Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-06-04
CHAPTER !.
HOW THE PLOT FAILED

HOW TIE PLOT FAILED
/, 1gnatio, the writer of this history,
being now ran in my si1ty-second
! year, was born in a village among the
mountains that lie between the little
towns of Pichaucalco and Tiapa. OF
all that district my father was the
hereditary cacique, and the Indians
there loved him much.
When l was n lad perhaps nine years
old troubles arose in the country and
my father was made a prisoner. l re.
member that he was shut up in dirty
| place. SO hot that it was difficult to
breathe, and that there were some
drunken Mexican soldiers outside the
door, who now and again threatened to
make an end of us Indian dogs.
My godfather, the priest Ignatio. con-
fessed my father in a corner Of the cell,
and took something from his hand.
Then my father called me to him and
kissed me, and with his own fingers for
a few moments he hung about my neck
that thing which the priest had taken
from him, only to remove it again and
give it to Ignatio for safe keeping. say
ing: ''See that the boy has it, and its
story with it, when he comes of age"
! Now my father kissed me again,
blessing me in the name of God, and as
| he did SO great tears ran down his face.
linen INC priest 1gndtlO LOOK me away.
| and L never saw my father any more,
for the soldiers shot him next morning
and threw his body into the hole that
they had dug to receive it.
After this my godfather, cousin and
hamesake took me and my mother to
the little town of Tiapa, of which he
| was priest, but she soon died of a
broken heart.
When l was about fifteen years of
| &c 4 1,~1l -
me to become priest.
On the morrow 1 went into my god
fathers room, and told him of my de-
| sire. He listened to me attentively, and
answered.: Il would that it might be
so. my son. holding, as / do, that the
| things OF the world to come outweigh
| those of the present earth ten thou
! sandfold, but it cannot be. for reasons
! that you shall learn when you are
| older. Then, when my trust is ended,
| you may make your choice, and, if you
| still wish it, become priest"
| Five more years passed away. during
which time | grew strong and active,
and skilled in all manly exercises, and
studied much under the teachings OF my
| gOdt2 thcr, who sent even to Spain to
| buy me books.
| At length, on my twentieth birthday,
my godfather, who was now grown very
Oltl 1Stbtc C<ilictt liIlO
Der. and, having locked the door, he
spoke to me thus:
NV son, the time has come when l
must deliver to you the last messages
Of your beloved father, my cousin and
best friend, who was murdered by the
soldiers when you were Il little child,
ard tell you of your descent and other
matters.
First. then, you must know that you
forcfathcr was none other than Qua
tclc Dc, the last of the Aztec emperors,
whom the Spaniards murdered, which
descent | can prove to You by means of
old writings and pcdigrces: also it is
known and attcstcd among the Indians,
who. even now, do not forget the stock
whence sprang their kings"
Then. by right, l am emperor of
Mexico" l said, proudly, for in my folly
it seemed a fine thing to be sprang
from men who once had worn Il crown.
Alas! nv son." the old priest an
swercd. sadly, lin this world might is
the only right, and the Spaniards ended
tina: of Your forefathcrS long ago by
the aid of torture and the moose. Save
that it viii earn you reverence among
the Indians, it i; but barren honor
which You inherit with your blood.
Yet there is one thing that has come
te,loc, and the monarchs who ruled be-
fore him. Pcrchance you remember
that on the night before lie died your
father sat al amulet upon yocr neck,
and, removing it again, gave it to me to
keep. Here is that amulet
And be handed me trinllet made of
the half of Il heart-shaped emerald,
smooth with wear but unpublished, that
il Joined to its missing section would
h,pr, In, Inrn's This
stone yv-s not broken, but cut from the
top to the bottom, the liae of the cut
ting being So csInningly Sawn that no
one unless he hal one half before him,
could initiate the other. This charm
was bored through so as to be worn
upon 4 chain, and engraved upon it's
surface were some hie-oglyphics and
The ontlinc OF half human face.
What is it?'' asked.
The old priest shrugged his shoulders
and answered:
~ relic that had to do with their
wicked heather magic and rites, | sup
pose | know little about it except that
your father told me that it was the
NEST valued possession of the Aztec
kings, and that the natives believe that
when the two halves of this stone came
together the men of white blood shall
be driven from Central America, and
sea to sea.
And where is the other half,
father"
Il am priest, and therefore your
father told ne little of the matter, since
(. is not lawful that should belong to
secret societies. Still, some such society
exists and. IN virtue Of the ownership of
that talisman. you will be head of it,
as your ancestors We're before you,
though. so far us | can learn, it has
brought them but little luck.
Il know no more about it, but l
will give YOU letters to q certain Indian
who lives in the district of which your
father was caciquc. and. when you
show him the stone. doubtless he will
infinite you into its mysteries, though
/ counsel you to have nothing to do
with them.
Listen. Ignatio. my son, you are
rich man; how rich l cannot tell you,
but for many generations your fore
fathers have hidden up treasure for an
object which I will explain, and the
gold will be handed oscr to you by those
of your elan in whose keeping it is.
1T was because of this treasure that
vour father and your great grandfa-
thcr were done to death with many
others. since the rumor of it came to
the ears of those who ruled in Mexico,
who, when they could come to 1T by
no other means, tormented and Killed
them in their rage
Snow, this was the message OF your
father to YOU concerning the wealth