The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-02
HEART OF Thu WORLD,
BY n. RIDER
CHAPTER v.
TIRE LRGErD or THE HEART.

When I hal gone a few PAGES Town the hol
n widened suddenly 90 that we were able u
stand upright and light our candles. Now Their,
was no doubt that VIC were in the tunnel Of al
old mine,a rudely dug shaft that turned this wal
and that es II followed the windings OF the or,
body. Along this tunnel we went for thirty OF
forty PAGES. creeping over the fallen boulders, and
twisting ourselves between the brown stalactite'
that in the course OF ages had formed upon tht
roof and floor. till presently we reached an OBJ.
stscle that barred our further progress; a
huge mass Of rock which at some time or otheI
had fallen from the roof Of the tunnel and
blocked II. looked at IL, and said:
Now, senior. I think that we shall have to 20
back. You remember the writing tells us that
this mine. although 30 rich, was unsafe because
of the rOttenness Of the rock. Doubtless they
propped II In the old days. but the timbers have
decayed long ago.
yes" he answered. we can do nothing here
without help, and, ~1gnatio, ! don't like the look
Of the roof; IL is full of cracks"
As these last words left his lips . piece Of
stone, the size Of q child's head, fell from above
almost at his feet.
speak softly."I whispered, the ring Of your
voice is bringing down the roof"
Then I stopped to pick up the fallen stone.
thinking It might show ore, and, "a l did 80, my
hand struck something sharp, which I lifted and
held to the candle. 1t was the jawbone of a
man, yellow with age, and decayed by damp. I
showed IL TO the senior, and, kneeling down, we
examined the bed Of the tunnel together. and
not uselessly, for there we found the remainder
of the skull and some fragments Of an arm bone,
but the rest OF the skeleton lay under the great
boulder in front of US.
HE was coming out Of the mine when the
rock fell upon him, poor fellow whispered the
sehor. Look here" and he pointed TO a little
heap of something that cleaned in the CANDLE
light. II was free gold, almost pure, and for the
most part in small nuggets, six or seven ounces
OF II, that once was contained In q bag which
had long since rotted away.
Doubtless after the mine was closed, some
Aztec who knew its secret. had made q practice
Of working there for his own benefit. till one
day, as he was coming out, the rock fell upon
him and crushed him, leaving his spirit to haunt
the place forever.
There is no doubt about the mine being
rich, " whispered the seior: but all the same
think we had better get ont OF it. hear odd
noises and rumblings which Brighten me. Come,
~lgnatio," and he turned toward the opening.
Two PAGES further I saw him strike his shin
against a piece OF rock hat stood up some six or
eight inches from the foor-bed OF the tunnel.
and the pain of the blow was so sharp that, for
getting where he was, he called out loudly.
Next instant there was a curious sound above
hhc 10 VI bpihttiihs VIM III hilu, ~ ! L my
upon my face on the rock, and upon me rested a
huge mass Of stone.
say that II rested upon me, but this Is not al
together true. for. had It been so. that stone
would have killed me at once as q beetle Is
killed beneath the foot Of a man, instead Of TAX
ing more than two-and twenty years TO do IL.
The greater part OF its weight was borne by the
piece Of stone against which the sehor had
struck his leg. . point of the rock only pressing
Nntn rnv hanE .nA arinItn. 800 IL A.
ground. Now we were In darkness, for the
sehor had been knocked down also. and his
candle extinguished. and, In the midst of my
%tortures, 1t came into my mind that he must be
dead. Presently, however, I heard his voice,
saying: " Ignatio; do you live. IgnatioP"
Now I thought for q moment and even in my
pain I that more of the roof would
surely fall ere long. and that II my friend stayed
here he must die with me. Nothing could save
me; I was doomed to q slow death beneath the
stone, and yet II I told him this I knew that he
would not go. Therefore I answered as strongly
Us I could:
Fly, senior, I am safe, and do but stay to
Light II candle. will follow you"
You are lying TO me- he answered; your
voice comes from the level of the floor" And as
he spoke ! heard the scratching OF a match.
so soon as he had found his candle and lit It,
he knelt down and looked at me. Then he looked
a u Nv ipoi abpNt.d anu biioW HE kihnCt WITH |
difficulty I saw that next tn the hole whence
the boulder had fallen hung a huge block Of
stone surrounded by great cracks from which
water dropped, that trembled like a leaf when
ever he moved or spoke.
For the love OF God. ny" whispered. I'm
. few hours 1t will be over with me, and you
cannot help me. I am a dead man, do not stop
here to share my fate"
For II moment he seemed to hesitate, then his
~ ~ am hacE IN him and h. .o.. |
hosrsely:
I'VE entered this place together. friend, and
We will go out together, or not at all. You must
be fixed by the rock and not crushed, or you
would not speak OF living for hours. Let me
look" and he lay upon his breast and examined
the fallen rock by the light of the candle.
"Thank God! there is hope" he said at last.
tho boulder rests on the ground and upon the
stone against which l struck my leg, for only
one point OF 1t is fixed in your back. Do you
think that anything is broken. Ignatiof"
81 cannot say, senior, my pain Is great, and
am being slowly crushed To death; but I believe
that as yet my bones are whole. Fly, senior, I
beg OF you.'
II will not" he answered. sullenly. II an
going to roll this rock on you"
Then, lifting with all his great strength, he
strove to move the stone from on me. but with
out avail. for 1t was beyond the power Of mortal
F'' " u" nj "hho ia uldcA mass
above his head.
81 must 20 for help he said presently.
YES, yes, sehor," | answered, go for help"
for | knew well that before no could return with
any more OF the roof would have fallen. shut
ting me in to perish by inches, or perhaps crush
ing the life out of me in mercy. Then | remem-
bered, and added:
stay a moment before you go; you are noble.
] will give you something. Feel here round my
neck, there Is n little chain now, draw IL over
my head so. You see a token hangs to Il; IL
ever you are In trouble with the Indians, take
their head man apart and show him this, and
he will die for you IL need be.
A" Englishlnan. by this gift l have made you
heir Ia the Empire OF the Aztecs in the heart OF
every Indian, and the master Of the great broth
erhnod of, Mexico. MOlas, the messenger, will
tell you all, and bring you to those who can in
itiate you. Bid him lead you whittier he would
have led me. Farewell; and God go with you.
Tel INC Indians how died, that they may not
think that you have murdered me"
To these words ~ mine the senOr made M m