The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-05-13

gether OF what mad passed, ana OF tne
dangers that lay before us. But this
was not so; think we felt, all OF us,
that there was nothing more to be said.
1t is useless to fight against Fate, and
it is still more useless to be afraid OF
him, seeing that whatever we do or
leave undone, he has his will OF us at
last.
So we sat and chatted of indifferent
things, our life at the mine at Cumarvo,
that night which we spent in the
hacienda of Santa Cruz, the death of I
our brave companion, Molas, and
know not what besides. Presently the
child awolke, and it's parents occupied
themselves with it, finding resem-
blances to each other in its tiny fea-
lures, while walked up and down the
hall, counting the lamps, smoking and
wondering where l should be by this
time on the morrow.
At length the gates opened, for now
it was almost the middle of the night,
and there came through them Dimas
and guard of priests. The old man
bowed before us and said that the time
had come to lead us before the council
in the sanctuary, but that we we're to
have no fear, seeing that from all that
he had been able to learn our o1fense
would be leniently dealt with.
Maya asked what was to become OF
the infant, which could not be left
alone, and he replied that she must
bring it with her, whereon she began
to wrap it in a serape,
"Your care is needless" said Dimas.
"There Is a secret way to the sanctu-
ary from this place, by which ! pro-
pose to lead you in order that the child,
our lord, shall not be exposed to the
raw cold of the night"
Then he took bunch of keys from
his girdle, and, handing them to one
who accompanied him, fellow priest
and member of the council, he COM
.manded him to go forward with several
of the escort to open the doors and
light lamps in the passage that lay be-
tween us and the sanctuary. The
priest went. and, having waited awhile,
we followed him, to find him standing
by the marble wall which separated
the passages from the sanctuary.
On seeing us approaching he gave the
signs, which were answered from with
in; next he opened the false door with
silver key, leaving the key and the
bunch to which it was attached fixed in
the lock, for Dimas to take as he passed.
This, however, the old priest did not
do, for he thought that we should all
return by the passage, and as we
stepped into the sanctuary he con-
tented himself with closing the door
without locking it.
We took seats that had been prepared
for us in the open space before the altar,
Maya being placed in the center and
the scnor and myself on either side of
her. Next the priest of the Records
rose and announced that the business
before the council was the trial of
three of its members, Maya, Lady OF
the Heart, the white man, Son of the
sea, and Ignatio, the Wanderer, Lord
of the Heart from beyond the mountains,
upon the charge Of having broken their
oaths, which they took as members OF
the council. Having read this formal
accusation the priest set out the case
, against us, clearly but briefly:
"On this very night of the festival Of
!, the Rising Waters a year ago." he
began, you strangers, among other
things, swore upon the altar, setting
in pledge your souls and bodies for the
, fulfillment of the oath, that without
the consent of this high brotherhood
you would not attempt to leave thu
! gates of the City of the Heart. Yet bu
4 the other day you were overtaken anC
: seized in the act of flying across thu
I mountains to the wilderness beyond
4 Nor is this all of your crime, for witt
you was that infant, born of the whit,
:, man and the Lady Of the Heart, til,
y heaven-sent child Of prophecy, o
: whom you wickedly sought to rob u
and the people. Say now, how do yo'
y plead to these charges?"
1--WE plead guilty" answered Maya
:, "but we ask to be heard in our own de
P fense. Listen, lords: since that nigh
q when we were married by your com
mand my husband and myself hav
y been dogged by murder, and yondeI
l. as High Priest Of the Heart and presi
!; dent of your councils, he sits VIII
~ would have murdered us.
i II sec among you this night some @
l. those who waited on me upon the da
II of our escape, having the Lord Dina
'r at the head of them. What did the
tell me? That plot had been disco1
u cred, made by this Tilkal, to murdc
% my husband, my child and my frient
S Ignatio, the Wandcrer. They told IN
n also that Tillal would be deposed bt
ID cause of this and his other crimes, an
Y that the infant in my arms would TIL
"a very night be anointed cacique of TIL
q; People of the Heart. Is it not 81
~ Dimas?"
a 1T Is so, lady" he answered, ian
al learn that YOU are not the only one
ID who are on trial this night. Thoug
your case is taken first, that of Tika
| 1, ,c.l, nd oil
D. but till then, in virtue of his rank and o
Is fee, he sits as president OF our council
OIL Now Tillal sprang from his scat, bl
70 Dimas turned upon him and sat
re sternly:
le "Keep silent, lord, or speak only
ig fulfill the duties of your place Yol
10 trial shall be just, but know that thel
is no hope of escape for you till it
n done, seeing that your guards are di
9e armed and all the paths are watched
u TilSal seated himself again and May
e, went on:
at "On that very night of the coming
& Lord Dimas, when | was alone in n
n chamber, Lady Nahua, the wife
at Tikal, crept upon me and strove
e, murder this my child" and she set O.
10 the story telling how the senor and
hearing her cries for help, had enter'
ne the chamber and seized and bouI
er Nahua.
lot "Then it was, brethren, that terr
no took us and we fed, seeking to esca
no q land where we could not live in safe
IN. from one hour to another. This is o
Use sin, and we leave our punishment
er, your hands. Surely it was better tn
eo we should strive to save the child
err that he might live to play his pa
ne, Whatever that may be, than that