The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-02-03

BY Fl. RIDER HAGGARD.
Story, Manuscript Bequeathed by
Mexican o His Friend Comrade
Engislman Named Jones.
cop7ri@htca. 1891. by II. Rider IIagsard


to face with The bearers of the litters
whom Xibalbay had summoned to meet
us.
There were forty of these men or
more; for the most mart they were tall
and well shaped. with reoular features
and. Ike Iibalbay and Maya, very fair
for Indians. but the look upon their
faces vas different from any that ]
have soon among my people. II wa
not STUPID or brutal. or even empty,
rather did Il suggcst great WEAKNESS.
WEAKNESS was he mustcr not of their
bodies bnt Of their minds, and lool5ilq
at them could understand whit Zibal-
bay meant when he said that his race
was outworn.
Suinmoning the captain of the bear
ers Zibalbay talked TO him while hi
comNanions ate food that they had
brought with them. ana / noted that
what hc heard seemed togive him little
! pleasure. Next he ordered us to enter
the littcIB.
We started forward down the noun
tain, and in an hour we had left the re-
! gion of snow behind and entered the
cedar forests
At length, as the evcninr beran to
fall. we entered the village of corn
! growers. half-ruincd place, of which
the houses were for the most part built
of adobe or mud bricks and rooted
with u concrete of white lime
When Xibalbay descended from his
litter all those present Frustrated them
selves and remained thus, till. followed
by some OF the head men, he had passed
into house, which was made ready for
his use, leaving us without.
Presently messenger came from IL
balbay to summon us into the house.
whore we found an ample meal pre-
pared. consisting chiefly of fish from
the lake. baked wild fowl and manv
sorts of fruit. BY the time we had
finished eating. and had drunk the
chocolate that was served to rs in cups
oflau3crcd silver. the night had fallen
completely. | asked Zibalbay If VIC
;hoaid sleep there; &c which he replied
hortiy that we were about to start for
the city
Accordingly we set ont by the l;rht
of the moon, and were guided to little
iarbor in the shore of the lake. where
n largo canoe, fitted with n mast and
sail and manned by ten Indians. was
waiting for rs. We embarked, and the
breeze being OF land hoisted the sail
and started toward the Island of the
Heart, which stood distance of about
fifteen niles from tho rnni-lr-d
The breeze was light; but after the
cold of the mountains. the air was SO soft
and balmy and the scene SO new and
strange, that | for one did not regret
our slow progress. Nobody spoke in
Dhe boat, for all of us were lost in ou.
own reflections, and the Indians were
awcd to silence by the presence of their
lord, who alone seemed impatient, since
from time to time he pulled his beard
and muttered to himself
Before rs lay the failed Golden town
we had 50 longed to see. Soon our feet
would pass its white walls and cur eyes
behold lis ancient civilization.
"What waits us thcre?" whispered
the senior. and he looked ut Maya.
she heard his words and shook her
head sadly. There was no hope in her
eyes, which were dimmed with tears.
Then he turned to me as though for
comfort. and the easy fires of cnthusi-
assn burnt up within me and answered.:
Fear not, the goal is won and we shall
overcome all difficulty and dangcr. The
useless wealth Of yondcr golden city
shall be ours; and by its help / shall
vrcals the stored up vengeance of ages
lpon the oppressors of my race and
build up great Indian dominion
stretching from sea to sea. whereof this
,ity shall be the hearth lie heard and
smiled, answering:
1t NAV be so, for your sake l trus
that it win be 50, but we seek differeu,
'rds, lgnatio,n and he looked again 1t
the lady Maya.
On we glided through the moonlight
and the silence. for from the town came
no soun save the cry of the watchmen
calling the hours as they kept their
grard along the ancient walls, till at
lenSthVc entered the shadow OF the |
holy city. lying dark upon the waters.
mi tlc Indians getting out their pad |
.ues. for tho wind no longer served Us. |
rowcd the canoe up a stonc-em banked |
canal that led to Il water gate.
Now we halted in front of the gate. |
whore there was no man to be seen. In |
IN impatient voice Xibalbay badc the |
captain of Che boat hail the guardian of |
the gate, and presently q man came
down the steps yawning, and inquired |
who was there.
Il, the cacique,' said zibalbay.
Open"
Indeed That is strange" answered |
the rlur. seeing that this night the
cacilue holds his marriage feast ut the |
palace yondcr. and there Is but one |
caeiquc of thc people of the Heart.
Get back to the mainland, wan
dcrers, and return in the daytime when
the gates stand wide"
Now when zibalbav heard these
words he cursed aloud in llisanger, and
MAYA started as though with ov.
Il tell You that | am Iibalbav
come hosne again. your lord and no
other Re cried, land you will be wise
to do my Bidding"
The man stared and hesitatel till the
captain of the boat spoke to him, say
ing:
Fool, would You become food for the
fishes? This is the lord Zibalbay re-
turned from the dead.n
Then he FASTENED to open the rate as
fast MS his fear wonld let him
Pardon. iuther, pardon" he cried.
nros'r rating himself, "but the lord
'TtSal. who rules in your place, has
given Il oat that you were dead in the
and commanded that your
name should be spoken no more in the
city
Zihalbay swept by him without a
word. When he had passed up the
nlrhle steps and through the waterway
pierced in tho thickness of the frown-
ing walls he halted, and addressing
the captain of the 5oatmcn, said:
Let this man be scourged to-mor-
row az noon in the market place, that
lenecforth he may learn not to sleep
1t his post
On the further side OF the wall ran
wide street. bordered by splendid houses
)utt cf white stone. which led TO tho
central square of the city, u mile or
nor, away. TIP this street we WALKED