Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-06-25

with the figures of gods and beasts.
Thsi arch was in the last stage OF de-
cav; indeed, the crown OF it, a mass OF
masonry that must have weighed be-
tween one hundred and two hundred
tons, had been nearly separated from
its supports by the action Of time and
rain, aided, perhaps, by shock OF
earthquake, and hung threatening over
the top of the stair. In truth, SO slight
were the attachments which remained
between it and its supporting side col
umns and buttreSseS, that at first sight
it seemed as though it must fall at once.
A closer examination showed, how
ever, that it was held in place by three
or four great roots, trees that grew
upon the crown of the arch. Be
yond the arch, on the further
side of the terrace, rose the ruined
fat roof, whereon grew many shrubs
and palms.
Passing into the temple, Maya led us
into a chamber. In the corner lay a
little pile of articles covered over with
a serape that Maya fastened to remove,
revealing among other things an
earthen cooking pot, a copper axe of
with which the senior had killed Don
Jose, two curiously fashioned blow
pipes, with a supply of poisoned darts,
and lastly, bags containing dried flesh,
beans and cuca-paste.
''Au is SAFE" she said; -"now let us
eat, that we may be strong to meet
danger"
While we were filing ourselves thank
fully with the dried meat the senior
spoke to me, saying he hoped our pur-
suit had been abandoned.
you can know little of these men to
speak thus" he answered. ''Don Pedro
will certainly seek to avenge the blood
of his son.
'Then what do you propose to do?"
he asked. ''Start on again, or stop
here?''
''Senor, we must stop here because
we cannot travel farther, unless you
would abandon the old man and his
daughter. Moreover, in the forest it
would be easy to overwhe1m us, but this
place is hard to climb, and here at least
we may die fighting. Let us make
ready for the worst, senor.''
GLOW are we to make ready" he
asked, ''when we have nothing to fight
with except machetes and Indian blow
pipes. The powder in the pistol TASKS
is damp and the caps will miss fire,
SO that if they come our death is GER
TAIN
cit seems so," l answered, "and yet
if it pleases God we may live. Yonder
lie stones in plenty; let us pile them up
beneath the archway; perhaps we may
kill some of our foes by rolling them
down the steps,"
This we did then, while Maya watched
us. At length the task was finished,
stones we heard a dog baying down by
the river, followed by a sound of men
and horses forcing a path through the
bush.
''Look, here they come," said the
senior. and as he spoke party of seven
or eight men, three of them riding on
mules, appeared at the foot of the
mound. and, dismounting. picketed
their animals to trees.
'tNow for it, said the senior, rising
and shaking himself like a dog that
leaves the water. 81 wonder Row many
of us will be left alive when this sun
sets?''
AS he spoke one of the men advanced
to the foot of the stairway holding
great hound in a leash. For a moment.
the dog shifted the stones, then, lifting
his head, he bayed aloud, whereat the
band shouted, for they knew that they
had trapped us. Still for a while they
did not advance, but, gathering them
selves in a knot, consulted together at
the foot of the stairway.
Can we bargain with them, Igna-
tiO?" said the senior.
Impossible" I answered, "what
have we to give that they cannot take?"
''Then there is nothing for it except
to die as bravely as we cam" he
answered. ''This is the end of our
search for the Golden City. The quest
has not been lucky one, Ignatio."
Now the old Indian, Zibalbay, who
was crouched upon the ground beside
us, spoke for the first time, saying:
Friends, why do you not fly? Doubt
less you can find a path down the
further side of the pyramid, and in the
forest you may hide from these men,"
cit is too late to talk of fight. ''said
Molas, ''for look; they are coming up
the stair, the eight of them, with Don
Pedro and the Americana at their
head"
looked; it was true Already they
had climbed half the steps of the first
flight.
ooh, for some rifes!'' groaned the
senior.
''It is useless to cry for what we have
not, I answered.
'.God can help US if He wishes, and if
He does not we must bow to His will
Then there was a silence, broken
only by the voice of Zibalbay, who,
behind US, lifted his hands to
heaven and prayed aloud to his gods to
bring vengeance upon our foes.
Now we could see through the trees
and bushes that the men were begin
ming to climb the second fight.
Come, let US do something" said the
senior. and, running to the pile of stones
which we had prepared, he called to us