Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-07-16

| Ii.
Summoning the captain of the bear
ers Zlbaibay talked to him while his
| companions ate food that they had
| brought with them, and 1 noted that
what he heard seemed to give him little
pleasure. Next he ordered us to enter
| the itters-
| We started forward down the noun
| tain, and in an hour we had left the re-
| gion of snow behind and entered the
/ cedar forests.
At length. as the evening began to
| fall, we entered the village of corn
growers, half-ruined place, of which
the houses were for the most part built
of adobe or mud bricks and rooted
| with concrete of white lime
When Zibalbay descended from his
litter all those present Frustrated them
selves and remained thus, till, followed
into a house. which was made ready for
| his use, leaving us without.
Presently messenger came from III
balbay to summon US into the house,
where we found an ample meal pre-
pared, consisting chiefly of fish from
the lake, baked wild fowl, and many
sorts of fruit. BY the time we had
finished eating and had drunk the
chocolate that was served to US in cups
of hammered silver, the night had fallen
completely. 1 asked Ziba1bay if we
should sleep there; to which he replied
shortly that we were about to start for
the city.
Accordingly we set out by the light
of the moon. and were guided to little
harbor in the shore of the lake. where
a large canoe, fitted with a mast and
sail and manned by ten Indians, was
waiting for us. We embarked, and the
breeze being off land, hoisted the sail
and started toward the Island of the
Heart, which stood a distance of about
fifteen JY1ilQS from the main "a nd
The breeze was hight; but after the
cold of the mountains, the air was so soft
and ba]my and the scene SO new and
strange, that I for one did not regret
our slow progress. Nobody spoke in
the boat, for all of us were lost in our
own reflections, and the Indians were
awed to silence by the presence of their
lord. who alone seemed impatient, since
from time to time he pulled his beard
and muttered to himself.
Before us lay the tabled golden town
we had SO longed to see. Soon our feet
would pass its white walls and our eyes
behold it's ancient civilization.
what waits us there?" whispered
the senior. and he looked at Maya.
She heard his words and shook her
head sadly. There was no hope in her
eyes, which were dimmed with tears.
Then he turned to me as though for
comfort, and the easy fires of enthusi-
asm burnt up within me and answered.:
Fear not, the goal is won and we shall
overcome all difficulty and danger. The
useless wealth of yonder golden city
shall be ours; and by its help shall
wreak the stored up vengeance of ages
upon the oppressors of my race ard
build up a great Indian dominion
stretching from sea to sea. whereof this
city shall be the hearth He heard and
smiled. answering:
''It may be so, for your sake I trust
that it will be so, but we seek different
ends, Ignatio," and he looked again at
the lady Maya.
On we g1ided through the moonlight
and the silence, for from the town came
no sound save the cry of the watchmen
calling the hours as they kept their
guard along the ancient walls, till at
length we entered the shadow of the
holy city, lying dark upon the waters,
and the Indians getting out their pad
dies, for the wind no longer served Us,
rowed the canoe up a stone-embanked
canal that led to a water gate.
Now we halted in front of the gate,
where there was no man to be seen. In
an impatient voice Zibalbay bade the
captain of the boat hail the guardian of
the gate, and presently a man came
down the steps yawning. and inquired
who was there.
II, the cacique," said Zibalbay.
Open
indeed! IhaC Is strange, answered
the man, "seeing that this night the
cacique holds his marriage feast at the
palace yonder, and there is but one
cacique of the people of the Heart.
"Get back to- the mainland, wan
derers, and return in the daytime when
the gates stand wide"
Now when Zibalbay heard these
words he cursed aloud in his anger, and
Maya started as though with Joy.
81 tell you that [ am Zibalbay
come home again, your lord and no
other,'' he cried, land you will be wise
to do my bidding"
The man stared and hesitated till the
captain of the boat spoke to him, say
ing:
Fool, would you become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zibalbay re-
tuzned from the dead
Then he fastened to open the gate as
fast as his fear would let him.
Pardon, father. pardon" he cried.
prostrating himself, but the lord
Tikal, who rules in your place, has
given it out that you were dead in the
wilderness. and commanded that your
name should be spoken no more in the
city"
Zibalbay swept by him without a
word. When he had passed up the
marble steps and through the waterway
pierced in the thickness of the frown-
ing walls he halted, and addressing
of tho hOatmen said