Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-08-27

| bleS and guards VINO 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 broldered SER
| apes, for the morning air was chilly,
stood in their appointed places round
| the altar.
| In front of 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 ZibaIbay, 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 it's place upon the
altar.
| On reaching the altar seats were
| given to us among the Mobiles of the
| Heart, those of Maya and the senior be-
| ing placed in such fashion that they
| would be visible TO the whole multi
| tude.
To the People of the Heart the occa-
sion was great one, seeing that but
| little rain falls in their country, and
vest upon the inundation of the island
and of the low shores that lay around
| the lake, by its waters swollen with the
melted snow of the great mountains on
| the mainland. When the waters re-
| treated then they planted their grain
in 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.
When they had ended their praying,
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
the simple ceremony came to an end.
Then Natal rose to speak, telling
the people all things that had hap
pened, or SO much of them as WIS eX-
pedient that they should know. He
told them of the death OF Zibalbay, of
the setting of the lost taliSInan 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 obedience to the voice of
the oracle, and lastly. how she, the
Lady Maya, had desired that her cousin,
Tilxal 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 to be at rest
until that child was become a man,
whose wisdom and power should make
them even greater than their fOrefa-
theirs had been.
When he had finished there was
much applause and other expressions
of joy, and a spokesman from among
the people asked when the marriage Of
the white man, Son of the Sea,
to the Lady Maya would take
place. This question she answered
in person, saying modestlv that it was
her lords will that it should take place
that very night in the banqueting hall
of the palace, and that a great feast
should be celebrated in honor of it.
After this the talking came to an end,
Tikal having said no word good or bad
beyond such as the duties of his Office
required, and, according to the custom
OF the country, many people, noble and
simple, came forward to congratulate
her who was about to be made a bride.
Weary of watching them and of hear
ing their pretty speeches, I took ad
vantage of the escort of friendly
noble and went to see the ceremony of
the closing of the foodgate, huge
block of marble that slid down groove
into a niche prepared to receive it,
where it was fastened with great bars
of copper and sealed by certain officers,
although, as L was told, the rising
water would not reach it for another
eight or ten day..
About midday I returned to the
apartments that had been assigned to
me in the palace, and hearing that the
senior was still in attendance on the Lady
Maya l ate my dinner alone with such
appetite as I could find. and lay down
to sleep awhile.
I was awakened from my rest by the
senior, who arrived looking merry as he
used to be before ever Molas came to
lead us to the old Indian doctor and his
daughter, and full of talk about the
preparations for his wedding that night.
l listened to all he had to say and strove
earnestly to fall into his mood, but, as
l suppose, without effect, for in the end |
he fell into mine, which was but sad |
one, and began to talk regretfully of !
the past and doubtfully of the future. |
Now. l did my best to cheer him up, |
but with little avail, for he shook his |
head and said:
Indian as she is, I love Maya dearly, |
and no other woman has been or can be |
SO much to me, and yet am afraid, Igna-
ito, for this marriage is ill-omened. and
pray that what has been begun in
trickery may not end in desolation.
Also the future is black both for you
and me. You came here for certain
purpose and will desire to leave again
to follow your purpose, nor, although l
take this lady to wife, do / wish to
spend my days in the City of the
Heart. And vet it would seem that un-