Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1916-05-05

ly looked out across the desert in the
direction Of kynastons pointed finger
Far away against the dead brown Of
the mesa slope, where the bowldefs
gave way to red earth and pinyon
pine, they saw the figure OF q man
toiling his way painfully down the
hillside seeking by the aid of long
stick TO learn the devious turns OF the
tOrtuous trail
Why, he's blind"
Kynaston started forward.
Look! See how he pokes forward
FOR each step before he moves his
feet. may be sand blindness.
Send q man over there. sergeant,
TO help him down into the camp Up.
on my word. Miss Upton, | am seeing
more excitement In the past twenty.
four hours than | have ever seen be.
fore along this part Of the line. Let's
60 to breakfast"
While they were eating the appe.
tizing meal that the trumpeter spread
for them upon the camp table beneath
the solitary live oak that stood before
the tent, they watched the sergeant
help the stranger down the hill Ia.
king the blind man to the fire, he seat.
ed him upon saddle that lay near the
cooking tent, and came forward with
. salute.
He's priest, sra padre; and
from what little can make out OF
his lingo he's had a pretty bad time
OF 1t, sir Shall bring him up?"
Eyes"
kynaston sprang up.
Mrs. Fame, do you and Miss Up.
ton object to my asking the old fellow
to take his breakfast here with us?
hardly like to send him down among
, the prisoners to eat. He seems cut
above them. don't you know"
Why. of course not, Mr.. Kynas.
ton. Please do exactly as you would
II we were not here. | am sure he
will be very interesting"
So kynaston went down to the fire,
where the old man was explaining In
broken English and Mexican patois
to the prisoners. for them to translate
to the Americans. that he was more
tired than hungry, but that most OF
all he desired to hold converse with
the commanding officer. Having in.
troduced himself. Kynaston asked the
old man to come to his tent and Join
him in coffee.
They found the two ladies' already
at their meal Kynaston seated the
old man between the two and poured
him a cupful Of steaming coffee that
woke him into speech.
Never before, senior, have ! crossed
the line. A Mayan am |. as all my
people were for twelve generations
that stretch their hands back even
unto the days before there were Span
iards In Tenochtltlan,
For the space of twelve mems
lives have we lived under the shadows
of FL Tic. seeing always the surf break
on the outlying bars. Two years ago
came north, even as Coronado came
part Of the way on my feet, part on
asses; always with pain, for to the
blind, senior, all paths are hard And
st last my dream vanished
Thy dream"
Aye, senior. Ivy dream for know
thou that came not without an aim
That aim has been to follow and re-
! cover what these thieves of the world
have taken.
He pointed his thumb over his
shoulder toward the fire. where the
prisoners still sat over the bacon and
hard bread that were being cooked for
them by the cooks Of the troop.
And IT thou really blind?"
SO that senor for fifty years
+ have not seen the light of day"
7 Mrs. Fame and Doroth, murmured
their sympathy.
So | have come, senior. For now
three hundred years and my fathers
before me kept the shrine where 1t has
been deposited since the days when
Cortez came back from the courts OF
the old world to hold his court ut
Cuernavaca and, finding there in pow
er tho ell man, Pedrarias, HE enc
my. retired TO live upon his estates.
''Ye know, senior and ladies', how II
was said taa. the cUnquistador pol
Goned his first wife 80 that he could
marry a second wife whl should ad'
vance his fortunes. II was to this sec
ond wife that he save those wonder
ful Jewels, as all the world knows;
the wonderful emsfa!ds that Queen
Isabella asked for IN vain and that
made C0rtea the most courted man IN
all Madrid Hast thou heard OF them 2
Mrs. Faae ard Dorothy looked taeir
interest. All people are interested 10
the mere mentiol u jewels OF pee
ctous stones ell those VINO do not
possess them.
Il have heard" said kynastou
slowly the saa4e taie all men know
the tale which uohaIa wrote ~ tAe
effect that G0TteG resolved as part
Of tie ransom oil the Emperor Monte
yuma tise great eaiera!ls, and thal
when payileiit WAS made 10 the span
/" ish king OF the royal iittA part Of lEt
treasure tho stones we're kept by tht