, and seated herself with a
contented chuckle beside her on the sill.
"Ah-the sun is good. He warns old
lntzu's bones, though not as fondly as
he was wont to do in the old days. And
today is another feast-how quickly
they come now! Times are changed.
Formerly they were far apart, and we
waited long for the sacrifice. Now they
tread each others hurrying heels.'
"How many have you seen, grand
mother" asked the child, creeping closer.
MANY, many, my child! Two katuns
have | lived through, and each katun is
tfty-two years i'll length. And the gods
were kind! I was not chosen for the
sacrifice, though I was married late in
life, for you must know that It's only
the maldens who are taken, and none
is EXEMPT but the blind or lame. Even
the wise and good Leila, your cousin.
may be chosen when the fatal dice are
thrown again, when the feast of the
katun comes, two years hence. have
stood upon the housetop and seen a COM
panion of my youth given to the gods.
and then, years after, my daughters
stood with me and beheld the same
sight until it has grown an old tale TO
me. Yet we have always made merry.
for who may mourn those who go TO
dwell with the god? Some dav, thew
say, Quetzalcoatl, the fair god. yellow
haired like the sun, whose child he ;s
VIII appear and claim the victim as his
bride, but we have waited in vain. nv
Eitza, for many generations, and per-
haps he has forgotten us down in the
canyon. But we look for him, for when
he comes there will be no more sacri-
ices, no more famine, no more plaques"
''Oh, hope he will come?' said Eliza.
taking her grandmother hand.
After the sacrifice is finished" con-
tlnued the old woman, 1.-The people break
forth IN songs of gladness and make
merry with shouts and feasting all that
day until the sun goes down. but the
god knows, and his servant Intzu knows
the secret wailings and sorrow in the
houses OF his people, who fear that the
next feast viii take frcm some dwelling
the light thereof forever"
grandmother.
Alas my Eliza. | fear not; the hope
OF 1t long ago faded in my breast
Il shall watch for him" said the child
land | believe ha hoe ton,.