Abilene weekly reflector., 1896-04-09
CHAPTER XXI
NATAL PRoPHEsIRs EVIL.

NATAL PROPHESIks EVIL.
At Tikals words the company mur
INJURED in astonishment, and Natal
bending forward, began whisper In
his ear Tikal listened for a moment
then turned upon'him fiercely and then
said aloud so all could hear him:
II tell you, Natal, that will be NO
party to this iniquity. Has such a thing
been heard Of before that the Lady Of
the Heart, the highest lady in the land,
should be given In marriage to a
stranger, who, like some lost dog, has
wandered to our gate?'
"The prophecy" began Natal.
1.-The prophecyl put no faith in
prophecies. Why should obey proph-
ecy written now, when or by whom
do not know? This lady was my
afiianced bride, and now am asked to
unite her TO nameless man, who is
not even OF our blood or faith. Well,
| will not"
Surely, lord, you blaspheme, an.
swered Natal, growing wroth, "see-
ing that II Is not for the highest priest
to speak against the oracle OF the god.
Also" he added, with meaning, what
can 1t be to you who are not ten days
wed to the lady at your side, that she TO
whom once you were affianced should
choose another as her husband?"
What Is II to me?" asked Tikal furi-
ously. "If you desire to know will
tell you. 1t is everything. How did
come to break my troth and to take
your daughter as wifc7 Through
you, Natal, through you, the liar and
false prophet. Did you not swear to
me that Maya was dead yonder in the
wilderness? And did you not, to
satisfy your own ambitions, force me
on to take your daughter to wife, W,
and Is not this marriage between the
Lady Of the Heart and the white man
plot Of yours, devised for the further
ing OF your ends?"
Now, while all stood astonished, Of a
sudden Nahua, who hitherto had lis
tened in stony silence, rose and said
MY lord Tikal forgets that common
courtesy should protect even an unwel-
come wife from public insult" Then
she turned and left the hall by the door
which was behind her.
Now murmur Of pity for the lady
and Indignation against the man ran
through the company, and as it died
away Tikal said
Evil will come Of this nights work
and in 1t will have no hand. DO what
you will and abide the ISSUE" and be-
fore any could speak In answer he also
had left the hall followed by his guards.
For awhile there was silence, then
folk began to talk confusedly, and
some Of the members Of the Brother
hood Of the Heart, rising from their
chairs, took hurried counsel together.
At length they rescated themselves,
and, holding up his hand to secure
quiet, Natal spoke thus:
Forgive me-" he said, addressing the
audience, "if my words seem few and
rough, but 1t Is hard for me to be calm
in the face of the open insult which has
been put upon my daughter and myself
before you all Twill not stoop to an
swer the charges that the lord Tikal
has brought against me in his rage.
Surely, some evil power must have af-
hicted him with Madness that, forget
ing his honor as man and his duty as
prince and priest, he should dare to
liter such 'calumnics against the god
We worship, the white man whom the
rod has chosen to be a husband to the
4ady Maya, and myself, the keeper Of
he sanctuary. There were many
mong you who held me foolish when,
,fter much prayer and thought, to fur
her what believed to be the true in
erests Of the whole people, gave my
'oice In favor OF the lifting up Of Tikal
o I'll the place and honor Of cacique
n room OF our late prince, Zibalbay,
whom we thought dead with his daugh-
er in the wilderness. Tonight see
hat they were right, and that was
oolish indeed.
"But enough Of regrets and bitter
ak that make Ill music at a marriage
east Tikal, the head Of our hierarchy, !.
as gone, but other priests are left, nor
] his will the will OF the Council or of /,
he People of the Heart, for whom the J
ouncil kpeaks. Their will 1t Is that
his marriage should 20 forward, and
)imas, my brother, as the Oldest
mong us, call upon you to celebrate !
Now the company shouted in ap- :
lause, for they were set upon this :
range union Of white man with their
ldy, II only because 1t was new thing {,
nd touched their imagination, and |.
ven those Of them who were Of his party /,
ere wroth with Tikal on account Of y
Is i'll behavior and the cruel affront that !
. had offered to his new-made wife. :
SO soon as the tumult had died away J.
he old priest, Dimas, rose, and taking !
he hands Of Maya and the senior, he !
,ined them and said very touching !.
nd beautiful prayer over them, bless n y
" them and entreating the spirit, \
leart OF Heaven, and other gods to give :
hem increase and to make them happy
l each others love,
Lastly, he laid white silken cloth i
'hich had been prepared upon their =
eads as they knelt before him, and, =
'osing the emerald girdle about the =
'aist Of the BRIDE took her right hand :,
nd placed 1t upon the arm Of the =
snor, then he bound the girdle round Z
'rist and arm, buckled It, and In a few =
,lemn words declared these twain to :
Q man and wife in the face Of Heaven
nd earth till death undid them.
Nnx,, tbs al,tl, ,,,oa 1.rt.l a :, 4 A. IL.