Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-08-06
a,.tain of the bost spoke to him. say-

sastain of the boat spoke TO him. say-
..Fool, would you become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zihalbay re-
turned from the dead"
Their he fastened to open the gate as
fast as his fear would let hI:a-
Pardon, father. pardon he cried.
TikaI. who rules in your place, has
given it out that you were dead IN the
wilderness. and commanded that your
name should oe spoken no more in the
city"
Zibalbay swept by Kim without
word. When he had passed up the
marble steps and through the waterway
pierced in the thickness of the Scown-
ing walls ne halted, and addressing
the captain of the boatmen, said:
LET this man be scourged to-mor-
row at noon in the market place, that
henceforth he may learn not to sleep
at his post"
On the further side of the wall ran
wide street, bordered by splendid houses
built of white stone, which led to the
central square of the city, mile or
more away. Up this street we walked
swiftly in silence, and as we went I
noticed that much of it was grass
grown. and that many of the great
houses seemed to be deserted: indeed,
though light came from some of the
latticed window places. l could see no
sign of any human being.
Here is the city" whispered the
senior to me, but where the people?"
Doubtless they celebrate the we'd
ding feast in the great square" l
answered. ''Harll, 1 hear them"
As spoke the wind turned a little,
and a sound of singing fioated down it
that grew momentarily clearer as we
approached the square. Another five
minutes passed and we were entering
it. 1t was a wide place, covering not
less than thirty acres of ground, and
in its center rising 500 feet in the air
CLEANED the pyramid of the Temple of
the Heart, crowned by the holy fire that
f1ickered eternally upon its summit.
In the open space between the walls
of the inclosure of the pyramid and
the great buildings that formed the
sides of the square, the inhabitants of
the city were gathered for their mid
night feast. All were dressed in white
robes, while many wore glittering
feather capes upon their shoulders, and
were crowned with wreaths of flowers.
Some of them were dancing, some of
them singing, while others watched the
tricks of iugglerS and buffoonS. But
the most of their number were seated
round little tables eating, drinking,
smoking, and making love, and we
noticed that at these tables the chill
dren seemed the most honorable guests,
and that everybody petted them and
waited on their words. Nothing could
eyes than this innocent festival cele-
brated beneath the open sky and lighted
by the moon. Yet the sight of it did
not please Zibalbav.
Along the sides of the square ran mh
avenue of trees bearing white flowers
with heavy scent, and Zibalbay mo-
toned to US to follow him into their
shadow. Many of the tables were
placed just beyond the spread of these
trees, so that he was able to stop, from
time to time. and, unseen himself, listen
TO the talk that was passing at them.
Presently he halted thus opposite to q
table at which sat an oldish man and a
woman, young and pretty. What they
said interested him, and we who were
close by his side understood it, for the
difference between the dialect of these
people and the Maya tongue is so small
that even the senior had little difficulty
in following their talk.
1.-The feast is merry, tonight" said
the man.
"Yes, husband" answered his com
that yesterday the lord Tikal was
elected cacique by the Council of the
Heart, and to-day he was welded in
the presence of the people to Nahua,
the beautiful child of the lord Natal Z"
st was fine sight," said the man,
though for my part think it early to
proclaim him cacique. Zibalbay might
yet come back and then"
''Zibalbay will never come back, hus-
o1x otf
have persisted in the wilderness long
ago. For her am sorry, because she
was so lovely and different from other
great ladies, but do not grieve much
for him, for he was a hard taskmaster
to US common people, also he was
stingy. Why, Tikal has given more
feasts during the last ten months than
Zibalbay gave in as many years, more
over he has relaxed the laws so that we
poor women may now wear ornaments
like our betters." And she glanced at
q gold bracelet upon her wrist.
st is easy to be generous with the
goods of others" answered the man.
"Zibalbay was the bee who stored,
Tikal is the wasp who eats. They say
that the old fellow was mad but / do not
believe it. think that he was a greater
man than the rest of us, that was all,
who saw the wasting of the people and
desired to find the means to stop it,"
Certainly he was mad" answered
the woman. ''How could he stop the
wasting of the people by taking his
daughter to wander in the wilderness
till they died of starvation, both of
them? If anybody dwells out yonde-,
it is folk of white devils of whom we
have heard, who kill and enslave the
Indians that they may rob them of
their wealth, and we do not desire that
such should be shown the way to our
the people do waste? We have all things
that we wish. Those who come after
us must see to it,"
''Yet, wife, have heard you say that
you desired children" Suddenly the
woman's face grew sad,
''Ah!" she answered, IF Zibalbay
will give me child will take back all
my words about him and proclaim him
the wisest of men, instead OF what he
is, or rather waS-an old fool gone
crazy with vanity and too much pray
ing. But he is dead, and if he were not
he could never do this; that is beyond
the power of the gods themselves, if,
indeed, the gods are anything except
dream. So what is the use of talking
about him; let me enjoy the feast thai
Tilal gives us, husband, and do not
speak of children, lest / should weep,
and learn to hate those of my sisters
who have been blessed with them"
Then at a sign from Zibalbay we
moved on, but Maya, hanging back for
a moment, whispered:
Look at my fathers face. Never
have l seen him so angry. Yet these
tidings are not altogether i'll, and abe