Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-01-21


side to save myself from any death"
ut seems that have got my answer, 50
said Iikal. MAY none ofyou regret it
tonight when you come to look down
into the Pit of Waters. Well, time
presses, and l have much to do before
we meet again." and he turned to
leave lis.
1T might be thought that after TilSsl
was gone we should have spoken to-
gether of what had passed, and of the
dangers that lay before us. But this
was not SO; think we felt, all of us,
that there was nothing more to be said.
1t is useless TIC fight against Fate, and
it is still more useless to be afraid of
him, seeing that whatever we do or
leave undone, he has his will of us at
last.
So we sat and chatted of Indifferent
things, o.r life at the mine at Cumarvo,
that night which we spent in the
our brave companion, Molas, and
know not what besides. Presently the
child awolSe, and it's parents occupied
themselves with it, finding resem-
blances to each other in it's tiny fea-
lures, while walked up and down the
hall, counting the lamps, smoking and
wondering where l should be by this
time on the morrow.
AT length the gates opened, for now
1t was almost the middle of the night,
and there came through them Dimas
and guard of priests. The old man
bowed before us and said that the time
had come to lead us before the council
In the sanctuary, but that we were to
have no fear, seeing that from all that
he had been able to learn our offense
would be leniently dealt with.
Maya asked what was to become of
the infant, which could not be left
alone, and he replied that she must
bring it with her, whereon she began
to wrap it in serape.
Your care is needless" said Dimas.
"There is secret way to the sanctu-
airy from this place, by which | pro-
pose to lead you in order that the child,
our lord, shall not be exposed to the
raw cold of the night"
Then he took a bunch of keys from
his girdle, and, handing them to one
who accompanied him, fellow priest
and member of the council, he COM
manded him to go forward with several
of the escort to open the doors and
light lamps in the passage that lay be-
tween us and the sanctuary The
priest went, and, having waited awhile,
we followed him, to find him standing
by the marble wall which separated
the passages from the sanctuary.
On seeing us approaching he gave the
signs, which were answered from with
in; next he opened the false door with
a silver key, leaving the key and the
bunch to which it was attached fixed in
the lock, for Dimas to take as he passed.
This, however, the old priest did not
do, for he thought that we should all
return by the passage, and as we
stepped into the sanctuary he con-
tented himself with closing the door
without locking it.
We took seats that had been prepared
for us in the open space before the altar,
Maya being placed in the center and
the senior and myself on either side of
her. Next the priest of the Records
rose and announced that the business
before the council was the trial of
three of its members, Maya, Lady of
the Heart, the white man, Son of the
sea, and Ignatio, the Wanderer, Lord
of the Heart from beyond the mountains,
upon the charge of having broken their
oaths, which they took as members of
the council. Having read this formal
against US, clearly but briefly:
VII Siiio WI " VI ellC ACSuiNdl VI
the Rising Waters year ago." he
began, you strangers, among other
things, swore upon the altar, setting
in pledge your souls and bodies for the
fulfillment of the oath, that without
the consent of this high brotherhood
you would not attempt to leave the
gates of the City of the Heart. Yet but
the other day You We're overtalSen and
seized in the act of flying across the
mountains to the wilderness beyond
Nor is this all of your crime, for with
you was that infant, born of the white
man and the Lady of the Heart, the
heaven-sent child of prophecy, of
whom you wickedly sought to rob us
and the people. Say now, how do you
plead to these charges?"
1--WE plead guilty" answered Maya,
'but we ask to be heard in our own de-
Tense. Listen, lords: since that night
when we were married by your COM
mand my husband and myself have
been logged by murder, and yonder,
as High Priest Of the Hearts and presi-
dent of your councils, he sits who
would have murdered us.
81 see among you this night some of
those who waited on me upon the day
of our escape. having the Lord Dimas
at the head of them. What did they
tell me? That plot had been discov-
cred, made by this Tilal. to murder
my husband, my child and my friend,
Ignatio, the Wanderer They told me
also that Tikal would be deposed be-
cause of this and his other crimes, and
that the infant in my arms would this
very night be anointed cacique of the
People of the Heart. Is it not so,
Dimas?"
st is so, lady," he answered, "and
learn that you are not the only ones
who are on trial this night. Though
your case is taken first that of Tikal,
the high priest, and others will follow;
but till then, in virtue of his rank and Of
fee, he sits as president of our council. .
Now Tilsal sprang from his seat, but
Dimas turned upon him and said,
sternly:
Keep silent, lord, or speak only to
fulfill the duties of your place. Your
trial shall be just, but know that there
is no hope of escape for you till it is
done, seeing that your guards are dis
armed and all the paths are watched"
TilSal seated himself again and Maya
went on:
ION that very night of the coming of
Lord Dimas, when / was alone in my
chamber, Lady Nahua, the wife Of
Tilial, crept upon me and strove to
murder this my child" and she set out
the story telling how the senior and L,
hearing her cries for help, had entered
the chamber and seized and bound
Nahua.
''Then it was, brethren, that terror
took us and we fled, seeking to escape
land where we could not live in safety
from one hour to another This is our
sin, and we leave our punishment in