San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-08
HEART OF TIE WORLD.
BY H. RIDER HAooARD.
= strange Story, Taken From Manuscript Be.
sueaihed BY an Old Mexican Indian to His
FRIEND and COmrade, an English.
man Named Jones.

ven, TIE thing was done, and II was
useless to regret it or to think of the
future, SO turning to Natal | asked
mid.
"Fhere will be a great gathering of
the people," he answered, "as is Gus
Iomary at dawn after the night of the
Kissing of Waters, and there they will be
told all that has happened in the sane
tuary. and then, if it is their will, Ii
kal Will be confirmed as cacique, ac-
cordlng to the bargain, and either
to-day or tomorrow the white man
here will become the husband of the
Lady Maya, in ORDER" he added, with a
sneer, that of their union may be
born the Deliverer who is to be. Now,
II you are ready, it is time for us to go,
for the multitude is gathered and an
escort awaits us without"
Leaving the palace we placed our
selves in the center of party of no
bles and guards who were In attend
ance, and marched across the courtyard
and UP the steps of the pyramid The
night was growing gray with the break
ing of the dawn, and in the pearly light
through which the stars shone family
we perceived that bands of priests and
mobiles, wrapped in their broidered SER
apes, for the morning air was chilly,
stood in their appointed places round
the altar.
In front of them were ranged the
dense masses of the people, drawn here
to make their prayers upon this feast
day, and also by desire to learn the
truth as to the death of Zibalbay, the
fate of the strangers who had accompa
MED him from the unknown lands, the
decision of the council as to the success
sor to the place and power of cacique,
and, lastly, whether or no the oracle of
the god had spoken to his priests upon
this or any other matter when the lost
talisman was set in its place upon the
altar.
On reaching the altar seats were
given to us among the Mobiles of the
Heart, those of Maya and the senior be-
ing placed in such fashion that they
would be visible to the whole multi
tude.
To the People of the Heart the occa-
sion was a great one, seeing that but
little rain falls in their country, and
thus they depended for bountiful har-
vest upon the inundation of the island
and of the low shores that lay around
the lake, by its waters swollen with the
melted snow of the great mountains on
the mainland. When the waters re-
treated then they planted their grain
in rich land, made fertile without labor
to themselves by the mud, whence be-
fore the lake rose again they gathered
their corn and other crops.
When they had ended their praying,
and gifts of fresh flowers had been
laid upon the altar by beautiful chill
aren chosen for that purpose, Tikal
blessed the people as high priest, and
Che simple ceremony came to an end.
Then Natal rose to speak, telling
the people all things that had hap
pened, OF. so much of them as was eX-
Pedient. that they should know. He
told them 6 the death of Zibalbay, of
the setting ofthe lost talisman in the
symbol, and o. the writing that was
found therein, which he read aloud to
them amid dead silence!
Then he told them how the Lady
Maya and the senior had consented to
Be married in obedience to the voice of
Che oracle, and lastly, how she, the
Lady Maya, had desired that her cousin,
Tilxal, should continue to be cacique of
The City of the Heart, that she might
have more leisure to attend upon her
heaven-sent husband and to be at rest
until that child was become a mar,
whose wisdom and power should make
them even greater than their forefa-
fhers had been.
When he had finished there was
much applause and other expressions
of joy, and spokesman from among
the people asked when the marriage of
the white man, Son of the Sea,
to the Lady Maya would take
H. u1,. 4
in person, saying modestly that it was
her lords will that it should take place
that very night in the banqueting hall
of the palace, and that a great feast
should be celebrated in honor of it.
After this the talking came to an end,
Tikal having said no word good or bad
beyond such as the duties of his Office
required, and, according to the custom
of the country, many people, noble and
simple, came forward to congratulate
her who was about to be made bride.
Weary of watching them and of hear
ing their pretty speeches, / took ad-
vantage of the escort of a friendly
noble and went to see the ceremony of
the closing of the floodgate, a huge
block of marble that slid down groove
into a niche prepared to receive it,
where it was fastened with great bars
OF copper and sealed by certain officers,
although, as l was told, the rising
water would not reach 1t for another
eight or ten days.
About midday 1 returned to the
apartments that had been assigned tc
me in the palace, and hearing that the
senior was still in attendance on the Lady
Maya / ate my dinner alone with such
appetite as could find, and lay down
to sleep awhile.
/ was awakened from my rest by the
senior, who arrived looking merry as he
used to be before ever Molas came tc
lead us to the old Indian doctor and his
daughter, and full of talk about the
preparations for his wedding that night
! listened to all he had to say and stroye
earnestly to fall into his mood, but, as
/ suppose, without effect, for in the end
he fell into mine, which was but a sad
one, and began to talk regretfully OF
the past and doubtfully of the future,
Now, 1 did my best to cheer him up,
but with little avail, for he shook his
head and said:
Indian as she is, l. love Maya dearly,
and no other woman has been or can be
SO much 70 me, and yet am afraid, Igna-