The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-08-20
HEART OF THE WORLD.
BY H. RIDER HAGoARD.
Strange story, Taken From q Manuscript Ne.
euesthed BY an Old Mexican Indian to His
Hiend and Comrsde, an English.
man Named Jones.
Copyrighted. 1894, BY H Rider Hass.rd.


That day-it was the day previous TO
tire night ofthe rising of the waters on
which we were to appear before the
Council of the Heart, in the sanctuary
Tikal came to visit us. To Naya he
bowed low, but on the senior and my
SELF he looked with an angry eve, with
the eve, indeed, S,f one who w'culd have
killed us IL he daredi
First, he offered her his sympathy
upon the death of her father. For this
she returned her thanks, qeoting, how
ever, with - flash of her old spirit, n
certain epro~erb of her own people, of
which the meaning is that the death of
sone man is the breath of another.
MY father was your foe. Tilxal," she
added, ';and now that se is gone you
wild be;able to sleep and reign in peace.
Mot altogether so, lady" he an
, swered, seeing that i've had left behind
hfmSta more dangerous rival To my
power, namely, Yourself l viii not
hide from you, Maya, what You soon
must learn, that a large portion of the
people, and with them many of the no
bles accusing me of your fathers mur-
der. clamor that I should be deposed
and that You shorld be set up in my
place as cacique of the City OF the Rsoart
'Some few days ago | might have
'stilled their optcry by commanding You
10 be put tS death but noyr IL Us too
late, for since that time has fought for
YOU, and your death wonld doubtless
be followed by NV own. When last we
met asked yoH IN certain iquestion, to
which you promised me an answer
when your father was dead or ne
covered, and to-day hare come to hear
that answer.
while Zibalbay lived had much'to
offer him and you in exchange for your
hand. i offered it freely. So high a
value did I place upon 1T. now that it
seemed lost to me, that I WAS prepared
to lay down Hfy power to suffer your
father 10 riolate the laws and to incur
the Internal hate and active enmity of
Natal, his daughter and his party.
Now | must make you n lower bid, that
'of equal power for yourseHand for your
ffiends here, whatever they maydesire.
Should you refuse me. this is the al
tentative. Civil war in the city till one
of us is destroyed, and instant, death as
the portion OF your friends.
Z But Maya, pray you not to refuse
me, for have something more to offer
you. and IT rs my undying love From
"a child have always loved you, Maya,
although you Ehave treated me coldly
enough, and now dgy byday love you
more. Indeed, 4 believed that you and
! your father were dead yontler in the will
derness. for then i had faith in Natal,
whom NOW i know to be a rogue, and
Mattai swwe thatiit waswritteniin the
stars. Even so wouldnot have married
another woman, for my heart bled at
the loss of you, had not Mattaimade
marriage the price oof his support, with
out which could not hope to be
anointed cacique, seeing that II had
manyjealous enemies"
You lIave spoken, cousin" She an
swered, land your words have been
gentle, and yet If Il understand you
right, some days since you were in two
better to murder me here in this. dark
some hole where you placed u.s.
IF policy put any such thought into
my mind, Maya. love droveit out again,
heanswered with confusion,
$50 ven admit that this was so, "'she
said. ''Mell, "a day might come when
policy might breed the Thought and
love, grown weary, prove not warm
enough to wither 1t. Also it seems
that even now, you threaten these, my
companions, with death, should refuse
you, your desire"
III you should refuse me my desire,
MAYA, perhaps it will be for sec-et
reason of your own. and he scowled at
the senor angrily, IA reason that the
death of these men, or one of them, will
remove"
he sure of thing, T'ikal,'' she broke
in sharply. ''that such n wicked deed
would put En end forever to your hopes
of making me your wife. Now listen'
i have heard your words and they have
touched me somewhat, for think that
although you have broken your oath to
my father, and your troth with me, at
heart you are honest in your love Still
! can give you no,anEwer now, and for
this reason, that the answer does not
lie with me- but rather with the gods.
Tomorrow night we appear before
the High Court of the Council of the
Heart. and you yourself shall set the
several portions of the talisman in the
symbol that is on the altar in the sane
tuary- when the god shall declare his
purpose. by that will and not by my
own must be guided in this and in all
other thingS." Tibal thought awhile
and answered:
''And if nothing follows this oere'
mony and the oracles of the gods are
silent, what them
''Then. Tikal." she answered, softly
''you may ask me again if / Will be
come your wife, aud perhaps il the
council suffers 1T / shall not say you
nav. And now farewell. for grief still
Z shadows me, and 1 can talk no more"
CHAPTER Xxx
THE COUNCIL or THE HEART
On the following day the attendants
who set our meals brought with them
= T. n. II "A ~