The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-04-24

safety lies in travelling through the
pass before we are overtaken, for it is
against the law that any of your people
should follow us into the wilderness"
"If we do not enter my child will die
in the cold" she answered.
lyon were too tender to secure our
safety by putting that would-be muir
derers to death. Have you, then. the
heart, husband, to kill your own child?'
Now, at these words, l saw the Sc
nor's eyes fill with tears, but he said
only:
BE it as you will"
BY now, indeed, we understood, all
three of us, that if we would save our
selves we must suffer the child to die,
and, however great our necessity, this
we could not do. So we went up to the
house and entered, and there by the
fire sat the same man and his wife
whom we had found in this room
year ago.
'Who are you?" he cried, springing
up. Pardon, lady, but in that garb
did not know you"
1T is best that you should not know
u.s." said Maya. 1--WE are wanderers
who have lost our way out hunting:
Give us food. as you are bound to do"
Then the man and his wife, who were
kindly people, made obeisance to us,
and set off the best they had before us.
We ate, and after eating slept, for we
were very weary, bidding the man
watch and tell us if saw any stranger
approaching the house. Before dawn
he woke us and we rose. few min
utes later he came into my room and
told me that large body of men were
in sight of the house. Then L knew
Al, GY,ic
others.
Now, there are three things that we
can do" l said. Fly toward the pass,
defend this house, or surrender our
selves"
There is no time to fly" answered
the senior, therefore it is my counsel
that we fight"
This is folly" broke in Maya.
There is but one thing to do; yield
ourselves and trust to fortune, if, in
deed, fortune has any good in store for
us. Only l wish that we had done it
before we undertook this weary jour
ney."
Now, as she spoke by the light of the
rising sun we saw great number of
men forming a circle round the house.
With them were several captains and
lords, and among these l recognized
Dimas and Tikal.
LET us put bold face on it," said
Maya. So we opened the door, walked
out, and came into the presence of
Tikal, Dimas and the other lords.
Whom do you seek that you come
with an armed force?" asked Maya.
Whom should 1 seek but your fair
self, cousin?" answered Tikal, and 1
saw that his eye was wild, as though
with drink.
Tell us of what we are charged
that you follow US as though we were
evildoers."
Lady" the old priest answered,
gravely, lit would seem that you have
earned this name, you and your COM
panions together. Listen, two days
since you were missing, and the lady
Nahua was also missing. Search was
made, and at last your private apart
ments were broken open, and there she
was discovered bound and gagged.
From her we learned the secret of your
fight and followed after you"
did she then tell you why we fled?"
she crept to my chamber like thief in
the night, and there was found in the
act of doing murder on my child?"
mo, lady, she told us nothing of all
this. Indeed. her manner was strange,
for so soon as she was recovered some
what she took back her words, and
said that she knew nothing of you or
your plans, and that if you had fed we
should do well to let you go before
worse things happened. But knowing
that for all this she had reasons easy to
be guessed, we followed you and found
you, and now we arrest you, to answer
| before the council for your great sins,
| in that you have broken your solemn
oaths by attempting to leave the land
without the consent of the council, and
| have added to your crimes by taking
with you this child, the Heaven-sent
| deliverer, on whom rests the hope of
our race"
eff we have broken our oaths," said
| Maya, 1--WE broke them to save our
| lives. Were we then to stop in the city
! till the knife of the assassin found us
out? On the very night of my marriage
a murderer was set upon my husband,
and perhaps one stands there. and she
pointed to Tikal, ''who could tell us
who he was and whence he came. Three
| days ago another murderer sought
the life of our child. and that muir
derer the wife of the Lord Tikal Is it
| IllGIl d Sill IIldI we SlOulu ltlht lTOUl Tile
land one whose life is not safe with
in it?'
''AI these matters you can lay be-
fore the council, lady" answered
Dimas. land if Nahua is what you say,
without doubt she must suffer for her
crime. Yet her evildoing cannot pay
for yours, for when you found your
selves in danger you should have
claimed protection from those who
could give it, and not have betaken
yourself to flight. like thieves in terror
of the watch. Come, enter the litter
that is prepared for you, and let us be
going"
Then we started. OF our journey
back there is nothing to tell, unless IT
is to say that after its own fashion it
was even more wretched than that
which we had just accomplished. Then,
indeed, we were footsore. hungry and
racked with fears. but at least the
hope Of freedom shone before us like
guiding star, whereas now, although
we travelled in comfort, it was to find
shame. exposure and death awaiting US
at last.
MAYA and the senior had each other
! ap6 their child IN console Them lint