The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-08-20

we may learn, and all your people may.
learn. what truth there is in the VIZ
sions of Zibalbay.N
THAT is our desire" answered Tikal,
taking the severed emerald and its
counterpart, which Maya gave to him.
Let the white man, Son of the Sea,
be placed without the sanctuary and
guarded there awhile, for at least he
will gain time to prepare himself Tor
death. Fear not, lady he added,
noting Maya's anxious face, no harm
shall bc done to him tin this matter of
the prophecy is made clear"
Now for the second time the senior
was removed, and when he was gone
Tikai spoke, tracing the history of the
prophecy so far AZ it was known, and
rccasing its substance; that when once
more the two halves of the symbol of
the Heart were laid side by side in their
place on the altar in the sanctuary.
then from that hour the people should
be great again.
''In all this" he said. Il have little
faith; still Zibalbay, who in his way
was wise, believed in 1t. and the story
having gone abroad, the people clamor
that it should bc put to the test. Is
this your will also?"
1T is cur WILL" answered the coun-
cillors.
Good. Then let il be done, and on
your heads be it if harm should come
of it. Natal. the council commands
YOU to set these fragments in the hol-
low of the symbol"
IF that be the will of the council I
have no choice but to obey" said
Natal. Yet, though none else have
done so, give my voice against 1T. for
| hold that this is childishness. and
never did l know any good to spring
from prophecies" and he paused as
though waiting for an answer.
"Obeyl Obey!' said the council, for
! curiosity had got hold of them, and
| they craned their nccks forward to see
what might happen.
"Obey." repeated Til1al ~But beware
| how you shake the symbol. lest we
should perish in the doom of waters"
Then Natal set the two halves of
| the talisman in the hollow of the
| Heart, and as before. in the midst of
an utter silence, the heart opened like
| a flower. Leaning forward. i saw the
eye within its hollow, but it seemed to
me that the fire had faded from the
heart of the jewel, for it now CLEANED
coldly, like The eve of man who is
two hours dead I think that Natal
noted this also. Tor as the symbol
opened he started and his hand shook.
Now. when they saw the marvel, u
gasp of wonder rose from the council;
then Tikal spoke, saying:
1T seems that there was wisdom in
Zibalbay's madness, for the Heart has
opened indeed. and within it is q stone
eye resting upon a plate'of gold that is
covered with writing"
Read the writing" they cried
Displacing the eye he lifted the plate
of gold and scanned it.
~ cannot" he said, shaking his head.
at is written in a character more an.
cient than any q have studied. Take
it, Natal, for yon are learned in such
signs"
Now Mattai took the tablet and
studied it long with an ANXIOUS face,
| upon which at length light broke that
changed anon to- wonder, or rather,
blank amaze so that d, watching him,
began to think, not knowing all tha
cleverness of Natal. that the senor was
| right, and the tablet had been tam
pered with since we saw 1T.
Read Read!' cried the council.
Brethren he said, 1.-The words seem
| clear. and yet so strange is this writing
that fear my learning is at fault and
that had best give it to'others to de-
cipher
| aiinOSt abprlly.
Then he read: This is the voice OF the
nameless god that his prophet heard in the
year of the building Of the sanctuary and
graved upon tablet of gold which be set in q
secret place In the symbol OF the sanctuary, Il
be declared in the r-on hour when the los,
is found and the signs of the Day and the
Night arc come together.
TO thee 1t speaks unborn daughter OF O
| chief TO he. whose name is the name of a ma
tion. When my people are grown old and
their number are lessened and their beart f.
faint. then, maiden, take to thyself u sbano
Il man OF the race OF the white god, sor
OF the Seafoam. whom thou shalt lead hither
| across the desert. for SO my people shall once
more prosper and grow strong. and the land
shall be to thy child and the child OF the god
cast and west, and north and south. farther
than my eagles wing between sunrise and set
Now as he read the face of Tikal
grew black with rage, and before ever
the echoes of his voice had died away
he sprang from his seat crying:
Whoever it was that wrote this lying
prophecy. god or man. let him be ac
cursed. Shall the Lady Maya, for hei
it must be whose name is the name of q
nation, be given in marriage to the
white dog who awaits his doom without
that door, and shall his son rule over
us? First will / see her dead and hin
with herr
Now one of the oldest of the council
man named Dimas, who, as / learned
afterward, had been foster brother tc
Zibalbay, rose and answered angrily:
1T seems to me that these things
must be so, TilSal. and beware how you
utter threats of death, lest they should
fall upon your own head. We have called
upon the god, and the god has spoken
in no uncertain voice, The Lady Maya
must become wife TO the white man
Son of the Sea, and then things shall
befall as they are fated."
"What?" answered Tikal, sis this
wandering stranger to be set over me
and all of us?"
THAT do not know" said the coun
cillor; 'the writing does not say so; the
writing says that his son shall be sci
over us, and as yet he has no son. But
this is certain that the Lady Maya must
be given to him in marriage, and in hei
right he well may rule, seeing that she
is the lawful heir to her father aSd not
you, Tikal. although yea have usurped
her place"
Now many voices called upon ,Iaya
and she stood forward and spoke with
downcast eyes.
what shall | say she began, EEK,
cept one thing, that my will is the will
of the gods. and if it is fated that
should be given to the white man in
marriage, why, so let it be.
For many years was taught to lool'
elsewhere, but he " no was to have been
my husband"-and she pointed toward
Tikal-''chose himself another wife.
and now / see that he did this not alto
gether of his own will, but because II
was dacraad Ono tbipfr mona.