Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-07-16

the COG SnIIIed the stones, then. n1fInR
his head, he bayed aloud, whereat the
band shouted. for they knew that they
had trapped rs. Still for d while they
did not advance, but, gathering them
selves IN a knot consulted together at
the foot of the stairway.
Can we bargain with them, Igna-
tio?7 said the senior.
Impossible l answered, 9lwhat
have we TO give that they cannot talxe?7
Then there Is nothing for it except
70 die as bravely as we can" he
answered This is the end Of our
search for the Golden City. The quest
has not been lucky one, Ignatio."
Now the old Indian, ZibaIbay, who
was croUched upon the ground beside
rs, spoke for the first time, saying:
Friends, why do you not fly? Doubt
less you can find path down the
further side of the pyramid, and in the
forest you may hide from these men"
1t Is too late to talk of fight, said
Molas, for look; they are coming up
the stair, the eight Of them. with Don
Pedro and the Americana at their head"
looked; it was true. Already they
had climbed half the steps Of the first
fight
''oh, for some rifes!" groaned the
senior.
1t is useless to cry for what we have
not, answered.
God can help US If He wishes, and if
de does not we must bow to His will"
Then there was a silence, broken
only by the voice OF Zibalbay, who,
standing behind rs, lifted his hands TO
heaven and prayed aloud to his gods TO
bring g vengeance upon our foes.
Now We could see through the trees
and bushes that the men were begin
ming to climb the second fight.
Come, let us do something. said the
senior. and, running TO the pile of stones
which we had prepared, he called 20 Us
to roll the heaviest upon the enemy.
This we did, but without effect. for the
tree trunks turned the stones; more
over, those against whom they were di-
rected, taking cover at the sides of the
stairway, opened 50 sharp fire on US
with their rifles that in a few minutes
we were driven from the piles of stones
and forced to retreat behind the shelter
of the arch.
Now they came on again, till present
" they reached the foot of the third
fight and paused TO take breath. Then
it was that Molas, Selling one Of the
Indian blOwpipes, ran out onto the ter
race followed by the senor-though
why the senior went do not know, for
he could not use the weapon. Before
the men below were aware of their
presence Molas had set the blowpipe to
his lips and discharged the poisoned
dart among them. 1t struck Don Smith.
the american. full in the throat. Watch
ing around the corner of the arch saw
him lift his hand TO pull it out, then of
sudden he fell to the ground, and at
that instant d storm of bullets swept
through the archway aimed at MolaS
and the senior as they fed back to
shelter. / saw Molas fall and the senior
stop to lift him to his feet, and as he
was in the very act patch of red ap-
peared upon his face. Another moment
they were back under cover.
Are you hurt?" | asked the senior.
mo. no." he answered, my face was
grazed by bullet, that was all. Look
to Molas; he Is shot in the side"
Leave me" said Molas; 1T is moth
ing"
Then we were silent, only Maya
sobbed little as she strove to stanch
the blood which flowed from the senor's
wound with cobwebs that she gathered
from among the stones.
Looking out cautiously we saw that
the men had dragged Don Smith TO the
side of the stairway, while some of them
supported him while he died of poison,
and others watched for a chance to
shoot US should we show ourselves upon
the terrace. Presently he was dead,
and cursing US aloud his companions
commenced 10 UlOuuL TIC LDlEu ulRlL
with great caution, for they feared a
snare
Ifs there nothing to be done to save
! our lives?' asked the senior in a heavy
voice.
There was no answer, but Of a sud-
den Molas, who was standing with one
! hand pressed upon the wound in his
| side and the other before his eyes,
| turned and ran swiftly into the cham
hav- behind yvhanop ba oar
| rying the copper axe.
Then, without speaking, he climbed
| the masonry of the archway with great
swiftness, till he stood with his feet in
| the crack beneath the crown of the
| arch, which you will remember was
! held in place only by the tough tree
I roots that grew from it into the stone
/ work of the buttress.
/ Supporting himself by creeper with
/ his left hand, with his right he struck
/ blow after blow at the biggest of these
/ roots, severing them one by one. Now
I we saw his DurpOSe-tO send two hun
/ bred tons of stOnework laundering
( down the stairway upon the heads of
/ the murderers.
BY heavens! That is an answer to
| my question: said the senior; then he
! paused and added: Come down. MoIas,
/ if the arch falls you viii fall with il and
| De crushed
/ 1T matters little" he answered, this
/ Is my doom day That bullet has cut
/ me inside. and l bleed to death. and on
| this spot, as I have long feared, it is
/ fated that l should die. PRAY for nv
/ soul and farewell"
/ Now three of the roots were severed,
/ but the fourth and largest, which was
| thicker than a mans leg, remained, and
| at this Molas began to bew despair
| ingly.
Are they near7" he gasped.
We peeped round the corner of the
| arch and saw that some fifty feet below
| us the band had halted on the slippery
| face of the pyramid. fearing they knew
/ not what, for they heard the dull sound
I of the axe blows, but could not guess
| what il portended-
! One of their number was talking to
| Don Pedro. apparently urging some
/ thing upon him to which he did not
| agree, and in this way they wasted two
minutes before the order was finally
! given to rush up the remaining steps
! and take the temple by storm
! Two minutes, it was but short time,
I yet il meant much, for now only a
( third of the root remained unsevered
/ and the bark cracking and peeling
I showed how great was the strain
upon it.
Quick whispered the senior, they
| come" and as he spoke the hands Of
the axe broke and its head fell on the
/ ground.
Now if the root holds we are lost"
| / said.
| R11t IL was not so. for Molas still had