The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-16


Francis Morgan. descendant OF Sir
Henry Morgan. historic buccaneer: de-
cides to pass up activities OF city IKE Ior
= while Snd plans 2 n ssinI,o TIP :ou,sS
Alvarez Torres, q South American. who
announces he has tip on the location %
treasure buried BY Morgan n the ola
pirate days RsRan has an idea
Young Morgan sails for South amer
lea in pursuit OF the treasure Upon
landing he encounters strange young
woman who appears to mistake hifn LOT
some one else He Is fred upHn ~ three
natives and seeks safety aboard AIS Ves-
sci. the AnEelique.
Francis learns Re and HG7ry. the myss,
tericus Islander. are both descendants OF
Francis discovers his resemblance TO
Henry vas reSponsib,e Ter ass south
American territory. Francis encounttEs
Totfes again Francis Is savet Iron,
ddsatn on galioTs and Henry sfy h.S faney
has strayed from Henry to Frahels-
The two plot TO save lie ny
Francis. Geonica and Henry eI1 s.s
vessel The AnEeiia1e is pursued down
the coast. Francis and his party decide
20 60 ashore to elude their pursueIS
his friends again hDi themselves pur
sued and former battles with Toes 20
enable others to escape.
All members ,. TIE party are az
pit to play q strange game Francs
finds custodian Of pirate treasure. Tney
fall into trap
Old Priest Chant fails to bring key
20 fortune from Chia's ear.
20 immortal CHA. great spouse OF
the divine HZatzl. who created all
things out OF nothingness. o i'm
mortal spouse Of Hzatzl, myself the
mother OF the corn. the divinity OF
the heart Of the husked grain. god
dess Of the rain and the fructifying
sun rays. nourishes OF all the grains
and roots and fruits for the susten-
ance OF man. o glorious CHA,
whose mouth ever commands the
ear Of Hzatzl. 10 thee humbly. thy
priest. 1 make my prayer, Be kind
TO me, and forgiving. From thy
mouth first issue forth the golden
key that opens the ear OF HzatzI.
Let thy faithful priest gain to
HzatzFs treasUre-not for himself.
o divinity. but for the sake Of his
son, whom the Gringo saved Thy
children. the Mayas, pass There Is
.
I am thy last priest With me
passes all understanding of thee
and of thy great spouse, whose
name 1 breathe only with my fore
head on the stones. Hear me. D
CHA. hear me, My head is on the
stones before thee"'
For all of FIVE minutes the old
Maya lay prone, quivering and
jerking as If in a catalepsy, while
Leoncia and Francis looked curl
ously on, themselves half-swept BY
the unmistakable solemnity OF the
old mans prayer. on-understand-
able though it was.
Without waiting for Henry, Fran
els entered the cave a second time
With Leoncia beside him he felt
quite like a guide as he showed
the old priest over the place. The
latter. ever reading the knots and
mumbling, followed behind. while
the peon was life TO guard outside.
In the avenue of mummies the
priest halted reverently-not so
much for the mummies as for the
sacred tassel.
1T is so written he announced.
holding out a particular string OF
knots. These men were evil. and
robbers. Their doom here is to
wait forever outside the inner room
Of Maya mystery"
An Inspiration.
Francis hurried him past the
heap Of bones OF his father before
him. and led him into the inner
chamber, where. first OF all, he
Frustrated himself before the two
idols and prayed long and earn
estly. After that. he studied GER
tain of the strings very carefully.
Then he made announcement, first
in Maya, which Francis gave him
TO know was unintelligibIe, and
next in broken Spanish:
From the mouth of CHA to the
ear Of Hzatzl-so it is written"
Francis listened to the cryptic
utterance, glanced into the dark
cavity of the goddess mouth. stuck
the blade of his hunting knife into
the keyhole OF the gods mon
strous ear. then tapped the stone
with the hilt of his knife and de-
clared the statue to be hollow.
Back to CHA, he was tapping her
to demonstrate her hoIlowness,
when the old Maya muttered:
THE feet of CHA rest upon moth
ingness."
Francis. caught by the idea,
made the old man verify the mes
sage by the knots.
Her feet are large" Leoncia
laughed. but they rest on the solid
rock floor and not on nothingncss.'
Francis pushed against the fe-
male diety with his hand and found
that she moved easily. Gripping
her with both hands, he began to
wrestIe. moving her with quick
jerks and twists.
For the strong man and I'M
afraid will CHA walk" the priest
read. But the next three knots
declare: Beware! Beware. Be-
ware!
We'll. | guess that nothingness,
whatever il is. won't bite me-
Francis Chuckled. as he released
the statue after shifting it yard
from its original position.
There, old lady, stand there for
awhile. or sit down il that will
rest your feet. They ought to be
tired after resting on nothing for
so many centuries"
4 cry from Leoncia drew his
gaze TO the portion of the floor
just vacated by the large feet OF
CHA. Stepping backward from the
displaced goddess. he had been just
about to fall into the rock -hewn
hole her feet had concealed. II
was circular. and a full yard in
diameter. In vain he tested its
DEPTHS bv droppinC lighted match