The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-01-23

stood Montezuma's daughter, Otomie, my
wife. Never before had seen her look so
beautiful or SO dreadful. 1t was not Oto-
mic whom saw for where was the tender
smile and where the gentle eyesP Here be-
fore me was a living vengeance wearing
the shape Of woman.
In an instant I guessed the truth, though
I did not know it ALL Oto1nie, although
she was not Of 1t, had ever favored the
Christian faith. Otomie, who for years
had never spoken of these dreadful rites
except with anger, whose every act was
love, and whose every word was kindness,
was still in her soul an idolator and d saw
age. She had hidden this side of her heart
from me we'll through all these years; per-
chance she herself had scarcely known It's
secret for but twice had l seen anything
Of the buried fierceness Of her blood. The
first time was when Marina had brought
her a certain robe in which she might es-
cape from the camp of Cortes, and she had
spoken to Marina Of that robe and the
second when on the same day she had
played her part to the Tlascalan and had
struck him down with her own hand as he
bent over me.
All this and much more passed through
my mind in that brief moment, while
Otomie marked the time of the death
chant and the pabas dragged the Tlasca-
Ian to his doom.
The next I was at her SIDE
''What passes hereP" I asked sternly.
Otomie looked on me with cold Won
der and with empty eyes, as though she
did not know me.
go back white man," she answered.
ut is not lawful for strangers to mingle
In our rites. "
I stood bewildered, not knowing what
TO do, while the flame burned and the
chant went up before the eff1gy Of Huitzel,
of the demon Huitzel awakened after many
years of sleep.
Again and yet again the solemn chant
arose, Otomie beating time with her little
rod of ebony, and again, yet again. the cry
Of triumph rose to the silent stars.
Now I awoke from my dream for as an
evil dream it seemed to me, and drawing
my sword I rushed toward the priest at
the altar to cut him down. But though
the men stood still the women were too
quick for me- Before I could lift the
sword, before I could even speak word,
they had sprung upon me, like the jaguars
of their own forests, and, like jaguars,
they Kissed and growled into my ear:
Get you gone, Teule," they said LEST
we stretch you on the stone with your
brethren. And still kissing they pushed
me thence.
drew back and thought for awhile in
the shadow of the temple. My eye fell
upon the long line of victims awaiting
their turn of sacrifice They were thirty
and one of them still alive and of these
five were Spaniards. | noted that the
Spaniards were chained the last of all the
line. 1t seemed that the murderers would
keep them till the end of the feast; indeed
I discovered that they were to be offered
up at the rising of the sun. How could I
save them, wondered. Ny power was
gone. The women could not be moved
from their work of vengeance. They were
mad with their sufferings. AS we'll might
a man try to snatch her prey from puma
robbed Of her whelps as to turn them
from their purpose. With the men it was
otherwise, however Some of them min
gled in the orgie indeed, but more stood
aloof watching with fearful joy the spec
tacle in which they did not share. Near
me was a man, noble of the Otomie, of
something more than my own age. He
had always been my friend, and after me
he commanded the warriors of the tribe
went to him and said, Friend, for the
sake of the honor Of your people, help me
to end this. -
II cannot, Teule," he answered, and
beware how you NEEDLE in the play, for
none will stand by you. Now the women
have power, and you see they use it, They
are about to die, but before they die they