Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-03
HEART O. THE WORLD.
ny II. RIDER HAGoARD.
Strange Taken Manuscript Bequeathed by an Old
Mexican Indian to His Friend andc onarade,
Engishman Named
Copyrighted 1894, b, a Rider Hargara
CHAPTER XII
zmALBAY TELLS HIS MISSION.

ZIpALBAY TELLS HIS MISSION.
When we reached the ruins Of the
temple we ate and drank, then, know.
ing that we could travel no further that
night, Ispoke, saying:
Some two months since, Zibalbay,
you sent a message by that man who
died to save us this day, to him who,
among the Indians, is known as Lord
of the Heart. Your messenger Travelled
fast and far, by sea and by land, till he
found him and delivered the message. "
80 whom did he deliver it?" asked
Zibalbay.
ITO me, for / am the man you seek,
and with my companion l have jour-
neycd here to find you, suffering many
dangers and evils on the path"
"Prove that you are the man." and he
asked me certain secret Questions, to all
of which l returned answers.
You are instructed" he said at
length, and turning to Maya said,
Come hithcr, daughter, and give me
that which is hidden in your hair"
Maya put her hands to her head, and,
drawing forth some small thing from
tho dense masses of her hair, passed it
to her father.
els this what you would see?" he
asked, holding the object in the light OF
the setting sun.
l looked, and lo there before me was
the very counterpart of that which had
descended to me from my forefathers,
and which wore about my neck
ut would seem so, unless my eyes
deceive me-" answered. "And is this
what you have come so far to seek, u.
balbayp" and l drew forth the ancient
symbol of the Broken Heart.
Now he leaned forward and examined
first the one half and then the other,
searching them with his eyes.
Then he turned to me and said:
"Now have day and night come to-
gether and soon shall the new sun
arise, the sun of glory, for already the
dawn is breaking. Take that which is
in your keeping and will take that
which is mine, for not here must they
be joined, but far away.
Listen, brethren, to my tale: Per.
chance, my brethren, you have heard
legends of that ancient undiscovered
indebted by the foot of the white con.
queror."
"We have heard of it and greatly de.
sire to see it" answered.
''If this be so," went on Zilbalbay
Sin us you have found those who can
guide you to that city, of which I am
the cacique and hereditary high priest
and my only child here is the lady. You
wonder how it comes, then, that we,
being of this condition, are found un.
guarded and alone, wandering like beg
gars in the lands of the white man.
Listen:
1.-THE City OF the Heart, as it is called,
is of all cities the most beautiful and
ancient, and once in the far past she
ruled these lands from sea to sea.
$50 great was her power in the early
days that all the cities whose ruins
may be found buried in these forests
were her tributaries; but as the years
went by hordes of barbarians rolled
down upon her frontier towns, SO that
they We're lost to her. Still no enemies
came near her gates, and she remained
the richest and most powerful of the
cities of the world
'Now, the City of the Heart is built
upon an island in the center of lake
upon the mainland, where they cult.
waited fields and dug in the earth fol
gold and gems.
$50 she tlourished and her children
with her, till twelve generations since
when there came tidings to the king
of that day that u nation of white men
had taken possession of the empires
near the sea, putting their inhabitants
to the sword and possessing themselves
of their wealth. Iidings came also that
these white men, having learned the
tale of the City of the Heart and of the
measureless treasures of gold with
which it is adorned, purposed to seek II
out and sack 1t.
when the cacique was sure that these
things were true, he took counsel with
his wise men and with the oracle of the
god, and issued decree that all those
who lived upon the mainland should be
brought within the walls of the city, sc
that the white men might find none tc
guide them thither. This was done
then, and the spoilers sought in vain
for many years, till it was reported
among them that this legend of towr
filled with gold was but fable.
"Now, however, great sickness tool
hold Of those who lived in the City of
the Heart, because it was over full of
men; SO great a sickness, indeed, that
soon there was space and to spare for
all who remained within it's walls. The
tions passed new and worse trouble
fell upon our forefathers. The blood
Of the people grew old and but few
children were born to them.
There were none left upon the main
land to rcplenish the race, and this Is
our law, a law that cannot be broken
under pain of death, that no man or
woman may leave our territories to seek
husband or wife of different blood
"Thus, then, it has come about that
the people have grown fewer and fewer,
wasting away like snow upon moun-
tain top in summer, till at length they
are dwindled to few thousands, who
in bygone days could count their num-
Der by tens and twenties of thousands.
"But an ancient prophecy has come
down to us from our forefathers, and it
is that, when once more the two halves
Of the symbol of the Heart are laid side
by side in their place upon the altar in
the sanctuary Of the holy city, then
from that hour she shall grow great
again. Over this saying brooded long,
and often did pray to that God whom
I worship that might find that which
was lost, and save the people from
perishing.
sat length voice spoke to me in a
dream answering my prayer, bidding
me to wander forth from the country Of
the heart and follow the ancient road
toward the sea, for there, near to the
eastern shore, should find that which
was lost.
"Then l summoned the Council Of the
Heart and told them of my dream and
that purpesaa to obey it. But they
made mock of me and said that |
might go if wished, but that no man
Of the people should accompany me
across the mountains, for that was
against the ancient law
ITO be Short" continued Zibalbay,
"since my heart was set upon this mis-.
sion and my daughter yonder, who is
willful, would not be gainsaid of her de-
sire to accompany me, Tikal, my
nephew, was placed over the city to
rule rs cacinllc in my stead until I