The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-01-25

gods" and, taking the tablet, he read
TO him the false prophecy. Now
choose, white man. Will you take the
Lady Maya to wife, or viii You be put
to death, in that, having wandered
to the City of the Heart, Yon refuse to
obey the command Of the gods?"
Now the senior thought, and an
swered:
81 'sThe man would be foolish who hest
tated between death and SD fair and
sweet bride. Still, this is matter
the Lady Maya?'
:. .'.She says" answered Maya, that,
although this is a marriage for which
She did not look and it is a new thing
that daughter Of the Heart should
take stranger of less ancient blood to
husband the will of Heaven is her
will, and the lord that Heaven chooses
for her shall be her lord" and she
stretched out her hand to him.
He took it, and, bending down, kissed
her fingers, saying:
MAY be worthy of your choice,
lady"
T.. Now, thought that the ceremonies
were finished and was glad, for I grew
weary of assisting at this farce, but
the old priest, Zibal bays foster broth
er, rose and said:
Zone thing more must be done,
brethren, before we leave this sanctua-
ry, and it is to swear in these strangers
as members of the council -
cay. it is well thought OF. Let them
be sworn, and remember that to break
the tn is DEATH" was the answer
!, Then we went out, accompanied by
Maya, Natal and the escort Of priests,
passed through the halls and passages
out into the courtyard OF the temple
and thence to apartments in the palace,
where we refreshed ourselves with
food, for we were weary. The trick had
succeeded, the ordeal was past, and for
the present at least we were no longer
in danger Of our lives; more, the power
of Natal was confirmed, and his
daughter was assured in her position
as the wife of Til1al, and the senior and
the Lady Maya were about to attain
ethe fullness of their desire and to be de-
clared one in the presence of the peo-
pie. ..
We'll. the thing was done, and it was
useless to regret it or to think of the
future, SO turning to Natal I asked
him what was to happen on the pyra=
mid.
"There will be great gathering of
the people" he answered. "as is cus-
tomary at dawn after the night of the
Rising of Waters, and there they will be
told all that has happened in the sane
~tuary. and then, if it is their will, Ti=
'kal will be confirmed as caciaue, ac-
cording to the bargain, and either
here will become the husband of the
Lady Maya. in order," he added, with a
sneers t'that of their union may be
born the ~Deliverer who is to be. Now,
it you are ready, it is time for us to go,
.for the multitude is gathered and an
escort awaits us without" 90
Leaving the palace we placed our
selves in the center of party of no
bles and guards who were In attend
ance, and marched across the courtyard
and up the steps of the pyramid. The
night was growing gray with the break
Ing Of the dawn, and in the pearly light
through which the stars shone family
we perceived that bands Of priests and
mobiles, wrapped in their broidered 81
apes, for the morning air was s.sl11y,
stood in their appointed IMAGES round
the altar,
In front u them were ranged the
dense masses of the people, drawn here
TO make their prayers upon this feast
day, and also by desire to learn the
truth as to the death Of zibalbay, the
fate Of the strangers who had accompa-
MED him from the unknown lands, the
decision Of the council as to the success
sor to the place and power of cacique,
and, lastly, whether or no the oracle of
the god had spoken to his priests upon
this or any other matter when the lost.
talisman was set in its place upon the
altar.
On reaching the altar seats were
given to US among the Mobiles of the
Heart, those Of Maya and the senor be-
ing placed in such fashion that they
would be visible to the whole multi
stude. 1
To the People of the Heart the occa-
sion was a great one. seeing that but
little rain falls in their country, and
thus they depended for bountiful har-
vest upon the humiliation, of the island
and Of the low shores that lay around
the lake, by it's waters swollen with the
melted snow OF the great mountains on
;;Ahe muinland When the waters re-
treated then they planted their grain
ia rich land made fertile without labor
TO themselves by the mud, whence be-
fore the lake rose again they gathered
their corn and other crops,
and gifts of fresh flowers had been
laid upon the altar by beautiful chill:
:dren chosen for that purpose, Tikal
! blessed the people as high priest, and
sthe simple ceremony came to an end.
~ Then Natal rose to speak, telling
s6he people all things that had hap
pened, Or. SO puch Of them as was ex-
'pedient that they should know. He
told them of the death of Zihalbay, of
the setting of the lost talisman in the
symbol, and of the writing, that was
found therein. which he read aloud to
them amid dead silence:
& Then he told them how the Lady
Maya aud the senior had consented to
be married in obedienc to the voice Of
the oracle, and lastly. how She, the
Lady Maya, had desired that her cousin,
Tikal, should continue to be cacique of
the City of the Heart, that she might
have more leisure to attend upon her:
heaven-sent husband and ia be at rest
until that child was become man,
whose wisdom and power Should make
them even greater than their forefa-
theirs had been. -
When be had finished there was
much applause and other expressions
Of Joy, and a spokesman from among
the people asked when the marriage nf
the white man, Son. al the Sea,
te the Lady MAYA. would take !!
place. This question she answered.
N person, saying modeatly that it was
her lords will that it shpula take place
That very night in the hhnapetinR hall !
OF the palace, and that q great feast |
should be celebrated Ia honor Of Il.
After this the talking came to an end J,
IlkaI having ca ia = a rIYs,r1 Srrr1 ~. ~, 4