Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-16
ATzLAY, THE HIDDEN CITY.
lie coma sec nothing in The abpss be1ou.

lie could sec nothing in the abyss bclo1c.
The beams Of the morning sun had
been slauting down on the level plain
above Atzlan for an hour, but the city
was still in deep shadow thousand or
moro feet below. Rosy tints lowered
s,.>ut the vermilion edges of the great
hift-. mingliug with yellow and gray
Wd saffron colored belts farther down,
hrowing into ghostly relief the white,
lastellatcd promontories Of the majestic
culptured wall and deepening the
thickness Of the dark rccesses.
But there were people astir in the
Ercets and fields and on the housetops,
lor the storm that had risen in fury
turing the night had wrought some
iauage to dwellings,, and, it was feared,
- the ilock5 in the pastures.
DUt no eve was directed toward the
Lifts. for the sky was now clear. and no
hrtAar disturbance was appreheudcd
Rom that direction. Storms were few
md far between in Attain; they ragged
sn the plains at frequent intervals in
pringtime, but troubled not the dwell
rs in the deep canyon, who never took
the pains to climb the steep cliff sides.
Had curious eyes peered upward they
would perhaps have discerned a figure
outlined clearly against the sky, but they
could not have seen that it Wore no Atz-
Ian garb, and that it surpassed in height
any A,zlan man, O.: that it bent forward
ind seemed to eagerly strive to pcne-
crate the darkness Of the canyon. Each
FAIRLY riser carried torch and was too
intent upon his GRAND to waste time gaz-
n@ aloft, or he might have seen the fig
Gre slowly clamberiug down an ancient,
rude pathway leading o the first terrace,
where ruined cliff houses and caves,
abandoned centuries ago, We're the only
evidences Of former human occupation.
Bdt the man on the heights had seen
s., moving torches, and up where he
vas il was light enough to easily pick his
way.
1t was Eric Gilbert, and he was seek
ing a point of observation before it grew
li-ht in order to ascertain what manner
If men these We're who carried the lights
tar heueath him. Hostile Indians he
IueW might in all reason be encountered
IN those wilds, and he had escaped one
y
intO another.
Events had crowded so quickly upon
him during the last few hours that he
was prepared for anything. Unaware
tyyn in what state or territory III the
Union he Lad been thrown in the last
wild bound Of the balloon, he did not
know what he might encounter, and
though the craving for water and food
began to assert itself he was resolved to
L., his caution govern his necessity.
He had gathered the instruments,
which he had thrown in a heap near the
ed@e Of the cliff. and covered them with
blanket. They consisted of a small
Electric battery and lighting apparatus
}m invention of Picrce's). lantern. a
thermometer and barometer. camera
rnd plate box holding a hundred instan-
tancou5 plates, some medical lhstru-
meats in a case, a quadrant and few
other articles.
He carried his Winchester rifle in his
left hand, blanket thrown over his
hl1n, and carrier pigeon, whose broken
wing hung limp and Tapping, in his
right hand, making his descent n matter
Ut care. The light was growing stronger
IN the canyon when he reached a level
shelf on terrace edged with rough
atone wall aud lined with caves and cliff
dwellings; caves whose mouths were
buAt mp m sciopean masonry, leaving
narrow e. rance to be reached by a
ladder Of rope on poles.
lie felt the need of haste, although
even yet he could see nothing in the
abyss below, and finding a convenient
opening into cave close at hand. vet
where he could overlook the depths he
laid down his burden and waited for the
llght to fill the canyon.
The h1tter Of the wounded bird
aroused his pity, and he bound its wing
10 its side with a strip Of his handker-
chief and laid it upon his blanket, feel.
mg soc, Of cunpWionship in its pres
mce-a link with the outer world
Resting as he was from a long vigil and
long continued struggle, he stretched