The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-08-01

she fell heavily on the noor, letting
drop the knife I'm her effort 70 save her
sely. She sprang 10 her feet and ran
toward the door. there TO be met by the
senior. who seized her and held her last
CHAPTER XIII
OUR vLIcHT AND now 1T ENDED
SLOW came this lady here, Maya, and
what does she seelx?" the senior asked.
~ do not know how she came"
gasped his wife. II had begun 10 pre-
pare myself for sleep when, looking
Into wonder mirror, / saw her behind
me having in her hand naked knife
and searching the room with her eyes.
Presently they fell upon the cradle,
and, lifting the knife, she took a step
toward IL. Then turned and gripped
her, holding her as well as l was able,
but she was too strong for me and
dragged me forward. so that had IL not
been for Ignatio here by now she
would have made an end OF our child"
lis this true?" said the senior 10
Nahua.
at Is trre, white man, she answered.
"Why do you desire 10 kill one SO in
nocent?" he asked again.
'Is IL not natural that should wish
to destroy the child who is 10 supplant
my child, and To break the heart of the
woman who has broken my hearth
Nahua answered sullenly. Among
many other things | have learned,
white man, of that ceremony which Is
| 10 take place tomorrow, whereat my
husband Is 20 be deposed and my child
| dishonored, that they may make room
for you and your child, you, the white
wanderer, and your son, the heaven
born, the foreordained."
What have we TO do with these
things, o woman with the heart OF n
puma?" he asked IF Tilxal is 10 be
driven from his place, IL Is because OF
| his crimes"
And II you and yours are to be set
| In IL, white man, without doubt IL is
because of your virtues; and yet. black
hearted lSnave that You are, l tell you
| that / know all the truth. l know
how you forged the prophecy setting
| the false for the true within the holy
symbol OF the heart. know also that
my father helped you TO the deed, for,
although he Is dead, he wrote down
that tale before he died and gave IL to
me, together with the true prophecy
that YOU dared 10 steal from the holy
sanctuary.
YES, / have the proofs, and when
needful l will show them. / did not
come here 10 do murder, at least upon
the infant but the sight of 1t sleeping
| In it's cradle overcame me, and OF a
sudden determined TO wrealk my VEN
geance upon il and upon its mother.
In this have failed, but when de-
nouncc you 20 the council, then l shall
not fail; then you will be known for
what you are, and die the death that
you deserve"
1T comes into my mind, husband"
said Maya, coldly. 'that II we would
save our own lives we must rob this
woman of hers. Such doom she has
richly earned, nor will any blame us
when they learn what was her errand
here"
ut seems that IL is So" / answered,
sadly, land yet the thing is awful"
at Is awful, but il must be done"
said the senior, land IL falls on me to do
| IL for the sake of my wife and child"
| Now he stepped to where Nahua lay
and knelt beside her, and we two drew
aside, sick at heart, and hid our faces
in our hands. Presently he was with
us again.
'Is IL done?" asked Maya, hoarsely.
mo, nor will IL be by me-" he an
swered, in fierce voice; sooner would
| | choke the breath out of my own body
than strangle this defenseless woman,
cruel-hearted murdcress though she is.
II she is TO be killed, some other man
must do the deed"
"Then It will remain undone." said
Maya. And now, since we have thus
determined, let as think OF fight. for
the night draws on, and in flight is our
only hope"
What, then, Is to be done with this
woman?" / asked. I'VE cannot take
her with us"
"No, but we can leave her here,
gagged and bound, till they chance 10
find her" answered the senior.
"HearlSen, Nahua, we spare you, and
10 do IL go forth 20 our own deaths.
| May your fierce heart learn lesson of
mercy from the deed. Farewell"
Two hours had gone by and three fig
urcs wrapped in rough serapes, such
as the common people wore, one OF
whom, n woman, carried an infant In
her arms, might have been seen eau
tiously descending the city wall by
means OF a wooden ladder that ran from
It's summit TO the jetty built upon piers
ut the foot OF IL, which was used as a
mooring place for boats during the
months of inundation.
AS was common at this season of the
year, the lake was already rising, and
floating in the shallow water aJ the
end OF the jetty lay a pleasure skiff
which the senior and were accustomed
TO use for the purpose OF fishing when
ever we could escape for a few hours
from our wearisome life in the city.
Into this skin we entered, and, having
hoisted the sail, set our course by the
stars, steering for that village whence
n year before we had embarked for the
City OF the Heart
The wind being favorable 20 us our
progress was rapid, and by the first
gray light OF dawn we caught sight OF
the village not a mile away. Here,
however, we did not dare 20 land. for
we should be seen and recognized;
therefore we beached our boat behind
the shelter OF some dwarf water palms
three furlongs or more below the viii
lage, and, having hidden her as well as
we were able, set out at once toward
the mountains.
At length the evening fell. and we
/ On rnt,ad for tho uiOht IL ear,r,ir,cr n On \,