The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-07

came no sound save the cry Of the
watchmen calling the hours as they
kept their guard along the ancient
walls, till at length we entered the
shadow of the holy city, lying dark
upon the waters. and the Indians get
ting out their paddles, for the win0 no
longer served US, rowed the canoe UP a
stone-embanked canal that led to the
water-gate.
Now we halted in front of, the gate,
where there was no man to be seen.
In an impatient voice Zibalbay babe
the captain of the boat nail the guard
ian of the gate, and presently man
came down the steps yawning, and in
quired who was there.
II, the cacique,' said Zibalbay
Open.''
Indeed! That is strange" answered
the man. seeing that this night the
cacique holds his marriage feast at the
palace yonder. and there is but one
cacique of the people of the Heart"
Get back to the mainland, wander
ers, and return in the daytime when
the gates stand wide.'
Now when Zibalbay heard these
words he cursed aloud in his anger,
but Maya started as though with joy.
'I tell you that / am Zibalbay come
home again, your lord and no other, -
| he cried, land you will be wise to do
my bidding
| The man stared and hesitated till
the captain of the boat spoke to him,
saying:
Fool, would you become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zibalbay re-
turned from the dead
Then he fastened to open the gate
as fast as his fear would let him
Pardon, father, pardon" he cried,
prostrating himself, "but the lord tt
kal, who rules in your place, has given
| it. out that you were dead in the will
derness, and commanded that your
name should be spoken no more in the
city,
Zibabay swept by him without a
word. When he had passed by him
and up the marble steps and through
the water-frowning walls he halted,
and addressing the captain of the
boatmen, said
Let this man be scourged tomorrow
at noon in the market place, that
henceforth he may learn not to sleep
at his post =
On the further side of the wall ran a
wide street, bordered by splendid
houses built of white stone, which led
to the central square of the city, a
mile or more away. Up this street he
we went I noticed that much of it was
grass grown and that many of the
great houses seemed to be deserted
indeed, though light came from some
of the latticed window places, 1 could
see no sign of any human being.
Here is the city," whispered the
senior to me, "but where the people?'
Doubtless they celebrate the we'd
ding feast in the great square," I an
L.,
AS I spoke the wind turned a little
and a sound of singing fioated down il
that grew momentarily clearer as we
approached the square. Another five
minutes passed and we were entering
it. It was a wide place, covering not
less than thirty acres of ground, and
in its center rising 300 feet in the air
cleaned the pyramid of the Temple OF
the Heart, crowned by the holy fire
that f1ickered eternally upon its sum
nit.
Il In the open space between the walls
: of the enclosure of the pyramid and
the great building that formed the
sides of the square, the inhabitants OF
the city were gathered for their mid
might feast All were dressed in white
robes, while many wore glittering fea
Their capes upon their shoulders, anc
were crowned with wreathes of flowers
Some of them were dancing, some OF
1 them singing, while others watched the
tricks of jugglers and buffoons. But
the most of their number were seated
round little tables eating, drinking
smoking, and making love, and we-no
ticed that at these tables the, children
seemed the most honored guests, and
that everybody petted them and waited
on their words. Nothing could be more
beautiful or stranger to our eyes thar
this innocent festival celebrated be
+ meath the open sky and lighted by th'
moon Yet the sight of it did no
please Zibalbay.
Along the sides of the square ran al
avenue of trees bearing white flowers
with a heavy scent, and Zibalbay mo
toned us to follow him into their shad
ow. Many of the tables were placed
|. Just beyond the spread of these trees
so that he was able to stop, from time
to time, and unseen himself, listen t
the talk that was passing at them
Presently he halted thus opposite to
, table at which sat an oldish man ant
, a woman, young and pretty. VIVA
thew said interested him, and we wht
. were close by his side understood 1t
, for the difference between the dialec
| of these people and the Maya tongue
is so small that even the senior haC
Ol11CuJly
THE feast is merry tonight sal'
the man.
: eyes, husband" answered his com
panion. "and so it should be, seeini
that yesterday the lord Tikal was elect
ed cacique by the council of the Heart
and today he was welded in the pres
: ence of the people to Nahua the beautl
, full. child of the lord Natal
''It was a fine sight, SAID the man
; though for my part 1 think it earl,
} to proclaim him cacique. Zibalba.
might vet come back and then
.'zibalbay will never come back, hus
hand. or the lady Maya either. The
. have persisted in the wilderness lon
} ago. For her ! am sorry, because sh
t was so lovely and different from othe
great ladies, but L do not grieve nue.
t fer him, for he was, hard tasl6maste
to us common people, also he wa
lstingy. Why, Tikal has given NOR
feasts during the last ten months tina
Zibalbay gave in as many years, more
over he has relaxed the laws so tina
we poor women may now wear orna
. ments like our betters." And sh
glanced at a gold bracelet upon he
! wrist.
ct is easy to be generous with tn
goods of Others answered the mar
s'Zibalbay was the bee who stored
,, Tikal is the wasp who eats. They sa
that the old fellow was mad, but I
not believe it. I think that he was
greater man than the rest of us, tina
was all, who saw the wasting of tn
; people and desired to find the mean
: to stop it."
!, Certainly he was mad" answere
the woman How could he stop tn
wasting of the people by taking hi
, daughter to wander in the wilderness
till they died of starvation, both
: them? If anybody dwells out yonde
: it is folk of white devils of whom W
have heard, who kill and enslave tn
: Indiana that they rnll them {