Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-09-03


whom, 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
its summit to the jetty built upon piers
at the foot of it, which was used as
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 at the
end of the jetty lay pleasure slziff
which the senior and / were accustomed
to use for the purpose of fishing when
ever we could escape for a few hours
Into this skiff we entered, and, having
hOisted the sail, set our course by the
stars, steering for that village whence
a year before we had embarked for the
City OF the Heart.
The wind being favorable to 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 to 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 vii
1age, and, having hidden her as well as
we were able, set out at once toward
the mountains.
At length the evening fell, and we
camped for the night, if camping it can
be called to sleep beneath the shadow
of g cedar tree without fire and with
little, food having no covering except
our SerapeS.
Toward morning the air grew cold,
for already we were at some height
above the lake. and the tender infant
began to wall piteously, wall that
wrung our hearts. Still we rose with
the sun and went on our way, for it
n %lzx@ L. Il
do. Throughout that day, with ever
wearying footsteps, we journeyed, till
at sunset we reached the snow line
and saw before us that hunters rest
house where we had slept when first
we entered the Country of the Heart.
LET US go in" said MAYA, ''and find
food and shelter for the night
Now, our plan had been to avoid this
house and gain the pass, where we pro-
posed to stay till daybreak and then
travel down the mountain slopes into
the wilderness.
IF we enter there. Maya. we shall be
trapped" said the senior. ''Our only
safety lies in travelling through the
pass before we are overtaken. for it is
against the law that any of your people
should follow us into the Wilderness
IF we do not enter my child will die
in the cold,'' she answered.
You were too tender to secure our
derers to death. Have you, then, the
heart, husband, to kill your own child?"
Now, at these words, saw the Sc
nor's eyes fill with tears, but he said
only:
''Be it as you will"
By now, indeed, we understood, all
three of US, that if we would save cur
selves we must suffer the child to die,
and, however great our necessity, this
we could not do. So we went up to the
house and entered, and there by the
fire sat the same man and his wife
whom we had found in this room a
year ago.
''Who are you?" he cried, springing
up: Pardon, lady, but in that garb I
did not know you"
st is best that you should not know
u.s." said Maya. "We are wanderers
who have lost our way out hunting:
Give us food, as you are bound to do
Then the man and his wife, who were
kindly people, made obeisance to us,
and set off the best they had before US.
We ate, and after eating slept, for we
were very weary, bidding the man
watch and tell US if saw any stranger
approaching the house. Before dawn
he woke us and we rose. A few min
utes later he came into my room and
told me that a large body of men were
in sight of the house. Then 1 knew
that it was finished and called the
others.
Nov, there are three things that we
can do" I said. Fly toward the pass,
defend this house, or surrender our
selves
''There is no time to fly" answered
the senior, thereto e it is my counsel
that we fight
This is folly, broke in Maya.
''There is but one thing to do; yield
ourselves and trust to fortune, if, in
deed, fortune has any good in store for
US. Only I wish that we had done it be-
fore we undertook this weary journey"
Now, as she spoke by the light of the
rising sun we saw a great number of
men forming circle round the house.
With them were several captainSIand
lords, and among these l recognized
Di1nas and Tika1.
LET us put bold face on it,, said
Maya. So we opened the door, walked
out, and came into the presence of
Tikal, Dimas and the other lords.
''Whom do you seek that you come
with an armed force?" asked Maya.
Whom should I seek but your fair
self, cousin?" answered Tikal, and 1
saw that his eye was wild. as though
with drink.
''Tell US of what we are charged
that you follow us as though we were
evildoers.'
Lady" the old priest answered,
gravely, lit would seem that you have
earned this name, you and your COM