Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-11-02
HEART OF THE WORLD.
RY II. RIDER HAGGARD.
Strange Taken
Mexican Indian riend and Con,rade, an
Engishman Named
Copyrighted. 1894, b, H Rider Harrara

OF the sins of our forefathcrs, it has
pleased God to set over u.s.
"Those were your fathers words, my
son, which he spoke to me in the hour
before his murder. And now you will
understand why said you must wait
before you determined to be priest. If
that Is still your wish it can be fulfilled,
for your father left it with you to fol-
low the life You might desire"
thought for awhile and answered:
"While my fathers blood is unavenged
cannot become a priest"
ut is as thought" said the old man,
with q sigh. THAT cursed talisman
which lies about your neck has begun
its work with you, Ignatio, and you
will tread the path that the others trod,
perchance to die in blood, as they did. y,
y
Within week from this aay some
Indians came to Tiapa disguised as
porters, whose mission it was to lead
me to the mountains among which nv
father had lived, and where his treas
ures still lay hidden.
On the third day of my journey we
reached narrow pass in the noun
tains, beyond which lay an Indian vii
!age. Here my guides took me to the
house OF one Antonio, to whom the
padre Ignatio had given me letters. an
old man of venerable aspect, who
greeted me warmly and introduced me
to several caciques who were staying
with him, did not know why.
80 soon as we were alone In the house
one of these caciques, after addressing
me in words that could not UNDER
stand, asked me if l had q heart. To
this replied that hoped SO, whereat
they all, laughed. Then the man An
tonic, coming to me, unbuttoned my
shirt, revealing the talisman that had
belonged to my father, and at the sight
OF 1t all the company bowed.
Next the doors We're locked, and, SEN
tries having been posted before them, a
ceremony began which even now it is
not lawful that should describe in de-
| tail, wherein / was first initiated into
the mysteries of the Order of the Heart,
and afterwards installed as it's heredi-
tary chief, thus becoming while yet a
boy the absolute lord of many thousand
men, brethren of our order, who were
| scattered far and wide about the land.
| On the day after / had taken the
final oaths Antonio handed over to me
the treasure that my ancestors boarded
in secret place, which my father had
left in his keeping, and 1t was q great
treasure, amounting to more than q
million dollars in value.
Now | was rich, both in men and
money, still, following the counsel Of
Antonio, abode for awhile in the vil-
lage, receiving those who came to visit
me from every part of Mexico as Holder
Of the Heart, and as first In rank among
the fallen peoples of the Indians.
Some three miles from the village
where dwelt lived two sisters, Indians
Of noble blood, though poor, one Of
them a widow and the other very
beautiful girl, younger than myself.
1t CHANGED that was riding past their
house upon certain Sunday evening
when most of the inhabitants Of the
valley Were away at fiesta, and heard
screams coming from it.
| Dismounting from my horse ran in
at the door, which was open, and saw.
ono of the sisters, the widow, lying
dead upon the ground, while two ban
dts, Mexicans, were attacking the
younger woman. Drawing my ma:
ehete, cut them down.
| Now after this the girl whose life /
had saved came to dwell in my village,
where saw much of her. 80 lovely
was She and SO clever that soon she won
my heart, and the end of it was mar
ried her, against the advice of Antonio
and others of my brethren of the order.
| The more I thought on them the
more the wrongs of my countrYmen.
the real owners of the land, toeS ;,
q My i mina, IN at ler-' .n tbs1 -, n nas
4 thusiae4 -, and became an en-
~ and q visionary, making it tn,
object of my life to form great con
) spiracy and bring about rising of tn,
, Indians in every province of Mexic,
upon given day, and then when tn,
, Spaniards and their bastards, the Span
ish Mexicans, had been stamped out t,
i reestablish the empire of the Aztecs.
i For year or more was the creates
) power in Mexico, and yet, though hun
dreds were privy to my secret, it was s.
we'll kept that no whisper of it came t
the ears of the government At length
) all was ready, and SO carefully were M
plans laid that success seemed certain
: just before the time fixed for the rising
it was agreed that my wife should b
, sure, as servant in the house of ma,
, who ruled Mexico in those days, tina
t she might spy upon him.
!, Instead of that, she, my wife, fell i
love with him. 1t is easy to guess tn
| rest. One night, but a week before tn
l appointed time. and some five or ST
others, the leaders of our party, wer
, seized. My companions were made ava
with secretly, but was brought befor
r the great man, who received me alone
3 holding pistol in his hand
D ~ know all your plans, FRIEND"
, said. VI know also that you have
+ great treasure in gold hidden away
Now, friend, make you fair offe
, hand over this treasure to me, an
5 you shall go free-refuse to do SO, an
you will be brought to trial and die a
| you deserve"
, How can you promise for othersi
r / asked. "You are not the only whit
l man who would have fallen"
| II can promise for others, first, b
i cause am their master, and, secondl
. because nobody but myself knows an,
thing OF this matter, since, if l to-
4 them, must also share your wealt
with them, and that, my friend, mea
: to keep. Give it up to me and you ma
a go and plot against my successors an
Q the government of Mexico as much
e pleases you, and take your wife with yc
for aught l care; for, friend, havir
t earned so comfortable competence,
= propose to leave the land where, as tn
business proves, people in authority AZ
o too apt to have their threats cut. No
}, choose"
y Then chose, for thought to myse
d that might get more gold, but con
never get another life, and if die
r many must suffer with me, and al! Ii
b hopes for the future of the Indian ra,
would come to naught. Also l kne
g this villain to be q man of his wor
: and that what he promised he wou
a fulfill.
;, Within ten days he had the money.
1 All these things had come upon II