The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-01-13
We1Ser, Idaho.


the river, followed by a sound of men
and horses forcing a path through the
bush.
Look, here they come" said the
senior, and as he spoke party of seven
or eight men, three of them riding on
mules, appeared at the foot of the
mound. and, dismounting, picketed
their animals to trees
Nov for it," said the senior, rising
and shaking himself like a dog that
leaves the water. 81 wonder row MANY
of us will be left alive when this sun
sets?"
AS he spoke one of the men advanced
to the foot of the stairway holding a
great hound in a leash. For moment
til, dog shifted the stones, then, lifting
his head, he bayed aloud, whereat the
band shouted, for they knew that they
had trapped us. Still for while thew
did not advance, but, gathering them
selves in a knot, consulted together at
the foot of the stairway.
Can we bargain with them, Igna-
tio?" said the senior.
Impossible" 1 answered, what
have we to give that they cannot talsep"
Then there is nothing for it except
to die as bravely as we can" he
answered. This is the end of our
search for the Golden City. The quest
has not been lucky one, Ignatio.h
Now the old Indian, Zibalbay, who
was crouched upon the ground beside
us, spoke for the first time, saying:
Friends, why do you not fly? Doubt
,ess you can find a path down the
further side Of the pyramid, and in the
forest you may hide from these men,"
ut is too late to talk of fight. ''said
Molas, ''for look; they are coming up
the stair, the eight of them, with Don
Pedro and the Americana at their head"
l looked; it was true. Already they
had climbed half the steps of the first
fight.
''Oh, for some rifiesl" groaned the
senior.
1T is useless to cry for what we have
not" answered
"God can help us if He wishes, and if
be does not we must bow to His will"
Then there was silence, broken
only by the voice of Zibalbay, who,
standing behind us, lifted his hands to
heaven and prayed aloud to his gods to
bring vengeance upon our foes
Now we could see through the trees
and bushes that the men were begin
ming to climb the second fight.
Come, let us do something" said the
senior, and, running to the pile of stones
which we had prepared he called to us
to roll the heaviest upon the enemy
This we did, but without effect. for the
tree trunks turned the stones; more
over, those against whom they were di-
rected, taking cover at the sides of the
stairway, opened SO sharp fire on us
with their rifles that in few minutes
we were driven from the piles of stones
and forced to retreat behind the shelter
Of the arch
Now they came on again, till present.
ly they reached the foot of the third
flight and paused to take breath Then
it was that Molas. selling one OF the
Indian blowpipes. ran out onto the ter
race followed by the senor-though
why the senior went l do not know, for
he could not use the weapon. Before
the men below were aware of their
presence Molas had set the blowpipc to
his lips and discharged the poisoned
dart among them. 1t struck Don Smith
the American. full in the throat. Watch
ing around the corner of the arch ] saw
him lift his hand to pull it out. then of
a sudden he fell to the ground, and at
that instant a storm of bullets swept
through the archway aimed at Molas
and the senior as they fed back to
shelter. i saw Molas fall and the senior
stop to lift him to his feet, and as he
was in the very act n patch of red an
peared upon his face. Another moment
they were back under cover.
Are you hurt?" / asked the senior.
NO, no, he answered, my face was
grazed by bullet, that was all. Look
to Molas; he is shot in the side.n
Leave me" said Molas; 1t is moth
ing"
Then we We're silent, only MAYA
sobbed little as she stroye to stanch
the blood which flowed from the senor's
wound with cobwebs that she gathered
from among the stones.
Looking out cautiously we saw that
the men had dragged Don Smith to the
SIDE OF the stairway, while some of them
supported him while he died of poison.
and others watched for a chance to
shoot us should we show ourselves upon
the terrace. Presently he was dead.
and curslng us aloud his companions
commenced to mount the third fight
with great caution, for they feared a
snare.
us there nothing to be done to save
our lives?" asked the senior in a heavy
voice.
Ihere was no answer, but of n sud
den Molns. who was standing with one
hand pressed upon the wound in his
side an'i the other before his ewes
turned and ran swiftly into the cham
Der behind us, whence he appeared car
rylng the copper axe.
"ishout speaking, he cllu- bed
the masonry of the archway with great
swiftness, till he stood with his feet in
the crack beneath the crown Of the
arch, which you will remember was
held In place only by the tough tree
roots that grew from it into the stone
work of the buttress.
supporting himself bv a creeper with
ms left hand. with his right he struck
plow after blow at the biggest of these
roots severing them one by one. Now
we saw his purpose-to send two hun-
dred tons OF stonework laundering
Gown the stairway upon the heads Of
the murderers. Vi
by heavensl That is an answer 70
my question:" said the senior: then he
paused and added: Come down. Molas
II the arch falls you will fall with II ana
be crushed" ~ "no
1T matters little" he answered ..b;s
is my doom day. That bullet has cnt
me inside, and bleed to death. and on
TINS spot, as | have long feared. Il Is
1ated that i should die. PRAY for NV
soul and farewell"
Now three of the roots were .evsr.d
put the fourth and largest, which y.s
tnlcker than mans leg, remained. and
ingly. "'SP0ir-