Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-04-29
IN. ,.,,,man from INV breast Take e

! the tsIisnan from my breast. Take Il
Tikal, and lay IL with It's fellow In the
place that Is prepared for them, SO that
we may learn, and all your people may
learn, what truth there is in the vi
sions of Zibalbay."
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 for
death. Fear not, lady" he added,
noting Maya's anxious face. mo harm
shall be done 20 him till this matter of
the prophecy is made clear"
Now for the second time the senior
| was removed, and when he was gone
Tilsal spoke, tracing the history of the
| prophecy % far as IL was known, and
| recIting Ito 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.
I'm all this" he said, Il have little
faith; still Zibalbay, who in his way
was wise, believed in il, and the story
having gone abroad, the people clamor
that it should be put to the test. Is
this your will also?'
ut is our WILL" answered the coun-
cillors.
your heads be IL il 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 /
have no choice but to obey" said
Natal. Yet, though none else have
done so, give my voice against il, for
l hold that this is childishness, and
never did | know any good to spring
from prophecies" and he paused rs
though waiting for an answer.
Obey! Obey" said the council, for
curiosity had got hold of them, and
they craned their neclls forward to see
what might happen.
obey" repeated TilSal 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
flower. Leaning forward, | saw the
eye within its hollow. but il seemed to
me that the fire had faded from the
heart of the jewel, for it now cleaned
two hours dead. | think that Natal
noted this also, for as the symbol
opened he started and his hand shook.
Now, when they saw the marvel, a
gasp of wonder rose from the council;
then Tikal spoke. saving:
1t seems that there was wisdom in
Zibalbay's madness, for the Heart has
opened indeed, and within it is n stone
eye resting upon plate of gold that is
covered with writing"
Read the writing" they cried
Displacing the eye he lifted the plate
of gold and scanned il.
81 cannot he said. shaking his head.
1T is written in character more an
cient than any i have studied. Take
it, Natal, for you are learned in such
signs"
Now Natal 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 |, watching him,
began to think, not knowing all the
cleverness of Natal, that the senior was
right, and the tablet had been tam
pered with since we saw it.
Read! Read!' cried the council.
brethren" he said. 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"
mo, read, read" they cried again,
almost angrily.
Then he read: This is the voice of the
namelcs' god that his prophet heard in the
year OF tho building Of the sanctuary and
EraVed upon q tablet of gold which he set in a
secret place in the symbol Of the sanctuary To
be declared in the far OF hour when the lost
IS found and the signs OF the Day and the
Night are come together.
astr Yrra1NF
chict TO be. whose name is the name OF a ma
tion When my people are grown old and
their number are lcsSened and their heart il
faint then, maiden, take to thysclf husband
man OF tho race OF the white god a son
OF the Scafoam. 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.
east and west. and north and south farther
than my eagle's wing between sunrise and set "
Now as he read the face of Tiltal
grew black with rage, and before ever
the echoes of his voice had died away,
he sprang from his seal. crying:
w hoover II was that wrote this lying
prophecy. god or man. let him be ac-
cursed. Shall the Lady Maya for her
1t must be whose name is the name of a
nation, be given in marriage to the
white dog who awaits his doom without
that door. and shall hi, son rule over
us? First will | see her dead and him
with her"
Now one of the oldest of the council.
a man named Dimas, who. as / learned
atterwGrd, had been foster brother to
Zlcalbay. rose and answered angrily:
1t seems to me that these things
must be so, Tillal, and beware how you
utter threats of death. lest they should
fall upon your own head. We have ca He'd
upon the god, and the god has spoken
in no uncertain voice. The Lady MAYA
must become wife 90 the white man.
Son OF the Sea, and then things shall
befall as they are fated."
"Nhat?' answered Tilal, sis this
wandering stranger 20 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 set
over us, and as yet ne has no son. But
this Is certain that the Lady May, must
be given TO him in marriage, and N her
right ne we'll may rule. seeing that she
is the lawful heir to her father and not
you, Tikal. although you have usurped
her place"
Now many voices called upon Maya.
and she stood forward and spoke with
dOwncast eyes.
What shall I say" she began. eek
ccpt one thing. that my will is the will
OF the gods, and il il is fated thai I
should be given 10 the white man IN
marriage, why. 50 let II be.
For many years ! was taught to look
elsewhere. but he " no was to have been
my husband and she pointed toward