Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-11-30

self. At first these two had run as
quickly as the rest of us, but now all
the fatigues and terrors that they had
undergone took hold of them, so that
from time to time they were forced to
stop and rest, which is little to be
wondered at, seeing that for five days
they had eaten no solid food, for it was
Don Pedro's purpose to starve their Sc
cret out of them.
Slowly and with much toll we forced
path through the tropical forests.
This forest that seemed so destitute
of life was peopled by millions of in
sects, all of them venomous. Garrapat-
as, tiny gray flies, wood wasps, and
their bites and stings, till we groaned
aloud in our misery, then remembering
our danger pushed on again.
Thus two hours and more passed till
reaching little stream that ran
through a ravine in the forest, we
paused to drink and cool our fevered
feet and hands. Zibalbay sank ex-
hausted upon the bank, where
brought him water, in my sonbrero,
while his daughter sat herself down on
stone in the stream, suffering it to
flow over her feet and ankles that by
now were swollen with ant bites and
bleeding from cuts of thorns and
grasses.
Presently she looked up and seeing
the senior standing on the bank talking
to me, invited him with motion Of her
hand to seat himself beside her.
What is your name, white manS'
she asked.
Games Strickland"
James Strickland" she repeated,
with some difficulty. 81 thank you,
James Strickland, for rescuing my
father from torment and me from in.
suit, and because of that deed l, Maya
OF the Heart, whom many have served,
am your servant forever"
"You should thank my friend, Don
Ignatio," he said, pointing to me.
For few moments she looked at me
searchingly, then replied:
81 thank HIM also, but l thank you
the most, for your hand rid me of that
hateful man and saved u.s."
1T Is early to return thanks, lady,
he said; "we are not out of danger
yet"
81 have little fear now that we have
escaped from that dreadful house." she
answered, almost inditferently, "since
they find us in this forest? Hark! what
was that?"
AS she spoke faint and distant sound
fell upon our ears, such a sound as
might have been made by a bell struck
far away at night.
THAT is how they will find u.s." he
said, springing to his feet. .'Do you
hear, Ignatio? The dogs have hit our
trail. Which way does our road run
now, lady?"
Along the banks Of the stream"
Then we must go forward in the
water" said the senior; sits our only
| chance, for the hounds cannot track us
! there"
Not more than three hundred PAGES
from the banks of the little stream we
came upon high mound densely over,
grown with trees, between the boles OF
which appeared masses of cut stone.
This is the place, "gasped Zilbalbay.
"Look, yonder above us are the walls Of
the temple, and here is the ancient
to long flight of crumbling stone steps
| almost hidden in ferns and bushes. Up
| these steps we went with caution,
Molas carrying Zilbalbay upon his
broad back
The staircase was in three flights, the
top fight, now almost entirely broken
away, emerging on what once had been
a broad and splendid terrace, but to-day
was chaos of stonework, in the crew
ices of which grew bushes and even
large trees. Over the head of the stair
| way stood colossal arch sculptured
with the figures of gods and beasts.
Thsi arch was in the last stage of de-
cay; indeed, the crown Of 1t, mass OF
masonry that must have weighed be-
tween one hundred and two hundred
tons, had been nearly separated from
| its supports by the action of time and
rain, aided, perhaps, by a shock OF
earthquake, and hung threatening over
the top of the stair. In truth, so slight
were the attachments which remained
between it and its supporting side col.
| umns and buttresses, that at first sight
1t seemed as thought must fall at once.
A closer examination showed, how.
| ever, that it was held in place by three
or four great roots, trees that grew
upon the crown OF the arch. Be.
yond the arch, on the further
| side OF the terrace, rose the ruined
| temple, a single-storied building with q
fiat roof, whereon grew many shrubs
and palms.
Passing into the temple, Maya led US
| into chamber. In the corner lay q
little pile of articles covered over with
serape that Maya hasteaed to remove,
revealing among other things an
earthen cooking pot, a copper axe of
similar workmanship to the machete
with which the senior had killed Don
Jose, two curiously fashioned blow
pipes, with a supply of poisoned darts,
and lastly, bags containing dried flesh,
beans and cuca-paste.
"All is safe" she said; ''now let us
eat, that we may be strong to meet
| danger"
While we We're filling ourselves thank
| fully with the dried meat the senior
spoke to me, saying he hoped our pur-
suit had been abandoned.
You can know little of these men to
| speak thus" he answered. "Don Pedro
| will certainly seek to avenge the blood
| of his son."
Then what do you propose to do?"
he asked. "Start on again, or stop
| here?'
"Senor, we must stop here because
we cannot travel farther, unless you
would abandon the old man and his
| daughter. Moreover, in the forest it
| would be easy to overwhelm us, but this
| place is hard to climb, and here at least
we may die fighting. Let us make
ready for the worst, senor.''
"How are we to make ready" he
asked, when we have nothing to fight
with except machetes and Indian blow
pipes. The powder in the pistol TASKS
is damp and the caps will miss fire, so
that if they come our death is certain"
ut seems So" answered, "and yet
if it pleases God we may live. Yonder
| lie stones in plenty; let us pile them up
beneath the archway; perhaps we may
kill some of our foes by rolling them
down the steps"
This we did then, while Maya watched
| us At length tho tasl. xuac Rnichad