The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-03-18


our slow progress. Nobody spoke IN
the boat, for all of us were lost in our
own reflections, and the Indians were
awed to silence by the presence OF their
lord, who alone seemed impatient, since
FROM time to time he pulled his beard
and muttered to himself
Before us lay the fabled golden town
we had so longed to see. Soon our teet
would pass it's white walls and our eyes
behold its ancient civilization.
''What waits us there?" whispered
the senor and he looked at Maya
She heard his words and shook her
head sadly. There was no hope IN her
ewes, which were dimmed with tears.
Then he turned to me as though Tor
comfort, and. the easy fires Of enthusl-
asm burnt up within me and answered:
Fear not, the goal is won and we shall
overcome all difficulty and danger The
useless wealth of yonder golden city I
shall be ours; and by its help shall
wreak the stored up vengeance OF ages
upon the oppressors of my race and
build up great Indian dominion
stretching from sea to sea, whereof this |
CITY shall be the hearth He heard and
smiled, answering:
''It may be so, for your sake trust
that it will be so, but we seek different
ends, Ignatio," and he looked again at
the lady Maya.
On we glided through the moonlight
and the silence, for from the town came
mo sound save the cry OF the watchmen
calling the hours as they kept their
guard along the ancient walls, till at
length we entered the shadow OF the
holy city, lying dark upon the waters,
and the Indians getting out their pad
dies, for the wind no longer served US,
rowed the canoe up a stone-emoanked
canal that led to water gate.
Now we halted in front Of the gate,
where there was no man to be seen. In
an impatient voice Zibalbay bade the
captain Of the boat hail the guardian OF
the gate, and presently man came
down the steps yawning, and inquired
who was there.
II, the cacique," said Zibalbay.
"Opcn."
Indeed! That is strange" answered
the man, "seeing that this night the
cacioue holds his marriage feast at the
palace yonder, and there is but one
cacique of the people OF the Heart.
'Get back to the mainland, wan
uCreTS, anu TCDuTu bIC ullA4S W'iSN
the gates stand wide"
Now when Zibalbay heard these
words he cursed aloud in his anger, ana
Maya started as though with JOY.
II tell you that | am Mbalbay
come home again, your lord and no
other" he cried, ''and you will be wise
to do my bidding"
The man stared and hesitated till the
captain of the boat spoke to him, say
ing:
Fool, would you become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zibalbay re-
turned from the dead"
Then he fastened to open the gate az
fast as his fear would let him..
Pardon, father, pardon" he cried,
, prostrating himself, "but the lord
! Tikal, who rules in your place, has
> given it out that you were dead IN the
!. wilderness, and commanded that youl
name should be spoken no more in the
! city," /.
Zibalbay swept by him without I
word. When he had passed up Tho
. marble steps and through the waterway
7 pierced in the thickness OF the froWn
1 ing walls he halted, and addressing
!, the captain of the boatmen, said:
: Let this man be scourged to-mor
y y row at noon in the market place, thai
= hcnceforth he may learn not to sleel
at his post"
= On the further side Of the wall ran {
wide street, bordered by splendid houses
, built of white stone. which led to tn,
:, central square of the city, mile O
more away. Up this street we walked
! swiftly in silence, and as we went
y noticed that much of it was gras
! grown, and that many Of the grea
- houses seemed to be deserted: indeed
- though light came from some of tn
~ ~ latticed window places, l could see n
y sign of any human being.
% ''Here is the city" whispered tn
:, senior to me, "but where the peopleP"
= - Doubtless they celebrate the wet
?, ding feast in the great square,
~ answered. "Hark, hear them"
- - AS spoke the wind turned LITTLE
~ ~ and sound of singing tloated down
" that grew momcntarily clearer as W
~ -, approached the square. Another 1iv
- minutes passed and we were enterin
it. 1t was wide place, covering NJ
a. less than thirty acres of ground, an
"a 40 in it's center rising 300 feet in the a
70 70 cleaned the pyramid of the Temple
at the Heart, crowned by the holy fire thi
fickered eternally upon it's summit.
=. In the open space between the wal
II of the inclosure Of the pyramid an
as the great buildings that formed I'll
i. sides of the square, the inhabitants
l.. the city were gathered for their mi
night feast. All were dressed in whl
oa robes, while many wore glitteriI
- W. feather capes upon their shoulders, al
~ were crowned with wreaths of flower
-, Some of them were dancing, some
-, them singing, while others watched ii
aaS tricks of iugglcrs and buffoons. b
~ the most of their number were seat
round little tables eating, drinkin
-, smoking, and making love, and '
~ noticed that at these tables the ch
"a dren seemed the most honorable guest
~ and that everybody petted them al
liz waited on their words. Nothing cou
. 'a,. be more beautiful or stranger to o
10 ewes than this innocent festival ce
:, brated beneath the open sky and light
20 -, by the moon. Yet the sight Of 1t
he not please Zibalbay,
0 Along the sides of the square ran
- avenue of trees bearing white tiowt
~ ~ with heavy scent, and Zibalbay n
~ toned to us to follow him into tn
,yt ,;It shadow Many Of the tables we
faS iS placed just beyond the spread OF the
~ trees, SO that he was able to stop, frt
Ia, time to time. and unseen himself, list
no ,,I9 to the talk that was passing at the
IA Presently he halted thus opposite tc
.oJ table at which sat an oldish man ant
1er for woman young and pretty. What tf
ioi said interested him, and we who W.
%; close by his side understood 1t, for.
,sa ~ difference between the dialect of tn
,re ,re people and the Maya tongue is SO SIN
, ~ that even the senior had little difficu