The Irish standard., 1895-12-21

silent, she TOOK me by the mana ana
guided us through various ;passags till
atiengthr she whispered: VI. s1-,' Z !
M stBe cautions, now, for we come to
the place whence you, drop into tho
chapel, and thereiis a stairway to your
right" ~. :, r.s.s 49, u. s.ss
@.s We passed the stairway and turned
the corner. L,lisa still leading. III; sesE
Next instant she staggered back into
my arms, murmuring: Mother OF
heaven! the ghots! the ghosts IN
deed, had T not held her She Woul Id have
fed. Still clasping her hand. ! pushed
forward to find myself standing in a
small recess that was placed about ten
. feet above the aoor Of the chapel, and,
!" like other places in this house, SO ar.
ranged that the ABBOTT or monk lin
authority. without being seen himself,
could see and hear all that passed be.
meath him. vsta.: tH&st' ~
= OF one thing en- sure, that. during
all the generations that are. gone by no
monk watching here,ever saws stranger
sight than that whieh~ met my eyes.
The ehancel OF the chapel WAS lit up by
e. shafts. OF -. bril- innts moonlight that
poured through the broken window,
and by a lamp which stood upon the
stone altar. Within the circle Of strong
light thrown by. this lamp were four
people, namely: DON Pedro, his son
Don Jose, an old Indian, and girl. {
On. either side of the altar then, as
now, rose two carven pillars Of sapote
wood. the tops of which were fash,
toned into the figure Of angels, and to
these columns the old Indian and the
: women were tied; one to each column,
The back Of the pillars ia such. man
ner as tosrender them absolutely help
less. My first rested upon the
woman, who was nearest to me, and
seeing her. even as she was then, dis
hevelled and worn with pain aud huns
ger, with her proud face distorted by
agony of mind and impotent. rage, no
longer wondered that both Molas and
Don Pedro had raved. about her beauty.
=. She was an Indian, but such. an In
dian as had never known before. for
in color she was almost white, and her
dark and waving hair hung in masses.
to-. her knee. Her face was oval and
small-featured. and in it shone pair
of wonderful dark blue eyes, while the
clinging white robe she wore revealed
=: she loneliness of her tall and delicate
shape. Az - -. $. -. 49, -. 80 y =. -
~ Bad as was the girls plight, that Of
the old man. her father, who wv as none
other than the Zibalbay we had come
to seek, seemed even worse. He was,
as Molas had described him, thin and
very tall, with white hair and beard,
hawk-like eyes, and 'aquiline features,
nor had Don Pedro spoken more than
the truth when he said he looked like
a'king. ~. So :.,ssi:~'<s.si
"What shall we try him with now?''
said Don Jose, addressing Don Pedro;
hot steel or cold? Make up your mind,
for am getting tired. Well, if you
won't, just hand me that machete, will
you? Now friend" he went on, adj
dressing the Indian, 'for the last time
pie full of gold of which you spoke to
: your daughter. In my fathers hearing?"
s'There is no such place, white man."
he answered sui]enly. :
"Indeed, friend. Then will you exc
plain where you got those little ingots
: which we captured from the Indian who
had been visiting YOU, and whence came
this machete?" and he pointed to the
weapon in his hand. "
It was a sword of great beauty, as I
could see, but OF hardened copper, and
having for a, handle a female figure
with outstretched arms fashioned in
solid gold. 't:A 49, II
''Yhe machete was given to me by
friend said the Indian. II do not
know where he got it. - r. <..-...
e"% Really answered Jose with bru-
tai laugh; perhaps you will remember
point of the machete. in the lamp, will
you, while I tell our guest how we are
going to serve him and his daughter"
Don Pedro nodded, and taking the
sword held the tip of it over the tlane,
while Jose, bending forward, whispered
into the Indians ear, pointing from
to time to the girl.
care you white men, then, devils?"
said the old man at length, with
{rroan that seemed TO burst from the
~ bottom, of his heart, '''and is there no
law or justice among youo'' y '.4Hf
''None at all, friend" answered Jose;
..we are good fellows enough. but times
are hard. and we must live. Now, once
more. Will you guide us to the place
whence that gold. came. leaving your
daughter here as hostage for our
safety?"
,sNever!'' cried the Indian. Better
that we two should perish d hundred
times than that the ancient secrets of
my people should pass to such as you
$50 you have secrets after all! Father,
is the sword hot?" asked Jose. 7, <rsf
s'One minute mere" said the old man,
turning; the point in the flame,
This was the scene that we witnessed,
and these were the words that as
tonished our ears. @e< - ~
@.'It is time to interfere muttered
the senior, and. placing his hand upon
the rail, he prepared to- drop into the
church 4. a-4is. 49, - J a.
Now thought struck me, and Isdrew
i. him back to the passage, go: :. .@..tss5set
perhaps the door is open" said.
{ "Are you going in .there?'' asked the
girl Luisa. - a3 t,;53, ss%
..tCertainly," replied: We must res
szcue these people or die with them.
"Then, senior, farewell. / have done
all / can for you, and now. the saints
must be your guide, for il l am seen
Z they will kill me, and | have . child for
whose sake ! desire to live. Again.
farewell, and she glided away like a
shadow. @ c.
Now we crept forward and down the
stair At the foot of it was little door,
wficll, as we had hoped, stood ajar.
For q moment we Consulted together,
then we cratvled forward through the
gloom toward the ring of Light nbout
z the altar Now, jose had the heated
sword in his hand... ~. 10 q, ~ ~, i Is
look up, my dear, look up" he said
to the girl, paSting her On the check.
" am bout TO baptize your excellent
father according to the rites of thu
Christian religion, By marking him with
a cross upon the forehead, =. and head
,,,sanaed the pointgo the sword toward
the Indians face. <: +. 81 IL 81
At:that, instance 1n1as pinned him
= from behind causing him. to drop the
weapon, while did the same office by