Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-09-10
HEART OF THE WORLD.
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD.
4 Strange Story. Taken From q Manuscript Be.
queathed by an Old Mexican Indian to lis
Friend and COmrade, English
man Named Jones.
1894, by II. Rider Haggard.
CHAPTER XXIIl-CoNr1NUED.

CHAPTER XXIL-CONTINUED.
Ibid she then tell you why we fed?"
asked Maya. ibid she tell you that
she crept to my chamber like thief in
the night, and there was found in the
act of doing murder on my child?"
mo, lady, she told us nothing of all
this. Indeed. her manner was strange,
for so soon as she was recovered some
what she took back her words, and
said that she knew nothing of you or
your plans, and that if you had fed we
should do well to let you go before
worse things happened. But knowing
that for all this she had reasons easy to
be guessed, we followed you and found
you, and now we arrest you, to answer
before the council for your great sins,
in that you have broken your solemn
oaths by attempting to leave the land
without the consent of the council, and
have added to your crimes by taking
with you this child, the Heaven-sent
deliverer, on whom rests the hope of
our race"
eff we have broken our oaths," said
Maya, 1--WE broke them to save our
lives. We're we then to stop in the city
till the knife of the assassin found us
out? On the very night of my marriage
a murderer was set upon my husband,
and perhaps one stands there" and she
pointed to Tikal, "who could tell us
who he was and whence he came. Three
days ago another murderer sought
the life of our child, and that muir
derer the wife of the Lord Tilzal. Is it
then sin that we should take from the
land one whose life is not safe with
in it?''
''All these matters you can lay be-
fore the council, lady," answered
Dimas, land if Nahua is what you say,
without a doubt she must suffer for her
crime. Yet her evildoing cannot pay
f0y. for. VIZ
selves in danger you should have
claimed protection from those who
could give it, and not have betaken
yourself to fight. like thieves in terror
of the watch. Come, enter the litter
that is prepared for you, and let us be
going"
Then we started. OF our Journey
back there is nothing to tell, unless 1T
is to say that after its own fashion it
was even more wretched than that
which we had just accomplished. Then,
indeed, we were footsore, hungry and
racked with fears, but at least the
hope of freedom shone before us like
a guiding star, whereas now, although
we Travelled. in comfort, it was to find
shame, exposure and death awaiting us
at last.
Maya and the senior had each other
and their child to console them, but
had nothing except such friendship as
they chose to spare me, the memory OF
my many failures, the clinging bitter
ness of conscience, the fear of ven
geance to be wreaked, and the hope OF
peace beyond the end. Therefore 1,
an outworn and disappointed man, was
prepared to welcome the doom that
awaited me. but how would it be with
the others who were still full of love
and youth?
Late that night we reached the city
Id
we lived, but toward the inclosurc Oh
the pyramid.
How is this?" asked Maya of the
captain of the guard. ''Our road lies
yonder."
mo, my lady," he answered; ''my
orders are to take you up the stairway
of the pyramid"
Now MAYA pressed her face agains,
the face Of her child and sobbed, fol
she knew that once more we must in
habit the darksome vault where her IA
Their had been taken to die. They leo
us up the stair and down the narrow
way till we stood in the lamp1it hal
and heard our prison gates clash behind
us. Then they gave us food and left
US alone.
AS unused thus, even through tho
massive walls of the vault I heard q
woman scream, and, springing from
my bed, ran into the central hal
where the lamps burned always. Here
met Maya, clad in her night dress
only, and running down the hall, her
eyes filed with terror.
What has happened?" I said, stop
ping her, and as spoke the senior came
up.
'Oh, I have dreamed" she gasped
81 have dreamed a fearful dream.
dreamed that my father came to me
and-I cannot tell 1.-THE child-tht
child" and she broke down utterly
and could say no more.
This place is full of evil memories
and her strength is sheltered" said the