San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-01
HEART OETHE WORLD.
BY H. RIDER HAooARD.
Strange Story, Taken From Manuscript Be-
eaesfhed BY an Old Mexican Indian to His
Friend and Comrade, an English.
man Named Jones.

NC great again.
I'm all this" he said, 81 have little
faith; still Zibalbay, who in his way
was wise, believed. in il, and the story
having gone abroad, the people clamor
that it should be put to the test. Is
this your will also?"
1T is our viii" answered the coun-
cillors
"Good. Then let it be done, and on
your heads be it if harm should come
of it. Natal, the council commands
you to set these fragments in the hol-
low of the symbol"
IF that be the will of the council 1
have no choice but to obey" said
Natal. ''Yet, though none else have
done SO, give my voice against it, for
/ hold that this is childishness, and
never did know any good to spring
from prophecies" and he paused as
though waiting for an answer.
'0bey! Obeyr' said the council, for
curiosity had got hold of them, and
they craned their neclzs forward to see
what might happen.
''0beyl" repeated Tikal "But beware
how You shake the symbol, lest we
should perish in the doom of waters"
Then Natal set the two halves of
the talisman in the hollow of the
Heart, and as before, in the midst of
an utter silence, the heart opened like
a flower. Leaning forward, L saw the
eye within its hollow, but it seemed to
me that the fire had faded from the
heart of the Jewel, for it now cleaned
coldly, like the eye of a man who is
two hours dead. 1 think that Natal
noted this also, for as the symbol
opened he started and his hand shook.
Now, when they saw the marvel, a
gasp. of wonder rose from the council;
then Tikal spoke, saying:
ut seems that there was wisdom in
Zibalbay's madness, for the Heart has
opened indeed, and within it is a stone
eye resting upon plate of gold that is
covered with writing"
Read the writing" they cried.
Displacing the eye he lifted the plate
of gold and scanned it.
81 cannot" he said shaking his head.
''It is written in a character more an
Gent than any have studied. Take
it, Natal, for you are learned in such
signs"
Now Natal took the tablet and
studied it long with an anxious face,
upon which at length light broke that
changed anon to wonder, or rather,
blank amaze, SO that 1, watching him,
began to think, not knowing all the
cleverness of Natal, that the senior was
right, and the tablet had been tam
pered with since we saw it.
Read Readl" cried the council
Brethren" he'said, "the words seem
clear, and yet so strange is this writing
that l fear my learning is at fault and
that had best give it to others to de-
cipher"
''No, read, read" they cried again,
almost angrily.
Then he read; This is the voice Of the the
year Of the buildinS-o the sanctuary. and
sySro W. tablet of bold which he set in
Duu2Nu00f nnTmbol of the 81 nctuary, to
Rr-on hour wlar.. the lost
ens OF the Day AID the
bgether
speaks, unborn daughter OF o
whose name is the name Of q ma
!, tion. When my people are grown old and
their number are lessened and their heart is
faint, then, maiden, take to myself a husband
q man of the race OF the white god, a son
OF the Seafoam, whom thou shalt lead hither
across the desert, for so my people shall once
more prosper and grow strong, and the land
shall be to thy child and the child of the god
east and west, and north and south, farther
than my eagles wing between sunrise and
Set
Now as he read the face of Tikal
grew black with rage, and before ever
the echoes of his voice had died away,
he sprang from his seat, crying:
.'Whoever it was that wrote this lying
prophecy, god or man, let him be ac-
cursed. Shall the Lady Maya, for her
il must be whose name is the name of
nation, be given in marriage to the
white dog who awaits his doom without
that door, and shall his son rule over
us? First will ! see her dead and him
with herl"
Now one of the Oldest of the council,
a man named Dimas, who, as learned
afterward, had been foster brother to
Zibalbay. rose and answered angrily:
''It seems to me that these things
must be so, TilSal, and beware how you
utter threats of death, lest they should
fall upon your own head. We have called
upon the god, and the god has spoken
in no uncertain voice. The Lady Maya
must become wife to the white man,
Son of the Sea, and then things shall
befall as they are fated."
ssWhat?" answered Tilxal, sis this
wandering stranger to be set over me
and all of us?"
''That do not know" said the coun-
cillor; ''the writing does not say so; the
writing says that his son shall be set
over US, and as yet he has no son. But
this is certain that the Lady Maya must
e given to him in marriage, and in her
rlgDtSAe well may rule, seeing UndG Sue
is the l5Gful heir to her father and not
you, kat,ca1though you have usurped
her place"
Now many voices called upon Maya,
and she stood forward and spoke with
downcast eyes.
What shall / say" she began, Sex
cept one thing, that my will is the will
of the gods, and if it is fated that
should be given to the white man in
marriage, why, so let it be.
"for many years was taught to look
elsewhere, but he who was to have been
my husband"-and she pointed toward
Tikal-"chose himself another wife,
and now l see that he did this not alto
gether of his own viii, but because it
was so decreed. Ono thing more: /,
whom am but a woman. have no desire
to rule or to take the place that the
Lady Nahua now holds. The writing
says that in day to come, far-off
day, some child of mine, il indeed am
that daughter Of chief whose name is
the name of nation shall rule in
truth. Let him then come in his hour