The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-12-07

BY III. RIDER HAGGARD.
Strange Story, by
Mexican Indian to His Friend and Comrade,
Engishman Named
Copyrighted, 1894 BY a. Rider uaeeard

father to you concerning the wealth
that he and his ancestors had hidden:
""Tell my son, 1gnatio, should he live
to grow up, that there has never depart
ed from our family the desire to win
back the crown that Guatemoc lost, or,
at least, to drive out the accursed
Spaniards aad their spawn, and to es-
tablish an Indian republic. To this
end we have heaped up wealth for gen.
erations, that It might serve us
when the hour was ripe, and because
of this wealth, by which the secret
could not altogether be hid in a land
which is full Of spies, some of us have
come to cruel deaths, as am about to
do tonight.
Nevertheless, say to him that lay
no commands upon him as to these mat
tiers, seeing that he must follow his
own will about them, for / cannot for
get that from generation to generation
those who went before him have reaped
nothing but disaster In their struggle
against the white devils, whom, because
|,of the sins of our forefathers, it has
pleased God to set over u.s.
''Those were your fathers words, my
son, which he spoke to me in the hour
before his murder. And now you will
understand why said you must wait
before you determined to be g priest. If
that is still your wish it can be fulfilled,
for your father left it with you to fol-,
low the life you might desire"
When he had finished speaking l
thought for awhile and answered.:
"While my fathers blood is unavenged
cannot become q priest"
''It is as Thought" said the old man,
with a sigh. 'That cursed talisman
which lies about your neck has begun
it's work with you, Ignatio, and you
will tread the path that the others trod,
perchance to die in blood, as they did,"
Within week from this day some
Indians came to Tiapa disguised as
porters, whose mission it was to lead
me to the mountains among which my
father had lived, and where his treas
ures still lay hidden.
On the third day Of my journey we
reached narrow pass in the noun
tains, beyond which lay an Indian vii
lage. Here my guides took me to the
house of one Antonio, to whom the
padre Ignatio had given me letters: an
old man of venerable aspect, who
greeted me warmly and introduced me
to several caciques who were staying
with him, did not know why.
one of these caciques, after addressing
me in words that I could not under
stand, asked me if.I had heart. To
this replied that hoped so, whereat
they all laughed. Then the man An
tonic, coming to me, unbuttoned my
shirt, revealing the talisman that had
belonged to my father, and at the sight
of it all the company bowed.
Next the doors were locked, and, SEN
tries having been posted before them, a
ceremony began which even now it is
not lawful that should describe in de-
tail, wherein l was first initiated into
the mysteries of the Order of the Heart,
and afterwards installed as its heredi-
tary chief, thus becoming while yet a
boy the absolute lord of many Thousand
men, brethren of our order, who were
scattered far and wide about the land.
final oaths Antonio handed over to me
the treasure that my ancestors boarded
in secret place. which my father had
left I'M his keeping, and it was a great
treasure, amounting TO more than
million dollars in value.
Now l was rich, both in men and
money, still, following the counsel OF
Antonio, abode for awhile in the vii
lage, receiving those who came to visit
me from every part of Mexico as Holder
of the Heart, and as first in rank among
the fallen peoples of the Indians.
Some three miles from the village
where i dvelt lived two sisters, Indians
of noble blood, though poor, one of
them q widow and the other a very
beautiful girl, younger than myself.
It CHANGED that was riding past their
house upon a certain Sunday evening
~.~ln~, xxn1o% ~ Tho inh 1oifonfS nf the
valley were away at fiesta, and heard
screams coming from it. -.
Dismounting from my horse l ran in
at the door, which was open. and saw
ono of the sisters, the widow, lying
dead upon the ground, while two ban
dts, MeKicans, were attacking the
younger, woman. Drawing my ma
chete, cut them down.
Now after this the girl whose life l
had saved came to dwell in my village:
where saw much of her. So lovely
was she and so clever that soon she won
my heart, and the end of it was mar
ried her, against the advice of Antonio
and others of my brethren of the order
The more l thought on them the
more the wrongs of my countrymen,
of my mind, till at length they pos
sessed it utterly, and I became an en-.
thusiast and visionary, making it the
object of my life to form great con
spiracy and bring about a rising OF the
Indians in every province of Mexico
upon given day, and then when the
Spaniards and their bastards. the Span
ish Mexicans, had been stamped out to
reestablish the empire of the Aztecs.
For q wear or more was the greatest
power in Mexico, and yet, though hun
dreds were privy to my secret, twas so
well kept that no whisper Of it came to
the ears of the government At length
all was ready, and SO carefully were my
plans laid that success seemed certain.
Just before the time fixed for the rising,
it was agreed that my wife should be-
placed, as one of whom we could be
sure, as servant in the house of a man
who ruled Mexico in those days, that
she mightspy upon him..
Instead. Of that, she, my wife, fell in
love with him. It is easy to guess the
rest One night, but a week before the
appointed time. ! and some Ave or six
others, the leaders of our party, were
with secretly, but was brought before
the great man, who received me alone,
holding pistol in Ills hand
s 81 know ell your plans, friend, he
said. II know also that you have a
great treasure in gold hidden away
Now,. friend, make you fair offer
hand over this treasure to me, and
YOU shall go free-refuse to do sos and
/ Won will be brought to trial and die as
you deserve: S5 4is5 - t
ss,',5s. low can You promise for others2'
81 asked. 4. on are nut the only White
man VIII would have fallen & s