The National tribune., 1899-07-13

cried Don Gabriel, starring wildly, at the
voice of the intruder. Lot have flung me
OF the harness Of war, and devoted me u
a penance in the wilderness, giving my
body to sleep on the earth and in caves
drinking OF the wild foods, and eating Of
the tough roots, with the eartl-worm
while | sleep, my heart is scourged within
ne; whilst wake, pray,-and pray that
| may sleep forever. Know, therefore
Jacinto! thou that dweilest in paradise.
that am ready, and that thank heaven, !
am called, at last; for weary has been my
life. and long my repentance
ALAS, my lord, ] live like thyself; and
call upon thee, that thou mayeSt continue
10 live. i thought, indeed, that thou vert
dead. and so thought, and yet think, thy
friends,-who are now in great peril"
God snatched me from the hands Of the
heathen," said the knight "and brought me
to this place, that ! might seek for peace.
For, OH my heart was but filled with scor-
piouS, that stung me day and night, and
my head strewn with Goals, ever burning
and tormenting, whilst | sat in the infidel
city, and remembered how he that hath
been my son, was slain by murderers in the
streets, because he loved me. All that
loved me have perished, and Two betide
the hand that struck, and is not yet
wltheredD two under mine own steel. Yea,
Alharef thou art remembered, and. Zayda
thou art not forgotten! Then came the
blow 10 thee. dear Seraphi and thou vert
carried off by the angry spirit Of Alharef,
who defied me at the palace gate, and, in
tie temple yard, raised me to my feet, and
bade me think OF Iayda. Verify, ] remem-
Der her. and my heart is black with recol-
lection. Then fell the bolt upon my boy
he that was InatchicSS IN honor and love,
peerless in war, Incompatible i'll TRUTH
would that the barbarOus knives had
struck my bosom, instead Of thine, Anna
dor. would that thou vert now upon thy
gallant bay, shaking thy lance, and Shout
ing the cry Of the Hospital, and | in thy
place moldering IN the streets Of Mexico!
! lay on my couch, whilst thou vert calling
10 me for aid; ] slept while thou vert dying.
Cursed be thy foundations, pagan city,
ruin fall upon thy towers, havoc ride howl
ing through thy palaces, and lamenta-
tons come up from thy lakes and gardensl
for he that was the last and first, the loving
and beloved, rots like dog upon thy pave
ment."
Noble and dear master" said Jacinto
"in this, at least, thou art mistaken. My
dear lord, thy kinsman, perished not that
day IN the streets; for myself did watch by
his sick couch, and see him, after thou hadsi
departed return in safety To the palace"
''Dost thou say Sole died not in the
streets? Praised be God, for this is good
ness!" cried Don Gabriel. falling on his
knees. My sin, then, hath not been
visited on the guileless and true. My son
Anador yet liveth"
He looked to the page. and now, for the
first time, observed, as far as this could be
seen through his thickly padded garments
that the form Of Jacinto was greatly at
tenuated; his checks were hollow and color.
less, and his countenance altered, as by
some such grief as had been at work in his
own bosom. He seemed, too, TO be very
feeble. But, if such were the appearances
of sorrow on his ViSage, they assumed a
yet more striking character of agony and
despair, when the knights words of Joy
fell on his ear. His face grew paler thar
death, he trembled like linden leaf, and
his lips scarcely obeyed their function
when he replied, with faint and fruitless
effort at calmneSS:
Il viii not deceive my lord; no, HEAVIER
be my stay! l will not deceive my lord
Though my friend.-my patron,-m pro
tector,-the noble Amador, fell not in the
streets, but returned to his people, yet is his
| fate wrapped in mystery-in darkness
and in fear. That night, that dreadful
night.-O heaveni the cauSey covered with
men. shrieking and cursing, stabbng anC
rendingi the lake choked with corses, and
with dying men still contending, and suffo
eating, each in the grasp Of a drowning
| foe, But think not Of that, think not o,
/ thatl-Who lived? who died? We searched
for the body of my ord, but found it noti he
was not with those they led 10 the pyramid
his corse flOated not among the hundreds
which t=efpuled the lake: yet did they dis
cover his goodly warhorse on the waterside
his surcoat was dragged from a ditch
among cannon, under whose heavy bulk