The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09
Il ROMANCE OF YUCATAN
sMAYA,- A TALE OF AN ANCIENT
RACE, BY w. ID. FOULKE.
A semi-HistoricaI Novel, Whose
Scenes Are Laid i'm "A Land of Which
Little Has Been Written.

Mr.. William Dudley Duke whose ilei-
airy work has hitherto been in the socio-
logical and historical lines represented by
his ''Slav and Saxon and the Life or
Oliver p. Morton" has turned his versa
tile pen to the production Of romantic nc
ton, and has found his inspiration in the
fragmentary history of the mysterious peo-
pie who dwelt in Central America before
the coming Of the Spaniards. Traces of an
advanced civilization in the shape or half
buried cities and crumbling palaces stih
exist in the tropical forests OF the region,
and Mr.. FouIke in the course of his travels
about the world has spent considerable
time in exploring these ruins. Evidently
beth the known and the unknown concern
ing the builders of these cities appealed to
his fancy, and the result is this story,
Maya" Whatever there is Of authentic or
speculative history relating to this race,
he has plainly made his own before under
taking the production of the narrative, and
these facts and theories are woven in along
with the purely imaginative features, SO
that from the incidents of the story as cor
rect an idea OF the life of the people and
conditions existing in that far-off time
may be obtained as from histories and
dANAt1NOlO6iNdi lCpOi ~ dAo AA -
tertaining and readable form.
The story opens with an account OF the
wrecking of a Spanish caravel off the
coast OF Jamaica. 1t was commanded by
Valdivia, one of Balboa's followers. He,
with twenty men, took refuge in an open
boat and after many vicissitudes were
finally driven by the storm onto the coast
OF the main land-what is known as Yucca
tan. They were seized BY the natives and
eventually all but three were sacrificed to
the gods or idols. 1t is the adventures of
Sandoval, one of these three, which form
the Incidents of the tale. He escapes from
his captors and wander through the forest
until he finally reaches the neighborhood or
a city, where he is discovered by a daugh-
ter of the king. Her name, Maya" gives
the title TO the book.
THE PRINCESS MAYA.
From some advance sheets of the volume,
which the publishers, G. p. Putnam's Sons,
announce will be issued from the press this
week, some excerpts are taken showing the
drift of the story. Here IS a glimpse of
the Princess Maya and her surroundings:
eth grove through which she Maya re-
turned to the Kings palace lay in a valley
between two low ranges of hills. The rainy
season was just over and the foliage was
still green; above the dense growth of copse
and thicket arose multitudeS of graceful
palms; the majestic ceiba, with its huge
trunk covered with bark like an elephants
skin, spread its innumerable branches high
and wide, while great numbers of air
plants, countless wild flowers. a labyrinth
OF interlacing -vineS-great cacti of many
varieties and vast dimensions, some taller
than the trees themselves-added to the
confusion and oppressive luxuriance of the
jungle.
1.-THE princess walked slowly along the
winding path, deeply absorbed in thought.
She had promised TO SuCcOr the stranger
and this she would do at whatever sacri-
flee. But how? She might keep him for a
time IN the depths Of the senote, but he
could not stay there forever. IL she went
TO him alone her absence would be noted
and must be explained. Besides. how could
the Kings daughter bear food to him with
her own hands? And what servant or COM
panion could she trust with her secret?
But If he came forth from the cavern and
the men of the city should find him, his
fate would be certain death; for the King.
her father, was diligent and punctual in
fulfilling his obligations to the gods. She
shuddered with fear at the thought of such
a doom.
''What then was there in this poor wan
derer that should fill her heart with painful
ap~prehensions? What was il that brought
to her mind as never before the horrors of
human sacrifice. with the blue eyes of one
victim looking helplessly TO her for succor?
What magic was it which poured into an
ear that had never ~hearkened TO sugges-
tons OF craft or cunning, the poisoned
I Oh4SC " SAVE IAln cN6n Dy deceit Nay
she did not harbor a doubt whether the end
would Justify the means, but forthwith de-
vised a most Jesuitical plan for his saliva
ton.
The fact that the stranger had been
taken for a god gave her the clew. She
would keep him in the cave till he was
sound and strong, bringing to him all he
might need in order to come before her
| people in the likeness of a god. Then he
should seek her hand in marriage, and She
would be the bride of the new deity. After
that what harm could befaI him?"
A WIFE'S FOND LOVE.
1t will be seen from this tina Maya had
fallen in love with the wandering Spaniard.
and would stop at nothing to save him and
TO crafty her newborn affection. The
story then describes the methods by which
she gained her ends, deceiving her father
and the people into a belief that the man
was a god descended to earth, and event
ually to accepting him as her husband.
They were married and thus the bride adj
dresses her spouse after the stately cere-
moniais were over:
Most unworthy" she said, will be our
union if it be but for ourselves alone. Thou
must become like the god 1 have declared
thee. Thou shalt be indeed the deliyerer
OF my people, and great will be my Joy
above all other women of my race, for thou
canst not suffer me to stay at home when
tnou gOeSt forth to council or to battle,
but in every trial, in every danger, thy
p~riestess must be always at thy side. We
are joined together by no common bond:
in thought, and'speech,a and action we must
be forever one.
Long may We thus abide! Long NAV
the dread Yuncemil who cuts short mems
lays, lOiter and hesitate ere he laws his cold
hand on thy golden hair. Let him rather
strike me first, for not an hour could I out
live thee and hear men say thai thou vert
not a god. If perchance while L am vet
alive the time shall come when disease
shall hang heavy over thee and I shall
hear the steps of death approaching. 1 will
bear thee forth alone into the forest. and
hide thee where none shall know whittier
thou hast fled, and / will tell the priests
that thou hast risen TO the home of the
gods and l will bid them offer me to thee
in sacrifice, so that together we may make
the dreadful journey to the world of spirits
Il viii run to thee while my heart still
smokes upon the altar, and thou must lin
ger on the way until L overtake thee. ]
Will not be long, for | am fleet of foot. and
We shall walk together between the lofty
mountains that stand on either hand to
crush the souls of the unworthy as they
advance along the narrow pathway: but
thee they shall not overcome, for with my
great love L shall be with thee and | viii
stay them and thou shalt pass unframed
And when we meet the serpent whose huge
bulk lies stretched across the deep valley
beyond, we shall not fear him, for we know
his sting destroys only the craven souls
that fee. Then shall we bravely encounte,
4 tho sWfnd IF EnfvaSs opd ;e -bo~- -