Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-27
with a sudden no,emcnt. but withou.

Now we saw what was prepared for
us, Tor the stone in front of the altar
had been lifted, and at our feet the
black shaft yawned, from which ascend
ed sound of waters. They placed Us
with our backs resting against the altar.
but Tikal stood in front, and between
MIN and us lay the mouth of the pit.
Maya, daughter of Zibalbay, white
man, Son of the Sea. Ignatio the Wan
derer, and Natal the Priest. whom.
being dead in the body, we summon in
the spirit" began Dimas, in a cold and
terrible voice. ''you, by your own con-
tession, are proved guilty of the great
est crimes that can be dreamed of in
the wicked brain OF man, aud executed
by his inpious hands.
This Is the sentence OF the Council
OF the Heart: That Your name. Natal.
be erased from the list of the officers Of
the Heart; that your memory be pro-
claimed accursed; that your dwelling
/ place be burned with fire. and the site OF
1t Strewn with salt; that your corpse
be torn from its grave and laid upon The
summit of the pyramid till the birds of
the air devour II, and that your soul be
handed over TO the tormentors of the
lower world to deal with according to
their pleasure forever and for ave
ms Il the sentence of the Council
OF the Heart upon you. Maya, daughter
o. "a Halliday, white man. Son of the Sea.
and 1gnatio. the Wanderer: That your
names DC erased from the roll of the
Brethren of the Heart. and proclaimed
accursed in the streets of the city; that
You be gagged, bound hand and foot.
and chained living To the walls of the
sanctuary, and there be left before the
altar OF the god which YOU have
violated, til death FROM thirst and
hunger shall overtabe you; that your
corpses be laid upon the pyramid as n
prey 70 the birds of the air, and that
your souls be handed over to the tor
mentors of the urder world TO deal
with according 10 their pleasure forever
and fer aye.
1T is spoken. Let the sentence OF
the council be done. But first, since
this bastard babe is too young TO sin
and suffer punishment, let him bc
handed into the keeping of the god.
that the god may deal with him accord
ing 20 his pleasure"
As the words passed his lips. and be-
fore we fully understood them. dazed
as we were with the terror of our aw-
full doom, Tilsal stepped forward. and
even now l shudder when write of X
holding the poor infant, which at
this instant began 20 wall as though
with pain or fear, over the mouth OF
the pit. suddenly let it fall into the
depths beneath.
The shrek Of the agonized mother
ran round the walls of the holy place,
and before IL had died away the senior
had leaped forward, leapcd like puma
across the open wen. and grippcd Tikal
by the throat and waist lie grippcd
him. and, rage giving him strength, he
lifted him high above his head and
hurled him down the dreadful place,
where the child had gone before
With a hoarsc scream Ti!Sal vanished.
and for Il moment there was silence Ii
was brollen by the voice of Maya crying
aloud IN accents OF madness and de-
SPAR:
Not all the waters of the Holy Lake
shall wash away our sin, yet may they
serve TO avenge us upon Won, O, you
murderers of a helpless child.'
As she spoke, followed by the senior
and myself, who think alone of all the
company guessed her mad purpose.
Maya ran round the altar, and with
both her hands grasped the symbol of
the Heart which lay upon 1t.
''Forbear!" cried the voice of Dimas.
but she did not heed him. and before
he or any of us could reach her drag
ging ut it with desperate strength. she
had torn the ancient symbol from it's
bed,and, with n loud and hooking laugh,
cast u down upon the marble floor,
where it shattered into fragments.
From the altar there came sound rs
OF harp strings breaking, that was fol-
loweu by another and more awful
sound. the sound OF the roar OF many
waters.
Fly! fly cried voice. The floods
arc looscG and destruction is upon us
and upon the People OF the Hcart!'
Now the Council rushed one and all
toward the door Of the sanctuary. but
/, Ignatio. by the grace Of Heaven. re-
mcmbered the other door. the secret
doo- through which we had entered.
that the priest had left aiar.
This way" cried in Spanish 20 the
senior, and Selling Maya by the arm
dragged her with Ec into the passage.
When all three of us were through
turned To close the door. and as did so
| saw an awful sight. Odt of the
mouth of the pit before the altar
sprang vast column of water,
which struck tho roof of the sane
tuary with such fearful force that
already the massive marble blocks be-
gan TO rain down upon the crowd of
fugitives, who struggled and in vain to
open the door and escape into the Hall
OF the Dead
On we fed before the advancing food
and well was IL for us that our course
lay upward. for otherwise we must have
been drowned rs we searched Tor the
keys 20 open the different gates and
doors. But now fortune. which for 50
long had been our foe. befriendcd us
and the end of it was that we reached
the summit of the pyramid just as the
dawn began TO break.
The dawn was breaking, and seldom.
perhaps. has the light OF day revealed
a more wonderful or terrible sight 70
the eyes Of man. Outside the gates Of
the courtyard of the pyramid were
gathered great multitude OF people
waiting to be admitted 90 celebrate the
feast that on this day OF the year was
TO 6e held. according TO custom. upon
the summit Of the pyramid. Indeed.
they should have already been as
sembled there. but IL was tho rule that
the gates could not be opened until the
council had left The sanctuary, and this
night the Council sat late.
As we looked at them a cry Of fear
and wonder rose from the multitude.
and this was the cause OF &C. Along
that street which ran from the landing
place 20 the great square rushed vast
wall OF water twenty feet or more in
/ depth by one hundred broad. Now we
learned the truth. The symbol on the
altar, ] know not how. was connected
with secret sluice gates which for
many generations had protected the
| City Of the Heart from flood When II
I f-y.v.t e. - 4.