Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-01-25


the summit of the pyramid just as the
dawn began to break.
The dawn was breaking, and seldom,
perhaps, has the light of day revealed
more wonderful or terrible sight to
the eyes of man. Outside the gates of
the courtyard of the pyramid were
gathered Il great multitude of people
waiting to be admitted to celebrate the
feast that on this day of the year was
to be held. according to custom, upon
the summit of the pyramid. Indeed,
they should have already been as
sembled there, but it was the rule that
the gates could not be opened until the
council had left the sanctuary, and this
night the Council sat late.
AS we looked at them cry of fear
and wonder rose from the multitude,
and this was the cause of it: Along
that street which ran from the landing
place to the great square rushed vast
wall of water twenty feet or more in
depth by one hundred broad. Now we
learned the truth. The symbol on the
altar, know not how, was connected
with secret sluice gates which for
many generations had protected the
City of the Heart from flood. When it
was torn from its bed these sluice gates
We're opened, and, the waters rushing
in, sought their natural level, which
was higher than the housetops of the
city. On the summit of the pyramid
were two priests, who tended the sa-
cred fire and made ready for the service
to be celebrated Seeing us emerge
from the watch house, they ran toward
us, wringing their hands and asking
what dreadful thing had come to pass.
/ replied that we did not know, but
that, seeing the water gather in our
prison, we had fled from it. How we
had fled they never stopped to ask, but
ran down the stairway of the pyramid,
only to return again presently, for be-
fore they reached its base their escape
was cut Off
Meanwhile the terror thickened and
the doom began. Everywhere the
waters spread and gathered, replen-
ished from the ineXhaustible reservoir
of the lake. Whole streets went down
before them to vanish suddenly be-
meath their foaming face, while from
the crowd below rose one continuous
shrek of agony. Maya heard it, and
casting herself face downward upon
the surface of the pyramid, that she
might not see her handiwork, thrust
her fingers into her ears, while the
senior and 1 watched, fascinated,
Now the flood struck the people,
some thousands of them, who were
gathered on the rising ground at the
gates of the inclosure of the temple,
and, 10! in an instant they wore gone,
borne away as withered leaves are
| borne before a gale. Ere a man might
| count ten the most of the population
of the City of the Heart had persisted!
For little while some of the more
massive houses stood, only to vanish
Nr,n 1Nt nr,n src \ -.
now the roar of the waters covered all
| other sounds. Before the sun was well
up it was finished, and on the ancient
| and beautiful city, Heart of the World,
there remained nothing to be seen ex-
| cept the tops of the trees and the upper
| parts of the pyramids of worship rising
above the level of the lake.
| The Golden city was no more.
Presently Maya rose to her knees and
| looked out from beneath the hollow of
her hand, Tor the light was dazzling
there upon the white summit of the
| pyramid. Then she flung her arms
above her head and uttered great and
bitter cry.
Behold my handiworlS," she said,
"and the harvest of my sin! o, my
father, that dream which was sent to
haunt my sleep was dreadful, but it did
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people won you Wouid nave saved are
| aela, ana losI Is 1he Guy that you loved,
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mas lound me OUT, lnaeed, ana am ac-
cursed.
=, some such words as theSe she spoke,
then began TO laugh, and turning to
the Senof' sald:
Where Is the chlld, husband?
| ne could not answer her, but she
| TOOK no note OF II, only she bent her
arms, rocking them and grooming as
thoush the ihlant lay upon her breast;
then came tlrst to INN and next to me,
| saying:
LOOK, is ne not pretty boy? Am
not maPPy 10 oe tne mother OF such
poE9
WEAKNESS, sorrow ana snock had
turned her brain, and she was mad:
| !, we led her to the watch house, where
mere was shelter and the priests, who
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