Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-04-22

Here she stood for a moment, then
whispered in Il faint voice,
Terror has taken hold of me, and I
fear to do this thing"
"Yet, IL must be done, and not by
me-" said Natal, 'or we shall have
come on FOOLS errand. and go back,
some of us, 20 "A FOOLS DEATH" and he
looked toward me.
II will not do it," / said, answering
his look, mot because l fear your gods,
but my own conscience / do fear
'Then | will" said the senior, boldly,
''for 1 fear neither. Give me that
trinket, Maya"
She obeyed, and he had let the two
halves of the talisman fall into their
place in the symbol.
For some seconds, we stood still,
watching the altar with eager eyes,
but the symbol never stirred. Then I
said:
1t seems, Natal, that you must
hide your lying writing elsewhere.
since yonder heart will not open; or il
it will, we have not found the key"
Wait a little" broke in the senior
Perhaps the springs are rusted" And
he placed his thumb upon the halves of
the emerald and pressed so hard that
the symbol trcmbled on its marble
bed.
"Beware!' cried Natal. and before
the echoes of his voice had died away
all of us started in establishment. for
10! the heart was opening like Il flower
Slowly it opened. till the severed
talisman fell from it as its two halves
lay b9ck on the marble of the altar,
revealing something hidden in it's
center that shone like an ember in the
lamplight.
In the hollow of the heart laid upon
square plate of gold, which was COW
cred with writing, glared a red jewel
shaped like a human eve, that seemed
To answer stare with stare.
IF we stand like this we shall grow
frightened" said the senior, roughly,
CHANGING round him as he spoke; there
rs nothing to fear IN a red stone cut
like an eye"
If you think so, white man." an
swered Natal. in voice that shook a
little, strive as he would to command
1T; lift up the holy thing and give me
the writing that is beneath it. STAY,
first take this, and set it in the symbol,
replacing the eye upon it," and he
handed him the forged tablet
The senior obeyed. nor did ANYTHING
happen when he lifted that dreadful
looking jewel and changed the true for
the false
Read it," said Maya. as the tablet
was passed to Natal; .'you have
knowledge of the ancient writings"
Perhaps IL were best left unread {"
he said, doubtfullv.
Nay" she answered; "let us know
the worst. Read it,"
Then he read these strange words in
a slow and solemn voice:
THE eye that has slept and is awaIx-
ened sees the heart and purpose of the
wicked: L say that in the hour of the
desolatlon of my city not all the waters
OF the Holy Lake shall wash away their
sin"
Now the faces of us who heard turned
gray in the lamplight. for, though the
gods OF this people were false, we felt
that the voice of "A true prophet spoke
To us from that accusing tablet, and
that we had called down upon our
heads vengeance which we could not
measure.
Did | not tell You that it were wiser
TO leave the writing unread" gaspcd
Natal, letting the tablet fall from his
hand as though il were snake.
The clattcr of il as ii struck the mar
bic floor seemed TO wake us from our
evil dream. for the senior turned on him
and said ficrcely:
What does it matter what the thing
says rogue. seeing that you forged it
y
''Ah, would that | had" answered
Natal: but when doom ovcrtalles YOU
and all of Us, then shall YOU learn
whether or not / forged this writ
ing" And he lifted it from the floor.
and hiding it in the folds of his robe.
added: Close the heart, white man.
and give back the severed jewel to those
who wear it"
The senior did so, replacing the silllen
cloth over the symbol so that the altar
seemed TO be as it had been
Now let Us be going" said Natal.
land rejoice that if yonder eye has seen
our wiclIedncss. it is hidden from the
sight of men. Doubtless the vengeance
OF the gods is sure, but that of men is
swift"
As he spoke we turned to leave the
sanctuary and of sudden MAYA
screamed. and would have fallen had
not the senior caught her. Well might
she scream. for there in the narrow
niche of the door by which he had en-
tered. stood white figure that at first
took TO be that OF some avenging
ghost.
Another instant and saw that in.
deed 1t was q ghost, the ghost OF Zibal-
bay, or rather his body come hack from
the boundaries of death to spy upou
our sacrilcgc before it crossed them
forever.
While he had seemed to be sensclczl
upon the bed in the chamber. his senses
were awake. and oh. what must he have
suffered when he heard MS plan our
fraud upon his sanctuary. Then when
we had left him his fury and despair
unfettercd the limbs that had been
bound so fast and gave him strength 20
follow, though they could not unlock
his frozen tongue.
Oh, never shall | forget the rage of
his quivering face, or the agony and
horror of his tornented eyes as they
met ours.
He saw our fear, and with n last effor,
staggered forward toward his daughter.
his clenchcd hands held above his head
Then foam, mingled with blood. burst
from his lips, and he sank down at her
feet dead.
Somehow we Gained and silenced
Maya; somehow we escaped from that
hateful sanctuary. and by slow degrees
brought her and the dead body Of her
father up the narrow stairs and pas
sages TO the hall above. where we laid
the latter on its bed. Then Natal left
us, and / remember no more till the
next morning. when the mobiles and
leeches came 20 watch by the body Of
the cacique and embalm il in readiness
for the tomb
The next two days went heavily fof
the three OF us, oppressed as we yvero
by the silent gloom 81 our prison and
the memories Of that dreadful ufrrhf
AZ length they carried away the
corpse OF LIbal bay TO bc wrapprd ina H.,
II rrrrr g. -. u -