Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-11-12
HEART Of the WORLD.
ny II. RIDER f1AGGARD.
Story. Manuscript Bcqueathed by an old
Mexcan Indian to His Friend and Comrade,
Engishman Named
Copyrighted, 1894, b. H. Rider Haggara

Engllshman, by this gift have
made you heir to The empire of the Az
tees in the heart Of every Indian, and
the master of the great brotherhood of
tell you all and bring you to those who
can initiate you. Bid him to lead you
whittier he would have led me- Fare
well, and God go with you. Tell the
Indians how died, that they may not
think that you have murdered me-"
To these words of mine the senior
made no answer. but thrust the token
into his pocket without looking at it,
like one who dreams. Then, taking
the candle with him, he crept forward
down the tunnel and vanished, and my
heart sank as saw him go, leaving me
to my dreadful fate without word of
farewell.
Doubtless he is too frightened to
speak" thought, land it is right that
he should fly as quickly as possible to
save his life"
Now, as was soon to learn, was
doing the senior a bitter wrong in my
mind, seeing that he never dreamed of
deserving me, but went to find means
of rescue. AS he told me afterwards,
when he reached the mouth of the tun-
mel he could think of no way by which
| might be saved, since these noun
tains were uninhabited and it would
take several hours to bring men from
Cumarvo.
Outside the mine he sat himself down
to consider what could be done, but no
| thought came, for it was impossible to
use the strength of the horses in that
narrow place. Then he sprung up and
looked round him in despair. Close to
him was little ravine followed by
water, and on it's very edge grew a
small mimosa thorn of which the long
roots had been washed almost bare by
| a food. He saw it and an inspiration
entered into him.
| Springing at the little tree, that
being so tough wood was the best
possible for his purpose, he tore it
from such roothold as remained to it.
\ A few strokes with his heavy hunting
knife trimmed off the branches and
fbers, and soon he was creeping care
fully up the tunnel, dragging the trunk
after him. When he had gone some
twenty PAGES he heard another frag-
ment of the roof fall, and so he said in
his story, was minded to fly.
1T is |, Ignatio, and l have brought
a lever. Now when l lift, struggle for
ward if you can"
Then he placed the trunk of the thorn
tree in what seemed to him the best
position and put all his strength upon
it. 1t was in vain; even SO he could
not stir the rock.
TRY a little more to the right" l
said, family; there is better hold"
He shifted the lever and dragged at
1t till his muscles cracked, and felt
the stone tremble as its bulk began tC
rise
sIf you car help ever so little, it will
come!" he gasped.
| Then in my despair, though the an.
guish of it nearly killed me, set my
palms upon the ground, and contract
ing myself like snake that is held
with q forked stick, thrust upwards
with my back, till the point of the stone
was raised to the height of eight or
ten inches from the ground.
For moment, and one only, it hung
there; next instant the lever slipped,
and down it came again. But had
taken my chance, for, clinging to the
floor with my fingers, so soon as my
back was free, with quick movement
dragged myself foot or more for
ward. Then the point of rock that had
been lifted from my back fell again,
but this time it struck the ground be-
tween my thighs.
Nc w he seized me by the arms and
i
long boots beneath the stone. / stroye
to rise, hut could not because of the
hurt to my back.
N1ou must carry me, senor," said.
He glanced at the mass that tremhled
above us, then, giving me the candle,
lifted me from the ground like an in
FAINT and staggered forward down the
tunnel. Perhaps we had gone some
seven or eight PAGES, not more, when
there was dreadful crash behind us.
The roof had fallen in and the spot
which we had occupied some thirty sec.
onds before was now piled high with
!, rocks.
s'Onp' ! said, ''craclSs are showing in
! the stone above usl' and he rushed for
ward till we found ourselves exhausted
and bleeding among the grasses outside
! the mine.
, Now l bowed my head and returned
thanks for my escape; then, lifting it
looked my preserver in the face and
said:
81 swear by the name of God, senior
!. that he never made q man nobler than
), yourself"
, The next instant l fell forward ane
tainted there among the FERNS
Ten days had passed since was car
/ ried from the mouth of that accurset
/ mine back to Cumarvo in litter, ant
. during all this time had suffered
( much pain in my back and been very
f ill-so i'll, indeed, that 1 was scarcel,
: allowed to speak with anyone. Now
4 however, was much better, and on,
afternoon Senior Strickland, assisted
r from my bed into hammock.
= oRv the wau Irpafin ~ coi1 tb.
Q senior when Molas had gone, II neve
gave you back this charm of yours
!; What queer-loolzing trinket It isl!
i he added, taking it from his neck
"and what did you mean by your tall
). in the tunnel about its making me hei
r to the empire of the Aztecs in the hear
> of every Indian, and the rest of it?"
| "Know, senior, that this broken gen
e is the secret symbol of great order
d OF which you are now one of the lords
t seeing that the crowning and vita
S ceremony of the creation Of Lord o
r the Heart consists in the hanging Q
e the symbol about his neck for tn
!, space OF minute only by myself
j duty of the servant of the Heart is s.
lence, and that silence demand O
t you"
i; "But suppose that man should no
. keep silence, Ignatio, what then?" h
asked.
,. '.There is land, senor," ! ar
swered, "where the most tall1ativ
It grow dumb, and its borders can b
), crossed by all, even by the Lords c
d the Heart, for fearful is the doom of
d false brother"
d "You mean that if repeat anythin
may hear | shall be murdered?"
ttIDdepd no senior. Int Won mn =, I, a '