Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-03-23


of their treas are.
Azul knew the black magic art
He brought his richest treasure t.
Maxtella's court. lie used his blacl
art that he might appear pleasing il
her sight. His arms and throat
were bare On his head was a snow,
white helmet, and his. dress was oi
green feathers. His breastplate OF
feather work cleaned like jewel:
when the sun shone upon it. Tai
and straight was this yassal chief
and mighty was hiA Sride. Great
blue and blood eSf.sl ,lSpo =
the middle of his sword.
But the counselOrs were wise
men. They could see his black heart
and read his evil mind, and they
spurned him with scorn. They
would have driven him from the
court. The vassal chief held in his
hand a wand, sharp pointed like a
knife, by which he worked his magic
art.
When the queen appeared he look
ed at her and turned pale. AzuPs
eyes pierced her, but his magic was
not strong enough to make her love
him. Until then she knew not fear,
but now the evil spell was upon her.
All of Azul's power was exerted to
subdue her gentle heart.
When she went to walk a wolf
sprang up in her path, sharp stones
cut through the deerskin and
wounded her feet.
Near by was spring of healing
water, but when Maxtella went to
drink of it a foul odor of poisonous
gases arose.
She sought her couch, but Azul
had driven sleep away. When she
was alone the black hearted vassal
chief would suddenly appear and
with throngs of the deer would beat
her white body until his savage
lashes drew drops of blood.
All things could he make Max
tella do but love him. False words
she spoke to her counselors and did
unholy deeds that made her cour-
tiers bow their heads in shame. No
more was Maxtella just or merciful.
Cruelty, pitiless cruelty, turned her
love of her subjects to hate.
OF her attendants who remained
faithful none was more so than a lit
tie page, boy of not more than
score Of years. These two sat one
shadows were gathering wlthox1p,
but the night could only bring add
ed wretchedness to Maxtella. The
boy sang to her, and as his song
died away black shape entered the
room. 1t was Azul.
"Thy song is sad," he said to the
page. "Why do you not weep, Max
tella?"
The rivers of Maxtella's eyes
were dried up.
"Now / will teach you how to
weep" and he struck her with his
cruel throng.
Maxtella turned upon him her
timid, pleading eyes. With a mighty
bound the youth leaped toward the
chief and seized the magic wand.
It's possession gave him the strength
of many men. He struck the wretch
blow and pinned him to the floor.
Azul writhed in pain, and the blood
dyed his dress Of feathers crimson.
None but wizard might ever loose
him. With the blow the spell he
had wrought on Maxtella was
broken, and all her gentleness and
purity returned. 1t was this that
caused her to pity the bleeding
wretch, squirming in agony, yet fu-
rious with rage. She reached down
her delicate hand to withdraw the
wand if it were possible, when Azul
seized her by the arm and buried his
sharp, cleaning teeth into the hand
extended in mercy.
Maxtella, unable to release her
self, shrieked in pain, for the bite
Of the sorcerer was as deadly as the
poison of the snake with the casta-
nets in his tail.
|Now is thy blood mingled with
mine," Kissed Azul, "and of thy own
free wilt Now are we one forever.
BY my living hate and the mingling
Of our blood | have supremest pow
er over thee. Coward thou hast
ever been. Coward thou shalt ever
be. The spirit shall pass from thee
in the form of the creature thou
most resemblest-a doe, timid of
heart, feet of foot and spotlessly
white. None may slay thee, yet
thou wilt ever long for the dart that
would release the spell. Thy speed
shall shame the feetest Of the herd,
and thy matchless beauty shall ever
lure the hunter to his DEATH"
And with these words a milk
white doe darted from the palace
walls, trembling with fright. II
hides in brakes and canyons and
fees when no hunter is nigh.
Hundreds have seen it, and many
have been lured to pursue it. The
fallen rocks from canyon walls hide
the corpse of many hunter who
sought to slay the milk white doe
None has ever returned to tell the
story of those chases. And those
who escaped the canyons dangers
their bones lie bleaching in eternal
snow.-Chicago Times-Herald.