The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-05-30


throne, not on II: therefore IL was that
he consented TO my going, or nj least
think so.
"Sirs. learn now that you are TO 40
company us 10 the City Of the Heart,
should we live TO reach 1t.
Come II you will, but be warned, my
people are a jealous people, and the
name of stranger Is hateful To them.
Few such have ever reached the City OF
the Heart for many generations, and OF
these, save one or two, none have es-
capped from II alive. They do not de-
sire new things, they have little lSnowl-
edge of the world beyond their walls,
and seek for none.
"Now, sirs, choose whether you will
accompany us in our march toward the
City of Waters, or whether you will set
your face 10 the sea again and forget
that you CHANGED TO hear a certain story
from wandering doctor, whose mis-
fortunes had made him mad, and an In
dian girl who tended him."
Now / listened TO these words which
the lady Maya spoke very earnestly and
with power, and understood that thu y
meant much; they meant that In going
20 the City of the Heart we were, as she
believed, going TO our doom.
Lady" said, sit may well chance
that death waits me yonder, but
thither shall go IL my strength does
not fail me and death will suffer IT,
For the senior here II is different. He
has heard your words. and il he will
harlSen TO them and TO mine, he will
bid US farewell tomorrow and go his
ways, leaving US 20 go ours"
She listened, and turning toward him,
said: "You hear. What say you,
x.,I,tta vaonoft AID eaa,r,oA fA ma
that she awaited his answer anxiously.
"Yes, lady, hear" he replied, with
a laugh, land doubtless IL Is all true
enough, and i shall leave my bones
yonder among your countrymen. Well,
SO be il; have determined to go, and
go l will, since i am too idle TO change
my mind. Also, IL seems TO me that
after this days business there Is more
danger in staying here than in pushing
forward"
81 am glad that you are going, since
you go of your own free will, she said,
smiling. "May our fears be COMPOUNDED
and your journey and ours prove pros
porous. And now let us rest, for you
must be very weary, as | am, and we
should be stirring before the dawn"
Next morning at the first break OF
light we started on our journey, riding
we had captured, and leading
the fourth laden with our goods
and water skins. Very glad were
all of us TO see the last of that ruined
temple, and yet IL was sad TO me TO
leave IL, for there. hidden beneath some
Of the masses OF the fallen masonry, lay
all that was left OF my friend and fos-
ter brother, Molas, he whose bravery
and wit had saved our lives at the cost
of his own.
Our plan was TO avoid villages where
we might be seen by men, and keep our
selves hidden in the forest, for we
feared lest we should be followed and
brought TO account because OF the
death of Don Pedro and his companions:
and this we were able to do. since hav-
ing guns and ammunition in plenty we
shot birds and deer for our daily food.
Travelling thus on mule back soon
our strength returned 20 us, even TO the
old man Zilbalbay, who had suffered
the most from fatigue and from ILL
treatment at the hands of the white
men. In something less than week
we had passed through the inhabited
districts OF Yucatan and far out OF the
reach Of the white man, and now were
journeying through the forest toward
the great sierra that lies beyond.
i ..e senior was never weary of ques-
tioning the silent Zilbalbay as TO the
history or rather the legend OF the land
through which we iourneyed, or of lis
tening 10 the lady Maya's description OF
the City OF the Heart, till even she
grew tired and begged him TO speak in
stead OF the country across the water
where he was born, of the ceaseless
busy life, and the wonders of oiviliEa-
ticn.
Strange as II may seem, l,who watched
them both from day TO day, know IL to
be true that she was In mind the more
modern of the two, so much SO indeed
that in listening to their talk ! might
have fancied that she was the child OF
the new world, filed with the spirit of
to-day, aud he the heir OF a proud and
secret race dying beneath its weight of
years.
81 cannot understand you" she would
say TO him. "Why do you so love his
tories and ruins and stories OF people
that have long been dead? hate them.
Once they lived, and doubtless were
well enough in their plase and time,
but now they are past and done with,
and II Is we who live, live, live" and
she stretched out her arms as though
she would clasp the sunshine 20 her
breast.
II tell YOU" she went on, "that this
home Of mine of which you are so fond
OF talking is nothing but n great bury
ing place, and those who dwell In IL are
like ghosts who wander 20 and fro
thinking Of the things that they did, or
did not do, thousand years before.
did my father but know IL, he wastes
time and trouble in making plans for
the redemption OF the People of the
Heart, who think him mad for his
pains They cannot be redeemed. IL
l could have my will while / am still
young, would turn my back upon this
city which you so desired 90 see, taking
with me thewealth that's useless there,
but which II seems would bring me
many good things in other lands, and
live out my time among people who
nave present and future as well as
a past"
Then the senior would laugh. and
argue that the past ismorc than the
present, and that IL Is better TO be dead
than alive, and many other such follics;
n ~