The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-01-16


teem."
CHAPTER H.
BACK TO ATLANTA
The words of Tatho were no sleep
ing draught for me that night. l
began to think that had made
somewhat mistake In wrapping my
self up so entirely in my govern
ment of Yucatan, and not contriving
TO keep more In touch with events
that were passing at home in At
lnntis. For many years past IL had
been easy to see that the mariner
folk who did traffic across the seas
spoke with restraint, and that only
what news the empress pleased was
allowed to ooze out beyond her bor-
dcrs. but, rs I say, / was fully oc-
cupied with my work In the colony,
and had no curiosity to pull away n
veil Intentionally placed. Besides, II
has always been against my prin-
cipies to put to the torture men
who had received orders for silence
from their superiors. merely that
they shall break these orders for my
private convenience.
However, the iron discipline Of our
Pricstly elan left me no choice OF pro-
cedure. As was customary, / had
been deprived of my Office at . mo-
ment's notice. From that time on,
ail papers and authority belonged to
my successor, and, although by cour-
tesy I might be permitted to remain
as q guest in the pyramid that had
80 recently been mine, to see an
other sunrise, 10 was clearly en-
Joined that / must leave the terri
tory then at the topmost OF my
speed and hasten to report in At
lantis.
Tatho, to give him credit, was anx-
ious to further my interests to the
utmost In his power. He was by M
side again before the dawn, putting
all his resources at my disposal.
I had little enough to ask him.
IA ship to take me home" said,
land I shall be your debtor"
The request seemed to surprise
him. "That you may certainly have
II you wish II. But my ships are foul
with the long passage, and are in
need Of q carcen. II you take them
you will make q slow passage Of Il
to Atlantis. Why do you not take
your own navy? The ships are In
harbor now, for ] saw them there
when we came in. Brave ships the,
are, too"
"I,ut not mine. That navy belong,
to Yucatan."
swell. Ducalion, you are Yucntan;
or. rather, you were yesterday. ant
have been these 90 years."
saw what he meant, and the
idea did not please me. answered
stiffiy enough that the ships were
owned by private merchants. or be
longcd to the states, and / could no
claim 80 much az q ten-slave galley
Tatho shrugged his shoulders. e
suppose you know your own policie
BEST" he said, though to me II seem
, but risky for a man who has nj
, taincd to a position like yours an
mine not to have provided himsel
! with q stout navy Of his own. On
: never knows when n recall may b
sent. and through lack Of these pre-
. cautions a life's earnings may YER
!, well he lost In dozen hours"
II have no fear for mine," I sale
. coldly.
"Of course not, because you kno'
me to be your friend. But had nm
other man been appointed to thi
viceroyalty, you might have been sad
:. ly shorn, DeucaIion. IL Is not man
!. fellows who can resist snug honr,
h ready and waiting In the very Golfer
4 they have come to line"
r my Lord Tntho," said, "it !
: clear to me that you and ] bay
4 grown to be of different tastes. Al
8 Of the hoard that have made 70
. myself in this colony, few men woul
). covet. 1 have the poor clothes yo
y see me i'm this moment, and box O
drugs such as ] have found useful 4
{ the stomach. posse IS also tire
: slaves, two of them scribcs and tn
s third a sturdy savage from Europe
/ who cooks my victual and fills for IN
r the bath. For my maintenance dur
s ing my years Of service here I hav
G b.ed the state of a soldiers ration
}, and nothing beyond; and II In m
I name any man has mulctcd q crea
G ture In Yucatan OF 80 much as n
4 ounce OF bronze. request you as
2 last service to have that man hnnge
I for me as a liar and a thief"
! Tatho looked at me curiously.
do not know whether I admire yo
more or whether ] pity. I do no
o know whether to be astonished or I
!, despise. We had heard of much q
y ycgT uprightness over yonder In Al
/ lantis, of your sternness and you
4 justice, but I swear by the old god
q that no soul guessed you carried you
= fancy so far as this. Why. man
n money In power. With money and tn
p resources money can buy, nothinI
= could stop a fellow like you; Will
! without II you ray be trippcd ~
: and trodden down Irrevocably mt tn
!, first puny reverse
r "rhe gods will choose my fate"
Q "Possibly; but for mine, prefer {,
: nourish II myself. / tell you witt
/ | frankness that ! have not come her
: to follow In the pattern you hav
: made for viccroynliy. ] shall gov
( ern Yucatan wisely and well to tn
: best Of my ability; hnt ] shall goveri
II also for the good Of Tatho. tn
I viceroy. I have brought with nm
4 here my navy OF eight ships and
Y personal bodyguard. There Is m,
| sxsf. ,l.. .,I h.. ..o,u.,. ana L..