The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-05-08

| mouth of the pit before the altar
sprang a vast column OF water,
which struck the roof of the sane
| tuary with such fearful force that
already the massive marble blocks be-
gan to rain down upon the crowd of
| fugitives, who struggled and in vain to
open the door and escape into the Hall
of the Dead.
On we fled before the advancing flood,
and well was it for us that our course
Law upward, for otherwise we must have
been drowned as we searched for the
KEYS to open the different gates and
doors. But now fortune, which for so
long had been our foe, befriended us,
and the end of it was that we reached
the summit of the pyramid just as the
dawn began to break.
The dawn was breaking, and seldom,
perhaps, has the light of day revealed
more wonderful or terrible sight to
the eyes of man. Outside the gates of
the courtyard of the pyramid were
gathered a great multitude of people
waiting to be admitted to celebrate the
feast that on this day of the year was
to be held, according to custom, upon
the summit of the pyramid. Indeed,
they should have already been as
sembled there, but it was the rule that
the gates could not be opened until the
council had left the sanctuary, and this
night the Council sat late.
As we looked at them a cry of fear
and wonder rose from the multitude,
and this was the cause of it: Along
that street which ran from the landing
place to the great square rushed vast
wall of water twenty feet or more in
depth by one hundred broad. Now we
learned the truth. The symbol on the
altar, know not how, was connected
with secret sluice gates which for
many generations had protected the
City of the Heart from flood. When it
was torn from its bed these sluice gates
were opened, and, the waters rushing
in, sought their natural level, which
was higher than the housetops of the
city. On the summit of the pyramid
were two priests, who tended the sa-
cred fire and made ready for the service
to be celebrated. Seeing US emerge
from the watch house, they ran toward
US, wringing their hands and asking
what dreadful thing had come to pass.
l replied that we did not know, but
that, seeing the water gather in our
prison, we had fed from it. How we
had fed they never stopped to ask, but
ran down the stairway of the pyramid,
only to return again presently, for be-
fore they reached its base their escape
was cut off.
Meanwhile the terror thickened and
the doom began. Everywhere the
waters spread and gathered, replen-
ished from the inexhaustible reservoir
of the lake. Whole streets went down
before them to vanish suddenly be-
meath their foaming face, while from
the crowd below rose one continuous
shrek of agony. Maya heard it, and
casting herself face downward upon
the surface of the pyramid, that she
might not see her handiwork, thrust
her fingers into her ears, while the
senior and watched, fascinated.
Now the food struck the people,
some thousands of them, who were
gathered on the rising ground at the
gates of the incloSure of the temple,
and. iol in an instant they were gone,
borne away as withered leaves are
borne before gale. Ere man might
count ten the most of the population
of the City of the Heart had persisted!
For little while some of the more
massive houses stood, only to vanish
one by one, in silence, as it seemed, for
now the roar of the waters covered all
other sounds. Before the sun was well
up it was finished, and on the ancient
and beautiful city, Heart of the World,
there remained nothing to be seen ex-
cept the tops of the trees and the upper
parts of the pyramids of worship rising
above the level of the lake.
| The Golden city was no more.
Presently Maya rose to her knees and
| looked out from beneath the hollow of
her hand, for the light was dazzling
there upon the white summit of the
pyramid. Then she flung her arms
above her head and uttered great and
bitter cry.
Behold my handiwork," she said,
land the harvest of my sin! o, my
father, that dream which was sent to
| haunt my sleep was dreadful, but it did
not touch the truth. o. my father, the
people whom you would have saved are
dead, and lost is the city that you loved,
and it is l who have destroyed them.
o. my father, my father, your curse
has found me out, indeed, and | am ac-
cursed"
Some such words as these she spoke,
then began to laugh, and turning to
the senior, said:
Where is the child, husband?"
He could not answer her, but she
| took no note OF II, only she bent her
arms, rocking them and grooming as
though the infant lay upon her breast;
then came first to him and next to me,
saying:
Look, is he not pretty boy? Am l
not happy to be the mother OF such a
boy?"
WEAKNESS, sorrow and shock had
| turned her brain. and she was mad.
! We led her to the watch house, where
there was shelter, and the priests, who
had returned, gave us food as soon as
we could make them understand that
we needed it, for they, too, were almost
mad. Here her last illness seized her.
1t began with hardening of the breast
which changed presently to fever.
Two days and nights with breaking
! hearts we nursed her there upon the
pyramid, striving not to listen to her
mad rawlings and piteous talk about the
child, and at dawn upon the third day
she died. Before she died her senses
returned to her, and she spoke to her
husband beautiful and tender words
which seem too holy to set down.
She turned to the senior, and in a
gasping and broken voice prayed of him
]