The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-05-23

WORK OF the Duttfto1- -.
Supporting himself by creepcr with
his left hand, with his right he struck
blow after blow at the biggest OF these
roots, severinQ them one by one. Now
we saw his purpose-to send two hum
dred tons OF stonework laundering
down the stairway upon the heads OF
the murderers.
.By heavensl That Is an answer TO
my question:" said the senior; then he
paused and added: "Comc down. Molas,
II the arch falls you will fall with itand
be crushed"
cit matters little, he answered, "tnis
u my doom day. That bullet has cut
me inside, and bleed TO death, and on
this spot, as have long feared, 1t Is
fated that I should die. Pray for my
soul and farewell"
Now three of the roots were severed,
but the fourth and largest, which was
thicker than a man'sleg, remained, and
ut this Molas began TO bew despair
ipgly.
fare they near9" he gasped.
We peeped round the corner OF the
arch and saw that some fifty feet below
us the band had halted on the slippery
face of the pyramid, fearing they knew
not what, for they heard the dull sound
OF the axe blows, but could not guess
what IL portended.
One OF their number was talking to
Don Pedro, apparently urging some
thing upon him TO which he did not
agree and In this way they wasted two
minutes before the order was finally
| given TO rush up the remaining steps
and take the temple by storm.
Two minutes, ii was but a short time,
vet IL meant much, for now only
third of the root remained answered,
and the bark cracking and peeling
showed how great was the strain
upon It.
"Quiclx.r whispered the senior, they
Gomez" and as he spoke the hands of
the axe broke and its head fell ON the
| ground.
"Now II the root holds we are lost, +"
/ said.
But IL was not so, for Molas still had
his heavy hunting knife, and with this
he hewed frantically at the wood. AT
the third cut IL began TO part, torn
slowly asunder as though by the
strength OF a giant.
"Come down, Molas, come DOWN.
cried the senior.
But Molas would not. He struck one
more blow, severing the root, then,
with a shout of farewell, either
through faintness or by design, he cast
himself forward with outstretched
arms against the face OF the wall. His
weight was little indeed, yet IL seemed
that IL sufficed TO turn the balance, for
again the trembling mass moved per-
ceptibly.
Ii slid forward faster and faster,
while sharp sounds like pistol shots
came from the heart of il, and the trees
bent like rod beneath the rush OF q
fish. Now, also, for the first time the
villains on the slope below perceived
the doom that threatened them and ut.
tered such a yell as L had never heard,
Some stood still, and some flung them
selves down the stair. One only, Don
Pedro himself, rushed forward.
1t was too late; the mass OF stone
work, fifty feet long by twenty in
Molas with il.
With n roar like that of thunder II
struck upon the stairway, and, burst
ing into fragments, swept it from enc
| TO end
In Less than minute IL was done, the
sounds had died away, and nothing was
left TO tell of what had happened ex
cept little dust and some remains thai
had been men. OF all those who stood
upon the stairway only one sur
, vived, Don Pedro, who had run
forward. But he was too late
, for though the mass had missed him ,
single stone struck him across the mid
die, breaking his bones and sweeping
him TO the foot of the first fight, blu
leaving him alive.
When all was finished and the dus
had fallen to the earth again, the seno
, spoke, saying:
Let us go and search for the bod,
Of our aelivcrer."
So we went, the three OF us, Leaving
Zilbalbay in the temple, but we coul'
not And Il; doubtless 10 this day
! lies buried beneath some of the large
, blocks of masonry. There were othe
bodies, indeed, from which we did no
! scruple TO take the rifles and whateve
else was likely TO be of value 20 us
/. Better still, tied among some trees nea
, the foot of the pyramid we found fou
! good mules, one of them laden wit
! ammunition and provisions, for Do
! Pedro had come out determined 70 hun
r us down even IL he must follow us 70
days.
Having piclSeted the mules wher
I | they could Craze, we returned To TN
! temple, bearing with us food and drinl
. of which we stood i'm sore need. On on
: way up the steps Don Pedro called {
d us from where he lay broken and bleed
r ing against an uprOOtcd tree.
. water" he cried, give me water.
r and the senior gave him some mike
q with brandy, which we had found upo
d the sumpter mule.
!. II am dying" moaned the wretcl
!. "my presentiment has come true, an
. death finds me among ruins"
q "Give me absolution," he went on
Z "For the love of God give me absoll
4 ton"
3 II cannot" said the senior. II hny
d no authority. Pray 10 heaven 70 shriy
n you, for your time Is short"
q Then he turned and went, but for
: long time we were troubled with ii
a cries and blasphemics of this most CIV
man. Indeed, they did not cease unit
sunset, when the devil came to clai
- his own.
h CHAPTER XII.