The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-12-02

Mountains that lie between the little
owns of Pichaucalco and Tiapa. OF
Ill that district my father was the
hereditary cacique, and the Indians
here loved him much.
When | was lad perhaps nine years
Id troubles arose in the country and
" father was made n prisoner. re-
iember that he was shut up in dirty
lace. so hot that it was difficult to
,rcathe, and that there were some
irunlSen Mexican soldiers outside the
loor, who now and again threatened to
make aH end of lis Indian dogs.
My godfather, the priest Ignatio con-
'cssed lny father in corner of the cell,
nd took something from his hand.
hon my father called me to him and
Used me, and with his own fingers for
few moments, he hung about my neck
hat thing which the priest had taken
rom him only To remove II again and
i've it to lgnatio for safe keeping, say
az: "See that the boy has it, and its
tory with it, when he comes of age"
Now my father kissed me again,
blessing me in the name of God and as
ic did 50 great tears ran down his face.
.'hcn the priest lgnntio took me away.
md | never saw rly father any more.
ior the soldiers shot him next morning
and threw his body into the hole that
they had dug 20 receive IL.
After this my godfather, cousin and
namcsalfe took me and my mother to
he little town Of Iiapa, of which he
was priest but she soon died of
BROKEN heart.
When | was about fifteen years of
nge of sudden Il desire took hold of
me To become Il priest.
On the morrow | went into my god
athcr's room, and told him of my de-
ire. lie listened to me attentivcly, and
answered: II would that it might be
%, lay son, holding, as | do, that the
hings Of the world to come outweigh
hose of the present earth ten thou
nndfold, but it cannot be, for reasons
hat yoa shall learn when you are
)ldcr. Then. wien my trust is ended.
YOU may make your choice. and, if you
still wish it, become a priest"
Five more years passed away, during
which time | grew strong and active,
md skilled in all manly exercises. and
studied much under the teachingsof my
godfather, who sent even to Spain to
buy me books.
At length, on my twentieth birthday,
my godfather, who was now grown very
old and feeble called me into his cham
Der. and, having locked the door, he
spoke to me thus:
My son, the time has come when |
must deliver to you the last messages
Of your beloved father, my cousin and
best friend, who was murdered by the
soldiers when you were Il little child,
and tell you of your descent and other
matters.
First. then. YOU must know that you
arc of royal and ancient blood for your
forefathcr was none other than Qua
tcmoc, the last of the Aztec empcrors,
whom the Spaniards murdered. which
descent can prove to you by means of
Did writings and pcdigrces: also it is
Suown and attested among the Indians.
who, even now, do not forget the stock
whence sprang their kings.
''Then. by right, | am emperor of
Mexico" | said, proudly, for in my folly
t seemed a fine thing TO be sprang
rom men who once had worn Il crown.
"Alusl my SON." the old priest an
swercd, sadly. ''in this world might is
he only right and the Spaniards ended
hat of your forcfathers long ago by
he aid of torture and the moose. Save
that il will earn you reverence among
shc Indians. it Is but n barren honor
which you inherit with your blood.
Yet there is one thing that hascome
down to you from your ancestor. Qua
tcmoc. and the monarchs who ruled be-
fore him. perchance yon remember
that on the night before he died your
father sat an amulet upon your neck,
and, removing it again, gave tito me to
keep Here is that amulet
And he handed me trinlsct made of
the half of n heart-shapcd emerald
smooth with wear but unpublished, that
If joined to its missing section would
have been large as doves egg. This
stone was not broken. but cut from the
cop to the bottom, the line of the cut
sing being SO cuuningly sawn that no
onc, unless he had one half before him,
sould initiate the other. This charm
was bored through so as to be worn
npon chain, and engraved upon its
surface were some hieroglyphics and
the outline of half human face.
"What is it?" | asked.
The old priest shrug .sed his shoulders
and answered:
"A relic that had to do with their
wicked hcathcn magic and rites. | sup
pose. | know little about it except that
YOUR father told me that it was the
most valued possession of the Aztec
Kings, and that the natives believe that
when the two halves of this stone came
together the men of white blood shall
be driven from Central America, and
that an Indian emperor shall rule from
sea to sea-
And where is the other half,
'ather?"
Il am n priest, and therefore your
father told me little of the matter, since
t is not lawful that should belong to
secret societies. Still, some such society
Exists and in virtue of the ownership of
that talisman, You will be head of it,
IS your ancestors were before you,
hOugh, so far as | can learn, it has
brought them but little luck.
Il know no more about it, but /
will give YOU letters to q certain, Indian
Who lives in the district of which your
'ather was cacique, and, when you
show him the stone, doubtless he will
initiate You into its mysteries. though
| counsel you to have nothing to do
with them.
Listen, Ignatio, my son. you are
rich man; how rich | cannot tell you,
but for many generations your fore
fathers have hidden up treasure for an
object which l will explain. and the
gold win he handed over to You by those
of your clan in whose keeping it is.
1T was because of this treasure that
your fathcr and your great grandpa
Their were done to death with many
others, since the rumor of it came to
the ears of those who ruled in Mexico,
who, when they could come to it by
no other means, tormented and killed
them in their rage.
Nov, this was the message of your
father to you concerning the wealth
that he and his ancestors had hidden:
"'rell my son, Ignatio, should he live
to grow up, that there has never depart
ed from our family the desire to win
back the crown that Guatemoc lost, or.
at least, 10 drive out the accursed
Spanialtis and their spawn, and to es-
tablsli an Indian republic. To this
end we have heaped up wealth for gen.
erations. that it might serve us
when the hour was ripe, and because