Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-12-14
Bv CUTCLIFFE HYNE.

This story of 1.-The Lost Continent is
the translate of ancient manuscript
found in cave in the Canary Islands. 1t
was written upon a peculiar substance,
each sheet made up of two parts. One side
resembled tale, and over the other side
was spread coating of dark coffee-col-
ored material that resembled wax. A lib
eral translation gives the following story:
CHAPTER I.
MY RECALL
The public official reception was
over. The sentence had been read,
the name of Phorenice the empress
adored, and the new viceroy installed
with all that vast and ponderous
ceremonial which had gained its
pomp and majesty from the ages.
Formally, [ had delivered up the
reins of my government; formally,
Tatho had seated himself on the
snake-throne, and had put over his
neck the chain of gems which sym
bolized the supreme office; and then,
while the drums and the trumpets
made their proclamation of clamor,
he had risen to his feet for his first
state progress round that gllded
council chamber, as viceroy of the
Province of Yucatan.
With folded arms and Bonded head
/ followed him between the glitter
ing lines of soldiers, and the brilliant
throng of courtiers, and chiefs, and
statesmen. The roof-beams quivered
to the cries of Long live Tatho!"
FLOURISH the empress" which came
forth as in duty bound, and the new
ruler acknowledged the welcome with
stately inclinations of the head. In
turn he went to the three lesser
thrones of the lesser governors
the east, the north, and the south,
and received homage from each as
the ritual was; and /, the man whom
his coming had deposed, followed
with the prescribed meekness in his
train.
1t was a hard task, but we who
hold the higher offices learn to carry
before the people passionless face.
Once, 20 years before, these same
fine obeisances had been made to me;
now the gods had seen fit to make
fortune change. But as 1 walked
bent and humbly on behind the heels
of Tatho, though etiquette forbade
noisy salutations to myself, it could
not inhibit kindly glances, and these
came from every soldier, every cour-
tier, and every chief who stood there
in that gilded hall, and they fell upon
me very gratefully. It is not often
looks
Then, one behind the other, the
new viceroy and the old, we marched
with formal step over golden tiles of
that council hall beneath the pyra-
mid, and the great officers OF state
left their stations and joined in our
train; and at the farther wall we
came to the door of those private
chambers which an hour ago had
been mine own.
All, well! l had no home now in
any of those wondrous cities of
Yucatan, and I could not help feeling
a bitterness, though in sooth 1 should
have been thankful enough to return
to the continent of Atlantis with my
head still in its proper station.
Tatho gave his formal summons of
"Open We to the Viceroy,'' which the
ritual commands, and the slaves with
in sent the massive stone valves of
the door gaping wide. Tatho entered,
/ at his heels; the others halted,
sending valedictions from the thresh-
old; and the valves of the door
changed on the lock behind us. We
passed on to the chamber beyond,
and then, when for the first time we
were alone together, and the forced
etiquette of courts was behind us,
the new viceroy turned with meekly
folded arms, and bowed low before me-
"Deucalion," he said, 'sbelieve me
that [ have not sought this Office. 1t
was thrust upon me. Had I not &C
cepted, my head would have paid for
felt, and another man-your enemy
would have been sent out as viceroy
in your place. The empress does not
permit that her will shall ever be
questioned"
my FRIEND" I made answer, "my
brother in all but blood, there is no
man living in all Atlantis or her ter
over my government. For 20 years
now have I ruled this country of
Yucatan, and Mexico beyond, first I'M
der the old king, and then as minis
ter to this new empress. / know my
colony like a book. [ am intimate
with all her wonderful cities, with
their palaces, their pyramids, and
their peoples. l have hunted the
beasts and the savages in the for
ests. / have built roads, and made
the rivers so that they VIII carry
shipping. / have fostered the arts
and crafts like a merchant; [ have
discoursed, three times each dav, the
cult of the gods with mine own lips.
Through evil years and through good
have l ruled here, striving only for
the prosperity of the land and the
strengthening of Atlantis, and l have
grown to love the peoples like a ia
Their. To you 1 bequeath them, Tatho,
with tender supplications for their
interest"
ct is not I that can carry on
Deucalion's work with Deucalion's
power, but rest content, my friend,
that | shall do my humble best to fol-
low exactly on in your footsteps
Believe me, | came out to this gov
eminent with thousand regrets, but
l would have died sooner than take
your place had / known how vigor-
ously the supplanting would trouble
you"
I'VE are alone here" I said, ''away
from the formalities of formal as
; semblies, and man may give vent
to his natural self without fear of
furnishing ceremony. Your COM
ing was something of the suddenest.
Till an hour ago, when you demanded
audience, l had thought to rule on
longer; and even now [ do not know
for what cause l am deposed"
The proclamation said: we re-
Eeve our well-beloved Deucalion of