The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-09-10
HEART OF The WORLD.
BY II. RIDER HAoGARD.
A Strange story, Taken From . Manuscript D..
suesthed by an Old Mexican Indian TO Ills
Friend and Ccmrade. an English.
man Named Jones.
Copyrighted. 1894. by H Rider Haesard
CHAPTER xxIIL-coSTIsuEp.


CHAPTER XXIIL-CoNTINuED
Ibid she then tell you why we fied9-
asked Maya. "Did she tell you that
she crept Go my chamber like thief in
the night, and there was found In the
act of doing murder on my child?'
NO. 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
dcliverer. on whom rests the hope of
our race.
IF 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 nigh, Of :ng marriage
a murderer was set ,ron my husband,
and perhaps one stands there. and she
pointed to Tikal, ''wbo conld tell us
who he was and whence he came. Three
days ago another murderer sought
the life of our child, and that mur-
derer the wife OF the Lord Tikal. Is it
then q sin that we should take from the
land one whose life is not safe with
in itPn
IAN these matters you can lay be-
a.. .as1 11l L. I
Dimas. '.and If Nahua is what YOU sav.
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 betakeh
yourself to fight. like thieves in terror
of the watch. Come, enter the litter
that is prepared for you, and let us be
going"
Then we started. or our journey
back there is nothing TO tell, unless II
is TO say that after its own fashion II
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
hone of freedom shone before us like
guiding star, whereas now although
we Travelled in comfort. il was TO find
shame, exposure and death awaiting us
at last.
Maya and the senor had each other
and their child to console them, but
had nothing except such friendship as
they chose to spare me, the memory OF
my many failures, the clinging bitter
ness of conscience, the fear of ven
geance to be wreaked, and the hope oi
peace beyond the end. Therefore 1
an outworn and disappointed man, was
prepared to welcome the doom that
awaited me, but how would 1t be with
the others who were still full of love
and youth?
Late that night we reached the city
and were led, not to the palace where
we lived, but toward the inclosure o.
the pyramid.
How is this?" asked Maya of the
captain of the guard. "Our road lie'
yonder."
No, my lady" he answered; I'm,
orders are to take you up the stairwa.
of the pyramid"
Now MAYA pressed her face agains
the face of her child and sobDed, TO
she knew that once more we must in
habit the darlxsome vault where her fla
ther had been taken to die. They let
us up the stair and down the marrow
way till we stood in the lamplit hal
and heard our prison gates clash behint
us. Then they gave us food and lef
us alone.
As unused thus, even through tn
massive walls of the vault ! heard
woman scream, and, springing iron
Inv bed, ran into the central hal
where the lamps burned always. Her
! met Maya, clad in her night dres
only, and running down the hall, he
eyes filled with terror.
What has happened?" i said, stop
ping her, and as / spoke the senior cam
up.
"Oh, / have dreamed" she gasped
II have dreamed fearful dream.
dreamed that my father came to me
and-I cannot tell 1.-THE child-th
child" and she broke down utterl
and could say no more.
"This place is full of evil memories
and her strength is shattered" said tn
senor when we had calmed her some
what. Come back, wife, and sleep"
''Sleep!" she answered. II do nc
think that shall ever sleep again; an
yet. unless / sleep | shall go mad. or
that dream! Truly the curse of Malta
has taken hold of me-"
Some few hours later we met agai
in the great hall, but Maya said moth
ing of her dream, nor did ask her t
tell it, though could see from her fac
that it was not forgotten. We ate, Q
made pretense to eat, and sat for awhil
in silence.