The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-02-21

the city. Did you not hear what that
knave said last night, that TikaI, my
nephew, whom / left in charge, rules
in my stead? Well. this girl of mine,
who is affianced to him, and through
whom he hopes to govern in after years
may be the only bait that will tempt
him from his place, for he looks upon
me as one dead, and it will not please
him to lay down the rod of power How
should it please him, then. and those
who follow him, to see white stranger
holding that daughters hand and wills.
pering in her ear?
made no answer, for at that mo-
ment we turned corner and came face
to face with the bearers of the filters
whom Zibalbay had summoned to meet
| us.
There were forty of these men or
more; for the most part they were tall
and well shaped, with regular features
and, like Zibalbay and Maya, very fair
for Indians. but the look upon their
faces was different from any that l
have seen among my people. 1t was
not stupid or brutal, or even empty,
rather did 1t suggest great WEAKNESS.
WEAKNESS was the master not of their
bodies, but of their minds. and looking
at them l could understand what Zibal-
bay meant when he said that his race
was outworn.
Summoning the captain of the bear
ers Zibalbay talked to him while his
companions ate food that they had
brought with them, and l noted that
what he heard seemed to give him little
pleasure. Next he ordered us to enter
the filters.
We started forward down the noun
tain, and In an hour we had left the re-
gion of snow behind and entered the
cedar forests.
At length, as the evening began to
fall, we entered the village of corn
growers, half-ruined place, of which
the houses were for the most part built
of adobe or mud bricks and rooted
with concrete of white lime.
When Zibalbay descended from his
litter all those present Frustrated them
selves and remained thus. till, followed
by some of the head men, he had passed
into house, which was made ready for
his use, leaving us without.
Presently a messenger came from Ii
baibay to summon US into the house,
where we found an ample meal pre-
pared, consisting chiefly of fish from
the lake, baked wild fowl, and many
sorts of fruit. BY the time we had
finished eating and had drunk the
chocolate that was served to us in cups
of hammered silver, the night had fallen
completely. l asked Zibalbay if we
should sleep there; to which he replied
shortly that we were about to start for
the city.
Accordingly we set out by the light
of the moon, and were guided to little
harbor in the shore of the lake, where
a large canoe, fitted with a mast and
sail and manned by ten Indians, was
waiting for us. We embarked, and the
breeze being off land, hoisted the sail
and started toward the Island of the
Heart, which stood distance of about
fifteen miles from the mainland.
The breeze was light; but after the
cold of the mountains, the air was so soft
and balmy and the scene so new and
strange, that l for one did not regret
our slow progress. Nobody spoke in
the boat, for all of us were lost in our
own reflections, and the Indians were
awed to silence by the presence of their
.ord, who alone seemed impatient, since
from time to time he pulled his beard
and muttered to himself.
Before us lay the tabled golden town
we had so longed to see. Soon our feet
behold its ancient civilization.
What waits us there?" whispered
the senior. and he looked at Maya.
She heard his words and shook her
head sadly. There was no hope in her
eyes. which were dimmed with tears.
Then he turned to me as though for
comfort, and the easy fires of enthusi-
asm burnt up within me and answered:
Fear not, the goal IS Won and we shall
overcome all difficulty and danger. The
useless wealth of yonder golden city
shall be ours; and by its help l shall
wrealI the stored up vengeance of ages
upon the oppresSors of my race and
build up a great Indian dominion
stretching from sea to sea. whereof this
city shall be the hearth lie heard and
smiled, answering:
1T may be so, for your sake l trust
that it will be so, but we seek different
ends. Ignatio, and he looked again at
the lady Maya.
On we glided through the moonlight
and the silence, for from the town came
no sound save the cry of the watchmen
calling the hours as they kept their
guard along the ancient walls. till at
length we entered the shadow of the
holy city. lying dark upon the waters,
ana Une 1nulanS getting out Jner PAD
dies, for the wind no longer served Us,
rOwed the canoe up a stone-embanked
canal that led to water gate.
Now we halted in front of the gate,
where there was no man to be seen. In
an impatient voice Zibalbay babe the
captain of the boat hail the guardian of
the gate, and presently man came
down the steps yawning, and inquired
who was there.
Il, the cacique,' said Zibalbay.
open"
Indeed! That is strange" answered
the man. ''seeing that this night the
cacique holds his marriage feast at the
palace yonder, and there is but one
cacique of the people of the Heart.
Get back to the mainland, wan
derers. and return in the daytime when
the gates stand wide"
Now when Zibalbay heard these
words he cursed aloud in his anger, and
MAYA started as though with JOY.
Il tell you that l am Zibalbay
come home again, your lord and no
other" he cried, and you will be wise
to do my bidding"
The man stared and hesitated till the
captain of the boat spoke to him, say
ing: