The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-09-03

not lhll, tnen you VIII pe knoNn ioT
what you are, and die the death that
you deserve"
ut comes into my mind. husband"
said Maya, coldly, that IL we would
save our own lives we must rob this
woman of hers. Such doom she has
richly earned, nor will any blame us
when they learn what was her errand
here"
at seems that Il is So" l answered,
sadly, "and yet the thing is awful
at is awful. but 1t must be done"
said the sencr, 'and il falls on me to do
il for the sake of my wife and child"
Now he stepped to where Nahua lay
and lSnelt beside her, and we two drew
aside, sick at heart, and hid our faces
in our hands. Presently he was with
us again.
us II done?" asked Maya, hoarsely.
mo, nor will IL be by me-" he an
swered, in fierce voice; "sooncr would
] choke the breath out of my own body
than strangle this defenseless woman,
cruel-hearted murderess though she is.
If she is to be killed, some other man
must do the deed
Then it will remain undone," said
Maya. And now, since we have thus
determined, let us think of flight, for
the night draws on, and in fight is our
only hope"
What, then. is to be done with this
woman?" l asked. I'VE cannot take
her with us"
No, but we can leave her here,
gagged and bound. till they chance to
find her." answered the senor.
"Hearken, Nahua, we spare you, and
to do it go forth to our own deaths.
May your fierce heart learn "a lesson of
mercy from the deed. Farewell"
L. 4. 4 4. 4 81.
ures wrapped in rough serapes, such
as the common people wore, one OF
! whom, a woman, carried an infant in
her arms, might have been seen eau
| tiously descending the city wall by
means of u wooden ladder that ran from
| its summit to the jetty built upon piers
at the foot of il, which was used as
mooring place for boats during the
months of inundation.
AS was common at this season of the
year, the lake was already rising, and
| floating in the shallow water at the
end of the jetty lay a pleasure skiff
which the senior and l were accustomed
to use for the purpose of fishing when
ever we could escape for few hours
from our wearisome life in the city.
Into this slSiff we entered, and, having
| hoisted the sail, set our course by the
stars, steering for that village whence
year before we had embarked for the
City of the Heart
The wind being favorable to us our
progress was rapid, and by the first
gray light of dawn we caught sight of
the village not roile away Here,
however, we did not dare TO land, for
we should be seen and recognized
therefore we beached our boat behind
the shelter of some dwarf water palms
fttt- t-1fNfa hall lnkxrt n l.
lage, and, having hidden her as well as
we were able, set out at once toward
the mountains.
At length the evening fell, and we
camped for the night, if camping it can
be called to sleep beneath the shadow
of cedar tree without fire and with
little, food having no covering except
our serapes
Toward morning the air grew cold,
for already we were at some height
above the lake. and the tender infant
began to wall piteously, wall that
wrung our hearts. Still we rose with
the sun and went on our way, for it
seemed that there was nothing else ia
do. Throughout that day, with ever.
wearying footsteps, we journeyed, till
at sunset we reached the snow line,
and saw before us that hunters rest
house where we had slept when first
we entered the Country Of the Heart.
Let Us 60 in." said Maya, ''and find
food and shelter FOR the night"
Now, our plan had been to avoid this
house and gain the pass, where we pro-
posed to stay till daybreal and then
travel down the mountain slopes into
the wilderness.
IF we enter there, Maya, we shall be
trapped" said the senior. Our only
safety lies in travelling through the
pass before we are overtal<en, for it is
against the law that any of your people
should follow us into the wilderness
IF we do not enter my child will die
in the cold" she answered.
you were too tender to secure ouI
safety by putting that would-be mur'
derers to death. Have you, then, the
heart, husband, to kill your own child?'
Now, at these words, saw the Sc
nors eyes fill with tears, but he said
only:
''Be it as you will"
BY now, indeed. we understood, all
three of us, that if we would save our
selves we must suffer the child to die
and, however great our necessity, this
we could not do. So we went up to the
house and entered, and there by the
fire sat the same man and his wife
whom we had found in this room q
year ago,
"Who are you?" he cried, springine
up. Pardon, lady, but in that garb
did not know you"
1T is best that you should not know
u.s." said Maya. "We are wanderers
who have lost our way out hunting
Give us food, as you are bound to do.
Then the man and his wife, who were
kindly people, made obeisance to us
and set off the best they had before us
We ate, and after eating slept, for we
were very weary, bidding the man
watch and tell us If saw any stranger
approaching the house. Before dawn
he woke us and we rose. A few min
utes later he came into my room and
told me that large body of men were
in sight of the house. Then | knew
that it was finished and called the
others.
Now, there are three things that we
can do" / said. Fly toward the pass
defend this house, or surrender our
selves"
There is no time to fly" answered
the senior, thereto it is my counse
that we fight"
This is folly, broke in Maya
''There is but one thing to 90; yielC
ourselves and trust to fortune, IT, in
deed, fortune has any good in store fol-
us. Only wish that we had done II he
fore we undertook this weary journey.
Now, as she spoke by the light of tn,
rising sun we saw great number OF
men forming circle round the house