Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-01-08


was spread a coating of dark coffee-col-
ored material that resembled wax. A lib
I:al translation gives the following story:
CHAPTER I.
MY RECALL
The public official reception was
ever. The sentence had been read,
the name of Phorenice the empress
aGored, and the new viceroy installed
with all that vast and ponderous
ceremonial which had gained it's
pomp and majesty from the ages.
Formally, I had delivered up the
reins1 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 gilded
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. Inc roof-beams Quivercd
to the cries of Long live Tathoi"
Flourish the empress!" which came
forth as in duty bound, and the new
ruler aclln owledged the welcome with
stately inclinations of the head In
turn he went to the three lesser
thrones of the lesser governors-in
the east, the north, and the south,
and received homage from each as
the ritual was; and I, 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 a 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 | walked
bent and humbly on behind the heels
of Tatho, though etiquette forbade
noisy salutations to myself, it could
not inhibit kindly chances, and these
came from every soldier, every cour-
tier, and every chief who stoou there
in that gilded hall, and they fell upon
me very gratefully. 1t is not often
that the fallen meet such tender
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, we'll! / had no home now in
any of those wondrous cities of
Yucatan, and 1 could not help feeling
bitterness, though in sootn 1 should
have been thankful enough to return
to the continent of Atlantis witt my
head still in it's 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, "believe me
that l have not sought this office.
was thrust upon me. Had l not &C
cepted, my head would have paid for
felt, and another man-your enemy
would have been sent out as vicero,
in your place. The empress does no
permit that her will shall ever b,
questioned"
"My friend" / made answer, en-,
brother in all but blood, there is n,
man living in all Atlantis or her ter
ritories to whom / had liefer hant
over my government. For 20 year
now have / ruled this country o
Yucatan, and Mexico beyond, first I'm
der the old king, and then as minis
ter to this new empress. 1 know m,
colony like a book. I am intimat
with all her wonderful cities, wit
their palaces, their pyramids. an
their peoples. / have hunted tn
beasts and the savages in the fol-
ests. 1 have built roads, and mad
the rivers so that they wl.l carr