The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-02-10
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW ZIBALBAY CAME HOME.

NOW ZlbALBAf CAME HOME.
For awhile we stood unnoticed in the
shadow of the doorway, observing thi.
strange and beautiful scene, till, as vi
balbay was about to advance to the
! throne, the lord TilSal held up his scep
ter as signal. and suddenly the wolncr
ceased from their dance and song Al
the sight Of the uplifted scepter Zibal
bay halted again, and drew bach
further into the shadow, motioning us
| TO do likewise. Then TilSal began tc
speak in a rich, deep voice that filled
the hall
councillors and mobiles of the
| Heart he said, land yon high born
ladies', wives, and daughters of the
mobiles, hear me. But yesterday, as YOU
know, | took upon myself the place and
power OF my forefathers, and by your
wish and will was proclaimed the sole
chief ruler of The people of the Heart
Nov, have hidden you TO my mar
riage feast, that you may grace my
inuptials and share my joy For be it
known to you that tonight | have
taken in marriage Nnhua the Beauti-
full daughter of the high Lord Natal,
chief of the astronomers, keeper of the
sanctuary, and prcsider. of the Council
of the Heart, and her, in the presence
OF you all, | name as my first and law
full wife, the sharer of my power and
your ruler under me, who, whatever be-
tide, cannot be put away from my bed
and throne, and as such call upon you
TO salute her.
Thereupon the whole company bowed
themselves before Nahua, who flushed
with pride and joy, and repeated, as
with one voice:
Hail to thee, Lady of the Heart,
whom it has pleased the gods to lift up
and bless. May children be given to
you and with them happiness and power
for many years.
"Nobles," went on TilSal, when this
ceremony was ilnlsned, "To-morrow IL
year will have gone by since Zibalbay,
my uncle, who was cacique before me,
and the Lady Maya, my atllanced bride,
LETT the city upon a certain mission.
Before they departed it was agreed
that | should rule as next heir during
the absence of Zibalbay and his daugh-
ter and that il they should not return
within two years then their heritage
should be mine forever.
ITO this agreement | set my name
with sorrow, for then, as now, | held
that my uncle was mad and in his mad
ness went to doom, taking with him his
daughter, whom / loved Yet when
they were gone | fulfilled it to the let
Ter, but trouble arose among the pco-
pie, for they will not listen to the voice
of one who Is not their anointed lord,
but say: we will wait until Zibaibay
comes again, and hear his command
upon these matters
$50 it came about that many pressed
1T on me chat for the sake of the people
and the welfare Of the place. | should
shorten the period of my regency and
suffer myself Go be amounted. Bat re-
membering Iny promise | answered
them sharply, saying that come what
might, two full years must be com
pleted before | sat me down in the
place of my fathers.
"To this mind then I held till three
days since, when some of the people
refused to get them to their labor, say
ing that the high priest alone had au-
thority over them, and there was no
high priest in the city Then in my
perplcXity ! took counsel with the lord
Natal, master of the stars, and he con-
suited with tho stars on my behalf.
"All night long he searched the heav-
ems, and he read IL them that Zibalbay,
who, led by a lying dream, broke
through the laws of the land and wan
dered across the mountains, mas paid
the price of his folly and is dead in the
wilderness, together with his daughter
that was my affianced and the Lady of
the Heart. Is it not so, Mattai?"
Now the person addressed, stout
man with bald head and quick, shift
ing eyes and n thick and grizzled beard,
stepped forward and said, bowing:
IF my wisdom was not at fault, such
was the message of the stars, o lord"
Mobiles went on Tilsal, "you
have heard my testimony and
the testimony of Natal, whose
voice is the voice of truth. For these
reasons also, she to whom l was affi-
anccd being dead, l have taken to wife
Nahua, the daughter of Natal. Say,
do you accept us?n
Now some few of the company were
silent, but the rest cried.
we accept you, TilSal and Nahua,
and long may you rule over us accord
ing TO the ancient customs of The land"
1T Is well, my bro.hrcn,' answered
Tikal. And now, before we drink the
parting cup, have any of you aught to
say to mc?n
81 have something to say" cried Iii
balbay in a loud voice from the shad-
ows where we stood at the far erd of
the hah. At the sound of this voice,
the tones of which he seemed to know,
Ti<al started aud rose in fear, but re-
covering himself said.
Advance from the shadow, whoever
you are, and say your say where men
may see YOU"
Turning to his daughter and to us,
Iibalbay babe us follow him and do as
he did. Thsn, yelling his face with a
corner of his robe, he walked up the
hall, the crowd of mobiles and ladies
opening path, till we stood before the
throne. Here he uncovered himself, as
we did also, and, standing sideways SO
that he should be seen both by Tikal
and all that company, he opened his
lips TO speak. Before q word could pass
them a cry of astonishment broke from
the mobiles. and of a sudden the scepter
fell from the hand of TilSal and rolled
along the floor.
"Zibalbay' said the cry. at is III
balbay come back, or the ghost of him.
and with him the Lady OF the Hearth
"Ay, mobiles" he said in quiet voice.
although his hand shook with rage, sit
is l., Iibalbay, your lord, come home,
and not too soon, as it would seem.
What, my nephew, were YOU so hungry
Tor my place and power that You must
break the oath You sworc upon the
Heart and seize them before the an
pointed time? And you, Natal. have
You lost your skill, or have the gods
smitten you with n curse. that Won
falsely, saying that it was
written in the stars that we who are
alive were dead, and thereby lifting up
your daughter to the seat of the Lady
of the Heart
NAY, do not answer me. STANDING