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


new nation of Teules, as the Indians named
the Spaniards, and therefore as an enemy
for whose blood the gods were thirstlng;
1awoke at dawn, much refreshed with
sleep, and having washed and clothed my
self in the linen robes that were provided
for me came into the large room, where
food was given me. Scarcely had finish
ed my meal when my captor, the cazique,
entered, accompanied by two men whose
appearance struck terror to my heart. In
countenance they were fierce and horrible.
They wore black robes embroidered with
mystic characters In red. and their long.
and tangled hair was matted together With
some strange substance. These men, whom
all present, including the chief, or cazique,
seemed to look on with the utmost rever-
ence, glared at me with a fierce glee that
made my blood run cold. One Of them In
deed tore open my white robe and placed
his filthy hand upon my heart, which beat
quickly enough, counting its throbs aloud
| while the other nodded at his words Aft
| erward learned that he was saying that
was very strong
Glancing round to find the interpreta-
ton of this act upon the faces Of those
about me, my eyes caught those Of the
girl Marina, and there was that in them
which left me in little doubt Horror and
pity were written there, and knew that
some dreadful death overshadowed me. Be
fore could do anything before I could
even think, was seized by the priests, or
/ pabas, as the Indians name them, and
dragged from the room, all the household
following us except Marina and the ca
zique. Now found myself in a great
square or market place bordered by many
fine houses of stone and lime, and some OF
mud, which was filing rapidly with vast
number Of people, men, women and chill
dren, who all stared at me as went to-
ward the pyramid on the top of which the
fire burned. At the foot Of this pyramid I
was led into little chamber followed out
| in it's thickness, and here my dress was
torn from me by more priests, leaving me
naked except for cloth about my loins
and a chaplet of bright flowers which was
| set upon my head In this chamber were
three other men-Indians-who, from the
horror on their faces, I judged to be also
doomed to death.
Presently drum began to beat high
above us, and We were taken from the
chamber and placed in procession OF
many priests being the first among the
victims Then the priests set up chant,
and we began the ascent Of apyramid, fol-
lowing a road that wound round and
round its bulk till it ended on platform
at its summit, which may have measured
40 PAGES in the square. Hence the view
of the surrounding country was very fine,
but in that hour scarcely noticed it, hay-
ing no care for prospects, however pleas
! ing. On the farther side Of the platform
were two wooden towers so feet or so in
height. These were the temples of the
gods-Huitzel, god of war, and Quetzal,
| god Of the air-whose hideous efigies,
carved in stone, grinned at us through the
open doorways In the chambers of these
temples stood small altars, and on the al
tars were large dishes Of gold, containing
the hearts of those who had been sacrificed
on the yesterday These chambers, more
over, were incrusted with every sort Of
filth. In front of the temples stood the al
tar whereon the fire burned eternally, and
before it wss hog backed block Of black
marble Of the size Of an inn drinking Ia
BILE, and great carven stone shaped like
wheel, measuring some 10 feet across,
with copper ring in its center.
All these things / remembered after
ward, though at the time scarcely seemed
to see them, for hardly were we arrived at
the platform when was seized and drag
ged to the wheel shaped stone. Here q
hide girdle was put round my waist and
secured to the ring by rope long enough
to enable me to run to the edge of the
stone and no farther. Then flint pointed
spear was given to me and. spears were
givea also to the two captlves who accom-
panied me, and it w;s made clear to me
by signs that I must fight with them, it
being their part to leap upon the stone and
mine to defend it. Now thought that II
I could kill these two poor creatures per
haps myself should be allowed to go free,
and so to save my life prepared to take
theirs if I could. Presently the head
priest gave q signal commanding the two
men to attack me, but they were SO lost in
fear that they did not even stir. Then the
priests began to fog them with leather
girdles till at length, crying out with pain,
they ran atme One reached the stone and
leaped upon it a little before the other,
and I stuck the spear through his arm.
Instantly he dropped his weapon and fled,
and the other man fled also, for there was
no fight in them, nor would any fogging
bring them to face me again.
! Seeing that they could not make them
brave, the priests determined to have done
with them. Amid great noise Of music
| and chanting, hewhom Lad smittcn was
seized and dragged to the hog backed block
of marble, which in truth was stone Of
sacrifice On this he was cast down, breast
upward, and held SO by five priests, two
gripping his hands, two his legs and one
his head. Then, having donncd a scarlet
cloak, the head priest, the same who had
felt my heart, uttered some kind of prayer,
and raising curved knife of the fintlike
glass or itztli struck open the poor wretch's S
breast at single blow and made the an
cient Offering to the sun.
AS he did this all the multitude in the
place below, in full view of whom this
bloody game was played, Frustrated them
selves, remaining on their knees till the
Offering had been thrown into the golden
censer before the statue of the god HUT
EEL Thereon the horrible priests, casting
themselves on the body, carried it with
shouts to the edge of the pyramid, or teo-