Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-04-23

drrcrs, ana ->turn in Ia. Gag-in,r WIZ,
the gates stand wide
Now when Zinalbay heard thcf-
words he cursed aloud in his anger, an,
Maya started as though with JOY.
81 tell you that am Xihalbay
come home again, yoIr lord and no
other" he cried, and you will be wise
Ia do my bidding"
The man stared and assiiatcd iii the
captain of the boat spoke 10 him, say,
ing;
Fool, would yon become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zihalhay re
turned from the dead"
Then h. Fastened to open the gate as
fast as his fear would let him.
Pardon, father, pardon" he cried.
FRUSTRATING himself. but the lord
Tikal. who rules in your place, has
given ii ont that you were dead in the
wilderness. and commanded that your
name should be spoken no more in the
city
Ziboibav 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
hiN ~ lAsllll Oh inc bt'llIntn. Nj lus
Let this man &c scourged ;o-mor.
row ut noon in the market place, that
hcnccforth he may learn not to slcep
at his post"
On the further side Of the wall ran a
wide street. hordered by splendid houses
built of white stone. which led 10 the
central square of the city, a mile or
more away Up this street we walked
swiftly in silence, and as we went
noticed that much of il was grass
grown, and that many of the great
houses seemed tn be deserted: indeed
though light came from some of the
latticed window places, | could see no
sign of any human being.
Here is the city," whispered the
senior to me, but where the people?"
Doubtless they celebrate the we'd
ding feast in the great square," !
answered. "IIark, hear them"
As spoke the wind turned a little,
ami a sound ~ SINGING tioated dow IL
that grew momrntarily clearer as we
approached the square. Another five
minutes passed and we were entering
it. Ii was a wide place, covering not
less than thirty acres of ground, and
in its center rising 500 feet in the air
CLEANED the pyramid Of the Temple of
the Heart, crowned by the holy fire that
fiickercd etcrnally upon its summit.
In the open space between the walls
OF the inclosurc of the pyramid and
the great buildings that formed the
sides of the square, the inhabitants of
the city were gathered for their mid
night feast. All were dressed in white
robes, while many wore glittering
feather capcs upon their shoulders, and
were crowned with wreaths OF flowers.
Some of them We're dancing, some of
them singing, while others watched the
tricks of jugglcrs and buffoons. But
the most of their number were seated
round little tables eating, drinking,
smoking. and making love, and we
noticed that Mt these tables the chill
dren seemed the most honorable guests,
and that everybody petted them and
waited on their words. Nothing could
be more beautiful or stranger to our
eyes than this innocent festival cele-
brated beneath the open sky and lighted
by the moon. Yet the sight of it did
not please Zibalbay.
Along the sides of the square ran an
avenue of trees bearing white flowers
with heavy scent, and Zibalbay mo-
toned to us to follow him into their
chdtiON. VI Vic tdbltS were
placed Just beyond the spread of these
trees, so that he was able to stop, from
time to time. and, unseen himself, listen
to the talk that was passing at them.
Presently he halted thus opposite to a
table at which sat an oldish man and a
woman, young and pretty. What they
said interested him, and we who were
close by his side understood it, for the
difference between the dialect of these
people and the Maya tongue is so small
that even the senior had little difficulty
in following their talk.
THE feast Is merry, tonight" said
the man.
"Yes, husband" answered his COM
panion, land so it should be, seeing
that yesterday the lord Tikal was
elected cacique by the Council of the
Heart, and to-day Qe was welded in
the presence of the people to Nahua.
the beautiful child o the lord Natal"
1T was n fine sigut," said the man,
though for my part I think i, early to
proclaim him caciquc. Zibaihay might
yet come back and then"
"Zibalbay will never come back, hus-
band, or the Lady Maya. either. They
have persisted in the wilderness long
ago. For her am sorry, because she
was so lovely and different from other
great ladies, but do not gricve much
for him, for he was hard taslxmaster
to us common people, also he was
stingy. Why, Tikal has given more
feasts during the last ten months than
Zibalbay gave in as many years, more
over he has relaxed the laws SO that we
poor women may now wear ornaments
like our betters." And she glanced at
q gold bracelet upon her wrist.
ut is easy to be generous with the
goods of others" answered the man
"Zibalbay was the bee who stored
Tikal is the wasp who eats. They say
that the old fellow was mad but do no,
believe it. think that he was greater
man than the rest of us, that was all,
who saw the wasting of the people and
desired to find the means to stop it,"
Certainly he was mad" answered
the woman. slow could he stop the
wasting of the people by taking his
daughter TO wander in the wilderness
till they died of starvation, both of
them? II anybody dwells out yonder,
it is folk of white devils of whom we
have heard, who kill and enslave the
Indians that they may rob them of
their wealth, and we do not desire that
such should be shown the way to our
city. Also what does it matter to us II
the people do waste? We have all things
that we wish. Those who come after
MS must see to it."
''Yet, wife, have heard you say that
you desired children" Suddenly the
woman's face grew sad,
''Ahl" she answered, III Zibalbay
will give me child viii take back all
my words about him and proclaim him
the wisest of men, instead of what he
is, or rather was IN old fool gone
crazy with vanity and too much pray
ing. But he is dead, and If he were not
he could never do this; that Is beyond
the power of the gods themselves, If,
indeed, the gods are anything except a
dream. So what is the use of taking
about him; let me enjoy the feast that
Tilxal gives us, husband, and do not
speak of children, lest | should weep,
and learn to hate those of my sisters
who have been blessed with them"
Then at a sign from Zibalbay we
moved on, but Maya, hanging back for
a moment, whispered:
Look at my fathers face. Never
have | seen him SO angry. Yet these
tidiugs are not altogether i'll, and she
glanced at the senior.
lTo DE CoNTINUED
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MAJ G..l. a..