The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-08-15

W%@>>&a-
4 man sat upon broidered cushion IN
haling the fumes Of the tobacco.
''Hail, prince, he said. 1.-THE royal
Montezuma desires to speak with you, and
with the Teule, your companion. -
s'Do as I do, Teule,'' said Guatemoc,
and led the way up the chamber till we
reached the place where the wooden screen
had been, which, as we passed it, was
drawn behind US, shutting us off from
! the hall
Here we stood awhile, with folded hands
and downcast eyes, till signal was made
to us to advance.
ssYour report, nephew, :" said Montezu-
ma in low voice Of command
.sI went to the city of Tabasco, 0 glo-
rious Montezuma. found the Teule and
brought him thither; also I caused the
high priest to be sacrificed according to the
royal command, and now hand back the
imperial signet, /" and he gave the ring to
counselor
''Why did you delay so long upon the
road, nephew"
Because of the chances of the journey.
While saving my life, royal Montezuma,
the Teule, my prisoner, was bitten by a
puma. It's skin is brought to you as an
Offering
Now Montezuma looked at me for the
first time, then opened picture scroll
that one of the counselors handed to him
and read in it, glancing at me from time
to time.
Sc hn caI6 of
length, ''in all save one thing-it does not
say that this prisoner is tho handsomest
man in Anahuac. Say, Teule, why have
your countrymen landed on my dominions
and slain my people!'
II know nothing of it, o king" an
swered as well as might, with the help
Of Guatemoc, stand they are not my coun-
tFymsn." ..., :, 49,.
ing the blood Of these Teules in your veins,
and that you came to these shores, or near
them, in one Of their great canoes
''That Is so, o king, yet am not of their
people, and I came to the shore floating on
barrel.
II hold that you lie, answered Monte
yuma, frowning, s'for the sharks and croc-
odiles would devour one who swan thus"
Then he added anxiously, Say, are you
Of the descendants Of Quetzal?"
"E do not know, O king am of q
white race, and our forefather was named
Adam"
'sPerchance that is another name tor
Quetzal,'' he said. 1T has long been
prophesied that his children would return,
and now it seems that the hour of their
coming is at hand'' And he sighed heav-
lily, then added: .'Go now. Tomorrow you
shall tell me of these Teules, and the coun-
Gil of the priests shall decide your fate. .
Now, when I heard the names Of the
priests, trembled in all my bones and
cried, clasping my hands in supplication:
''Slay me if you will, O king, but be
seech you deliver me not again into the
hands of the priests. %
I'VE are all in the hands Of the priests.
who are the mouth Of God" he answered
coldly. "Besidcs hold that you have lied
to me.
Then went. foreboding evil, and Qua
temoc also looked downcast. Bitterly did
curse the hour when I had said that 1
was of the Spanish blood and yet no Span
lard. Had I known even what knew
that day, torture would not have wruns
those words from me- But now it was
too late.
Now Guatemoc led me to certain apart
ments Of this palace of Chapoltcpec, where
his wife, the royal Princess Tecuichpo,
was awaiting him, very lovely lady, and
with her other ladies, among them the
Princess Otomic, Montezuma's daughter,
and some mobiles. Here rich repast was
served to us, and was seated next to the
Princess Otomie, who spoke to me most
sraciously, asking me many things con-
cerning my land and the people OF the
Teules. 1t was from her that l learned
first that the emperor was much disturbed
at heart because Of these Teulcs, or span
iart1s, for he was superstitious and held
them to be the children Of the god Quet-
zal who, according to ancient prophecy,
would come to take the land Indeed 80
gracious was she, and SO royalty lovely,
that for the first time felt my heart stir
red ty any other woman than my betroth-
ed whom had left far away in England,
and whom, rs thought, should never
see again. And, as learned in after days,
mine was not the only heart that was sclr'
red that night.
Near to us sat another royal lady, "a
pantzin. the sister Of Montezuma, but she
was neither young nor lovely, and yet
most sweet faced and sad, as though with
the presagc of death. Indeed she died not
many weeks after, but could not rest quiet
in her grave, as shall be told.
When tho feast was done and we had
drunk of the cocoa or chocolate and smok-
ed tobacco in pipes, strange but most
soothing custom that learned in Tabasco'
and of which I have never been able tc
break myself, though the weed is Still
hard to come by here in England, was
led to my sleeping place, small chamber
paneled with cedar boards. For awhile
could not sleep, for was overcome by the
memory Of all the strange sights that
had seen in this wonderful new land
which was so civilized and yet so barba
rolls.
Then my thoughts flew to the vision Of
that most lovely maid, the Princess oto
mic, who, as believed, had looked on 1n'
so kindly, and found that vision sweet
for was young, and the English Lily, my
own love, was far away and lost to me LOT
ever. Was it then wonderful that shoul(
find this Indian poppy fair9 Indeed wher'