The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-08

can tell where the fact leaves off and the
| fancy begins. Tie story was told me by
high ecclesiastic of the Catholic Church
in Mexico City The narrator was a man
of sterling reliability, and his tale was
eorroborated by the statements of several
| other people of good standing.
Old and Wealthy Family.
About the middle of the last century
there dwelt near the city of Guadalajara.
IN Southern Mexico. a well-known and
wealthy family of the name of Fonseca
1t consisted Of four members at the period
alluded TO. These were the widowed Sc
nora Fonseca, her two children, Don Gar
cia and Donna Laura. and a niece. The
family were of aristocratic Spanish orr
gln and moved in the best social circles.
Don Garcia was young man OF about
thirty. and was noted for his kind and
JOvial disposition. He was, however, OF
exemplary habits, and had a fine head
for business. He managed all the affairs
pertaining to his mothers large estate
some twenty miles outside of the city
where he lived, and did large and thriv-
ing trade in cattle on his own account.
This business required him TO make fire.
quent and lengthy trips to all parts of
Mexico, even the widest and most re-
mote, for Don Garcia had an eagle eye
for new fields of enterprise.
1t was upon one of these trips that
Don Garcia met with the prelude to as
fearful fate as was ever meted out to
mortal
Being upon a journey one autumn
amid the mountains of Michoacan, the
somewhat eccentric itinerary of the don
brought hird one evening TO a wild and
nearly unknown portion of the province,
where he hac heard there were some fine
cattle to be cheaply bought from the In
dlans, who were the sole dwellers in that
region. Upon arriving, he elected to pitch
camp for the night in a small and unin-
habited valley just on the edge of the
Indian country.
THE valley, which was utterly unknown
to the don and his party, proved of rare
interest, being strewn with imposing
ruins, which covered an expanse of about
two miles in width by nine in length. The
little valley seemed to have been .he site
Of a rich but meagerly populated town,
which seemed to have been founded in
the time of the Toltecs, being later sub
merged by the wave of Aztec invasion.
Device of a Withered Hand.
''In the heart of the town Don Garcia
came upon the remains of highly decor
ated and massive building. Whether the
ruins of temple. palace, or treasury, il
las no longer possible TO say. The arch
of the main entrance, however, still stood,
and the keystone of the edifce was a
triangular block of some igneous stone,
weighing, perhaps, some eighty pounds
Upon the lava-stone was deeply craven
the queer device of a dead or withered
hand of over life-size- The grewsome
carving portrayed the f1eshless member
with the palm open, and the fingers spread
and curving upward. The exact gesture
one would use in invoking a blessing or
curse was suggested by the craven
hand. The art shown In the work was
wonderful-no anatomical sculptor could
have done better. Just beneath the hand
were some odd hieroglyphies, which the
don judged to be of the earliest Toltee.
Don Garcia was much struck by the
device. and was as equally puzzled by the
inscription. After supper, having ordered
the tents to be set up near by, the don
lay down on the turf just under the arch,
with his attendants grouped about him,
and employed himself in putting upon a
uuSe cigar.
He was abruptly aroused from his
musings upon the ruins by the approach
of number of Indians, who evinced by
their manner that they were in a state
of great excitement The don, who was
widely and greatly popular among the
Indians, rose, and, speaking in their own
lingo, inquired what IL was they desired
THE chief of the newcomers proceed
ed tc inform Don Garcia that his safety
was the object of their intrusion With
a tone of intense horror, and speaking
vehemently, he implored the senor 10
change the site of his camp, which lay
but a few feet from the arch. These
ruins are haunted after nightfail, senor.'
said he. For d thousand years and more
a temple stood here. wherein dwelt an evil
spirit, the csciGue over ten thousand
devils. The temple is no more, the spirit
abides elsewhere, but above your head
lies the seal of the power, for which our
fathers worshiped him. He returns from
time to time 10 mourn over these ruins
and hates him who dares 10 1esecrate
them. Pitch your tents at least hundred
yards away, and forbear to prowl amid
these fallen walls and pillars
Don Garcia Takes the stone.