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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f18859 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65901 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65901) diff --git a/old/65901-0.txt b/old/65901-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8f40039..0000000 --- a/old/65901-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13149 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of the World, by H. Rider Haggard - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Heart of the World - -Author: H. Rider Haggard - -Illustrator: Amy Sawyer - -Release Date: July 23, 2021 [eBook #65901] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE WORLD *** - - - - [image: img_000.jpg - caption: Maya] - - - - HEART OF THE WORLD - - BY - H. RIDER HAGGARD - - - _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY SAWYER_ - - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY - 1896 - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - DEDICATION. - - I INSCRIBE THIS STORY OF THE GOLDEN CITY - ‘_HEART OF THE WORLD_’ - TO MY NAMESAKE AND GODCHILD - HENRY RIDER HAGGARD - OF BUTLER, U. S. A. - - _Ditchingham_, - _Christmas Day, 1894_ - - - - - CONTENTS. - - Prologue--Don Ignatio - Chapter I. How the Plot Failed - Chapter II. The Señor Strickland - Chapter III. The Summons - Chapter IV. The Legend of the Heart - Chapter V. The Beginning of the Quest - Chapter VI. “El Norte” - Chapter VII. “The Hacienda” - Chapter VIII. The Supper and After - Chapter IX. The Duel - Chapter X. How Molas Died - Chapter XI. Zibalbay Tells His Mission - Chapter XII. Maya Descends the Cueva - Chapter XIII. Ignatio’s Oath - Chapter XIV. The City of the Heart - Chapter XV. How Zibalbay Came Home - Chapter XVI. On the Pyramid - Chapter XVII. The Curse of Zibalbay - Chapter XVIII. The Plot - Chapter XIX. The Sacrilege - Chapter XX. The Council of the Heart - Chapter XXI. The Marriage of Maya - Chapter XXII. Mattai Prophesies Evil - Chapter XXIII. Our Flight and How it Ended - Chapter XXIV. Nahua Bears Witness - Chapter XXV. Farewell - ENVOI - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - Maya - ‘Can you read this writing?’ - ‘This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?’ - ‘You shall pay for that, Englishman.’ - I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to tremble. - ‘Oh! that I were free to avenge you!’ - The mass of stonework fell, ... taking Molas with it. - So beautiful was this bubble... that for some minutes Maya watched it. - Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya joined us. - ‘It is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home.’ - It was... Zibalbay, ... come back from the boundaries of death. - ‘You--false Lady of the Heart.’ - Out of the mouth of the pit... sprang a vast column of water. - She was mad. - Presently the great pile was alight. - - - - - HEART OF THE WORLD - - PROLOGUE. - DON IGNATIO - -The circumstances under which the following pages come to be printed -are somewhat curious and worthy of record. Within the last few years a -certain English gentleman, whom we will call Jones, because it was not -his name, chanced to be employed as the manager of a mine not far from -the Usumacinto River, the upper reaches of which divide the Mexican -State of Chiapas from the Republic of Guatemala. - -Now life at a mine in Chiapas, though doubtless it has some -compensations, does not altogether fulfil a European’s ideal of -happiness. To begin with, the work is hard, desperately hard, and -though the climate is healthy enough among the mountains, there are -valleys where men may die of fever. Of sport, strictly speaking, there -is none, for the forests are too dense to hunt in with any comfort, -and, if they were not, the swarms of venomous insects of various -degree, that haunt them, would make this particular relaxation -impossible. - -Society also, as we understand it, is conspicuous by its absence, and -should a man chance even to be married, he could not well bring his -wife into regions that are still very unsettled, across forest paths, -through rivers, and along the brinks of precipices, dangerous and -impassable enough to strike terror to the heart of the stoutest -traveller. - -When Mr. Jones had dwelt for a year at the mines of La Concepcion, the -fact of his loneliness, and a desire for acquaintances more congenial -than the American clerk of the stores and his Indian labourers, came -home to him with some force. During the first months of his residence -he had attempted to make friends with the owners of some neighbouring -_fincas_ or farms. This attempt, however, he soon gave up in disgust, -for these men proved to be half-breeds of the lowest class, living in -an atmosphere of monotonous vice. - -In this emergency, being a person of intelligence, Jones fell back -upon intellectual resources, and devoted himself, so far as his time -would allow, to the collection of antiquities, and to the study of -such of the numerous ruins of pre-Aztec cities and temples as lay -within his reach. The longer he pursued these researches, the more did -they fascinate his imagination. Therefore, when he chanced to hear -that, on the farther side of the mountain, at a _hacienda_ called -Santa Cruz, there dwelt an Indian, Don Ignatio by name, the owner of -the _hacienda_, who was reported to have more knowledge of the -_antiguos_, their history and relics, than anybody else in this part -of Mexico, he determined to visit him upon the first opportunity. - -This, indeed, he would have done before, for Don Ignatio boasted an -excellent reputation, had it not been for the length of the journey to -his home. Now, however, the difficulty was lessened by an Indian who -offered to point out a practicable path over the mountain, which -brought the _hacienda_ of Santa Cruz to within a three hours’ ride on -mule-back from La Concepcion, in place of the ten hours that were -necessary to reach it by the more frequented road. Accordingly, one -day in the dry season, when work was slack at the mine, owing to the -water having fallen too low to turn the crushing-mill, Jones started. -This was on a Saturday, for on the Monday previous he had despatched a -runner to Don Ignatio announcing his intended visit, and received in -reply a most courteous and well-written letter, begging him to pass -the next Sunday at the _hacienda_, “where any English gentleman would -always be most welcome.” - -As he approached the _hacienda_, he was astonished to see the -_façade_ of an enormous white stone building of a semi-Moorish style -of architecture, having towers and ornamented doorways at either end, -and a large dome rising from the centre of its flat roof. Riding -through the _milpas_, or corn-fields, and groves of cocoa and coffee -bushes, all in a perfect state of cultivation, which covered many -acres on every side of the building, Jones came to the gateway of a -large _patio_, or courtyard, where grew several gigantic _ceiba_ -trees, throwing their grateful shade over the mouth of a well. From -under these trees an Indian appeared, who evidently had been watching -for his arrival, and, taking the horse, informed him, with many -salutations, that the Señor Ignatio was at even-song with his people -in the chapel yonder, according to his habit, but that the prayers -would soon be finished. - -Leaving his horse in charge of the Indian, Jones went to the chapel, -and, its great doors being open, he entered and sat down. So soon as -his eyes became accustomed to the dim light, he perceived that the -place was unusually beautiful, both in its proportions and its -decorations. - -The worshippers also were many--perhaps they numbered three hundred, -clearly all of them Indians employed upon the estate; and so intent -were they upon their devotions that his entry was not even noticed. To -his mind, however, the most curious object in the building was a slab -of white marble, let into the wall above the altar, whereon the -following inscription was engraved in Spanish, in letters so large -that he had no difficulty in reading it: - - -“Dedicated by Ignatio, the Indian, to the memory of his most beloved -friend, James Strickland, an English gentleman, and Maya, Princess of -the Heart, his wife, whom first he met upon this spot. Pray for their -souls, of your charity, O passer-by.” - - -While Jones was wondering who this James Strickland, and Maya, -Princess of the Heart, might be, and whether it was his host who had -set up the tablet to their memory, the priest pronounced his -benediction, and the congregation began to leave the church. - -The first to pass its doors was an Indian gentleman, whom Jones -rightly took to be Don Ignatio himself. He was a man of about sixty -years, but one who looked much older than his age, for sorrow, -hardship, and suffering had left their marks upon him. In person he -was tall and spare, nor did a slight lameness detract from the dignity -of his bearing. His dress was very simple and quite innocent of the -finery and silver buttons which have so much attraction for the -Mexican mind, consisting as it did of a sombrero of Panama straw, with -a black ribbon in place of the usual gilt cord, a clean white jacket -and shirt, a black tie fastened in a bow, a pair of drab-coloured -trousers, and brown boots of European make. - -Indeed, the only really remarkable thing about Don Ignatio was his -face. Never, thought Jones, had he beheld so beautiful a countenance, -or, to be more accurate, one that gave him such assurance of its -owner’s absolute goodness and purity of nature. The features were -those of a high-bred Indian, thin and delicately cut; the nose -aquiline, the cheek-bones and brow prominent, while beneath the latter -shone a pair of large and soft black eyes, so tender and trustful in -their expression that they seemed almost out of place in the face of a -man. - -He stood by the door of the chapel, in the light of the setting sun, -leaning somewhat heavily on a stick, while the Indians filed past him. -Every one of these, man, woman, and child, saluted him with the utmost -reverence as they went, some of them, especially the children, kissing -his long and finely-shaped hand when they bade him good-night in terms -of affection, such as “father,” and called on the Saints to guard him. -Jones, watching them, reflected upon the difference of their attitude -from that of the crouching servility which centuries of oppression -have induced in their race towards any master of white blood, and -wondered to what his host’s influence over them was due. It was at -this moment that Don Ignatio turned and saw him. - -“A thousand pardons, señor,” he said in Spanish, with a shy and -singularly engaging smile as he lifted his sombrero, showing his long -hair, which, like his pointed beard, was almost white. “You must -indeed have thought me rude, but it is my custom at the end of the -week’s work to attend worship with the peons--do not press round the -noble _Inglese_, my children--also I did not think that you would -arrive before the sun was down.” - -“Pray don’t apologise, señor,” answered Jones; “I have been much -interested in watching all your servants at their devotions. What a -beautiful chapel this is! May I look at it before you shut the doors?” - -“Certainly, señor. Like the rest of the house, it is fine. The old -monks who designed it two hundred years ago--for this was a great -monastery--knew how to build, and labour was forced in those days and -cost nothing. Of course I have repaired it a great deal, for those who -lived here before me did not trouble about such things. - -“You would scarcely think, señor, that in the old days, twenty years -ago, this place was a nest of highway robbers, smugglers, and -man-slayers, and that these people whom you see to-night, or their -fathers, were slaves with no more rights than a dog. - -“But so it was. Many a traveller has lost his life in this house or -its neighbourhood. I, myself, was nearly murdered here once. Look at -the carving of that altarpiece. It is fine, is it not? Those _sapote_ -wood columns date from the time of the old monks. Well, I have known -Don Pedro Moreno, my predecessor, tie human beings to them in order to -brand them with red-hot irons.” - -“To whom does that inscription refer?” asked Jones, pointing to the -marble slab which has been described. - -Don Ignatio’s face grew very sad as he answered: - -“It refers, señor, to the greatest friend I ever had, the man who -saved my life at the risk of his own when I came by this limp, and one -who was dear to me with a love passing the love of woman. But there -was a woman who loved him also, an Indian woman too, and he cared for -her more than he did for me, as was right, for has not God decreed -that a man should leave his friends, yes, his father and mother even, -and cleave unto his wife?” - -“He married her then?” said Jones, who was growing interested. - -“Oh, yes; he married her, and in a strange place and fashion. But it -is an old story, señor, and with your permission I will not tell it; -even to think of it revives too many painful memories, memories of -death and loss, and disappointed ambition, and high hopes unfulfilled. -Perhaps, one day, if I have the courage and live long enough, I will -write it all down. Indeed, some years ago I made a beginning, but it -wearied me, and what I wrote seemed foolishness, so I gave up the -task. - -“I have lived a rough life, señor, and met with many adventures in -it, though, thanks be to God, my last years have been spent in peace. -Well, well, it is coming to an end now, and were it not for the -thought that my people here may fall into evil hands when I am gone, -that would not trouble me. - -“But come, señor, you are hungry, and the good father, who has -promised to eat with us, must ride to-night to celebrate a mass -to-morrow at a village three leagues away, so I have ordered supper -early. The porter with your bag arrived safely; it has been placed in -your chamber, the Abbot’s room it is called, and if you will follow me -I will show you a short path to it from the chapel.” - -Then he led the way to a little door in the wall. Unlocking this door, -they passed up some narrow stairs, at the head of which was a -landing-place with a window, or rather _grille_, so arranged that, -while it was invisible from below, an observer standing there could -hear and see all that passed in the chapel. - -“This was the place,” said Don Ignatio, “whence the old abbots kept -secret watch upon the monks, and it was here that once I saw a sight -which I am not likely to forget.” - -Then he passed on through several long and intricate passages, till he -came to a sitting-room filled with handsome old Spanish furniture. - -“Your sleeping-place lies beyond, señor,” he said, opening another -door that led into a large and dreary-looking chamber, lighted by -heavily-barred windows, of which the sills were not less than ten feet -from the ground. - -On the walls were frescoes of the Last Judgment, and of scenes -inspired by the bloody drama of the Inquisition, grim to look on and -somewhat injured by damp, but executed with great power and vivid, if -distorted, imagination. Below the centre window, and reaching to -within three feet of the floor, was an ancient full-length portrait of -one of the abbots of the monastery, life-size and painted in oils upon -a panel, representing a man of fierce and evil countenance, over whose -tonsured head the Holy Spirit was shown hovering in the shape of a -dove. For the rest, the room was well, if lightly, furnished, and -boasted the luxury of squares of matting laid upon the brick floor. - -“I fear that you will think this but a dismal apartment, señor,” said -Don Ignatio, “still it is our guest-chamber; moreover, there is a room -attached which I thought might be useful to you to write in, should -you wish to do so. The people here say that the place is haunted, but -I know you Englishmen do not bother about such things. It is not -wonderful, however, that they talk thus, seeing that murders were done -in this chamber in the time of Don Pedro Moreno. Indeed, he laid a -plot to kill me and my friend here, and, though he did not succeed in -that instance, when I came into possession afterwards, I found several -skeletons beneath the floor--two of them, I remember, just where the -bed stands now--and gave them decent burial.” - -Jones, as in honour bound, declared himself to be totally indifferent -to representations of tortures of the Inquisition, memories of -departed abbots, skeletons of murdered men beneath the floor, ghosts, -and _hoc genus omne_. Still, though he never confessed it to his host, -his first night in the abbot’s chamber, owing probably to the strong -coffee which he had drunk, was not altogether a pleasant experience. -In after days, however, he became well accustomed to the place, and, -indeed, preferred it to any other room in the _hacienda_. - -In contrast to the rude and ill-dressed fare with which Jones was fain -to satisfy himself at the mine, Don Ignatio’s supper was a feast -worthy of Epicurus, especially as it was free from the horrible -messes, compounded of oil and the inward parts of animals, that figure -so largely in Mexican cookery. - -After their meal, cigars and black coffee were handed round, of which -the raw materials had been grown on the estate, and never in his life -did Jones smoke better tobacco. When the _padre_--a gentle and -well-informed man--had departed, Jones began to speak of the -antiquities of the country. Soon he found that his host’s knowledge of -the subject had not been exaggerated, seeing that he was even able to -decipher hieroglyphic writings of which the key was supposed to be -lost, and to give an outline of the history of the races who built the -great temples and palaces, whereof so many ruins are to be found in -the Palenque district. - -“It is sad to think,” said Jones presently, “that nothing in which the -breath of life remains is left of all this civilisation. If only the -old legend of the Golden City, hidden away somewhere in the unexplored -recesses of Central America, were true, I think that I would give ten -years of my existence to visit it. It would be a glorious thing to -step back into the past, to see a system at work, and mingle with a -people of which the world has lost all count and knowledge; for, let -the imagination be active as it will, it is practically impossible to -reconstruct these things from ruins and traditions. In fact, Don -Ignatio, I do not understand how it is that you, who have never seen -the _antiguos_ in the flesh, can talk about them so certainly.” - -“If I had never seen them, señor,” he answered, quietly, “it would be -wonderful. Indeed, you might be justified in setting me down as a -teller of tales, but it chances that I _have_ seen the Golden City of -fable and its civilisation, and I can assure you that its wonders were -far greater than any that have been told of in legend, or even by the -Spanish romancers.” - -“What!” gasped Jones, “what! Have I been drinking too much of your -excellent wine? Am I asleep, or did I hear you say that you, the -gentleman sitting before me, with your own eyes had seen the secret -city of the Indians?” - -“You heard me say so, señor, though I did not in the least expect you -to believe me. Indeed, it is because I cannot bear to be thought a -liar, that I have never said anything of this story, and for this same -reason I shall not repeat it to you, since I do not wish that one whom -I hope will become my friend should hold me in contempt. - -“In truth I am sorry that I have spoken so freely, but, in support of -my veracity, I will beg you to remember that among the huge forests, -wildernesses, and _sierras_ of Central America, where no white man has -set his foot, and whence the Indians vanished generations since, there -is room for many ancient cities. Why, señor, within two hundred miles -or less of where we sit to-night, there exist tribes of _Lacandones_, -or unbaptised Indians, who have never seen a white man and who still -follow their fathers’ faiths. No, señor, that story shall never be -told, at any rate in my lifetime, for I have nothing to show in proof -of it, or at least only one thing----” - -“What is it?” asked Jones, eagerly. - -“You shall see if you wish, señor,” his host answered, and left the -room. - -Presently he returned with a little leather bag from which he -extracted a very curious and beautiful ornament. It was a great -emerald, by far the largest that Jones had ever seen, uncut, but -highly polished. This stone, which was set in pure gold, obviously had -formed the clasp of a belt and could also be used as a seal; for on -it, cut in _intaglio_, was the mask of a solemn and death-like human -face surrounded by a hieroglyphic inscription, while on the reverse -were other hieroglyphics. - -“Can you read this writing?” asked Jones, when he had examined the -ornament. - - [image: img_010.jpg - caption: ‘Can you read this writing?’] - -“Yes, señor. The words in front are: ‘O Eyes and Mouth, look on me, -plead for me.’ And those on the back: ‘Heart of Heaven, be thou my -home.’” - -“It is wonderful,” said Jones, restoring the relic with a sigh, for he -would have given everything that he had, down to his shoes, to possess -it. “And now will you not make an exception in my favour, and tell me -the story?” - -“I fear that I cannot oblige you, señor,” Don Ignatio answered, -shaking his head. - -“But,” pleaded Jones, “having revealed so much, it is cruel to hide -the rest.” - -“Señor,” said his host, “will you take some more coffee? No. Then -shall we walk a little on the roof and look at the view; it is pretty -by moonlight, and the roofs here are wonderful, all built of solid -stone; there is a tradition that the old monks used to dine on them in -summer. They have a loop-holed wall round them whence that abbot, -whose portrait hangs in your sleeping-chamber, beat back a great -attack of the Indians whom his oppression stirred into rebellion. - -“To-morrow I shall hope to show you round the lands, which have repaid -me well for my twenty years of cultivation. Everybody in Mexico runs -after mines, but its soil is the richest mine of all. I knew that, -and, seeing the capacities of the place, I sold the other emeralds -which went with this clasp--they were fine stones, but unengraved, and -therefore of no particular interest--and bought it cheap enough. Now -that the country is more settled, and I have planted so much, its -value has become great, and will be greater still when all the young -cocoa bushes are in full bearing a few years hence. - -“There, thanks be to the Saints, the stair is done--of late my back -hurts me when I climb up steps. The air is sweet, is it not, señor, -and the prospect pleasing? Look, the river shines like silver. Ah! how -beautiful is God’s world! It makes me sad to think of leaving it, but -doubtless He will provide still finer places for us to work and serve -Him in, gardens where sin and grief cannot enter. Surely there is room -enough yonder,” and he nodded toward the sky. - - - -This was but the first of many nights that Jones spent under Don -Ignatio’s hospitable roof, where, as the months went by, he grew more -and more welcome. Soon he conceived a great affection for the grave, -sweet-natured, kindly old Indian gentleman, whose mind seemed to be -incapable of any evil thought, and whose chief ambitions were to -improve his land and do good to all about him, more especially to his -Indian servants or peons. - -In the beginning of their intimacy they made several expeditions -together to inspect ruins in the neighbourhood, and once Don Ignatio -came to stay with him at the mine of La Concepcion, where his visit -proved of the greatest use to Mr. Jones and the company he served. One -of the difficulties in working this particular mine lay in the -scarcity of labour. At a word from Don Ignatio this trouble vanished. -He sent for a _cacique_, who lived in the mountains, and spoke to him, -and, lo! within a week, fifty stalwart Indians appeared to offer their -services at the mine, thus affording one of many instances that came -to Jones’s knowledge, of his friend’s extraordinary influence among -the natives. - -As time went on, however, these excursions ceased, since Don Ignatio’s -health grew too feeble to allow him to leave the _hacienda_. - -At length, it was when they had been acquainted for nearly two years, -a messenger arrived at the mine one morning, saying that he was -instructed by his master, Don Ignatio, to tell the Señor Jones that -he lay dying and would be glad to see him. He was to add, however, -that if it should be in any way inconvenient, the Señor Jones must -not trouble himself to come for so small a matter, as his master had -written a letter which would be delivered to him after his death. - -Needless to say the Señor Jones travelled across the mountains as -fast as the best mule he owned would carry him. On arriving at the -_hacienda_ he found Don Ignatio lying in his room, almost paralysed -and very weak, but perfectly clear-headed and rejoiced to see him. - -“I am about to make my last journey, friend,” he said, “and I am glad, -for of late I have suffered a great deal of pain in my back, the -result of an ancient injury. Also it is time that a helpless old man -should make room for a more active one.” And he looked at his visitor -strangely, and smiled. - -Jones, whose feelings were touched, made the usual reply as to his -having many months to live, but Don Ignatio cut him short. - -“Don’t waste time like that, friend,” he said, “but listen. Ever since -we knew each other you have been trying to extract from me the story -of how I came to visit the city, Heart of the World, and of my friend, -James Strickland, whom, thanks be to God, I so soon shall see again. - -“Well, I never would tell it to you, though once or twice I nearly did -so when I saw how my silence chagrined you, partly because I pride -myself upon being able to keep a secret when pressed to reveal it, and -also because I am selfish and knew that so soon as you had heard my -story, you would cease to interest yourself in a stupid, failing old -man, for who is there that cares about the rind when he has sucked the -orange? - -“Also there were other reasons: for instance, I could not have related -that history without displaying unseemly emotion, and I know that you -Englishmen despise such exhibitions. Lastly, if I told it at all, I -desired to tell it fully and carefully, keeping everything in -proportion, and this it would have been difficult to do by word of -mouth. Yet I have not wished to disappoint you altogether, and I have -wished that some record of the curious things which I have seen in my -life should be preserved, though this last desire alone would not have -been sufficiently strong to move me to the task which I finished ten -days ago, before the paralysis crept into my arm. - -“May I trouble you to open that cupboard near the foot of the bed, and -to give me the pile of writing that you will find in it. A thousand -thanks. Here, señor, in these pages, if you care to take the trouble -to read them, is set out an account of how I and my English friend -came to visit the Golden City, of what we saw and suffered there, and -of some other matters which you may think superfluous, but that are -not without their bearing upon the tale. I fear that my skill in -writing is small, still perhaps it may serve its turn, and if not, it -matters nothing, seeing that you seek the spirit, not the letter, and -are not sufficient of a Spanish scholar to be too critical. - -“Now take the book and put it away, for the very sight of it wearies -me, recalling the hours of labour that I have spent on it. Also I wish -to talk of something more important. Tell me, friend, do you propose -to stop in this country, or to return to England?” - -“Return to England! Why, I should starve where there are no mines to -manage. No, I am too poor.” - -“Then would you return if you were rich?” asked the dying man -anxiously. - -“I do not know; it depends. But I think that I have been too long away -to go to live in England for good.” - -“I am glad to hear that, friend, for I may as well tell you at once -that I have made you my heir, so that henceforth you will be a wealthy -man as we understand wealth in this country.” - -“You have made me your heir!” stammered Jones. - -“Yes. Why should I not? I like you well, and know you to be a good and -honest man. I have no relations and no friends, and, above all, I am -sure that you will deal justly and gently by my people here, for I -have watched your bearing towards those who work under you at the -mine. Moreover, I have conditions to make which will not be the less -binding on you because they are not set out in the will, namely, that -you should live here yourself and carry on the work that I have begun, -for so long as may be possible, and that, if you are forced to sell -the place by any unforeseen circumstance, or to leave it away by -testament, you should do so to an Englishman only, and one of whom you -know something. Do you accept?” - -“Indeed, yes, and I know not how to thank you.” - -“Do not thank me at all, thank your own character and honest face -which have led me to believe that I can make no better disposal of my -property. And now go, for I am tired, but come to see me again -to-morrow morning after the priest has left.” - -So Jones, who had entered that room possessed of a hard-earned eight -hundred a year, departed from it the owner of a property which, before -long, became worth as many thousands annually, as any who have visited -him at Santa Cruz can testify. Three days later Don Ignatio passed -away peacefully, and was laid to his rest in the chapel of the -_hacienda_. - - - -This, then, was how the story of the city, Heart of the World, and of -Don Ignatio and his friend, James Strickland, who saw it, came into -the hands of him whom we have called Jones. - -Here follows a translation of the manuscript. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - HOW THE PLOT FAILED - -I, Ignatio, the writer of this history, being now a man in my -sixty-second year, was born in a village among the mountains that lie -between the little towns of Pichaucalco and Tiapa. Of all that -district my father was the hereditary _cacique_, and the Indians there -loved him much. - -When I was a lad, perhaps nine years old, troubles arose in the -country. I never quite understood them, or I may have forgotten the -circumstances, for such things were always happening, but I think that -they were caused by some tax which the government at Mexico had -imposed upon us unjustly. Anyhow, my father, a tall man with fiery -eyes, refused to pay a tax, and, after a while, a body of soldiers -arrived, mounted upon horses, who shot down a great number of the -people, and took away some of the women and children. - -Of my father they made a prisoner, and next day they led him out while -my mother and I were forced to look on, and sat him by the edge of a -hole that they had dug, holding guns to his head and threatening to -shoot him unless he would tell them a secret which they were anxious -to learn. All he said, however, was that he wished that they would -kill him at once, and so free him from the torment of the mosquitoes -which hummed around him. - -But they did not kill him then, and that night they put him back in a -prison, where I was brought to visit him by the _padre_, Ignatio, his -cousin and my godfather. I remember that he was shut up in a dirty -place, so hot that it was difficult even to breathe, and that there -were some drunken Mexican soldiers outside the door, who now and again -threatened to make an end of us Indian dogs. - -My godfather, the priest Ignatio, confessed my father in a corner of -the cell, and took something from his hand. Then my father called me -to him and kissed me, and with his own fingers for a few moments he -hung about my neck that thing which the priest had taken from him, -only to remove it again and give it to Ignatio for safe-keeping, -saying: “See that the boy has it, and its story with it, when he comes -of age.” - -Now my father kissed me again, blessing me in the name of God, and as -he did so great tears ran down his face. Then the priest Ignatio took -me away, and I never saw my father any more, for the soldiers shot him -next morning, and threw his body into the hole that they had dug to -receive it. - -After this, my godfather, cousin, and namesake, Ignatio, took me and -my mother to the little town of Tiapa, of which he was priest, but she -soon died there of a broken heart. - -In Tiapa we lived in the best house in the place, for it was built of -stone and set upon a bank overhanging a beautiful rushing river with -water that was always clear as glass, however much it rained, which -river ran a hundred feet or more below the windows. - -About Tiapa there is little to say, except that in those days the -people were for the most part thieves, and such great sinners that my -cousin, the _padre_, would not shrive some of them, even on their -death-beds. There was a church, however, whereof the roof was -overgrown with the most beautiful orchids. Also the roads were so bad -that, except in the dry season, it was difficult to travel either to -or from the town. - -Here in this forgotten place I grew up, but not without education, as -might have been expected, seeing that my cousin was a good scholar, -and did all he could to keep me out of mischief. - -When I was about fifteen years of age, of a sudden a desire took hold -of me to become a priest. It was in this wise: One Sunday evening I -sat in the church at Tiapa, looking now at the sprays of orchid -flowers that swung to and fro in the breeze outside the window, and -now at the votive pictures on the walls, offerings made by men and -women who had called upon their patron saints in the hour of danger -and had been rescued by them--here from fire, there from murderers, -and here again from drowning; rude and superstitious daubs, but -doubtless acceptable to God, who could see in them the piety and -gratitude of those that out of their penury had caused them to be -painted. - -As I sat thus idly, my godfather, the good priest, began to preach. -Now, it chanced that two nights before there had been a dreadful -murder in Tiapa. Three travellers and a boy, the son of one of them, -passing from San Christobel to the coast, stopped to spend the night -at a house near our own. With them they brought a mule-load of -dollars, the price of the merchandise that they had sold at San -Christobel, which some of our fellow-townsmen, half-breeds of wicked -life, determined to steal. - -Accordingly, to the number of ten, these assassins broke into the -house where the travellers lodged, and, meeting with resistance, they -cut down the three of them with _machetes_, and possessed themselves -of the silver. Just as they were leaving, one of the thieves perceived -the boy hiding beneath a bed, and, dragging him out, they killed him -also, lest he should bear witness against them. - -Now, those who had done this deed of shame were well known in the -town; still none were arrested, for they bribed the officers with part -of their booty. But my godfather, seeing some of them present in the -church, took for his text the commandment--“Thou shalt do no murder.” - -Never have I heard a finer sermon; indeed, before it was finished, two -of the men rose and crept from the church conscience-stricken, and -when the preacher described the slaughter of the lad whom their wicked -hands had of a sudden hurled into eternity, many of the congregation -burst into tears. - -I tell this story because it was then for the first time, as I thought -of the murdered boy, who some few days before had been as full of life -as I was myself, that I came to know what death meant, and to -understand that I also must die and depart for ever either into heaven -or hell. I shook as the thought struck me, and it seemed to me that I -saw Death standing at my elbow, as he stands to-day, and then and -there I determined that I would be a priest and do good all my life, -in order that I might find peace at the last and escape the fate of -the evil. - -On the morrow I went into my godfather’s room and told him of my -desire. He listened to me attentively, and answered: “I would that it -might be so, my son, holding as I do that the things of the world to -come outweigh those of this present earth ten thousandfold, but it -cannot be, for reasons that you shall learn when you are older. Then, -when my trust is ended, you may make your choice, and, if you still -wish it, become a priest.” - - * * * * * * * - -Five more years passed away, during which time I grew strong and -active, and skilled in all manly exercises. Also I studied much under -the teaching of my godfather, who sent even to Spain to buy me books. - -Among these books were many histories of my own race, the Indians, and -of their conquest by the Spaniards, all that had been published -indeed. Of such histories I never tired, although it maddened me to -read of the misfortunes and cruel oppression of my people, who to-day -were but a nation of slaves. - -At length, on my twentieth birthday, my godfather, who now was grown -very old and feeble, called me into his chamber, and, having locked -the door, he spoke to me thus: - -“My son, the time has come when I must deliver to you the last -messages of your beloved father, my cousin and best friend, who was -murdered by the soldiers when you were a little child, and tell you of -your descent and other matters. - -“First, then, you must know that you are of royal and ancient blood, -for your forefather in the eleventh degree was none other than -Guatemoc, the last of the Aztec emperors, whom the Spaniards murdered, -which descent I can prove to you by means of old writings and -pedigrees; also it is known and attested among the Indians, who even -now do not forget the stock whence sprang their kings.” - -“Then by right I am Emperor of Mexico,” I said proudly, for in my -folly it seemed a fine thing to be sprung from men who once had worn a -crown. - -“Alas! my son,” the old priest answered sadly, “in this world might is -the only right, and the Spaniards ended that of your forefathers long -ago by aid of torture and the noose. Save that it will earn you -reverence among the Indians, it is but a barren honour which you -inherit with your blood. - -“Yet there is one thing that has come down to you from your ancestor, -Guatemoc, and the monarchs who ruled before him. Perchance you -remember that on the night previous to his death, your father set an -amulet upon your neck, and, removing it again, gave it to me to keep. -Here is that amulet.” - -Then he handed me a trinket made of the half of a heart-shaped -emerald, smooth with wear, but unpolished, that, if joined to its -missing section, would have been as large as a dove’s egg. This stone -was not broken, but cut from the top to the bottom, the line of -separation being so cunningly sawn that no man, unless he had one half -before him, could imitate the other. The charm was bored through so as -to be worn upon a chain, and engraved upon its surface were some -strange hieroglyphics and the outline of half a human face. - -“What is it?” I asked. - -The old priest shrugged his shoulders, and answered: - -“A relic which had to do with their wicked heathen magic and rites, I -suppose. I know little about it, except that your father told me it -was the most valued possession of the Aztec kings, and that the -natives believe that when the two halves of this stone come together, -the men of white blood will be driven from Central America and an -Indian emperor shall rule from sea to sea.” - -“And where is the other half, father?” - -“How should I know,” he answered testily, “who have no faith in such -stories, or in stones with the heads of idols graven upon them? I am a -priest, and therefore your father told me little of the matter, since -it is not lawful that I should belong to secret societies. Still, some -such society exists, and, in virtue of the ownership of that talisman, -you will be head of it, as your ancestors were before you, though, so -far as I can learn, the honour brought them but little luck. - -“I know no more about it, but I will give you letters to a certain -Indian who lives in the district of which your father was _cacique_, -and, when you show him the stone, doubtless he will initiate you into -its mysteries, though I counsel you to have nothing to do with them. - -“Listen, Ignatio, my son, you are a rich man; how rich I cannot tell -you, but for many generations your forefathers have hidden up treasure -for an object which I must explain, and the gold will be handed over -to you by those of your clan in whose keeping it is. It was because of -this treasure that your father and your great-grandfather were done to -death with many others, since the rumour of it came to the ears of -those that ruled in Mexico, who, when they failed to force its secret -from them, tormented and killed them in their rage. - -“Now, this was the message of your father to you concerning the wealth -which he and his ancestors had hidden: - -“‘Tell my son, Ignatio, should he live to grow up, that there has -never departed from our family the desire to win back the crown that -Guatemoc lost, or at least to drive out the accursed Spaniards and -their spawn, and to establish an Indian Republic. To this end we have -heaped up wealth for generations, that it might serve us when the hour -was ripe; and because of this wealth, of which the whisper could not -altogether be hid in a land which is full of spies, some of us have -come to cruel deaths, as I am about to do to-night. - -“‘But I shall die keeping my secret, and when my son grows up others -may rule at Mexico, or the matter may have been forgotten: at least -the gold will be where I left it. Now, say to my son that it is my -hope that he will use it in the cause to further which it has been -amassed; that he will devote his life to the humbling of our white -masters, and to the uplifting of the race which for centuries they -have robbed, murdered, and enslaved. - -“‘Nevertheless, say to him that I lay no commands upon him as to these -matters, seeing that he must follow his own will about them, for I -cannot forget that, from generation to generation, those who went -before him have reaped nothing but disaster in their struggle against -the white devils, whom, because of the sins and idolatry of our -forefathers, it has pleased God to set over us.’ - -“Those were your father’s words, my son, which he spoke to me in the -hour of his murder. And now you will understand why I said that you -must wait before you determined to be a priest. If that is still your -wish, it can be fulfilled, for your father left it to you to follow -whatever life you might desire.” - -When he had finished speaking I thought for a while, and answered: “So -long as my father’s blood is unavenged I cannot become a priest.” - -“It is as I feared,” said the old man with a sigh, “that cursed -talisman which lies about your neck has begun its work with you, -Ignatio, and you will tread the path that the others trod, perchance -to die in blood as they died. Oh! why cannot man be content to leave -the righting of wrongs and the destinies of nations in the hands of -the Almighty and His angels?” - -“Because for good or evil the Almighty chooses men to be His -instruments,” I answered. - - * * * * * * * - -Within a week from this day some Indians came to Tiapa disguised as -porters, whose mission it was to lead me to the mountains among which -my father had lived, and where his treasure still lay hidden. - -Bidding farewell to my godparent, the priest, who wept when he parted -from me, I started upon my journey, keeping my destination secret. As -it chanced, I never saw him more, for a month later he was seized with -some kind of _calentura_, or fever, and died suddenly. The best thing -I can say of him is that, with one exception, there lives no man in -heaven above whom I so greatly desire to meet again. - -On the third day of my journey we reached a narrow pass in the -mountains, beyond which lay an Indian village. Here my guides took me -to the house of one Antonio, to whom the _padre_ Ignatio had given me -letters, an old man of venerable aspect, who greeted me warmly, and -made me known to several _caciques_ who were staying with him, I knew -not why. - -So soon as we were alone in the house, one of these _caciques_, after -addressing me in words which I could not understand, asked me if I had -a “Heart.” To this I replied that I hoped so, whereat they all -laughed. Then the man Antonio, coming to me, unbuttoned my shirt, -revealing the talisman that had belonged to my father, and at the -sight of it the company bowed. - -Next the doors were locked, and, sentries having been posted before -them, a ceremony began, which even now it is not lawful that I should -describe in detail. On this solemn occasion I was first initiated into -the mysteries of the Order of the Heart, and afterwards installed as -its hereditary chief, thus becoming, while yet a boy, the absolute -lord of many thousand men, brethren of our Society, who were scattered -far and wide about the land. - -On the day after I had taken the final oaths, Antonio handed over to -me the treasure that my ancestors hoarded in a secret place, which my -father had left in his keeping, and it was a great treasure, amounting -to more than a million dollars in value. - -Now I was rich, both in men and money, still, following the counsel of -Antonio, I abode for a while in the village, receiving those who came -from every part of Mexico to visit me as Holder of the Heart, and as -first in rank among the fallen peoples of the Indians. - -It was during these months that I made the great error of my life. -Some three miles from the village where I dwelt, lived two sisters, -Indian ladies of noble blood, though poor, one of them a widow, and -the other a very beautiful girl, younger than myself. It chanced that, -riding past their house upon a certain Sunday evening, when most of -the inhabitants of the valley were away at a _festa_, I heard screams -coming from it. - -Dismounting from my horse I ran in at the door, which was open, and -saw one of the sisters, the widow, lying dead upon the ground, while -two bandits, Mexicans, were attacking the younger woman. Drawing my -_machete_, I cut down the first of them before he had time to turn, -then I fell upon the second man with such fury that I drove him back -against the wall. Seeing that his life was in danger, he called upon -me not to kill him for the sake of a low Indian girl, which insult -maddened me so that I slew him upon the spot, and caused his body, -with that of his companion, to be buried secretly. - -It happened that after this the girl whose life I had saved came to -dwell in my village, where I saw much of her. So lovely was she and so -clever, that soon she won my heart, and the end of it was that, being -headstrong and in love, I married her, against the advice of Antonio -and others of my brethren of the Order. It would have been better for -the Indian people, and perhaps for me also, if I had died before I -stood at the altar with this woman, though for a while she was a good -wife, and, because of her cleverness, of great service to me at that -time. - -Now, it must be stated that during all these months I had not been -idle. The more I thought on them, the more the wrongs of my -countrymen, the real owners of the land, took hold of my mind, till at -length they possessed it utterly, and I became an enthusiast and a -dreamer. This was the object of my life--to form a great conspiracy, -which should bring about a rising of the Indians in every province of -Mexico upon a given day; then, when the Spaniards and their bastards, -the Spanish Mexicans, had been stamped out, to re-establish the Empire -of the Aztecs. - -It was a madness, perhaps, but the madness lurked in my blood; my -forefathers had suffered from and for it, and I think that it must -have come down to us from our ancestor, Guatemoc, the greatest and -most unfortunate Indian who ever lived. Where they failed I determined -to succeed, and, strange to say, in the end I went near to success. - -For years I laboured, travelling to and fro about the land till there -was no province where I was not known as the Holder of the Heart, and -the chief by blood of the Indian tribes. Everywhere I strove to rouse -the people from their sloth, and to win the _caciques_, or head men, -to the cause, and I did not strive in vain. I used my great wealth to -buy arms, to gain over the lukewarm with bribes, and in many other -ways. When my fortune sank low I gathered more, for without gold -nothing could be done. Treasures that were buried in the old days were -given up to me as Lord of the Heart by those who had their secret; -also many brought me money, each what he could spare, and I hoarded it -against the hour of need. - -For a year or more I was the greatest power in Mexico, and yet, though -hundreds were privy to my plot, it was so well hidden that no whisper -of it came to the ears of the Government. At length all was ready, and -so carefully were my plans laid that success seemed certain; but the -unforeseen happened, and I failed--thus: - -That woman whose life I had saved, my own wife whom I loved and -trusted, who was bound to my cause and that of her countrymen by every -tie human and divine, betrayed me and it. Just before the time fixed -for the rising, it was agreed that she should be placed, as one of -whom we could be sure, to play the part of a servant in the house of -the man who ruled Mexico in those days, that she might spy upon him. - -Instead of so doing, she, my wife, fell in love with him. It is easy -to guess the rest. One night, but a week before the appointed time, I -and some five or six others, the leaders of our party, were seized. My -companions were made away with secretly, but I was brought before the -great man, who received me alone, holding a pistol in his hand. - -“I know all your plans, friend,” he said, “and I congratulate you on -them, for they were cleverly managed. I know also that you have a -great treasure in gold hidden away----” and he named the sum. “That -wife of yours, whom you were fool enough to trust, has told me -everything, but she cannot tell me where the money is hidden, for this -you withheld from her, which shows that you are not altogether mad. - -“Now, friend, I make you a fair offer--hand over this treasure, and -you shall go free--of course when the day of vengeance is past and -your sheep have found themselves without a shepherd--nor shall you be -molested afterwards. Refuse to do so, and you will be brought to trial -and die as you deserve.” - -“How can you promise for others?” I asked. “You are not the only white -man who would have fallen.” - -“I can promise for others, first, because I am their master, and, -secondly, because nobody but myself knows anything of this matter, -since, if I told them, I must also share your wealth with them, and -that, friend, I mean to keep. Give it up to me and you may go and plot -against my successors and the Government of Mexico as much as pleases -you, and take your wife with you for aught I care; for, friend, having -earned so comfortable a competence, I propose to leave a land where, -as this business proves, people in authority are too apt to have their -throats cut. Now choose, and be so good as to stand quite still while -you are thinking the matter over, or I may be forced to shoot you.” - -“How about my associates?” I asked. - -“I believe that three or four of them have been carried off--by -typhus--within the last day or two, the prisons here are so unhealthy; -but I am sure that if the gold is forthcoming, no more will sicken.” - -Then I chose, for I thought to myself that I might get more gold, but -I could never get another life, and if I died many must suffer with me -and all my hopes for the future of the Indian race would come to -naught. Also I knew this villain to be a man of his word, and that -what he promised he would fulfil. - -Within ten days he had the money, and I was free to begin my life -again, nor did any of those who were doomed to perish in it, learn the -tale of the plot that had threatened them. - -I was free; but what a freedom was this, when I had lost everything -save the breath that God placed in my nostrils, and, perhaps, my -honour. The great house that I had builded was fallen to the ground, -the moneys I had amassed were stolen, the chief of my companions were -dead, my credit as a deliverer of the people was gone, and my cause -had become hopeless. All these things had come upon me because of a -woman, a traitress, whom I had nurtured in my bosom. - -At first I was dazed, but when I came to understand I swore a great -oath before Heaven that, for her false sake, I would hate and renounce -her sex; that, whatever might be the temptation, never again would I -look kindly upon women, or have to do with one of them in word, or -thought, or deed. That oath, so far as lay in my power, I have kept to -this day, and I hope to keep through all eternity. - -It may be asked what became of my wife. I do not know. I lifted no -hand against her who was flesh of my flesh, but she perished. The -story was known. I was forced to tell it to clear myself. After I -escaped from the prison I lay ill for many weeks, and when I recovered -she was gone. Others had been betrayed besides myself, and doubtless -some of them had wreaked fitting vengeance on her. What it was I never -asked. - -For many years--twenty perhaps--I became a wanderer. Now as before the -Indians loved me, and, as Lord of the Heart and their hereditary -_cacique_, in a sense I still was great, although but the shadow of -power dwelt with me: the substance had departed, as it departs ever -from those who fail. From time to time I strove to rebuild the plot; -but, now that I was friendless and without fortune, few would follow -me thus far. - -So it came about that at length I abandoned the endeavour, and lived -as best I could. I fought in three wars, and gained honours therein, -and took my share in many adventures, all of which left me as poor as -I had entered on them. At times I remembered my desire to become a -priest, but now it was over late to study; also my hands were too much -soiled with the affairs of the world. - -Wearying of the struggle, I went back to my village in the mountains -and dwelt there awhile, but this also wearied me, having nothing to -do, and I turned my attention to the management of mines. - -It was while I was thus employed, as a middle-aged man, that I made -the acquaintance of James Strickland, who was destined to accompany me -to the city, Heart of the World. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - THE SEÑOR STRICKLAND - -Two-and-twenty years ago, I, Ignatio, visited a village in the State -of Tamaulipas, named Cumarvo, a beautiful place, half-hidden in pine -forests amongst the mountains. I came to this hamlet because a friend -of mine, one of the brethren of the Order of the Heart, wrote to me -saying that there was an Indian in the neighbourhood who had in his -possession an ancient Aztec scroll, which, being in picture-writing, -neither he nor anyone else could read. - -This scroll had descended to the Indian through many generations, and -with it a tradition that it told of a very rich gold mine in the -mountains whereof the site was lost, which had been closed to save it -from the grip of Cortes, by the order of Guatemoc, my forefather, whom -the Spaniards murdered--may their souls be accursed! - -Now, I had been taught the secret of the picture-writing by old -Antonio, my father’s friend, when first I was initiated into the -mysteries of the Heart, though it must die with me, for I believe that -at this hour there is no other man living who can read it. - -This writing the Indian was willing to give up to me as Lord of the -Heart, and accordingly, having nothing better to do, I journeyed to -Cumarvo to study it. In this matter, as in many others, I was destined -to meet with disappointment, however--at any rate for a while; for, on -my arrival at the house of my friend, I heard that the Indian had died -of a sudden sickness, and that his son could not discover where the -scroll was hidden. - -Another thing I heard also, namely, that a white man, an _Inglese_, -the first who ever visited these parts, had come to the village about -six months before, and was engaged in working some old silver mines on -behalf of a company, a task that he found difficult, for the Mexican -owners of land in the neighbourhood, being jealous of him and angry -because he paid his men a fair wage, were striving to prevent Indians -from labouring in his mine. - -Now the natives of this place, from Monday morning to Saturday night, -were a gentle and industrious people, but they had this fault, that on -the Saturday night many of them were accustomed to become drunk on -_mescal_, the spirit that is distilled from the root of the aloe. Then -their natures were changed, and fierce quarrels would spring up -amongst them, for the most part about women, that ended often enough -in bloodshed. - -It chanced that such a fray arose on the night of my arrival at -Cumarvo. On the morrow I saw the fruits of it as I walked down the -little street which was bordered by white, flat-roofed houses and -paved with cobble-stones, purposing to attend mass in the lime-washed -church, where the bell rang night and day to scare evil spirits back -to hell. - -In the middle of the street, lying in the shade of a house, were two -dead men. A handsome Indian girl, with a sullen and unmoved -countenance, was engaged in winding a _serape_, or blanket, round one -of the bodies; but the other lay untended, certain stains upon the -clothing revealing the manner of its end. On a doorstep sat a third -man, much wounded about the head and face, while the barber of the -village, its only doctor, attempted to remove his hair with a pair of -blunt scissors, so that he might dress the cuts. - -The scene was dreadful, but no one took much notice of it, for Indian -life is cheap, and in those days death by violence was even more -common in Mexico than it is now. On the opposite side of the street an -old woman chaffered with a passer-by about the price of her oranges, -while some children with shouts and laughter strove to lasso and drag -away a pig that haunted the place; and a girl on her way to mass -stepped over the uncovered body which lay so quiet in the shade, and, -recognising it as that of a friend, crossed herself as she hurried on. - -“What is the cause of this, señor?” I asked of the barber. - -“I think that I have the honour of addressing Don Ignatio,” the little -man answered, and, lifting his hands from their work, he made a sign -showing that he also was a member of our Brotherhood, though a humble -one. - -“Ah, I thought so,” he went on as I gave the countersign; “we heard -that you were going to visit us, and I am glad of it, for I weary of -dressing wounds on Sundays, and perhaps you may be able to put a stop -to these fights. The woman was the cause of it, of course, señor; -these are not the first she has brought to their deaths,” and he -nodded at the girl who was wrapping the body in a blanket. - -“You see, she was going to marry this man,” and he tapped the Indian -whose wounds he was dressing on the shoulder, “but she took up with -that one,” pointing to the nearest body, “whereon Number One here, -being drunk with _mescal_, laid wait for Number Two and stabbed him -dead. The girl who was with him ran for Number Three yonder, Number -Two’s brother, but Number One ambushed him, so he was killed also. -Then, hearing the noise, the village guard came up and cut down our -friend here with their _machetes_, but as you see, unfortunately, they -did not kill him.” - -I heard, and anger took hold of me. Approaching the girl, I said: - -“This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?” - - [image: img_031.jpg - caption: ‘This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?’] - -“What of it?” she answered, sullenly; “can I help it if I am pretty, -and men fight for me? Also, who are you who ask me whether I am -afraid?” - -“Fool!” cried the barber from the doorstep; “do you dare to speak thus -to the Lord of the Heart?” - -The girl started, and replied: - -“Why not? Is he then my lord?” - -“Listen, girl!” I said; “others besides these have died through you.” - -“How do you know that?” she answered. “But what need to ask? If you -are the Lord of the Heart you have the evil eye, and can read secrets -without their being discovered to you.” - -“It is you that have the evil eye, woman, like many another of your -sex!” I said. “Hear me, now: you will leave this place, and you will -never return to it, for if you do, you die! Also, remember that if -harm should come to any more men on your account, wherever you go I -shall know of it, and you will die there!” - -“Whoever you are, you are not the Government, and have no right to -kill me,” she said, trying to hide the fear which crept into her dark -eyes. - -“No, woman, I am not the Government; but among our people I am more -powerful than the Government. If you do not believe me, ask the doctor -yonder, and he will tell you that I should be obeyed, even by people -who had never seen me, where a troop of soldiers would be laughed at. -If I say that you are to die, you will die in this way or in that, for -my curse will be on you. Perhaps you may tumble over a precipice, or -you may take a fever, or be drowned in crossing a river, _quien -sabe_!” - -“I know, lord, I know,” she whispered, shivering, for now she was -frightened. “Do not look so terribly at me; spare me this time for the -love of God! I did not mean to do it, but when men put their hearts -into a woman’s hand, how can she help squeezing them, especially if -she hates men? But I did not hate this one,” and she touched the cheek -of the dead Indian caressingly; “I really meant to marry him. It is -that fellow whom I hate,” pointing to her wounded lover, “and I hope -that he will be shot, else I think that I shall poison him.” - -“You will not poison him, woman; and, though he deserves to die, you -are worse than he. Now begone, and remember my words!” - -Bending down, she touched the corpse’s forehead with her lips, then, -rising, said: - -“I kiss your feet, Lord of the Heart,” and went away without looking -behind her, nor was she seen again in that village. - -Then, with a sigh, I also was turning to go, for it saddened me to -think that when drink got hold of them, a woman should have the power -to change these men, who were my brethren, into savage beasts -thirsting for each other’s blood. - -“Ah!” I mused, “had it not been for that other woman who destroyed me -and my hope, by now I had begun to teach them better.” - -At this moment, looking up, I chanced to see a man such as I had never -before beheld, standing by my side and gazing at me. Stories are told -of how men and women, looking on each other for the first time, in -certain cases are filled with a strange passion of love, of which, -come what may, they can not again be rid. - -Among many misfortunes, thanks be to my guardian angels, this fate has -never overtaken me, yet at that moment I felt something that was akin -to it--not love, indeed, but a great sense of friendship and sympathy -for and with this man, which, mastering me then, is still growing to -this hour, though its object has for many years been dead. - -Perhaps it was the contrast between us that attracted me so much at -first, since human beings are ever drawn towards their opposites in -nature and appearance. I, as you, my friend, for whom I write this -history, will remember, although you have only known me in my age, am -tall, thin, and sallow, like all my race, with a sad expression -reflecting the heart within, and melancholy eyes. - -Very different were the mind and appearance of James Strickland, the -Englishman. He was a fine man, over thirty years of age, short in -proportion to his width, though somewhat spare in frame and slender in -limb. His features were as clearly cut as those of an ancient god upon -a marble wall; his eyes were blue as the sea, and, though just now -they were troubled at the sight of death, merry like the eyes of a -boy; his curling hair--for he had removed his hat in the presence of -the dead--was yellow as mimosa bloom, darkening almost to red in the -short beard and about the ears, where the weather had caught it; and -beneath his shirt, which was open at the neck, his skin showed white -like milk. For the rest, his hands were long and delicate, -notwithstanding the hard work of which they bore traces; his glance -was quick, and his smile the most pleasant that ever I had seen. - -“Your pardon, señor,” said this _Inglese_, in good Spanish, bowing to -me as he spoke, “but unwittingly I have overheard some of your talk -with yonder woman, and I cannot understand how it comes about that -you, a stranger, have so much authority over her. I wish that you -would explain it to me in order that I might learn how to put a stop -to such murders. These dead men were two of my best workmen, and I do -not know where I shall look to replace them.” - -“I cannot explain it, señor,” I answered, returning his bow, “further -than to say that I have a certain rank among the Indians, on account -of which they reverence me. Still, though I have no right to ask it of -a stranger, I pray that you will forget any words of mine which may -chance to have reached your ears, since of such authority the -Government is jealous.” - -“By all means, señor; they are already forgotten. Well, _adios_, this -sight is not so pleasant that I wish to study it,” and replacing his -hat upon his head, he passed on. - -Although my journey proved to be in vain, seeing that the scroll I -came to read had vanished, I lingered in the village of Cumarvo, -alleging as the reason of my stay a hope that it might be discovered, -but really, as I believe, because I desired to become friendly with -this white man. - -As it chanced, an opportunity was soon given me to do him a signal -service. I have stated that there dwelt men of position in this place, -Mexicans who were jealous of the Englishman, and these people stirred -up some discontented miners in his employ to make a plot to murder -him, saying that, if they did so, they would win a great treasure -which he kept hidden in his house. - -This plot came to my ears through one of the Brotherhood, and I -determined to frustrate it, to which end I collected together twenty -good men and true, and, arming them with guns, bade them be silent -about the matter, above all to the _Inglese_, whom I did not wish to -alarm. - -The plan of the murderers was at the hour of dawn to attack the house -where the Señor Strickland slept with four or five servants only, and -to put all within its walls to death. Accordingly, about one o’clock -on the night fixed, I despatched my men by twos and threes, -instructing them to go round the hills at the back of the house, and, -creeping into the garden, to hide themselves there among the trees -till I appeared. - -An hour later I followed them myself without being observed by the -spies of the attacking party, for rain fell and the night was very -dark. Arriving in the garden, I collected my men, and placed them in -ambush under a low wall commanding the street, up which I knew the -murderers must come. Here we waited patiently till the cocks crew and -the dawn began to break in the east. - -Presently we heard a stir in the village beneath, as of men marching, -and in the gathering light we saw the murderers creeping stealthily up -the street to the number of fifty or more. So great was their fear of -the Englishman, that they thought it safer to bring many men to kill -him, also each of the villains desired that his neighbour should be a -sharer in the crime. - -“Will you not wake up the _Inglese_?” asked the man next to me. - -“No,” I answered, “it will be time enough to wake him when the affair -is settled. Let none of you fire till I give the word.” - -Now, the brigands in the street below,--men without shame,--after -waiting a little time for the light to grow stronger, advanced toward -the gate, looking like a procession of monks, for the air was chilly -and each of them wore his _serape_ wrapped about his head. In their -hands they carried rifles and drawn _machetes_. - -Within ten paces of the gate they paused for a minute to consult, and -I heard their leader, a Mexican, direct half of them to creep round to -the back of the house so as to cut off all escape. Then I whistled, -which was the signal agreed upon, at the same time covering the -Mexican with my rifle. Almost before the sound had left my lips, there -followed a report of twenty guns, and some fifteen or sixteen of the -enemy were stretched upon the ground. - -For a moment they wavered, and I thought that the rest of them were -going to fly, but this they dared not do, for they knew that they had -been seen; therefore they rushed at the wall with a yell, firing as -they came. As they climbed over it we met them with pistol shots and -_machetes_, and for a few minutes the affair was sharp, for they were -desperate, and outnumbered us. - -Still they lost many men in scaling the wall and forcing the gate, and -with the exception of fourteen who fled, and were for the most part -caught afterwards, the rest of them we finished amongst the flowers -and vegetables of the garden. Just as all was over, the Englishman, -who was a sound sleeper, appeared yawning, dressed in white, and -holding a pistol in his hand. - -“What is this noise?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, “and why are you -people fighting in my garden? Go away, all of you, or I shall shoot at -you.” - -“I trust,” I said, bowing, “that the señor will pardon us for -disturbing him in his slumber, but this matter could not be settled -without some noise. May I offer the señor my _serape_? The air is -chilly, and he will catch cold in that dress.” - -“Thank you,” he said, putting on the _serape_. “And now perhaps you -will explain why you come to spoil my garden by making a battle-field -of it.” - -Then I told him, and was astonished to see that as I went on he grew -very angry. - -“I suppose that I must thank you, gentlemen, for saving my life,” he -said at last, “though I never asked you to do it. But, all the same, I -think it shameless that you should have had this fight in my own -garden, without giving me the opportunity of sharing it. _Caramba_! am -I a little girl that I should be treated in such a way?” And of a -sudden he burst out laughing and shook me by the hand. - -That day, when all the trouble was over, and the place had been made -tidy, the Señor Strickland sent a man to ask if I would do him the -pleasure to dine with him. I accepted, and as we sat smoking after -dinner, having talked of the fight till we were tired of it, he spoke -thus to me: - -“Don Ignatio, I owe you my life, and, believe me, I am grateful, for I -do not see why you should have risked so much for a foreign stranger.” - -“I did it because I like you, señor,” I answered, “also because it is -very pleasant to catch the wicked in their own toils. Those who -perished this morning were villains, every one of them. They came in -the hope of plunder, for such ‘men without shame’ will murder human -beings for five dollars a head; but they were set on by others who -hate you because you treat your Indian workmen fairly, and also -because they do not wish foreigners here to compete with them, and -think that you are but the first bird of the flock. Therefore they -thought that it would be good policy to kill you so as to frighten -away others who might follow. However, that danger has gone by, and -you need have no more fear, for they have learnt a lesson which they -will not forget.” - -“So much the better then,” he answered, “for I have troubles enough to -deal with here, without being bothered to protect my life against such -contemptible vermin. And now, Don Ignatio, I hardly like to ask you, -and I daresay that you will think the offer beneath contempt, but are -you willing to accept an engagement? I am sadly in need of a -sub-manager, one who could control the Indians, and to such a man I am -prepared to pay a hundred dollars a month; the funds of the company I -represent will not allow me to offer more.” - -I thought for a while and answered: - -“Señor, the money is not enough to tempt me, though it will serve to -buy food, lodging, and cigars, but I accept your offer for the same -reason that I fought your battles this morning, because I like you, -and will gladly do my best to serve you and your interests. Still, I -must warn you that, for aught I know, I may have to leave your service -at short notice, for my time is not altogether my own. I also am the -servant of a great company, señor, and though now I am on leave, as -it were, and have been for these many years, I may be required at any -moment.” - - - -Thus it was, then, that I entered the service of the Señor James -Strickland, or rather of his company, in which I continued for -something more than a year, working very hard, for the señor did not -spare either me or himself. But as the records of those months of -fruitless labour could have little interest for you, my friend, -instead of writing of them, I will tell you in few words what was the -history of this Englishman as he told it to me. - -He was of noble blood, as might be seen in his face, for he had a -right to be addressed as “honourable,” which it would seem means more -in England than it does here. Nevertheless, his father was a priest of -the heretic church and quite poor, though, how this came about, you, -being an Englishman, will understand better than I, seeing that in -most countries it is the privilege of nobles to enrich themselves at -the expense of others of less rank. - -At any rate, when James Strickland’s father died, his son, who was -then a lad of twenty, found that he possessed in the world no more -than five thousand dollars. This sum, being of adventurous mind and -sanguine temperament, he invested in a ranch in Texas, where he -endured much danger and hardship, and lost all his money. - -After this experience, having nothing to live on and no friends, he -was obliged to labour with his hands like a peon, and this he did in -many ways. He broke horses, he herded cattle; once, even, for two -months he sank so low--it makes me angry to write of it--as to be -forced to wait upon the guests in an inn at Panama. - -Thence he drifted to Nicaragua, and became mixed up in mining -ventures, and when first I met him he had been a miner for ten years. -Most of this time he spent managing a mine for an American, in the -Chontales country, on the frontier of Honduras, where the fever is so -bad that few white men can live. Here it was that he learned to speak -Spanish and the Indian or Maya tongue. At length, after an attack of -fever which nearly killed him, he left Honduras, and came to Mexico, -where he accepted the management of this silver mine at Cumarvo. -Hitherto it had been worked by a Mexican on behalf of its owners, who -dismissed the rogue for stealing the ore and selling it. - -This mine, though very rich, was hard to deal with profitably because -of the water gathered in it, and all the months that the Señor -Strickland had been its captain he was employed in driving a tunnel -upwards from a lower level in the cliff, in order to drain the -workings. Shortly after I came into his service this tunnel was -finished, for now I was able to obtain plenty of labour, which before -he had lacked, and we began to bring to bank ore running as high as -two hundred ounces to the ton, so that for some months all went well. - -Then of a sudden the ore body dipped straight downward, as though it -had been bent when hot, and we followed it till the water increased so -much that we were unable to carry it out, for in those days there were -no steam pumps in Mexico, such as are now used for the drying of -mines. First we tried to strike another vein, but without success; -then we attempted to pierce a second drainage tunnel at a still lower -level, but, after more than three months’ labour, the rock became so -hard that we were obliged to abandon the task. - -Now there was nothing to be done except to stop work at the tunnel, -and report the matter by letter to the owners of the mine, employing -ourselves meanwhile in the smelting of such ore as we had stacked. -This, indeed, we needed to do in order to pay wages with the silver, -seeing that after the first few months the owners ceased to remit us -money. - -One evening, on returning from the smelting-works to the house, I -found the Señor Strickland, his chin resting on his hand and an -unlighted cigar in his mouth, seated at a table, on which lay an open -letter. All through our misfortunes and heavy labour he had never lost -heart, or forgotten to smile and be merry, but now he looked sad as a -man who has just buried his mother, and I asked him what evil thing -had happened. - -“Nothing particular, Ignatio,” he answered; “but listen here.” And he -read the letter aloud. - -It was from one of the owners of the mine, and this was the purport of -it: that the shaft had become choked with water because of the -incompetence and neglect of the señor; that they, the owners, hereby -dismissed him summarily, refusing to pay him the salary due; and, -lastly, that they held him responsible in his own person for such -money as they had lost. - -“Surely,” I cried in wrath, when he had finished, “this letter was -written by a man without shame, and I pray that he may find his grave -in the stomachs of hogs and vultures!” for I forgot myself in my -indignation against those that could speak thus of the señor, who had -slaved day and night in their service, giving himself no rest. - -“Do not trouble, Ignatio,” he said, with a little smile, “it is the -way of the world. I have failed, and must take the consequences. Had I -succeeded, there would have been a different story. Still I think -that, if ever I meet this man again, I will kick him for telling lies -about me. Do you know, Ignatio, that, with the exception of one -thousand dollars which remain to my credit in Mexico, I have spent all -my own money that I had saved upon this mine, and of that thousand -dollars, eight hundred are due to you for back pay, so, whatever trade -I take to next, I shall not begin as a rich man.” - -“Be silent, I beg of you, señor,” I answered, “for such words make my -ears burn. What! am I also a thief that I should rob you, you who have -already been plucked like a fowl for the good of others? Insult me -once more by such thoughts and I will never pardon you.” - -And I left the house to calm myself by walking among the mountains, -little knowing what I should hear before I entered it again. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - THE SUMMONS - -As I walked down the street of the village I met my friend, with -whom I had stayed when first I came to Cumarvo. - -“Ah! lord,” he said--for those who are initiated among the Indians -give me this title when none are by--“I was seeking you. The scroll -has been found.” - -“What scroll?” - -“That picture-writing about the ancient mine which brought you here. -You remember that he who owned the document died, and his son could -not discover its whereabouts. Well, yesterday he found it by chance -while he was hunting rats in the roof of his house, and brought it to -me. Here it is,” and he gave me a roll wrapped in yellow linen. - -“Good,” I answered, “I will study it to-night,” and continued my walk, -thinking little more about the matter, for my mind was full of other -things. - -The air was pleasant and the evening fine, so that I did not return to -the house till the moon rose. As I passed up the path a man stepped so -suddenly from the shelter of a bush in front of me, that I drew my -_machete_, thinking that he meant to do me a mischief. - -“Stay your hand, lord,” said the man, saluting me humbly, and at the -same time giving the sign of brotherhood. “It is many years since we -met, so perchance you may have forgotten me; still, you will remember -my name; I am Molas, your foster-brother.” - -Then I looked at him in the moonlight and knew him, though time had -changed us both, and, putting my arms round him, I embraced him, -seeing that he had been faithful when many deserted me, and I loved -him as to-day I love his memory. - -“What brings you here, Molas?” I asked; “when last I heard of you, you -were dwelling far away in Chiapas.” - -“A strange matter: Business of the Heart, O Lord of the Heart, which I -deemed so pressing that I have journeyed over land and sea to find -you. Have you a place where I can speak with you alone?” - -“Follow me,” I said, wondering, and led him to my own chamber, where I -gave him food and drink, for he was weary with travel. - -“Now set out this business,” I said. - -“First show me the token, lord. I desire to see it once more for a -purpose of my own.” - -I rose and closed the shutters of the window, then I bared my breast, -revealing the ancient symbol. For a while he gazed upon it, and said, -“It is enough. Tell me, lord, what is the saying that has descended -with this trinket.” - -“The saying is, Molas, that when this half that I wear is reunited -with the half that is wanting, then the Indians shall rule again from -sea to sea, as they did when the Heart was whole.” - -“That is the saying, lord. We learn it in the ritual that is called -‘Opening of the Heart,’ do we not? and in this ritual that half which -you wear is named ‘Day’ since it can be seen, and that half which is -lost is named ‘Night,’ since, though present, it is not seen, and it -is told to us that the ‘Day’ and the ‘Night’ together will make one -perfect circle, whereof the centre is named the ‘Heart of Heaven,’ of -which these things are the symbol. Is it not so?” - -“It is so, Molas.” - -“Good. Now listen. That which was lost is found, the half which is -named ‘Night’ has appeared in the land, for I have seen it with my -eyes, and it is to tell you of it that I have travelled hither.” - -“Speak on,” I said. - -“Lord, yonder in Chiapas there is a ruined temple that the _antiguos_ -built, and to that temple have come a man and a woman, his daughter. -The man is old and fierce-eyed, a terrible man, and the girl is -beautiful exceedingly. There in the ruins they have dwelt these four -months and more, and the man practises the art of medicine, for he is -a great doctor, and has wrought many cures, though he takes no money -in payment for his skill, but food only. - -“Now it chanced, lord, that my wife, whom I married but two years ago, -was very sick,--so sick that the village doctor could do nothing for -her. Therefore the fame of the old Indian who dwelt in the ruined -temple having reached me, I determined to visit him and seek his -counsel, or, if possible, to bring him to my home. - -“When my wife heard of it, she said it was of no use, as she saw Death -sitting at the foot of her bed. Still I kissed her and went, leaving -her in charge of the _padre_ of the village and some women, her -sisters. With me I took a lock of her hair, and some fowls and eggs as -a present to the _Lacandone_, for they said that, though of our race, -this doctor was not a Christian. - -“Starting before the dawn I travelled all day by the river and through -the forest, till at evening I came to the ruined temple which I knew, -and began to climb its broken stair. As I neared the top, a man -appeared from beneath the leaning arch that is the gateway of the -stair, and stood gazing at the ball of the setting sun. He was an aged -man, clad in a linen robe only, very light in colour, with long white -beard and hair, a nose hooked like a hawk’s beak, and fierce eyes that -seemed to pierce those he looked upon and to read their most secret -thoughts. - -“‘Greeting, brother,’ he said, speaking in our own tongue, but with a -strange accent, and using many words which are unknown to me, ‘What -brings you here?’ - -“Then he looked at me awhile, and asked slowly: - -“‘Say, brother, are you sick at heart?’ - -“Now, lord, when I heard those words whereof you know the meaning, I -was so astounded that I almost fell backwards down the ruined stair, -but, recovering myself, I tried him with a sign, and lo, he answered -it. Then I tried him with the second sign, and the third, and the -fourth, and so on up to the twelfth, and he answered them all, though -not always as we use them. Then I paused, and he said: - -“‘You have passed the door of the Sanctuary, enter, brother, and draw -on to the Altar.’ - -“But I shook my head, for I could not. Next he tried me with various -signs and strange words that have to do with the inmost mysteries, but -I was not able to answer them, though at times I saw their drift. - -“‘You have some knowledge,’ he said, ‘yet you do but stand at the foot -of the pyramid, whereas I watch the stars from its crest, warming my -hands at the eternal fire.’ - -“‘None of my order have more, lord,’ I answered, ‘save the very -highest.’ - -“‘Then there are higher in the land?’ he asked eagerly, but started -suddenly, and, looking round, went on without waiting for an answer, -‘You are in sorrow, Child of the Heart, and have come from one who was -sick to the death; to your business, and perchance we will speak of -these matters afterwards.’ - -“‘First, lord,’ I said, ‘I have brought an offering,’ and I set down -the basket at his feet. - -“‘Gifts are good between brethren,’ he replied; ‘moreover, in this -barren place food is welcome. Come hither, daughter, and take what -this stranger brings.’ - -“As he spoke a lady came forward through the archway, dressed like her -father, in a white robe of fine fabric, but somewhat worn. I looked at -her, and it is truth, lord, that for the second time I went near to -falling, for so great was the loveliness of this girl that my heart -turned to water within me. Never before had I seen, or even dreamed -of, such beauty in a woman.” - -“To your tale, Molas, to your tale. What has the fashion of a woman’s -beauty to do with the business of the Heart?” I broke in, angrily. - -“I do not know, lord,” he answered; “and yet I think that it has to do -with all earthly things.” Then he continued: - -“The lady, whose name was Maya, looked at me carelessly, and took the -basket. Following her through the archway to the terrace beyond, I set -out the matter of my wife’s illness to the doctor--or rather to him -who passes as a doctor, and who is named Zibalbay, or Watcher--praying -that he would come to the village and minister to her. - -“He listened in silence, then took the lock of hair that I had brought -with me, and, going to a fire that burned near by, he laid some of the -hair upon an ember and watched it as it writhed and shrivelled away. - -“‘It would be of little use, brother,’ he said, sadly, ‘seeing that -your wife is now dead. I felt her spirit pass us as we talked together -in the gateway; still, until I burnt the hair, I did not know whether -it was she who went by, or another.’ - -“Here I may tell you, lord, that, as I found afterwards, my wife -departed at that very hour of sunset, though whether the doctor, -Zibalbay, guessed that she must die then from the symptoms which I -described to him, or whether he has the spirit sight, and saw her, I -do not know. - -“Still, it seems natural that at that moment of her passing she should -come to bid farewell to the husband whom she loved, though I think it -is a bad omen for me, and I pray that I may never see that place -again. At the least, when I heard him speak thus I did not doubt his -truth, for something within me confirmed it, but I hid my face and -groaned aloud in the bitterness of my grief. - -“Then, taking my hand, Zibalbay, the Watcher, spoke great words to me -in a solemn voice that seemed to soothe me as the song of a mother -soothes a restless child, for he talked with certainty as one who has -knowledge and vision of those who have gone beyond, telling me that -this parting was not for long, and that soon I should find her whom I -had lost made glorious and folded close to the Heart of Heaven. Then -he laid his hand upon my head, and I slept awhile, to wake, sad, -indeed, but filled with a strange peace. - -“‘Food is ready, my brother,’ said Zibalbay. ‘Eat and rest here this -night; to-morrow you can return.’ - -“Now when we had eaten, Zibalbay spoke to me in the presence of his -daughter, who, though a woman, is also of the Order, saying: - -“‘You are of our Brotherhood, therefore the words I speak will be -repeated to none who are not brethren, for I speak upon the Heart.’ - -“‘I hear with the Ears, lord,’ I answered. - -“‘Listen!’ he went on. ‘I come from far with this maiden, my daughter, -and we are not what we seem, but who and what we are now is not the -hour to tell. This is the purpose of our coming--to find that which is -one, but divided; that which is not lost, but hidden. Perchance, -brother, you can point the path to it,’ and he paused and looked at me -with his piercing eyes. - -“Now, lord, I understood to what his words had reference, for are they -not part of the ritual of the service ‘Opening of the Heart?’ Still, -because I desired to be sure, and not commit myself, I picked up a -piece of burnt wood, and, as though in idleness, bent down, and, by -the light of the fire, I drew the half of a heart with a saw-like edge -upon the pavement of the chamber where we sat. Then I handed the stick -to Zibalbay, who took it and passed it on to his daughter, saying: - -“‘I have no skill at such arts; finish it, Maya.’ - -“She smiled, and, kneeling down, traced the half of a face within the -outline that I had drawn, saying: - -“‘Is it enough, or do you need the writing also?’ - -“‘It is enough,’ I answered. ‘Now, lord, what do you desire?’ - -“‘I desire to know where that which is hidden can be brought to light, -and if it dwells in this land, for I have journeyed far to seek it.’ - -“‘It dwells here,’ I answered, ‘for I have beheld it with my eyes, and -he guards it who is its keeper.’ - -“‘Can you lead me to him, brother?’ - -“‘No, for I have no such commands; but perhaps I can bring him to you, -though I must journey by sea and land to find him--that is, if he -wills to come. Say, what message shall I give? That a stranger whom I -have met desires to look upon the holy symbol? It will scarcely bring -him so far.’ - -“‘Nay, tell him that the hour is come for “Night” and “Day” to be -joined together, that a new sun may shine in a new sky.’ - -“‘I can tell him this, but will he believe it, seeing that I have no -proof? Will he not rather think that some cunning stranger and false -brother lays a plot to trap him? Give me proofs, lord, or I do not -start upon this errand.’ - -“‘Will he believe that which you have seen with your eyes?’ - -“‘He will believe it, for he has trusted me from childhood.’ - -“‘Then look!’ said the man, and, opening his robe at the neck, he -kneeled down in the light of the fire. - -“There, lord, upon his breast hung that which has been hidden from our -sight since the sons of Quetzal, the god, ruled in the land, the -counterpart of the severed symbol which is upon your breast. That is -all my story, lord.” - - * * * * * * * - -Now I, Ignatio, listened amazed, for the thing was marvellous. - -“Did the man send me no further message?” I asked. - -“None. He said that if you were a true keeper of the mystery you would -come to learn his mission from himself, or bring him to you.” - -“And did you tell him anything of me and of my history, Molas?” - -“Nothing; I had no such command. On the morrow at dawn I left to bury -my wife, if she were dead, or to nurse her if she still were sick, -saying that so soon as might be I would travel to the city of Mexico -to seek out the Keeper of the Heart and give him this tidings, and -that within eight weeks or less I trusted to report how I had fared. -The old man asked me if I had money, and without waiting to be -answered he gave me two handfuls of lumps of moulded gold from a hide -bag, whereof each lump was stamped with the symbol of the Heart.” - -“Let me see one,” I said. - -“Alas! my lord Ignatio, I have none. Not far from the ruined temple -where this Zibalbay and his daughter sojourned, is the _hacienda_ of -Santa Cruz, and there, as you may have heard, dwell a gang of men -under the leadership of one Don Pedro Moreno, who are by profession -smugglers, highway robbers, and murderers, though they pretend to earn -a living by the cultivation of coffee and cocoa. - -“As it chanced, in journeying homewards, I fell into the hands of some -of these men. They searched me, and, finding the lumps of gold in my -pocket, handed them over to Don Pedro himself, who rode up when he saw -that they had the fish in their net. He examined the gold closely, and -asked me whence it came. At first I refused to answer, whereupon he -said that I should be confined in a dungeon at the _hacienda_ until -such time as I chose to speak. - -“Then, being mad to get back to my village and learn the fate of my -wife, I found my tongue and spoke the truth, saying that the gold was -given in exchange for food by an old Indian doctor, who dwelt with his -daughter in a ruined temple in the forest. - -“‘Mother of Heaven!’ said Don Pedro, ‘I have heard of this man before; -but now I know the kind of merchandise in which he trades, I think -that I must pay him a visit and learn what mint it was stamped at.’ - -“Then, having plucked me bare as a fowl for the oven, they let me go -without hurt, but often I have sorrowed because, in my hour of haste -and need, I told them whence the gold came, since I fear lest I should -thus have let loose these villains upon the old wanderer and his -daughter, and in that case they may well be murdered before ever you -can reach them.” - -“Doubtless Heaven will protect them,” I answered, “though you acted -foolishly. But tell me, Molas, how did you find me out and come here -without money?” - -“I had some money at home, lord, and when I had buried my wife I -travelled to Frontera on the coast, where I found a ship bound for -Vera Cruz, and in her I sailed, giving my service as a sailor, which -is a trade that I have followed. From Vera Cruz I made my way to -Mexico, and reported myself to the head of the Brotherhood in that -city, who, as I expected, was able to give me tidings of you. - -“Then I came on to this village, and arrived here to-night, having -been a month and two days on my journey. And now, lord, if you can, -give me a place to sleep in, since I am weary, who for three days have -scarcely shut my eyes. To-morrow you can let me know what answer I -must bear to the old man, Zibalbay.” - - * * * * * * * - -I, Ignatio, sat late that night pondering over these tidings, which -filled me with a strange hope. Could it be that my hour of success was -at hand after so many years of waiting? If there were truth in -prophecies it would seem so, and yet my faith wavered. This traveller, -whom Molas had seen, might be a madman, and his symbol might be -forged. I could not tell, but at least I would put the matter to the -proof, for to-morrow, or so soon as was possible, I would journey down -to Chiapas and seek him out. - -Thinking thus, I threw myself upon my bed and strove to sleep, but -could not. Then, remembering the scroll that my friend had given me, I -rose, purposing to change my thoughts in studying it and so win sleep. -It was a hard task, but at length I mastered its meaning, and found -that it dealt with a mine near Cumarvo, and described the exact -position of the mouth of the tunnel. - -This mouth, it would appear, had been closed up in the reign of -Guatemoc, and the scroll was written by the _cacique_ who had charge -of the mine in those days, in order that a record might remain that -would enable his descendants to reopen it, should a time come when the -Spaniards were driven from the land. That the mine was very rich in -free gold was shown by the weights of pure metal stated in this scroll -to have been sent year by year to the Court of Montezuma by this -_cacique_, and also by the fact that it was thought worth hiding from -the Spaniards. - -Early on the morrow I went to the room of the Señor Strickland and -spoke to him with a heavy heart. - -“Señor,” I said, “you will remember that when I entered your service -I told you that I might have to leave it at any moment. Now I am here -to say that the time is come, for a messenger has arrived to summon me -to the other end of Mexico upon business of which I may not speak, and -to-morrow I must start upon the journey.” - -“I am sorry to hear it, Ignatio,” he answered, “for you have been a -good friend to me. Still, you do well to separate your fortunes from -those of an unlucky man.” - -“And you, señor, do ill to speak thus to me,” I answered with -indignation; “still, I forgive you because I know that at times, when -the heart is sore, the mouth utters words that are not meant. Listen, -señor, when you have eaten your breakfast, will you take a ride with -me?” - -“Certainly, if you like. But whither do you wish to ride?” - -“To another mine that is, or should be, about two hours on horseback -from here, in a valley at the foot of yonder peak. I only heard of it -last night, though I came to Cumarvo to seek it, and it would seem -that it was very rich in Montezuma’s day.” - -“In Montezuma’s day?” he said. - -“Yes, it was last worked then, and I propose that if we can find it, -and it looks well, that you should ‘denounce’ it for yourself, giving -a reward of a few dollars to the Indian from whom I had the -information, who is a poor man.” - -“But if it is so good, why don’t _you_ denounce it, Ignatio; and how -did you come to hear about it after all these years?” - -“For two reasons, señor; first, because I wish to do you a service if -it is in my humble power, and, secondly, because I cannot look after -it and must leave you, though to do so will be a true grief to me, -for, if you will permit me to say it, never have I met a man for whom -I conceived a greater respect and affection. Perhaps, if I return -again, you will give me a share in the profits, so that we may grow -rich together. And now I will show you how I came to hear of the -mine.” And I fetched the scroll, with the translation that I had made, -and read it to him. - -He listened eagerly, for, like yourself, Señor Jones, your -countryman, James Strickland, loved adventure and all things that have -to do with the past of this ancient land. - -“Let us go at once,” he said when I had finished. “I will order the -horses and a mule with the prospecting kit to be got ready. Shall we -take men with us?” - -“I think not, señor; the mine is not yet found, and the less talk -there is about it the better, for if the matter is noised abroad -somebody may be before you in denouncing it. The messenger who came to -see me last night is a trusty man, but he is weary with journeying, -and rests, so we will go alone.” - -An hour later we were riding among the mountains, I having left a -message for Molas to say that I should return before dark. The trail -which we were following was a difficult one, and ran for some miles -along the edge of a precipice till it reached the crest of the range. -Indeed, so bad was it in parts, that we were forced to dismount and -drive the horses and mule before us, while we followed, clinging to -the ferns and creepers on the rocks to keep ourselves from falling. - -At length we came to the summit of the range, and turned downwards -through a forest of oak and fir trees, heading for a valley that lay -at the base of a solitary mountain peak, along which ran a stream. -Down this stream we rode a mile or more, since I was searching for a -certain pointed rock that was mentioned in the scroll as standing by -itself on the slope of a mountain where no trees grew, beneath which -should be the glen where in the days of Guatemoc was a great _ceiba_ -tree that, so said the writing, overshadowed the mouth of the mine. - -Riding uphill through a dense grove of oaks, we came presently to the -glen that lay just below the slope whereon stood the tall rock. - -“This must be the place,” I said, “but I see no _ceiba_ tree.” - -“Doubtless it has fallen and rotted since those days,” answered the -Señor Strickland. “Let us tether the horses and search.” - -This we did, and the hunt was long, for here grasses and ferns grew -thick, but at length I discovered a spot where the trunk of a very -ancient tree had decayed in the ground, so that nothing remained -except the outline of its circle and some of the larger roots. - -Round about these roots we sought desperately for an hour or more, but -without avail, till at length my companion grew weary of the sport, -and went to pull up a small glossy-leaved palm that he had discovered, -purposing to take it home and set it in his garden, for he was a great -lover of plants and flowers. - -While he was thus engaged, and I toiled amongst the grasses looking -for the mouth of the mine, which, as I began to think, was lost -forever, suddenly he called out, “Come here, Ignatio. Beneath the -roots of this palm is refuse rock that has been broken with hammers. I -believe that this must have been the platform in front of the mine. -One can see that the ground was flat here.” - -I came to him, and together we renewed our search, till at length, by -good luck, we discovered a hole immediately beneath a rock, large -enough for a man to creep into. - -“Was this made by a _coyote_, or is it the mouth of the mine?” the -señor asked. - -“That we can only find out by entering it,” I answered. “Doubtless -when they shut down the mine, the _antiguos_ would have left some such -place as this to ventilate the workings. Bring the pickaxe, señor, -and we will soon see.” - -For ten minutes or more we laboured, working in soft ground with pick -and spade till we bared the side of a tunnel, which I examined. - -“There is no need to trouble further,” I said, “this rock has been cut -with copper chisels, for here is the green of the copper. Without -doubt we have found the mouth of the mine. Now give me the hammer and -candles, and bring the leather bag for samples, and we will enter.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - THE LEGEND OF THE HEART - -When I had gone a few paces down the hole, it widened suddenly, so -that we were able to stand upright and light our candles. Now there -was no doubt that we were in the tunnel of an old mine, a rudely-dug -shaft that turned this way and that as it followed the windings of the -ore body. - -Along this tunnel we went for thirty or forty paces, creeping over the -fallen boulders, and twisting ourselves between the brown stalactites -that in the course of ages had formed upon the roof and floor, till -presently we reached an obstacle that barred our further progress; a -huge mass of rock which at some time or other had fallen from the roof -of the tunnel and blocked it. I looked at it, and said: - -“Now, señor, I think that we shall have to go back. You remember the -writing tells us that this mine, although so rich, was unsafe because -of the rottenness of the rock. Doubtless they propped it in the old -days, but the timbers have decayed long ago.” - -“Yes,” he answered, “we can do nothing here without help, and, -Ignatio, I don’t like the look of the roof, it is full of cracks.” - -As these last words left his lips a piece of stone, the size of a -child’s head, fell from above almost at his feet. - -“Speak softly,” I whispered, “the ring of your voice is bringing down -the roof.” - -Then I stooped to pick up the fallen stone, thinking that it might -show ore, and, as I did so, my hand touched something sharp, which I -lifted and held to the candle. It was the jawbone of a man, yellow -with age, and corroded by damp. I showed it to the señor, and, -kneeling down, we examined the bed of the tunnel together, and not -uselessly, for there we found the remainder of the skull and some -fragments of an arm-bone, but the rest of the skeleton lay under the -great boulder in front of us. - -“He was coming out of the mine when the rock fell upon him, poor -fellow,” whispered the señor. “Look here,” and he pointed to a little -heap of something that gleamed in the candle-light. - -It was free gold, six or seven ounces of it, almost pure, and for the -most part in small nuggets, that once were contained in a bag which -had long since rotted away. - -Doubtless, after the mine was closed, some Aztec, who knew its secret, -had made a practice of working there for his own benefit, till one -day, as he was coming out, the rock fell upon him and crushed him, -leaving his spirit to haunt the place for ever. - -“There is no doubt about this mine being rich,” whispered the señor; -“but all the same I think that we had better get out of it. I hear odd -noises and rumblings which frighten me. Come, Ignatio,” and he turned -to lead the way towards the opening. - -Two paces farther I saw him strike his ankle against a piece of rock -that stood up some six or eight inches from the floor-bed of the -tunnel, and the pain of the blow was so sharp that, forgetting where -he was, he called out loudly. The next instant there was a curious -sound above me as of something being torn, and, lo! I lay upon my face -on the rock, and upon me rested a huge mass of stone. - -I say that it rested upon me, but this is not altogether true, for, -had it been so, that stone would have killed me at once, as a beetle -is killed beneath the foot of a man, instead of taking more than -two-and-twenty years to do it. The greater part of its weight was -borne by the piece of rock against which the señor had struck his -leg, a point of the fallen boulder only pressing into my back and -grinding me against the ground. Now we were in darkness, for the -señor had been knocked down also, and his candle extinguished, and, -in the midst of my tortures, it came into my mind that he must be -dead. - -Presently, however, I heard his voice, saying, “Ignatio; do you live, -Ignatio?” - -Now I thought for a moment. Even in my pain I remembered that more of -the roof would surely give ere long, and that if my friend stayed here -he must die with me. Nothing could save me, I was doomed to a slow -death beneath the stone; and yet if I told him this I knew that he -would not go. Therefore I answered as strongly as I could: - -“Fly, señor, I am safe, and do but stay to light a candle. I will -follow you.” - -“You are lying to me,” he answered; “your voice comes from the level -of the floor.” And as he spoke I heard the scratching sound of a -match. - -So soon as he had found his candle and lit it, he knelt down and -looked at me. Then he examined the roof above, and, following his -glance with difficulty, I saw that next to the hole whence the boulder -had fallen, hung a huge block of stone, that, surrounded by great -cracks from which water dropped, trembled like a leaf whenever he -moved or spoke. - -“For the love of God, fly,” I whispered. “In a few hours it will be -over with me, and you cannot help me. I am a dead man, do not stop -here to share my fate.” - -For a moment he seemed to hesitate, then his courage came back to him, -and he answered hoarsely: - -“We entered this place together, friend, and we will go out together, -or not at all. You must be fixed by the rock and not crushed, or you -would not speak of living for hours. Let me look,” and he lay upon his -breast and examined the fallen rock by the light of the candle. “Thank -God! there is hope,” he said at last, “the boulder rests on the ground -and upon the stone against which I struck my leg, for only one point -of it is fixed in your back. Do you think that anything is broken, -Ignatio?” - -“I cannot say, señor, my pain is great, and I am being slowly crushed -to death; but I believe that as yet my bones are whole. Fly, I beg of -you.” - -“I will not,” he answered sullenly, “I am going to roll this rock off -you.” - -Then, lifting with all his great strength, he strove to move the -stone, but without avail, for it was beyond the power of mortal man to -stir it, and all the while the black mass trembled above his head. - -“I must go for help,” he said, presently. - -“Yes, yes, señor,” I answered, “go for help;” for I knew well that -before he could return with any, more of the roof would have fallen, -shutting me in to perish by inches, or perhaps crushing the life out -of me in mercy. Then I remembered, and added: - -“Stay a moment before you go; you are noble, I will give you -something. Feel here round my neck, there is a little chain--now, draw -it over my head--so. You see a token hangs to it; if ever you are in -trouble with the Indians, take their chief man apart and show him -this, and he will die for you if need be. - -“Englishman, by this gift I have made you heir to the empire of the -Aztecs in the heart of every Indian, and the master of the great -brotherhood of Mexico. Molas, the messenger, will tell you all and -bring you to those who can initiate you. Bid him lead you whither he -would have led me. Farewell, and God go with you. Tell the Indians how -I died, that they may not think that you have murdered me.” - -To these words of mine the señor made no answer, but thrust the token -into his pocket without looking at it, like one who dreams. Then, -taking the candle with him, he crept forward down the tunnel and -vanished, and my heart sank as I saw him go, leaving me to my dreadful -fate without a word of farewell. - -“Doubtless he is too frightened to speak,” I thought, “and it is right -that he should fly as quickly as possible to save his life.” - -Now, as I was soon to learn, I was doing the señor a bitter wrong in -my mind, seeing that he never dreamed of deserting me, but went to -find a means of rescue. As he told me afterwards, when he reached the -mouth of the tunnel, he could think of no way by which I might be -saved, since these mountains were uninhabited, and it would take -several hours to bring men from Cumarvo. - -Outside the mine he sat himself down to consider what could be done, -but no thought came, for it was impossible to use the strength of the -horses in that narrow place. Then he sprang up and looked round him in -despair. Close to him was a little ravine hollowed by water, and on -its very edge grew a small mimosa thorn of which the long roots had -been washed almost bare by a flood. He saw it, and an inspiration -entered into him. With the help of a lever he might be able to do a -feat to which his unaided strength was not equal. - -Springing at the little tree, that being of so tough a wood was the -best possible for his purpose, he tore it from such root-hold as -remained to it. A few strokes with his heavy hunting-knife trimmed off -the branches and fibres, and soon he was creeping carefully up the -tunnel, dragging the trunk after him. When he had gone some twenty -paces he heard another fragment of the roof fall, and, so he said in -his story, was minded to fly. - -He had but just escaped from a horrible end, the end that generations -ago overtook the poor Aztec, and it was awful to brave it again. He -knew that his chances of being able to rescue me were few indeed, -whereas those that he would perish miserably in the attempt were many. -Then he remembered what my sufferings must be if I still lived, and -how his own conscience would reproach him in the after years, should -he leave me to my fate, and he went on. - -Now he could see that the half-detached mass of the roof still hung; -it was a smaller fragment which had fallen, one nearer to the -entrance. He could see also that I lay in the same position beneath -the rock, and he thought that I was dead, because I neither moved nor -spoke, though, in fact, I had but swooned under the agony of my -suffering. - -“Are you dead?” he whispered, and I heard his voice through my sleep, -and, lifting my head, looked up at him astonished, for I had never -thought to see him again. - -“Do I behold a spirit,” I said, “or is it you come back?” - -“It is I, Ignatio, and I have brought a lever. Now when I lift, -struggle forward if you can.” - -Then he placed the trunk of the thorn-tree in what seemed to him the -best position, and put all his strength upon it. It was in vain; even -so he could not stir the rock. - -“Try a little more to the right,” I said, faintly; “there is a better -hold.” - -He shifted the lever and dragged at it till his muscles cracked, and I -felt the stone tremble as its bulk began to rise. - -“If you can help ever so little, it will come!” he gasped. - -Then in my despair, though the anguish of it nearly killed me, I set -my palms upon the ground, and, contracting myself like a snake that is -held with a forked stick, thrust upwards with my back, till the point -of the stone was raised to the height of eight or ten inches from the -ground. - -For a moment, and one only, it hung there; next instant the lever -slipped, and down it came again. But I had taken my chance, for, -clinging to the floor with my fingers, so soon as my back was free, -with a quick movement I dragged myself a foot or more forward. Then -the point of rock that had been lifted from my spine fell again, but -this time it struck the ground between my thighs. - -Now he seized me by the arms and tore me free, though I left one of my -long boots beneath the stone. I strove to rise, but could not because -of the hurt to my back. - -“You must carry me, señor,” I said. - -He glanced at the mass that trembled above us; then, giving me the -candle, he lifted me from the ground like an infant and staggered -forward down the tunnel. Perhaps we had gone some seven or eight -paces, not more, when there was a dreadful crash behind us. The roof -had fallen in, and the spot which we occupied some thirty seconds -before was now piled high with rocks. - -“On!” I said; “cracks are showing in the stone above us!” and he -rushed forward till we found ourselves outside the mine. - -Now I bowed my head and returned thanks for my escape; then, lifting -it, I looked my preserver in the face and said: - -“I swear by the name of God, señor, that He never made a man nobler -than yourself!” - -The next instant I fell forward and fainted there among the ferns. - - * * * * * * * - -Ten days had passed since I was carried from the mouth of that -accursed mine back to Cumarvo in a litter, and during all this time I -had suffered much pain in my back, and been very ill--so ill, indeed, -that I was scarcely allowed to speak with anyone. Now, however, I was -much better, and one afternoon the Señor Strickland, assisted by my -foster-brother Molas, lifted me from my bed into a hammock. - -“By the way, Ignatio,” said the señor when Molas had gone, “I never -gave you back this charm of yours. What a strange trinket it is!” he -added, taking it from his neck; “and what did you mean by your talk in -the tunnel about its making me heir to the empire of the Aztecs in the -heart of every Indian, and the rest of it? I suppose that you were -delirious with pain, and did not know what you were saying.” - -“Is the door shut, señor?” I asked; “and are you sure that there is -no one on the verandah? Good! Then draw your chair nearer and I will -tell you something. I am not certain that I should take this talisman -back again, still I will do so for reasons which you shall learn -presently. - -“Know, señor, that this broken gem is at once the foundation-stone -and the secret symbol of a great order, of which, although you have -not been initiated into it, you are now one of the lords, seeing that -the crowning and vital ceremony of the creation of a Lord of the Heart -consists in the hanging of the symbol about his neck for the space of -a minute only by myself, who am the chief lord and Keeper of the Heart -for life, and you have worn it for ten whole days. - -“Before we part I will call a chapter of the order--for even among -these mountains we have brethren--and you shall be initiated into its -ritual and raised to the rank of a chief lord, as is your right. -Meanwhile I will instruct you briefly in its mysteries, as it is my -bounden duty to do. - -“Understand, señor, that the first duty of the servant of the Heart -is silence, and that silence I demand of you. Men have died ere now, -señor; yes, they have died on the rack in the dungeons of the -Inquisition, and shrivelled as wizards in the fires of the stake, -sooner than reveal those things that have been told them upon the -faith of the Heart, against which the confessional itself cannot -prevail--no, not with the best of Catholics.” - -“But suppose that a man should not keep silence, Ignatio, what then?” -he asked. - -“There is a land, señor,” I answered, “where the most talkative grow -dumb, and its borders can be crossed by all, even by the Lords of the -Heart, for fearful is the doom of a false brother!” - -“You mean that if I repeat anything I may hear, I shall be murdered.” - -“Indeed, no, señor; but you may happen to die. I speak on the Heart; -do you hear with the Ears?” - -“I hear with the Ears,” he answered, catching my meaning. - -“Very well, señor, since you have now sworn secrecy to me by the most -solemn oath that can pass the lips of man, I will speak to you openly. -This is the tale of the Broken Heart, so far as I know it, though how -much of it is truth and how much is legend I cannot say: - -“You have heard the story of that white man, or god, sometimes called -Quetzal by the Indians, and sometimes Cucumatz, who came to these -lands in the far past and civilised their peoples? Afterwards he -vanished away in a ship, promising that when many generations had -passed he would return again. - -“When he had gone, the empire which he created fell into the hands of -two brothers, whose chief city was either at Palenque or in its -neighbourhood, and the citizens of this empire, like we Christians, -worshipped one good god, the true God, under the name of the Heart of -Heaven, and to Him they offered few sacrifices save those of fruit and -flowers. Now one of these brothers married a wife from another -country--a daughter of devils, very beautiful and a great witch. - -“Soon this woman, as in the story of the wives of Solomon and their -lord, drew away the king, her husband, from the true faith to the -worship of the gods of her own land, and brought it about that he -offered human sacrifice to them. Then there arose a great confusion in -that country, and the end of it was that the people divided themselves -into two parties, the worshippers of the Heart of Heaven and the -worshippers of devils. - -“They made war upon each other, till many of their chief men were -killed; then they came to an agreement whereby the nation was -sundered. Half of it, under that king who had married the woman, -marched northwards, and became the fathers of the Aztecs and other -tribes; and half, the faithful worshippers of the Heart, remained in -the Tobasco country. - -“Now from that day forward evil overtook both these peoples, for -though the Aztecs flourished for a while, in the end Spaniards -despoiled them. The worshippers of the Heart also were driven from -their cities by hordes of barbarians who rolled down upon them, and -their faith perished, or seemed to perish.” - -“But what has this history to do with the charm about your neck, -Ignatio?” he asked. - -“I will tell you. When Quetzal sailed away from his people, so says -the legend, he left the stone, that once he had worn upon his brow, of -which this is the half, to be a treasure to the kings who came after -him. Also he set this fate upon it: that while the Heart remained -unbroken, for so long should the people be one and whole; but if it -came about that it was cut or shattered, they should be divided with -it, to be no more one people until again the fragments were one stone. - -“Now when these king-brethren quarrelled and parted, they sawed the -token asunder, as you see, each of them keeping a half, this half -being that of him who married the woman. For generations it was worn -by his descendants, and upon their death-beds passed on by them to -another, or at times taken from their bodies after they were dead. - -“There are many stories told about the stone in the old days, and it -is certain that he who had it was the real king of the country for the -time being. At length it came into the hands of the great Guatemoc, -last of the Aztec emperors, who, before the Spaniards hung him, found -means to send it to his son, from whom it has come down to me.” - -“To you? What have you to do with Guatemoc?” - -“I am his lineal descendant, señor, the eleventh in the male line.” - -“Then you ought to be Emperor of the Indians if every man had his -rights, Ignatio.” - -“That is so, señor, but of my own story I will tell you presently. -Now of this stone. Through all the ages it has never been lost, and it -is known in the land from end to end; he who wears it for his life -being called ‘Keeper of the Heart,’ and also ‘Hope of those who wait,’ -since it may happen in his day that the two halves will come together -again.” - -“And what if they do?” - -“Then, so says the legend, the Indians will once more be a mighty -nation, and drive those who oppress them into the sea, as the wind -drives dust.” - -Now the señor rose from his chair and walked up and down the room. - -“Do you believe all this?” he asked, suddenly. - -“Yes,” I answered, “or the greater part of it. Indeed, if what I hear -is true, the lost half of the talisman that has been missing for so -many generations is in Mexico at this moment, and, so soon as I am -well enough, I go to seek him who bears it, and who has come from far -to find me. That is why we must part, señor.” - -“Where has this man come from?” he asked, eagerly. - -“I do not know for certain,” I answered, “but I think that he has come -from the sacred city of the Indians, the hidden Golden City which the -Spaniards sought for but could not find, though it still exists among -the mountains and deserts of the far interior, whither I hope to -journey with him.” - -“That still exists! Ignatio, you must be mad. It never has existed -except in the imagination.” - -“You say so, señor, but I think differently. At least, I knew a man -whose grandfather had seen it. He, the grandfather, was a native of -San Juan Batista, in Tobasco, and when he was young he committed some -crime and fled inland to save his life. - -“All that befell him I do not know, but at length he found himself -wandering by the shores of a great lake, somewhere in or beyond the -country that is now known as Guatemala, and, being exhausted, he laid -himself down to die there and fell asleep. - -“When he awoke, people were standing round him, like the Indians to -look at, but very light in colour, and beautifully dressed in white -robes, with necklaces of emeralds and feather capes. These people put -him on board a great canoe, and took him to a glorious city with a -high pyramid in the centre of it, which was named Heart of the World. - -“Of this city he saw little, however, for its inhabitants kept him a -prisoner, only from time to time he was brought before their king and -elders, who sat in a hall filled with images of dead men fashioned in -gold, and there was questioned as to the country whence he came, the -tribes that dwelt in it, and more especially of the white men who -ruled the land. - -“In that hall alone, so he said, there were more gold and precious -stones than are to be found in all Mexico. When he had nothing more to -tell them, the people wished to kill him, fearing lest he should -escape and bring upon them the white men who loved gold. The end of it -was that he did escape by the help of a woman, who guided him back -towards the sea, though she never came there, for she died upon the -road. - -“Afterwards this man went to live in a little village near Palenque, -where he also died, having revealed nothing of what he had seen, since -he feared lest the vengeance of the People of the Heart should follow -him. When he was dying, he told his son, who told his son, who told -the tale to me. Señor, it has been the dream of my life to visit that -city, and now at last I think that I have found the clue which will -lead me to it.” - -“Why do you want to visit it, Ignatio?” - -“To understand that, señor, you must know my history.” And I told him -of the failure of the great plot and the part that I had played in it, -all of which I have already set out, also of the secret hopes and -ambitions of my life. - -“Señor,” I added, “though I am beaten I am not yet crushed, and I -still desire to build up a great Indian empire. I see by your face -that you think me foolish. You may be right or I may be right. I may -be pursuing truths or dreams, I may be sane and a redeemer, or insane -and a fool. What does it matter? I follow the light that runs before -me; will-o’-the-wisp or star, it leads to one end, and for me it is -the light that I am born to follow. If you believe nothing else, at -least believe this, señor, that I do not seek my own good or -advancement, but rather that of my people. At the worst, I am not a -knave, I am only a fool.” - -“But how will you help your cause by visiting this city, supposing it -to exist, Ignatio?” - -“Thus, señor: these people--among whom without doubt the old man of -whom I have spoken, who is named Zibalbay, is a chief or king--are the -true stock and head of all the Indian races, and when they learn my -plans and whom I am, they will be glad to furnish me with means -whereby I can bring them to their former empire.” - -“And if they take another view of the matter, Ignatio?” - -“Then I fail, that is all, and among so many failures one more will -scarcely matter. I am like a swimmer who sees, or thinks that he sees, -a single plank that may bear him to safety. Maybe he cannot reach that -plank, or, if he reach it, maybe it will sink beneath his weight. At -least, he has no other hope. - -“Señor, I have no other hope. There in the Golden City is untold -wealth, for the man saw it, and without money, great sums of money, I -am helpless, therefore I go thither to win the money. The ship has -foundered under me, and with it the cargo of my ambitions and the work -of my life; so, being desperate, I fall back upon a desperate -expedient. - -“First, I will seek this man, that the two halves of the Heart may -come together, and the prophecy be fulfilled; then, if it may be, I -will travel with him to the City, Heart of the World, careless whether -I live or die, but determined, if there is need, to die fighting for -the fulfilment of the dream of an Indian empire--Christian, -regenerated, and stretching from sea to sea--that I have followed all -my days.” - -“The dream, Ignatio? Perhaps you name it well, yet few have such noble -dreams. And now, who goes with you on this journey?” - -“Who goes with me? Molas, so far as the temple where the Indian is. -After that, if I proceed, no one. Who would accompany a man grown old -in failure, whom even those that love him deem a visionary, on such a -desperate quest? Why, if I should dare to tell my projects even, men -would mock me as children mock an idiot in the street. I go alone, -señor, perhaps to die.” - -“As regards the dying, Ignatio, of course I can say nothing, since all -men must die sooner or later, and the moment and manner of their end -is in the hand of Providence. But for the rest you shall not make this -journey alone, that is, if you care to have me for a companion, for I -will accompany you.” - -“You, señor, _you_. Think what it means: the certainty of every sort -of danger, the risk of every kind of death, and at the end, the -probability of failure. It is folly, señor.” - -“Ignatio,” he answered, “I will be frank with you. Notwithstanding all -the prophecies about the wonders that are to follow the reuniting of -the Heart, and the messages from the old man in the temple, I think -your scheme of building up an Indian empire greater than that which -Cortez destroyed, as impracticable as it is grand, since the time has -gone by when it could have been done, or perhaps it has not yet -returned. - -“Before the Indians can rule again, they must forget the bitter -lessons and the degradation of ages; in short, they must be educated, -Ignatio. Still, if you think otherwise, that is your affair; you can -only fail, and there are failures more glorious than most successes. -Do you understand me?” - -“Perfectly, señor.” - -“Very well. And now as regards the search for this Golden City. To me -the matter seems very vague, since your hopes of finding it are based -upon a traveller’s tale, told by a man who died seventy or eighty -years ago, and the chance that a certain person, whom you have not yet -seen, has come from there, and is willing to guide you back to it. - -“Still, the prospect of hunting for that city pleases me, for I am an -adventurer in my heart. If ever we get further than the forest country -in Tabasco, where your friend with the token is waiting for you, our -search will probably end in the leaving of our bones to decorate some -wilderness or mountain top in the unknown regions of Guatemala. - -“But what of that? I have no chick or child; my death would matter -nothing to any living soul; for years I have worked hard with small -results; why should I not follow my natural bent and become an -adventurer? I can scarcely do worse than I have done, and I think that -the way of life would suit me. - -“That mine you showed me is rich enough no doubt, but I have no -capital to deal with it, and if I had, my experience of the place was -such that I never wish to set foot in it again. In short, I am ready -to start for Tabasco, and the Sacred City, and wherever else you like, -so soon as you are fit to travel.” - -“Do you swear that on the Heart, señor?” I asked. - -“By all means; but I should prefer to give you my hand upon it.” And -he stretched out his hand, which I took. - -“Good. You swear on the Heart, and give me your hand--the oath is -perfect. We are comrades henceforth, señor; for my part I ask no -better one. I have nothing more to say. I cannot promise that you will -find this City, or that, if you find it, it will advantage you. I am -an unlucky man, and it is more likely that, by yoking yourself with -me, you will bring my misfortunes upon your head. This I swear, -however, that I will be a true comrade to you, as you were to me -yonder in the mine, and for the rest, the adventure must be its own -reward.” - - - - CHAPTER V. - THE BEGINNING OF THE QUEST - -Something more than a month from the day when the Señor Strickland -and I made our compact to search for the secret city of the Indians, -we found ourselves, together with Molas, at Vera Cruz, waiting for a -ship to take us to Frontera, where we proposed to disembark. This port -we had chosen in preference to Campeche, although the latter was -nearer to the ruins where we hoped to find the Indian Zibalbay, -because from it we could travel in canoes up the Grijalva and other -rivers, unobserved by any save the natives. - -Things are changed now in these parts, but in those days the white men -who lived thereabouts beyond the circle of the towns were too often -robbers, as Molas had found to his cost some few weeks before. - -At Vera Cruz we purchased such articles as were necessary to our -journey, not many, for we could not be sure of finding means to carry -them. Among them were hammocks, three guns that would shoot either -ball or shot, with ammunition, as many muzzle-loading Colt’s -revolvers, the best that were to be had twenty years ago, some -medicines, blankets, boots, and spare clothes. - -Also we took with us all the money that we possessed, amounting to -something over fifteen hundred dollars in gold, which sum we divided -between us, carrying it in belts about our middles. At Vera Cruz, -where people are very curious about the business of others, we gave -out that the Señor Strickland was one of those strange Englishmen who -love to visit old ruins, for which purpose he was travelling to -Yucatan; that I, Ignatio, was his guide and companion, and that Molas, -my foster-brother, was our servant. - -Now we purposed to leave Vera Cruz by a fine American vessel, a -sailing ship, that, after touching at the ports along the coast, -traded to Havana and New York. As it chanced, the departure of this -ship was delayed for a week, so, being pressed for time and fearing -lest we should catch the yellow fever that was raging in the town, -unhappily for ourselves we took passage in a Mexican boat called the -_Santa Maria_. - -She was an old sailing vessel of not more than two hundred and fifty -tons burden, that had been converted by her owners into a paddle-wheel -steamer, with the result that, except in favourable weather, she could -neither sail nor steam with any speed or safety. Her business was to -trade with passengers and cargo between Vera Cruz and the ports of -Frontera and Campeche. - -“Where for?” asked the agent of the Señor Strickland, as he filled in -the tickets. - -“Frontera,” he answered. “Your boat stops there, does she not?” - -“Oh! certainly, señor,” he said, as he pocketed the dollars, and yet -all the while this shameless rogue knew that she had orders to touch -at Campeche, which is the furthest port, first, and return to Frontera -a week later. But of this more in its place. - -That afternoon the _Santa Maria_, with us on board of her, was piloted -out of the harbour of Vera Cruz, and we heard the pilot swearing -because she would not answer properly to her helm. Standing by the -engines we noticed also that, though they had not been working for -more than half an hour, it was found necessary to keep a stream of -water in constant play upon the bearings. - -The señor asked the reason of this of the man who was mate and -engineer of the boat, and he answered, with a shrug, that sand had got -into the machinery when she was steaming over the bar of the Grijalva -river, but that he thought the bearings, should it please the Saints, -would last this voyage, unless they had the bad luck to run into a -norther, as you English call _el Norte_; the fearful gales that in -certain seasons of the year sweep over the Gulf of Mexico. - -“And if we ‘run into a norther’?” he asked,--whereupon the man made a -grimace, crossed himself to avert the omen, and vanished down the -stoke-hole. - -Now we began to feel sorry that we had not taken passage in the -American ship, since of late northers had been frequent, but as, for -good or ill, we were on board the _Santa Maria_, we amused ourselves -by studying our fellow-passengers. - -Of these there were several on board, perhaps twenty in all, Mexican -landowners and officials returning to their _haciendas_ and native -towns after a visit to Vera Cruz, or the capital, some of them -pleasant companions enough and others not so. Three or four of these -gentlemen were accompanied by their wives, but the ladies had already -retired to the bunks opening out of the cabin, where, although the sea -was quite smooth, they could be heard suffering the pains of sickness. - -Among the passengers was one, a man of not more than thirty years of -age, who particularly attracted our attention because of the -gorgeousness of his dress. In appearance he was large, handsome, and -coarse, and he had Indian blood in his veins, as was shown by the -darkness of his colour and the thick black eyebrows that gave a -truculent expression to his face. While I was wondering who he might -be, Molas made a sign to me to come aside, and said: - -“You see yonder man with the silver buttons on his coat: he is Don -José Moreno, the son of that Don Pedro Moreno who waylaid and robbed -me of the nuggets which the old Indian gave me for the cost of my -journey to find you. I heard at the time that he was away from the -_hacienda_ in Vera Cruz or Mexico, and now doubtless he returns -thither. Beware of him, lord, and bid the Englishman to do the same, -for, like his father, he is a bad man--” and he told me certain things -connected with him and his family. - -While Molas was talking, a bell had been rung for dinner, but I waited -till he had finished before going down. At the door of the cabin I met -the captain, a stout man with a face like a full moon and a bland -smile. - -“What do you seek, señor?” he asked. - -“My dinner, señor,” I answered. - -“It shall be sent to you on the deck,” he said, not without confusion. -“I do not wish to be rude, señor, but you know that these Mexicans--I -am a Spaniard myself and do not care--hate to sit at meat with an -Indian, so, if you insist upon coming in, there will be trouble.” - -Now I heard, and though the insult was deep, it was one to which I was -accustomed, for in this land, which belongs to them and where their -fathers ruled, to be an Indian is to be an outcast. - -Therefore, not wishing to make a stir, I bowed and turned away. -Meanwhile, it seems that the Señor Strickland, missing me in the -cabin, asked the captain where I was, saying that perhaps I did not -know that the meal was ready. - -“If you refer to your servant, the Indian,” said the captain, “I met -him at the door and sent him away. Surely the señor knows that we do -not sit at table with these people.” - -“Captain,” answered the Señor Strickland, “if my friend is an Indian, -he is as good a gentleman as you or anybody else in this cabin; -moreover he has paid for a first-class fare and has a right to -first-class accommodation. I insist upon a seat being provided for him -at my side.” - -“As you wish,” answered the captain, smiling, for he was a man of -peace, “only if he comes there will be trouble.” And he ordered the -steward to fetch me. - -Now this steward was an Indian who knew my rank. Therefore not wishing -to offend me by repeating what had passed, he said simply that the -captain sent his compliments and begged that I would come down to -dinner. The end of it was that I went, though doubtfully, and, seeing -me in the doorway the Señor Strickland called to me in a loud voice, -saying: - -“You are late for dinner, friend, but I have kept your place here by -me. Sit down quickly or the food will be cold.” - -I bowed to the company and obeyed, and then the trouble commenced, for -all present had heard this talk. As I took my seat the Mexicans began -to murmur, and the passenger who was next to me insolently moved his -plate and glass away. Now almost opposite to me sat Don José Moreno, -that man of whom Molas had told me. As I took my seat he consulted -hastily with a neighbour on his right, then, addressing the captain, -said in a loud voice: - -“There is some mistake; it is not usual that Indian dogs should sit at -the same table with gentlemen.” - -The captain shrugged his shoulders and answered mildly: - -“Perhaps the señor will settle the question with the English señor -on my left. To me it does not matter; I am only a poor sailor, and -accustomed to every sort of company.” - -“Señor Strickland,” said Don José, “be so good as to order your -servant to leave the cabin.” - -“Señor,” he answered, for his temper was quick, “I will see you in -hell before I do so.” - -“_Caramba_,” said the Mexican, laying a hand upon the knife in his -belt, “you shall pay for that, Englishman.” - - [image: img_075.jpg - caption: ‘You shall pay for that, Englishman.’] - -“When and how you will, señor. I always pay my debts.” - -Then the captain broke in, in a strange way. First he put his hand -behind him, and, drawing a large pistol from his pocket, he laid it by -his plate. - -“Señors, both,” he said in a soft voice and with a gentle smile, “I -am loth to interfere in a quarrel of two esteemed passengers, but -though I am only a poor sailor, it is my duty to see that there is no -bloodshed on board this vessel. Therefore, much as I regret it, I -shall be obliged to shoot dead the first man who draws a weapon,” and -he cocked the pistol. - -Now the Mexican scowled, and the Señor Strickland laughed outright, -for it was a curious thing to hear a man with the face of a sheep -growl and threaten like a wolf. Meanwhile I had risen, for this insult -was more than I could bear. - -“Señors,” I said, speaking in Spanish, “as I see that my presence is -unwelcome to the majority of those here, I hasten to withdraw myself. -But before I go I wish to say something, not by way of boasting, but -to justify my friend, the English gentleman, in his action on my -behalf. However well-born you may be, my descent is nobler and more -ancient than yours, and therefore it should be no shame to you to sit -at table with me. Least of all should the Don José Moreno, whose -father is a murderer, a highway robber, and a man without shame, and -whose mother was a half-bred _mestiza_ slut, dare to be insolent to me -who, as any Indian on board this ship can tell you, am a prince among -my own people.” - -Now every eye was fixed upon Don José. His sallow complexion turned -to a whitish green as he listened to my words, and for a moment he -sank back in his chair overcome with rage. Then he sprang up, once -more gripping at his knife. - -“You dog!” he gasped, “let me but come at you and I’ll cut your lying -tongue out.” - -“You will do nothing of the sort, Don José Moreno,” I answered, -fixing my eyes upon his face; “what I have said of your father is -true; more, there is a man on board this ship whom, not three months -since, he robbed with violence. If the gentlemen your companions would -like to hear the story I can tell it to them. For the rest, I am well -able to defend myself. Moreover this vessel is manned by Indians who -know me, and should any harm come to me or to my friend, the Señor -Strickland, I warn you that you will not reach your home alive. -Gentlemen, I salute you,” and I bowed and left the cabin. - -“Friend, I thank you,” I said to the señor, when he came upon deck -after the dinner was ended. “Knowing who I am and seeing how, in -common with my race, I am accustomed to be treated by such hounds as -these, can you wonder that I am not fond of Mexicans?” - -“No, Ignatio,” he answered; “but all the same I advise you to be -careful of this Don José. He is not a man to kiss the stick that -beats him, and he will make an end of you, and me too for the matter -of that, if he can.” - -“Do not be afraid, señor,” I answered laughing; “besides the steward -and Molas there are twenty Indians on board, most of them belonging to -the tribe that dwells beyond Campeche, the finest race in Mexico. Two -of these men are associates of the Heart, and all the rest know my -rank, and will watch that man day and night so that he can never come -near us without finding them ready for him. Only we shall do well to -sleep on deck and not below.” - -That night we spent, wrapped in our _serapes_, upon two coils of rope -on the forecastle of the _Santa Maria_, with Molas sleeping close -behind us. It was a lovely night and we whiled away the hours in -telling tales to each other of our adventures in past years, and in -wonderings as to those that lay before us, till at length, fearing -nothing, for we knew that our safety was watched over, we fell asleep, -to be awakened by the sudden stoppage of the vessel. - -The day was on the point of dawn; a beautiful and pearly light lay -upon the quiet surface of the sea; above us the stars still shone -faintly in the heavens, but to the east the cloud-banks were tinged -with pink and violet. We sat up wondering what had happened, and saw -the captain, wrapped in a dirty blanket, engaged in earnest -conversation with the engineer, who wore a still dirtier shirt, and -nothing else. Hearing that something was wrong, the Señor James went -to the captain and asked him why we had stopped. - -“Because the engines won’t go any more, and there is no wind to sail -with,” he answered politely. “But have no fear, my comrade says that -he can mend them up. He has nursed them for years and knows their weak -points.” - -“Certainly there is not much to fear in weather like this,” said the -señor, “except delay.” - -“Nothing, nothing,” replied the captain, glancing anxiously at a -narrow black band of cloud, that lay on the rim of the horizon beneath -the fleecy masses in which the lights of dawn were burning. - -“Do you think that we are likely to have a norther?” asked the señor -in his blunt white man’s way. - -“No, no,” exclaimed the captain, crossing himself at the name of that -evil power--_el Norte_, “but _quien sabe_! God makes the weather, not -we poor sailors.” And with another glance at the threatening line of -cloud, he hurried away as though to avoid further conversation. - -Presently the engines began to work again, though haltingly, like a -lame mule, and as the morning drew on the day became clear and the -thin black cloud vanished from the horizon. Towards three o’clock in -the afternoon Molas, pointing to a low coast-line, and a spot on the -sea where the ocean swell showed tipped with white, told us that -yonder was the bar of the Grijalva river, and that behind it lay the -village of Frontera, our destination. - -“Good,” said the señor, “then I think that I will get my things on -deck,” and going to his cabin he brought up a sack containing some -wraps and food. - -“Why do you fetch your baggage?” asked the captain presently, “you may -want it to-night.” - -“That is why I brought it up,” he answered. “I do not wish to land at -Frontera with nothing.” - -“Land at Frontera, señor? No one will land at Frontera from this ship -for another six or seven days. We pass Frontera and run straight on to -Campeche, which, by the blessing of the Saints, we shall reach -to-morrow evening.” - -“But I have taken tickets for Frontera,” said the señor. “The agent -gave them to me, and I insist upon being put on shore there.” - -“That is quite right, señor. All being well we shall call at Frontera -this day week, and then you can go ashore without extra charge, but -before this my orders are to put into no port except Campeche,--that -is, unless a norther forces me to do so.” - -“May the norther sink you, your ship, your agents, and every thing you -have to do with,” answered the señor in so angry a voice, that the -Mexican passengers who were listening began to laugh at the -Englishman’s discomfiture, though the more thoughtful of them crossed -themselves to avert the evil omen. - -Then followed a storm, for the señor--whose temper, as I have said, -was not of the coolest--raged and swore in no measured terms; the -captain shrugged his shoulders and apologised; the passengers smiled; -and, seeing that there was no help for the matter, I looked on -patiently after the manner of my race. At length the captain fled, -wiping his brow and exclaiming: - -“What manner of men are these English that they make such a trouble -about a little time? Mother of Heaven! why are they always in a hurry? -Is not to-morrow as good as to-day--and better?” - -That evening we dined together upon deck; for neither of us were in -any good mood to descend to the cabin and meet Don José Moreno, of -whom we had seen nothing since the previous night. As we were -finishing our meal the light faded and the sky grew curiously dark, -while suddenly to the north there appeared a rim of cloud similar to -that which we had seen upon the horizon at dawn, but now it was of an -angry red and glowed like the smoke from a smelting-furnace at night. - -“The sky looks very strange, Ignatio,” said the señor to me, and at -that moment we heard Molas and an Indian sailor speaking together in -brief words. - -“_El Norte_,” said Molas, pointing towards the red rim of light. - -“_Si, el Norte_,” answered the sailor as he went towards the cabin. - -Presently the captain hurried up the companion-ladder and studied the -horizon, of which the aspect seemed to frighten him. In another minute -the mate joined him, appearing from the engine hatch, and the two of -them began to converse, or rather to dispute. I was sitting near, -unobserved in the darkness, and, so far as I could gather, the mate -was in favour of putting the ship about and running for Frontera, from -which port we were now distant some forty miles. - -On the other hand, the captain said that if they did so and the -norther came up, it would catch them before they got there, and wreck -them upon the bar of the Grijalva river; but he added that he did not -believe there would be any norther, and if by ill-luck it should come, -their best course was to stand for the open sea and ride it out. - -The mate answered that this would be an excellent plan if the ship -were staunch and the engines to be relied on, but he declared loudly -that they might as well try to sail a boat with a mast made of -cigarettes, as attempt to lie head on to a norther with leaking -boilers, worn-out engines, and a strained paddle-wheel. - -After this the discussion grew fierce, and as full of oaths as a -shark’s mouth with teeth, but in the end the two sailors determined -that their safest plan would be to hold on their present course, and, -if necessary, round Point Xicalango and take shelter behind Carmen -Island, or, if they could, in the mouth of the Usumacinto river. Then -they parted, the captain adjuring the mate to say nothing of the state -of the weather to the passengers, and above all to that accursed -Englishman, who had called this misfortune upon them because he was -not put off at Frontera, and whose evil eye brought bad luck. - -Another two hours passed without much change, except that the night -grew darker and darker, and stiller and yet more still. The Señor -Strickland, who had been walking up and down the deck smoking a cigar, -came and sat beside me on a coil of rope, and asked me if I thought -the norther was coming. - -“Yes, it is coming,” I answered, “and I fear that it will sink us, at -least so say the Indian sailors.” - -“You take the idea of being drowned like a puppy in a sack very -coolly, Ignatio. How far are we from Point Xicalango?” - -“About twelve miles, I believe, and I take it coolly because there is -no use in making an outcry. God will protect us if He chooses, and if -He chooses He will drown us. It is childish to struggle against -destiny.” - -“A true Indian creed, Ignatio,” he answered; “you people sit down and -say--‘It is fate, let us accept it’--but one that I and the men of my -nation do not believe in. If they had done so, instead of being the -first country in the world to-day, England long ago would have ceased -to exist, for many a time she has stood face to face with Fate and -beaten her. For my part, if I must die, I prefer to die fighting. Tell -me, are any of these people to be relied on if it comes to a pinch?” - -“The Indian sailors are Campeche men and brave, also they know the -coast, and if need be they will do anything that I tell them. For the -rest I cannot say, but the captain seems to understand something of -his business. Look and listen!” - -As I spoke a vivid flash of lightning pierced the heavens above us, -followed by a deafening peal of thunder. In its fierce and sudden -glare we could see the coast some three or four miles away, and almost -ahead of us the bolder outline of Point Xicalango. The water about our -ship was dead calm, and slipped past her sides like oil; the smoke in -the funnel rose almost straight into the air, where at a certain -height it twisted round and round; and a sail that had been hoisted -flapped to and fro for lack of wind to draw it. - -A mile or so to windward, however, was a different sight, for there -came the norther, rushing upon us like a thing alive; in front of it a -line of white billows torn from the quiet surface of the sea, and -behind it, fretted by little lightnings, a dense wall of black cloud -stretching from the face of ocean to the arc of heaven. - -Now the captain, who was on deck, saw his danger, for if those billows -caught us broadside on we must surely founder. In the strange silence -that followed the boom of the thunder, he shouted to the helmsman to -bring the ship head on to the sea, and to the sailors to batten down -the after-hatch, the only one that remained open, shutting the -passengers, except ourselves and Molas, into the cabin. - -His orders were obeyed well and quickly, the _Santa Maria_ came round -and began to paddle towards the open water and the advancing line of -foam. It was terrible to see her, so small a thing, driving on thus -into what appeared to be the very jaws of death. Now the unnatural -quiet was broken, a low moaning noise thrilled through the air, the -waters about the ship’s side began to seethe and hiss, and spray -flying ahead of the wind cut our faces like the lash of a whip. - -A few more seconds and something white and enormous could be seen -looming above our bows, and the sight of it caused the captain, whose -face looked pale as death in the gleam of the lightnings, to shriek -another order to his crew. - -“Lie down and hold on tight to the rope,” I said to the Señor -Strickland and Molas, who were beside me, “here comes _el Norte_, and -he brings death for many of us on board this ship.” - - - - CHAPTER VI. - “EL NORTE” - -Another moment and _el Norte_ had come in strength. First a sudden -rush of wind struck the vessel, causing her to shiver, and with a -sharp report rending from its fastenings the jib, which had not been -furled. This gust went howling by, and after it rolled the storm. - -To us it seemed that the _Santa Maria_ dived head first into a huge -wave, a level line of white illumined with lightnings and swept -forward by the hurricane, for in an instant a foot of foaming water -tore along her deck from stem to stern, sweeping away everything -movable upon it, including two Indian sailors. We should have gone -with the rest had we not clung with all our strength to the rope -coiled about the foremast, but as it was we escaped with a wetting. - -For a while the ship stood quite still, and it seemed as though she -were being pressed into the deep by the weight of water on her decks, -but as this fell from her in cataracts, she rose again and ploughed -forward. Fortunately the first burst of the tempest was also the most -terrible, and it had not taken her broadside on, for one or two more -such waves would have swamped us. - -After it had passed shorewards, driven by the hurricane wind, for a -little space there was what by comparison might be called a lull, then -the _Santa Maria_ met the full weight of the norther. For a while she -forged ahead against the shrieking wind and vast succeeding seas, -shipping such a quantity of water that presently the captain found it -necessary to reduce her engines to half speed, which it was hoped -would suffice to give her way without filling her. - -Now less water came aboard, but on the other hand, as was soon -evident, the vessel began to drift towards the Point Xicalango, and -from this moment it became clear that only a miracle could save her. -For an hour or more the _Santa Maria_ kept up a gallant and unequal -fight, being constantly pressed backwards by the might of the storm, -till at length we could see in the glare of the lightning that the -breakers of the Point were raging not two hundred paces from her -stern. The captain saw them also and made a last effort. Shifting the -vessel’s bow a little, so that the seas struck her on the port -quarter, he gave the order of “Full steam ahead,” and once more we -drove forward. - -Before and since that day I have made many voyages across the Gulf of -Mexico in all weathers, but never have I met with such an experience -as that which followed. The ship plunged and strained and rocked, -lifting now her bow and now her stern high above the waves, till it -seemed as though she must fall to pieces, while water in tons rushed -aboard of her at every dip, which, as she righted herself, streamed -through the broken bulwarks. - -Slowly, very slowly, we were forging away from the Point and out into -the channel which lies between it and Carmen Island, but the effort -was too fierce to last. Presently, after a succession of terrible -pitchings, one paddle-wheel suddenly ceased to thrash the water, while -the other broke to pieces, and a faint cry from below told those on -deck that the worn-out machinery had collapsed. - -Now we were in the mid-race or channel, through which the boiling -current, driven by the fury of the gale and the push of the tide, tore -at a speed of fifteen or sixteen knots, carrying the _Santa Maria_ -along with it as a chip of wood is carried down a flooded gutter. -Twice she whirled right round, for now that her machinery had gone -there was no power to keep her head to the waves, and on the second -occasion, as she lay broadside to them, a green sea came aboard of her -that swept her decks almost clean, taking away with it every boat -except the cutter, which fortunately was slung upon davits to -starboard and out of its reach. - -Crouching under shelter of the mast, again the three of us clung to -our rope, nor did we leave go although the water ground us against the -deck, covering us for so long that before our heads were clear of it -we felt as though our lungs must burst. As it chanced, what remained -of the starboard bulwarks was carried away by the rush, allowing the -sea to escape, or the ship must have foundered at once. But it had -done its work, for the engine-room hatchway and the cabin light were -stove in, and the _Santa Maria_ was half full of water. - -Before a second sea could strike her, her nose swung round, and in -this position she was washed along the race, her deck not standing -more than four feet above the level of the waves. - -Now from time to time the moon shone out between rifts in the storm -clouds, revealing a dreadful scene. Fragments of the little bridge -still remained, and to them was lashed the large body of the captain -in an upright position, though, as he neither spoke nor stirred, we -never learned whether he was only paralysed by terror, or had been -killed by a blow from the funnel as it fell. - -You will remember, my friend, that he had ordered the passengers to be -battened down, and there in the cabin they remained, twenty or more of -them, until the hatchways were stove in. Then, with the exception of -one or two, who were drowned by the water that poured down upon them, -they rushed up the companion, men and women together, for they could -no longer stay below, and, shrieking, praying, and blaspheming, clung -to fragments of the bulwarks, shrouds of the mast, or anything which -they thought could give them protection against the pitiless waves. - -Awful were the wails of the women, who, clad only in their -night-dresses, now quitted their bunks for the first time since they -entered them in the harbour of Vera Cruz. Overcome by fear, and having -no knowledge of the dangers of the deep, these poor creatures flung -themselves at full length upon the deck, striving to keep a hold of -the slippery boards, whence one by one they rolled into the ocean as -the vessel lurched, or were carried away by the seas that pooped her. - -Some of the men followed them to their watery grave, others, more -self-possessed, crept forward, attempting to escape the waves that -broke over the stern, but none made any effort to save them, and -indeed it would have been impossible so to do. - -Among those who crawled forward to where we and some of the Indian -sailors were clinging to the rope that was coiled round the stump of -the broken foremast, was Don José Moreno. Even in his terror, which -was great, this man could still be ferocious, for, recognising the -señor, he yelled: - -“Ah! _maldonado_--evil-gifted one--you called down the norther upon -us. Well, at least you shall die with the rest,” and, suddenly drawing -his long knife, he rose to his knees, and, holding the rope with one -hand, attempted to drive it into the señor’s body with the other. -Doubtless he would have succeeded in his wickedness had not an Indian -boatswain, who was near, bent forward and struck him so sharply on the -arm with his clenched fist that the knife flew from his hand. In -trying to recover it Don José fell face downwards on the deck, where -he lay making no further effort at aggression. - -Afterwards the señor told me, such was the horror and confusion of -the scene, that, at the time, he scarcely noticed this incident, -though every detail came back to him on the morrow, and with it a -great wonder that even when death was staring them in the face, the -Indians did not forget their promise to watch over our safety. - -Meanwhile, swept onward by the tide and gale, the _Santa Maria_, -waterlogged and sinking, rushed swiftly to her doom. Our last hour was -upon us, and for a space this knowledge seemed to benumb the mind of -the Señor Strickland, who crouched at my side, as the wet and cold -had benumbed his body. Nor was this strange, for it seemed terrible to -perish thus. - -“Can we do nothing?” he said to me at length. “Ask the Indians if -there is any hope.” - -Putting my face close to the ear of the boatswain, I spoke to him, -then shouted back: - -“He says that the current is taking us round the point of the island, -and if the ship weathers it, we shall come presently into calmer -water, where a boat might live, if there is one left and it can be -launched. He thinks, however, that we must sink.” - -When the señor heard this he hid his face in his hands, and doubtless -began to say his prayers, as I did also. Soon, however, we ceased even -from that effort, for we were rounding the point and once more the -seas were breaking on and over the vessel’s sides. - -For a few minutes there was a turmoil that cannot be described; then, -although the wind still shrieked overhead, we felt that we were in -water which seemed almost calm to us. The ship no longer pitched and -rolled, she only rocked as she settled before sinking, while the moon, -shining out between the clouds, showed that what had been her bulwarks -were not more than two or three feet above the level of the sea. - -Six Indians, our three selves, Don José, who seemed to be senseless, -and the body of the captain lashed to the broken bridge, alone -remained of the crew and passengers of the _Santa Maria_. The rest had -been swept away, but there close to us the cutter still hung upon the -davits. - -The señor saw it, and I think that he remembered his saying of a few -hours before, that he would die fighting; at least he cried: - -“The ship is sinking. To the boat, quick!” and, running to the cutter, -he climbed into her, as did I, Molas, and the six Indian sailors. - -She was full of water almost to the thwarts, which could only be got -rid of by pulling out the wooden plug in her bottom. - -Happily the boatswain, that same man who had struck the knife from the -hand of Don José, knew where to look for this plug, and, being a -sailor of courage and resource, he was able to loose it, so that -presently the water was pouring from her in a stream thick as a -hawser. Meanwhile, urged to it by the hope of escape, the other -Indians were employed in getting out the oars, and in loosening the -tackles before slipping them altogether when enough water had run out -to allow the boat to swim. - -“Get the plug back,” said the señor, “the vessel is sinking, you must -bale the rest.” - -Half a minute more and it was done; then, at a word from the -boatswain, the sailors lowered away--they had not far to go--and we -were afloat, and, better still, quite clear of the ship. - -Scarcely had they brought the head of the cutter round and pulled -three or four strokes, when from the deck of the _Santa Maria_ there -came the sound of a man’s voice crying for help, and by the light of -the moon we discovered the figure of Don José Moreno clinging to the -broken bulwarks, that now were almost awash. - -“For the love of God, come back to me!” he screamed. - -The oarsmen hesitated, but the boatswain said, with an Indian oath: - -“Pull on and let the dog drown.” - -It seemed as if Don José heard him, at least he raised so piteous a -wailing that the señor’s heart, which was always over-tender, was -touched by it. - -“We cannot desert the man,” he answered, “put back for him.” - -“He tried to murder you just now,” shouted the boatswain, “and if we -go near the ship, she will take us down with her.” - -Then he turned to me and asked, “Do you command us to put back, lord?” - -“Since the señor wills it, I command you,” I answered. “We must save -the man and take our chance.” - -“He commands whom we must obey,” shouted the boatswain again; “put -back, my brothers.” - -Sullenly, but submissively, the Indians backed water till we lay -almost beneath the counter of the vessel, that wallowed in the trough -of the swell before she went down. On the deck, clinging to the stays -of the mast, stood Don José--his straight oiled hair beat about his -face, his gorgeous dress was soaked and disordered. - -“Save me!” he yelled hoarsely, “save me!” - -“Throw yourself into the sea, señor, and we will pick you up.” - -“I dare not,” was the answer, “come aboard and fetch me.” - -“Does the señor still wish us to stay?” asked the boatswain, calmly. - -“Listen, you cur,” shouted the señor, “the ship is sinking and will -take us with it. At the word ‘three,’ give way, men. Now will you -come, or not? One, two----” - -“I come,” said the Mexican, and, driven to it by despair, he cast -himself into the sea. - -With difficulty the señor, assisted by an Indian with a boathook, -succeeded in getting hold of him as he was washed past on the swell. I -confess that I would have no hand in the affair, since--may I be -forgiven the sin--my charity was not true enough to make me wish to -save this villain. There, however, the matter rested for the present, -as they could not stop to pull him into the boat, for just then the -deck of the _Santa Maria_ burst with a rending sound, and she began to -go down bodily. - -“Row for your lives,” shouted the boatswain, and they rowed, dragging -Don José in the wake of the cutter. - -Down went the _Santa Maria_, bow first, making a hollow in the sea -that sucked us back towards her. For a moment the issue hung doubtful, -for the whirlpool caused by the vanished vessel was strong and almost -engulfed us, but in the end the stout arms of the Indians conquered -and drew our boat clear. - -So soon as this great danger had gone by, the sailors with much labour -lifted Don José into the cutter, where he lay gasping but unharmed. - -Then arose the question of what we could possibly do to save our -lives. - -We were lying under the lee of Carmen Island, which sheltered us -somewhat from the fury of the norther, and we might either try to land -upon this island, or to put about and run for the mouth of the -Usumacinto river. There was a third course: to keep the boat’s head to -the seas, if that were possible, and let her drift till daylight. In -the end this was what we determined to do. - -Indeed, while we were discussing the question it was settled for us, -for suddenly the rain began to fall in torrents, blotting out such -moonlight as there was; and to land in this darkness would have been -impossible, even if the nature of the beach allowed of it. Therefore -we lay to and gave our thoughts and strength to the task of preventing -the waves, which became more and more formidable as we drifted beyond -the shelter of the island, from swamping or oversetting us. - -It was a great struggle, and had it not been that the heavy rain beat -down the seas, we could never have lived till morning. As it was we -must have been swamped many times over but for the staunchness of the -boat, which, fortunately, was a new one, and the seamanship and -ceaseless vigilance of the Indian boatswain who commanded her. For -hour after hour he crouched in the bow of the cutter, staring through -the sheets of rain and the darkness with his hawk-like eyes, and -shouting directions to the crew as he heard or caught sight of a -white-crested billow rolling down upon us, that presently would fling -us upwards to sink deep into the trough on its further side, sometimes -half filling the boat with water, which must be baled out before the -next sea overtook us. - -Afterwards the señor told me that, knowing it to be the nature of -Indians to submit to evil rather than to struggle against it, he -wondered how it came about that these men faced the fight so -gallantly, instead of throwing down their oars and suffering -themselves to be drowned. I also was somewhat astonished till -presently the matter was explained, for once, when a larger sea than -those that went before had almost filled us, the boatswain called out -to his companions: - -“Be brave, my brothers, and fear nothing. The Keeper of the Heart is -with us, and death will flee him.” - -To the señor, however, this comfort seemed cold, since he did not -believe that any talisman could save us from the powers of the sky and -sea, nor indeed did I. Wet and half frozen as he was, his nerve broken -by the terrible scenes that we had witnessed upon the lost ship, and -by thoughts of the many who had gone down with her, his spirit, so he -told me, failed him at last. - -He gave no outward sign of his inward state indeed; he did not follow -the example of the Mexican, who lay in the water at the bottom of the -boat, groaning, weeping, and confessing his sins, which seemed to be -many. Only he sat still and silent and surrendered himself to destiny, -till by degrees his forces, mental and bodily, deserted him and he -sank into a torpor. It was little wonder, for rarely have shipwrecked -men been in a more hopeless position. The blinding rain, the -bewildering darkness, the roaring wind and sea, all combined to -destroy us while we drifted in our frail craft we knew not whither. - -As minute after minute of that endless night went by, our escape -seemed to become more impossible, for each took with it something of -the strength and mental energy of those who fought so bravely against -the doom that overshadowed us. For my part, I was sure that my hour -had come, but this did not trouble me overmuch, since my life had not -been so happy or successful that I grieved at the thought of losing -it. Moreover, ever since I became a man it has been my daily endeavour -to prepare my mind for Death, and so to live that I should not have to -fear the hour of his coming. - -In truth it seems to me that without such preparation the life of any -man who thinks must be one long wretchedness, seeing that at the last, -strive as he may, fate will overtake him, and that there is no event -in our lives which can compare in importance with the inevitable end. -We live not to escape from death, but in order that we may die; this -is the great issue and object of our existence. Still, Death is -terrible, more especially when we are called upon to await him hour -after hour amid the horror and turmoil of shipwreck. - -Therefore I was very thankful when, having flung my _serape_ about the -form of my friend, at length I also was overcome by cold and -exhaustion, and after a space of time, in which the present seemed to -fade from me, taking with it all fears and hopes of the future, and -the past alone possessed me, peopled by the dead, I sank into -unconsciousness or swoon. - -How long I remained in this merciful state of oblivion I do not know, -but I was roused from it by Molas, who shook me and called into my ear -with a voice that trembled with cold or joy, or both: - -“Awake, awake, we are saved!” - -“Saved?” I said, confusedly. “What from?” - -“From death in the sea. Look, lord.” - -Then with much pain, for the salt spray had congealed upon my face -like frost, I opened my eyes to find that the morning was an hour old, -and though the skies were still leaden we were no longer at sea, but -floated on the waters of a river, whereof the bar roared behind us. - -“Where are we?” I asked. - -“In the Usumacinto river, thanks be to God!” answered Molas. “We have -been driven across the bay in the dark, and at the dawn found -ourselves just outside the breakers. Somehow we passed them safely, -and there before us is the blessed land.” - -I looked at the bank of the river clothed with reeds and grasses, and -the noble palm-trees that grew among them. Then I looked at my -companions. The Señor Strickland lay as though he were dead beneath -the _serape_ that I had thrown over him, his head resting on the -thwarts, but the Mexican, Don José, was sitting up in the bottom of -the boat and staring wildly at the shore. - -As for the Indians, the men to whom we owed our lives, they were -utterly worn out. Two of them appeared to have swooned where they sat, -and I saw that their hands were bleeding from the friction of the -oars. Three others lay gasping beneath the seats, but Molas held the -tiller at my side, and the boatswain still sat upright in the bow -where he had faced death for so many dreadful hours. - -“Say, lord,” he asked, turning his face that was hollow with suspense -and suffering, and white with encrusted salt, to speak to me, “can you -row? If so, take the oars and pull us to the bank while Molas steers, -for our arms will work no more.” - -Then I struggled from my seat, and with great efforts, for every -movement caused me pain, I pulled the cutter to the bank, and as her -bows struck against it, the sun broke through the thinning clouds. - -So soon as the boat was made fast, Molas and I lifted the señor from -her, and, laying him on the bank, we removed his clothes so that the -sun might play upon his limbs, which were blue with cold. As the -clouds melted and the warmth increased, I saw the blood begin to creep -beneath the whiteness of his skin, which was drawn with the wet and -wind, and rejoiced, for now I knew that he did but sleep, and that the -tide of life was rising in his veins again, as in my own. - -Whilst we sat thus warming ourselves in the sunlight, some Indians -appeared belonging to a _rancho_, or village, half a league away. On -learning our misfortunes and who we were, these men hurried home to -bring us food, having first pointed out to us a pool of sweet -rain-water, of which we stood in great need, for our throats were dry. -When they had been gone nearly an hour, the señor awoke and asked for -drink, which I gave him in the baling-bowl. Next he inquired where we -were and what had happened to us. When I had told him he hid his face -in his hands for a while, then lifted it and said: - -“I am a fool and a boaster, Ignatio. I said that I would die fighting, -and it is these men who have fought and saved my life while I swooned -like a child.” - -“I did the same, señor,” I answered; “only those who were working at -the oars could keep their senses, for labour warmed them somewhat. -Come to the river and wash, for now your clothes are dry again,” and -throwing the _serape_ over his shoulders, I led him to the water. - -As we climbed down the bank we met the boatswain, and the señor said, -holding out his hand to him: - -“You are a brave man and you have saved all our lives.” - -“No, señor, not I,” answered the Indian. “You forget that with us was -the Keeper of the Heart, and the Heart that has endured so long, -cannot be lost. This we knew, and therefore we laboured on, well -assured that our toil would not be in vain.” - -“I shall soon begin to believe in that talisman of yours myself, -Ignatio,” said the señor shrugging his shoulders; “certainly it did -us good service last night.” - -Then he washed, and by the time he had dressed himself, women arrived -from the _rancho_ bearing with them baskets laden with _tortillas_ or -meal cakes, _frijole_ beans, a roast kid, and a bottle of good _agua -ardiente_, the brandy of this country. On these provisions we fell to -thankfully, and, before we had finished our meal, the _alcalde_, or -head man of the village, presented himself to pay his respects and to -invite us to his house. - -Now I whispered to Molas, who had some acquaintance with this man, to -take him apart and discover my rank to him, and to learn if perchance -he had any tidings of that stranger whom we came to visit, the doctor -Zibalbay. He nodded and obeyed, and after a while I rose and followed -him behind some trees, where the _alcalde_, who was of our -brotherhood, greeted me with reverence. - -“I have news, my lord,” said Molas. “This man says that he has heard -of the old Indian and his daughter, and that but this morning one who -has travelled down the river told him how some five or six days ago -they were both of them seized by Don Pedro Moreno, the father of Don -José yonder, and imprisoned at the _hacienda_ of Santa Cruz, where, -dead or alive, they remain.” - -Now I thought a while, then, sending for the Señor James, I told him -what we had learnt. - -“But what can this villain want to do with an old Indian and his -daughter?” he asked. - -“The señor forgets,” said Molas, “that Don Pedro robbed me of the -gold which the doctor gave me, and that in my folly I told him from -whom it came. Doubtless he thinks to win the secret of the mine whence -it was dug, and of the mint where it was stamped with the sign of the -Heart. Also there is the daughter, whom some men might value above all -the gold in Mexico. Now, lord, I fear that your journey is fruitless, -since those who become Don Pedro’s guests are apt to stay with him for -ever.” - -“That, I think, we must take the risk of,” said the señor. - -“Yes,” I answered: “having come so far to find this stranger, we -cannot turn back now. At least we have lived through worse dangers -than those which await us at Santa Cruz.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - “THE HACIENDA” - -Returning to the place where we had eaten, we found the _alcalde_ -talking with the sailors as to their plans. On seeing us the boatswain -advanced, and said that, if it was our pleasure, he and his companions -proposed to rest for a few days at the neighbouring _rancho_ and then -to row the boat along the coast to Campeche, which they hoped in -favourable weather to reach in sixty hours, adding that he trusted we -would accompany them. - -I answered that we wished for no more of the sea at present, and that -we intended to pursue our journey to the town of Potrerillo, where we -could refit before undertaking an expedition to the ruined cities of -Yucatan. The boatswain said it was well, though he was sorry that they -could not escort us so far, as it was their duty to report the loss of -the ship to its owner, who lived at Campeche. - -When we heard this the señor unbuckled the belt of money, which he -wore about his waist, and, pouring out half a handful of gold pieces, -he begged the boatswain to accept of them for division between himself -and his companions. All this while Don José was sitting close to us, -watching everything that passed, and I saw his eyes brighten at the -sight of the belt of gold. - -“You are fortunate to have saved so much,” he said, speaking for the -first time. “All that I had has gone down with the ship, yes, three -thousand dollars or more.” - -“You should have followed our example,” answered the señor; “we -divided our cash between the three of us and secured it upon our -persons, though perhaps you were wise after all, since such a weight -of gold might have been awkward if, like you, we had been called upon -to swim. By the way, señor, what are _your_ plans?” - -“If you will allow me,” answered the Mexican, “I will walk with you -towards Potrerillo, for my home lies on that road. Would you be -offended, señor, if, on behalf of my father, I ventured to offer his -hospitality to you and your companions?” - -“To speak plainly, Don José,” said the señor, “our past experience -has not been such as to cause us to desire to have anything more to do -with you. May I remind you, putting aside other matters, that last -night you attempted to stab me?” - -“Señor,” answered the man with every sign of contrition, “if I did -this it was because terror and madness possessed me, and most humbly -do I beg your pardon for the deed, and for any angry and foolish words -that I may have spoken before it. Señor, you saved my life, and my -heart is filled with gratitude towards you, who have thus repaid evil -with good. I know that you have heard an ill report of my father, and, -to speak truth, at times when the liquor is in him, he is a bad and -violent old man, yet he has this virtue, that he loves me, his son, -and all those who are kind to me. Therefore, in his name and my own, I -pray that you will forget the past and accept of our hospitality for -some few days, or at least until you have recovered from your fatigue -and we can furnish you with arms and horses to help you forward on -your journey.” - -“Certainly we desire to buy mules and guns,” answered the señor, “and -if you think that your father will be able to supply these, we will -avail ourselves of your kindness and pass a night or two at his -_hacienda_.” - -“Señor, the place is yours and all that it contains,” Don José -answered with much courtesy; but as he spoke I saw his eye gleam with -an evil fire. - -“Doubtless,” I interrupted, “for I understand that Don Pedro Moreno is -famed for his hospitality. Still, in accepting it, I venture to ask -for a promise of safe-conduct, more especially as, save for our -pistols and knives, we are unarmed.” - -“Do you wish to insult me, señor?” Don José asked angrily. - -“Not in the least, señor, but I find it a little strange that you, -who two nights ago refused to sit at meat with ‘a dog of an Indian,’ -should now be anxious to receive that same dog into your home.” - -“Have I not said that I am sorry for what is past?” he answered, “and -can a man do more? Gentlemen, if any evil is attempted towards you in -my father’s house, I will answer for it with my life.” - -“That is quite sufficient,” broke in the señor, “especially as in -such an event we should most certainly hold you to your bond. And now -tell me how far is the _hacienda_ from this spot?” - -“If we start at once we should reach it at sundown,” he answered, -“that is on foot, though it is but three hours’ ride from the house to -the mouth of the river.” - -“Then let us go,” he said, and ten minutes later we were on the road. - -Before we went, however, we bade a warm farewell to the sailors, and -also to the _alcalde_ of the village, all of whom were somewhat -disturbed on learning that we proposed to sleep at Santa Cruz. - -“The place has an evil name,” said the _alcalde_, “and it is a home of -thieves and smugglers--only last week a cargo that never paid duty -went up the river. They say that Don Pedro was fathered by the devil -in person; may the Saints protect you from him, lord!” - -“We have business that takes us to this house, friend,” I answered; -“but doubtless it will be easy for you to keep yourself informed of -what chances in that neighbourhood, and if we should not appear again -within a few days, perhaps it may please you to advise the authorities -at Campeche that we are missing.” - -“The authorities are afraid of Don Pedro,” answered the _alcalde_, -shaking his head, “also he bribes them so heavily that they grow blind -when they look his way. Still I will do the best I can, be sure of -that, and as an _Inglese_ is with you, it is possible that I may be -able to get help if necessary.” - - - -Our walk that day was long and hot, though we had nothing to carry -except the clothes on our backs, all our possessions having been lost -in the ship. At noon we halted, and, the heat being great, ate some -food that we had brought with us, and slept two hours in the shade, -which sleep was most grateful, for we were weary. Then we rose and -tramped on, till at length we came within sight of this _hacienda_, -where, though I little guessed it at the time, I was fated to spend so -many years of my life. - -Walking through a large _milpa_, or corn field,--that in front of the -building which is now planted with coffee-bushes,--we reached the -gateway and entered the courtyard, where we were met by many fierce -dogs which rushed upon us from all sides. Don José beat back the -dogs, that knew him, and, leaving us under the charge of some -half-breeds, he entered the house. - -After a while he returned again and led us through the passages into -the dining-hall, which, as you know, is the largest room in the -_hacienda_, and in former days served as the refectory of the monks. -Several lamps were hung upon its walls, for already it grew dark, and -by their light we saw five or six people gathered round a long table -waiting for supper, which was being laid by Indian girls. Of these men -it is sufficient to say that they were of mixed nationality and -villainous appearance. Turning from them we looked towards the far end -of the chamber, where a hammock was slung from the beams in the roof, -in which lay a man whom a handsome girl, also an Indian, was employed -in rocking to and fro. - -“Come and be introduced to my father, who expects you,” said Don -José, leading the way towards the hammock. “Father, here is that -brave Englishman who saved my life last night, and with him the Indian -gentleman, who--did not wish to save my life. As I told you, I have -offered them hospitality on your behalf, feeling sure that they would -be welcome here.” - -At the sound of his son’s voice Don Pedro awoke, or pretended to -awake, from his doze, and bade the girl cease swinging the hammock. -Then he sat up and looked at us. He was a short stout man of about -sixty years of age,--so short indeed that, although the hammock was -slung low, his legs did not touch the floor. Notwithstanding this lack -of stature, Don Pedro’s appearance was striking, while his long, -carefully brushed white hair gave him a venerable aspect. - -Other beauties he had none, however, for his cheeks were flabby and -wrinkled, his mouth was cruel and sensuous; and his dull eyes, which -were small, half opened, and protected from the glare of the lamps by -spectacles of tinted glass, can best be described as horrible, like -those of a snake. Looking at him we could well believe that his -reputation was not exaggerated, for he bore the stamp of evil on his -face. Still he bowed with much courtesy and addressed the señor in -Spanish. - -“So you are the Englishman who saved my son here from the sinking -ship,” he said in a slow, powerful voice, peering at us with his -fish-like eyes from beneath the coloured glasses. “He tells me that -you rowed back to the side of the foundering vessel merely in order to -fetch him. Well, it was a brave deed and one that I should not have -dared myself, for I have always found it hard enough to keep my own -breath in me without attempting to preserve that of other people. But -as I have seen several times, you Englishmen are peculiar in these -matters, foolhardy indeed. Señor, I am grateful to you, and this -house and all within it is at your disposal and that of your -companions,” and he glanced with genuine affection at the coarse -beetle-browed man beside him, who was gnawing one end of his moustache -and staring at us out of the corners of his eyes. - -“Tell me,” he added, “to what do I owe the honour of your presence?” - -“To an accident, Don Pedro,” the señor answered. “As it chances, the -ruins of this ancient land interest me much, and I was travelling to -Palenque with my Indian friend, Don Ignatio, when we were so -unfortunate as to be wrecked near your hospitable house. In our -dilemma we accepted the invitation of your son to visit you, in the -hope that you may be able to sell us some guns and mules.” - -“Ruins, Señor Strickland! Decidedly you Englishmen are strange. What -pleasure can you find in hunting about among old walls, built by men -long dead, unless indeed you seek for treasure there. For my part I -hate the name of ruins, for I have always suffered from a presentiment -that I should meet my end among them, and that is bad to think of. -Bah!”--and he spat upon the floor--“there, it comes upon me again, -suddenly as a fit of the ague.” - -“Well,” he went on, “you are lucky to have saved your lives and your -money, and to-morrow we will see about the things that you desire to -buy. Meanwhile, you are travel-stained and doubtless will wish to -cleanse yourselves before you eat. José, conduct the señor and his -Indian friend, since he is so fond of his company, to their room, the -abbot’s chamber. Supper will be served shortly, till then, _adios_. -Girl, go with them,” he added, addressing the woman who had been -engaged in swinging the hammock, “water may be wanted and other -things.” - -The woman bowed and went away, and at the door we found her standing, -lamp in hand, to light us down the passage. - -Now, Señor Jones, you, for whom I write my history, have so often -slept in the abbot’s chamber in this house that it is needless for me -to stop to describe it. Except for the furniture, the room is just as -it was in those days. Then it was empty save for a few chairs, a rough -washing-stand, and two truckle bedsteads of American make, which were -placed at a little distance from each other on either side of the -picture of the abbot. - -“I fear that you will think this a poor place, after the luxury of -Mexico, gentlemen,” said Don José, “but it is our guest-chamber, the -best that we have.” - -“Thank you,” answered the señor, “it will do very well, though -perhaps your visitors suffer sometimes from nightmare,” and he glanced -at the awful and life-sized picture on the south wall of an Indian -being burnt at an _auto-da-fé_, while devils hanging above his head -dragged the soul from his tortured and expiring body. - -“Pretty, are they not?” said Don José; “I would have them whitewashed -over, but my father likes them. You see all the victims are Indians, -there isn’t a white man among them, and the old man never could bear -Indians. Well, when you are ready, will you come to supper? You will -not lose the way, for you can follow the smell of the food,” and he -left the room. - -“One moment,” I said addressing the girl, who was about to accompany -him, “perhaps you will see that our servant,” and I pointed to Molas, -“has some meat brought to him here, since your masters will not wish -him to sit at table.” - -“_Si_,” answered the girl, whose name was Luisa, searching my face -with her eyes. - -By this time Don José was through the door, which the draught pushed -to behind him. I watched it close, then a thought struck me, for I -remembered that among our Order there are women, associates of the -outer circle, and I whispered some words into Luisa’s ear and made a -sign with my hand. She started and gave the ancient answer, which is -taught even to children, whereto I replied with another sign, that of -the Presence of the Heart. “_Where_?” she asked glancing at each of us -in turn. - -“_Here_,” I answered, and, drawing out the symbol, I held it before -her eyes. - -She saw and made obeisance, and at that moment we heard Don José -calling her from the further side of the door. - -“I come,” she cried in answer, then added in a whisper: “Lord, you are -in danger in this house. I cannot tell you now, but if possible I will -return. The wine is safe, but drink no coffee, and do not sleep when -you lie down. Search the floor and you will understand the reason. I -come, señor! I come!” and she fled from the room. - -So soon as the girl was gone, the Señor James went to the door and -locked it, then he returned and said: - -“What does all this mean, Ignatio?” - -I did not answer, but, pushing aside one of the beds, I searched the -floor beneath it. It was discoloured in several places. Next I pulled -the blankets off the beds and examined the webbing that formed the -mattresses, to discover that this also was stained, though slightly, -for it had been washed. Then I said: - -“Men have died in these beds, señor, and yonder stains were made by -their blood. It would seem that the guests of Don Pedro sleep well; -first they are drugged, then they are murdered; and it is for this -purpose that we have been lured to the house. Well, we expected -nothing else.” - -“That is a pleasing prospect,” he answered, “we are this man’s guests, -surely therefore he will not----” and he drew his hand across his -throat. - -“Certainly he will, señor, and it is to this end that we have been -brought here by Don José. If others have been murdered, it is not -likely that we shall escape, since Don Pedro will be sure that an -_Inglese_ would not travel without a large sum of money. Moreover, we -have a quarrel with the son, and know too much about the father.” - -“Again I say that the prospect is a pleasant one,” answered the -señor. “On the whole it would have been better to be drowned than to -live on to be butchered by those villains in this awful place. What an -end!” - -“Do not despair,” I answered. “We are warned in time and therefore, I -think, shall escape by the help of that girl and the other Indians in -the place, since in an hour every one of them will have learned who we -are, and be prepared to venture their lives to save us. Also we came -for a purpose, knowing our risk. Now let us make ready and go among -these men with a bold face; for of this you may be sure, that nothing -will be attempted till late at night when they think us sleeping. Have -you understood, Molas?” - -“Yes,” answered the Indian. - -“Then watch here, or in the outer room, till we return, and should the -girl come, learn all you can from her as to the whereabouts of the old -doctor and his daughter, and other matters, for when she knows you to -be of the Order she will speak. Have you been recognised by anyone?” - -“I think not, señor. When we entered it was too dark for them to -see.” - -“Good. Then keep out of their way if possible, do the best you can -with the girl, and take note of all that passes. Farewell.” - -When we reached the dining-hall, nine of the company were already -seated at the table impatient for their food, but Don Pedro was still -sitting in his hammock engaged in earnest conversation with his son -José. Of those at the table but one was a white man, a lanky, -withered-looking person with a broken nose, whose general appearance -filled us with disgust. The rest were half-breeds, the refuse of -revolutions, villains who had escaped the hand of justice and who -lived by robbery and murder. - -Looking at these outcasts it became clear to us that, if once we fell -into their power, we could expect little mercy at their hands, for -they would think no more of butchering us in cold blood than does a -sportsman of shooting a deer. - -When Don Pedro perceived us, he slid from his hammock to the ground, -and, taking the señor by the hand, he said: - -“Let me introduce you to my overseer, the Señor Smith, from Texas. He -is an American and will be glad to meet one who can speak English, -for, notwithstanding much practice, his Spanish is none of the best.” - -The señor bowed, and the American desperado spoke to him in English, -wearing a grin on his face like that of a wicked dog as he did so, -though I do not know what he said. Then Don Pedro conducted his guest -to a place of honour at the head of the table, that beside his own -seat, while I was led to another table at a little distance, where my -meat was served to me alone, since, as an Indian of pure blood, I was -not thought fit for the company of these cross-bred curs. Don José -having taken his place at the further end of the board with the -_Americano_, the meal began, and an excellent one it was. - -Now, in the conversation that ensued I took no part, except when -members of the gang called to me to drink wine with them, for they -desired to make me drunk; but while I pretended to be occupied with my -meat, I thought much and watched more. The talk that passed I set down -as I overheard it and as it was reported to me by the señor. - -“Try some more of this Burgundy,” said Don Pedro when the dishes had -been removed, filling his tumbler for the seventh or eighth time, “it -is the right stuff, straight from France, though it never paid duty,” -and he winked his leaden eye. - -“Your health, señor, and may you live to do many such brave deeds as -that of yesterday, when you saved my son from the sea. By the way, do -you know that on board the _Santa Maria_ they said that you had the -evil eye and brought her to wreck;--yes, and your long-faced -companion, the Indian, also?” - -“Indeed, I never heard of it before,” answered the señor with a -laugh; “but if so, our evil eyes shall not trouble you for long, as we -propose to continue our journey to-morrow.” - -“Nonsense, friend, nonsense, you don’t suppose that I believe in that -sort of rubbish, do you? We say many things that we do not believe -just for a joke; thus,” and he raised his voice so that I could hear -him at my table, “your companion there--is he not named Ignatio?--told -a story to my disadvantage on board the ship, which I am sure that he -did not believe,” and suddenly he stared at me and added insolently: -“Is it not so, Indian?” - -“If you seek my opinion, Don Pedro,” I answered, leaning forward and -speaking very clearly, “I say that it is unprofitable to repeat words -that are said, or to remember deeds that are done with. If I spoke -certain words, or if in the past you did certain deeds, here beneath -your hospitable roof is not the place to recall them.” - -“Quite so, Indian, quite so, you talk like an oracle, as Montezuma -used to talk to Cortes till the Conqueror found a way to teach him -plain speaking--a great man, Cortes, he understood how to deal with -Indians.” Then he spat upon the floor and, having looked down the -table, spoke to the señor in a somewhat anxious voice. - -“Tell me,” he said, “for your sight is better than mine, how many are -there present here to-night?” - -“Counting my friend, thirteen,” he answered. - -“I thought so,” said our host, with an oath, “and it is too late to -mend matters now. Well, may the Saints, and they should be thick about -a monastery, avert the omen. I see you think me a fool.” - -“Not at all,” he replied; “I am rather superstitious myself and -dislike sitting down thirteen to table.” - -“So do I, so do I, Señor Strickland. Listen; last time we dined -thirteen in this room, there were two travellers here, _Americanos_, -friends of Don Smith, who were trying to open up a trade in these -parts. They drank more than was good for them, and the end of it was -that in the night they quarrelled and killed each other, yonder in the -abbot’s chamber, where you are sleeping,--poor men, poor men! There -was trouble about the matter at the time, but Don Smith explained to -his countrymen and it came to nothing.” - -“Indeed,” answered the señor; “it was strange that two drunken men -should kill each other.” - -“So I say, señor. In truth for a while I thought that Indians must -have got into their rooms and murdered them, but it was proved beyond -a doubt that this was not so. Ah! they are a wicked people, the -Indians; I have seen much of them and I should know. Now the -Government wishes to treat them too well. Our fathers knew better how -to deal with them, but luckily the arm of the Government scarcely -reaches here, and no whining _padres_ or officials come prying about -my house, though once we had some soldiers,” and he cursed at the -recollection and drank another glass of Burgundy. - -“I tell you that they are a wicked people,” he went on, “the -_demonios_ their fathers worshipped still possess them, also they are -secret and dangerous; there are Indians now who know where vast -treasures are buried, but they will tell nothing. - -“Yes,”--and suddenly growing excited under the influence of the strong -drink, he leaned over and whispered into his guest’s ear,--“I have one -such in the house at this moment, an old _Lacandone_, that is, an -unbaptised Indian, not that I think him any the worse for that, and -with him his daughter, a woman more beautiful than the night--perhaps -if I go on liking you, Englishman, I will show her to you to-morrow, -only then I should have to keep you, for you would never go away. -Beautiful! yes, she is beautiful, though a devil at heart. I have not -dared to let these little ones see her,” and he winked and nodded -towards the villains at the table, “but José is to pay her and her -papa a visit to-night, and he won’t mind her tempers, though they -frighten me. - -“Well, would you believe it? this girl and her old father have the -secret of enough treasure to make every man of us here rich as the -Queen of England. How do I know that? I know it because I heard it -from their own lips, but fill your glass and take a cigar and I will -tell you the story.” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - THE SUPPER AND AFTER - -“Listen, señor; if you are interested in old ruins and the Indians, -you must have heard tales of races living away in the forest country, -where no white man has set his foot, and of their wonderful cities -that are said to be full of gold. Many say that these tales are lies, -that no such people and no such cities exist, and they say this -because nobody has found them; but I, for my part, have always -believed there was something in the story, seeing that otherwise it -would not have lasted so long. - -“Well, a few months back, I heard that a strange old Indian doctor, -who was said to have travelled from the far interior, was dwelling -somewhere in the forest together with a woman, but where he dwelt -exactly I could not learn, nor, indeed, did I trouble myself to do so. -About eight weeks ago, however, it happened that an Indian, being -asked for the toll, which I charge all passers-by--to recoup me for my -expense in making roads, señor--paid it with a little lump of pure -gold having a heart stamped on either side of the metal. - -“Now, you may not know, though I do, that the heart is a sacred symbol -among these Indians, and has been for many generations, for it is to -be seen cut upon the walls of their ruins, though what it means only -Satan, their master, can tell. - -“Therefore, when I saw the lump of gold with the token on it, I asked -the Indian whence he had it, and he told me readily enough that it -came from this old doctor, who gave it to him in payment for some -food. He told me also where I might find him, and went upon his way, -but, his heart being full of deceit, he lied as to the place, so that -I searched in vain. Well, to shorten a long story, although to this -hour I do not know where the Indian was hiding, I set a trap for him -and caught him,--ay, and his daughter too. - -“It was a simple one, a man in my pay knew another man who visited the -doctor in the forest to get medicine from him, but who would not -reveal his hiding-place. Still, my servant drew it out of him thus: he -sent piteous messages through his friend, begging the doctor to come -and save the life of his dying child, which lay in a house near here, -and could not be moved. - -“The end of it was that the doctor came, and his daughter with him. -Yes, they walked at night straight to the snare, into this very house, -señor, and only discovered their mistake when they found the doors -locked upon them, and that the dying child was none other than your -humble servant, Don Pedro Moreno. - -“I can tell you, señor, that I laughed till I nearly cried at the -sight of their faces, when they found out the trick, though there was -nothing to laugh at in them, for the man looked like an old king, and -the girl like a queen, quite different from the Indians in these -parts; moreover, they wore two such _serapes_ as I had never seen, -made of green feathers fastened to a foundation of linen. - -“When the old man found himself caged, he asked what it meant and -where he was, speaking in a dialect so like the Maya tongue that I -could understand him quite well. I told him that he was to be my guest -for a while, and with the help of two men who were with me I proceeded -to secure him and his daughter in a safe place, whereat he flew into a -fearful rage, and cursed all of us most dreadfully, and more -especially that man who had betrayed him. So awful were his curses and -the vengeance that he conjured upon us from heaven, that my hair stood -straight upon my head, and as for the man who lured him here under -pretence of visiting his child, it came about that within two days he -died of a sudden sickness bred of his own fears. When the second man -heard of his companion’s death, he in turn fled from the place, -dreading lest a like fate should overtake him, and has been no more -heard of. - -“Thus it comes about, señor, that I alone know where these birds are -caged, though I hope to introduce my son to them to-night, for I dare -not trust the others, and wish to keep them in the family, nor will I -let any Indians near them. - -“Well, when they had calmed down a little, I spoke to my prisoners -through a grating, telling them that I wished to know whence they had -obtained those lumps of gold stamped with a heart, to which the old -man answered that he had no knowledge of any such gold. Now, I was -sure that he lied, and took refuge in another trick. The cell where -they were shut up is that in which the old monks imprisoned such as -were suspected of heresy, and others, and close to it is a secret -place--there are many such in this house, señor--where a spy may be -hid, and both see and hear all that passes in the cell. - -“In this place I ensconced myself, and lay there for hours, with the -rats running over me, so anxious was I to get at the truth. In the end -I was not disappointed, for they began to talk. A great deal of their -conversation I could make nothing of, but at length the girl said, -after examining an old gilt crucifix that hung upon the wall: - -“‘Look, father, here also they have gold.’ - -“‘It is gilt, not gold,’ he answered, ‘I know the art of it, though -with us it is not practised, except to keep from corruption the spears -and arrowheads that fowlers use upon the lake.’ Then he added: - -“‘I wonder what that leaden-eyed, greedy-faced white thief would say -if he knew that in a single temple we could show him enough of the -metal he covets to fill this place five times over from floor to -ceiling.’ - -“‘Hush!’ she said, ‘ears may be listening even in these walls; let us -risk nothing, seeing that by seeming to be ignorant alone we can hope -to escape.’” - -“Well,” asked the señor eagerly, “and what did Zibalbay answer? I -think that you said the old man’s name was Zibalbay,” he added, trying -to recover the slip. - -“Zibalbay! No, I never mentioned that name,” Don Pedro replied -suspiciously, and with a sudden change of manner. “He answered nothing -at all. Next morning, when I came to question them, the birds had -flown. It is a pity, for otherwise I might have asked the old man--if -his name is Zibalbay. I suppose that the Indians had let them out, but -I could not discover.” - -“Why, Don Pedro, you said just now that they were still in the house.” - -“Did I? Then I made a mistake, as you did about the name; this wine is -strong, it must have gone to my head; sometimes it does--a weakness, -and a bad one. It is an odd tale, but there it ended so far as I am -concerned. Come, señor, take a cup of coffee, it is good.” - -“Thank you, no,” answered the señor, “I never drink coffee at night, -it keeps me awake.” - -“Still, I beg you to try ours, friend, we grow it ourselves and are -proud of its flavour.” - -“It is poison to me, I dare not,” he said. “But pray tell me, do the -gentlemen whom I have the honour to see at table cultivate your -plantations?” - -“Yes, yes, they cultivate the coffee and the cocoa, and other things -also when they have a mind. I daresay you think them a rough-looking -lot, but they are kind-hearted, ah! so kind-hearted; feeble as I am -they treat me like a father. Bah! señor, what is the good of hiding -the truth from one of your discernment? We do business of all sorts -here, but the staple of it is smuggling rather than agriculture. - -“The trade is not what it was, those sharks of customs officers down -on the coast there want so much to hold their tongues, but still there -are a few pickings. In the old times, when they did not ask questions, -it was otherwise, for then men of pluck were ready for anything from -revolution down to the stringing up of a coach-load of fat merchants, -but now is the day of small profits, and we must be thankful for -whatever trifles Providence sends us.” - -“Such as the two Americans who got drunk and killed each other,” -suggested the señor, whose tongue was never of the most cautious. - -Instantly Don Pedro’s face changed, the sham geniality born of drink -went out of it, and was replaced by a hard and cunning look. - -“I am tired, señor,” he said, “as you must be also, and, if you will -excuse me, I will light another cigar and take a nap in my hammock. -Perhaps you will amuse yourself with the others, señor, till you wish -to go to rest.” Then rising, he bowed and walked somewhat unsteadily -to the far end of the room. - -When Don Pedro had retired to his hammock, whither the Indian girl, -Luisa, was summoned to swing him to sleep, I saw his son José and the -Texan outcast, Smith, both of whom, like the rest of the company, were -more or less drunk, come to the señor and ask him to join in a game -of cards. Guessing that their object was to make him show what cash he -had about him, he also affected to be in liquor, and replied noisily -that he had lost most of his money in the shipwreck, and was, -moreover, too full of wine to play. - -“Then you must have lost it on the road, friend,” said Don José, “for -you forget that you made those sailors a present from a belt of gold -which you wore about your middle. However, no gentleman shall be -forced to gamble in this house, so come and talk while the others have -their little game.” - -“Yes, that will be better,” answered the señor, and he staggered to -an empty chair, placed not far from the table at which I remained, and -was served with spirits and cigars. Here he sat watching the play, -which was high, although the counters looked innocent enough,--they -were cocoa beans,--and listened to the conversation of the gamblers, -in which he joined from time to time. - -The talk was not good to hear, for as these wretches grew more -drunken, they began to boast of their past exploits in various parts -of the country. One man told how he had kidnapped and tortured an -Indian who had offended him; another, how he had murdered a woman of -whom he was jealous; and the third, of the successful robbing of a -coach-load of travellers, and their subsequent butchery by the driving -of the coach over the edge of a precipice. All these stories, however, -were as milk to brandy compared to those that Don Smith, the -_Americano_, growing confidential in his cups, poured forth one after -the other, till the señor, unable to bear them any longer, affected -to sink into a tipsy doze. - -All this while I sat at the little table where my dinner had been -served, saying nothing, for none spoke to me, but within hearing of -everything that passed. There I sat quiet, my arms folded on my -breast, listening attentively to the tales of outrage, wrong, and -murder practised by these wicked ones upon my countrymen. - -To them I was only a member of a despised and hated race, admitted to -their company on sufferance in order that I might be robbed and -murdered in due course, but in my heart I looked on them with loathing -and contempt, and felt far above them as the stars, while I watched -and wondered how long the great God would suffer his world to be -outraged by their presence. - -Some such thoughts seemed to strike others of that company, for -presently Don Smith called out,-- - -“Look at that Indian rascal, friend, he is proud as a turkey-cock in -springtime: why, he reminds me of the figure of the king in that ruin -where we laid up last year waiting for the señora and her party. You -remember the señora, don’t you, José? I can hear her squeaks -now,”--and he laughed brutally, and added, “Come, king, have a drink.” - -“_Gracias_, señor,” I answered, “I have drunk.” - -“Then smoke a cigar, O king.” - -“_Gracias_, señor, I do not smoke to-night.” - -“My lord _cacique_ of all the Indians won’t drink and won’t smoke,” -said Don Smith, “so we will offer him incense,”--and, taking a plate, -he filled it with dry tobacco and cigarette-paper, to which he set -fire. Then he placed the plate on the table before me, so that the -fumes of the tobacco rose into the air about my head. - -“There, now he looks like a real god,” said the _Americano_, clapping -his hands; “I say, José, let us make a sacrifice to him. There is the -girl who ran away last week, and whom we caught with the dogs----” - -“No, no, comrade,” broke in José, “none of your jokes to-night, you -forget that we have a visitor. Not but what I should like to sacrifice -this old _demonio_ of an Indian to himself,” he added, in an outburst -of drunken fury. “Curse him! he insulted me and my father and mother, -yonder on board the ship.” - -“And are you going to put up with that from this wooden Indian god? -Why, if I were in your place, by now I would have filled him as full -of holes as a coffee-roaster, just to let the lies out.” - -“That’s what I want to do,” said José, gnashing his teeth, “he has -insulted me and threatened me, and ought to pay for it, the black -thief,” and, drawing a large knife, he flourished it in my face. - -I did not shrink from it; I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to -tremble, though the steel flashed within an inch of them, for I knew -that if once I showed fear he would strike. Therefore I said calmly: - - [image: img_114.jpg - caption: I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to tremble.] - -“You are pleased to jest, señor, and your jests are somewhat rude, -but I pass them by, for I know that you cannot harm me because I am -your guest, and those who kill a guest are not gentlemen, but -murderers, which the high-born Don José Moreno could never be.” - -“Stick the pig, José,” said Smith, “he is insulting you again. It -will save you trouble afterwards.” - -Then, as Don José again advanced upon me with the knife, of a sudden -the señor sprang up from his chair and stood between us. - -“Come, friend,” he said, “a joke is a joke, but you are carrying this -too far, according to your custom,” and, seizing the man by the -shoulders, he put out all his great strength, and swung him back with -such force that, striking against the long table with his thighs, he -rolled on to and over it, falling heavily to the ground upon the -farther side, whence he rose cursing with rage. - -By now, Don Pedro, who had wakened or affected to waken from his -sleep, thought that the time had come to interfere. - -“Peace, little ones, peace!” he cried sleepily from his hammock. -“Remember that the men are guests, and cease brawling. Let them go to -bed, it is time for them to go to bed, and they need rest; by -to-morrow your differences will be healed up for ever.” - -“I take the hint,” said the señor, with forced gaiety. “Come, -Ignatio, let us sleep off our host’s good wine. Gentlemen, sweet -dreams to you,” and he walked across the hall, followed by myself. - -At the door I turned my head and looked back. Every man in the room -was watching us intently, and it seemed to me that the drunkenness had -passed from their faces, scared away by a sense of some great -wickedness about to be worked. Don Smith was whispering into the ear -of José, who still held the knife in his hand, but the rest were -staring at us as people stare at men passing to the scaffold. - -Even Don Pedro, wide awake now, sat up in his hammock and peered with -his horny eyes, while the Indian girl, Luisa, her hand upon the cord, -watched our departure with some such face as mourners watch the -out-bearing of a corpse. All this I noted in a moment as I crossed the -threshold and went forward down the passage, and as I went I shivered, -for the scene was uncanny and fateful. - -Presently we were in the abbot’s chamber, our sleeping-place, and had -locked the door behind us. Near the washstand, on which burned a -single candle set in the neck of a bottle, sat Molas, his face buried -in his hands. - -“Have they brought you no supper, that you look so sad?” asked the -señor. - -“The woman, Luisa, gave me to eat,” he whispered. “Listen, lord, and -you, Señor Strickland, our fears are well founded; there is a plot to -murder us to-night, of this the woman is sure, for she heard some -words pass between Don Pedro and a white man called Smith; also she -saw one of the half-breeds fetch spades from the garden and place them -in readiness, which spades are to be used in the hollowing of our -graves beneath this floor.” - -Now when we heard this our hearts sank, for it was terrible to think -that we were doomed within a few hours to lie beneath the ground -whereon our living feet were resting. Yet, if these assassins were -determined upon our slaughter, our fate seemed certain, seeing that we -had only knives wherewith to defend ourselves, for, though we had -saved the pistols and some powder in a flask, the damp had reached the -latter during the shipwreck, so that it could not be relied upon. - -“I am afraid that we have been too venturesome in coming here,” I -said, “and that unless we can escape at once we must be prepared to -pay the price of our folly with our lives.” - -“Do not be downcast, lord,” answered Molas, “for you have not heard -all the tale. The woman has shown me a means whereby you can save -yourselves from death, at any rate for to-night. Come here,” and, -leading us across the room, he knelt upon the floor at a spot almost -opposite the picture of the abbot, and pressed on a panel in the low -wainscoting of cedar wood with which the wall was clothed to a height -of about three feet. - -The panel slid aside, leaving a space barely large enough for a man to -pass. Through this opening we crept one by one, and descended four -narrow steps, to find ourselves in a chamber hollowed out of the -foundations of the wall, so small that there was only just room for -the three of us to stand in it, our heads being some inches above the -level of the floor. - -And here I may tell you, Señor Jones, that, though I have never shown -it to you, this place still exists, as you may discover by searching -the wainscoting. For many years I have used it for the safe keeping of -papers and valuables. There, by the way, you will find that emerald -which I showed you on the first night of our meeting. What the purpose -of this chamber was in the time of the abbots I do not know, and -perhaps it is as well not to inquire, though they also may have used -it to store their wealth. - -“How can we save ourselves by crouching here like rats in a drain?” I -asked of Molas. “Doubtless the secret of the hiding-place is known to -those who live in the house, and they will drag us out and butcher -us.” - -“The woman Luisa says that it is known to none except herself, lord, -for she declares that not two months ago she discovered it for the -first time by the accident of the broom with which she was sweeping -the floor striking against the springs of the panel. Now let us come -out for a while, for it is not yet eleven o’clock, and she says that -there will be no danger till after midnight.” - -“Has she any plan for our escape?” I asked. - -“She has a plan, though she is doubtful of its success. When the -murderers have been, and found us gone, they will think either that we -are wizards or that we have made our way out of the house, and will -search no more till dawn. Meanwhile, if she can, Luisa will return, -and, entering the chamber by the secret entrance, will lead us to the -chapel, whence she thinks that we may fly into the forest.” - -“Where is this secret entrance, Molas?” - -“I do not know, lord; she had no time to tell me, but the murderers -will come by it. She did tell me, however, that she believes that a -man and a woman are imprisoned near the chapel, though she knows -nothing of them and never visits the place, because the Indians deem -it to be haunted. Doubtless these two are Zibalbay and his daughter, -so that if you live to come so far, you may find them there and speak -with them.” - -“Why do you say ‘if _you_ live,’ Molas?” - -“Because I think, lord, that then I shall be already dead; at least, -death waits on me.” - -“What do you mean?” asked the señor. - -“I will tell you. After the woman Luisa had gone I ate the food she -brought me and drank some wine. Then I think that I fell asleep, for -when I awoke the candle had burned out and I was in darkness. Hastily -I turned to search for another candle that I had placed by the bottle, -and was about to make fire when something drew my eyes, causing me to -look up. - -“This was what I saw: at the far end of the chamber, enclosed in a -film of such pale light as is given by the glowfly, stood the figure -of a man, and that man myself, dressed as I am now. There I stood -surrounded by faint fire; and though the face was the face of a dead -man, yet the hand was not dead, for it beckoned towards me through the -darkness. - -“Now I saw, and the cold sweat of fear broke out upon me, so that I -could scarcely light the candle which I held. At length, however, it -burned brightly, and, holding it over my head, I walked towards the -spot where I had seen the shadow, only to find that it was gone.” - -“Or in other words, that you had slept off your indigestion,” said the -señor. “I congratulate you on getting rid of it so soon.” - -“It is easy to mock,” answered Molas, “but that which I have seen, I -have seen, and I know that it portends my death. Well, so be it; I am -not yet old, but I have lived long enough and now it is time to go. -May Heaven have mercy on my sins, and thus let it be.” - -After this the señor and I strove to reason him out of his folly, but -in vain, nor, in fact, was it altogether a folly, seeing that Molas -was doomed to die upon the morrow; though whether the vision that he -saw came to warn him of his fate, or was but a dream, it is not for me -to say. - -Presently we ceased talking of ghosts and omens, for we must look to -our own bodies and the necessities of the hour. Some minutes before -midnight we extinguished the light, and, creeping one by one through -the hole in the panelling, we closed it behind us and took our stand -in the little dungeon. Here the darkness was awful, and as the warmth -of the wine that we had drunk passed from our veins, fears gathered -thick upon us and oppressed our souls. Those hours on the sinking ship -had been evil, but what were they compared to this? - -Deep as was the silence, yet there were noises in it, strange creaks -and flutterings that thrilled our marrows. We prayed till we were -weary, then for my part I tried to doze, only to find that at such a -time sleep was worse than waking, for my imagination peopled it with -visions till it seemed to me that all the painted horrors on the walls -of the chamber took life, and enacted themselves before my eyes. - -I heard the groaning of the martyrs, and the cruel jeers of those who -watched their agony, urged on by the hard-faced abbot, whose picture -hung above us. Then the vision changed and I seemed to see the tragedy -of the two Americans, of whose fate the señor had told me and whose -blood still stained the floor. The darkness opened as it were, and I -saw the beds on which they were sleeping heavily, stalwart men in the -prime of life. - -Then appeared figures standing over them, Don Pedro, Don José, and -others, while from the shadows behind peeped the wicked face of their -countryman, Don Smith. The bed-clothes were twitched away and once -more all was black, but in the darkness I heard a sound of blows and -groaning, of the hurrying feet of murderers, and the clinking of bags -of money stolen from the dead men. Now the señor touched me and I -woke with a start. - -“Hark,” he whispered into my ear, “I hear men creeping about the -room.” - -“For the love of God, be silent,” I answered, gripping his hand. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - THE DUEL - -Now we placed our ears against the panelling and listened. First we -heard creaks that were loud in the stillness, then soft heavy noises -such as are made by a cat when it jumps from a height to the ground, -and a gentle rubbing as of stockinged feet upon the floor. After this -for some seconds came silence that presently was broken by the clink -of steel, and the sound of heavy blows delivered upon a soft substance -with swords and knives. The murderers were driving their weapons -through the bed-clothes, thinking that we slept beneath them. Next we -heard whisperings and muttered oaths, then a voice, Don José’s, said: - -“Be careful, the beds are empty.” - -Another instant and candles were lit, for their light reached us -through small peep-holes in the panel, and by putting our eyes to -these we could see what passed in the room. There before us we beheld -Don José, Don Smith, and four of their companions, all armed with -knives or _machetes_, while, framed, as it were in the wall, in the -place that had been occupied by the picture of the abbot, stood our -host, Don Pedro, holding a candle above his head, and glaring with his -fish-like eyes into every corner of the room. - -“Where are they?” he said. “Where are the wizards? Find them quick and -kill them.” - -Now the men ran to and fro about the chamber, dragging aside the beds -and staring at the pictures on the wall as though they expected to see -us there. - -“They are gone,” said José at length, “that Indian, Ignatio, has -conjured them away. He is a _demonio_ and not a man; I thought it from -the first.” - -“Impossible!” cried Don Pedro, who was white with rage and fear. “The -door has been watched ever since they entered it, and no living thing -could force those bars. Search, search, they must be hidden.” - -“Search yourself,” answered Don Smith sullenly, “they are not here. -Perhaps they discovered the trick of the picture and escaped down the -passages to the chapel.” - -“It cannot be,” said Don Pedro again, “for just now I was in the -chapel and saw no signs of them. We have some traitor among us who has -led them from the house; by Heaven, if I find him out----” and he -uttered a fearful oath. - -“Shall we bring the dogs?” asked José,--and I trembled at his words: -“they might smell their footing.” - -“Fool, what is the use of dogs in a place where all of you have been -tramping?” answered the father. “To-morrow at dawn we will try them -outside, for these men must be found and killed, or we are ruined. -Already the authorities suspect us because of the disappearance of the -two _Americanos_, and they will send soldiers from Vera Cruz to shoot -us down, for without doubt this _Inglese_ is rich and powerful. It is -certain that they are not here, but perhaps they are hidden elsewhere -in the building. Come, let us search the passages and the roof,” and -he vanished into the wall, followed by the others, leaving the chamber -as dark and silent as it had been before their coming. - -For a while the danger had passed, and we pressed each other’s hands -in gratitude, for to speak or even to whisper we did not dare. Ten -minutes or more went by, when once again we heard sounds, and a light -appeared in the room, borne in the hand of Don Pedro, who was -accompanied by his son, Don José. - -“They have vanished,” said the old man, “the devil their master knows -how. Well, to-morrow we must hunt them out if possible, till then -nothing can be done. You were a fool to bring them here, José. Have I -not told you that no money should tempt me to have more to do with the -death of white men?” - -“I did it for revenge, not money,” answered José. - -“A nice revenge,” said his father, “a revenge that is likely to cost -us all our lives, even in this country. I tell you that, if they are -not found to-morrow and silenced, I shall leave this place and travel -into the interior, where no law can follow us, for I do not wish to be -shot down like a dog. - -“Listen, José, bid those rascals to give up the search and go to bed, -it is useless. Then do you come quietly to my room, and we will visit -the Indian and his daughter. If we are to screw their secret out of -them, it must be done to-night, for, like a fool, I told that -Englishman the story when the wine was in me, thinking that he would -never live to repeat it.” - -“Yes, yes, it must be to-night, for to-morrow we may have to fly. But -what if the brutes won’t speak, father?” - -“We will find means to make them,” answered the old man with a hideous -chuckle; “but whether they speak or not, they must be silenced -afterwards----” and he drew his hand across his throat, adding, -“Come.” - - - -An hour passed while we stood in the hole trembling with excitement, -hope, and fear, and then once more we heard footfalls, followed -presently by the sound of a voice whispering on the further side of -the panel. - -“Are you there, lord?” the whisper said. “It is I, Luisa.” - -“Yes,” I answered. - -Now she touched the spring and opened the panel. - -“Listen,” she said, “they have gone to sleep all of them, but before -dawn they will be up again to search for you far and wide. Therefore -you must do one of two things; lie hid here, perhaps for days, or take -your chance of escape at once.” - -“How can we escape?” I asked. - -“There is but one way, lord, through the chapel. The door into it is -locked, but I can show you a place from which the priests used to -watch those below, and thence, if you are brave, you can drop to the -ground beneath, for the height is not great. Once there, you can -escape into the garden through the window over the altar, which is -broken, as I have seen from without, though to do so, perhaps, you -will have to climb upon each other’s shoulders. Then you must fly as -swiftly as you can by the light of the moon, which has risen. The dogs -have been gorged and tied up, so, if the Heart is your friend, you may -yet go unharmed.” - -Now I spoke to the señor, saying: - -“Although the woman does not know it, I think it likely that we shall -find company in this chapel, seeing that the Indian and his daughter -are imprisoned there, where Don Pedro and José have gone to visit -them. The risk is great, shall we take it?” - -“Yes,” answered the señor after a moment’s thought, “for it is better -to take a risk than to perish by inches in this hole of starvation, or -perhaps to be discovered and murdered in cold blood. Also we have -travelled far and undergone much to find this Indian, and if we lose -our chance of doing so, we may get no other.” - -“What do you say, Molas?” I asked. - -“I say that the words of the señor are wise, also that it matters -little to me what we do, since whether I turn to left or right death -waits me on my path.” - -Now one by one we climbed through the false panel, and by the light of -the moon Luisa led us across the chamber to the spot between the beds, -where hangs the picture of the abbot, which picture, that is painted -on a slab of wood, proved to be only a cunningly devised door -constructed to swing upon a pivot. - -Placing her knee on the threshold of the secret door, Luisa scrambled -into the passage beyond. When the rest of us stood by her side, she -closed the panel, and, bidding us cling to one another and be silent, -she took me by the hand and guided us through some passages till at -length she whispered: - -“Be cautious now, for we come to the place whence you must drop into -the chapel, and there is a stairway to your right.” - -We passed the stairway and turned a corner, Luisa still leading. - -Next instant she staggered back into my arms, murmuring, “Mother of -Heaven! the ghosts! the ghosts!” Indeed, had I not held her she would -have fled. Still grasping her hand, I pushed forward to find myself -standing in a small recess--the one I showed you, Señor Jones--that -was placed about ten feet above the floor of the chapel, and, like -other places in this house, so arranged that the abbot or monk in -authority, without being seen himself, could see and hear all that -passed beneath him. - -Of one thing I am sure, that during all the generations that are gone -no monk watching here ever saw a stranger sight than that which met my -eyes. The chancel of the chapel was lit up by shafts of brilliant -moonlight that poured through the broken window, and by a lamp which -stood upon the stone altar. Within the circle of strong light thrown -by this lamp were four people, namely, Don Pedro, his son Don José, -an old Indian, and a girl. - -On either side of the altar then, as now, rose two carven pillars of -_sapote_ wood, the tops of which were fashioned into the figures of -angels, and to these columns the old Indian and the woman were tied, -one to each column, their hands being joined together at the back of -the pillars in such a manner as to render them absolutely helpless. My -eyes rested first upon the woman, who was nearest to me, and seeing -her, even as she was then, dishevelled, worn with pain and hunger, her -proud face distorted by agony of mind and impotent rage, I no longer -wondered that both Molas and Don Pedro had raved about her beauty. - -She was an Indian, but such an Indian as I had never known before, for -in colour she was almost white, and her dark and waving hair hung in -masses to her knees. Her face was oval and small-featured, and in it -shone a pair of wonderful dark-blue eyes, while the clinging white -robe she wore revealed the loveliness of her tall and delicate shape. - -Bad as was the girl’s plight, that of the old man her father, who was -none other than the Zibalbay we had come to seek, seemed even worse. -As Molas had described him, he was thin and very tall, with white hair -and beard, wild and hawk-like eyes, and aquiline features, nor had Don -Pedro spoken more than the truth when he said that he looked like a -king. His robe had been torn from him, leaving him half naked, and on -his forehead, breast, and arms were blood and bruises which clearly -had been caused by a riding-whip that lay broken at his feet. - -It was not difficult to guess who had broken it, for in front of the -old man, breathing heavily and wiping the perspiration from his brow, -stood Don José. - -“This mule won’t stir,” he said to his father in Spanish; “ask the -girl, it must wake her up to see the old man knocked about.” - -Then Don Pedro slipped off the altar rail upon which he had been -seated, and, advancing to the woman, he peered at her with his leaden -eyes: - -“My dear,” he said to her in the Maya language, “this sight must -grieve you. Put an end to it then by telling us of that place where so -much gold is hidden.” - -“As with my last breath, daughter,” broke in Zibalbay, “I command you -to say nothing, no, not if you see them murder me by inches before -your eyes.” - -“Silence, you dog,” said Don José, striking him across the lips with -his hand. - -“Oh! that I were free to avenge you!” gasped the girl as she strained -and tore at the ropes which held her. - - [image: img_126.jpg - caption: ‘Oh! that I were free to avenge you!’] - -“Don’t be in a hurry, my love,” sneered Don José, “wait a while and -you will have yourself to avenge as well as your father. If he won’t -speak I think we can find a way to make you talk, only I do not want -to be rough with you unless I am forced to it. You are too pretty, -much too pretty.” - -The girl shivered, gasping with fear and hate, and was silent. - -“What shall we try him with now?” he went on, addressing Don Pedro; -“hot steel or cold? Make up your mind, for I am growing tired. Well, -if you won’t, just hand me that _machete_, will you? Now, friend,” he -said, addressing the Indian, “for the last time I ask you to tell us -where is that temple full of gold, of which you spoke to your daughter -in my father’s hearing?” - -“There is no such place, white man,” he answered sullenly. - -“Indeed, friend! Then will you explain where you found those little -ingots, which we captured from the Indian who had been visiting you, -and whence came this _machete_?” and he pointed to the weapon in his -hand. - -It was a sword of great beauty, as I could see even from where we -stood, made not of steel, but of hardened copper, and having for a -handle a female figure with outstretched arms fashioned in solid gold. - -“The _machete_ was given to me by a friend,” said the Indian, “I do -not know where he got it.” - -“Really,” answered José with a brutal laugh, “perhaps you will -remember presently. Here, father, warm the point of the _machete_ in -the lamp, will you, while I tell our guest how we are going to serve -him and his daughter.” - -Don Pedro nodded, and, taking the sword, he held the tip of it over -the flame, while José bending forward whispered into the Indian’s -ear, pointing from time to time to the girl, who, overcome with -faintness or horror, had sunk to the ground, where she was huddled in -a heap half hidden by the masses of her hair. - -“Are you white men then devils?” said the old man at length, with a -groan that seemed to burst from the bottom of his heart, “and is there -no law or justice among you?” - -“Not at all, friend,” answered José, “we are good fellows enough, but -times are hard and we must live. As for the rest, we don’t trouble -over much about law in these parts, and I never heard that unbaptised -Indian dogs have any right to justice. Now, once more, will you guide -us to the place whence that gold came, leaving your daughter here as -hostage for our safety?” - -“Never!” cried the Indian, “better that we two should perish a hundred -times, than that the ancient secrets of my people should pass to such -as you.” - -“So you have secrets after all! Father, is the sword hot?” asked -José. - -“One minute more, son,” said the old man, quietly turning the point in -the flame. - - - -This was the scene that we witnessed, and these were the words that -astonished our ears. - -“It is time to interfere,” muttered the señor, and, placing his hand -upon the rail, he prepared to drop into the church. - -Now a thought struck me, and I drew him back to the passage. - -“Perhaps the door is open,” I said. - -“Are you going in there?” asked the girl Luisa. - -“Certainly,” I replied; “we must rescue these people, or die with -them.” - -“Then, señors, farewell, I have done all I can for you, and now the -saints must be your guide, for if I am seen they will kill me, and I -have a child for whose sake I desire to live. Again, farewell,” and -she glided away like a shadow. - -We crept forward down the stair. At the foot of it was a little door, -which, as we had hoped, stood ajar. For a moment we consulted -together, then we crawled on through the gloom towards the ring of -light about the altar. Now José had the heated sword in his hand. - -“Look up, my dear, look up,” he said to the girl, patting her on the -cheek. “I am about to baptize your excellent father according to the -rites of the Christian religion, by marking him with a cross upon the -forehead,” and he advanced the glowing point of the sword towards the -Indian’s face. - -At that instant Molas pinned him from behind, causing him to drop the -weapon, while I did the same office by Don Pedro, holding him so that, -struggle as he might, he could not stir. - -“Make a sound, either of you, and you are dead,” said the señor, -picking up the _machete_ and placing its hot point against José’s -breast, where it slowly burnt its way through his clothes. - -“What are we to do with these men?” he asked. - -“Kill them as they would have killed us,” answered Molas; “or, if you -fear the task, cut loose the old man yonder and let him avenge his own -and his daughter’s wrongs.” - -“What say you, Ignatio?” - -“I seek no man’s blood, but for our own safety it is well that these -wretches should die. Away with them!” - -Now Don Pedro began to bleat inarticulately in his terror, and that -hero, José, burst into tears and pleaded for his life, writhing with -pain the while, for the point of the sword scorched him. - -“You are an English gentleman,” he groaned, “you cannot butcher a -helpless man as though he were an ox.” - -“As you tried to butcher us in the chamber yonder,--us, who saved your -life,” answered the señor. “Still, you are right, I cannot do it -because, as you say, I am a gentleman. Molas, loose this dog, and if -he tries to run, put your knife through him. José Moreno, you have a -sword by your side, and I hold one in my hand; I will not murder you, -but we have a quarrel, and we will settle it here and now.” - -“You are mad, señor,” I said, “to risk your life thus, I myself will -kill him rather than it should be so.” - -“Will you fight if I loose you, José Moreno?” he asked, making me no -answer, “or will you be killed where you stand?” - -“I will fight,” he replied. - -“Good. Let him free, Molas, and be ready with your knife.” - -“I command you,” I began, but already the man was loose and the señor -stood waiting for him, his back to the door, and grasping the Indian -_machete_ handled with the golden woman. - -Now José glanced round as though he sought a means of escape, but -there was none, for in front was the _machete_ and behind was the -knife of Molas. For some seconds--ten perhaps--they stood facing each -other in the ring of the lamp-light, whilst the moonbeams played -faintly about their heads. We watched in utter silence, the Indian -girl shaking the long hair from her face, and leaning forward as far -as her bonds would allow, that she might see this battle to the death -between him who had insulted and tormented her, and the noble-looking -white man who had appeared out of the gloom to bring her deliverance. - -It was a strange scene, for the contrast of light and darkness, or of -good and evil, is not greater than was that of these two men, and what -made it stranger were the place and hour. Behind them was the half-lit -emptiness of the deserted chapel, before them stood the holy crucifix -and the desecrated altar of God, and beneath their feet lay the bones -of the forgotten dead, whose spirits mayhap were watching them from -the shadows as earnestly as did our living eyes. Yes, that midnight -scene of death and vengeance enacted in the House of Peace was very -strange, and even now it thrills my blood to think of it. - -From the moment that I saw them fronting each other, my fears for the -issue vanished. Victory was written on the calm features of the -señor, and more especially in his large blue eyes, that of a sudden -had grown stern as those of an avenging angel, while the face of José -told only of baffled fury struggling with bottomless despair. He was -about to die, and the terror of approaching death unnerved him. - -Still it was he who struck the first, for, stepping forward, he aimed -a desperate blow at the señor’s head, who, springing aside, avoided -it, and in return ran him through the left arm. With a cry of pain, -the Mexican sprang back, followed by the señor, at whom he cut from -time to time, but without result, for every blow was parried. - -Now they were within the altar rails, and now his back was against one -of the carved pillars of _sapote_ wood,--that to which the girl was -tied. Further he could not fly, but stayed there, laying about him -wildly, so that the woman at the other side of the pillar crouched -upon the ground to avoid the sweep of his sword. - -Then the end came, for the señor, who was waiting his chance, drew -suddenly within reach, only to step back so that the furious blow -aimed at his head struck with a ringing sound upon the marble floor, -where the mark of it may yet be seen. Before Don José, whose arm was -numbed by the shock, could lift the sword again, the señor ran in, -and for the second time thrust with all his strength. But now the aim -was truer, for his _machete_ pierced the Mexican through the heart, so -that he fell down and died there upon the altar step. - -Now I must tell of my own folly that went near to bringing us all to -death. You will remember that I was holding Don Pedro, and how it came -about I know not, but in my joy and agitation I slacked my grip, so -that with a sudden twist he was able to tear himself from my hands, -and in a twinkling of an eye was gone. - -I bounded after him, but too late, for as I reached the door it was -slammed in my face, nor could I open it, for on the chapel side were -neither key nor handle. - -“Fly,” I cried, rushing back to the altar, “he has escaped, and will -presently be here with the rest.” - -The señor had seen, and already was engaged in severing with his -sword the rope that bound the girl, while Molas cut loose her father. -Now I leapt upon the altar--may the sacrilege be forgiven to my -need--and, springing at the stonework of the broken window, I made -shift to pull myself up with the help of Molas pushing from below. -Seated upon the window ledge I leaned down, and catching the Indian -Zibalbay by the wrists, for he was too stiff to leap, with great -efforts I dragged him to me, and bade him drop without fear to the -ground, which was not more than ten feet below us. Next came his -daughter, then the Señor, and last of all, Molas, so that within -three minutes from the escape of Don Pedro we stood unhurt outside the -chapel among the bushes of a garden. - -“Where to now?” I asked, for the place was strange to me. - -The girl, Maya, looked round her, then she glanced up at the heavens. - -“Follow me,” she said, “I know a way,” and started down the garden at -a run. - -Presently we came to a wall the height of a man, beyond which was a -thick hedge of aloes. Over the wall we climbed, and through the aloes -we burst a path, not without doing ourselves some hurt,--for the -thorns were sharp,--to find ourselves in a _milpa_ or corn-field. Here -the girl stopped, again searching the stars, and at that moment we -heard sounds of shouting, and, looking back, saw lights moving to and -fro in the _hacienda_. - -“We must go forward or perish,” I said, “Don Pedro has aroused his -men.” - -Then she dashed into the _milpa_, and we followed her. There was no -path, and the cornstalks, that stood high above us, caught our feet -and shook the dew in showers upon our heads, till our clothes were -filled with water like a sponge. Still we struggled on, one following -the other, for fifteen minutes or more, till at length we were clear -of the cultivated land and standing on the borders of the forest. - -“Halt,” I said, “where do we run to? The road lies to the right, and -by following it we may reach a town.” - -“To be arrested as murderers,” broke in the señor. “You forget that -José Moreno is dead at my hands, and his father will swear our lives -away, or that at the best we shall be thrown into prison. No, no, we -must hide in the bush.” - -“Sirs,” said the old Indian, speaking for the first time, “I know a -secret place in the forest, an ancient and ruined building, where we -may take refuge for a while if we can reach it. But first I ask, who -are you?” - -“You should know me, Zibalbay,” said Molas, “seeing that I am the -messenger whom you sent to search for him that you desire to find, the -Lord and Keeper of the Heart,” and he pointed to me. - -“Are you that man?” asked the Indian. - -“I am,” I answered, “and I have suffered much to find you, but now is -no time for talk; guide us to this hiding-place of yours, for our -danger is great.” - -Then once more the girl took the lead, and we plunged forward into the -forest, often stumbling and falling in the darkness, till the dawn -broke in the east, and the shoutings of our pursuers died away. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - HOW MOLAS DIED - -For some few minutes we rested to recover our breath, then we -started forward again. In front went the girl, Maya, our guide, whom -the señor led by the hand, while behind followed Zibalbay supported -by Molas and myself. At first these two had run as quickly as the rest -of us, but now all the fatigues and terrors that they had undergone -took hold of them, so that from time to time they were forced to stop -to rest. This was little to be wondered at, indeed, seeing that during -five days they had eaten no solid food, for it had been Don Pedro’s -purpose to starve their secret out of them. Doubtless he would have -succeeded in this design, or in doing them to death, had it not been -for a quantity of a certain preparation of the _cuca_ leaf, mixed with -pounded meat and other ingredients, which they carried with them. -Zibalbay had the secret of this Indian food, and by the help of it he -and his daughter had journeyed far across unpeopled wastes, for so -wonderful are its properties that a piece no larger than a bullet will -serve to stay a man’s stomach for twenty-four hours, even when his -power is taxed by work or travel. On this nutriment they had sustained -themselves to the amazement of their captor, who could not discover -whence they drew their strength; still it is a stimulant rather than a -food, and so great was their craving to fill themselves, that as they -ran they plucked cobs of the Indian corn and devoured them. - -Our path lay through a tropical forest so dense that, even when the -sun shone, the gloom was that of twilight. Many sorts of huge and -uncouth trees grew in it, whereof the boughs were starred with orchids -and hung with trailing ferns, or in places with long festoons of grey -Spanish moss that gave them a very strange and unnatural appearance. -Up these trees climbed creepers, some of them thicker than a man’s -thigh, and beneath them the ground was clothed with soft-wooded bush, -or with vast brakes of a plant that in Mexico attains a height of from -ten to twelve feet, which the señor told me is cultivated in English -gardens under the name of Indian Shot. Slowly and with much toil we -forced a path through this mass of vegetation. Now we were creeping -over the rotten trunks of fallen and fern-encumbered trees, now foot -by foot we must make our way between the stout stems of the Indian -Shot, and now our clothes were caught and our flesh was torn by the -hook-like thorns and brambles, or our feet tripped in the roots of -climbing plants. No breath of air penetrated that measureless thicket, -whereof the stagnant atmosphere, laden with the decay of ages, choked -and almost overpowered us, causing the sweat to start from every pore. -Above us, hiding the sky, hung masses of deep green foliage, beneath -which we struggled on in the solemn gloom and the silence that was -broken only from time to time by the grunting of an ape, or by a -distant crash, as some great tree, after centuries of life, fell with -a noise like thunder to the earth from whence it sprang. - -This forest that seemed so destitute of life was peopled by millions -of insects, all of them venomous. _Garrapatas_, tiny grey flies, -wood-wasps, and ants black and red, tormented us with their bites and -stings till we groaned aloud in misery, then, remembering our danger, -pushed on again. - -Thus two hours and more passed, till, reaching a little stream that -ran through a ravine in the forest, we paused to drink and to cool our -fevered feet and hands. Zibalbay sank exhausted upon the bank, where I -brought him water in my sombrero, while his daughter sat herself down -on a stone in the stream, suffering it to flow over her feet and -ankles, that by now were swollen with ant-bites and bleeding from the -cuts of thorns and grasses. Presently she looked up, and, seeing the -señor, who stood upon the bank talking to me, she invited him with a -motion of her hand to seat himself beside her. - -“What is your name, white man?” she asked. - -“James Strickland, lady.” - -“James Strickland,” she repeated with some difficulty, “I thank you, -James Strickland, for rescuing my father from torment and me from -insult; and because of that deed, I, Maya of the Heart, whom many have -served, am your servant for ever.” - -“You should thank my friend, Don Ignatio,” he said, pointing to me. - -For a few moments she looked at me searchingly, then replied, “I thank -him also, but you I thank the most, for your hand rid me of that -hateful man and saved us.” - -“It is early to return thanks, lady,” he said; “we are not out of -danger yet.” - -“I have little fear now that we have escaped from that dreadful -house,” she answered almost indifferently, “since our hiding-place is -at hand. Also how can they find us in this forest? Hark! what was -that?” - -As she spoke a faint and distant sound fell upon our ears,--such a -sound as might have been made by a bell struck far away at night. - -“That is how they will find us,” he said, springing to his feet. “Do -you hear, Ignatio? The dogs have hit our trail. Which way does our -road run now, lady?” - -“Along the banks of the stream.” - -“Then we must go forward in the water,” said the señor, “it is our -only chance, for the hounds cannot track us there.” - -Now we began to scramble down the bed of the stream as fast as the -boulders and the weariness of Zibalbay would allow. Fortunately it was -not a broad river, nor very deep, still sometimes we could scarcely -stand in the rapids, and twice, not daring to set foot upon the bank, -we were forced to swim the length of the pools, which we did in terror -fearing lest they should be haunted by alligators. For something over -an hour we followed the stream thus, till suddenly Maya halted, saying -that if we would gain the building where they had dwelt, we must leave -the water and plunge into the forest. By now we were -exhausted,--indeed, unless he were carried, the old Indian, Zibalbay, -could not have gone another mile; so, notwithstanding the danger of -setting foot upon the land, on learning that the place was near and -that food was to be found in it, we hesitated no longer, but once more -began to thread the bush. Not more than three hundred paces from the -banks of the river we came upon a high mound densely overgrown with -trees, between the boles of which appeared masses of cut stone. - -“This is the place,” gasped Zibalbay. “Look, yonder above us are the -walls of the temple, and here is the stairway that led to it,” and he -pointed to a long flight of crumbling stone steps, almost hidden in -ferns and bushes, which stretched from the base of the pyramid to the -ancient Indian fane on its crest. Up these steps we went with caution, -for the climb was dangerous, Molas carrying Zibalbay upon his broad -back, since so weary was he that the old Indian could mount them in no -other fashion. - -This staircase was built in three flights, the top flight, now almost -entirely broken away, emerging on what once had been a broad and -splendid terrace, but to-day was a chaos of stonework, in the crevices -of which grew bushes and even large trees. Over the head of the -stairway still stood a colossal arch sculptured with the figures of -gods and beasts. This arch was in the last stage of decay,--indeed the -crown of it, a mass of masonry that must have weighed between one and -two hundred tons, had been nearly separated from its supports by the -action of time and rain, aided perhaps by a shock of earthquake, and -hung threateningly over the top steps of the stair. In truth so slight -were the attachments which remained between it and its supporting side -columns and buttresses, that at first sight it seemed as though it -must fall at once. A closer examination showed, however, that it was -held in place by three or four great roots, which, springing from -trees that grew upon the crown of the arch, in the course of years had -thrust themselves deep into the crevices of the masonry of the massive -pillars, and through their foundations into the soil beneath. Beyond -the arch, on the further side of the terrace, rose the ruined temple, -a long single-storied building with a flat roof whereon grew many -shrubs and palms. - -Passing through the central doorway of this temple, Maya led us into a -chamber decorated everywhere with serpents carved in stone, which had -been occupied, and recently, for it was clean, and upon the floor were -ashes and bits of burnt wood. In the corner also lay a little pile of -articles covered over with a _serape_ that Maya hastened to remove, -revealing amongst other things an earthen cooking-pot, a copper axe of -similar workmanship to the _machete_ with which the señor had killed -Don José, two curiously fashioned blow-pipes with a supply of -poisoned darts, and, lastly, bags containing dried flesh, beans, and -_cuca_ paste. - -“All is safe,” she said; “now let us eat that we may be strong to meet -danger.” - -While we were filling ourselves thankfully with the dried meat, the -señor spoke to me, saying he hoped that our pursuit had been -abandoned. - -“You can know little of these men to speak thus,” I answered; “they -must hunt us down for their own sakes, also Don Pedro will certainly -seek to avenge the blood of his son. Our only hope is that the water -will baffle the hounds, or that, if they strike the place where we -left it, the heat of the day may have killed our scent. But I fear -that this will not be so, since the ground is damp beneath the trees.” - -“Then what do you propose to do?” he asked. “Start on again, or stop -here?” - -“Señor, we must stop here because we cannot travel farther, unless -you would abandon the old man and his daughter. Moreover in the forest -it would be easy to overwhelm us, but this place is hard to climb, and -here at least we may die fighting. Let us make ready for the worst, -señor.” - -“How are we to make ready,” he asked, “when we have nothing to fight -with except _machetes_ and Indian blow-pipes? The powder in the pistol -flasks is damp and the caps will miss fire, so that if we are attacked -our death is certain.” - -“It seems so,” I answered, “yet if it pleases God we may live. Yonder -lie stones in plenty; let us pile them up beneath the archway, perhaps -we can kill some of our foes by rolling them down the steps.” - -This we did, then, while Maya watched us. At length the task was -finished, and as we turned to leave the heaps of stones, of a sudden -we heard a dog baying down by the river, followed by a sound of men -and horses forcing a path through the bush. For a while we stared at -each other in silence, then Molas said, “They are coming.” - -“If so I wish they would come quickly,” answered the señor. - -“Why, White Man? Are you afraid?” asked Maya. - -“Yes, very much,” he answered, with a little laugh, “for the odds are -heavy, and probably we shall soon be killed, that is, all the men -among us will be killed. Does not the prospect frighten you?” - -“Why should it,” she answered, with a shrug and a smile, “seeing that -if it comes to the worst, I shall be killed also and spared a long -journey home?” - -“How can you be sure of that, Lady?” - -“So,” she answered, holding a tiny blow-pipe dart before his eyes. “If -I prick myself with this here--” and she touched the large vein in her -neck, “in one minute I shall be asleep, and in two I shall be dead.” - -“I understand; but you talk of death very easily for one so young and -beautiful.” - -“If so, señor, it is because I have not found life too soft, -nor”--she added with a sigh--“do I know what destiny awaits me in the -future; but I do know that when we sleep upon the Heart of Heaven, we -shall find peace if nothing more.” - -“I hope so,” said the señor. “Look, here they come,” and as he spoke -a party of seven or eight men, three of them riding on mules, appeared -at the foot of the mound, and, dismounting, picketed their animals to -trees. - -“Now for it,” said the señor, rising and shaking himself like a dog -that leaves the water. “I wonder how many of us will be left alive -when this sun sets.” - -As he spoke one of the men reached the foot of the stairway holding a -great hound in a leash. For a moment the dog sniffed the stones, then, -lifting his head, he bayed aloud, whereat the band shouted, for they -knew that they had trapped us. Still for a while they did not advance, -but, gathering themselves in a knot, they consulted together -earnestly. We looked at each other in despair, for truly our case was -desperate. Fly we could not, and we had no arms wherewith to fight, -therefore it seemed certain that within some few minutes we must lose -our lives at the hands of these murderers, if indeed they chose to -kill us outright in mercy. The señor hid his face in his hands for -awhile, then he looked up and said, - -“Can we bargain with them, Ignatio?” - -“Impossible,” I answered, “what have we to give that they cannot -take?” - -“Then there is nothing for it except to die as bravely as we may,” he -answered. “This is the end of our search for the Golden City. The -quest has not been a lucky one, Ignatio.” - -Now the old Indian, Zibalbay, who was crouched upon the ground beside -us, spoke for the first time, saying, - -“Friends, why do you not fly? Doubtless you can find a path down the -further side of the pyramid, and in the forest you may hide from these -men.” - -“How can we fly,” answered the señor, “when you have no strength to -walk a step?” - -“I am old and ready to die,” he answered; “leave me here, and be sure -that when the time comes I shall know how to slip through the grasp of -these villains. My daughter, go you with them. You have the holy -symbol, and should you escape and prove this stranger to be the man -whom we seek, lead him to our home that things may befall as they are -fated.” - -“Peace, my father,” said Maya, throwing her arms about his neck, -“together we will live or perish. These señors may go if it pleases -them, but here I stay with you.” - -“And so do I,” said Molas, “for I weary of flying from the death that -dogs me. Also it is too late to talk of flight, for look, they are -coming up the stair, the eight of them with Don Pedro and the -_Americano_ at their head.” - -I looked; it was true. Already they had climbed half the steps of the -first flight. - -“Oh for some rifles!” groaned the señor. - -“It is useless to cry for what we have not,” I answered. “God can help -us if He wishes, and if He does not, we must bow us to His will.” - -Then there was silence, broken only by the voice of Zibalbay, who, -standing behind us, lifted his hands to heaven and prayed aloud to his -gods to bring a vengeance upon our foes. Now we could see through the -trees and bushes that the men were beginning to climb the second -flight. - -“Come, let us do something,” said the señor, and, running to the -piles of stones which we had prepared, he called to us to help him -roll the heaviest of them upon the enemy. This we did for awhile, but -without effect, for the tree-trunks turned our missiles; moreover -those against whom they were directed, taking cover at the sides of -the stairway, opened so sharp a fire on us with their rifles, that in -a few minutes we were driven from the stone heaps and forced to -retreat behind the shelter of the arch. - -Now they came on again, till presently they reached the foot of the -third flight, and paused to take breath. Then it was that Molas, -seizing one of the Indian blow-pipes, ran out on to the terrace, -followed by the señor, though why the latter went I do not know, for -he could not use this weapon. Before the men beneath were aware of -their presence, Molas had set the blow-pipe to his lips and discharged -the poisoned dart among them. As it chanced it struck the Texan Smith -full in the throat. Watching round the corner of the arch, I saw him -lift his hand to pull out the dart, then of a sudden he fell to the -ground, and at that instant a storm of bullets swept through the -archway, aimed at Molas and the señor as they fled back for refuge. I -saw Molas fall and the señor stop to lift him to his feet, and, as he -was in the very act, a patch of red appear upon his face. Another -moment and they were under cover. - -“Are you hurt?” I asked of the señor. - -“No, no,” he answered; “my cheek was grazed by a bullet, that is all. -Look to Molas, he is shot in the side.” - -“Leave me,” said Molas, “it is nothing.” - -Then we were silent, only Maya sobbed a little as she strove to -staunch the blood that flowed from the señor’s wound with cobwebs -which she gathered from among the stones. - -“Do not trouble, lady,” he said, with a sad smile, “for soon there -will be other wounds that cannot be dressed. What shall you do?” - -By way of answer she showed him the poisoned dart which she held in -the hollow of her hand. - -“I cannot advise you otherwise,” he said. “Farewell, I am glad to have -met you and I hope that we may meet again yonder,” and he glanced -towards the sky. “Now you had best say good-bye to your father, for -our time is short.” She nodded, went to the old man, Zibalbay, who -stood silent, stroking his grey beard, and, putting her arms about his -neck, she kissed him tenderly. - -Looking out carefully we saw that the men had dragged Don Smith to the -side of the stairway, where some of them supported him while he died -of the poison, and others watched for a chance to shoot us should we -show ourselves upon the terrace. Presently he was dead, and, cursing -us aloud, his companions commenced to mount the third flight with -great caution, for they feared a snare. - -“Is there nothing to be done to save our lives?” asked the señor, in -a heavy voice. - -There was no answer, but of a sudden Molas, who was standing with one -hand pressed upon the wound in his side and the other before his eyes, -turned and ran into the chamber behind us, whence he reappeared -carrying the copper axe. Then, without speaking, he climbed the -masonry of the archway with great swiftness, till he stood with his -feet in the crack beneath the crown of the arch, which you will -remember was held in place only by the tough tree-roots, that grew -from it into the stonework of the buttresses. Supporting himself by a -creeper with his left hand, with his right he struck blow after blow -at the biggest of these roots, severing them one by one. Now we saw -his purpose--to send two hundred tons of stonework thundering down the -stairway upon the heads of the murderers. - -“By heaven! that is an answer to my question,” said the señor; then -he paused and added, “Come down, Molas; if the arch falls, you will -fall with it and be crushed.” - -“It matters little,” he answered; “this is my doom day, that bullet -has cut me inside and I bleed to death, and on this spot, as I have -long feared, it is fated that I should die. Pray for my soul, and -farewell.” - -“Fare you well, you gallant man,” said the señor. “I have no axe or I -would come with you.” - -“Farewell, Molas, my brother, true servant of the Heart,” I echoed; -“of this I am sure, that you shall not lose your reward.” - -Now three of the roots were severed, but the fourth and largest, which -was thicker than a man’s leg, remained, and at this Molas began to hew -despairingly. - -“Are they near?” he gasped, as the white chips flew. - -We peeped round the corner of the arch and saw that some seventy feet -below us the band had halted on the slippery face of the pyramid, -fearing they knew not what, for they heard the dull sound of the axe -blows, but could not guess what it portended. One of their number was -talking to Don Pedro, apparently urging something upon him to which he -did not agree, and in this way they wasted two minutes before at last -the order was given to rush up the remaining steps and take the temple -by storm. - -Two minutes--it was but a short time, yet it meant much, for only a -third of the root remained unsevered, and the bark cracking and -peeling showed how great was the strain upon it. - -“Quick,” whispered the señor, “they come,”--and as he spoke the -handle of the axe broke and its head fell to the ground. - -“Now if the root holds we are lost,” I said. - -But it was not to be, for Molas still had his heavy hunting-knife, and -with this he hewed frantically at the wood. At the third cut it began -to part, torn slowly asunder as though by the strength of a giant, and -while it gave, the vast superincumbent mass of masonry, which it had -helped to support for so many years, shifted a little with a grinding -sound, then hung again. - -“Come down, Molas, come down!” cried the señor. - -But Molas would not. He struck one more blow, severing the root, then -with a shout of farewell, either through faintness or by design, he -cast himself forward with outstretched arms against the face of the -wall. His weight was little indeed, yet it seemed that it sufficed to -turn the balance as dust turns a scale, for again the trembling mass -moved perceptibly and the tall trees upon the top of it began to nod -as though beneath the sudden pressure of wind. Now it slid forward -faster and faster, while sharp sounds like pistol-shots came from the -heart of it, and the trees above bent like a rod beneath the rush of a -fish. Now also for the first time the villains on the slope below -perceived the doom that threatened them, and uttered such a yell as I -had never heard. Some stood still and some flung themselves down the -stair, one only, Don Pedro himself, rushed forward. It was too late; -the mass of stonework, sixty feet long by twenty in breadth, was -falling. It was falling--it fell, taking Molas with it. With a roar -like that of thunder it struck upon the stairway, and, bursting into -fragments, swept it from end to end. No discharge of grape-shot could -have been so terrible in its effects as this hurricane of stones that -nothing could withstand, for even the big trees which stood in its -path were snapped like sticks and borne away upon its crest, as the -carved masonry that had been carried up the pyramid by the long labour -of the Indians of a bygone age, rushed downward to its foot. - - [image: img_145.jpg - caption: The mass of stonework fell, ... taking Molas with it.] - -In less than a minute it was done, the sounds had died away, and -nothing was left to tell of what had happened except a little dust and -some remains that had been men. Of all those who stood upon the -stairway only one survived, Don Pedro, who had run forward in the hope -of escaping the fall of the arch. As it chanced he was too late, for -though the mass had missed him, a single stone struck him across the -middle, breaking his bones and sweeping him to the foot of the first -flight, but leaving him alive. - - - -When all was finished, and the dust had fallen to the earth again, the -señor spoke, saying, “Let us go and search for the body of our -deliverer.” - -So we went, the three of us, leaving Zibalbay in the temple, but we -could not find it; doubtless to this day Molas lies buried beneath -some of the larger blocks of masonry. There were other bodies indeed, -from which we did not scruple to take the rifles and whatever else was -likely to be of value to us. Better still, tied among some trees near -the foot of the pyramid, we found four good mules, one of them laden -with ammunition and provisions, for Don Pedro had come out determined -to hunt us down, even if he must follow us for days. - -Having picketed the mules where they could graze, we returned to the -temple, bearing with us food and drink, of which we stood in sore -need. On our way up the steps, Don Pedro called to us from where he -lay broken and bleeding against an uprooted tree. - -“Water,” he cried, “give me water.” - -The señor gave him some mixed with brandy that we had found upon the -sumpter mule. - -“Your heart is merciful,” said Maya gravely; “I am not cruel, yet I -think that I should suffer that dog to die untended.” - -“We all of us have sins to pay for, Lady, and the thought of them -should teach us charity, especially now when it has pleased God to -spare us,” answered the señor. - -“I am dying,” moaned the wretch; “my presentiment has come true, and -death finds me amongst ruins. How dare I die who have been a murderer -and a thief from my boyhood?” - -The señor shrugged his shoulders, for he could not answer this -question. - -“Give me absolution,” he went on, “for the love of Christ, give me -absolution.” - -“I cannot,” said the señor; “I have no authority. Pray to Heaven to -shrive you, for your time is short.” - -Then he turned and went, but for a long time we were troubled by the -last cries and blasphemies of this most evil man; indeed they did not -cease till sunset, when the devil came to claim his own. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - ZIBALBAY TELLS HIS MISSION - -When we reached the ruins of the temple we ate and drank, then, -knowing that we could travel no farther that night, I spoke, saying: - -“Some two months since, Zibalbay, you sent a message by Molas, my -foster-brother, that man who died to save us this day, to him who -among the Indians is known as Lord of the Heart. Your messenger -travelled fast and far, by sea and by land, till he found him and -delivered the message.” - -“To whom did he deliver it?” asked Zibalbay. - -“To me, for I am the man you seek, and with my companion I have -journeyed here to find you, suffering many dangers and evils on the -path.” - -“Prove that you are the man,”--and he asked me certain secret -questions, to all of which I returned answers. - -“You are instructed,” he said at length, “yet something is lacking; -if, indeed, you are the Lord of the Heart, reveal its mystery to my -eyes.” - -“Nay,” I answered, “it is you who seek me, not I you. To Molas, your -messenger, you showed a certain symbol; let me see that symbol, for -then and not till then will I reveal the mystery.” - -Now he looked round him doubtfully, and said, “You I have proved, and -this woman is my daughter and knows all; but what of the white man? Is -it lawful that I should unveil the Heart before him?” - -“It is lawful,” I answered, “for this white man is my brother, and we -are one till death. Also he is sworn of our brotherhood, and himself, -for a while, was Lord and Holder of the Heart, for I passed it on to -him when I thought that I lay dying, and to him cling its virtues and -prerogatives. So it comes about that we have no secrets from each -other; that his ears are my ears, and his mouth is my mouth. Speak to -us, then, as though we were one man, or be silent to both, for I vouch -for him and he for me.” - -“Are these things so, White Man?” asked Zibalbay, making the sign of -brotherhood. - -“They are so,” replied the señor, giving the countersign. - -“Then I speak,” said Zibalbay, “I speak in the name of the Heart, and -woe be to him who betrays the secrets that he learns under cover of -this name. Come hither, daughter, and give me that which is hidden -about you.” - -Now Maya put her hands to her head, and drawing forth something from -the dense masses of her hair, she passed it to her father. - -“Is this what you would see?” he asked, holding the talisman in the -light of the setting sun. - -I looked, and lo! there before me was the very counterpart of that -which had descended to me from my forefathers, and which I wore about -my neck. - -“It would seem so, unless my sight deceives me,” I answered; “and is -this what you have come so far to seek, Zibalbay?” and I drew forth -the ancient symbol of the Broken Heart. - -Now he leaned forward, and examined first the one half and then the -other, searching them with his eyes. Then he clasped his hands and, -looking to the heavens, said: - -“I thank thee, O Nameless One, god of my fathers, that thou hast led -my feet aright, and given it to mine eyes to see their desire. As thou -hast prospered the beginning, so prosper thou the end, I beseech -thee.” - -Then he turned to me and continued as in an ecstasy: - -“Now have Day and Night come together, and soon shall the new sun -rise, the sun of our glory, for already the dawn is breaking. Take -that which is in your keeping, and I will take that which is in mine, -for not here must they be joined, but far away. Listen, brethren, to -my tale, which shall be brief, seeing that if it be the will of -Heaven, your eyes shall prove my words where all things can be made -clear to you, and if not, that of which little is told is the more -easily forgotten. Perchance, my brethren, you have heard legends of -that ancient undiscovered city, the last home of our race which is -undefiled by the foot of the white conqueror, and the secret sanctuary -of the pure faith given to our forefathers by the divine Cucumatz, who -is of some named Quetzal.” - -“We have heard of it and greatly desire to see it,” I answered. - -“If this be so,” went on Zibalbay, “in us you have found those who can -guide you to that city, of which I am the _cacique_ and hereditary -high priest, and my only child here is the heiress and lady. You -wonder how it comes then that we, being of this condition, are found -unguarded and alone, wandering like beggars in the land of the white -man. Listen: The City of the Heart, as it is called, is of all cities -the most beautiful and ancient, and once in the far past she ruled -these lands from sea to sea, for her walls were built by one of those -brethren whom the holy Cucumatz, the white god, left to share his -throne, after there had been war between the brethren and they -separated, each becoming the father of a nation. So great was her -power in the early days that all the cities whose ruins may be found -buried in these forests were her tributaries, but as the years went -by, hordes of barbarians rolled down upon her frontier towns so that -they were lost to her. Still no enemies came near her gates, and she -remained the richest and most powerful of the cities of the world. - -“Now the City of the Heart is built upon an island in the centre of a -lake, but many thousands of her children lived upon the mainland, -where they cultivated fields and dug in the earth for gold and gems. -So she flourished, and her children with her, till twelve generations -since, when there came tidings to the king of that day that a nation -of white men had conquered the empires near the sea, putting their -inhabitants to the sword and possessing themselves of their wealth. -Tidings came also that these white men, having learned the tale of the -City of the Heart and of the measureless treasures of gold with which -it is adorned, purposed to seek it out to sack it. When the ruling -_cacique_ was sure that these things were true, he took counsel with -his wise men and with the oracle of the god which is in the Sanctuary, -and issued a decree that all those who lived upon the mainland should -be brought within the walls of the city, so that the white men might -find none to guide them thither. This was done then, and the spoilers -sought in vain for many years, till it was reported among them that -this legend of a town filled with gold was but a fable. Now, however, -great sickness took hold of those who lived in the City of the Heart, -because it was over full of men,--so great a sickness, indeed, that -soon there was space and to spare for all who remained within its -walls. The sickness went away, but as the generations passed a new and -a worse trouble fell upon our forefathers. The blood of the people -grew old, and but few children were born to them. There were none left -upon the mainland to replenish the race, and this is our law, a law -which cannot be broken under pain of death, that no man or woman may -leave our territories to seek a husband or a wife of different blood. - -“Thus, then, it has come about that the people have grown less and -less, wasting away like snow upon a mountain top in summer, till at -length they are dwindled to a few thousands, who in bygone days could -count their number by tens and twenties of thousands. Now I, Zibalbay, -have ruled this city since I was young, and bitterly has it grieved me -to know that before another hundred years have been added to the past, -the city, Heart of the World, must become nothing but a waste and a -home for the dead, though of that those who live therein to-day reck -but little, for the people have no thought for the morrow, and the -hearts of its nobles have become gross and their eyes blind. - -“But an ancient prophecy has come down to us from our forefathers, and -it is, that when once more the two halves of the symbol of the Heart -are laid side by side in their place upon the altar in the Sanctuary -of the holy city, then from that hour she shall grow great again. Over -this saying I brooded long, and long and often did I pray to that god -whom I worship and whose high-priest I am, the Nameless god, Heart of -Heaven and Lord of all the earth, that it would please him to give me -light and wisdom whereby I might find that which was lost, and save -the people from perishing as, in a season of drought, flowers perish -for lack of rain, bringing forth no seed. At length upon a certain -night it came about that a voice spoke to me in a dream answering my -prayer, bidding me to wander forth from the country of the Heart and -follow the ancient road towards the sea, for there near to the eastern -shore I should find that which was lost. - -“Then I summoned the Council of the Heart and opened my mind to them, -telling them of my dream, and that I purposed to obey it. But they -made a mock of me, for they thought me mad, and said that I might go -if I wished, for being their ruler they had no power to stay me, but -that no man of the people should accompany me across the mountains, -for that was against the ancient law. - -“I answered that it was well, and I would go alone since go I must, -whereon my daughter rose in her place and said that she would journey -with me, as she had a right to do, and to this they must consent, -though one of their number spoke bitterly against it, for he was my -nephew, and affianced to my daughter. Was it not so, Maya?” - -“It was so,” she answered with a smile. - -“To be short,” went on Zibalbay, “since my heart was set upon this -mission, and my daughter yonder, who is wilful, would not be gainsayed -of her desire to accompany me, Tikal, my nephew, was placed over the -city to rule as _cacique_ in my stead until I should return again. -Then I left the city with this my daughter, many of the nobles and of -the common people accompanying us across the lake and a day’s journey -beyond it to the mountain pass, where they bid us farewell with tears, -for they were certain that we were mad and went to our deaths. - -“Alone we crossed the mountains, and alone, following the traces of -the ancient road, we travelled through the desert and the forest that -lies beyond it, till at length we reached this secret place and stayed -here, for, though we were unharmed, danger, toil, and hunger had worn -us out, moreover we were afraid to venture among the white people. -Brethren, there is no need to tell the rest of the tale, for it is -known to you. That power which sent me on my mission has guided me -through all its troubles, and after much hardship and suffering has -caused me to triumph, seeing that to-night we are still alive, having -found that which we came forth to seek. Such is my story, brother; -now, if it pleases you, let us hear yours, and learn what purpose led -you and your companion here in time to save us from the grip of that -white devil who lies dead upon the stairway.” - -Then I spoke, telling to Zibalbay and his daughter the story of my -life, whereof I have written already, and of my great scheme to build -up again that empire which fell in the day of Montezuma. - -“Now you speak words that are after my own heart,” said the old chief; -“but tell me, how is it to be done?” - -“By your help,” I answered. “Men are here in plenty, but to use them I -must have gold, whereas yonder it seems you have gold and no men. -Therefore I ask of you some portion of your useless wealth that by its -help I may lift up your people and my own.” - -“Follow me to the city, and if I can bring it about you shall have all -that you desire,” he answered. “Brother, our ends are one, and fate -has brought us together from far away, in order that they may be -accomplished. The prophecy is true, and truly have I dreamed; soon -shall the severed symbol be brought together in the Sanctuary and the -will of Heaven be made clear. Oh! not in vain have I lived and prayed, -enduring the mockery of men, for Day and Night have met, and already -the light of the new dawn is shining in the sky. Place your hand in -mine, and let us swear an oath upon the Heart that we, its guardians, -will be true to each other and to our purpose until death chooses us. -So, it is sworn. Now, daughter, lead me to my rest, for I am -overwhelmed, not with toil and suffering, but with too much joy. O -Heart of Heaven, I thank thee!” and lifting his hands above his head, -as though in adoration, Zibalbay turned, and, followed by the girl, -Maya, he tottered rather than walked into the chamber. - -When he had gone the señor spoke to me. - -“This is very well, Ignatio,” he said, “and most interesting, but just -now, as I may remind you, there are things more pressing than the -regeneration of the Indian race; for instance, our own safety. -To-morrow, at the latest, men will come to seek these villains who lie -yonder, and if we are found here it seems likely that we shall be shot -down as murderers. Say, then, what do you propose to do?” - -“I propose, señor, that at the first light of dawn we should take the -mules and ride away. The forest is dense, and it will be difficult to -find us in it, moreover two days’ journey will place us beyond the -reach of white men. Tell me, Lady,” I added to Maya, who had returned -from the chamber, “do you know the road?” - -“I know the road,” she answered, “but, sirs, before you take it, it is -right that I should tell you something, seeing that not to do so would -be to make an ill return for all the nobleness which you have shown -towards my father and myself, saving us from death and shame. You have -heard my father’s words, and they are true, every one of them, but -they are not all the truth. He rules that city of which he has spoken -to you, but the nobles there are weary of his rule, which at times is -somewhat harsh; also they deem him mad. It was for this reason that -they suffered him to wander forth, seeking the fulfilment of a -prophecy in which none of them have faith, for they were certain that -he would perish in the wilderness and return no more to trouble them.” - -“Then why did they allow you, who are his heiress, to accompany him, -Lady?” - -“Because I would have it so. I love my father, and if he was doomed to -die because of his folly, it was my wish to die with him. Moreover, if -you would know the truth, I hate that city where I was born, and the -man in it to whom I am destined to be married, and desired to escape -from it if only for a while.” - -“And does that man hate you, Lady?” - -“No,” she answered, turning her head aside; “but if he loves me, I -believe that he loves power more. Had I stayed, although I am a woman, -my father must have appointed me to rule in his place, and Tikal, my -cousin, would have been next the throne, not on it; therefore it was -that he consented to my going, or at the least I think so. Sirs, I -learn now that you are to accompany us to the City of the Heart, -should we live to reach it, and for my part I rejoice at this, though -I should be glad if our faces were set towards some other land. But I -learn also that you have entered into a compact with my father, under -which he is to give you the gold you need, and many great things are -to happen, having for their end the setting up of the Indian people -above the white men, and the raising of the City of the Heart to the -place and power that she has lost, which according to the prophecy -shall come about after the two halves of the broken symbol are set -once more in the place that is prepared for them.” - -“Do you not believe, then, in the prophecy?” asked the señor quickly. - -“I did not say so,” she answered. “Certainly it is strange that by -following a dream my father should have found that which he sought so -eagerly, the trinket that your companion bears upon his breast. And -yet I will say this; that I have no great faith in priests and visions -and gods, for of these it seems there have been many,”--and she -glanced at the walls of the temple, that were sculptured over with the -demons which our forefathers worshipped, then added,--“indeed, if I -understand aright, you, sirs, follow a faith that is unknown to us.” - -“We follow the true faith,” I answered, “all the rest are false.” - -“It may be so,” she said, “but I know not how this saying will sound -in the ears of the servants of the Heart of Heaven. Come if you will, -but be warned; my people are a jealous people, and the name of a -stranger is hateful to them. Few such have ever reached the City of -the Heart for many generations, and of those, save for one or two, -none have escaped from it alive. They do not desire new things, they -have little knowledge of the world beyond their walls, and seek for -none; they wish to live as their forefathers lived, careless of a -future which they will never see, and I think that it must go very ill -with any who come among them bringing new faiths and doctrines, -seeking to take power from their hands and to awake them from their -narrow sloth. Now, sirs, choose whether you will accompany us in our -march towards the City of Waters, or whether you will set your face to -the sea again and forget that you chanced to hear a certain story from -a wandering doctor, whose misfortunes had made him mad, and an Indian -girl who tended him.” - -Now I listened to these words which the Lady Maya spoke very earnestly -and with power, and understood that they meant much; they meant that -in going to the City of the Heart we were, as she believed, going to -our doom. - -“Lady,” I said, “it may well chance that Death waits me yonder, but I -have looked too often in his eyes of late to shun them now. Death is -everywhere, lady, and, did men stop to let him pass, little work would -be done in the world. I have my task to do, or to attempt, and it -seems that it lies yonder in the Secret City, therefore thither I -shall go if my strength does not fail me and fate will suffer it. Come -what may, I travel with your father towards the City of the Heart. For -the señor here it is different. Weeks ago I told him that no good -could come to him from this journey, and what I said then I say now. -He has heard your words, and if he will hearken to them and to mine, -he will bid us farewell to-morrow, and go his ways, leaving us to go -ours.” - -She listened, and, turning towards him, said, “You hear. What say you, -White Man?” and it seemed to me, who was watching her, that she -awaited his answer anxiously. - -“Yes, Lady, I hear,” he replied, with a laugh, “and doubtless it is -all true enough, and I shall leave my bones yonder among your -countrymen. Well, so be it, I have determined to go, not in order to -regenerate the race of Indians or any other race, but that I may see -this city; and go I will, since, other things apart, I am too idle to -change my mind. Also it seems to me that after this day’s business -there is more danger in staying here than in pushing forward.” - -“I am glad that you are going, since you go of your own free will,” -she said, smiling. “May our fears be confounded, and your journey and -ours prove prosperous. And now let us rest, for you must be very -weary, as I am, and we should be stirring before the dawn.” - - - -Next morning, at the first break of light, we started upon our -journey, riding on three of the mules that we had captured, and -leading the fourth laden with our goods and water-skins. Very glad -were all of us to see the last of that ruined temple, and yet it was -sad to me to leave it, for there, hidden beneath some of the masses of -the fallen masonry, lay all that was left of my friend and -foster-brother, Molas, he whose bravery and wit had saved our lives at -the cost of his own. - -Our plan was to avoid villages where we might be seen by men, and to -keep ourselves hidden in the forest, for we feared lest we should be -followed and brought to judgment because of the death of Don Pedro and -his companions. This, as it chanced, we were able to do, since, having -guns and ammunition in plenty, we shot birds and deer for our daily -food. Travelling thus on mule-back, soon our strength returned to us, -even to the old man Zibalbay, who had suffered the most from fatigue -and from ill-treatment at the hands of the Mexicans. - -In something less than a week we had passed through the inhabited -districts of Yucatan and far out of reach of the white man, and now -were journeying through the forest towards the great _sierra_ that -lies beyond it. To find a way in this thick and almost endless forest -appeared impossible; indeed, it would have been so but for the -knowledge that Zibalbay and his daughter had gathered on their path -seaward, and for an ancient map which they brought with them. On this -map were traced the lines of the roads that in the days of Indian -civilisation pierced the country in every direction. One of these -roads, the largest, ran from the mountain range which surrounds the -lake of the City of the Heart, straight across _sierras_ and through -woodlands to the ruined town of Palenque, and thence to the coast. -This road, or rather causeway, was in many places utterly overgrown by -trees, and in others sunk in swamps or hidden by the dust and sand of -the _sierras_. Sometimes for two or three days’ journey there was -nothing to show us that it had ever existed, still, by following the -line traced upon the map, and from time to time taking our position by -the ruins of cities marked thereon, we never failed to find it again. - -The number of these old cities and temples was wonderful, and -astonished the señor beyond measure, which is not strange, seeing -that he was the first white man who had ever looked upon them. Often, -as we rode, he would talk to me about them, and strive to paint in -words a picture of this country, now but desert plains or tangled -bush, as it must have been five hundred years or more before our day, -when cities and villages, palaces and temples, crowded with tens of -thousands of inhabitants, were to be seen everywhere, and the fertile -face of the earth was hidden in the green of crops. What histories lay -buried in those jungles, and what scenes must have been enacted on the -crumbling pyramids which confronted us day by day, before the sword of -the conqueror or the breath of pestilence, or both, made the land -desolate. Then it would have been a sight worth seeing; and our hearts -beat at the thought that if things went well with us it might be our -fortune to witness that sight; that _our_ eyes might behold the -greatest of these cities, sought for many generations but as yet -unfound, the very navel of this ancient and mysterious civilisation, -dying indeed, but still existent. - -I had other hopes to draw me onward, but, as I believe, it was this -desire that sustained the señor in many a difficulty and danger of -our march. It was with him while he was hacking a mule-path through -the scrub with his _machete_, when we toiled along hour after hour -beneath the burning sun, and even at night as he lay over-tired and -sleepless, tormented by insects, and aching with fever. Filled with -this thought he was never weary of questioning the silent Zibalbay as -to the history, or rather the legend, of the land through which we -journeyed, or of listening to the Lady Maya’s descriptions of the City -of the Heart, till even she grew tired, and begged him to speak, -instead, of the country across the water where he was born, of its -ceaseless busy life, and the wonders of civilisation. Strange as it -may seem, I, who watched them both from day to day, know it to be true -that she was in mind the more modern of the two,--so much so, indeed, -that, in listening to their talk, I might have fancied that Maya was -the child of the New World, filled with the spirit of to-day, and he -the heir of a proud and secret race dying beneath its weight of years. - -“I cannot understand you,” she would say to him; “why do you so love -histories and ruins and stories of people that have long been dead? I -hate them. Once they lived, and doubtless were well enough in their -place and time, but now they are past and done with, and it is we who -live, live, live!” and she stretched out her arms as though she would -clasp the sunshine to her breast. - -“I tell you,” she went on, “that this home of mine, of which you are -so fond of talking, is nothing but a great burying-place, and those -who dwell in it are like ghosts who wander to and fro thinking of the -things that they did, or did not do, a thousand years before. It was -their ancestors who did the things, not they, for they do nothing -except plot against each other, eat, sleep, drink, and mumble prayers -to a god in whom they do not believe. Did my father but know it, he -wastes time and trouble in making plans for the redemption of the -People of the Heart, who think him mad for his pains. They cannot be -redeemed. Were it otherwise, do you suppose that they would have been -content to sit still all these hundreds of years, knowing nothing of -the great world outside of them, and day by day watching their numbers -dwindle, till life but flickers in the race as in a dying lamp? So it -is also, if in a less degree, with those Indians whom Don Ignatio here -seeks to lift out of the mire into which the Spaniards trod them. -Sirs, I believe that our blood has had its day. There is no more -growth in us, we are corn ripe for the sickle of Death,--that is, most -of us are. Therefore, if I could have my will, while I am still young -I would turn my back upon this city which you so desire to see, taking -with me the wealth that is useless there, but which, it seems, would -bring me many good things in other lands, and live out my time among -people who have a present and a future as well as a past.” - -Then the señor would laugh, and argue that the past is more than the -present, and that it is better to be dead than alive, and many other -such follies; and I would grow angry and reprove Maya for her words, -which shocked me, whereat she would yawn, and talk of something else, -for I and my discourses wearied her. Only Zibalbay took no heed, for -his mind was set upon other things, even if he heard us, which I -doubt. - -But all this while, notwithstanding her light talk and careless -manner, the Lady Maya was learning--yes, even from me--when the señor -was not at hand, for she would inquire into everything and forget -nothing that she heard. The history of the countries of the world, -their modes of government and religions, the manners, customs, and -appearance of their inhabitants,--he told her of them all from day to -day. Nor did she weary of listening, till at length the señor met -with an adventure that went near to separating him from her for ever, -and showed me, although I had no great love for her or any of her sex, -that, whatever might be her faults, this woman’s heart was true and -bold. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - MAYA DESCENDS THE CUEVA - -One evening--it was after we had left the forest country, and with -much toil climbed the _sierra_ till we reached the desert beyond, a -desert that seemed to be boundless--we set our camp amongst a clump of -great aloes that grew at the foot of a stony hill. This hill was -marked on Zibalbay’s map as being the site of an underground -reservoir, known as a _cueva_, whence in the old days, when this place -was inhabited, the Indians drew their supply of water in the dry -season from deep down in the bowels of the earth. That this particular -_cueva_ existed was proved by the fact that the ancient road, which -here was plainly visible, ran through the ruins of a large town -whereof the population must once have been supplied by it; but when -Zibalbay and his daughter slept at the spot on their downward journey, -they were spared the necessity of looking for it by the discovery of a -rain-pool in the hollow of a rock. Now, however, no rain having fallen -for weeks, after we had eaten, and drunk such water as remained in the -water-skins, we determined to seek for the _cueva_ in order to refill -the skins and give drink to the thirsty mules. - -Accordingly we began to examine the rocky hill, and presently found a -stone archway, now nearly filled up with soil and half hidden by thorn -bushes, which from its appearance and position we judged to be the -entrance to the _cueva_. Having provided ourselves with an armful of -torches made from the dead stems of a variety of aloe that grew around -in plenty, we lit four of them, and I led the way through the hole to -find myself in a cave where a great and mysterious wind blew and -sighed in sudden gusts that almost extinguished our lights. Following -this cave we came to a pit or shaft at the end of it, which evidently -led to the springs of water. This shaft, of unknown depth, was almost -if not quite as smooth and perpendicular as though it had been -hollowed by the hand of man, but the strangest thing about it was the -terrible stairway that the ancients had used to approach the water, -consisting, as it did, of a double row of notches eight or ten inches -deep, cut in the surface of the shaft. Up and down these notches the -water-carriers must have passed for generations, for they were much -worn, and a groove made by the feet of men ran to the top of this -awful ladder. The señor, finding a fragment of rock, let it fall over -the edge of the pit, and several seconds passed before a faint sound -told us that it had touched the bottom. - -“What a dreadful place!” he said. “I think that I had rather die of -thirst than attempt to go down it.” - -“Still people have gone down in the past,” answered Maya, “for look, -this is where they stepped off the edge.” - -“Perhaps they had a rope to hold by, lady,” I suggested. “When I was a -young man I have descended mines almost as steep, with no other ladder -than one made of tree-trunks--monkey-poles they are called--notched -after this fashion, and set from side to side of the shaft, but now it -would be my death to try, for such heights make me dizzy.” - -“Come away,” said Zibalbay; “none of us here could take that road and -live. The mules must go thirsty; five hours’ journey away there is a -pool where they can drink to-morrow.” - -Then we turned and left this cave of the winds and were glad to be -outside of it, for the place had an unholy look, and, all the draught -notwithstanding, was hot to suffocation. - -Zibalbay walked to the camp, but we stayed to pluck some forage for -the mules. Soon the others grew weary of this task and fell to talking -as they watched the sunset, which was very beautiful on these lonely -plains. Presently I heard the Lady Maya say: - -“Pick me that flower, friend, to wear upon my breast,” and she pointed -to a snow-white cactus-bloom that grew amongst some rocks. - -The señor climbed to the place and stretched out his hand to cut the -flower, when of a sudden I heard him utter an exclamation and saw him -start. - -“What is it?” I said, “have you pricked yourself or cut your hand?” He -made no answer, but his eyes grew wide with horror, and he pointed at -something grey that was gliding away among the stones, and as he -pointed I saw a spot of blood appear upon his wrist. Maya saw it also. - -“A snake has bitten you!” she cried in a voice of agony, and, -springing at him before I guessed what she was about to do, she seized -his arm with both hands and set her lips to the wound. - -He tried to wrench it free, but she clung to him fiercely, then, -calling to me to bring a stick, she tore a strip off her robe and made -it fast round his wrist above the puncture. By now I was there with -the stick, and, setting it in the loop of linen, I twisted it till the -hand turned blue from the pressure. - -“What snake was it?” I asked. - -“The deadly grey sort,” he answered, adding: “Don’t look so -frightened, Maya, I know a cure. Come to the camp, quick!” - -In two minutes we reached it, and the señor had snatched a sharp -knife and a powder-flask. - -“Now, friend,” he said, handing me the knife, “cut deep, since it is -life or death for me and there are no arteries in the top of the -wrist.” - -Seeing what had come about, Zibalbay held the señor’s hand and I cut -twice. He never winced, but at each slash Maya groaned. Then, having -let the blood fall till it would run no more, we poured powder into -the wound, as much as will lie on a twenty cent piece, and fired it. -It went off in a puff of white smoke, leaving the flesh beneath black -and charred. - -“Now, as we have no brandy, there is nothing more to be done except to -wait,” said the señor, with an attempt at a smile; but Zibalbay, -going to a bag, produced from it some _cuca_ paste. - -“Eat this,” he said, “it is better than any fire-water.” - -The señor took the stuff and began to swallow it, till presently I -saw that he could force no more down, for a paralysis seemed to be -creeping over him; his throat contracted, and his eyelids fell as -though weighed upon by irresistible sleep. Now, notwithstanding our -remedies, seeing that the poison had got hold of him, we seized him by -the arms and began to walk him to and fro, encouraging him at the same -time to keep a brave heart and fight against death. - -“I am doing my best,” he answered feebly; then his mind began to -wander, and at length he fell down and his eyes shut. - -A great fear and horror seized me, for I thought that he was about to -die, and with them a kind of rage because I was impotent to save him. -Already, to tell the truth, I was jealous of the Lady Maya, and now my -jealousy broke out in bitter and unjust words. - -“This is your fault,” I said. - -“You are cruel,” she answered, “and you speak thus because you hate -me.” - -“Perhaps I am cruel, lady. Would not you be cruel if you saw the -friend you love perishing through a woman’s folly?” - -“Are you the only one that can love?” she whispered. - -“Unless we can rouse him the white man will die,” said Zibalbay. - -“Oh! awake,” cried Maya despairingly, placing her lips close to the -señor’s ear. “They say that I have killed you, awake, awake!” - -He seemed to hear her, for, though his eyes did not open, he smiled -faintly and murmured, “I will try.” Then with our help he struggled -from the ground and began to walk once more, but like a man who is -drunk. Thrice he staggered backwards and forwards along the path our -feet had worn. Then he fell again, and, putting our hands upon his -breast, we could feel the contractions of his heart growing weaker -every moment, till at last they seemed to die away. But of a sudden, -when we had already abandoned hope, it pulsed violently, and from -every pore of his skin, which till now had been parched and dry, there -burst so profuse a perspiration that in the light of the rising moon -we could see it running down his face. - -“I think that the white man will live now; he has conquered the -poison,” said Zibalbay quietly, and hearing his words I returned -thanks to God in my heart. - -Then we laid him in a hammock, piling blankets and _serapes_ over him -till at length the perspiration ceased, all the fluid in his body -having evaporated, taking the venom with it. - -For an hour or more he slept, then awoke and asked for water in a -faint voice. We, who were watching, looked at each other in dismay, -for we had not a single drop to give, and this we were obliged to tell -him. He groaned and was silent for a while, then said: - -“It would have been kinder to let me die of the poison, for this -torment of thirst is more than I can bear.” - -“Can we try the _cueva_?” faltered Maya. - -“It is impossible,” answered her father. “We should all be killed.” - -“Yes, yes,” repeated the señor, “it is impossible. Better that one -should die than four.” - -“Father,” said Maya, “you must take the best mule and ride forward to -the pool where we should camp to-morrow. The moon shines, and with -good fortune you may be back in eight or nine hours.” - -“It is useless,” murmured the señor, “I can never live so long -without drink, my throat is hot like a coal.” - -Zibalbay shrugged his shoulders, he also thought that it was useless, -but his daughter turned upon him fiercely and said: - -“Are you going, or shall I ride myself?” - -Then he went, muttering in his beard, and in a few minutes we heard -the footsteps of the mule as it shambled forward into the desert. - -“Fear not,” I said to the señor, “it is the poison that has dried you -up, but thirst will not kill you so soon, and presently you will feel -it less. Oh! that we had medicine here to make you sleep!” - -He lay quiet for a space, giving no answer, but from the workings of -his hands and face we could see that he suffered much. - -“Maya,” he said at length, “can you find me a cool stone to put in my -mouth?” - -She searched and found a pebble which he sucked, but after a time it -fell from his lips, and we saw that it was as dry as when it entered -them. Then of a sudden his brain gave way, and he began to rave -huskily in many languages. - -“Are you devils,” he asked, “that you suffer me to die in torment for -the want of a drink of water? Why do you stand there and mock me? Oh! -have pity and give me water.” - -For a while we bore it, though perhaps our agonies were greater than -his own--then Maya rose and looked at his face. It was sunken as with -a heavy illness, thick black rings had appeared beneath his blue eyes, -and his lips were flecked with blood. - -“I can endure this no more,” she said, in a dry voice; “watch your -friend, Don Ignatio.” - -“You are right,” I answered, “this is no place for a woman. Go and -sleep yonder, so that I can wake you if there is need.” - -She looked at me reproachfully, but went without answering, and sat -down behind a bush about thirty yards away. Here it seems--for all -this story she told me afterwards, and for the most part I do but -repeat her words--she began to think. She was sure that without water -the señor could not live through the night, and it was impossible -that her father should return before dawn at the earliest. He was -dying, and she felt as though her life were ebbing with his own, for -now she knew that she loved him. Unless something could be done he -must soon be dead, and her heart would be broken. Only one thing could -save him--and her,--water. In the depths of yonder hill, within a few -paces of her, doubtless it lay in plenty, but who would venture to -seek it there? And yet the descent of the _cueva_ must be possible, -since the ancients used it daily, and why could she not do what they -had done? She was young and active, and from childhood it had been a -delight to her to climb in dangerous places about the walls and -pyramids of the City of the Heart, nor had her head failed her however -lofty they might chance to be. Why, then, should it fail her now when -the life of the man she loved was at stake? And what would it matter -if it did fail her, seeing that if he died she wished to die also? - -Yes, she would try it! - -When once she had made up her mind Maya set about the task swiftly. I -was standing by the hammock praying to heaven to spare the life of my -friend, who lay there beating his hands to and fro and moaning in -misery, when I saw her creep up and look at him. - -“You think you love him,” she said to me suddenly, “but I tell you -that you do not know what love is. If I live, I, whom you despise, -will teach you, Don Ignatio.” - -I took no heed of her words, for I thought them foolish. - -Then, unseen by me, Maya glided away to where the mules were picketed -and provided herself with flint, steel, tinder, a rope, and a small -water-skin of untanned hide, which she strapped upon her shoulders. In -another minute she was running across the desert like a deer. At the -entrance to the _cueva_ she paused to gather up the aloe torches which -had been thrown down there, and also to look for one moment at the -familiar face of night, the night that she might never see again. Then -she lit a torch and crept through the narrow opening. - -The place had been awful in the evening when she visited it in the -company of the rest of us. Now, alone and at night, it appalled her. -Great winds roared round its vast recesses, sucked thither from the -hollows of the earth, and in them could be heard sounds like to those -of human voices, sobbing and making moan. Maya shivered, for she -thought that these were the ghosts of dead _antiguos_ bewailing their -eternal griefs in this unearthly place, but she pressed forward -boldly, notwithstanding her fears, till she stood on the brink of the -pit. Here she halted to strip herself so that there might be as little -as possible to impede her movements in climbing the stair, and twisted -her hair into a knot. Next she tied the cord about her middle, and the -water-skin, to which she fastened the flint and steel, upon her -shoulders. Lighting two of the largest torches she fixed them -slantingwise in crevices of the rock, so that their flame shone over -the mouth of the shaft, down which she threw, first, a bundle of unlit -torches, and, lastly, one on fire. This torch did not go out, as she -half expected that it would, for presently, looking down the pit, she -saw a spark of light shining a hundred and fifty feet or more beneath -her. - -Now all her preparations were complete, and nothing remained to be -done except to descend and search for the water. For a moment Maya -hesitated, looking at the spark of fire that gleamed so far below, and -at the narrow niches cut in the smooth surface of the rock. Then, -feeling that if she stood longer thus, her terrors would master her, -she knelt down, and, holding to the rock with her hands, she thrust -her leg over the edge of the pit, feeling at its side with her foot -till she found the first niche. Resting her weight on this foot, she -dropped the other till she reached the second niche, which was about -eighteen inches lower and ten inches to the left of the first, for -these niches were cut in a zig-zag fashion, No. 1 being above No. 3, -No. 2 above No. 4 and so on. Now she must face one of the most -terrible risks of the descent, for it was impossible for her to reach -No. 3 niche without leaving go of the edge of the pit, nor could she -get a hold of No. 1 with her hand until her foot was in No. 4, so that -there was no alternative except to balance herself on one leg, and, -placing her palms against the smooth rock, slide them down it till her -foot rested on No. 4, and her fingers in No. 1. - -Clinging thus like a fly to the rock, she stepped into No. 3, and, not -daring to pause, began at once to feel for No. 4. In her anxiety she -dropped her leg too low, and while drawing it back almost overbalanced -herself. A thrill of horrible fear struck her, causing her spine to -creep, but, resting her face against the rock, by a desperate effort -she retained her presence of mind, and in another second was standing -in No. 4 and holding to No. 1. Thenceforward the descent was easier, -since all she had to do was to shift the grip of her hands from hole -to hole and remember in which line she must search with her foot for -the succeeding niche. So far from hindering her, the darkness proved a -boon, since it prevented her from beholding the horror of the place. - -By the time that she was a third of the way down the shaft her courage -returned to her, and the only fear she felt was lest some of the -niches should be broken. Fortunately this was not the case, although -one of them was so much worn that her toes slipped out of it and for a -second or two she hung by her hands. Recovering herself, she went on -from step to step till at length she stood at the bottom of the shaft. - -After a minute’s pause to get her breath, Maya found one of the dry -aloe stems, and lit it at the embers of the torch which she had thrown -down the pit. Then she looked round her, to find herself in a large -natural cavern of no great height, which sloped gently downwards -further than she could see. Turning her eyes to the floor, she -searched for and discovered the path that had been hollowed out by the -feet of the ancients, but now was half hidden in sand and dust. It ran -straight down the cave, and she followed it for fifty paces or more, -holding the light in one hand, and some spare torches under her arm. -Here in this cave the atmosphere was so hot and still, that she was -scarcely able to breathe, though even at a distance she could hear a -strange eddying wind roaring in the shaft down which she had come. -Presently the cavern began to decrease in size till it narrowed into a -small passage, and Maya sighed aloud, fearing lest she should be -coming to the mouth of a second shaft, for she had heard me say that -the water in these _cuevas_ was sometimes found at a depth of five or -six hundred feet, whereas she had not descended more than two hundred. - -When she had walked another ten or fifteen paces, however, the passage -took a sudden turn and her doubts were set at rest, for there in the -centre of a wonderful place, such as she had never seen before, -gleamed the water which she had risked her life to reach. - -How large the place where she found herself might be Maya never knew, -since the feeble light of her torch did not pierce far into the gloom. -All that she could see was a number of white columns--without doubt -stalactites, though she imagined them to have been fashioned by -man--rising from the floor of the cavern to its roof, and in the midst -of them a circular pit, thirty feet or more across, in which lay the -water. This water, though clear as crystal, was not still, for once in -every few seconds a great bubble three or four feet in diameter rose -in the centre of the pool, to burst on its surface and send a ring of -ripples to the rocky sides. So beautiful was this bubble and so -regular its appearance that for some minutes Maya watched it; then, -remembering that she had no time to spare, she set herself to get the -water, only to learn that she was confronted by a new difficulty and -one which but for her foresight might have proved insuperable. The -rock bank of the pool was so smooth, and sloped so steeply to the -water, that it was quite impossible for anyone to keep a footing on -it. The ancients had overcome the trouble by means of a wooden -staircase, as was evident from the places hollowed in the rock to -receive the uprights, but this structure had long since rotted away. -At the head of where this staircase had stood, a hole was bored in the -rock, doubtless to receive a rope by which the water-bearers supported -themselves while they filled their jars, and the sight of this hole -gave Maya a thought. Untying the cord which she had brought with her, -she made it fast through the hole, and, having fixed the torch into -one of the spaces hollowed to hold the timbers of the stairway, she -slid down the bank till she stood breast high in the water. - - [image: img_170.jpg - caption: So beautiful was this bubble... that for some minutes Maya - watched it.] - -For a minute or more she remained thus, drinking her fill and enjoying -the coolness of her bath, which was pleasant after the stupefying heat -of the caves, then, first having taken care to remove the tinder that -was tied to it, she slipped the water-skin from her shoulder, washed -it out, filled and replaced it. Next, she dragged herself up the bank, -and by the light of a new torch started for the foot of the shaft. - -Here Maya rested awhile, gathering up her energies, then, feeling that -once more she began to grow afraid, she commenced the ascent. There -were a hundred and one of the notches, for she had counted them as she -came down, and now again she began to count, so that she might know -her exact position in the shaft, of which she could see nothing -because of the intense darkness. Before she had ascended fifty steps -she was dismayed to find a feeling of weariness taking possession of -her, which forced her to pause awhile hanging to the face of the pit. -Then she went on again and with great efforts reached the -seventy-fifth step, where once more she was obliged to hang, gaining -breath, till a pain in her right leg, upon which most of her weight -rested, warned her that she must stay no longer. For the third time -she struggled upwards, desperately and despairingly dragging her feet -from niche to niche. Her breath came in gasps, the straps of the heavy -water-skin cut into her tender flesh, and her brain began to reel. - -Now there were but ten more steps. It came into her mind that she -might save herself by loosing the burden of water from her shoulders, -to fall to the bottom of the pit, but this she would not do. Now only -three niches remained and the goal would be won, but now also her -brain was giving. Darker and more bewildered it grew, yet by a -desperate effort she kept some fragment of her sense. Her foot was in -the topmost hole, her body was balanced upon the edge of the pit, and, -pulled down by the choking weight of the water, she was like to fall -backwards. Then it seemed that a voice called her, and for the last -time she struggled, writhing forward as does a wounded snake, till -darkness closed in upon her mind. - -When Maya recovered, a while later, she found that she was lying on -the edge of the shaft, over which her feet still hung. Instantly she -remembered all, and, with a little scream of terror, drew herself -along the floor. Then with difficulty, for she was still breathless, -and her muscles seemed to have no strength, she rose to her feet, and -having felt for and picked up her linen robe, she crept towards the -spot of light which marked the entrance to the cave. Presently she was -through it, and with a sigh of thankfulness sank to the earth and put -on her garment, then, rising, she walked slowly towards the camp, -bearing the precious water with her. - - - -Meanwhile, knowing nothing of all this, I, Ignatio, also had been -thinking. I remembered how, when I lay crushed beneath the rock, the -señor had ventured his life to save me. Should I not then venture -mine to save his? It seemed so. Without water he would certainly die, -and greatly as I dreaded to attempt the descent of the _cueva_, yet it -must be done. Leaving the hammock, I searched for the Lady Maya, but -could not find her, so I called aloud,--“Señora, señora. Where are -you, señora?” - -“Here,” she answered. “What is it? Is he dead?” - -“No,” I said, “but I am sure that unless he has water he will die -within little more than an hour. Therefore I have made up my mind to -try to descend the _cueva_. Will you be so good as to watch the señor -till I return, and if I return no more, as is probable, to tell your -father what has happened. He will find the talisman of the Broken -Heart lying with my clothes at the mouth of the pit. I pray that he -will take it, and I pray also that he should travel back to Mexico, -bearing with him some of the wealth of his city, there to continue the -great work that I have begun, of which I have spoken to him. Farewell, -señora.” - -“Stop, Don Ignatio,” said Maya in a hoarse voice, “there is no need -for you to descend the _cueva_.” - -“Why not, Lady? I should be glad to escape the task, but this is a -question of life or death.” - -“Yes,” she answered, “and because it is a question of life or death, -Don Ignatio, I have already climbed that hideous place, and--here is -the water,”--and she fell forward and swooned upon the ground. - -I said nothing. I was too much amazed, and, indeed, too much ashamed, -to speak. Lifting Maya’s senseless form, I placed her in a hammock -that was slung close by. Then I took the water-skin and a leather cup, -and ran with it to my friend’s side. By now the señor was lost in a -coma and lay still, only moaning from time to time. Undoing the mouth -of the skin, I poured out a cupful of water, with which I began to -sprinkle his brow and to moisten his cracked lips. At the touch and -smell of the fluid a change came over the face of the dying man, the -empty look left it, and the eyes opened. - -“That was water,” he muttered, “I can taste it.” Then he saw the cup, -and the sight seemed to give him a sudden strength, for he stretched -out his arms and, snatching it from my hand, he drained it in three -gulps. - -“More,” he gasped, “more.” - -But as yet I would give him no more, though he prayed for it -piteously, and when I did allow him to drink again it was in sips -only. For an hour he sipped thus till at length even his thirst was -partially satisfied, and the shrunken cheeks began to fill out and the -dull eyes to brighten. - -“That water has saved my life,” he whispered; “where did it come -from?” - -“I will tell you to-morrow,” I answered; “sleep now if you can.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - IGNATIO’S OATH - -At sunrise on the following day I lit a fire by which to prepare -soup for the señor, who still slept, and as I was engaged thus I saw -the Lady Maya walking towards me, and noticed that her hands and feet -were swollen. - -“Señora,” I said, bowing before her, “I humbly congratulate you upon -your courage and your escape from great dangers. Last night I said -words to you in my grief that should not have been spoken, for it is -my fault that I am apt to be unjust to women. I crave your pardon, and -I will add that if, in atonement for my past injustice, I can serve -you in any way now and afterwards, I pray you to command me.” - -She listened and answered: - -“I thank you for your kind words, Don Ignatio, and I forget other -words that were not kind which you have spoken to me from time to -time. If in truth you wish to show yourself my friend, it is in your -power to do so. You have guessed my secret, therefore I am not ashamed -to repeat that the señor yonder has become everything to me, though -as yet I may be little to him. I ask you, then, to swear upon the -Heart that you will do nothing to turn him from me, or to separate us -should he ever learn to love me, but rather, should this come about, -that whatever may be our need, you will help us by all means in your -reach.” - -“You ask me to swear a large oath, señora, and one that deals with -the future, of which we have no knowledge,” I answered, hesitating. - -“I do, señor, but remember that were it not for me at this moment -your friend, who sleeps yonder like a child, would be stiff in death. -Remember also that you have ends to gain in the City of the Heart, -where it will be well for you to keep me as a friend should we ever -live to reach it. Still, do not swear unless you wish, only then I -shall know that you are my secret enemy and I shall be yours.” - -“There is no need to threaten me, señora,” I answered, “nor am I to -be moved thus, but I promise that I will not stand between you and the -señor. Why should I? His will is his own, and, as you say, you saved -his life. But see, he awakes, and his soup is ready.” - -She took the pot off the fire, skimmed it, and poured the contents -into a gourd. - -“Shall I take it, or will you?” she asked. - -“I think that you had better take it,” I answered. - -Then she walked to the hammock and said, “Señor, here is your soup.” - -He was but newly awakened, and looked at her vacantly. - -“Tell me, Maya,” he asked, “what has happened?” - -“Last evening,” she began, “in picking a flower for me you were bitten -by a snake, and very nearly died.” - -“I know,” he answered. “Without doubt I should have died had you not -sucked the wound and tied a bandage round my wrist, for that grey -snake is the deadliest in the country. Go on.” - -“After the danger of the poison was past you became thirsty, so -thirsty that you were dying of it, and there was no water to give -you.” - -“Yes, yes,” he said, “it was agony; I pray that I may never suffer so -again. But I drank water and lived. Who brought it to me?” - -“My father started on to the next camping-place, where there is a -pool,” she answered. - -“Has he returned?” - -“No, not yet.” - -“Then he cannot have brought the water. Where did it come from?” - -“It came from the _cueva_, that cave which we examined before you were -bitten.” - -“Who went down the _cueva_ to get it? The place is unclimbable.” - -“I went down.” - -“You!” he said, in amazement. “_You_! It is not possible. Do not jest. -Tell me the truth quickly. I am tired.” - -“I am not jesting. Listen, señor. You were dying for want of water, -dying before our eyes; it was horrible to see. I could not bear it, -and I knew that my father would not be back in time, so I took the -water-skin and some torches and went without saying anything to -Ignatio. The shaft was hard to climb, and the adventure strange. I -will tell you of that by and by, but as it chanced I came through it -safely to find Ignatio about to start on the same errand.” - -The señor heard and understood, but he made no answer; he only -stretched out his arms towards her, and there and thus in the -wilderness did they plight their troth. - - - -“Remember I am but an Indian girl,” she murmured presently, “and you -are one of the white lords of the earth. Is it well that you should -love me?” - -“It is well,” he answered, “for you are the noblest woman that I have -known, and you have saved my life.” - - - -Zibalbay did not return till past midday, when he appeared with the -water, leading the mule, which had set its foot upon a sharp stone in -the desert and gone lame. - -“Does he still live?” he asked of Maya. - -“Yes, father.” - -“He must be strong then,” he answered; “I thought that thirst would -have killed him ere now.” - -“He has had water, father. I descended the _cueva_ and fetched it,” -she added, after a moment’s pause. - -The old man looked at her amazed. - -“How came it that you found courage to go down that place, daughter?” -he asked at length. - -“The desire to save a friend gave me courage,” she answered, letting -her eyes fall beneath his gaze. “I knew that you could not be back in -time, so I went.” - -Zibalbay pondered awhile, then said: - -“I think that you would have done better to let him die, daughter, for -I believe that this white man will bring trouble upon us. It has -pleased the gods to preserve you alive; remember, then, that your life -belongs to them, and that you must follow the path which they have -chosen, not that which you would choose for yourself. Remember also -that one waits you in the city yonder who may have a word to say as to -your friendship with this wanderer.” And he passed on with the mule. - -That same evening Maya told me of her father’s words and said: - -“I think that before all is done I shall need the help that you have -sworn to give me, señor, for I can see well that my father will be -against me unless my wish runs with his purpose. Of one thing I am -sure, that my life is my own and not a possession of the gods; for in -such gods as my father worships and I was brought up to serve, I have -lost faith, if indeed I ever had any.” - -“You speak rashly,” I answered, “and if you are wise you will not let -your father hear such words.” - -“Lest by and by my life should be forfeit to the gods whom I -blaspheme!” she broke in. “Say, then, do you believe in these gods, -Don Ignatio?” - -“No, Lady, I am a Christian and have no part with idols and those who -worship them.” - -“I understand; it is only in their wealth that you would have part. -Well, and why should I not become a Christian also? I have learned -something of your faith from the señor yonder, and see that it is -great and pure, and full of comfort for us mortals.” - -“May grace be given to you to follow in that road, Lady, but it is not -Christian to taunt me about the wealth which I come to seek for the -advantage of our race, seeing that you know I ask nothing for myself.” - -“Forgive me,” she answered, “my tongue is sharp--as yours has been at -times, Don Ignatio. Hark! the señor calls me.” - - - -For two more days we rested there by the _cueva_ till the señor was -fit to travel, then we started on again. Ten days we journeyed across -the wilderness, following the line of the ancient road, and meeting -with no traces of man save such as were furnished by the familiar -sight of ruined pyramids and temples. On the eleventh we began to -ascend the slope of a lofty range of mountains that pushed its flanks -far out into the desert-land, and on the twelfth we reached the -snow-line, where we were obliged to abandon the three mules which -remained to us, seeing that no green food was to be found higher up, -and the path became too steep for them to find a footing on it. That -night we slept, with little to eat, in a hole dug in the snow, wrapped -in our _serapes_, or, rather, we tried to sleep, for our rest was -broken by the cold, and the moaning of bitter and mysterious winds -which sprang up and passed away suddenly beneath a clear sky; also, -from time to time, by the thunder of distant avalanches rushing from -the peaks above. - -“How far must we travel up this snow?” I asked of Zibalbay, as we -stood shivering in the ashy light of the dawn. - -“Look yonder,” he answered, pointing to where the first ray of the sun -shone upon a surface of black rock far above us; “there is the highest -point, and we should reach it before nightfall.” - -Thus encouraged we pushed forward for hour after hour, Zibalbay -marching ahead in silence, until our sight was bewildered with -snow-blindness, and I was seized with a fit of mountain sickness. -Fortunately the climbing was not difficult, so that by four in the -afternoon we found ourselves beneath the shadow of the wall of black -rock. - -“Must we scale that precipice?” I asked of Zibalbay. - -“No,” he answered, “it would not be possible without wings. There is a -way through it. Twice in the old days bodies of white men searching -for the Golden City to sack it, came to this spot, but, finding no -path through the cliff, they went home again, though their hands were -on the door.” - -“Does the wall of rock encircle all the valley of the city?” asked the -señor. - -“No, White Man, it ends many days’ journey away to the west, but he -who would travel round it must wade through a great swamp. Also the -mountains may be crossed to the east by journeying for three days -through snows and down precipices; but so far as I have learned only -one man lived to pass them, a wandering Indian, who found his way to -the banks of the Holy Waters in the days of my grandfather. Now, stay -here while I search.” - -“Are you glad to see the gateway of your home, Maya?” asked the -señor. - -“No,” she answered, almost fiercely, “for here in the wilderness I -have been happy, but there sorrow awaits me and you. Oh! if indeed I -am dear to you, let us turn even now and fly together back to the -lands where your people live,” and she clasped his hand and looked -earnestly into his eyes. - -“What,” he answered, “and leave your father and Ignatio to finish the -journey by themselves?” - -“You are more to me than my father, though perhaps this solemn Ignatio -is more to you than I am.” - -“No, Maya, but having come so far I wish to see the sacred city.” - -“As you will,” she said, letting fall his hand. “See, my father has -found the place and calls us.” - -We walked on for about a hundred paces, threading our path through -piles of boulders that lay at the foot of the precipice till we came -to where Zibalbay stood, leaning against the wall of rock in which we -could see no break or opening. - -“Although I trust you, and, as I believe, Heaven has brought us -together for its own purposes,” said the old _cacique_, “yet I must -follow the ancient custom and obey my oath to suffer no stranger to -see the entrance to this mountain gate. Come hither, daughter, and -blindfold these foreigners.” - -She obeyed, and as she tied the handkerchief about the señor’s face I -heard her whisper, - -“Fear not, I will be your eyes.” - -Then we were taken by the hand, and led this way and that till we were -confused. After we had walked some paces, we were halted and left -while, as we judged from the sounds, our guides moved something heavy. -Next we were conducted down a steep incline, through a passage so -narrow and low that our shoulders rubbed the sides of it, and in parts -we were obliged to bend our heads. At length, after taking many sharp -turns, the passage grew wider and the path smooth and level. - -“Loose the bandages,” said the voice of Zibalbay. - -Maya did so, and, when our eyes were accustomed to the light, we -looked round us curiously to find that we stood at the bottom of a -deep cleft or volcanic rift in the rock, made not by the hand of man -but by that of Nature working with her tools of fire and water. This -cleft--along which ran a road so solidly built and drained that, save -here and there where snowdrifts blocked it, it was still easily -passable after centuries of disuse--did not measure more than forty -paces from wall to wall. On either side of it towered sheer black -cliffs, honeycombed with doorways that could only have been reached by -ladders. - -“What are those?” I asked of Zibalbay. “Burying-places?” - -“No,” he answered, “dwelling-houses. They were there, so say the -records, before our forefathers founded the City of the Heart, and in -them dwelt cave-men, barbarians who fed on little and did not feel the -cold. It was by following some of these cave-men through that passage -which we have passed that the founder of the ancient city discovered -this cleft and the good country and great lake that lie beyond it, -where the rock-dwellers, whom our forefathers killed out, used to live -in the winter season. Once, when I was young, with some companions I -entered these caves by means of ropes and ladders, and found many -strange things there, such as stone axes and rude ornaments of gold, -relics of the barbarians. But let us press on, or night will overtake -us in the pass.” - -By degrees the great cleft, that had widened as we walked, began to -narrow again till it appeared to end in a second wall of rock. - -Passing round a boulder that lay at the foot of this wall, Zibalbay -led the way into a tunnel behind it. - -“Do not fear the darkness,” he said, “the passage is short and there -are no pitfalls.” - -So we followed the sound of his footsteps through the gloom, till -presently a spot of light appeared before us, and in another minute we -stood on the further side of the mountain, though we could see nothing -of the place because of the falling shadows. - -Without pausing, Zibalbay pushed on down the hill, and, suddenly -turning to the right, stopped before the door of a house built of hewn -stone. - -“Enter,” he said, “and welcome to the country of the People of the -Heart.” - -As the door was thrown open, light from the fire within streamed -through it, and a man’s voice was heard asking, “Who is there?” - -Without answering, Zibalbay walked into the room. It was a low vaulted -apartment, and at a table placed before the great fire which burnt -upon the hearth sat a man and a woman eating. - -“Is this the way that you watch for my return?” he asked in a stern -voice. “Haste now and make food ready for we are starved with cold and -hunger.” - -The man, who had risen, stood hesitating, but the woman, whose -position enabled her to see the face of the speaker, caught him by the -arm, saying, - -“Down to your knees, husband. It is the _cacique_ come back.” - -“Pardon,” cried the man, taking the hint; “but to be frank, O lord, it -has been so dinned in my ears down in the city yonder, that neither -you nor the Lady of the Heart would ever return again, that I thought -you must be ghosts. Yes, and so they will think in the city, where I -have heard that Tikal rules in your place.” - -“Peace,” said Zibalbay, frowning heavily. “We left robes here, did we -not? Go, lay them out in the sleeping-chambers, and with them others -for these my guests, while the woman prepares our meat.” - -The man bowed, stretching out his arms till the backs of his hands -touched the ground. Then, taking an earthenware lamp from a side -table, he lit it and disappeared behind a curtain, an example which -the woman followed after she had rapidly removed the dishes that were -upon the table, and fed the fire with wood. - -When they were gone we gathered round the hearth to bask in the luxury -of its warmth. - -“What is this place?” asked the señor. - -Zibalbay, who was wrapped in his own thoughts, did not seem to hear -him, and Maya answered, - -“A poor hovel that is used as a rest-house and by hunters of game, no -more. These people are its keepers, and were charged to watch for our -return, but they seem to have fulfilled their task ill. Pardon me, I -go to help them. Come, father.” - -They went, and presently the señor awoke from a doze induced by the -delightful warmth of the fire, to see the custodian of the place -standing before him staring at him in amazement not unmixed with awe. - -“What is the matter with the man, and what does he want, Ignatio?” he -asked in Spanish. - -“He wonders at your white skin and fair hair, señor, and says that he -does not dare to speak to you because you must be one of the -Heaven-born of whom their legends tell, wherefore he asks me to say -that water to wash in and raiment to put on have been made ready for -us if we will come with him.” - -Accordingly we followed the Indian, who led us into a passage at the -back of the sitting-chamber, and thence to a small sleeping-room, one -of several to which the passage gave access. In this room, which was -lit by an oil lamp, were two bedsteads covered with blankets of -deerskin and cotton sheets, and laid upon them were fine linen robes, -and _serapes_ made in alternate bands of grey and black feathers, -worked on to a foundation of stout linen. Standing upon wooden stools -in a corner of the room, and half-filled with steaming water, were two -basins, which the señor noticed with astonishment were of hammered -silver. - -“These people must be rich,” he said to me so soon as the keeper of -the place had gone, “if they fashion the utensils of their rest-houses -of silver. Till now this story of the Sacred City of which Zibalbay -was _cacique_, and Maya heiress apparent, has always sounded like a -fairy tale to me, but it seems that it is true after all, for the -man’s manner shows that Zibalbay is a very important person.” - -Then we put on the robes that had been provided for our use, not -without difficulty, since their make was strange to us, and returned -to the eating-room. Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya -joined us--the Lady Maya, but so changed that we started in -astonishment. - - [image: img_184.jpg - caption: Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya joined - us.] - -Different, indeed, was she to the ill-clad and travel-stained girl who -had been our companion for so many weeks. Now she was dressed in a -robe of snowy white, bordered with embroidery of the royal green, and -having the image of the Heart traced in gold thread upon the breast. -On her feet were sandals, also worked in green, while round her -throat, wrists, waist, and ankles shone circlets of dead gold. Her -dark hair no longer fell loose about her, but was twisted into a -simple knot and confined in a little golden net, and from her -shoulders hung a cloak of pure white feathers, relieved here and there -by the delicate yellow plumes of the greater egret. - -“Like you I have changed my garments,” she said in explanation. “Is -the dress ugly, that you look astonished?” - -“Ugly!” answered the señor, “I think it is the most beautiful that I -ever saw.” - -“This is the most beautiful dress that you ever saw! Why, friend, it -is the simplest that I have. Wait till you see me in my royal robes, -wearing the great emeralds of the Heart; what will you say then, I -wonder?” - -“I cannot tell, but I say now that I don’t know which is the most -lovely, you or your dress.” - -“Hush!” she said, laughing, yet with a note of earnestness in her -voice. “You must not speak thus freely to me. Yonder in the pass, -friend, I was the Indian girl your fellow-traveller; here I am the -Lady of the Heart.” - -“Then I wish that you had remained the Indian girl in the pass,” he -answered, after a pause, “but perhaps you jest.” - -“I was not altogether jesting,” she answered, with a sigh, “you must -be careful now, or it might be ill for you or me, or both of us, since -by rank I am the greatest lady in this land, and doubtless my cousin, -Tikal, will watch me closely. See! here comes my father.” - -As she spoke Zibalbay entered, followed by the two Indians bearing -food. He was simply dressed in a white toga-like robe similar to that -which had been given to the señor and myself. A cloak of black -feathers covered his shoulders, and round his neck was hung a massive -gold chain to which was attached the emblem of the Heart, also -fashioned in plain gold. - -We noticed that, as he came, his daughter, Maya, made a courtesy to -him, which he acknowledged with a nod, and that whenever they passed -him the two Indians crouched almost to the ground. - -Evidently the friendship of our desert journeying was done with, and -the person of whom we had hitherto thought and spoken as an equal must -henceforth be treated with respect. Indeed the proud-faced, -white-bearded chief seemed so royal in his changed surroundings that -we were almost moved to follow the example of the others, and bow -whenever he looked at us. - -“The food is ready,” said Zibalbay, “such as it is. Be seated, I beg -of you. Nay, daughter, you need not stand before me. We are still -fellow-wanderers, all of us, and ceremony can stay till we are come to -the City of the Heart.” - -Then we sat down and the Indians waited on us. What the dishes -consisted of we did not know, but after our long privations it seemed -to us that we had never eaten so excellent a meal, or drunk anything -so good as the native wine which was served with it. Still, -notwithstanding our present comfort, I think the señor’s heart -misgave him, and that he had presentiments of evil. Maya and he still -loved one another, but he felt that things were utterly changed, as -she herself had shown him. While they wandered, in some sense he had -been the head of the party, as, to speak truth, among companions of a -coloured race a white man of gentle birth is always acknowledged to be -by right of blood. Now things were changed, and he must take his place -as an alien wanderer, admitted to the country upon sufferance, and -already this difference could be seen in Zibalbay’s manner and mode of -address. Formerly he had called him “señor,” or even “friend;” -to-night, when speaking to him, he used a word which meant -“foreigner,” or “unknown one,” and even myself he addressed by name -without adding any title of respect. - -One good thing, however, we found in this place, who had lacked -tobacco for six weeks and more, for presently the Indian entered -bearing cigarettes made by rolling the herb in the thin sheath that -grows about the cobs of Indian corn. - -“Come hither, you,” said Zibalbay to the Indian, when he had handed us -the cigarettes. “Start now to the borders of the lake and advise the -captain of the village of the corn-growers that his lord is returned -again, commanding him in my name to furnish four travelling litters to -be here within five hours after sunrise. Warn him also to have canoes -in readiness to bear us across the lake, but, as he values his life, -to send no word of our coming to the city. Go now and swiftly.” - -The man bowed, and, snatching a spear and a feather cloak from a peg -near the door, vanished into the night, heedless of the howling wind -and the sleet that thrashed upon the roof. - -“How far is it to the village?” asked the señor. - -“Ten leagues or more,” Zibalbay answered, “and the road is not good, -still if he does not fall from a precipice or lose his life in a -snow-drift, he will be there within six hours. Come, daughter, it is -time for us to rest, our journey has been long, and you must be weary. -Good night to you, my guests, to-morrow I shall hope to house you -better.” Then, bowing to us, he left the room. - -Maya rose to follow his example, and, going to the señor, gave him -her hand, which he touched with his lips. - -“How good it is to taste tobacco again,” he said as Maya went. “No, -don’t go to bed yet, Ignatio, take a cigarette and another glass of -this _agua ardiente_, and let us talk. Do you know, friend, it seems -to me that Zibalbay has changed. I never was a great admirer of his -character, but perhaps I do not understand it.” - -“Do you not, señor? I think that I do. Like some Christian priests -the man is a fanatic, and like myself, a dreamer. Also he is full of -ambition and tyrannical, one who will spare neither himself nor others -where he has an end to gain, or thinks that he can promote the welfare -of his country and the glory of his gods. Think how brave and earnest -the man must have been who, at the bidding of a voice or a vision, -dared in his old age, unaccompanied save by his only child, to lay -down his state and travel almost without food through hundreds of -leagues of bush and desert, that none of his race had crossed for -generations. Think what it must have been to him who for many years -has been treated almost as divine, to play the part of a medicine-man -in the forests of Yucatan, and to suffer, in his own person and in -that of his daughter, insults and torment at the hands of low white -thieves. Yet all this and more Zibalbay has borne without a murmur -because, as he believes, the object of his mission is attained.” - -“But, Ignatio, what is the object of his mission, and what have we to -do with it? To this hour I do not quite know.” - -“The object of his mission, and indeed of his life, is to build up the -fallen empire of the City of the Heart. In short, señor, though I do -not believe in his gods, in Zibalbay’s visions I do believe, seeing -that they have led him to me, whose aim is his aim, and that neither -of us can succeed without the other.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because I need wealth and he needs men; and if he will give me the -wealth, I can give him men in thousands.” - -“I hear,” answered the señor. “It sounds simple enough, but perhaps -you will both of you find that there are difficulties in the way. What -I do not understand, however, is what part Maya and I are to play in -this affair, who are not anxious to regenerate a race or to build up -an empire. I suppose that we are only spectators of the game.” - -“How can that be, señor, when she is Lady of the Heart and heiress to -her father, and when,” I added, dropping my voice, “you and she have -grown so dear to one another?” - -“I did not know that you had noticed anything of that, Ignatio. You -never seemed to observe our affection, and, as you hate women so much, -I did not speak of it,” he answered, colouring. - -“I am not altogether blind, señor. Also, is it possible for a man not -to know when a woman comes between him and the friend he loves? But of -that I will say nothing, for it is as it should be; besides, you might -scarcely understand me if I did. No, no, señor, you cannot be left -out of this game, you are too deep in it already, though what part you -will play I cannot tell. It depends, perhaps, upon what the gods -reveal to Zibalbay, or what he guesses that they reveal. At present he -is well disposed towards you because he thinks that the oracle may -declare you to be the son of Quetzal through whom his people shall be -redeemed, since it seems that here there is some such prophecy, and -for this reason it is that he has not forbidden the friendship between -you and his daughter, or so he hinted to me. But be warned, señor; -for if he comes to know that you are not the man, then he will sweep -you aside as of small account, and you may bid farewell to the Lady of -the Heart.” - -“I will not do that while I live,” he answered quietly. - -“No, señor, perhaps not while you live, but those who stand in the -path of priests and kings do not live long. Still, though there is -cause to be cautious, there is no cause to be down-hearted, seeing -that if you are not the man, I may be, in which case I shall be able -to help you, as I have sworn to the Lady Maya that I will do, or -perhaps you will be able to help me.” - -“At any rate, we will stand together,” said the señor. “And now, as -there is no use in talking of the future, I think that we had better -go to sleep. Of one thing, however, you may be certain--unless she -dies, or I die, I mean to marry Maya.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - THE CITY OF THE HEART - -While it was yet dark on the following morning we were awakened by -the voice of Zibalbay calling us. - -“Arise,” he said; “it is time to start upon our road.” - -“Are the litters here?” I asked. - -“No, nor can be for some hours. I desire to reach the city this night, -therefore we must push forward on foot to meet them.” - -Then we rose, and, having no choice, dressed ourselves as best we -could in the garments of the country that had been given to us, for -our own were but rags, in which we were ashamed to be seen. In the -common room we found Zibalbay and the Lady Maya. - -“Eat,” said the old man, pointing to food that was ready, “and let us -be going.” - -Ten minutes later we were outside the house. There was no wind, but at -this great height the air is of so piercing a quality that we were -glad to fold our _serapes_ round us and walk briskly forward, Zibalbay -leading the way. At first a grey gloom reigned, but presently snowy -peaks shone through it, everywhere radiant with the hues of the -unrisen sun, although the mountain sides beneath us were still wrapped -in night. By degrees, as the light grew, we saw that the country at -our feet was shaped like a bowl, whereof the mountain range upon which -we stood formed the rim, and at the bottom of the bowl, fed by -numberless streams that had their sources among the surrounding snows, -lay the lake, the Holy Waters of this people. Of all this, however, we -could as yet see little, since the vast expanse beneath us lay hidden -in volumes of mist that moved and rolled like the face of ocean. Never -before had we looked upon anything so strange as this dense garment of -vapour while the light of heaven gathered upon its surface, tingeing -it with lines and patches of colour. It seemed as though a map of the -world was unrolled before us--continents, seas, islands, and cities -formed themselves, only to disappear in quick succession and assume -new and endless shapes. - -“It is beautiful, is it not?” said Maya. “But wait until the mist -breaks. Look, it is beginning!” - -As she spoke, of a sudden the sea of mist grew thin and opened in its -centre, and through the gap thus formed showed first the pyramids and -temple tops, and then the entire panorama of the city Heart of the -World, floating, as it were, upon the face of the Holy Waters. It was -far away, but, now that the night fog no longer thickened the air, so -clear was the atmosphere and so high were we above it, that it seemed -to be almost at our feet. The city, which appeared to be surrounded by -a wall, was built of marble or some other snow-white stone, whereon -the light gleamed and flashed. It stood upon a heart-shaped island, -and round about the shores of this island, stretching further than the -eye could reach, sparkled the blue waters of the Holy Lake. By degrees -the ring of mist rolled up the sides of the mountains and vanished, -and in place of it the round bowl of the valley was filled with the -clear light of day. Now we could see the shores of the lake, with -their green fringe of reeds; and above them grass lands threaded by -silver streams; and above these again, upon the flanks of the -mountains, great forests of oak and cedars rising almost to the snow -line. To the right and left of us the huge, round-shouldered mountains -stretched in a majestic sweep till they melted into the blue of the -horizon, while here and there some tall, snow-robed peak, the cone of -an extinct volcano, towered above us like a sentinel. - -“There lies my country,” said Maya, with a proud wave of her hand; -“does it please you, white man?” - -“It pleases me so well, Maya,” he answered, “that now less than ever -can I understand why you wish to leave it.” - -“Because, though lakes and mountains and cities full of wealth are -fine things, it is not to these, but to the men and women among whom -we live, that we must look for happiness.” - -“Some people might think otherwise, Maya. They might say that -happiness must be sought for in ourselves. At least I could be happy -in such a land as this.” - -“You think so now,” she answered, meaningly, “but when you have been -awhile in the city yonder, you will think otherwise. Oh!” she went on, -passionately, “if, indeed, you care for me, we should never have -crossed that mountain behind us. But you do not care for me--not -truly; for all this time you have been half ashamed of your affection -for an Indian girl whom you were obliged to become fond of, because -she was pretty and you were so much with her, and she chanced to save -your life. Yes, you would have been ashamed to marry me according to -your customs, and to show me as your wife among the white people--me, -the wandering Indian with a mad father whom you found in the hands of -thieves. Here it will be different, for here at least I am a great -lady, and you will see the people in the streets bow themselves to the -ground before me; and if I say that a man shall die, you will see that -man killed. Also here I have wealth more than any white woman, and you -will be fond of me for that----” - -“You are very unjust,” he broke in, angrily; “it is shameful that you -should speak to me thus for no cause.” - -“Perhaps I am unjust,” she answered with a sob, “but there are so many -troubles before us. First there is Tikal----” - -“What does Tikal want?” asked the señor. - -“He wants to marry me, or to become _cacique_ of the city in my right, -which is the same thing; at least he will not give me up without a -struggle. Then there is my father, who serves two masters only,--his -gods and his country,--and who will use me like a piece in a game if -it suits his purpose--yes, and you too. Our good days are done with, -the evil ones have to come, and after them--the night. Henceforward we -shall find few opportunities of speaking, even, for I shall be -surrounded by officers and waiting-ladies who will watch my every -action and hear my every word, and my father will watch me also.” - -“Now I begin to be sorry that I did not take your advice and stop on -the further side of the mountain,” answered the señor. “Do you think -that we could escape there?” - -“No, it is too late--they would track us down; we must go on now and -meet our fate, whatever it may be. Only swear to me by my gods, or -your own, or whatever you hold dear, that you will cleave to me till I -am dead, as I will cleave to you.” And, taking his hand in hers, she -looked up appealingly into his face. - -At this moment Zibalbay, who was walking in front, lost in his own -thoughts, chanced to turn and see them. - -“Come hither, daughter, and you, White Man,” he said, in a stern -voice. “Listen, both of you--I am old, but my sight and hearing are -still keen, though yonder in the wilderness I took no heed of much -that I saw and heard. Here in my own land it is otherwise. Learn, -White Man, that the Lady of the Heart is set far above you, and there -I think she will remain. Do you understand my meaning?” - -“Perfectly,” answered the señor, striving to control his anger; “but, -Chief, it is a pity that you did not see well to tell me this before. -Had it not been for what we and one dead were able to do to save you, -to-day your bones would have been whitening in the forest. Why did you -not tell me there that I was no fit company for your daughter?” - -“Because you were sent by the gods to do me service, and because there -I had need of you, White Man,” answered Zibalbay quietly, “as may be I -shall have need of you again. Had it not been for that chance, we -should have parted company on the further side of the mountain.” - -“In truth I wish that we had!” exclaimed the señor. - -“I may come to wish it, too,” said the old man grimly. “But you are -here and not there, perhaps for so long as you shall live, and I would -have you remember that you are in my power. A word from me will set -you high or lay you low beneath the earth; therefore be warned and -take with gratitude that which it shall please me to give you. No, do -not look behind you--escape is impossible. Submit yourself to my will -in this and everything, and all shall be well with you; struggle -against it and I will crush you. I have spoken: be pleased to walk in -front of me, and do you, my daughter, walk behind.” - -Now I saw that the señor’s rage was great, and that he was about to -answer angrily, and lifted my hand in warning, while Maya looked at -him entreatingly. He saw, and checked himself. - -“I hear your words, Chief,” he said, in a forced voice. “You are -right, I am in your power, and it is useless for me to answer you,” -and he took his place in front as he had been commanded, while Maya -fell behind. - -As I walked on, side by side with Zibalbay, I spoke to him, saying: - -“You use sharp words towards him who is my brother, Chief, and -therefore towards me.” - -“I speak as I must,” he answered, coldly. “Many troubles await me at -the city. Did you not hear what that knave said last night,--that -Tikal, my nephew, whom I left in charge, rules in my stead? Well, this -girl of mine, who is affianced to him, and through whom he hopes to -govern in after years, may be the only bait that will tempt him from -his place, for he looks upon me as one dead, and it will not please -him to lay down the rod of power. How should it please him then, and -those who follow him, to see a white stranger holding that daughter’s -hand, and whispering in her ear. Ignatio, I tell you that such a sight -would provoke a war against me, and therefore it is that I spoke -sharply while there is yet time, and therefore you will do well to -drive the nail home, seeing that if I fall your plans will come to -nothing, and your life be forfeit.” - -I made no answer, for at that moment we turned a corner, and came face -to face with the bearers of the litters whom Zibalbay had summoned to -meet us. - -There were forty of these men or more; for the most part they were -tall and well shaped, with regular features, and, like Zibalbay and -Maya, very fair for Indians, but the look upon their faces was -different from any that I have seen among my people. It was not stupid -or brutal, or even empty; rather did it suggest great weariness. The -youngest man there, notwithstanding his rounded cheeks and eyes full -of health, seemed as though he were weighed down by the memories of -many years. Weariness was the master, not of their bodies, for they -were very strong and active, but of their minds; and, looking at them, -I could understand what Zibalbay meant when he said that his race was -outworn. Even the sight of the white face of the señor, strange as it -must have been to them, did not seem to move them. They stared indeed, -muttering something to each other as to the length and colour of his -beard, and that was all. - -But to Zibalbay they said, in low, guttural tones, “Father, we salute -you,” then, at a signal given by their captain, they cast themselves -upon the ground before him, and lay there with outstretched arms as -though they were dead. - -“Rise, my children,” said Zibalbay. Then, summoning the captain of the -bearers, he talked to him while his companions ate food that they had -brought with them, and I noted that what he heard seemed to give him -little pleasure. Next he ordered us to enter the litters, which were -of rude make, being constructed of chairs without curtains, lashed -between two poles, and carried, each of them, by eight bearers, for -the road was very steep and rough. - -We started forward down the mountain, and in an hour we had left the -region of snow behind, and entered the cedar forests. These great -trees grew in groups, which were separated by glades of turf, the home -of herds of deer. So thick was their foliage that a twilight reigned -beneath them, while from each branch hung a fringe of grey Spanish -moss that swayed to and fro in the draught of the mountain breeze. -Everywhere stretched vistas that brought to my mind memories of the -dimly-lighted nave of the great cathedral at Mexico, roofed by the -impenetrable boughs of these cedars, whereof the trunks might have -been supporting columns and the scent of their leaves the odour of -incense. - -After the cedar belt came the oak groves, and then miles of beautiful -turf slopes, clothed in rich grass starred with flowers. Truly it was -a lovely land. It was late in the afternoon before we descended the -last of these slopes and entered the tract of alluvial soil that lay -between them and the lake, where the climate was much warmer. It was -easy to see by the irrigation ditches and other signs that this belt -of country had always supplied the inhabitants of the City of the -Heart with corn and all necessary crops. Here grew great groves of -sugar-cane, and cocoa-bushes laden with their purple pods, together -with many varieties of fruit-trees planted in separate orchards. Soon -it became clear to us that the greater part of these ancient orchards -were untended, since their fruit rotted in heaps upon the ground. -Evidently they had been planted in more prosperous days, and now their -supply exceeded the wants of the population. - -At length, as the evening began to fall, we entered the village of -corn-growers, a half-ruined place of which the houses were for the -most part built of _adobe_ or mud bricks, and roofed with a concrete -of white lime. In the centre of the village was a _plaza_, planted -round with trees, and having in its midst a fountain, near to which -stood a simple altar, piled with fruit and flowers. Close to this -altar the inhabitants of the village, to the number of a hundred or -so, were gathered to meet us. Most of the men had but just come in -from their labours, for their garments and feet were stained with -fresh earth, and they held copper hoes and reaping-hooks in their -hands. All these men wore upon their faces the same look of weariness -of mind which we had noticed in the bearers. So monotonous were their -countenances, indeed, that I turned my eyes impatiently to the group -of women who were standing behind them. Like their husband and -brothers, these women were very fair for Indians, and handsome in -person, but they also had been stamped with melancholy. The sight of -the señor’s white skin and chestnut-coloured beard seemed for some -few moments to rouse them from their attitude of listless -indifference. Soon, however, they fell into it again, and began to -chat idly, or to play with and pull to pieces the flowers that every -one of them wore at her girdle. There were hardly any children among -the crowd, and it was strange to observe how great was the resemblance -of the individuals composing it to each other. Indeed, had they all -been members of a single family it could not have been more marked, -seeing that it was difficult for a stranger to distinguish one woman -from another of about the same age. - -When Zibalbay descended from his litter, all those present prostrated -themselves, and remained thus till, followed by some of the headmen, -he had passed into a house which was made ready for his use, leaving -us without. - -“Do all your people look so sad?” I asked the Lady Maya. - -“Yes,” she answered, “that is, all the common people who labour. It is -otherwise with the nobles, who are of a different blood. Here, Don -Ignatio, there are two classes, the lords and the people, and of the -people each family is forced to work for three months in the year, the -other nine being given to them for rest. The fruits of their labour -are gathered into storehouses and distributed among all the Children -of the Heart, but the temples, the _cacique_, and many of the nobles -have their own serfs who have served them from father to son.” - -“And what happens if they will not work?” asked the señor. - -“Then they must starve, for nothing is served out to them or their -families from the common store, and when they grow hungry they are set -to the heaviest tasks.” - -Now we understood why these people looked so weary and listless. What -could be expected from men and women without ambition or -responsibility, the gain of whose toil was placed to the public credit -and doled out to them in rations? In my old age I have heard that -there are teachers who advocate such a system for all mankind, but of -this I am sure, that had they dwelt among the People of the Heart, -where it had been in force for many centuries, they would cease to -preach this doctrine, for there, at least, it did not promote the -welfare of the race. - -Presently a messenger came from Zibalbay to summon us into the house, -where we found an ample meal prepared, consisting chiefly of fish from -the lake, baked wild-fowl, and many sorts of fruit. By the time we had -finished eating and had drunk the chocolate that was served to us in -cups of hammered silver, the night had fallen completely. I asked -Zibalbay if we should sleep there, to which he replied shortly that we -were about to start for the city. Accordingly we set out by the light -of the moon and were guided to a little harbour in the shore of the -lake, where a large canoe, fitted with a mast and sail, and manned by -ten Indians, was waiting for us. We embarked, and, the wind being off -land, hoisted the sail and started towards the Island of the Heart, -which stood at a distance of about fifteen miles from the mainland. - -The breeze was light, but after the cold of the mountains the air was -so soft and balmy, and the scene so new and strange, that I, for one, -did not regret our slow progress. Nobody spoke in the boat, for all of -us were lost in our own reflections, and the Indians were awed to -silence by the presence of their lord, who alone seemed impatient, -since from time to time he pulled his beard and muttered to himself. -So we glided across the blue lake, whose quiet was broken only by the -whistling wings of the wild-fowl travelling to their feeding-grounds, -by the sudden leaps of great fish rising in pursuit of some night-fly, -and by the lapping of the water against the wooden sides of the canoe. -Before us, luminous and unearthly in the perfect moonlight, shone the -walls and temples of the mysterious city which we had travelled so far -to reach. We watched them growing more and more distinct minute by -minute, and, as we watched, strange hopes and fears took possession of -our hearts. This was no dream: before us lay the fabled golden town we -had so longed to see; soon our feet would pass its white walls and our -eyes behold its ancient civilisation. - -“What waits us there?” whispered the señor, and he looked at Maya. -She heard his words and shook her head sadly. There was no hope in her -eyes, which were dimmed with tears. Then he turned to me as though for -comfort, and the easy fires of enthusiasm burnt up within me and I -answered: - -“Fear not, the goal is won, and we shall overcome all difficulty and -danger. The useless wealth of yonder Golden City will be ours, and by -its help I shall wreak the stored-up vengeance of ages upon the -oppressors of my race, and create a great Indian Dominion stretching -from sea to sea, whereof this city shall be the heart.” - -He heard and smiled, answering: - -“It may be so; for your sake, I trust that it will be so; but we seek -different ends, Ignatio,” and he looked again at the Lady Maya. - -On we glided, through the moonlight and the silence, for from the town -came no sound, save the cry of the watchmen, calling the hours, as -they kept their guard along the ancient walls, till at length we -entered the shadow of the Holy City lying dark upon the waters, and -the Indians, getting out their paddles (for the wind no longer served -us), rowed the canoe up a stone-embanked canal that led to a -watergate. - -Now we halted in front of the gate, where there was no man to be seen. -In an impatient voice, Zibalbay bade the captain hail the guardian of -the gate, and presently a man came down the steps yawning, and -inquired who was there. - -“I, the _cacique_,” said Zibalbay. “Open.” - -“Indeed! That is strange,” answered the man, “seeing that this night -the _cacique_ holds his marriage-feast at the palace yonder, and there -is but one _cacique_ of the People of the Heart! Get back to the -mainland, wanderers, and return in the day-time, when the gates stand -wide.” - -Now when Zibalbay heard these words, he cursed aloud in his anger, but -Maya started as though with joy. - -“I tell you that I am Zibalbay, come home again, your lord, and no -other,” he cried, “and you will be wise to do my bidding.” - -The man stared, and hesitated, till the captain of the boat spoke to -him, saying: - -“Fool, would you become food for fishes? This is the Lord Zibalbay, -returned from the dead.” - -Then he hastened to open the gate, as fast as his fear would let him. - -“Pardon, father, pardon,” he cried, prostrating himself, “but the Lord -Tikal, who rules in your place, has given it out that you were dead in -the wilderness, and commanded that your name should be spoken no more -in the city.” - -Zibalbay swept by him without a word. When he had passed up the marble -steps, and through the water-way, pierced in the thickness of the -frowning walls, he halted, and, addressing the captain of the boatmen, -said: - -“Let this man be scourged to-morrow at noon in the market-place, that -henceforth he may learn not to sleep at his post!” - -On the further side of the wall ran a wide street, bordered by -splendid houses built of white stone, which led to the central square -of the city, a mile or more away. Up this street we walked swiftly and -in silence, and as we went I noticed that much of it was grass-grown, -and that many of the great houses seemed to be deserted; indeed, -though light came from some of the latticed window-places, I could see -no sign of any human being. - -“Here is the city,” whispered the señor to me, “but where are the -people?” - -“Doubtless they celebrate the wedding-feast in the great square,” I -answered. “Hark, I hear them.” - -As I spoke the wind turned a little, and a sound of singing floated -down it, that grew momentarily clearer as we approached the square. -Another five minutes passed and we were entering it. It was a wide -place, covering not less than thirty acres of ground, and in its -centre, rising three hundred feet into the air, gleamed the pyramid of -the Temple of the Heart, crowned by the star of holy fire that -flickered eternally upon its summit. In the open space between the -walls of the inclosure of this pyramid and the great buildings that -formed the sides of the square, the inhabitants of the city were -gathered for their midnight feast. All were dressed in white robes, -while many wore glittering feather capes upon their shoulders and were -crowned with wreaths of flowers. Some of them were dancing, some of -them were singing, while others watched the tricks of jugglers and -buffoons. But the most of their number were seated round little tables -eating, drinking, smoking, and making love, and we noticed that at -these tables the children seemed the most honourable guests, and that -everybody petted them and waited on their words. Nothing could be more -beautiful or stranger to our eyes than this innocent festival -celebrated beneath the open sky and lighted by the moon. Yet the sight -of it did not please Zibalbay. - -Along the side of the square ran an avenue of trees bearing white -flowers with a heavy scent, and Zibalbay motioned to us to follow him -into their shadow. Many of the tables were placed just beyond the -spread of these trees, so that he was able to stop from time to time -and, unseen himself, to listen to the talk that was passing at them. -Presently he halted thus opposite to a table at which sat a man of -middle age and a woman young and pretty. What they said interested -him, and we who were close by his side understood it, for the -difference between the dialect of these people and the Maya tongue is -so small that even the señor had little difficulty in following their -talk. - -“The feast is merry to-night,” said the man. - -“Yes, husband,” answered his companion, “and so it should be, seeing -that yesterday the Lord Tikal was elected _cacique_ by the Council of -the Heart, and to-day he was wedded in the presence of the people to -Nahua the Beautiful, child of the Lord Mattai.” - -“It was a fine sight,” said the man, “though for my part I think it -early to proclaim him _cacique_. Zibalbay might yet come back, and -then----” - -“Zibalbay will never come back, husband, or the Lady Maya either. They -have perished in the wilderness long ago. For her I am sorry, because -she was so lovely and different from other great ladies; but I do not -grieve much for him, for he was a hard taskmaster to us common people; -also he was stingy. Why, Tikal has given more feasts during the last -ten months than Zibalbay gave in as many years; moreover, he has -relaxed the laws so that we poor women may now wear ornaments like our -betters;” and she glanced at a gold bracelet upon her wrist. - -“It is easy to be generous with the goods of others,” answered the -man. “Zibalbay was the bee who stored; Tikal is the wasp who eats. -They say that the old fellow was mad, but I do not believe it. I think -that he was a greater man than the rest of us, that is all, who saw -the wasting of the people and desired to find a means to stop it.” - -“Certainly he was mad,” answered the woman. “How could he stop the -wasting of the people by taking his daughter to wander in the -wilderness till they died of starvation, both of them. If anybody -dwells out yonder it is a folk of white devils of whom we have heard, -who kill and enslave the Indians, that they may rob them of their -wealth, and we do not desire that such should be shown the way to our -city. Also, what does it matter to us if the people do waste away? We -have all things that we wish, those who come after must see to it.” - -“Yet, wife, I have heard you say that you desired children.” - -Suddenly the woman’s face grew sad. - -“Ah!” she answered, “if Zibalbay will give me a child I will take back -all my words about him, and proclaim him the wisest of men, instead of -what he is, or rather was--an old fool gone crazy with vanity and too -much praying. But he is dead, and if he were not he could never do -this; that is beyond the power of the gods themselves, if indeed the -gods are anything except a dream. So what is the use of talking about -him; let me enjoy the feast that Tikal gives us, husband, and do not -speak of children, lest I should weep, and learn to hate those of my -sisters who have been blest with them.” - -Then at a sign from Zibalbay we moved on, but Maya, hanging back for a -moment, whispered: - -“Look at my father’s face. Never have I seen him so angry. Yet these -tidings are not altogether ill,” and she glanced at the señor. - -Now Zibalbay walked on swiftly, pulling at his beard and muttering to -himself, till we came to a great archway where two soldiers armed with -copper spears stood on guard, chatting with women in the crowd that -gathered round the open door, and eating sweetmeats which they offered -them. Zibalbay covered his face with the corner of his robe, and, -bidding us do likewise, began to walk through the archway, whereupon -the two soldiers, crossing their spears, demanded his name and title. - -“By whose orders do you ask?” said Zibalbay. - -“By order of our lord, the _cacique_, who celebrates his -marriage-feast with the nobles his guests,” answered one of them. -“Say, are you of their number who come so late?” - -Then Zibalbay uncovered his face and said: - -“Look at me, man. Did I command you to shut my own doors against me?” - -He looked and gasped: “It is the _cacique_ come home again!” - -“How, then, do you say that you keep the doors by order of the -_cacique_? Can there be two _caciques_ in the City of the Heart?” -asked Zibalbay in a bitter voice, and, without waiting for an answer, -he walked on, followed by the three of us, into the _plaza_ or -courtyard of the palace, where many fountains splashed upon the marble -pavement. - -Passing beneath a colonnade and through an open doorway whence light -flowed, of a sudden we found ourselves in a great and wonderful -chamber, a hundred feet or more in length, having a roof of panelled -cedar, supported by a double row of wooden columns exquisitely carved, -between which were set tables laden with fruit and flowers, -drinking-vessels, and other ornaments of gold. The walls also were -cedar-panelled, and hung over with tapestries worked in silver, and -ranged along them stood grotesque images of dwarfs and monkeys, -fashioned in solid gold, each of which held in its hand a silver lamp. -At the far end of this place was a small table, and behind it, seated -upon throne-like chairs, were a man and a woman, having an armed guard -on either side of them. - -The man was magnificently dressed in a white robe, broidered with the -symbol of the Heart, and a glittering feather cloak. Upon his brow was -a circlet of gold, from which rose a _panache_, or plume, of green -feathers, and in his hand he held a little golden sceptre tipped with -an emerald. He was of middle height, very stoutly built, and about -five-and-thirty years of age, having straight black hair that hung -down upon his shoulders. In face he was handsome, but forbidding, for -his dark eyes shone with a strange fire beneath the beetling brows, -and his powerful mouth and chin wore a sullen look that did not leave -them even when he smiled. The lady at his side was also beautifully -attired in white bridal robes, bordered with silver, and having the -royal Heart worked upon her breast, while on her brow, arms, and bosom -shone strings of emeralds. She was young and tall, with splendid eyes -and a proud, handsome face, somewhat marred, however, by the heaviness -of the mouth, and it was easy to see that she loved the husband at her -side, for all her looks were towards him. - -Between us and this royal pair stretched the length of the great hall, -filled with people--for the most of the feasters had left their -seats--so splendidly attired and so bright with the flash of gems and -gold that for a few moments our eyes were dazzled. The company, who -may have numbered two or three hundred, stood in groups with their -backs towards us, leaving a clear space at the far end of the chamber, -where beautiful women, in filmy, silken robes adorned with flowers and -turquoises, were singing and dancing to the sound of pipes before the -bride and bridegroom on the throne. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - HOW ZIBALBAY CAME HOME - -For a while we stood unnoticed in the shadow of the doorway, -observing this strange and beautiful scene, till, as Zibalbay was -about to advance towards the throne, the Lord Tikal held up his -sceptre as a signal, and suddenly the women ceased from their dance -and song. At the sight of the uplifted sceptre, Zibalbay halted again -and drew back further into the shadow, motioning us to do likewise. -Then Tikal began to speak in a rich, deep voice that filled the hall: - -“Councillors and Nobles of the Heart,” he said, “and you, high-born -ladies, wives and daughters of the nobles, hear me. But yesterday, as -you know, I took upon myself the place and power of my forefathers, -and by your wish and will I was proclaimed the sole chief and ruler of -the People of the Heart. Now I have bidden you to my marriage feast, -that you may grace my nuptials and share my joy. For be it known to -you that to-night I have taken in marriage Nahua the Beautiful, -daughter of the High Lord Mattai, Chief of the Astronomers, Keeper of -the Sanctuary, and President of the Council of the Heart. Her, in the -presence of you all, I name as my first and lawful wife, the sharer of -my power, and your ruler under me, who, whate’er betide, cannot be put -away from my bed and throne, and as such I call upon you to salute -her.” - -Then, ceasing from his address, he turned and kissed the woman at his -side, saying: - -“Hail! to you, Lady of the Heart, whom it has pleased the gods to lift -up and bless. May children be given to you, and with them happiness -and power for many years.” - -Thereon the whole company bowed themselves before Nahua, whose fair -face flushed with pride and joy, and repeated, as with one voice: - -“Hail! to you, Lady of the Heart, whom it has pleased the gods to lift -up and bless. May children be given to you, and with them happiness -and power for many years.” - -“Nobles,” went on Tikal, when this ceremony was finished, “it has come -to my ears that there are some who murmur against me, saying that I -have no right to the ancient sceptre of _cacique_ which I hold in my -hand this night. Nobles, I have somewhat to say to you of this matter, -that to-morrow, after the sacrifice, I shall repeat in the ears of the -common people, and I say it having consulted with my Council, the -masters of the mysteries of the Heart. To-morrow a year will have gone -by since Zibalbay, my uncle, who was _cacique_ before me, and his only -child and heiress of his rank and power, the Lady Maya, my affianced -bride, left the city upon a certain mission. Before they departed upon -this mission, it was agreed between Zibalbay, Maya, the Lady of the -Heart, myself, and the Council, the Brotherhood of the Heart, that I -should rule as next heir during the absence of Zibalbay and his -daughter, and that if they should not return within two years, then -their heritage should be mine for ever. To this agreement I set my -name with sorrow, for then, as now, I held that my uncle was mad, and -in his madness went to doom, taking with him his daughter whom I -loved. Yet when they were gone I fulfilled it to the letter; but -trouble arose among the people, for they will not listen to the voice -of one who is not their anointed lord, but say, ‘We will wait until -Zibalbay comes again and hear his command upon these matters.’ - -“Also, Zibalbay being absent, there was no high priest left in the -land, so that until a successor was raised up to him, certain of the -inmost mysteries of our worship must go uncelebrated, thus bringing -down upon us the anger of the Nameless god. So it came about that many -pressed it on me that for the sake of the people and the welfare of -the city, I should shorten the period of my regency and suffer myself -to be anointed. But, remembering my promise, I answered them sharply, -saying that I would not depart from it by a hair’s breadth, and that, -come what might, two full years must be completed before I sat me down -in the place of my fathers. - -“To this mind, then, I held till three days since, when those of the -people to whose lot it fell in turn to pass to the mainland, there to -cultivate the fields that are apportioned to the service of the -temple, refused to get them to their labour, declaring that the high -priest alone had authority over them, and there was no high priest in -the city. Then in my perplexity I took counsel with the Lord Mattai, -Master of the Stars, and he consulted the stars on my behalf. All -night long he searched the heavens, and he read in them that Zibalbay, -who, led by a lying dream, broke through the laws of the land and -wandered across the mountains, has paid the price of his folly, and is -dead in the wilderness, together with his daughter that was my -affianced and the Lady of the Heart. Is it not so, Mattai?” - -Now the person addressed, a stout man with a bald head, quick, -shifting eyes, and a thick and grizzled beard, stepped forward and -said, bowing, - -“If my wisdom is not at fault, such was the message of the stars, O -lord.” - -“Nobles,” went on Tikal, “you have heard my testimony and the -testimony of Mattai, whose voice is the voice of truth. For these -reasons I have suffered myself to be anointed and set over you as your -ruler, seeing that I am the heir of Zibalbay by law and by descent. -For these reasons also--she to whom I was affianced being dead--I have -taken to wife Nahua the daughter of Mattai. Say, do you accept us?” - -Some few of the company were silent, but the rest cried: - -“We accept you, Tikal and Nahua, and long may you rule over us -according to the ancient customs of the land.” - -“It is well, my brethren,” answered Tikal. “Now, before we drink the -parting-cup, have any of you ought to say to me?” - -“I have something to say to you,” cried Zibalbay in a loud voice from -the shadows wherein we stood at the far end of the hall. - -At the sound of his voice, the tones of which he seemed to know, Tikal -started and rose in fear, but, recovering himself, said: - -“Advance from the shadow, whoever you are, and say your say where men -may see you.” - -Turning to his daughter and to us, Zibalbay bade us follow him, and do -as he did. Then, veiling his face with a corner of his robe, he walked -up the hall, the crowd of nobles and ladies opening a path till we -stood before the throne. Here he uncovered himself, as we did also, -and standing sideways, so that he could be seen both by Tikal and all -that company, he opened his lips to speak. Before a word could pass -them a cry of astonishment broke from the nobles, and of a sudden the -sceptre fell from the hand of Tikal and rolled along the floor. - -“Zibalbay!” said the cry. “It is Zibalbay come back, or the ghost of -him, and with him the Lady of the Heart!” - -“Aye, nobles,” he said, in a quiet voice, although his hand shook with -rage, “it is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home, and not too soon, as -it would seem. What, my nephew, were you so hungry for my place and -power, that you must break the oath you swore upon the Heart, and -seize them before the appointed time? And you, Mattai, have you lost -your skill, or have the gods smitten you with a curse, that you -prophesy falsely, saying that it was written in the stars that we who -are alive were dead, thereby lifting up your daughter to the seat of -the Lady of the Heart. Nay, do not answer me. Standing yonder I have -heard all your story. I say to you, Tikal, that you are a foresworn -traitor, and to you, Mattai, that you are a charlatan and a liar, who -have dared to use the holy art for your own ends, and the advancement -of your house. On both of you will I be avenged,--aye, and on all -those who have abetted you in your crimes. Guards, seize that man, and -the Lord Mattai with him, and let them be held fast till I shall judge -them.” - - [image: img_209.jpg - caption: ‘It is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home.’] - -Now the soldiers that stood on either side of the thrones hesitated -for a moment, and then advanced towards Tikal as though to lay hands -upon him in obedience to Zibalbay’s order. But Nahua rose and waved -them off, saying: - -“What! dare you to touch your anointed lord? Back, I say to you, if -you would save yourselves from the doom of sacrilege. Living or dead, -the day of Zibalbay is done, for the Council of the Heart has set his -crown upon the brow of Tikal, and, whether for good or ill, their -decree cannot be changed.” - -“Aye!” said Tikal, whose courage had come back to him. “The Lady Nahua -speaks truth. Touch me not if you would live to look upon the sun.” - -But all the while he spoke his eyes were fixed upon Maya, whose -beautiful face he watched as though it were that of some lost love -risen from the dead. - -Now, as Zibalbay was about to speak again, Mattai the astronomer bowed -before him and said: - -“Be not angry, but hear me, my lord. You have travelled far, and you -are weary, and a weary man is apt at wrath. You think that you have -been wronged, and, doubtless, all this that has chanced is strange to -you, but now is not the time for us to give count of our acts and -stewardship, or for you to hearken. Rest this night; and to-morrow on -the pyramid, in the presence of the people, all things shall be made -clear to you, and justice be done to all. Welcome to you, Zibalbay, -and to you also, Daughter of the Heart,--and say, who are these -strangers that you bring with you from the desert lands across the -mountains?” - -Zibalbay paused awhile, looking round him out of the corners of his -eyes, like a wolf in a trap, for he sought to discover the temper of -the nobles. Then, finding that there were but few present whom he -could trust to help him, he lifted his head and answered: - -“You are right, Mattai, I am weary; for age, travel, and the -faithlessness of men have worn me out. To-morrow these matters shall -be dealt with in the presence of the people, and there, before the -altar, it shall be made known whether I am their lord, or you, Tikal. -There, too, I will tell you who these strangers are, and why I have -brought them across the mountains. Until then I leave them in your -keeping, for your own sake charging you to keep them well. Nay, here I -will neither eat nor drink. Do you come with me,” and he called to -certain lords by name whom he knew to be faithful to him. - -Then, without more words, he turned and left the hall, followed by a -number of the nobles. - -“It seems that my father has forgotten me,” said Maya, with a laugh, -when he had gone. “Greeting to you all, friends, and to you, my -cousin, Tikal, and greeting also to your wife, Nahua, who, once my -waiting-lady, by the gift of fortune has now been lifted up to take my -place and title. Whatever may be the issue of these broils, may you be -happy in each other’s love, Tikal and Nahua.” - -Now Tikal descended from the throne and bowed before her, saying, “I -swear to you, Maya----” - -“No, do not swear,” she broke in, “but give me and my friends here a -cup of wine and some fragments from your wedding-feast, for we are -hungry. I thank you. How beautiful is that bride’s robe which Nahua -wears, and--surely--those emeralds were once my own. Well, let her -take them from me as a wedding-gift. Make room, I pray you, Tikal, and -suffer these ladies to tell me of their tidings, for remember that I -have wandered far, and it is pleasant to see faces that are dear to -me.” - -For awhile we sat and ate, or made pretence to eat, while Maya talked -thus lightly and all that company watched us, for we were wonderful in -their eyes, who never till now had seen a white man. Indeed, the sight -of the señor, auburn-haired, long-bearded, and white-skinned, was so -marvellous to them, that, unlike the common people, they forgot their -courtesy and crowded round him in their amazement. Still, there were -two who took small note of the señor or of me, and these were Tikal, -who gazed at Maya as he stood behind her chair serving her like some -waiting slave, and Nahua his wife, who sat silent and neglected on her -throne, sullenly noting his every word and gesture. At length she -could bear this play no longer, but, rising from her seat, began to -move down the chamber. - -“Make room for the bride, ladies,” said Maya. “Cousin, good-night, it -grows late, and your wife awaits you.” - -Then, muttering I know not what, Tikal turned and went, and side by -side the pair walked down the great hall, followed by their guard of -soldiers. - -“How beautiful is the bride, and how brave the groom!” said Maya, as -she watched them go, “and yet I have seen couples that looked happier -on their wedding-day. Well, it is time to rest. Friends, good-night. -Mattai, I leave these strangers in your keeping. Guard them well--and, -stay, bring them to my apartments to-morrow after they have eaten, for -if it is my father’s will, I would show them something of the city -before the hour of noon, when we meet upon the temple-top.” - -When she had gone, Mattai bowed to us with much ceremony and begged us -to follow him, which we did, across the courtyard and through many -passages, to a beautiful chamber, dimly lighted with silver lamps, -that had been made ready for us. Here were beds covered with silken -wrappings, and on a table in the centre of the room cool drinks and -many sorts of fruits, but so tired were we that we took little note of -these things. - -Bidding good-night to Mattai, who looked at us curiously and announced -that he would visit us early in the morning, we made fast the copper -bolts upon the door and threw ourselves upon the beds. - -Weary as I was, I could not sleep in this strange place, and when, -from time to time, my eyes closed, the sound of feet passing without -our chamber door roused me again to wakefulness. Of one thing I was -sure, that Zibalbay was not wanted here in his own city, and that -there would be trouble on the morrow when he told his tale to the -people, for certainly Tikal would not suffer himself easily to be -thrust from the place he had usurped, and he had many friends. -Doubtless it was their feet that I heard outside the door as they -hurried to and fro from the chamber where Mattai sat taking counsel -with them. What would be our fate, I wondered, in this struggle for -power that must come? These people feared strangers--so much I could -read in their faces--and doubtless they would be rid of us if they -might. Well, we had a good friend in Maya, and the rest we must leave -to Providence. - -Thinking thus, at length I fell asleep, to be awakened by the voice of -the señor, who was sitting upon the edge of his bed, singing a song -and looking round the chamber, for now the daylight streamed through -the lattices. I wished him good-morrow, and asked him why he sang. - -“Because of the lightness of my heart,” he answered. “We have reached -the city at last, and it is far more splendid and wonderful than -anything I dreamed of. Also the luck is with us, for this Tikal has -taken another woman in marriage, who, to judge from the look of her, -will not readily let him go, and therefore Maya has no more to fear -from him. Thirdly, there is enough treasure in this town, if what we -saw last night may be taken as a sample, to enable you to establish -three Indian Empires, if you wish, and doubtless Zibalbay will give -you as much of it as you may want. Therefore, friend Ignatio, you -should sing, as I do, instead of looking as gloomy as though you saw -your own coffin being brought in at the door.” - -I shook my head, and answered: - -“I fear you speak lightly. There is trouble brewing in this city, and -we shall be drawn into it, for the struggle between Tikal and Zibalbay -will be to the death. As for the Lady Maya, of this I am certain, -that--wife or no wife--Tikal still loves her and will strive to take -her; I saw it in his eyes last night. Lastly, it is true enough that -here there is boundless wealth; but whether its owners will suffer me -to have any portion of it, to forward my great purposes,--useless -though it be to them,--is another matter.” - -“There was a man in the Bible called Job, and he had a friend named -Eliphaz,--I think you are that friend come to life again, Ignatio,” -answered the señor, laughing. “For my part, I mean to make the best -of the present, and not to trouble myself about the future or the -politics of this benighted people. But hark, there is someone knocking -at the door.” - -I rose, and undid the bolt, whereon attendants entered bearing goblets -of chocolate, and little cakes upon a tray. After we had eaten, they -led us to the baths, which were of marble and very beautiful, one of -them being filled with water from a warm spring, and then to a -chamber, where breakfast was made ready for us. While we sat at table, -Mattai came to us, and I saw that he had not slept that night, for his -eyes were heavy. - -“I trust that you have rested well, strangers,” he said courteously. - -“Yes, lord,” I answered. - -“Well, it is more than I have done, for it is my business to watch the -stars, especially my own star, which just now is somewhat obscured,” -and he smiled. “If you have finished your meal, my commands are to -lead you to the apartments of the Lady Maya, who wishes to show you -something of our city, which, being strangers, may interest you. By -the way, if I do not ask too much, perhaps you will tell me to what -race you belong,” and he bowed towards the señor. “We have heard of -white men here, though we have learned no good of them, and tradition -tells us that our first ruler, Cucumatz, was of this race. Are you of -his blood, stranger?” - -“I do not know,” answered the señor, laughing. “I come from a cold -country far beyond the sea, where all the men are as I am.” - -“Then the inhabitants of that country must be goodly to behold,” -answered Mattai gravely. “I thank you for your courtesy, Son of the -Sea, in answering my question so readily. I did not ask it from -curiosity alone, since the people in this city are terrified of -strangers, and clamour for some account of you.” - -“Doubtless our friend Zibalbay will satisfy them,” I said. - -“Good. Now be pleased to follow me,”--and Mattai led us across courts -and through passages till we reached a little ante-room filled with -ancient carvings and decorated with flowers, where some girls stood -chatting. - -“Tell the Lady Maya that her guests await her,” said Mattai, then -turned to take his departure, adding, in a low voice, “doubtless we -shall meet at noon upon the pyramid, and there you will see I know not -what; but, whatever befalls, be sure of this, strangers, that I will -protect you if I can. Farewell.” - -One of the girls vanished through a doorway at the further end of the -chamber, and, having offered us seats, the others stood together at a -little distance, watching us out of the corners of their eyes. -Presently the door opened, and through it came Maya, wearing a silken -_serape_ that covered her head and shoulders and looking very sweet -and beautiful in the shaded light of the room. - -“Greeting, friends,” she said, as we bowed before her. “I have my -father’s leave to show you something of this city that you longed so -much to see. These ladies here will accompany us, and a guard, but we -shall want no litters until we have ascended the great temple, for I -desire that you should see the view from thence before the place is -cumbered with the multitude. Come, if you are ready.” - -Accordingly we set out, Maya walking between us, while her guards and -ladies followed after. Crossing the square, which had been the scene -of the festival of the previous night, but now in the early morning -was almost deserted, we came to the inclosure of the court-yard of the -pyramid, a limestone wall worked with sculptures of hunting scenes, -relieved by a border of writhing snakes, and at intervals by emblems -of the Heart. At the gateway of this wall we paused to contemplate the -mighty mass of the pyramid that towered above us. There is one in the -land of Egypt that is bigger, so said the señor, although he believed -this to be a more wonderful sight because of its glittering slopes of -limestone, whose expanse was broken only by the vast stair that ran up -its eastern face from base to summit. - -“It is a great building,” said Maya, noting our astonishment, “and one -that could not be reared in these days. Tradition says that -five-and-twenty thousand men worked on it for fifty years--twenty -thousand of them cutting and carrying the stone, and five thousand -laying the blocks.” - -“Where did the material come from, then?” asked the señor. - -“Some of it was hewn from beneath the base of the temple itself,” she -answered, “but the most was borne in big canoes from quarries on the -mainland, for these quarries can still be seen.” - -“Is the pyramid hollow, then?” I asked. - -“Yes, in it are many chambers, for the most part store and treasure -houses, and beneath its base lie crypts, the burying-place of the -_caciques_, their wives, and children. There also is the Holy -Sanctuary of the Heart, which you, being of the Brotherhood, may -perhaps be permitted to visit. Come, let us climb the stair,”--and she -led us across the court-yard to the foot of a stairway forty feet or -more in breadth, which ran to the platform of the pyramid in six -flights, each of fifty steps, and linked together by resting-places. - -Up these flights we toiled slowly, followed by the ladies and the -guard, till at length our labour was rewarded, and we stood upon the -dizzy edge of the pyramid. Before us was a platform bordered by a low -wall, large enough to give standing room to several thousand people. -On the western side of this platform stood a small marble house, used -as a place to store fuel, and as a watch-tower by the priests, who -were on duty day and night, tending the sacred fire which flared in a -brazier from its roof. Situated at some distance from this house, and -immediately in front of it, was a small altar wreathed with flowers, -but for the rest the area was empty. - -“Look,” said Maya. - -The city beneath us was built upon a low, heart-shaped island, so -hollow in its centre that once it might have been the crater of some -volcano, or perhaps a mere ridge of land inclosing a lagoon. This -island measured about ten miles in length by six across at its widest, -and seemed to float like a huge green leaf upon the lake, the Holy -Waters of these Indians, of which the circumference is so great that -even from the summit of the pyramid, a few small and rocky islets -excepted, land was only visible to the north, whence we had sailed on -the previous night. Elsewhere the eye met nothing but blue expanses of -inland sea, limitless and desolate, unrelieved by any sail or sign of -life. Amidst these waters the island gleamed like an emerald. Here -were gardens filled with gorgeous flowers and clumps of beautiful -palms and willows, framed by banks of dense green reeds that grew in -the shallows around the shores. So luxuriant was the vegetation, -fertilised year by year with the rich mud of the lake, and so lovely -were the trees and flowers in the soft light of the morning, that the -place seemed like a paradise rather than a home of men; and as was the -island, so was the city that was built upon one end of it. - -Following the lines of the land upon which it stood, it was -heart-shaped--a heart of cold, white marble lying within a heart of -glowing green. All about it ran a moat filled with water from the -lake, and on the hither side of this moat stood a wall fifty feet or -more in height, built of great blocks of white limestone that formed -the bed-rock of the island, which wall was everywhere sculptured with -allegorical devices and designs, and the gigantic figures of gods. -Within the oblong of this wall lay the city; a city of palaces, -pyramids, and temples, or rather the remains of it, for we could see -at a glance that the population was unable to keep so many streets and -edifices in repair. Thus palm-trees were to be found growing through -the flat roofs of houses, and in crevices of the temple-pyramids, -while many of the streets and avenues were green with grass and ferns, -a narrow pathway in the centre of them showing how few were the feet -of the passers-by. Even in the great square beneath us the signs of -traffic were rare, and there was little of the bustle of a people -engaged in the business of life, although this very place had been the -scene of last night’s feast, and would again soon be filled with men -and women flocking to the pyramid. Now and again some graceful, -languid girl, a reed basket in her hand, might be seen visiting the -booths, where rations of fish from the lake, or of meal, fruit, dried -venison, and cocoa, were distributed according to the wants of each -family. Or perhaps a party of men, on their way to labour in the -gardens, stopped to smoke and talk together in a fashion that showed -time to be of little value to them. Here and there also a few--a very -few--children played together with flowers for toys in the shadow of -the palaces, barracks, and store-houses which bordered the central -square; but this was all, for the rest the place seemed empty and -asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - ON THE PYRAMID - -“Does not the city lie very low?” I asked of Maya, when we had -studied the prospect on every side. “To my eye its houses seem almost -upon a level with the waters of the lake.” - -“I believe that is so,” she answered. “Moreover, during those months -of the year that are coming, the surface of the lake rises many feet, -so that the greater part of the island is submerged and the water -stands about the wall.” - -“How, then, do you prevent the town from being flooded?” asked the -señor. “If once the water flowed in, the place would vanish and every -soul be drowned.” - -“Yes, friend, but the waters never rise beyond a certain height, and -they are kept from flooding the city by the great sluice-gate. If that -gate were to be opened in the time of inundation, then we should -perish, every one. But it never is opened during those months, for if -any would leave or enter the city they do so by means of ladders -leading from the summit of the wall to floating landing-stages on the -moat beneath. Also night and day the gate is guarded; moreover, it can -be moved from one place only by those that know its secret, who are -few.” - -“It seems a strange place to build a city,” answered the señor. “I do -not think that I should ever sleep sound during the months of -inundation, knowing that my life depended upon a single gate.” - -“Yet men have slept safely here for a thousand years or more,” she -said. “Legend tells us that our ancestors who came up from the coast -in ancient days settled on the island by command of their gods, -choosing this hollow bed of land to build in, so that rather than -submit themselves to foes, as their fathers were forced to do in the -country beyond the mountains, they could, if need were, flood the -place and perish in the water. For this reason it is that the holy -sanctuary of the Nameless god, the Heart of Heaven, is hollowed deep -in the rock beneath us, for the waters of the lake would flow in upon -it at a touch, burying it and all its treasures from the sight of man -for ever. Now, if you have seen enough, I will take you to visit the -public workshops where fish is dried, linen woven, and all other -industries carried on that are necessary to our comfort,”--and, -turning, she led the way with her ladies towards the head of the -stairs. - -As we drew near to it, however, three men appeared upon the platform, -in one of whom I knew Tikal. Seeing Maya he advanced toward her, -bowing as he came. - -“Lady,” he said, “learning that you were here with these strangers, I -have followed you to beg that you will speak with me alone for some -few minutes.” - -“That I cannot do, cousin,” she answered coldly, “for who knows what -colour might afterwards be put upon my words. If you have anything to -say to me, say it before us all.” - -“That _I_ cannot do,” he replied, “for what I have to say is secret. -Still, for your father’s sake, and perhaps for your own, you will do -well to hear it.” - -“Without a witness I will not listen to you, Tikal.” - -“Then, Lady, farewell,” he said, and turned to go. - -“Stay, cousin. If you fear to speak before our own people, let this -stranger--” and she pointed to me, Ignatio--“be present at our talk. -He is of our blood, and can understand our tongue, a discreet man, -moreover, one of the Brethren of the Heart.” - -“One of the Brethren of the Heart? How can a stranger be a Brother of -the Heart? Prove it to me, wanderer.” - -And, drawing me aside, he said certain words, which I answered, giving -him the signs. - -“Do you agree?” asked Maya. - -“Yes, Lady, since I must, though it pleases me little to open my mind -before a stranger. Let us step apart,”--and he walked to the centre of -the platform, followed by Maya and myself. - -“Lady,” he began, “my business with you is not easy to tell. For many -years we were affianced, and both you and your father promised that we -should be wed when you returned from this journey----” - -“Surely, as things are, cousin, it is needless to discuss the matter -of our betrothal,” she broke in with sarcasm. - -“Not altogether needless, Lady,” he answered. “I have much to ask your -pardon for, yet I make bold to ask it. Maya, you know well that I have -loved and love you dearly, and that no other woman has ever been near -my heart.” - -“Indeed,” she said with a laugh, “these words sound strange in the -mouth of the new-made husband of Nahua.” - -“Perhaps, Lady, and yet they are true. I am married to Nahua, but I do -not love her, though she loves me. It is you whom I love, and when I -saw you yesterday all my heart went out to you, so that I almost hated -the fair bride at my side.” - -“Why, then, did you marry her?” - -“Because I must, and because I believed you dead, and your father with -you, as did every man in the city. You and Zibalbay being dead, as I -thought, was it wonderful that I should wish to keep the place that -many were plotting to take from me? This could be done in one way -only, by the help of Mattai, the most clever and the most powerful man -in the city, and this was Mattai’s price, that his daughter should -become the Lady of the Heart. Well, she loved me, she is beautiful, -and she has her father’s strength and foresight, so that among all the -ladies in the land there was none more fitted to be my wife.” - -“Well, and you married her, and there’s an end. You ask my -forgiveness, and you have it, seeing that it does not befit me to play -the part of a jealous woman. Doubtless time will soften the blow to -me, Tikal,” she added, mockingly. - -“There is not an end, Maya, and I come to ask you to-day to renew your -promise that you will be my wife.” - -“What, cousin! Having broken your troth, would you now offer me -insult? Do you then propose that I, the Daughter of the Heart, should -be Nahua’s handmaid?” - -“No, I propose that when Nahua is put away you should take her place -and your own.” - -“How can this be, seeing that the Lady of the Heart cannot be -divorced?” - -“If she ceases to be the Lady of the Heart she can be divorced like -any other woman; at the least, love has no laws, and I will find a -way.” - -“The way of death, perhaps. No, I will have none of you. Honour has -laws, Tikal, if love has none. Go back to your wife, and pray that she -may never learn how you would have treated her.” - -“Is that your last word, Lady?” - -“Why do you ask?” - -“Because more hangs on it than you know. Listen: Very soon all the men -in the city will be gathered on this place to hear your father’s -words, and to decide whether he or I shall rule. See, already they -assemble in the temple square. Promise to be my wife, and in return I -will yield to your father and he shall be master for his life’s days -and have his way in all things. Refuse, and I will cling to power, and -matters may go badly for him, for you, and--” he added threateningly, -“for these strangers, your friends.” - -“All this must befall as it chances,” she answered proudly, “I do not -meddle with such questions, nor do your threats move me. If you are so -base as to plot mischief against an old man who has poured benefits -upon you, plot on, and in due time meet with your reward, but for -myself I tell you that I have done with you, and that, come what may, -I will never be your wife.” - -“Perhaps you may yet live to take back those words, Lady,” he said in -a quiet voice; then, with a low obeisance, he turned and went. - -“You have made a dangerous enemy, Lady,” I said, when he was out of -earshot. - -“I do not fear him, Ignatio.” - -“That is well,” I answered, “but for my part I do. I think that his -plans are ready, and that before this day is done there will be -trouble. Indeed, I shall be thankful if we live to see to-morrow’s -light.” - -By this time we had reached the others. - -“Are you weary of waiting?” she said to the señor, giving him a sweet -look as she spoke. “Well, I should have been happier here than I was -yonder. Give me your hand and lead me down the stair, for I am tired. -Ah, friend, did you but know it, I have just dared more for your sake -than I should have done for my own.” - -“What have you dared?” he asked. - -“That you will learn in due time, if we live long enough, friend,” she -answered, “but, oh! I would that we had never set foot within this -city.” - - - -Two hours had passed, and, following in the train of Zibalbay and -Maya, who walked beside him, once more we found ourselves upon the -summit of the pyramid. Now, however, it was no longer empty, for on it -were collected men to the number of some thousands; indeed, all the -adult male population of the city. On one side of the altar were -seated Tikal, his bride Nahua, who was the only woman there, and some -hundreds of nobles, all of whom, I noted, were armed and guarded by a -body of soldiers that stood behind them. On the other side were many -vacant places; and as Zibalbay, with Maya and all the great company of -followers that he had gathered, advanced to take them, Tikal and every -man present on the pyramid uncovered their heads and bowed in greeting -to him. - -After a few moments’ pause, two priests came forward from the -watch-house behind the altar, and, having laid upon it an offering of -fresh flowers, the elder of them, who was robed in pure white, uttered -a short prayer to the Nameless god, the Heart of Heaven, asking that -he would be pleased to accept the gift, and to send a blessing upon -the deliberations of his people here assembled. Then Zibalbay rose to -address the multitude, and I noted that his fierce face was pale and -anxious, and that his hand shook, although his eyes flashed angrily: - -“Nobles and people of the City of the Heart,” he began, “on this day a -year ago, I, your hereditary ruler and _cacique_, and the high-priest -of the Heart of Heaven, left this city on a certain mission. This was -my mission: To find the severed portion of the sacred symbol that lies -in the sanctuary of the temple, the portion that is called Day, which -has been lost for many an age. You know that our race has fallen upon -evil times, and that, year by year, our numbers dwindle, till at -length the end of the people is in sight, seeing that within some few -generations they must die out and be forgotten. You know also the -ancient prophecy, that when once more the two halves of the Symbol of -the Heart, Day and Night, are laid side by side, in their place upon -the altar in the sanctuary, then, from that hour, this people shall -grow great again; and you know how a voice spoke to me, in answer to -my prayers, bidding me, Zibalbay, to wander forth from the country of -the Heart, following the road to the sea, for there I should find that -which was lost. - -“Thither, then, having won the permission of my Council, the -Brotherhood of the Heart, I have wandered alone with my daughter, the -Lady Maya, suffering much hardship and danger in my journeyings, and -lo! I have found that which was lost, and brought it back to you, for -here it hangs upon the neck of this Ignatio, who has accompanied me -from the lands beyond the desert.” - -Now a murmur of astonishment went up from the multitude, and Zibalbay -paused awhile. - -“Of this matter of the finding of the symbol,” he continued, “I will -speak more fully at the proper time, and to those who have a right to -hear it, namely, to the elected Brotherhood of the Heart, in the holy -Sanctuary, on the day of the Rising of Waters, being one of the eight -days in each year on which it is lawful for the Council of the Heart -to meet in the Sanctuary. But first in this hour I will deal with -other questions. - -“It is known to you that, when I went upon my mission, I left my -nephew Tikal to sit in my place, it being agreed between us and the -Council that if I should return no more within two years he should -become _cacique_ of the people. I have returned within one year, and I -find this: That already he has allowed himself to be anointed -_cacique_, and more, that he, who was affianced to my daughter, has -taken another woman to be his wife. Last night with my own ears I -heard him proclaim his treachery in the hall of the palace, and when I -spoke out the bitterness that was in my heart, I, your lord, was met -with threats, and told that Tikal, having been anointed, could not now -be deposed. I use the saying against him. Nobles, have I not been -anointed, and ruled over you and the people for many years, and can I -then be deposed,--I, who am not a traitor to my master, nor a -forswearer of my oaths, as is my nephew yonder?” - -Again he paused, and some of the audience, with those who had -accompanied Zibalbay, shouted “No;” but the most of them looked -towards Tikal and were silent. Now Mattai rose from his place behind -Tikal and spoke, saying: - -“As one who had to do with the anointing of Tikal to be _cacique_ when -we believed you and the Lady Maya to be dead, I would ask you, -Zibalbay, before we on this side of the altar answer you, to tell us -openly what is the meaning of this journey that you have undertaken, -and for what purpose you have brought these two strangers, who are -named Ignatio and Son of the Sea, with you, in defiance of the ancient -law, which says that he who brings a stranger across the mountains -into the land of the City of the Heart shall die, together with the -stranger.” - -Now, when Zibalbay heard this question he started, for he had -forgotten this law, and saw the cunning trap that Mattai had spread -for his feet. Nevertheless he answered boldly, since it was his nature -to be outspoken and straightforward. - -“It becomes you ill, Mattai, to question me,--you who have proved -yourself a plotter and a lying prophet, reading in the stars that I -and my daughter were dead, while we still draw the breath of life -beneath them. Yet I will answer you, and, scorning subterfuge or -falsehood, set out the whole matter in the hearing of the people, that -they may judge between me, your party, and your master. First, I will -say that I had forgotten the law of which you speak, whereof I have -broken the letter, or, if at any time I remembered it, my necessities -caused me to disregard it. Learn, then, that the stranger Ignatio is -of royal Indian blood, and the holder of that symbol which I went -forth to seek, and that the white man whom you call Son of the Sea is -as a brother to him, and that both of them are of the fellowship of -the Heart, the Lord Ignatio being no less a man than the master of the -order in yonder lands, as I am here. This Lord Ignatio I summoned to -me, and he came. He came, and with his companion, Son of the Sea, -saved me and my daughter from shame and death at the hands of certain -murderers, white men. Then, when we had escaped, we tried each other, -and laid the symbols side by side, and, lo! Day and Night came -together and they were one. Then, also, I told him the story of how it -happened that I was wandering far from my own place, and he told me -what was his purpose and the desire of his life. - -“This is his purpose--to break the yoke that the white man has set -upon the neck of the Indians in the far lands, and to build up a -mighty Indian nation stretching from sea to sea, whereof this city, -Heart of the World, shall be the centre and the capital. Then we made -a compact together, a compact that cannot be broken, and it was this: -That the Lord Ignatio, with the white man, his companion, from whom he -will not be separated, should accompany us here, where the symbols -should be set in the appointed place, that the prophecy may be -fulfilled and fortune return to us: That I should give to him so much -as he may need of the treasures which lie useless in our storehouses, -wherewith he may arm troops and bring about his ends, and that in -return he should bring to us what we need far more than gold and -gems--men and women with whom we may intermarry, so that our race, -ceasing to dwindle, may once again multiply and grow great. - -“Such, nobles, is our compact, and this is the path which the god who -rules us has pointed out for our feet to tread. Accept it and grow -great--refuse it and perish. For know that not for myself do I speak, -who am old and near to death, but for you and your posterity for ever. -Be not bewildered or amazed, for, though these things are new to you, -it may well chance that after the Council of the Heart has been -celebrated in the Sanctuary on the night of the Rising of Waters, the -god whom we worship, the Nameless god under whose guidance all these -things have come about, will reveal his purpose by the mouth of his -oracle, and show what part these strangers and each of us shall play -in the fate that is to be. Oh! nobles, and my people, let not your -sight be dimmed nor your heart hardened, and put not away the fortune -and the future that lie before you. I have dared much for your sake; -dare a little for your own. Shut your ears and your gates and rise in -rebellion against me, and I tell you that soon there shall remain of -you and of your glorious home scarcely a memory; but be gentle and be -guided by my wisdom and the will of your gods, and your fame and power -shall cover the world; ay! you shall be to what you were as is the sun -in all its glory to some faint and fading star. I have spoken--now -choose.” - -He ceased and for a while there was silence, the silence of amaze, for -the nobles stared each on each, and such of the common people as were -within earshot stood gaping at him with open mouths, since to them who -did not meddle in matters of polity, and, indeed, thought little for -themselves, his words had small meaning. Presently it was broken, and -by Tikal, who sprang from his seat and cried aloud: - -“Of a truth they were wise who said that this old man was mad. Have -you heard and understood, O people of the Heart? This is what you must -do to fulfil the will of Zibalbay: First, you must set him in his -place again, giving him all power, and me you must condemn to death or -chains; next, you must pardon him his breaches of the law,--the law -that he of all men was bound to keep. Then you must hand over your -treasures--the treasures hoarded by your forefathers for many a -generation--to these wandering thieves whom he has brought with him; -and, lastly, you must open your gates, which have been kept secret for -a thousand years, to other thieves that they shall lead here, to whom, -forsooth, you must give your women in marriage that the race may be -increased. Say, will you do these things, children of the Heart?” - -Now all the nobles who stood behind Tikal shouted “Never!” and the -people beyond took up the cry with a voice of thunder, though the most -of them understood little of what was passing. - -Tikal held up his hand, and there was silence. - -“You will not do them,” he said, “and base indeed were you had you -answered otherwise. What, then, will you do? Tell me, first, whom do -you choose as your ruler, my uncle, who now is mad and would bring you -to shame and ruin; or me, who have sworn to preserve your ancient -laws?” - -“We choose you, Tikal, Tikal!” came the answer. - -“I thank you,” he cried, “but what then shall be done with this old -man, and those whom he has brought with him to spy out our secrets and -to rob us?” - -“Kill them before the altar!” they shouted, waving their swords. - -Tikal thought for a moment, then pointed towards us and said, - -“Seize these men.” - -At his word a hundred or more of the nobles, who evidently had been -instructed to execute his orders, rushed at us suddenly. As they came -across the open space I saw the señor put his hand to his belt, and -said to him: - -“For the love of God! do not strike, for should you touch one of them -they will certainly kill us.” - -“That they will do in any case,--but as you wish,” he answered. - -Then they broke on us. As they came, all those nobles who had followed -Zibalbay to the crest of the pyramid gave way before their rush, -leaving the three of us and the Lady Maya standing alone. - -“Cowards!” said Zibalbay, glancing behind him. Then he drew his -_machete_ and with a shout cut down the foremost of those who assailed -us--a great noble. In another instant the weapon was struck from him, -and the señor and I were being dragged towards the altar, followed by -Zibalbay and the Lady Maya, upon whom, however, our assailants laid no -hand. - -“What shall we do with these men?” cried Tikal again. - -And again the nobles answered, “Kill them!” - -So they threw us down, and men came at us with swords to make an end -of us, which indeed they would have done quickly, had not the Lady -Maya sprung forward, and, standing over the señor, cried, “Hold!” in -so piercing a voice that they stayed their hands. - -“Listen, people of the Heart,” she said, “would you do murder upon -your own holy altar, staining it with the blood of innocent men? You -talk of broken laws. Is there not a law in the city that none can be -put to death except after trial before the _cacique_ and his Council? -Have these men been tried, and if so, by whom? You say that my father, -your lawful ruler, is deposed. If that is so, not Tikal, but I, who am -his heir, rule in his stead, and I have passed no judgment on them.” - -Now at her words there was a murmur of mingled doubt and applause, but -Tikal answered her, saying: - -“Lady, the law you quote holds good for you, for your father, and for -every citizen of the Heart, however humble; but in the case of these -men it does not hold, for they are wandering strangers and spies, who -can claim no protection from our justice, and therefore it is right -that they should die.” - -“It is not right that they should die,” she answered passionately. -“You, Tikal, have usurped my father’s place, and now you would -celebrate the beginning of your rule by a deed of the foulest murder. -I tell you that these men are innocent of all offence. If any are -guilty it is my father and I, and if any should suffer we should -suffer. More,” she went on, with flashing eyes, “if these men to whom -we have sworn safe-conduct must die, then for my part I will die with -them, and whether I pass by your hands or by my own, may the curse of -my blood rest upon you for ever and for ever.” - -As she spoke she snatched a knife from her jewelled girdle, and stood -before them, its bare blade glittering in the sunlight, looking so -beautiful and fierce that the nobles fell back from her, and hundreds -of the people applauded, saying: - -“Hear the Lady Maya, and obey her. She is _cacique_, and no other.” - -Now Zibalbay, who had covered his eyes with his hands, looked up and -said: - -“You are right, daughter. Since the people reject us, and we cannot -even protect our guests, it is best that we should die with them,” and -once more he covered his eyes with his hands. - -Then there came a pause and a sound of whispering. I looked up between -the sword-blades which were pointed at my throat, and saw that Nahua -was standing at the side of her lord, and pleading with him. They were -so close to me that my hearing, always keen, being sharpened moreover -by the fear of instant death, enabled me to catch some of their talk. - -“She will do what she says,” said Nahua, “and that will be your ruin; -for if her father is hated, she is beloved, and many will arise to -avenge her.” - -“Why should she kill herself because of a white wanderer?” he asked. - -Nahua shrugged her shoulders, and smiled darkly, as she answered: - -“Who can tell; he is her friend, and women have been known to give -their lives for their friends. Do as you will, but if Maya dies I do -not think that we shall live to see another dawn,” and, leaving his -side, she sought her chair again. - -Now Tikal looked at the señor, who was stretched upon the ground -beside me, and seeing that there was hate in his eyes I trembled, -thinking that the end had come, then turned my head aside, and began -to commend my soul to the care of Heaven. As I prayed he spoke, -addressing himself to Maya: - -“Lady,” he said, “you have appealed to the law on behalf of these -wanderers, of your father, and of yourself, and by the law you shall -be dealt with. To-morrow the judges shall be chosen, and hold their -court here before the people.” - -“It cannot be, Tikal,” she answered calmly, “there is but one court -which can try us four, all of whom are Brethren of the Heart, and that -is the Council of the Heart sitting in the Sanctuary, which assembles -on the eighth day from now, on the night of the Rising of Waters. Is -it not so, nobles?” - -“If you are of the number of the Brethren of the Heart, all of you, it -is so,” they answered. - -“So be it,” said Tikal; “but till then I must hold you in -safe-keeping. Will it please you to follow Mattai, Lady, and you, my -Lord Zibalbay. Guards, bring these men to the watch-house yonder, and -keep them there till I come to you.” - -Maya bowed, and, turning to the audience, she said in a clear voice, -“Farewell, my people. If we are seen no more you will know that my -father and I have been done to death by Tikal, who has usurped our -place, and to you I leave it to take vengeance for our blood.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - THE CURSE OF ZIBALBAY - -Thankful enough was I to rise from the ground feeling my life whole -in me. - -“Death has been near to us,” said the señor with something between a -sob and a laugh, as we followed Zibalbay and Maya into the -guard-house. - -“He is near to us still,” I answered, “but at least, unless Tikal -changes his mind, we have won some days of respite.” - -“Thanks to her,” he said, nodding towards Maya, and as he spoke we -entered the guard-house, a small chamber with a massive door, somewhat -roughly furnished. - -So soon as we were in, the door was shut upon us, and we found -ourselves alone. Zibalbay sat himself down, and, fixing his eyes upon -the wall, stared at it as though it offered no hindrance to his sight, -but the rest of us stood together near the door, listening to the -turmoil of the multitude without. Clearly argument ran high among -them, for we could hear the sound of angry voices, of shouting, and of -the hurrying footfalls of the people leaving the pyramid by way of the -great stair. - -“You have saved our lives for a while, for which we owe you thanks,” -said the señor to Maya presently, “but tell me, what will they do -with us now?” - -“I cannot say,” she answered, “but in this pyramid are chambers where -we shall be hidden away until our day of trial. At the least I think -so, for they dare not let us out among the people, lest we should -cause a tumult in the city.” - -Before the words had left her lips the door was opened, and through it -came Tikal, Mattai, and other of the great lords who were hostile to -Zibalbay. - -“What is your pleasure with us?” asked Zibalbay, awaking from his -dream. - -“That you should follow me,” answered Tikal sternly, “you and the -others,”--adding, with a low bow to Maya, “forgive me, Lady, that I -must exercise this violence towards you and your father, but I have no -other choice if I would save you from the vengeance of the people.” - -“It is not the vengeance of the people that we have to fear, Tikal,” -she answered quietly, “but rather your hate.” - -“Which it is in your power to appease, lady,” he said in a low voice. - -“It may be in my power, but it is not in my will,” she answered, -setting her lips. “Come, cousin, take us to the dungeon that you have -prepared for us.” - -“As you wish,” he said; “follow me.” And he led the way across the -guard-house, through a sleeping-chamber of the priests that lay behind -it, to the further wall that was hidden by a curtain. - -This curtain, on being drawn, revealed a small stone door, which -Mattai, having first lit some lamps that stood ready in the chamber, -unlocked with a key which hung at his girdle. One by one we passed -through the door, Tikal preceding us, and Mattai, with others of the -great lords, to the number of six, following after us. Beyond the door -lay a flight of twenty steps, then came a gate of copper bars. On the -further side of this gate were flight upon flight of steps, joined -together by landings, and running, now in this direction now in that, -into the bowels of the mighty pyramid. At length, when my limbs were -weary of descending so many stairs, we found ourselves in front of -other gates, larger and more beautifully worked than those that we had -already passed. Presently they clanged behind us, and we stood in a -vast apartment or hall that was built in the heart of the pyramid. It -would seem that this hall had been made ready for our coming, for it -was lighted with many silver lamps, and in one part of it rugs were -laid and on them stood tables and seats. So great was the place that -the light of the lamps shone in it only as stars shine in the sky, -still, as we passed down it, we saw that its roof was vaulted, and -that its walls and floor were of white marble finely polished. Once, -as we learned afterwards, it had served as the assembly-rooms for the -priests of the temple, but now that they were so few it was not used, -except from time to time as a prison for offenders of high rank. At -intervals along its length were doors leading to sleeping and other -chambers. Some of the doors were open, and as we passed them Mattai -told us that these were to be our bed-chambers. Then, having announced -that food would be brought to us, the nobles, headed by Tikal, -withdrew, and we heard the copper gates clash and the echo of their -footsteps die into nothingness upon the endless stairs. - -For a while we stood staring at each other in silence. It was Zibalbay -who broke it, and his voice rang strangely in the vaulted place. - -“It is his hour now,” he said, shaking his fists towards the stair by -which Tikal had left us, “but let him pray that mine may never come,” -and suddenly he turned and, walking to a couch, flung himself upon it -and buried his face in his hands. - -Maya followed him and, bending down, strove to comfort him, but he -waved her away and she came back to us. - -“This is a gloomy place,” said the señor, in a half whisper, for here -one scarcely dared to speak aloud because of the echoes that ran about -the walls, “but, dark though it is, it seems safer than the summit of -the pyramid, where sword-points are so many,” and he pointed to a -little cut upon his throat. - -“It is safe enough,” Maya answered, with a bitter laugh, “and safely -will it keep our bones till the world’s end, for through those gates -and the men that guard them there is no escape, and the death that -threatened us in the sunshine shall overtake us in the shadow. Did I -not warn you against this mad quest and the seeking of the city of my -people? I warned you both, and you would not listen, and now the -trouble is at hand and your lives will pay the forfeit for your folly -and my father’s.” - -“What must be, must be,” answered the señor with a sigh, “but for my -part I hope that the worst is past and that they will not kill us. It -was your father’s rashness which brought these evils on us, and -perhaps misfortune may teach him wisdom.” - -“Never,” she answered, shaking her head, “for they are right; on this -matter he is mad, as you, Ignatio, are mad also. Come, let us look at -our prison, for I have not seen it till this hour,” and, taking one of -the hand-lamps that stood near, she walked down the length of the -hall. At its further end were gates similar to those by which we had -entered, and through them came a draught of air. - -“Where do they lead?” I asked. - -“I do not know,” she answered, “perhaps to the Sanctuary by a secret -way. At least the pyramid is full of these chambers, that in old days -were used for many things, such as the storage of corn and weapons, -and the burying-places of priests, thousands of whom are at rest -within it. Now they are empty and deserted.” - -As we walked back again I stopped before a wooden door that stood -ajar, leading into one of the chambers of which I have spoken. - -“Let us go in,” said Maya, pushing it open, and we entered, to find -ourselves in a small room lined with shelves. On these shelves, each -of which was numbered, lay hundreds of rolls thickly covered with -dust. Maya took up one of them at a hazard and unrolled the parchment, -revealing a manuscript beautifully executed in the picture-painting of -the Indians. - -“This must be nearly a thousand years old,” she said; “I know it by -the style of the painting. Well, we shall not lack history to read -while we sojourn here,” and she threw the priceless roll back on to -its shelf and left the chamber. - -A few steps further on we came to another room of which the door was -closed, but so rotten was the woodwork with age that a push freed it -from its fastenings, and we entered. Here also there were shelves, -packed some of them with yellow and some with white bars of metal. - -“Copper and lead,” said the señor glancing at them. - -“Not so,” answered Maya with a laugh, “but that which you white men -covet, gold and silver. Look what is painted above the shelves,” and -she held up the lamp and read: “Pure metal from the southern mines, -set apart for the service of the Temple of the Heart, and of the -Temples of the East and West. Of gold--such a weight; of silver--such -a weight.” - -I stared and my eyes grew greedy, for here in this one room, neglected -and forgotten, was enough wealth to carry out my purpose three times -over, stored there by the forefathers of this strange rust-eaten race. -Ah, if only I could see one half of it safe across the mountains, how -great might be my future and that of the people which I lived to -serve. - -“Perhaps you may win it after all, Ignatio,” said Maya, interpreting -my thoughts, “but, to be frank, I fear that you will gain nothing -except a sepulchre in these gloomy vaults.” - -After this we visited several chambers that were empty, or filled only -with the wreck of moth-eaten tapestries and curious furnitures, till -at length we came to a room, or rather a large cupboard, piled from -floor to ceiling with golden vessels of the most quaint and ancient -workmanship, which had been discarded by the priests and cast aside as -worthless,--why, I do not know. In front of this gleaming pile stood a -chest, unlocked, that the señor opened. It was packed with priestly -ornaments of gold, set with great emeralds. Maya picked out a belt -from the box and gave it to me, saying: - -“Take it, Ignatio, since you love such trinkets. It will set off that -robe of yours.” - -I took it and put it on, not over my robe, but beneath it. My friend, -it is the clasp of that belt, which now is yours, that I showed you a -while ago, and with the price of the other gems in it I bought this -_hacienda_ and all its lands. - -Wearied at length by the sight of so much useless treasure, we -returned to Zibalbay, who was seated as we had left him, lost in -thought. - -At this moment the gates of our prison were opened, and men came -through them, escorted by captains of the guard, bringing with them -food in plenty, which they set upon the table, waiting on us while we -ate, but speaking no word, good or bad. Our meal finished, they -cleared away the fragments, and, having replenished the lamps and -prepared the chambers for us to sleep in, they bowed and left us. For -a while we sat round the table, Zibalbay and I in silence, and Maya -and the señor talking together in a low voice, till at length the -dreariness of the place overcame us, and, as though by a common -impulse, we rose and sought the sleeping-vaults, there to rest, if we -might. - -We slept, and woke, and rose again, though whether it was night or day -here, where no light came, we could not tell; indeed, as time went on, -our only means of distinguishing the one from the other was by the -visits of those who brought our food and waited on us. - -I think it must have been in the early afternoon of the day following -that on which we were imprisoned, that Tikal visited us, accompanied -only by four guards. - -“A small band,” said the señor as he watched them advance, “but -enough to put us to death, who are unarmed” (for all our weapons had -been taken from us), “if such should be their will.” - -“Have no fear, friend,” said Maya, “they will not do murder so -openly.” - -By now Tikal stood before us, bowing, and Zibalbay, who as usual was -seated brooding at the table, looked up and saw him. - -“What do you seek, traitor?” he asked angrily, the blood flushing -beneath his withered skin. “Would you kill us? If so, slay on, for -thus shall I come the sooner to the bosom of that god whose vengeance -I call down upon you.” - -“I am no murderer, Zibalbay,” answered Tikal with dignity. “If you -die, it will be by the command of the law that you have broken, and -not by mine. I am here to speak with you, if you will come apart with -me.” - -“Then speak on before these others, or leave your words unsaid,” he -answered, “for not one step will I stir with you, who doubtless seek -some opportunity to stab me in the back.” - -“Yet it is necessary that you should hear what I have to say, -Zibalbay.” - -“Say on then, traitor, or go.” - -Tikal thought for a while, looking doubtfully at Maya, from whose fair -face, indeed, he rarely took his eyes. - -“Is it your wish that I should withdraw?” she asked shortly. - -“It is not mine,” said Zibalbay; “stay where you are, daughter.” - -Now Tikal hesitated no longer, but, bidding the guards who had -accompanied him to fall back out of earshot, he said: - -“Listen, Zibalbay; yesterday, before the gathering on the pyramid, I -saw your daughter, the Lady Maya, and spoke with her, telling her that -now, as always, I loved her, although, believing her to be dead, for -reasons of state I had taken another woman to be my wife. Then I made -her this offer: That if she would consent to become my wife I would -put away Nahua, whom I had married. Moreover, I added this, that I -would give up my place as _cacique_ to you, Zibalbay, whose it is by -right, to hold for so long as you should live, and would not oppose -you or your policy in any matter. I told her, on the other hand, that -if she refused to become my wife, I would surrender nothing, but would -put out my strength to crush you and her and these strangers, your -friends. She answered me with contempt, saying that I might do my -worst, but she would have naught to say to me. What happened -afterwards you know, Zibalbay, and you know also the danger in which -you stand to-day, now that power has left you, and your very life -trembles in the balance.” - -He paused, and Zibalbay, who had been listening to his words amazed, -turned to Maya and said sternly: - -“Does this man speak lies, daughter?” - -As she was about to answer,--though what she meant to say I do not -know,--Tikal broke in: - -“What is the use of asking her, Zibalbay? Is it to be thought that she -will answer you truly, though that I speak truth this wanderer who -stands at your side can bear witness, for he was present and heard my -words. This offer I made to her, and, that it may be put beyond a -doubt, now I make it to her and to you again. If she will take me in -marriage, for her sake I will put away Nahua; I will lay down my rule -and set you in your place again, with liberty, so long as you shall -live, to work such follies as the gods may suffer. All these things I -will do because I love her to whom I have been affianced from my youth -up, better than them all, because she is as the light to mine eyes and -the breath to my nostrils, and without her I have no joy in life, as I -have had none since I believed her to be dead.” - -Zibalbay heard, and, rising, lifted his hand to the vault above him, -and said: - -“I thank thee, O god, who, in answer to my prayers, hast shown me a -way of escape from the troubles that beset me. Tikal, it shall be as -you wish, and we will swear our peace upon the altar of the Heart. -Doubtless there will be trouble with Mattai and some of his following, -but if we stand together they can be overcome. Rejoice with me, -Ignatio, my friend, for now the seed that we have planted with so much -labour shall bring forth golden fruit.” - -Here I heard the señor groan with doubt and wrath behind me, and knew -that, like so many others, this vision which filled my mind with glory -must be brought to nothing because of the fancy of a woman. - -“Your pardon, Zibalbay,” I interrupted, “the Lady Maya has not -spoken.” - -“Spoken!” he exclaimed. “Why, what should she say?” - -“What I said to my cousin Tikal yesterday,” she answered, setting her -lips, and speaking very low,--“that I will have nothing to do with -him.” - -“Nothing to do with him, girl! Nothing to do with him! Why he is your -affianced; you do not understand?” - -“I understand well, father, but for naught that can be offered to me -upon the earth will I give myself in marriage to a man who has treated -you and me as my cousin Tikal has done,--a man who could not keep his -oath to you, or wait for me one single year.” - -“Cease to be foolish,” said Zibalbay. “Tikal has erred, no doubt; but -now he would make atonement for his error, and if I can forgive him, -so can you. Think no more of the girl’s folly, Tikal, but send for ink -and parchment and let us set down our contract, for I am old and have -little time to lose; and perhaps, before another year is gone, that -which you would have snatched by force shall come to you by right.” - -“I have the paper here, lord,” said Tikal, drawing a roll from his -breast; “but, pardon me, does the Lady Maya consent?” - -“Aye, aye, she consents.” - -“I do _not_ consent, father, and if you drag me to the altar with -yonder man, I will cry out to the people to protect me, or, failing -their aid, I will seek refuge in death,--by my own hand if need be.” - -Now Zibalbay turned upon his daughter, trembling with rage, but, -checking himself of a sudden, he said: - -“Tikal, for the moment this girl of mine is mad; leave us, and come -back in some few hours, when you shall find her of another mind. Go -now, I pray, before words are said that cannot be forgotten.” - -Tikal turned and went, and, until the gates at the far end of the hall -had clashed behind him and his guards, there was silence. - -Then Zibalbay spoke to his daughter. - -“Girl,” he said, “I know your heart and that your lips spoke a lie, -when you told us that it was because of Tikal’s forgetfulness of his -vow and troth that you will not marry him. There is another reason of -which you have not spoken. This white man, who in his own country is -named James Strickland, is the reason. You have suffered yourself to -look on him with longing, and you cannot pluck his image from your -breast. Do I not speak truth?” - -“You speak truth, father,” she answered, placing her hand in that of -the señor as she said the words. “To you, at least, I will not lie.” - -“I thank you, daughter. Now, hear me; I am sorry for your plight and -for that of the white man, if indeed he would make of you anything -more than his toy, but here your wishes must give way to the common -good. Who and what are you that your whims should stand between me and -the fulfilment of my lifelong desire, between your people and their -redemption? Must all these things come to nothing because of the -fancies of a love-sick girl, whose poor beauty, as it chances by -favour of the gods, can avail to bring them about?” - -“It seems so, father,” she said, “seeing that in this matter my duty -to myself and to him who loves me, and whom I love, is higher than my -duty to you and to your scheme. Everything else you, who are my -father, may require of me, even to my life, but my honour is my own.” - -“What shall I say to this headstrong girl?” gasped Zibalbay. “Speak, -White Man, and tell me that you renounce her, for surely your heart is -not so wicked that it will lead you to consent to this folly, and to -your own undoing to stand between her and her destiny.” - -Now all eyes were fixed upon the señor, who turned pale in the -lamplight and answered slowly: - -“Zibalbay, I grieve to vex you, but your daughter’s destiny and mine -are one, nor can I command her to forsake me and give herself in -marriage to a man she hates.” - -“Yet it seems that you could command her to break her plighted troth -for your sake, O most honourable White Man,” said Zibalbay with a -bitter laugh. “Hearken, friend Ignatio, for you at least are not in -love, tell your brother there and this rebellious girl which way their -duty lies. Teach them that we are sent here to dwell upon the earth -for higher ends than the satisfying of our own desires. Stay, before -you speak, remember that with this matter your own fate is interwoven. -Remember how you have suffered and striven for many years, remember -all you have undergone to win what to-day lies in your grasp, the -wealth that shall enable you to carry out your purposes. There, in -those vaults, it lies to your hand, and if that be not enough I will -give you more. Take it, Ignatio, take it to bribe your enemies and pay -your armies, and become a king, a righteous king, crowned by heaven to -complete the destinies of our race. Say such words as shall bend this -girl and her lover to our will, and triumph; or fail to say them, and -some few days hence meet the end of a thief at the hands of Tikal. Now -speak.” - -I heard him, and my heart stood still within me. Alas! his words were -true, and now was the turning-point of my fate. If the girl would give -herself to Tikal, who was mad with love of her, all would be well, and -within three years the dream of my race might be fulfilled, and the -vengeance of generations accomplished upon the spawn of the accursed -Spaniard. There in those vaults, useless and forgotten, lay the -treasures that I needed, and yonder in Mexico were men in thousands -who by their means might be armed and led; but between me and them -stood the desire of this woman and the folly of my friend. Oh! truly -had my heart warned me against her when first I learned to know her -lovely face, having foreknowledge of the evil that she should bring -upon me. With her I could do nothing, for who can turn a woman from -her love or hate? But with my friend it was otherwise; he would listen -to me if I pleaded with him, seeing that not only my hopes but my very -life hung upon his answer, and no true man has the right to bring -others to their death in order that he may fulfil the wishes of his -heart. Also, it would be better that he should be separated from this -girl, who was not of his blood and colour, and whose love soon or late -would be his undoing. Surely I should do well to pray him to let her -go to the man whose affianced she had been, and he would do well to -hearken to me. Almost the entreaty was upon my lips when Maya, reading -my thought, touched me on the arm and whispered: - -“Remember your oath, Ignatio.” Then I called to mind what I had -promised yonder in the desert, when by her courage she had saved her -lover’s life, and knew that once again a woman must be my ruin, since -it is better to lose all than to break such vows as this. - -“Zibalbay,” I said, “I cannot plead your cause and mine, though not to -do so be our destruction, seeing that I have sworn that, come what -may, I will not stand between these two. To-day, for the second time -in my life, my plans are brought to nothing by the passion of a woman. -Well, so it is fated, and so let it be!” - -Zibalbay did not answer me, but, turning to the señor, he said: - -“White Man, you have heard from your friend words that should touch -you more deeply than any prayer. Will you still cling to your purpose, -and take advantage of my daughter’s madness? If so, know that your -triumph shall be short, for when, in some few hours, Tikal comes -again, I will tell him all and give you over to his keeping to deal -with as he wishes. Then Heaven help you, wanderer, for he is vengeful -by nature, nor is that life likely to be long which bars the way -between a ruler of men and the woman he would wed. Answer then, and -for the last time: Do you choose life or death?” - -“I choose death,” he said, boldly, “if the price of life be the -breaking of my troth and the surrender of my bride to another man. I -am sorry for you, Zibalbay; and for you, Ignatio, my friend, I am -still more sorry: but it is fate and not I that has brought these -evils on you. If Ignatio here cannot forget his oath, how much less -can I forget mine, which I have sworn with this lady. Moreover, worse -fortune even than to-day’s would come upon us if I did, seeing that -such cowardice could breed no luck. Therefore, till the Lady Maya -renounces me, for good or for evil, in death or in life, I will cleave -to her.” - -“And in death or in life I will cleave to you, beloved,” she said. -“Take such vengeance as you wish upon us, my father, yes, if you wish, -give over this man, to whom my heart drew me across the mountains and -the desert, to die at the hands of Tikal; but know that he will hold -me faster dead than he did while he was alive, for into the valley of -death I shall follow him swiftly.” - -Now at last the rage of Zibalbay broke loose, and it was terrible. -Rising from his seat he shook his clenched hands above his daughter’s -head and cursed her, till in her fear she shrank away from him to her -lover’s breast. - -“As with my last breath,” he cried, “I pray that the curse of your -gods, of your country, of your ancestors, and of me, your father, may -rest upon you and your children. May your desire turn to ashes in your -mouth, and may death rob you of its fruit; may your heart break by -inches for remorse and sorrow, and your name become a hissing and a -shame. Oh! I seem to see the future, and I tell you, daughter, that -you shall win him for whose sake you brought your father to death and -ruin. By fraud shall you win him, and for a while he shall lie at your -side, and this is the price that shall be asked of you, and that you -shall pay,--the doom of your race, and its destruction at your -hands--” - -He paused, gasping for breath, and Maya fell at his knees, sobbing: - -“Oh! father, unsay those words and spare me. Have you no pity for a -woman’s heart?” - -“Ay!” he said, “so much pity as you have for my sorrows and grey hair. -Why should I spare you, girl, who have not spared me, your father. My -curse is spoken, and I will add this to it, that it shall break your -heart at last, ay! and the heart of that man who has robbed me of your -duty and your love.” - -Then suddenly he ceased speaking, his eyes grew empty, he stretched -out his arms and fell heavily to the floor. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - THE PLOT - -Springing forward, but too late to save him, the señor and I lifted -Zibalbay from the ground and laid him on a couch. Peeping over our -shoulders, Maya caught sight of his ghastly face and the foam upon his -lips. - -“Oh, he is dead,” she moaned; “my father is dead, and he died cursing -me.” - -“No,” said the señor, “he is not dead, for his heart stirs. Bring -water, Maya.” - -She obeyed, and for hard upon two hours we struggled to restore his -sense, but in vain; life lingered indeed, but we could not stir him -from his stupor. At length, as we were resting, wearied with our -fruitless labour, the gates opened and Tikal came again. - -“What now?” he asked, seeing the form of Zibalbay stretched upon the -couch. “Does the old man sleep?” - -“Yes, he sleeps,” answered the señor, “and I think that he will wake -no more. The words he spoke to you to-day are coming true, and that -which you took from him by force will soon be yours by right.” - -“No,” answered Tikal, “by right it will be the Lady Maya’s yonder, -though by force it may remain mine, unless, indeed, she gives it to me -of her own free will. But say, how did this come about?” - -Now I broke in hastily, fearing lest the señor should tell too much, -and thus bring some swift and awful fate upon himself. - -“He was worn out with the fatigue of our journey and the excitement of -yesterday. After you had left he began to talk of your proposals, and -suddenly was taken with this fit. These matters are not for me to -speak of, who am but a prisoner in a strange land; still, lord, it -will not look well if he who once was _cacique_ of this city dies here -and unattended, for then people may say that you have murdered him. -Have you no doctors who can be summoned to minister to him, for, -without drugs, or even a bleeding-knife, we have done all we can do.” - -“Murdered him! That they will say in any case. Yes, there are doctors -here, and the best and greatest of them is Mattai, my father-in-law. I -will send him. But, Maya, before I go, have you no word for me?” - -Maya, who was seated by the table, her face buried in her hands, -looked up and said: - -“Is your heart stone that you can trouble me in such an hour? When my -father is recovered, or dead, I will answer you, and not before.” - -“So be it, Lady,” he said, “till then I will wait. And now I must get -hence, for there may be trouble in the city when this news reaches -it.” - -A while passed, and Mattai appeared before us, followed by one who -carried his scales and medicines. Without speaking, he came to where -Zibalbay lay, and examined him by the light of a lamp. Then he poured -medicine down his throat, and waited as though he expected to see him -rise, but he neither rose nor stirred. - -“A bad case,” he said. “I fear that he will awake no more. How came he -thus?” - -“Do you wish to know?” asked Maya, speaking for the first time. “Then -bid your attendant stand back, and I will tell you. My father yonder -was smitten down while he cursed me in his rage.” - -“And why did he curse you, Lady?” - -“For this reason: While we wandered in the wilderness, Tikal, my -cousin and my betrothed, took a wife, your daughter Nahua, who was -crowned with him as Lady of the Heart. But it seems, Mattai, that -though he gave your daughter place and power, he gave her no love, for -to-day this son-in-law of yours came to my father, and in the presence -of us all offered to set him in his lawful place again and to suffer -him to carry out his schemes, whatever they might be, if I would but -consent to become his wife.” - -“To become his wife!” said Mattai, in amazement. “How could you become -his wife when he is married? Can there then be two Ladies of the -Heart?” - -“No,” answered Maya quietly, “but the proposal of Tikal, my cousin, -is, that he should either put away or kill your daughter--and you with -her, Mattai--in order that he may set me in her place.” - -Now when Mattai heard this his quick eyes flashed, and his very beard -seemed to bristle with rage. - -“He proposed that! He dared to propose that!” he gasped. “Oh! let him -have a care. I set him up, and perchance I can pull him down again. -Continue, Lady.” - -“He proposed it, and my father agreed to the offer, for, knowing that -you have plotted against him, he had little care for the honour and -safety of you or of your house, Mattai. But if my father accepted, I -refused, seeing that it is not my wish to have more to do with Tikal. -Then my father cursed me, and while he cursed was stricken down.” - -“You say it is not your wish to marry Tikal, Lady. Is it, then, your -wish to marry any other man?” - -“Yes,” she answered, letting her eyes fall, “I love this white lord -here, whom you name Son of the Sea, and I would become his wife. I -would become his wife,” she went on after a pause, “but, Mattai, Tikal -is very strong, and it may be, unless I can find help elsewhere, that -in order to save the life of the man I love, of his friend and mine, -Ignatio, and my own, I shall be forced into the arms of Tikal. But now -Tikal has asked me for my answer, and I have told him that I will give -it when my father is recovered or dead. Perhaps it will be for you to -say what that answer shall be, for alone and in prison I am not strong -enough to stand against Tikal. Say, now, do the people love me well -enough to depose Tikal and set me in my father’s place, should he -die?” - -“I cannot say, Lady,” he answered shortly, “but at the least you will -scarcely ask me thus to bring about my own and my daughter’s ruin. I -will be open with you. I gained over the Council of the Heart to -Tikal’s cause, and my price was that he should marry my daughter, -thereby satisfying her love and my ambition. Yes, I have plotted to -set Nahua on high, both for her sake and for my own, seeing that after -the _cacique_ I sought to be the chief man in the city. Can I, then, -turn round and depose him, and my daughter and myself with him? And if -I did, what would be my fate at your hands in the days to come? No, I -seek to be revenged on Tikal, indeed, who has offered so deadly an -affront to me and mine, but it must be in some other way than this. -Tell me now, lady, what is it that you desire most,--to be the -_cacique_ of this city by your right of birth, or to marry the man you -love?” - -“I desire to marry the man I love,” she answered, “and to escape from -this place with him back to those lands where white men live. I desire -also that my friend and my lord’s friend, Ignatio, should be given as -much gold as he needs to enable him to carry out his purposes in the -coast country yonder. If things can be brought about thus, Tikal and -Nahua and their descendants, for aught I care, may rule in the City of -the Heart till the world’s end.” - -“You ask little enough, Lady,” said Mattai, “and it shall go hard if I -cannot get it for you. Now I will leave you, for I must have time to -think; but, if Tikal returns, say him neither yea nor nay till we have -spoken again. And as for you, strangers, remember that your lives -depend upon your caution. Farewell.” - - - -Two more days passed, or so we reckoned by the number of meals that -were brought to us, but neither Tikal nor Mattai returned to visit us. -Other doctors came, indeed, and saw Zibalbay, who lay upon his bed -like one plunged in a deep sleep, but though they tried many remedies -they were of no avail. On the night of the second day we were gathered -round his couch, watching him and talking together sadly enough, for -the solitude, and the darkness, and the fear of impending death had -broken our spirits, so that even the señor ceased to be merry, and -the presence of her beloved to give comfort to Maya. - -“Alas!” she said, “it was an evil day when we met yonder in the land -of Yucatan, and, friend, no gift could have been more unlucky than -that of my love to you, for which, being worth so little, you are -doomed to pay so dear. Fortune has gone hardly with you also, Ignatio, -who are fated thus for the second time to see a woman wreck your -hopes. Say, now, friend,”--and she caught the señor by the -arm,--“would it not be best that we should make an end of all this -folly, and that I should give myself to Tikal? Then I could bargain -for you both that before I pass to him I should, with my own eyes, see -you safe across the mountains, taking that with you which would make -you rich for life. Nor need you trouble for me, or think that you left -me to dishonour, for, so soon as you were gone, I should seek the arms -of another lord whose name is Death, and there take my rest, till in -some day unborn you came to join me.” - -“Cease to talk thus, Maya,” said the señor, drawing her to his -breast; “whatever there is to bear we will undergo together, since, -even if I could be so base as to buy safety at such a price, without -you my life would be worth nothing to me, and, indeed, I had rather -die at your side than live on alone. It is my fault that ever we came -to this pass, seeing that, if I had taken your counsel, we should not -have set foot within the City of the Heart. But curiosity conquered -me, for I longed to see the place, as now I long to see the last of -it; also, had we turned back, I must have left Ignatio to go on alone. -Keep your courage, sweetheart, for though your father is dying and our -danger is great, I am sure that we shall escape from these dungeons -and be happy with each other beneath the sunlight.” - -Then he kissed her upon the lips and comforted her, wiping away the -tears that ran from her blue eyes. - -It was at this moment that I looked up and saw Mattai standing in the -doorway,--for we were gathered, not in the hall, but in Zibalbay’s -chamber,--watching the scene curiously and with a softened face. - -“Greeting,” he said, “and forgive me that I come so late, but my -business is secret and such as is best done at night. How goes it with -Zibalbay?” - -“He lives,” I answered; “I can say no more, for he is senseless, and, -without doubt, soon must die. But come, see for yourself.” - -Mattai walked to the bed and examined the old man, lifting the eyelids -and feeling his heart. - -“He cannot live long,” he said. “Well, death is his best friend. Now -to my business. There is trouble in the city, and strange rumours pass -from mouth to mouth among the people, many of whom declare that Tikal -has murdered Zibalbay, and demand that you, Lady, should be brought -before them, that you may be named _cacique_ in his place. Things -being so, it has been urged upon Tikal by the chiefs of his party that -as, do what he will, he can never clear himself of the death of -Zibalbay, it would be well that he should make away with you also, -Lady, and, of course, with these two strangers, your friends, seeing -that then there will be none to dispute his rights. The matter was -laid before him strongly at a secret council held this afternoon, and -once he issued the order for your deaths, only to recall it before the -messenger left the palace; for at the last I saw that his heart -overcame his reason, and he could not bear thus to divorce himself -from you, Lady, though what he said was that he would not stain his -hands with the blood of one so innocent and fair. Still, I will not -hide from you, Lady, or from you, strangers, that your danger is very -great that you go, indeed, in jeopardy of your life from one hour to -the next.” - -Now he paused, and Maya asked in a low voice: - -“Have you no plan to save us, Mattai?” - -“Why should I have a plan, Lady, who with my house would benefit so -greatly by your death?” - -“I do not know why you should have a plan, old man,” broke in the -señor; “but I tell you that you will do well to make one, else you do -not leave this place alive,”--and as he spoke, with a sudden movement, -he sprang between Mattai and the door. - -“If we are to be murdered like birds in a cage,” he went on, “at least -your neck shall be twisted first. Do you understand?” - -“I understand, Son of the Sea,” answered Mattai, flinching a little -before the señor’s fierce face and hand outstretched as though to -grip him. “But I would have you understand something also; namely, -that if I do not return presently, there are some without who will -come to seek me, and then----” - -“And then they will find your carcase,” broke in the señor, “and what -will all your plots and schemes advantage you when you are a lump of -senseless clay?” - -“Little indeed, I confess,” he answered. “Still, my daughter, whom I -love better than myself, will reap some profit, and with that, in this -sad case, I must be content. But, do not be so hasty, white man. I -asked why I should have a plan? I did not say that I had none.” - -“Then if you have one, let us hear it without more ado,” said the -señor. - -Mattai bowed, as he answered: - -“Your will is mine: but I know not how my plan will please the Lady -Maya yonder, and therefore, before I unfold it, I will make it clear -to you that there is but one alternative,--the death of all of you by -to-morrow’s light. Your lives lie in my hand, and if I must do so to -save my daughter and myself, I shall not hesitate to take them.” - -“Any more than I shall hesitate to take yours, old man,” said the -señor, grimly; “for remember always that if you do not make your plan -such as we can accept, you will leave this chamber feet first with a -broken neck.” - -Again Mattai bowed, and continued: - -“In one way only has Tikal been able to pacify the tumult among the -people, by declaring that the Lady Maya shall be produced before the -Council of the Heart, in the Sanctuary of the Nameless god, upon the -night of the Rising of Waters, being the first day when it is lawful -for the Council to sit in the Sanctuary, and afterwards at dawn in the -eyes of the whole city. The words of Zibalbay have taken a strange -hold of the people, although they cried him down as he spoke them; and -they desire to know what will happen when the prophecy is fulfilled, -and once more the severed halves of the symbol of the Heart are laid -side by side in their place upon the altar. Zibalbay told them that he -believed that then the god would reveal his purpose, and show what -part each of you should play in the fate that is to be, and therefore -the people--aye! and many among the nobles, and even the Council of -the Heart--look to see some sign or wonder when Day and Night are come -together, and that which was parted is made one, for they begin to -hold that the madness of Zibalbay is from heaven, and that the voice -of heaven sent him on his journey.” - -Now Mattai thought for a while and went on: - -“Lady, I am old, and for many years I have followed the worship of the -gods, doing sacrifice to them, and importuning them with prayers, yet -never have I known the gods to make answer to their votaries, or heard -the voices of the immortals speaking into human ears. It seems that -gods are many: thus, perchance these strangers have their own; and, -Lady, thus it comes that in my age I ask myself if there are any gods -other than those that the mind of man has shaped from nothingness, or -fashioned in the likeness of its own passions. I cannot tell, but I -think that were I in so sore a strait as you find yourselves to-night, -I should not hesitate to give a voice to these dumb gods.” - -“What is your meaning?” asked Maya. - -“This: When the severed halves of the Heart are set in their place -upon the altar, if there be any gods they should give a sign. Thus, as -I who am the keeper of the Sanctuary know, the ancient symbol on the -altar is hollow, and if it were to chance to open, it might be that a -writing would be found within it,--an ancient writing of the gods, -prepared against the present time,--that shall be to us as a lantern -to one wandering in the dark; or it might be that nothing would be -found. Now, as it happens, in searching through the earliest records -of the temple, I have discovered a certain writing, and it seems to me -that your fortune would be great if this writing should lie within the -symbol on the night of the Rising of Waters. Here it is----” - -And from his robe he produced a small plate of dull gold, covered over -with hieroglyphics. - -“Read it,” said Maya. - -Then Mattai read: - - - -“This is the voice of the Nameless god that his prophet heard in the -year of the building of the Sanctuary, and graved upon a tablet of -gold which he set in a secret place in the symbol of the Sanctuary, to -be declared in that far-off hour when the lost is found and the signs -of the Day and the Night are come together. To thee it speaks, unborn -daughter of a chief to be, whose name is the name of a nation. When my -people have grown old and their numbers are lessened, and their heart -is faint, then, maiden, take to thyself as a husband a man of the race -of the white god, a son of the sea-foam, whom thou shalt lead hither -across the desert, for so my people shall once more prosper and grow -strong, and the land shall be to thy child and the child of the god, -east and west, and north and south, further than my eagles wing -between sunrise and set.” - - - -He finished reading, and there was silence as we looked on each other, -amazed at the boldness and the cunning of this old priest and plotter. -It was Maya who spoke first. - -“You have forged this writing, Mattai,” she said coldly, “and now you -desire that I should set it in the symbol, for you are mindful of that -curse which is written in the ritual Opening of the Heart against him -who shall profane its mysteries and token, or who should dare to tell -a lie within the Sanctuary, or to swear falsely by the symbol. In -short, if you do not fear the vengeance of the god, you fear the -vengeance of the Order.” - -“To speak truth, lady, I fear both, for, in offering insult to the -Nameless god, who knows what he offends? Still, you must make your -choice--and swiftly, seeing that if you refuse the deed, by to-morrow -you will have learned, or, perhaps--remembering the words of the white -lord--I should say _we_ shall have learned what virtue there is in the -religions.” - -Now she turned to us, saying: - -“Advise me, friends, for I know not what to answer. In the faith of my -people I have lost faith, and it is to yours that I look for comfort; -and yet the deed seems awful, for if we are not worshippers of the -Nameless god, still we are all of us brethren of the ancient mysteries -of the Heart, and to do this thing would be to break our solemn oaths. -Come, let us put it to the vote, and do you who are the oldest and the -wisest among us, vote first, Ignatio.” - -“So be it,” I answered. “For my part I give my voice against the -trick. Of the gods of your people I know nothing and think less, but I -am the Master of our Order in my own land, and I will not offend -against it. To do this thing would be to act the greatest of lies, and -a lie is a sin in the face of heaven. All men must die, but I wish to -pass to doom with my hands unstained by fraud. Still, in this matter -your lives are at stake as well as mine; therefore, if, of the three -of us, two are in favour of the act, I will be bound by their -decision. But if only one is in favour, then he must be bound by -ours.” - -“Good, let it be so,” said Maya. “And now, beloved, speak and tell us -whether you choose death and a clean conscience, or life and my love -to gladden it,”--and she looked into his face with her beautiful eyes, -and half stretched out her arms as though she would clasp him to her -breast. - -Now, although the señor did not answer at once, when I saw this and -heard her words, I, Ignatio, knew that it was finished, since it could -not be in the heart of a man in love to resist her pleadings and her -witcheries. Presently he spoke, and as he did so his face grew red -with a half shame. - -“I have no choice,” he said. “I do not fear to die if need be, but I -should be no man were I to choose death while it is your wish that I -should live. Like Ignatio, I say that the gods of this city are to me -nothing more than idols, and to deceive that which does not exist is -impossible. For the rest, I became a Brother of the Heart not by my -own wish, but by accident, therefore on this point my conscience -pricks me little. Only, to be a partner in this plot, I must speak or -act a lie, and this I have never done before. Still it seems to me -that a man may choose life and his love in place of a cruel and secret -death, and keep his hands clean, even though he must play a harmless -trick as the price of them. Yet, Maya, in this as in every other -matter, I will do your wish, and if you think it better that we should -die, why let us die and make an end.” - -“Nay,” she answered, with a flash of reckless passion, “I think it -better that we should live, far from this unlucky city, and there be -happy in each other’s love. For your sake my father’s curse has fallen -on me, and after it all other maledictions of gods or men will be -light as feathers. If this be a sin that we are about to work, I do it -for the sake of you and of our love; also because I would live awhile -in happiness before I go down to the grave. See my father lying there; -throughout a long life he has served his god, and behold how his god -has served him in the hour of his trouble. Let his prayers answer for -us both, for I will have none of such false gods, unless it be to use -them for my ends. If this be a sin that we are about to do, and -vengeance should tread upon the heels of sin, let it fall upon the -heads of my people, who would murder me for no crime; upon the head of -Mattai, who tempted me for his own advantage; and, if that be not -enough, upon my head also. Little do I care for vengeance to come, if -for only one short year I may call you husband.” - -“Ill-omened words,” muttered Mattai, shivering a little, “words that -only a woman would utter; but so be it.” - -As he spoke I thought that I heard a faint groan break from the man -upon the couch. I glanced anxiously at Zibalbay, to find that I must -have been mistaken, or, at least, that it had not proceeded from his -lips, for he lay there rigid and senseless as a corpse. - -“The vote is taken,” I said sadly. “What next, Mattai?” - -“Follow me,” he answered, “and I will show you a secret path from this -chamber to the Sanctuary beneath. Nay, you need not fear to leave him, -for if his life still burns within him, it is fast asleep. But stay, -where is the talisman? That will be necessary to us.” - -“I have one half,” I answered, “the other is about Zibalbay’s neck.” - -“Find it,” he said, sternly, to the Lady Maya. “Nay, you must!” - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - THE SACRILEGE - -Now Maya bent over the form of her father and took the talisman from -his neck. - -“I feel like one who robs the dead,” she said. - -“Remember that it is to save the living, and be comforted,” answered -Mattai. “Come, let us be going, for the night draws on.” - -“Take a lamp, each of you,” he said presently, when we had reached the -further end of the great hall, where he unlocked the copper gates with -a key from the bunch that hung at his girdle. We passed through, and, -turning, he almost closed the gate, but not quite. - -“Why do you leave the gates ajar?” I asked. - -“Because there are none to follow us,” he answered, “and who knows -what may happen. Should we be forced to fly the Sanctuary, open doors -are easier to pass than those that are shut.” - -“Who or what could force us to fly the Sanctuary?” I asked. - -Mattai shrugged his shoulders and went on without answering. Now we -passed down many stairs, along passages, and through secret doors, -each of which Mattai left open behind us, till at length we came to a -blank wall of marble. On this wall Mattai felt with his thumb, till he -found a spot that, being pressed, slid back, revealing a keyhole into -which he inserted a small silver key. Then again he pressed upon the -marble, and a panel moved that might have been two feet wide by six in -height, and we saw that light streamed through the opening. Beckoning -to us he walked through the gap in the wall, and one by one we -followed him into the Sanctuary of the Nameless god, and stood on the -further side of the wall, huddled together and clasping each other’s -hands, for the place was awesome, and its utter silence and solemnity -filled us with fear. - -The first thing that caught our eyes, as was natural, for it was built -into the wall opposite to us, and through it streamed the light that -filled the chamber, was the most wonderful and mystic effigy in the -City of the Heart. That effigy was a colossal mask of singular and -fearful beauty, fashioned from polished jade, and similar in design to -those which are to be found in the ruins of Palenque and other -deserted Indian cities, whereof no man knows the age. This huge green -mask was placed above the narrow door that gave entrance to the -Sanctuary, and had been carved to represent the countenance of a being -that, although its features were human, resembled neither man nor -woman in its unearthly dignity and its stamp of cruel calm. The thick -lips were curved with a contemptuous smile, and between them gleamed -teeth made of white enamel; the nose was aquiline, with widespread -nostrils that seemed to inhale the incense of worship; and the -forehead, in whose centre appeared the impress of a woman’s hand -soaked in some scarlet dye, was broad, low, and retreating. Beneath -the solemn and contracted brows were jewelled eyes. Through these -eyes, and, indeed, from the entire surface of the mask, streamed -light, making the face visible as though it were limned in phosphorus, -for the jade was transparent as the thinnest alabaster, and behind it -burned two great lamps that were named after the Sun and Moon. - -Such was the effigy of the Nameless spirit that we now beheld for the -first time, who had face but no form; the spirit, Mouth of the Heart, -to whom every lesser god was subject, Utterer of the thoughts of the -Heart of Heaven, Lord of power, Dweller in the darkness behind the -Sun, Searcher of the secrets of death. Without pity was this god of -theirs, and without wrath, who, clothed in eternal calm, so these -people fabled, rested in a home of darkness, watching the shadow of -events celestial and terrestrial in his mirror of the moon, and -telling of them to the Heart which was his soul. The seal of the -woman’s blood-stained hand was set upon his brow because woman is a -symbol of life renewed, the hand is the sign of purpose and the -strength to do it, and by blood and anguish must every purpose be -accomplished. But the Nameless one executed no purpose,--that was the -work of lesser gods. In the beginning the Heart thought, and the Mouth -blew with his breath, giving life to the earth, and causing it to roll -forward among the spheres, and now the Eyes watched, ever smiling, -while it and those upon it work out our doom, till at length its -primal force grows faint and fails when, so said the priests, Heart -and Mouth and Eyes will think and speak and search, and at their -command a new world shall arise from the corpse of the old, and a new -life from the lives of those who dwelt upon it. - -Therefore it was, though now faith waned among them with their waning -energies, that this people, knowing no better creed, worshipped the -threefold Fate without a name, whom they held to be master of gods and -men. Therefore, also, long generations since, in this spot which we -came to violate,--to them the most holy on the earth,--they set up -effigies of a Heart, a Mouth, and Eyes, as symbols of his attributes. - -The roof of the Sanctuary, which was of no great size, was -vault-shaped, in imitation of the arching sky, and in it appeared a -golden sun, a silver crescent moon, and the stars of heaven. Its walls -were lined throughout with polished blocks of the beautiful stone -known as Mexican onyx, fretted over to the height of a man with a -border of hieroglyphics and effigies of the lesser gods in attitudes -of adoration, all of them cast in gold and set flush with the face of -the wall. The furniture was very simple, consisting only of stools cut -from rich woods heavily gilded in quaint designs, and a small table -whereon lay sheets of paper made of bark, together with brushes of -reed fibre and pots of pigment, such as were used in the -picture-writing of this people. Lastly, at that end by which we had -entered the chamber, stood an altar of black marble written around -with letters shaped in gold, and upon this altar lay something covered -with a silken cloth. - -For a minute or more we remained silent, contemplating these wonders; -then, with a gesture of impatience, Mattai spoke in a whisper, saying: - -“Let that be done which we have come to do, for now the sacrilege is -committed and it is too late for doubts.” - -Speaking thus, he stepped to the altar and lifted the silken cloth -that lay over the object which was upon it, revealing the image of a -human heart fashioned in blood-stone and veined with arteries of gold. -In the centre of this heart appeared a small and shallow hole that had -been hollowed in its substance. - -“This is the tradition,” said Mattai, still speaking in a whisper, -“that when the two halves of a certain talisman are placed in this -hollow, the symbol will open and reveal that which has been set within -it since it was fashioned by Cucumatz thousands of years ago, and -there is this in favour of the truth of the tale that golden hinges -appear upon the sides of the symbol. Now one-half of the talisman has -rested here for many generations, till Zibalbay took it with him -indeed, when he went out to seek for the other half, and yet the -symbol has never opened; still, I am sure that it will open when the -whole talisman is set in its place. In this matter, however, there is -something more to fear than the vengeance of the gods, for, as I can -read well--it is written in those letters that encircle the altar--an -ancient tradition tells us that if the symbol be stirred from the -place where it has lain for so many ages, the flood-gate will roll -back and the waters of the lake will pour in upon the city, destroying -it and its inhabitants.” - -“Yet the flood-gate cannot roll back when it is not shut, nor can the -waters flow in during the dry season, when they are not on a level -with the walls,” answered Maya. - -“They cannot, Lady, and yet other things may happen. Why was the Heart -set thus? Was it not that in the utmost need of its worshippers they -might choose death rather than defeat and slavery? And was this choice -given to them in the wet months only? Be sure that if at this moment -any despairing or impious hand tore yonder symbol from its altar, -either the waters would rush up through the bed of the city, or -subterranean fires would break loose and burn it. Still, though there -is something, I think that we have little to fear, seeing that the -writing says that, in order to bring about so terrible a doom, the -symbol must be torn from its altar with might. And now to our task. -Stranger, give to the Lady Maya your half of the ancient talisman, -that she may set it, together with the half she bears, in the place -prepared in the symbol.” - -Now with a sigh, seeing that it was too late to draw back, I undid the -emerald from my neck and gave it to Maya, who laid it side by side -with its counterpart upon the palm of her trembling hand, and stepped -with it to the altar. Here she stood for a moment, then whispered in a -faint voice: - -“Terror has taken hold of me, and I fear to do this thing.” - -“Yet it must be done, and not by me,” said Mattai, “or we shall have -come on a fool’s errand, and go back, some of us, to a fool’s death,” -and he looked towards me. - -“I will not do it,” I said, answering his look, “not because I fear -your gods, but my own conscience I do fear.” - -“Then I will,” said the señor boldly, “for I fear neither. Give me -that trinket, Maya.” - -She obeyed, and presently he had caused the two halves of the talisman -to fall into their ancient and appointed bed in the symbol. In the -great silence I remember the sound they made, as they tinkled against -the stone, struck my ear so sharply that I started. - -For some seconds, perhaps twenty, we stood still, watching the altar -with eager eyes, but the symbol never stirred. Then I said: - -“It seems, Mattai, that you must hide your lying writing elsewhere, -since yonder heart will not open, or, if it will, we have not found -the key.” - -“Wait a little,” broke in the señor, “perhaps the springs are -rusted.” And before any of us could interfere to stop him, he placed -his thumb upon the halves of the emerald and pressed so hard that the -symbol trembled on its marble stand. - -“Beware!” cried Mattai, and as the echoes of his voice died away all -of us started in astonishment, for lo! the heart was opening like a -flower. - -Slowly it opened, till the severed talisman fell from it, and its two -halves lay back on the marble of the altar, revealing something hidden -in its centre that shone like an ember in the lamplight. We crept -forward and looked, then stood silent and half afraid, for in the -hollow of the heart, laid upon a square plate of gold which was -covered with picture-writing, glared a red jewel shaped like a human -eye, that seemed to answer stare with stare. - -“If we stand like this we shall grow frightened,” said the señor -roughly, glancing round him as he spoke, “there is nothing to fear in -a red stone cut like an eye.” - -“If you think so, White Man,” answered Mattai in a voice that shook a -little, strive as he would to command it, “lift up the holy thing and -give me the writing that is beneath it. Stay, first take this, set it -in the symbol, replacing the eye upon it,” and he handed him the -forged tablet. - -The señor obeyed, nor did any wonder come to pass when he lifted that -dreadful-looking jewel, and changed the true for the false. - -“Read it,” said Maya, as the tablet was passed to Mattai, “you have -knowledge of the ancient writings.” - -“Perhaps it were best left unread,” he said, doubtfully. - -“Nay,” she answered, “let us know the worst. Read it, I bid you.” - -Then he read these strange words in a slow and solemn voice: - -“_The Eye that has slept and is awakened sees the heart and purpose of -the wicked. I say that in the hour of the desolation of my city not -all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away their sin._” - -Now the faces of us who heard turned grey in the lamplight, for though -the gods of this people were false, we felt that the voice of a true -prophet spoke to us from that accusing tablet, and that we had called -down upon our heads a vengeance which we could not measure. - -“Did I not tell you that it were wiser to leave the writing unread,” -gasped Mattai, letting the tablet fall from his hand as though it were -a snake. - -The clatter of it as it struck the marble floor seemed to wake us from -our evil dream, for the señor turned on him, and said fiercely: - -“What does it matter what the thing says, rogue, seeing that you -forged it as you have forged the other.” - -“Ah! would that I had,” answered Mattai; “but when doom overtakes you -and all of us, then shall you learn whether I forged that ancient -writing;” and he lifted it from the floor, and, hiding it in his robe, -added, “Close the heart, White Man, and give back the severed jewel to -those who wear it.” - -The señor obeyed, replacing the silken cloth over the symbol, so that -the altar seemed to be as it had been. - -“Now let us be going,” said Mattai, “and rejoice, that if yonder eye -has seen our wickedness, at least it is hidden from the sight of man. -Doubtless the vengeance of the gods is sure, but that of men is -swift.” - -As he spoke we turned to leave the Sanctuary, and of a sudden Maya -screamed, and would have fallen had not the señor caught her. Well -might she scream, for there in the narrow niche of the secret door by -which we had entered, framed in it as a corpse is framed in its -coffin, stood a white figure which at first I took to be that of some -avenging ghost, so ghostlike were the wrappings, the snowy beard and -hair, and the thin, fierce face. Another instant, and I saw that -indeed it was a ghost, the ghost of Zibalbay, or rather his body come -back from the boundaries of death to spy upon our sacrilege before it -crossed them for ever. - - [image: img_265.jpg - caption: It was ... Zibalbay ... come back from the boundaries of - death.] - -Yes, it was Zibalbay, for while he had seemed to be unconscious upon -the bed in the chamber, his senses were awake, and oh! what must he -have suffered when he, the high priest of the Nameless god, heard us -plan our fraud upon his Sanctuary. Then, after we had left him, fury -and despair unfettered the limbs that had been bound so fast and gave -him strength to follow us, though they could not unlock his frozen -tongue. He had followed; painfully he had crept down the stairs, along -the passages, and through the open door, for the path was known to him -even in the dark, till at length he came to the secret entrance of the -Sanctuary. Here once more his force deserted him; here, unable to -speak or stir, he had leaned against the wall and seen and heard all -that was done and said. - -Oh! never shall I forget the rage of his quivering face, or the agony -and horror of his tormented eyes as they met our own. No curse could -have been so awful as that look which he let fall upon his daughter, -and no outraged deity or demon could have seemed more terrible to the -human sight than was the tall figure of this dying man, striving even -in death to protect the honour of his gods, which we had violated in -their most ancient holy of holies. Never have I seen such a dreadful -sight, and I pray that never again may I do so either in this world or -the next. - -The dying Zibalbay saw our fear, and with a last effort he staggered -forward towards his daughter, his clenched hands held above his head. -For a moment he stood before her as she lay upon her lover’s arm -staring up at him like a bird at a snake, while he swayed to and fro -above her like the snake about to strike. Then, of a sudden, foam -mingled with blood burst from his lips, and he sank down at her feet -dead, dying in a silence that was more awful than any sound. - - - -Of all that followed I need not write. Indeed, I cannot do so, for so -great was my horror at this scene, and so intense the strain which was -put upon my vital force during these hours, that I have little memory -of what chanced after Zibalbay’s death, till I found myself lying -exhausted upon the bed in my prison cell. - -Somehow we calmed and silenced Maya; somehow we escaped from that -hateful Sanctuary, and by slow degrees brought her and the dead body -of her father up the narrow stairs and passages to the hall above, -where we laid the corpse upon its bed. Then Mattai left us, and I -remember no more till the next morning when nobles and leeches came to -watch by the body of the dead _cacique_, and to embalm it in readiness -for the tomb. - - - -The next two days went heavily for the three of us, oppressed as we -were by the silent gloom of our prison and the memories of that -dreadful night. The love between Maya and her father had never been -deep, for they were out of tune with each other; still, now that he -was dead she mourned him, the more perhaps because he had died hating -and cursing her. By degrees she recovered from her superstitious -fears, born of the writing in the symbol; but her father’s -maledictions she never could forget, and though she was willing to -earn and to bear these for the sake of her love for the señor, I -think that their memory lay between them like a shadow. - -“Oh! why did I ever love you?” she would say. “What have you to do -with me, whom race and law and fate have set apart from me?” And yet -she went on loving him even more dearly. - -I, also, was unhappy, for though I put little faith in these omens, or -in the vapourings of dead prophets and the tricks of living -charlatans, I felt that the ill-luck which had clung to me in the past -was with me still. Things had gone cross with me; Zibalbay was dead, -and Woman, the inevitable, had drawn away the heart of my friend and -dragged me and my plans into the whirlpool of her passion, whence, if -at all, they must emerge ruined and shapeless. Still, summoning the -patience of my race to my aid, I bore these secret troubles as I -might, giving counsel and comfort to the lovers, who, lost in their -own doubts and difficulties, thought, as was natural, little of me and -my lost ambitions. - -At length they carried away the corpse of Zibalbay to be wrapped in -its winding-sheet of gold and set with all ancient pomp and ceremony -by those of its forefathers in the Hall of the Dead. Maya wept indeed, -but I for my part was glad to see the last of him, and so, I think, -was the señor, whose spirits had begun to fail him in the presence of -so much remorse and grief. - -That day--it was the day previous to the night of the Rising of -Waters, on which we were to appear before the Council of the Heart in -the Sanctuary--Tikal came to visit us. To Maya he bowed low, but on -the señor and myself he looked with an angry eye,--with the eye, -indeed, of one who would have killed us if he dared. First, with many -fine words and empty compliments, he offered her his sympathy upon the -death of her father. For this she returned her thanks, quoting, -however, with a flash of her old spirit, a certain proverb of her own -people, of which the meaning is that the death of one man is the -breath of another. - -“My father was your foe, Tikal,” she added, “and now that he is gone -you will be able to sleep and reign in peace.” - -“Not altogether so, Lady,” he answered, “seeing that he has left -behind him a more dangerous rival to my power, namely, yourself. I -will not hide from you, Maya, what you soon must learn, that a large -portion of the people, and with them many of the nobles, accusing me -of your father’s murder, clamour that I should be deposed, and that -you should be set in my place as _cacique_ of the City of the Heart. -Some few days ago I might have stilled their outcry by commanding you -to be put to death, but now it is too late, for, since then, Time has -fought for you, and doubtless your end would be followed by my own. -When last we met, cousin, I asked you a certain question, to which you -promised me an answer when your father was dead or recovered, and -to-day I have come to hear that answer. While Zibalbay lived I had -much to offer him and you in exchange for your hand, and I offered it -freely. So high a value did I place upon it when it seemed lost to me, -that I was prepared to lay down my power, to suffer your father to -violate the laws, and to incur the eternal hate and active enmity of -Mattai, his daughter, and his party. Now I must make you a lower bid: -that of equal power for yourself; and for your friends here, whatever -they may desire. Should you refuse me, this is the alternative: civil -war in the city till one of us is destroyed, and instant death as the -portion of these strangers. - -“But, Maya, I pray you not to refuse me, for I have something more to -offer you--my undying love. From a child I always loved you, Maya, -although you have treated me coldly enough, and now day by day I love -you more. Indeed I believed that you and your father were dead yonder -in the wilderness, for then I had faith in Mattai, whom now I know to -be a rogue, and Mattai swore that it was written in the stars. Even so -I would not have wed another woman, for my heart bled at the loss of -you, had not Mattai made this marriage the price of his support, -without which I could not hope to be anointed _cacique_, seeing that I -have many jealous enemies. It was ambition that led me to consent, and -bitterly have I regretted my folly ever since; for if she who is -called my wife loves me, I hate her, and by this means or by that I -will be rid of her. Forgive me, then, my sin against you, remembering -only that I have loved and served you in the past as I will love and -serve you in the future, and that it was you who brought about these -troubles because, though I prayed you to stay and did all in my power -to prevent you, you determined to accompany your father upon his mad -journey into the wilderness. Now I have spoken, and I thank you for -the courtesy with which you have listened to me.” - -“You have spoken, cousin,” she answered, “and your words have been -gentle; yet, if I understand you right, some few days since you were -in doubt as to whether it would not be better to murder me here in -this darksome hole where you have placed us.” - -“If policy put any such thought into my mind, Maya, love drove it out -again,” he answered, with confusion. - -“So you admit that this was so,” she said. “Well, a day may come when -policy might breed the thought, and love, grown weary, prove not warm -enough to wither it. Also it seems that even now you threaten these my -companions with death, should I refuse you your desire.” - -“If you should refuse me my desire, Maya, perhaps it will be for a -secret reason of your own,”--and he scowled at the señor angrily,--“a -reason that the death of these men, or of one of them, will remove.” - -“Be sure of one thing, Tikal,” she broke in sharply, “that such a -wicked deed would put an end for ever to your hopes of making me your -wife. Now, listen. I have heard your words, and they have touched me -somewhat, for I think that although you have broken your oath to my -father, and your troth with me, at heart you are honest in your love. -Still, I can give you no answer now, and for this reason, that the -answer does not lie with me, but rather with the gods. To-morrow night -we appear before the high Court of the Council of the Heart, and you -yourself shall set the severed portions of the talisman that we have -travelled so far to seek in the place prepared to receive it, in the -symbol that is on the altar of the Sanctuary. Then, as my dead father -believed,--and he was gifted with wisdom from above,--the god shall -declare his purpose in this way or in that, showing his servants why -all these things have come about, and what they must do to fulfil his -will. By that will, cousin, and not by my own, I shall be guided in -this and in all other things.” - -Now, Tikal thought awhile, and answered: - -“And if nothing follows this ceremony, and the oracles of the god are -silent, what then?” - -“Then, Tikal,” she said softly, “you may ask me again if I will become -your wife, and perhaps, if the Council suffers it, I shall not say you -nay. Now, farewell, for grief still shadows me, and I can talk no -more.” - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - THE COUNCIL OF THE HEART - -Now, when Tikal was gone I sat silent, for although it might be -necessary to save our lives, and to bring about the fulfilment of -Maya’s love, all this double-dealing did not please me, and I could -not talk of it with a light heart. But the señor said: - -“I hope that yonder rogue, Mattai, may not have repented or been -over-bribed by Tikal, and set some other prophecy in the hollow of the -symbol, for then, Maya, you will be taken at your word, and things -will be worse than ever they have been.” - -“I pray not, and it is not likely,” she answered, starting, then with -a quick burst of passion she added: - -“But why do you look at me with such reproach, Ignatio? No, do not -answer, for I know why. It is because you think me a cheat and a liar, -and are saying in your heart, ‘This is a woman’s honour. Thus would -any woman act in the hour of temptation.’ Ignatio, with all your -courtesy, you hate and despise us women, looking on us as lower than -yourselves, as a snare to your strength and a pitfall for your feet. -Well, if so, thus we were made, and can we quarrel with that which -made us? Also, in some ways we are greater than you, though you may be -pleased to call yourselves more honest. _You_ would not have dared for -your love what I have dared for mine; _you_ would not have offered -deadly outrage to the god of your people, to the instinct of your -blood, and the teachings of your youth. No, you would have sat still -and wrung your hands and seen your lover perish before your face, and -then have turned your eyes to the sky and said: ‘It cannot be helped, -it is well; at least, _I_ am clean in the sight of heaven.’ - -“So be it: I, Maya, am of a different nature, I have dared all these -things and I joy in them, even though you watch me ever with your -melancholy eyes. Why should I not? Is not my love everything to me, -and is it shameful that this should be so? I believe no more in this -unknown god; why, then, should I fear to offend him? I will not see my -betrothed given up to death, and myself to worse than death; and how -can I harm my people by taking a man nobler than themselves to be my -husband? Cease, then, to reproach me by your silence; or, rather, -learn to pity me, for my strait is sore, and doubtless vengeance dogs -my heels. Let it fall, if it will, on me, but not on you, -beloved,--oh! not on you----” and suddenly her anger left her, and she -sank into the señor’s arms and lay there weeping bitterly. - -Then I went to the further end of the hall and sat there reading the -ancient writings of this people, which we had found in the chamber. -Indeed, this was my daily occupation, for now I found that these -lovers liked to be alone, unless it happened that there were plans to -be thought out or counsel to be given. A shadow grew between me and -the señor in those days; for, though he said nothing of it, he also -was angry because I did not approve of the dark plot to which we were -parties, and Maya’s outburst spoke his mind with her own. Nor was this -wonderful, for now, looking back, I do not blame her or him, or think -that they did wrong, and I believe that what I really felt was not -indignation at a trick which might well be pardoned, seeing how much -hung to it, but superstitious fear lest some force, human or infernal, -should visit that trick with vengeance; for, as we know, even the -devils have power against us if we give it to them by fighting the -world with their own weapons. - -On the following day the attendants who set our meals brought with -them clean robes for each of us, scented and wonderfully worked, and -for Maya certain royal ornaments. In these we arrayed ourselves before -evening, and waited. The hours passed, and at length the copper gates -were opened, and a band of nobles and guards presented themselves -before us, saying that they were commanded to lead us to the -Sanctuary. We answered that nothing would please us better, who were -heartily weary of living like rats in the dark, and in a few minutes -we found ourselves walking up the stairs towards the crest of the -pyramid. - -We reached it, and saw the stars shining above us, and felt the breath -of heaven blowing in our faces, and never have the sight of the stars -or the taste of the night air seemed more sweet to me. Leaving the -watch-house we walked to the great stair across the lonely summit of -the pyramid and began to descend its side. At the foot of the stairway -we turned to the right till we came to a double door of copper, -beautifully worked, placed in the centre of the western face of the -pyramid, and guarded by a small body of soldiers, who saluted and -admitted us. Beyond the doors was a great hall not unlike that which -had served as our prison, lit with lamps, lined with polished marble, -and having on either side of its length doorways leading to the -apartments that were used as sleeping-places for the officers on duty. -At the threshold of this hall we were met by priests clothed in pure -white, into whose custody we were given by the company of nobles and -soldiers that had escorted us thus far. - -Surrounded by the priests, who chanted as they walked, we passed down -the hall till we reached another and a smaller door. Beyond this lay a -labyrinth of steeply sloping passages, running in every direction deep -into the bowels of the rock beneath the pyramid. So intricate and -numerous were these tunnels, that, even with the assistance of the -lights which the priests carried, it would have been almost impossible -for any one not having their secret, to find a path through them, or -even to keep his face in a given direction for more than a few paces. - -Along these passages our guides went without faltering, turning now to -the right, now to the left, and now seeming to retrace their -footsteps, till at length they halted to open a third door, covered -over with plates of beaten gold, on the further side of which lay the -most sacred spot save one in the City of the Heart, the chamber that -served the threefold purpose of a judgment-hall, a church wherein the -nobles attended worship, and a burial-place of the departed _caciques_ -of the city. Here in this vast and awful vault, each of them set in -his own niche and companioned by his consort, stood the bodies of -every king-priest who had reigned in the holy city, enclosed in -coffins of solid gold, fashioned to the shape and likeness of the -corpse within, and having the name, age, date of death, and a brief -account of the good or evil that the man had done cut in symbols on -his breast. There they stood eternally, men and women made in gold, -and beneath their brows gleamed false eyes of emeralds. Numerous as -were the niches in the chamber, each had its tenants; and in the last -recess--that nearest to the entrance--stood a new comer; for here in -his gilded sheath was placed the corpse of Zibalbay, by the side of -her who had been his wife and Maya’s mother. - -For a moment Maya paused to look upon the bodies of her parents, then -with a sigh and an obeisance she passed on, saying to me, “See, this -Hall of the Dead is full, there is no place left for me or for my -descendants, and surely that is an evil omen. Well,” she added, with a -sigh, “what does it matter where they set us when we are dead? For my -part I had sooner sleep in the earth, or beneath the waters, than -stand for ever cased in gold and glaring with jewelled eyes upon the -darkness. Yes, if I might, I should choose the earth that bore me, for -it would turn my flesh to flowers.” - -Then we went on defiling before the silent company of the golden dead, -who seemed to watch us as we walked, till, passing round a -judgment-seat that was set near the end of the hall, we stood in front -of a little door over which burned great lamps. This door was guarded -by two priests with drawn swords, which they pointed towards us as a -sign that we should halt. - -Then the priests who had escorted us so far fell back behind the -judgment-seat, and we were left alone. - -“Give the sign, keepers of the gate,” said Maya. - -Thereupon one of the men with the drawn swords uttered a low and -peculiar cry like to the wail of a child. When he had made this -strange sound thrice at intervals of about half a minute, it was -answered from within by another and a louder cry pitched upon the same -note. Then of a sudden the door was flung wide, and a stern-looking -man with a shaven head came through it. - -“Who are you that seek entrance into the Sanctuary?” he asked; “are -you gods or devils, men or women?” - -“We are two men and a woman,” answered Maya, “priests and priestess of -the Heart, and we come to take our trial before the Council of the -Heart, as is our right.” - -“Do you know the open signs of the Heart, the signs of Brotherhood, of -Unity, and of Love, that you dare to stand upon the threshold of the -Sanctuary, to cross which is death to the ignorant?” - -“We know them,” answered Maya. And one by one we gave those signs. - -“Do you know the secret signs of the Heart, that you dare to cross -this threshold?” he asked again. “Otherwise get you back and take your -trial in the common judgment-hall.” - -“I know them,” answered Maya, “and I vouch for these men who accompany -me. Suffer me, then, to enter, and these with me, for I am here by -ancient right, and I have knowledge both of the outward signs and the -inner mysteries.” - -Now the man withdrew, and the door was closed behind him. Presently he -appeared again and said: - -“I have reported to the Council, and it is the will of the Council -that you should enter.” - -“Follow me,” said Maya to us, “and when you are spoken to make no -answer till I have vouched for you. I will answer for you.” - -The priests let their swords fall, and, passing through the -doors,--for there were two of them connected by a short passage,--once -more we found ourselves standing beneath the mask of the Unknown god -in the Sanctuary of the City of the Heart. But now it was no longer -empty. - -Behind the little altar were three stools, and upon them, clad in -wonderful apparel, and adorned with gold and gems, sat Tikal, Mattai, -and Nahua, who was the only woman present. In front of the altar was -an open space, and beyond its circle, each wearing the orders of his -spiritual rank, sat the Brethren of the Heart according to their -degree, to the number of thirty-six. - -Led by Maya we advanced into the space before the altar, and stood -there in silence. None of those present took note of us; indeed, they -did not seem to see us, but sat with bent heads and with hands folded -crosswise on their breasts. At length one of the Brethren--he who was -nearest to the door, and had questioned us without--rose, and, -addressing Tikal, said: - -“Keeper of the Heart, one who claims to be of our company stands -before you, and with her two for whom she vouches, who, although they -be strangers, by your command I have proved to be Brethren of the -Heart, though what more they may be I know not. Be pleased, then, to -prove them also by the voice of their sponsor, that their mouths may -be opened and their prayer come to the ears of the Council.” - -At his words two of the brethren rose and blindfolded the señor and -myself, lest we should see the sacred signs, with all of which, -indeed, I was well acquainted, but Maya they did not blindfold. Then -we heard Tikal asking: - -“How are you named who are strange to our eyes?” We made no reply, for -a voice in our ears cautioned us to be silent. - -“We are named ‘the Son of the Sea’ and ‘Ignatio the Wanderer,’” -answered the voice of Maya. - -“Son of the Sea, and Ignatio the Wanderer, why come you here,” asked -Tikal, “through the gate on which is written--‘Death to the Stranger -and to the Uninstructed.’” - -“Because we have a prayer to utter, an offering to make, and because, -although we dwell in a far land, we are the servants of the Heart,” -answered Maya. - -“How come ye here?” - -“The Heart led, the Mouth whispered, and we followed the light of the -Eyes.” - -“Show me the sign of the light of the Eyes, or die to this world.” - -Now there was silence, and, though we could not see it, Maya showed -the sign on our behalf. - -“Show me the second sign, the sign of the Mouth, or be cursed by the -Mouth, and die to this world and the next.” - -Again there was silence. - -“Show me the sign of the Heart, the third and greatest sign, lest the -Heart think on you, and ye die to this world, to the next world, and -all the worlds that are to be; lest ye be cast out between the Light -and Darkness, and lost in the gulf of fire that joins Heaven to Hell.” - -Now we heard a sound of rustling, as though all the company had risen -and were prostrating themselves, and presently the bandages were -lifted from our eyes. - -“Strangers,” said Tikal, “your mouths are opened in the Sanctuary -according to the ancient form, and it is lawful for the Council to -listen to your prayer. Speak, then, without fear.” - -Then I spoke, saying: - -“Brethren,--for so I will dare to call you, seeing that I also, though -a stranger, am of the Brotherhood of the Heart, as I can prove to you -if need be,--ay! and higher in rank than any present here, unless it -be you, O Keeper of the Heart: on my own behalf, on behalf of my -brother who also is of our company, and on behalf of Maya, Lady of the -Heart, daughter of him who ruled you, and heiress to his power, I -speak and make my prayer to you. It would seem that we three, together -with Zibalbay, who is dead and therefore beyond the execution of your -judgment, have violated the laws of this city,--we by daring to enter -its gates, and Zibalbay and the Lady Maya by leading us to those -gates. For this crime we should have been put to death eight days ago -upon the pyramid, had not the Lady Maya here claimed a right to have -our cause laid before this high tribunal. In her case and in that of -her father this was conceded, and I pray now that the same clemency -may be extended to me and to my brother.” - -“Upon what grounds do you claim this, stranger?” asked Tikal. - -“Upon the ground that we are Brethren of the inmost circle of the -Heart, and therefore have committed no crime in visiting this city, -which is free to us by right of our rank and office.” - -Now there was a murmur of “True” from the Council behind me, and Tikal -also said “True,” but added, “If you are Brethren of the inmost circle -of the Heart, you are free from offence; but first you must prove that -this is so, which as yet you have not done. A brother of the inmost -circle knows its mysteries and can answer the secret questions. Come, -let us put you to the test, but first let the white man be removed -from the Sanctuary, for in this matter each must vouch for himself.” - -Accordingly the señor was led away, and, the doors having been closed -and the lamps shaded, the oldest and most instructed of the -councillors stood forward and put me to the test with many questions, -all of which I answered readily. Then they commanded me to stand -before the altar, and, as Keeper of the Heart, to open the Heart in -the highest degree. This I did also, though afterwards they told me -that my ritual differed in some particulars from their own. After that -I took up my parable and questioned them till at length none there -could answer me,--no, not even the high priest or Mattai; and they -confessed humbly that I was more instructed than any one of them, and -because of this knowledge from that day forward I was held in -veneration in the City of the Heart. - -Now I was given a seat among the Brethren,--the highest, indeed, after -those of the chief priest and the great officers,--and the señor was -summoned. - -He entered with a downcast look, and while Maya and I watched him -sadly, his examination began. It was not long. At the second question -he became confused, used angry language in Spanish and English, and -broke down. - -“Brethren,” said Tikal,--and there was joy in his eye, as he -spoke,--“it seems that we need not trouble further with this impostor. -By daring to enter our city he has earned the penalty of death; -moreover he has blackened his crime by claiming to be of our -Brotherhood, whereas he scarcely knows the simplest pass-word. Is it -your will that he should be taken to his fate? If so, speak the word -of doom.” - -Now Maya rose affrighted, but, motioning to her to be silent, I spoke, -saying: - -“Hear me before that fatal word is spoken which cannot be recalled! -This man is of our inmost Brotherhood, though he has not been formally -admitted to the inner circles, and has forgotten those of the -mysteries which were taught to him at his initiation. Listen, and I -will tell you how he came to join the Order of the Heart,”--and I told -them that tale of my rescue by the señor, and told them also all the -story of our meeting with Zibalbay and of our journey to the City of -the Heart, speaking to them for an hour or more while they hearkened -earnestly. - -When I had done they debated as to the fate of the señor, and--though -by only one vote--decided that if I had nothing more to urge on his -behalf he must straightway die. - -“I have something more to urge before you pass judgment,” I said in my -need and despair (speaking and acting a lie to save the life of my -beloved friend,--yes, I who had blamed Maya for this same deed), -“though it has to do with the mysteries of your religion rather than -with those of our Order. It was the belief of Zibalbay, who is dead, -that when the two halves of the ancient talisman--the halves Night and -Morning, that together make the perfect Day--are set in their place in -the symbol which once they filled before the dividing of peoples, then -it shall be made clear what part must be played by each of us -wanderers in the fate that is to be. To this end did Zibalbay -undertake his journey, and lo! here is that which he went to seek----” -and I drew the talisman from my breast. “Take it, Tikal, for I resign -it, and lay it with its fellow in the place that is prepared for them, -so that we may learn, and all your people may learn, what truth there -is in the visions of Zibalbay.” - -“That is our desire,” answered Tikal, taking the severed emerald and -its counterpart which Maya gave to him. “Let the white man, Son of the -Sea, be placed without the Sanctuary and guarded there awhile, for so -at least he will gain time to prepare himself for death. Fear not, -lady,” he added, noting Maya’s anxious face, “no harm shall be done to -him till this matter of the prophecy is made clear.” - -Now for the second time the señor was removed, and when he had gone -Tikal spoke, tracing the history of the prophecy so far as it was -known, and reciting its substance,--that when once more the two halves -of the symbol of the Heart were laid side by side in their place on -the altar in the Sanctuary, then from that hour the people should grow -great again. - -“In all this,” he said, “I have little faith; still, Zibalbay, who in -his way was wise, believed it, and, the story having gone abroad, the -people clamour that it should be put to the test. Is this your will -also?” - -“It is our will,” answered the Councillors. - -“Good. Then let it be done, and on your heads be it if harm should -come of the deed. Mattai, the Council commands you to set these -fragments in the hollow of the symbol.” - -“If such is the order of the Council I have no choice but to obey,” -said Mattai. “Yet, though none else have done so, I give my voice -against it, for I hold that this is childishness, and never did I know -any good to spring from prophecies,”--and he paused as though waiting -for an answer. - -“Obey! Obey!” said the Council, for curiosity had got a hold of them, -and they craned their necks forward to see what might happen. - -“Obey!” repeated Tikal. “But beware how you shake the Heart, lest the -legend prove true and we should perish in the doom of waters.” - -Then Mattai set the two halves of the talisman in their place; and as -before, in the midst of an utter silence, lo! the symbol opened like a -flower. Leaning forward I saw the eye within its hollow; but it seemed -to me that the fire had faded from the heart of the jewel, for now it -gleamed coldly, like the eye of a man who is two hours dead. I think -that Mattai noted this also, for as the symbol opened he started and -his hand shook. - -Now, when they saw the marvel, a gasp of wonder rose from the Council, -then Tikal spoke, saying: - -“It seems that there was wisdom in Zibalbay’s madness, for the Heart -has opened indeed, and within it is a stone eye resting upon a plate -of gold that is covered with writing.” - -“Read the writing!” they cried. - -Displacing the eye, Tikal lifted the plate of gold and scanned it. - -“I cannot,” he said, shaking his head. “It is written in a character -more ancient than any I have learned. Take it, Mattai, for you are -instructed in such signs.” - -Now Mattai took the tablet and studied it long with an anxious face, -upon which at length light broke that changed anon to wonder, or -rather blank amaze, so that I, watching him, began to think, not -knowing all the cleverness of Mattai, that the señor was right, and -the tablet had been tampered with since we saw it. - -“Read! Read!” cried the Council. - -“Brethren,” he said, “the words seem clear, and yet so strange is this -writing that I fear my learning is at fault, and that I had best give -it to others to decipher.” - -“No; read, read,” they cried again, almost angrily. - -Then he read: - - - -“This is the voice of the Nameless god that his prophet heard in the -year of the building of the Sanctuary, and graved upon a tablet of -gold which he set in a secret place in the symbol of the Sanctuary, to -be declared in that far-off hour when the lost is found and the signs -of the Day and the Night are come together. To thee it speaks, unborn -daughter of a chief to be, whose name is the name of a nation. When my -people have grown old and their numbers are lessened, and their heart -is faint, then, maiden, take to thyself as a husband a man of the race -of the white god, a son of the sea-foam, whom thou shalt lead hither -across the desert, for so my people shall once more prosper and grow -strong, and the land shall be to thy child and the child of the god, -east and west, and north and south, further than my eagles wing -between sunrise and set.” - - - -Now, as Mattai read, the face of Tikal grew black with rage, and -before ever the echoes of his voice had died away, he sprang from his -seat crying: - -“Whoever it was that wrote this lying prophecy, god or man, let him be -accursed. Shall the Lady Maya--for her it must be whose name is the -name of a nation--be given in marriage to the white dog who awaits his -doom without that door, and shall his son rule over us? First will I -see her dead and him with her!” - -Then one of the oldest of the Council, a man named Dimas, who, as I -learned afterwards, had been foster-brother to Zibalbay, rose and -answered wrathily: - -“It seems that these things must be so, Tikal, and beware how you -utter threats of death lest they should fall upon your own head. We -have called upon the god, and the god has spoken in no uncertain -voice. The Lady Maya must become wife to the white man, Son of the -Sea, and then things shall befall as they are fated.” - -“What?” answered Tikal. “Is this wandering stranger to be set over me -and all of us?” - -“That I do not know,” said the Councillor, “the writing does not say -so; the writing says that his son shall be set over us, and as yet he -has no son. But this is certain, that the Lady Maya must be given to -him as wife, and in her right he well may rule, seeing that she is the -lawful heir to her father, and not you, Tikal, although you have -usurped her place.” - -Now many voices called upon Maya, and she stood forward and spoke, -with downcast eyes. - -“What shall I say?” she began, “except one thing, that my will is the -will of the gods, and if it is fated that I should be given to the -white man in marriage, why, so let it be. For many years I was taught -to look elsewhere, but he who was to have been my husband--” and she -pointed towards Tikal--“chose himself another wife, and now I see that -he did this not altogether of his own will, but because it was so -decreed. One thing more. I, who am but a woman, have no desire to rule -or to take the place that the Lady Nahua holds. The writing says that -in a day to come, a far-off day, some child of mine, if indeed I am -that ‘daughter of a chief whose name is the name of a nation,’ shall -rule in truth. Let him then come in his hour and take the glories that -await him, and meanwhile, Tikal, do you sit in your place and leave me -to rest in peace.” - -“The Lady Maya speaks you fair, Tikal, and my daughter,” said Mattai, -“and if the people will have it, you may do well to accept her offer, -leaving the future to shape itself. She says she is ready to take the -white man as a husband, but we have not yet heard whether the white -man will take her as a wife. It may be--” he added with a smile--“that -he will rather choose to die; but at the least we must have an answer -from his lips,--that is, if you accept this prophecy as sent from -heaven. Say, do you accept it?” - -“We accept it,” answered the Council almost with one voice. - -“Then let the white man, Son of the Sea, be brought before us,” said -Mattai. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - THE MARRIAGE OF MAYA - -Presently the door opened and the señor was led into the Sanctuary, -as he thought to his death, for I saw that his teeth were set and that -his hand was clenched as though to defend himself. But as he came the -most of the Council rose and bowed to him, crying: - -“Hail to you! Son of the Sea, Favoured of Heaven, Father fore-ordained -of the Deliverer to come!” - -Then he knew that the plot had succeeded, and he uttered a great sigh -of relief. - -“Hearken, white lord,” said Mattai, for Tikal sat still and scowled on -him in silence; “the gods have spoken by their oracle. As Zibalbay -thought, so it is, and your feet have been led for a purpose to the -gates of the City of the Heart. Listen to the words of the -gods,”--and, taking the tablet, he read to him the false prophecy. -“Now choose, White Man. Will you take the Lady Maya to wife, or will -you be put to death in that, having wandered to the City of the Heart, -you refuse to obey the command of its gods?” - -Now the señor thought and answered: - -“The man would be foolish who hesitated between death and so fair and -sweet a bride. Still, this is a matter that I cannot decide alone. -What says the Lady Maya?” - -“She says,” answered Maya, “that although this is a marriage for which -she did not look, and it is a new thing that a daughter of the Heart -should take a stranger of less ancient blood to husband, the will of -Heaven is her will, and the lord that Heaven chooses for her shall be -her lord,”--and she stretched out her hand to the señor. - -He took it, and, bending down, kissed her fingers, saying: - -“May I be worthy of your choice, Lady.” - -Now I thought that the ceremonies were finished, and was glad, for I -grew weary of assisting at this farce, but the old priest, Zibalbay’s -foster-brother, rose and said: - -“One thing more must be done, Brethren, before we leave this -Sanctuary, and it is to swear in these strangers as members of the -Council. They have wandered here from far, and here with us they must -live and die, seeing that both of them know our secrets, and one of -them is predestined to become the father of that great lord for whose -arising we have looked for many generations, and therefore, until the -child is born, he must be watched and guarded as priests watch a -sacred fire.” - -“Ay! it is well thought of. Let them be sworn, and learn that to break -the oath is death,” was the answer. - -Then Mattai rose, as Keeper of the Sanctuary, and said: - -“You, White Man, Son of the Sea, and you, Ignatio, the Wanderer, a -Lord of the Heart, do swear upon the holy symbol of the Heart, the -oath to break which is to die horribly in this world and to be lost -everlastingly in the worlds that are to be. You swear, setting in -pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment of the oath, that -neither by word nor sign nor deed will you reveal aught of the -mysteries or the councils of this Brotherhood, whereof you will be the -faithful servants till your deaths, holding it supreme above every -power upon earth. You swear that you will not possess yourselves of -the treasures of the City of the Heart, nor, without the consent of -this high Brotherhood, attempt to leave its gates or to bring any -stranger within its walls. These things you swear with your hands upon -the altar, setting in pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment -of the oath.” - -Other clauses there were also which I have forgotten, but this was the -substance of the vow that was dictated to us. We looked at each other -helplessly, and then, there being no escape, we swore, kneeling before -the altar, with our hands resting upon it. - -As the solemn words of confirmation passed our lips, we heard a sound -of the movement of heavy stones behind us. - -“Arise now,” said the old priest, “turn, Brethren, and look upon that -which lies behind you.” - -We obeyed, and the next instant shrank back against the altar in -alarm, for within six feet of us a massive stone in the floor had been -lifted, revealing the mouth of a well, from the deep recesses of which -came the distant sound of rushing waters. - -“Behold, Brethren,” he went on, “and should the oath which you have -sworn be broken in a single letter, learn after what fashion you must -suffer for your sins. Into that pit you shall be cast, that the water -may choke your breath, and the demons of the under-world may prey upon -your souls through all eternity. Have you seen, and, seeing, do you -understand?” - -“We have seen, and we understand,” we answered. - -“Then let the mouth of the pit be sealed again, and pray you in your -hearts that it may never be opened to receive the living body of you -or of any of us. Son of the Sea, and you, Ignatio the Wanderer, the -oaths have been sworn, and the ceremony is finished. Henceforth till -your deaths you are of our number, sharers in our rights and -privileges, and to you will be assigned houses, attendants and -revenues fitted to your station. Go forth, Brethren, that you may -refresh yourselves, and prepare to meet the people upon the summit of -the pyramid at dawn; that is, within an hour. Lead them away with you, -my Lord Mattai.” - -So we went, leaving behind us the talisman of the Broken Heart, for -the priests refused to return it to me, saying that at length the -tokens named Day and Night had come together in their ancient place, -and henceforth there they must bide for ever. Accompanied by Maya, -Mattai, and the escort of priests, we passed through the halls and -passages out into the courtyard of the temple, and thence to -apartments in the palace, where we refreshed ourselves with food, for -we were weary. - - - -The trick had succeeded, the ordeal was past, and for the present at -least we were no longer in danger of our lives: more, the power of -Mattai was confirmed, and his daughter was assured in her position as -the wife of Tikal; and the señor and the Lady Maya were about to -attain to the fulness of their desire, and to be declared one in the -presence of the people. Yet never did I partake of a sadder meal, or -behold faces more oppressed by care and the fear of the future; for, -though nothing was said, in our hearts each of us knew that we had -become parties to a crime, and that sooner or later, in this way or in -that, our evil-doing would find us out. Putting this matter aside, I -myself had good reason to mourn, seeing that, whatever the others had -gained, I had won nothing; moreover I found myself bound by a solemn -oath not even to attempt to leave this city whither I had journeyed -with such high hopes. Well, the thing was done, and it was useless to -regret it or to think of the future, so, turning to Mattai, I asked -him what was to happen on the pyramid. - -“There will be a great gathering of the people,” he answered, “as is -customary at dawn after the night of the Rising of Waters, and there -they will be told all that has happened in the Sanctuary, and then, if -it is their will, Tikal will be confirmed as _cacique_ according to -the bargain, and either to-day or to-morrow the white man here will -become the husband of the Lady Maya, in order”--he added with a -sneer--“that of their union may be born the Deliverer who is to be. -Now, if you are ready, it is time for us to go, for the multitude is -gathered, and an escort waits us without.” - -Leaving the palace we placed ourselves in the centre of a party of -nobles and guards who were in attendance, and marched across the -courtyard and up the steps of the pyramid. The night was growing grey -with the breaking of the dawn, and in the pearly light, through which -the stars shone faintly, we perceived that bands of priests and -nobles, wrapped in their broidered _serapes_,--for the morning air was -chilly,--stood in their appointed places round the altar. In front of -them were ranged the dense masses of the people, drawn here to make -their prayers upon this feast day, and also by desire to learn the -truth as to the death of Zibalbay; the fate of the strangers who had -accompanied him from the unknown lands; the decision of the Council as -to the successor to the place and power of _cacique_; and lastly, -whether or no the oracle of the god had spoken to his priests upon -this or any other matter when the lost talisman was set in its place -in the Sanctuary. - -On reaching the altar, seats were given to us among the nobles of the -Heart, those of Maya and the señor being placed in such fashion that -they would be visible to the whole multitude. - -Then followed a silence, till at length a priest who was stationed -upon the roof of the watch-house blew a silver trumpet and proclaimed -that the dawn was broken, whereon bands of singers who were in -readiness began to chant a very beautiful hymn of which the refrain -was caught up by the audience. As they sang, a beam from the rising -sun struck upon the fire that burned above the altar, and again the -trumpet sounded. Then, in the silence that followed, the priest who -stood by the fire, clothed in white robes, prayed in a loud voice, -saying: - -“O god, our god, let our sins die with the dying year. O god, our god, -strengthen us with thy strength, comfort us with thy comfort during -the day that is to be. O god, our god, have pity upon us, lift us from -the darkness of the past, and give us light in the coming time. Hear -us, Heart of Heaven, hear us!” - -He ceased, and from the surrounding gloom many voices made response, -saying: “_Hear us, Heart of Heaven, hear us!_” - -Then for a space the old priest stood still, the firelight flickering -on his tall form and rapt countenance as he gazed towards the east. -Greyer and more grey grew the gloom, till of a sudden a ray from the -unrisen sun shot through the shadows like a spear and fell athwart the -summit of the pyramid, paling the holy fire, that seemed to shrink -before it. At the coming of the sunbeam the multitude of -worshippers--men and women together--rose from the marble pavement -whereon they had been kneeling in prayer, and, casting off the dark -cloaks which covered their white robes, they turned, extending their -arms towards the east, and cried with one accord: - -“Hail to thee, O sun! bringer of all good things. Hail to thee, -new-born child of god!” - -Now the light grew fast, and soon the city appeared, rising white and -beautiful from its veil of mist; and, as the glory of the daylight -fell upon it, other priests who stood by the altar uttered prayers -appointed to be offered upon this day of the beginning of the Rising -of Waters. To the People of the Heart the occasion was a great one, -seeing that but little rain falls in their country, and thus they -depended for a bountiful harvest upon the inundation of the island and -of the low shores that lay around the lake by its waters swollen with -the melted snow of the great mountains on the mainland. When the -waters retreated, then they planted their grain in rich land made -fertile by the mud, without labour to themselves, whence, before the -lake rose again, they gathered their corn and other crops. - -When they had ended their praying, and gifts of fresh flowers had been -laid upon the altar by beautiful children chosen for that purpose, -Tikal blessed the multitude as high priest, and the simple ceremony -came to an end. - -Then Mattai rose to speak, telling the people all things that had -happened, or so much of them as it was expedient that they should -know. He told them of the death of Zibalbay, of the setting of the -lost talisman in the symbol, and of the writing that was found -therein, which he read aloud to them amidst a dead silence. Then he -told them how the Lady Maya and the white man had consented to be -married in obedience to the voice of the oracle; and lastly, how she, -the Lady Maya, had desired that her cousin Tikal should continue to be -_cacique_ of the City of the Heart, that she might have more leisure -to attend upon her heaven-sent husband, and to be at rest until that -child was become a man, whose wisdom and power should make them even -greater than their forefathers had been. - -When he had finished his address there was much applause and other -expressions of joy, and a spokesman from among the people asked when -the marriage of the white man, Son of the Sea, to the Lady Maya, would -take place. - -This question she answered in person, saying modestly that it was her -lord’s will that it should take place that very night in the -banqueting-hall of the palace, and that a great feast should be -celebrated in honour of it. - -After this the talking came to an end, Tikal having said no word, good -or bad, beyond such as the duties of his office required; and -according to the custom of the country many people, noble and simple, -came forward to congratulate her who was about to be made a bride. -Weary of watching them and of hearing their pretty speeches, I took -advantage of the escort of a friendly noble and went to see the -ceremony of the closing of the flood-gate, a huge block of marble that -slid down a groove into a niche prepared to receive it, where it was -fastened with great bars of copper and sealed by certain officers, -although, so I was told, the rising water would not reach it for -another eight or ten days. Even though the flood should prove to be a -low one, it was death to break those seals for a space of four full -months, and during all this time any who would leave the city must do -so by means of ladders reaching from the wall to little wooden -jetties, where boats were moored. Afterwards we walked round the walls -and through some of the main streets, and I marvelled at the greatness -of this half-deserted place, for the most of it was in ruins, and at -the many strange sights that I saw in it. Indeed, I think that Mexico, -in the time of Montezuma, my forefather, was not more powerful or -populous than this town must have been in the days of its prosperity. - -About midday I returned to the apartments that had been assigned to me -in the palace, and, hearing that the señor was still in attendance -upon the Lady Maya, I ate my dinner alone with such appetite as I -could find, and lay down to sleep awhile. - -I was awakened from my rest by the señor, who arrived, looking merry -as he used to be before ever Molas came to lead us to the old Indian -doctor and his daughter, and full of talk about the preparations for -his wedding that night. I listened to all he had to say, and strove -earnestly to fall into his mood, but, as I suppose, without effect, -for in the end he fell into mine, which was but a sad one, and began -to talk regretfully of the past and doubtfully of the future. Now I -did my best to cheer him, but with little avail, for he shook his head -and said: - -“Indian as she is, I love Maya, and no other woman has been or can be -so much to me; and yet I am afraid, Ignatio, for this marriage is -ill-omened, and I pray that what was begun in trickery may not end in -desolation. Also the future is black both for you and for me. You came -here for a certain purpose and will desire to leave again to follow -your purpose; nor, although I take this lady to wife, do I wish to -spend my days in the City of the Heart. And yet it would seem that, -unless we can escape, this is what we must do.” - -“Let us hope that we shall be able to escape,” I answered. - -“I doubt it,” he said, “for already I have discovered that, though we -be treated with all honour, yet we shall be closely watched, or at -least I shall, for certain reasons. Still, come what may, I trust that -this marriage will make no breach in our friendship, Ignatio.” - -“I do not know, señor,” I answered, “though I think that for weeks -its shadow has lain between us, and I fear lest that shadow should -deepen. Also it has been fated that women and their loves should come -between me, my ambitions, and my friends. From the moment that my eyes -fell upon the Lady Maya bound to the altar in the chapel of the -_hacienda_, I felt that her great beauty would bring trouble upon us, -and it would seem that my heart did not lie to me. Now, under her -guidance, we have entered upon a dark and doubtful path, whereof no -man can see the end.” - -“Yes,” he answered, “but we took that path in order to save our -lives.” - -“She took it, not to save her life, on which I think she sets little -store, but to win a husband whom she desires. For my part I hold that -it would have been better for us to die, if God so willed it, than to -live on with hearts fouled by deceit, seeing that in the end die we -must, but no years of added life can wear away that stain. Well, this -must seem sad talk to the ears of a bridegroom. Forget it, friend, and -rest awhile that you may do credit to the marriage-feast.” - -Without answering, the señor lay down upon the bed, where he -remained--whether sleeping or awake I do not know--till the hour of -sunset, when he was aroused by the arrival of several lords and -attendants who came to lead him to the bath. On his return other -messengers entered, bearing magnificent robes and jewels, the gift of -the Lady Maya, to be worn by him and by me at the ceremony. Then, -barbers having trimmed and scented his fair hair and beard according -to the fashion of this people, he was decked out like a victim for the -sacrifice. - -So soon as all was prepared, the doors were flung wide, and six -officers of the palace came through them, bearing wands of office in -their hands, accompanied by a troop of singing-girls chosen for their -loveliness, which, to speak truth, was not small. In the midst of -these officers and ladies the señor was placed, and, followed by -myself, who walked behind with a heavy heart, he set out for the -banqueting-hall. As we reached it the doors were thrown open and the -singers set up a love song, pretty enough, but so foolish that I have -forgotten it. We passed the threshold and found that the great hall -was crowded with guests arrayed in their most brilliant attire, -whereon the lamplight shone bravely. Through this company we walked -till we reached an open space at the far end of the hall, around which -in a semicircle sat the members of the Council of the Heart, Tikal and -his wife being placed in the centre of them, having Mattai on their -right, and on their left that old priest Dimas, the foster-brother of -Zibalbay, who had administered the oath to us. - -As we advanced, with one exception, all the Council rose and bowed to -the señor. That exception was Tikal, who stared straight before him -and did not move. Scarcely had they resumed their seats when the sound -of singing was heard again, mingled with that of music, and far away -at the foot of the long hall appeared a band of musicians playing upon -pipes of reeds, clad in the royal livery of green, and crowned with -oak-leaves. After the musicians marched, or rather danced, a number of -young girls robed in white only, and carrying white lilies in their -hands, which they threw upon the floor to be trodden by the feet of -the bride. Next came Maya herself, a sight of beauty such as stirred -even my cold heart, and caused me to think more gently of the señor, -who had become party to a trick to win her. She also was arrayed in -white, embroidered with gold, and having the symbol of the Heart -blazoned on her breast; about her waist and neck were a girdle and -collar of priceless emeralds; on her head was set a tiara of perfect -pearls taken in past ages from the shell-fish of the lake, and round -her wrists and ankles were bangles of dead gold. Her waving hair hung -loose almost to her sandalled feet, and in her hand, as token of her -rank, she bore a little golden sceptre, having at one end a great -pearl, and at the other a heart-shaped emerald. On she came, or rather -floated, her delicate head held high; and so strange and beautiful was -the aspect of her face, that for my part, from the instant that I -beheld it till she stood before me by the bridegroom, I seemed to see -naught else. It was very pale and somewhat set; indeed at that moment -Maya looked more like a white woman than one of Indian blood, and her -curved lips were parted as though they waited for some forgotten words -to pass them. Her deep-blue eyes also were set wide, and, beneath the -shadow of their lashes, seemed full of mystery and wonder, like the -eyes of one who walks in her sleep and beholds things invisible to the -waking sight. Presently they fell upon the eyes of the señor, and of -a sudden grew human, while the red blood mantled on her breast and -arms and brow. - -Then for me the spell was broken, and I glanced at Tikal and saw that -on his face was that same look with which he had greeted Maya when, on -the night of his own wedding-feast, he beheld her whom he believed to -be dead, standing before him clothed in life and beauty. Eagerly, -despairingly, he watched her, and I noticed that tears stood in his -angry eyes, and that a gust of jealous rage shook him from head to -foot when he saw her flush with joy at the sight of his white rival. -From Tikal my glance travelled to the dark beauty at his side, Nahua, -his wife, and I became aware that in this instant she grew certain of -what perhaps before she only guessed, that in his heart her husband -loathed her, as with all his soul and strength he loved the affianced -of his youth who stood before him the bride of another man. Doubt, -fear, rage looked out in turn from her ominous eyes as the knowledge -went home, to be succeeded by a possessing misery, the misery of one -who knows that all which makes life good to her is for ever lost. -Then, pressing her hands to her heart for a moment, she turned aside -to hide her shame and wretchedness, and when she looked up again her -face was calm as the face of a statue, but on it was frozen a mask of -unchanging hate,--hate of the woman who had robbed her. - -Now the bridegroom and the bride stood together in the open space -surrounded by the half circle of the Council of the Heart, among whom -I was given a seat, while behind them were arranged the musicians and -singing-girls, and behind these again pressed the glittering audience -of marriage-guests. When all were in their places a herald rose and -cried out the names and titles of the pair, reciting briefly that they -were to be wed by the direct command of the guardian god of the city, -by the wish of the Council of the Heart, and because of the love that -they bore one another. Next, reading from a written roll, he published -the text of the agreement whereby Maya renounced her right as ruler in -favour of her cousin Tikal, and I noticed that this agreement was -received by the company in cold silence and with some few expressions -of disapproval. Lastly, from another roll he read the list of the -honours, prerogatives, offices, wealth, houses, and servants which -were thereby assigned to the Lady Maya and her consort, and also to -myself their friend, for the maintenance of their rank and dignity and -of my comfort. - -Having finished his task, he asked the señor and Maya whether they -had heard all that he had read by command of the Council, and, if so, -whether they approved thereof. They bowed their heads in assent, -whereupon the herald turned, and, addressing Tikal by all his titles, -called upon him, in virtue of his priestly office and of his position -as chief of the state, to make these two one in the face of the -people, according to the ancient custom of the land. - -Tikal heard him and rose from his seat as though to commence the -service, then sank down again, saying: - -“Seek some other priest, Herald, for this thing I will not do.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - MATTAI PROPHESIES EVIL - -At Tikal’s words the company murmured in astonishment, and Mattai, -bending forward, began to whisper in his ear. Tikal listened for a -moment, then turned upon him fiercely and said aloud, so that all -could hear him: - -“I tell you, Mattai, that I will be no party to this iniquity. Has -such a thing been heard of before, that the Lady of the Heart, the -highest lady in the land, should be given in marriage to a stranger -who, like some lost dog, has wandered to our gate?” - -“The prophecy----” began Mattai. - -“The prophecy! I put no faith in prophecies. Why should I obey a -prophecy written how, when, or by whom I do not know? This lady was my -affianced bride, and now I am asked to unite her to a nameless man who -is not even of our blood or faith. Well, I will not.” - -“Surely, lord, you blaspheme,” answered Mattai, growing wrath, “seeing -that it is not for the high priest to speak against the oracle of the -god. Also,” he added, with meaning, “what can it be to you, who are -not ten days wed to the lady at your side, that she to whom once you -were affianced should choose another as her husband?” - -“What is it to me?” said Tikal, furiously. “If you desire to know, I -will tell you. It is everything. How did I come to break my troth and -to take your daughter as a wife? Through you, Mattai, through you, the -liar and the false prophet. Did you not swear to me that Maya was dead -yonder in the wilderness? And did you not, to satisfy your own -ambitions, force me on to take your daughter to wife? Ay! and is not -this marriage between the Lady of the Heart and the white man a plot -of yours devised for the furthering of your ends?” - -Now, while all stood astonished, of a sudden Nahua, who hitherto had -listened in stony silence, rose and said: - -“The Lord Tikal, my husband, forgets that common courtesy should -protect even an unwelcome wife from public insult.” Then she turned -and left the hall by the door which was behind her. - -Now a murmur of pity for the lady, and indignation at the man, ran -through the company, and as it died away Tikal said: “Evil will come -of this night’s work, and in it I will have no hand. Do what you will, -and abide the issue,”--and before any could speak in answer he also -had left the hall, followed by his guards. - -For a while there was silence, then men began to talk confusedly, and -some of the members of the Brotherhood of the Heart, rising from their -chairs, took hurried counsel together. At length they reseated -themselves, and, holding up his hand to secure silence, Mattai spoke -thus: - -“Forgive me,” he said, addressing the audience, “if my words seem few -and rough, but it is hard for me to be calm in face of the open insult -which has been put upon my daughter and myself before you all. I will -not stoop to answer the charges that the Lord Tikal has brought -against me in his rage. Surely some evil power must have afflicted him -with madness, that, forgetting his honour as a man, and his duty as a -prince and priest, he should dare to utter such calumnies against the -god we worship, the white man whom the god has chosen to be a husband -to the Lady Maya, and myself, the Keeper of the Sanctuary. There were -many among you who held me foolish when, after much prayer and -thought, to further what I believed to be the true interests of the -whole people, I gave my voice in favour of the lifting up of Tikal to -fill the place and honour of _cacique_ in room of our late prince, -Zibalbay, whom we thought dead with his daughter in the wilderness. -To-day I see that they were right, and that I was foolish indeed. But -enough of regrets and bitter talk, that make ill music at a -marriage-feast. Tikal, the head of our hierarchy, has gone, but other -priests are left, nor is his will the will of the Council, or of the -People of the Heart for whom the Council speaks. Their will it is that -this marriage should go forward, and Dimas, my brother, as the oldest -among us, I call upon you to celebrate it.” - -Now the company shouted in applause, for they were set upon this -strange union of a white man with their lady, if only because it was a -new thing and touched their imagination; and even those of them who -were of his party were wrath with Tikal on account of his ill -behaviour and the cruel affront that he had offered to his new-made -wife. - -So soon as the tumult had died away, the old priest Dimas rose, and, -taking the hands of Maya and the señor, he joined them and said a -very touching and beautiful prayer over them, blessing them, and -entreating the spirit, Heart of Heaven, and other gods, to give them -increase and to make them happy in a mutual love. Lastly, he laid a -white silken cloth, which had been prepared, upon their heads as they -knelt before him, and, loosing the emerald girdle from about the waist -of the bride, he took her right hand and placed it upon the arm of the -señor, then he bound the girdle round wrist and arm, buckled it, and -in a few solemn words declared these twain to be man and wife in the -face of Heaven and earth till death undid them. - -Now the cloth was lifted and the girdle loosed, and, standing upon -their feet, the new-wed pair kissed each other before the people. A -shout of joy went up that shook the panelled roof, and one by one, in -order of their rank, the guests pressed forward to wish happiness to -the bride and bridegroom, most of them bringing some costly and -beautiful gift, which they gave into the charge of the waiting-ladies. -Last of all came the old priest Dimas, and said: - -“Sweet bride, the gift that I am commanded by the Council to make to -you, though of little value in itself, is yet one of the most precious -to be found within the walls of this ancient city, being nothing less -than the holy symbol of the all-seeing Eye of the Heart of Heaven, -which, through you, men behold to-day for the first time for many -generations. Wear it always, lady, and remember that though this jewel -has no sight, yet that Eye, whereof it is a token, from hour to hour -reads your most secret soul and purpose. Make your thoughts, then, as -fair as is your body, and let your breast harbour neither guile nor -evil; for of all these things, in a day to come, you must surely give -account.” - -As he spoke he drew from the case that hid it nothing less than that -awful Eye which we had seen within the hollow of the Heart, when with -unhallowed hands we robbed it, substituting the false for the true. -Now it had been set in a band of gold and hung to a golden chain which -he placed about the neck of the bride, so that the red and -cruel-looking gem lay gleaming on her naked breast. Maya bowed and -muttered some words of thanks, but I saw that her spirit failed her at -the touch of the ominous thing, for she turned faint and would have -fallen had not her husband caught her by the arm. - -While the señor and his wife were receiving gifts and listening to -pretty speeches, a number of attendants had brought tables laden with -every sort of food from behind the pillars where they had been -prepared, and at a signal the feast began. It was long and joyous, -though joy seemed to have faded from the face of Maya, who sat neither -eating nor drinking, but from time to time lifting the red eye from -her breast as though it scorched her skin. At length she rose, and, -accompanied by her husband, walked bowing down the hall to the -court-yard, where bearers waited for them with carrying-chairs. In -these they seated themselves, and a procession having been formed, -very long and splendid, though I will not stay to describe it, we -started to march round the great square to the sound of music and -singing, our path being lit by the light of the moon and with hundreds -of torches. Here in this square were gathered all the population of -the City of the Heart, men, women, and children, to greet the bride, -each of them bearing flowers and a flaming torch; and never have I -seen any sight more beautiful than this of their welcome. - -The circuit of the square being accomplished, the procession halted at -the palace gates, and many hands were stretched out to help the bride -and bridegroom from their litters. It was at this moment that I, who -was standing near, felt a man wrapped in a large feather cloak push -past me, and saw that he held something which gleamed like a knife. - -By instinct, as it were, I cried, “Beware, my friend!” in Spanish, and -in so piercing a voice that it caught the señor’s ear. He swung -round, for already he was standing on his feet, and, as he turned, the -man in the cloak rushed at him and stabbed with the knife. But, being -warned, the señor was too quick for him. Springing to one side, with -the same movement he dealt his would-be murderer a great buffet, that -caused him to drop the dagger and sent him staggering into the dense -shadow of the archway. - -For some seconds no one seemed to understand what had happened, and -when they did and began to search for the man, he was not to be found. -Who he was, or why he had attempted this cowardly deed, was never -discovered; but for my part I have little doubt that either Tikal -himself or some creature of his was wrapped in the dark feather cloak, -and sought thus to rid him of his rival. Indeed, as time went on, this -belief took firm hold of the mind of the people, and was one of the -causes that led to the sapping of Tikal’s power and popularity. - -Very hastily the señor assured the lords in attendance who crowded -round him that he had received no manner of hurt, and then, after -speaking a few brief words of thanks, he withdrew into the palace with -his wife, and I saw him no more that night. - - - -The day of this marriage was to me the beginning of the longest and -most weary year that ever I have spent in a long and weary life. Very -soon I understood how it came about that Maya had learned to hate the -City of the Heart in which she was born, its people, and its ways, and -ardently to desire a new life in new lands. Here there was no change -and little work; here, enervated by a cloying luxury, the poor remnant -of a great civilisation rotted slowly to its fall, and none lifted a -hand to save it. Since men must do something, the priests and nobles -plotted for place and power indeed, and the common people listlessly -followed this trade or that, providing food and raiment for the -community,--not for themselves,--but there was little heart in what -they did, and they took no pleasure in it. Basking in the eternal -sunshine, they loitered from the cradle to the grave, hoping nothing, -suffering nothing, fearing nothing, content to feast amid their -crumbling palaces, and, when they were weary, to sleep till it was -time to feast again, satisfying their souls the while with the husks -of a faith whereof they had lost the meaning. Such were the people of -whom Zibalbay hoped to fashion a race of conquerors! - -Still, to this life they were born and it became them; indeed, they -could have endured no other, for the breath of hardship must have -melted them away as my Indian forefathers melted beneath the iron rule -of the Spaniard, but to me it was a daily torment. Often I have beheld -some wild creature pine and die in its prison, though food was given -to it in greater abundance than it could find in its native woods, and -like that wild creature was I in this soft City of the Heart. - -The wealth I came to seek was round me in abundance, useless and -unproductive as the dead hands that had stored it, and yonder in -Mexico were men who by aid of that wealth might become free and great: -but alas! I could not bring them together. I could not even escape -from my gaol, for my every movement was watched. Yet I would have -tried so to do had it not been for the señor, who, when I spoke of -it, said I should be no true friend if I went and left him alone in -this house of strangers. Indeed his plight was worse than mine, for he -too soon grew utterly weary of this dreadful city of eternal summer, -and of everything in it except his wife. For whole hours we would sit -gazing on the wide waters of the lake, and make plan after plan -whereby we might gain the mountains and freedom, only to abandon each -in turn. For they were hopeless. Day and night he was watched, since -here alone this people forgot to be indolent. They knew that their -race was dying and, lifting no hand to save themselves, they preferred -to pin their faith upon the prophecy which promised that from this -white man should spring a saviour. Meanwhile, false though it may have -been, the prophecy, or one part of it, was in the way of fulfilment, -which in itself was a wonder to this people, among whom the births of -children were so rare. At length that child was born--a son--and the -rejoicing knew no bounds. Strangely enough, upon the same day Nahua -also gave birth to a son, and great was her anger when she learned -that it was not on her account or on that of her offspring that the -people were so glad. - -Within a few days of the señor’s marriage we heard that Mattai had -been seized with sickness, a kind of palsy, together with a leprous -condition of the arms that baffled all skill. For months he lay in his -house, growing gradually worse, so said the physicians; but one -night--I remember that it was three days previous to the birth of -Maya’s child--he appeared before Maya, the señor, and myself, as we -sat together in the palace looking out upon the moonlit garden. At -first we did not know him, for never before had I seen a sight so -dreadful. His body was bloated; one arm--his left--was swathed in -bandages; his head shook incessantly; and the leprosy had seized his -face, which was of a livid hue. - -“Do not shrink from me,” he began, in a low and quavering voice, as he -gazed upon us with his whitening eyes; “surely you should not shrink, -seeing that all of you are partners in the crime that has made of me -the loathsome thing I am. Ay! deny it if you will, but I know it. The -vengeance of the god has fallen upon me, his false servant, and it has -fallen justly. Moreover, be assured that on you also shall that -vengeance fall, for the Eye has seen, the Mouth has told, and the -Heart has thought upon your doom. Look upon me, and learn how rich are -the wages of him who works iniquity, and by my sufferings strive to -count the measure of your own. Perchance your cup is not yet full; -perchance you have still greater sins to work: but vengeance shall -come--I tell you that vengeance shall come here and hereafter. I did -this thing for my daughter’s sake; yes, for love of her, my only -child. She was ambitious and she desired this man, and I thought to -assure greatness to her and to her children after her. - -“But see how her wine has been turned to vinegar, and her pleasant -fruits to ashes. Her husband hates her with an ever-growing hate; now -they scarcely speak, or speak only to shower bitter words upon each -other’s head. More,--not for long will Tikal be _cacique_ of the City -of the Heart, for his jealous rage has soured all his mind; his deeds -are deeds of oppression and injustice; already he is detested by the -people, and even those who loved him turn from him and plot against -him. Do you know what they plot? They plot to make that child that -shall be born of you, Maya, _cacique_ in his room, and to set up you -and your outland husband as regents till it shall be of an age to -govern. Oh! you have planned cunningly, and things look well for you, -but I say that they shall not prosper. - -“The curse is on you, Ignatio, Lord of the Heart, for all your -high-built hopes shall fall like a rotted roof, and never shall the -eagles of that empire you have dreamed of be broidered on your -banners. Slaves are the people you have toiled for, and slaves they -shall remain, for by the crime to which you gave consent, Ignatio, you -have rivetted their fetters. The curse is on your child, Maya,--never -shall it live to become a man: the curse is on your husband,--his hair -shall not grow grey. But heaviest of all does the curse rest upon you, -false Lady of the Heart, you, whose life is one long lie; you, who -forsook your faith and broke your oath; you, who turned you from your -people and from the law of your high and ancient house, that you might -win a wandering white man to your arms. Woman, we shall meet no more; -but in the hour of your last misery, and in the long, long ages of the -eternal punishment, remember the words that I speak to you -to-day,”--and, shaking his withered arm in our faces, Mattai turned -and limped from the chamber. - - [image: img_304.jpg - caption: ‘You--false Lady of the Heart.’] - -He went, and we sat gazing at each other in horror, for though we none -of us had any faith in the god he worshipped, in our hearts we felt -that this man spoke truth, and that evil would overtake us. For a -moment Maya hid her face in her hands and wept; then she sprang up, -and a fire in her eyes had dried her tears. - -“So let it be,” she cried, “I care nothing. At the least I won you, my -love, and for some months, through all our troubles, I have been happy -at your side, and, come good, come ill, nothing can rob me of my -memories. But for you I fear. Husband, I fear for you----” - -Then, her passion past, she flung herself into his arms and again -began to weep. - - - -In due course the child was born, a beautiful boy, almost white in -colour, with his mother’s star-like eyes; and on this same night we -learned that Mattai had died in much torment, and that Nahua was -delivered of a son. - -Eighteen days went by, and Maya, new-risen from her bed, was seated -with her husband and myself, while behind us stood a waiting-lady -holding the sleeping infant in her arms, when it was announced to us -that an embassy of the great lords of the Council sought speech with -her. Presently they entered, and the spokesman, the Lord Dimas, bowed -before her and set out his mission, saying: - -“We have come to you, Lady of the Heart, on behalf of the Council and -of the people, to rejoice with you in your great happiness, and to lay -certain matters of the state before you. For some months the people -have grown weary of the oppressions and cruelties of Tikal, who in -defiance of the laws of the land has put many to death on suspicion of -their being concerned in plots against his power. Further, but -yesterday it came to the ears of the Council, through the confession -of one whom he had employed to execute his wickedness, that a plan was -laid to murder your husband, your child, and the Lord Ignatio here.” - -“Indeed,” said Maya, “and why was my name omitted from this list?” - -“Lady, we do not know,” he answered, “but it seems that the assassins -had orders to take you living, and to hide you away in a secret part -of Tikal’s house.” - -Now the señor sprang to his feet and swore a great oath to be avenged -upon Tikal. - -“Nay, lord,” said Dimas, “his person is holy and must not be touched, -nor need you have any further fear of him, for those whom he corrupted -await their trial, and he himself is watched by day and night. Also, -not for long will Tikal remain _cacique_ of the City of the Heart; for -the Council have met in a secret session to which you were not -summoned, and have decreed that he shall be deposed because of his -iniquities, and in accordance with the desire of the people.” - -“Can a _cacique_ be deposed?” asked Maya. - -“Yes, lady, if he has broken the law, for was not your father to be -deposed for this same reason? Also, Tikal holds his place, not by -right of birth, but by treaty. You are the true heir to Zibalbay, Lady -of the Heart.” - -“It may be so,” she answered coldly, “but I have renounced my claim -and I do not desire to go back upon my word.” - -“If you have renounced it,” said Dimas, “there is one to whom it -passes,”--and he pointed to the sleeping infant. “Yonder is the Child -of Prophecy, hope of the people, and he it is whom we purpose to crown -as our ruler, setting you and your husband up to act for him till he -reaches his full age.” - -“Nay,” said Maya, “for thus shall he become the mark of Tikal’s rage -and be put to death,--openly or in secret, as it may chance.” - -“Not so, lady, for in that hour when he is proclaimed, Tikal will be -taken into safe keeping, where he shall abide for so long as his life -lasts.” - -“And when is this to be,” asked the señor. - -“To-morrow, at noon, upon the pyramid, that the child may be solemnly -anointed three days hence in the Sanctuary, on the night of the Rising -of Waters.” - -“It is foolish to crown a babe, and neither I nor my husband seek this -greatness,” said Maya. “If Tikal is to be deposed because of his -crimes, let one of the great lords be set in his place until the child -is old enough to rule.” - -“Although you and your husband are to command us in the future,” -answered Dimas, sternly, “till then you must obey, Lady, for the voice -of the Council is supreme, and it carries out the will of its founder -and invisible president, the Heart of Heaven. The Council has -determined that the heaven-sent child, of whom you are the earthly -parents, must take his own.” - -“As you will,” said Maya, with a sigh; and presently they went. - - - -That evening the señor and I attended a feast at the house of one of -the great nobles, whence we returned somewhat late. Having dismissed -those who had escorted us, I walked with him as far as the door of his -private chambers, purposing to leave him there; but he bade me enter, -for he wished to talk with me about the events of the day and this -forthcoming ceremony of the anointing of the child. Accordingly I did -so, and, passing through the first chamber, we came to the second, -beyond which lay his sleeping-rooms. Here we halted by the open -window, and I approached a lamp, for I wished to smoke and had no -light. As I bent over it, something caught my ear, and I listened, -since it seemed to me that through the massive doors of the bedchamber -I heard the sound of a woman’s voice crying for help. Instantly I -flung them open and rushed thither by way of an ante-room, calling to -the señor as I went. - -I did not arrive too soon, for in the bedchamber itself a strange -sight met my eyes. At the foot of the bed stood a cradle, in which lay -the child, and near to it two women struggled. One of these--in whom I -knew Nahua, the wife of Tikal--held a copper knife in her hand, and -the other, Maya, gripped her round the body and arms from behind, so -that, strive as she would, she could not free herself to use it. -Still, of the two women, Nahua was the heavier and the more strong, -and, though slowly, she dragged the other closer to the cradle. -Indeed, as I reached the room, she wrenched her right arm loose and -raised it to strike at the infant with the knife. But here the matter -ended, for at that moment I caught her round the waist and threw her -back, so that she fell heavily on the floor, letting drop the knife in -her effort to save herself. She sprang to her feet and ran towards the -door, there to be met by the señor, who seized her and held her fast. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - OUR FLIGHT, AND HOW IT ENDED - -“How came this lady here, Maya, and what does she seek!” the señor -asked. - -“I do not know how she came,” gasped his wife. “My waiting-women were -gone, and I had begun to prepare myself for sleep, when, looking into -yonder mirror, I saw her behind me, having in her hand a naked knife, -and searching the room with her eyes. Presently they fell upon the -cradle, and, lifting the knife, she took a step towards it. Then I -turned and gripped her, holding her as well as I was able; but she was -too strong for me and dragged me forward, so that had it not been for -Ignatio here, by now she would have made an end of our son.” - -“Is this true?” said the señor to Nahua. - -“It is true, White Man,” she answered. - -“Why do you desire to kill one so innocent?” he asked again. - -“Is it not natural that I should wish to destroy the child who is to -supplant my child, and to break the heart of the woman who has broken -my heart?” Nahua answered, sullenly. “Amongst many other things, I -have learned, White Man, of that ceremony which is to take place -to-morrow, whereat my husband is to be deposed and my child -dishonoured, that they may make room for you and for your child,--you, -the white wanderer, and your son, the Heaven-born, the Fore-ordained!” - -“What have we to do with these things, O woman with the heart of a -puma?” he asked. “If Tikal is to be driven from his place, it is -because of his crimes.” - -“And if you and yours are to be set in it, White Man, without doubt it -is because of your virtues; and yet, O black-hearted knave that you -are, I tell you that I know all the truth. I know how you forged the -writing, setting the false for the true within the holy symbol of the -Heart. I know also that my father helped you to the deed, for although -he is dead, he wrote down that tale before he died, and gave it to me, -together with the ancient prophecy that you dared to steal from the -holy Sanctuary. Yes, I have the proofs, and when needful I will show -them. I did not come here to do murder, at least not upon the infant; -but the sight of it sleeping in its cradle overcame me, and of a -sudden I determined to wreak my wrongs upon it and upon its mother. In -this I have failed, but when I denounce you to the Council, then I -shall not fail; then you will be known for what you are, and die the -death that you deserve.” - -“It comes into my mind, husband,” said Maya coldly, “that if we would -save our own lives we must rob this woman of hers. Such a doom she has -richly earned, nor will any blame us when they learn what was her -errand here.” - -Now when she heard these words, Nahua struggled in the señor’s grasp, -and opened her mouth as though to scream. - -“Be silent,” he said, “if you wish to keep your soul in you. Ignatio, -close those doors and give me yonder shawl.” - -I did so, and with the shawl we bound Nahua’s arms behind her, -fastening it over her mouth so that she could make no sound. Then we -took a leather girdle and strapped it about her knees, so that she -could not move, but lay helpless on the floor, glaring at us with her -fierce eyes. - -“Now let us take counsel,” I said. - -“Yes,” answered the señor, “let us take counsel, for we need it. One -of two things we must do; kill that woman, or fly the city, for if she -leaves this place alive we are certainly doomed to death before the -altar, ay! and the child also.” - -“Fly!” said Maya, “how can we fly, when I am still weak and the babe -is so young and tender? Should we succeed in escaping from the city -and across the lake, certainly we must perish among the snows of the -mountains or in the deserts beyond. Also, we should be missed and -overtaken.” - -“Then Nahua must die,” said the señor. - -“Could we not swear her to silence if we released her?” I asked, for I -shrank from such a dreadful deed, however just and necessary it might -be. - -“Swear her to silence!” said Maya contemptuously, “as easily might you -swear a snake not to use its fangs, if one should chance to tread on -it. Do you not understand that this woman hates me so bitterly, who -she thinks has robbed her of her husband’s love, that she would gladly -die herself, if thereby she could bring about my death and that of -those who are dear to me. So soon as she could leave her bed of -sickness she came here to taunt me with the doom she had prepared, -knowing that I was alone. Then she saw the child, and so great was her -desire for revenge that she could not even wait till the law should -wreak it for her. No, the issue is plain: if we cannot fly, either she -must die or we must. Is it not so, Ignatio?” - -“It seems that it is so,” I answered sadly, “and yet the thing is -awful.” - -“It is awful, but it must be done,” said the señor, “and it falls on -me to do it for the sake of my wife and child. Alas! that I was ever -born, that I should live to stand face to face with such necessity. -Could not another hand be found? No; for then we should confess -ourselves as murderers. Give me a knife. Nay, my hands will serve, and -this end will seem more natural, for I can say that when I found her -in the act of murder, I seized her and killed her suddenly by my -strength alone, not meaning it in my wrath.” - -Now he stepped to where Nahua lay, and knelt beside her, and we two -drew away sick at heart and hid our faces in our hands. - -Presently he was with us again. - -“Is it done?” asked Maya hoarsely. - -“No; nor will be by me,” he answered, in a fierce voice, “sooner would -I choke the breath out of my own body than strangle this defenceless -woman, cruel-hearted murderess though she is. If she is to be killed, -some other man must do the deed.” - -“Then it will remain undone,” said Maya. “And now, since we have thus -determined, let us think of flight, for the night draws on, and in -flight is our only hope.” - -“What, then, is to be done with this woman?” I asked. “We cannot take -her with us.” - -“No; but we can leave her here gagged and bound till they chance to -find her,” answered the señor. “Hearken, Nahua, we spare you, and to -do it go forth to our own deaths. May your fierce heart learn a lesson -of mercy from the deed. Farewell.” - -Two hours had gone by, and three figures, wrapped in rough _serapes_, -such as the common people wore, one of whom, a woman, carried an -infant in her arms, might have been seen cautiously descending the -city wall by means of a wooden ladder that ran from its summit to a -jetty built upon piers at the foot of it, which was used as a -mooring-place for boats during the months of inundation. As was common -at this season of the year, the lake was already rising, and floating -in the shallow water at the end of the jetty lay a pleasure-skiff -which the señor and I were accustomed to use for the purpose of -fishing whenever we could escape for a few hours from our wearisome -life in the city. - -Into this skiff we entered, and, having hoisted the sail, set our -course by the stars, steering for that village whence, a year before, -we had embarked for the City of the Heart. The wind being favourable -to us, our progress was rapid, and by the first grey light of dawn we -caught sight of the village not a mile away. Here, however, we did not -dare to land, for we should be seen and recognised; therefore we -beached our boat behind the shelter of some dwarf water-palms three -furlongs or more below the village, and, having hidden it as well as -we were able, set out at once towards the mountains. - -Passing round the back of the village without being seen, for as yet -folk were scarcely astir, we began our dreadful journey. For a while -Maya bore up well, but as the heat of the day increased she showed -signs of tiring, which was little to be wondered at, seeing that she -carried in her arms a child not three weeks old. At mid-day we halted -that she might rest, hiding ourselves beneath a tree by the banks of a -brook, and eating of such food as we had brought with us. In the early -afternoon we started on again, and for the rest of that dreary day -struggled forward as best we could, the señor and I carrying the -infant alternately in addition to our other burdens. - -At length the evening fell, and we camped for the night, if camping it -can be called, to sleep beneath the shadow of a cedar-tree without -fire and with little food, having no covering except our _serapes_. -Towards morning the air grew cold, for already we were at some height -above the lake, and the tender infant began to wail piteously,--a wail -that wrung our hearts. Still we rose with the sun and went on our way, -for it seemed that there was nothing else to do. Throughout that day, -with ever-wearying footsteps, we journeyed, till at sunset we reached -the snow-line, and saw before us the hunter’s rest-house where we had -slept when first we entered the Country of the Heart. - -“Let us go in,” said Maya, “and find food and shelter for the night.” - -Now, our plan had been to avoid this house and gain the pass, where we -proposed to stay till daybreak, and then to travel down the mountain -slopes into the wilderness. - -“If we enter there, Maya, we shall be trapped,” said the señor; “our -only safety lies in travelling through the pass before we are -overtaken, for it is against the law that any of your people should -follow us into the wilderness.” - -“If we do not enter, my child will die in the cold,” she answered. -“You were too tender to secure our safety by putting that would-be -murderess to death; have you, then, the heart, husband, to kill your -own child?” - -Now at these words I saw the señor’s eyes fill with tears, but he -said only: - -“Be it as you will.” - -By now, indeed, we understood--all three of us--that if we would save -ourselves we must suffer the child to die, and, however great our -necessity, this we could not do. So we went up to the house and -entered, and there by the fire sat that same man and his wife whom we -had found in this room a year ago. - -“Who are you?” he cried, springing up. “Pardon, Lady, but in that garb -I did not know you.” - -“It is best that you should not know us,” said Maya. “We are wanderers -who have lost our way out hunting. Give us food, as you are bound to -do.” - -Then the man and his wife, who were kindly people, made obeisance to -us, and set of the best they had before us. We ate, and, after eating, -slept, for we were very weary, bidding the man watch and tell us if he -saw any stranger approaching the house. Before dawn he woke us, and we -rose. A little later he came into my room and told me that a large -body of men were in sight of the house. Then I knew that it was -finished, and called the others. - -“Now, there are three things that we can do,” I said: “fly towards the -pass; defend this house; or surrender ourselves.” - -“There is no time to fly,” answered the señor, “therefore it is my -counsel that we fight.” - -“It is your counsel that two men armed with bows” (for our firearms -had been taken from us on the pyramid, and we had never been able to -recover them) “should engage with fifty. Well, friend, we can try it -if you wish, and perhaps it will be as good a way of meeting our -deaths as any other.” - -“This is folly,” broke in Maya; “there is but one thing to do; yield -ourselves and trust to fortune, if, indeed, fortune has any good in -store for us. Only I wish that we had done it before we undertook this -weary journey.” - -As she spoke, by the light of the rising sun we saw a great number of -men forming a circle round the house. With them were several captains -and lords, and among these I recognised Dimas and Tikal. - -“Let us put a bold face on it,” said Maya. So we opened the door, -walked out, and came into the presence of Tikal, Dimas, and the other -lords. - -“Whom do you seek, that you come with an armed force?” asked Maya. - -“Whom should I seek but your fair self, cousin?” answered Tikal,--and -I saw that his eye was wild, as though with drink. “If Nahua, my wife, -had her way, she would have let you go, for she desires to see the -last of you; but her will is not my will, nor her desire my desire, -and as it chances we have come up with you in time.” - -Maya turned from him with a scornful gesture, and addressed herself to -Dimas, saying: - -“Tell us of what we are charged that you follow us as though we were -evil-doers.” - -“Lady,” the old priest answered gravely, “it would seem that you have -earned this name, you and your companions together. Listen: two days -since you were missing, and the Lady Nahua was also missing. Search -was made, and at last your private apartments were broken open, and -there she was discovered bound and gagged. From her we learned the -secret of your flight, and followed after you.” - -“Did she, then, tell you why we fled?” asked Maya. “Did she tell you -that she crept to my chamber like a thief in the night, and there was -found in the act of doing murder on my child?” - -“No, Lady, she told us nothing of all this. Indeed, her manner was -strange; for, so soon as she was recovered somewhat, she took back her -words, and said that she knew naught of you or of your plans, and that -if you had fled we should do well to let you go before worse things -happened. But, knowing that for all this she had reasons easy to be -guessed, we followed and found you, and now we arrest you to answer -before the Council for your great sins, in that you have broken your -solemn oaths by attempting to leave the land without the consent of -the Council, and have added to your crimes by taking with you this -child, the Heaven-sent deliverer, on whom rest the hopes of our race.” - -“If we have broken our oaths,” said Maya, “we broke them to save our -lives. Were we, then, to stop in the city till the knife of the -assassin found us out? On the very night of my marriage a murderer was -set upon my husband, and perhaps one stands there”--and she pointed to -Tikal--“who could tell us who he was and whence he came. Three days -ago another murderer sought the life of our child, and that murderer -the wife of the Lord Tikal. Is it, then, a sin that we should take -from the land one whose life is not safe within it.” - -“All these matters you can lay before the Council, lady,” answered -Dimas, “and if Nahua is what you say, without a doubt she must suffer -for her crime. Yet her evil-doing cannot pay for yours, for when you -found yourself in danger, you should have claimed protection from -those who could give it, and not have betaken yourselves to flight -like thieves in terror of the watch. Come, enter the litter that is -prepared for you, and let us be going.” - -“As you will,” she said; “but one thing I pray of you, let this man, -my cousin, Tikal the _cacique_, be kept away from me, for the sight of -him is hateful to me, seeing that, not content with plotting to kill -my husband and my child, he puts me to shame continually by the offer -of his love.” - -“It shall be as you wish, Lady. Your husband and your friend can -travel by your side, and guards shall surround your litter to see that -none molest you.” - -Then we started. Of our journey back there is nothing to tell, unless -it be to say that after its own fashion it was even more wretched than -that which we had just accomplished. Then, indeed, we were footsore, -hungry, and racked with fears, but at least the hope of freedom shone -before us like a guiding-star, whereas now, although we travelled in -comfort, it was to find shame, exposure, and death awaiting us at -last. For my part, indeed, this thought did not move me very much, -seeing that hope had left me, and without hope I no longer wished to -live. You, my friend, for whom I write this history, may think my -saying strange, but had you stood where I stood that day you would not -wonder at it. Even now I sometimes dream that I am back in the City of -the Heart, and wake cold with fear as a man wakes from some haunted -sleep. True, there I had place and power and luxury, but oh! sooner -would I have earned my livelihood herding cattle in the wilderness -than fret away my life within that golden cage. What to me were their -banquets and their empty pleasures, or their petty strivings for rank -and title,--to me who all my days had followed the star of my high -aim, that star which now was setting. Maya and the señor had each -other and their child to console them; but I had nothing except such -friendship as they chose to spare me, the memory of my many failures, -the clinging bitterness of conscience, the fear of vengeance to be -wreaked, and the hope of peace beyond the end. Therefore I, an outworn -and disappointed man, was prepared to welcome the doom that awaited -me, but how would it be with the others who were still full of love -and youth? - -Late that night we reached the city and were led, not to the palace -where we lived, but towards the enclosure of the pyramid. - -“How is this?” asked Maya of the captain of the guard. “Our road lies -yonder.” - -“No, lady,” he answered, “my orders are to take you up the stairway of -the pyramid.” - -Now Maya pressed her face against the face of her child and sobbed, -for she knew that once more we must inhabit the darksome vault where -her father had been taken to die. They led us up the stair and down -the narrow way, till we stood in the lamp-lit hall, and heard our -prison gates clash behind us. Then they gave us food and left us -alone. - -Never did I pass a more evil night; for, strive as I would to win it, -sleep fled from me, and I tossed upon my couch, wondering where my bed -would be on the morrow, after we had stood before the Council in the -Sanctuary of the Heart, and Nahua had borne witness against us. I -remembered that shaft before the altar, and seemed to hear the murmur -of the water in its depths! Well, as I have said, I did not fear to -die, for God is merciful to sinners; but oh! it was dreadful to meet -this liar’s doom, and to remember that it was I who brought the señor -here to share it. - -As I mused thus, even through the massive walls of the vault I heard a -woman scream, and, springing from my bed, I ran into the central hall, -where the lamps burned always. Here I met Maya, clad in her -night-dress only, and speeding down the hall, her wide eyes filled -with terror. - -“What has happened?” I said, stopping her; and, as I spoke, the señor -came up. - -“Oh! I have dreamed,” she gasped. “I have dreamed a fearful dream. I -dreamed that my father came to me, and--I cannot tell it--the -child--the child----” and she broke down utterly, and could say no -more. - -“This place is full of evil memories, and her strength is shattered,” -said the señor, when we had calmed her somewhat. “Come back, wife, -and sleep.” - -“Sleep!” she answered. “I do not think that I shall ever sleep again; -and yet, unless I sleep, I shall go mad. Oh! that vision! Truly the -curse of Mattai has taken hold of me.” - - - -Some few hours later we met again in the great hall, but Maya said -nothing of her dream, nor did I ask her to tell it, though I could see -from her face that it was not forgotten. We ate, or made pretence to -eat, and sat for a while in silence, till at length the gates opened, -and through them came Dimas and some companion priests. Bidding these -to stand back, he advanced alone and greeted us kindly. - -“I am grieved,” he said, “that you should again be called upon to -occupy this gloomy lodging; but I had no choice in the matter, since I -am but the servant of the Council, and its commands were strict. It -was feared lest the infant might be spirited away, were you left at -liberty.” - -“It will soon be spirited away, indeed, Dimas,” said Maya, “if it be -kept here in the darkness. Already the child pines--within a week he -will be dead.” - -“Have no fear, lady; your imprisonment is not for long, for this very -night, the night of the Rising of Waters, you will all of you be put -upon your trial before the Council in the Sanctuary, and charged with -the crime of attempting to escape the land.” - -“Is there no other charge?” asked Maya. - -“None, lady, that I have heard of. What other charge should there be?” - -“And what will be the verdict of the Council?” - -“I cannot say, lady, but I know that none wish to deal harshly with -you, and if that charge which you bring against the Lady Nahua can be -proved, it will go in your favour. The crime you have attempted is a -great one, both in our eyes and still more in the eyes of the people, -for now they talk day and night of this Deliverer who has been born to -them, and they will not easily forgive those who strove to take him -from them. Still, I think that upon certain terms the anger of your -judges may be appeased.” - -“What terms?” asked Maya. - -Now Dimas hesitated, and answered: - -“By the strict letter of the law, if your offence is proved against -you, you are worthy of death, every one, unless you yourself are held -inviolate because of your hereditary rank as Lady of the Heart. But it -may be that the Council will not exact the extreme penalty. It may be -that it will satisfy itself with driving these strangers from our -borders instead of driving them from the land of life.” - -“Yet one of them is my husband, Dimas.” - -“True, lady, but the child is born!” - -“I cannot be parted from my husband. Better that we should die -together than that we should be parted. If the people have no need of -him, neither have they any need of me; let us bid them farewell and go -free together. I am weary of this land, Dimas, for here murder dogs -our steps and I am in terror of my life. I desire nothing from my -people save liberty to leave them.” - -“But, Lady, your people desire something from you; they desire the -child. Of these strangers they would be rid by death or otherwise, and -you--though of this I am not sure--they may allow to accompany them; -but with your child they will never part, for he is their heaven-sent -king, the Son of prophecy. It comes to this, then, that if the Council -should exercise its prerogative of mercy,--as it will do if I and my -party have sufficient weight,--at the best you must choose between the -loss of your husband or of your son.” - -Now the face of Maya became drawn with pain, so that she looked as -though age had overtaken her. Then she answered: - -“Go, tell those that sent you, Dimas, that these are the words of -Maya, Lady of the Heart: My child is dear to me, for he is flesh of my -flesh; but my husband is yet dearer, for he is both flesh of my flesh -and soul of my soul. Therefore, if I must choose between the two, I -choose him who is nearest; for I may have another child, but never -another husband.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - NAHUA BEARS WITNESS - -Some hours passed, and again the gates were opened, and through them -came Tikal and a guard of five men. The guard he left by the gates, -advancing alone to where we were seated near the far end of the hall. - -“What would you of us?” asked Maya. “Can you not leave me in peace -even here in my dungeon?” - -“I desire to speak with you alone, Maya.” - -“Then, Tikal, I tell you now what I have told you before, that I will -not listen to your words alone. If you have anything to say, say it in -the presence of my husband and my friend, or go and leave it unsaid.” - -“You speak roughly to one who comes here in the hope of saving the -lives of all of you,” he answered; “still I will bear with you in this -as I have borne with you in much else. Listen: all your crimes are -known to me, for Nahua, my wife, has revealed them to me. I know how -you and that dead rogue, Mattai, on whom the curse of heaven has most -justly fallen, forged the prophecy and violated the sanctuary, for I -have held the proofs of it in my hand.” - -“Do you know that we did this to save our lives,” asked Maya, “for if -we had not done it, Mattai would have murdered us in order that, by -removing me, he might assure his daughter in her place?” - -“I do not know why you did it, nor do I care, seeing that nothing can -lighten such a crime; but I think that you did it in order that you -might win yonder white man as a husband. At the least the thing is -done, and vengeance waits you,--vengeance from which there is but one -escape.” - -“What escape?” asked Maya quickly, for when she learned that Tikal -knew everything, all hope had faded from her heart, as from ours. - -“Maya, two people live, and two alone, who know this tale,--Nahua my -wife, and I myself. Till this morning there was but one, for Nahua -only told me of it when she found that you had not escaped, and this -she has done that she may be rid of you whom she hates as her rival. -Therefore it was that she would have held me back from pursuing you, -and therefore it is that she will appear before the Council of the -Heart this night, so that her evidence may ensure your instant death -in the Pit of Waters. But as it chances, least of anything on the -earth do I desire that my eyes should lose sight of you, whom now as -ever I love better than anything on the earth.” - -Now the señor grew white with rage, and he broke in-- - -“You will do well to keep such words to yourself, Tikal; for of this -be sure,--if you do not, I will add to my crimes and you shall not -leave this place alive. No need to look at your guards. What do I care -for your guards, who have but one life to lose. Speak thus again, and, -before they reach you, you shall be dead.” - -“Let him go on, husband,” said Maya; “what can a few insults more or -less matter to us now. Continue, most noble Tikal; but, for your own -sake, restrain yourself, and say nothing that a husband should not -hear.” - -“It is for this reason,” he went on, taking no notice of the señor’s -anger, “that I have come here with a plan to save you all; yes, even -this braggart white man who has robbed me of you. If Nahua and I are -silent, who will know of your crimes? And if the evidence of them is -destroyed before your eyes, who is there that can prove them? Now, I -will be silent--at a price. I will even bring the true tablet of the -prophecy and the roll of Mattai’s confession, and destroy them with -fire before you.” - -“You will be silent,” said Maya,--“but what of Nahua? Will she be -silent also?” - -Now Tikal’s dark face grew evil with some purpose of his own, though -whether it were of murder or of what I do not know. - -“Leave Nahua to me,” he said. “Withdraw the charge you made against -her, of attempting to kill yonder child, and free her thus of the need -of appearing this night in the Sanctuary, and I swear to you that no -word of her dreadful secret shall ever pass her lips. Then you will be -tried upon one issue only,--that of having broken your oaths by flying -the city,--a crime that is not beyond forgiveness.” - -“You spoke of a price, Tikal; tell us, what is this price that we must -pay?” - -“The price is yourself, Maya. Nay,--hear me out; and you, White Man, -keep silent. If you will swear upon the Heart to become my wife within -six months from this day, then I, on my part, will swear that the -white man--your husband who is not your husband, for he won the -consent of the Council to his marriage by a trick--shall be suffered -to escape the land unharmed, taking with him his friend and so much of -our treasure and things needful for their journey as he may desire. I -will swear also--and by this you may see how deep and honest is my -love for you--that your son shall not be dispossessed of the place and -rank which he holds in the eyes of the people as a Heaven-sent -Deliverer whose coming was foretold by prophecy. My child shall give -place to yours, Maya. Once before I held out the hand of peace to you, -but you refused it and tricked me, and from that refusal has sprung -the death of your father and many other sorrows. Do not refuse me -again, Maya, lest these sorrows should be increased and multiplied -upon you, and upon us all. It is no strange or unnatural thing I ask -of you--that you should wed the man to whom for many years you were -affianced, and take your place as the first lady in this city, instead -of giving yourself over, with your accomplices, to the most infamous -of deaths.” - -“Yet it is most strange and unnatural, Tikal, that a wife should be -asked to part thus from her husband. But stay,--it is for him to -speak, not me, for he may be glad to buy safety at this cost. First, -what do you say, Ignatio? Tell me,--though I fear your answer, for it -is easy to guess, seeing that Tikal offers all that you can desire, -freedom, and treasure to enable you to execute your plans.” - -“It is true, Lady,” I replied, “that he offers me these -things,--though whether or no he is able to give them I cannot say; -and it is true also that I have no wife here whom I must leave, and no -prospect save that of a traitor’s death. Still, Lady, I remember a -certain promise that I made to you yonder in the wilderness, when by -your courage you saved your husband’s life; and I remember also that -it was through me that he, my friend, came to visit this accursed -city. Therefore I say, let our fate be one fate.” - -“Those are very noble words, friend,” she said, “such as could have -come only from your noble heart. Now, husband, do you speak?” - -“I have nothing to say, Maya,” replied the señor with a little laugh, -“except that I wonder why you waste time, which we might spend happily -together, in listening to this fellow’s insults. If you bid me to go -to save you, perhaps I might think about it; but certainly I will not -stir one pace from your side to save myself from any death.” - -“It seems that I have got my answer,” said Tikal. “May none of you -regret it to-night when you come to look down into the Pit of Waters. -Well, time presses, and I have much to do before we meet again,”--and -he turned to leave us. - -Now, as he went, despair took hold of Maya. For a moment she struggled -with it and with herself, then she cried: - -“Come back, Tikal!” - -He came, and stood before her in cold silence, and she spoke, -addressing her husband in a slow voice: - -“You are over-hasty; _my_ answer is not yet spoken, husband. Tikal, I -accept your offer. Prevent Nahua from giving testimony against us; -destroy the evidences she holds, and set these men safe, with all that -they may desire, on the further side of yonder mountain, and within -six months I will become your wife.” - -Now the señor and I stared at each other aghast. - -“Are you mad?” he said, “or do you speak so in the hope of saving us?” - -“Would it be wonderful, husband,” she answered, “if I should wish to -save myself and my child? That I have loved you and love you, you -know; yet is there any love in the grave? While I live, at least I -have my memories; if I die, even these may be taken from me. Go back, -husband, go back wealthy to your own people and your old life, and -choose some other woman to be your companion. Do not forget me, -indeed; but let me become as a dream to you, seeing that for all our -sakes this is the best. To you also, Ignatio, I say ‘go.’ Our -fellowship has brought you little luck; may its severing be more -fortunate, and may you at last attain your ends. Tikal, give me your -hand, and let us swear the oath.” - -He stepped towards her,--his eyes glowing with triumph; but as their -fingers touched she glanced sideways and upwards, and saw the doubt -and agony written on her husband’s face. With a little scream, she -sprang to him and threw herself into his arms, saying: - -“Forgive me; I have tried my best, but this is more than I can do. Oh! -weak and foolish that I am, I cannot part from you, no, not even to -save your life. Surely you did not think that I should have fulfilled -this oath and given myself to him in marriage. No, no,--it is to death -that I should have given myself when you were gone. But I cannot part -with you,--I cannot part with you,--though my selfishness is your -doom.” - -“I rejoice to hear it,” said the señor. “Listen you, Tikal, if you -are a man, give me a sword and let us settle this matter face to face. -So shall one of us at least be rid of his doubts and troubles.” - -“Surely, White Man,” answered Tikal, “you must be a fool as well as a -rogue, otherwise you would scarcely ask me to risk my life against -yours, which is already forfeit to the law. Farewell, Maya; long have -you fooled and tormented me; to-night I will repay you all,”--and he -went. - - - -It might be thought that, after Tikal was gone, we should have spoken -together of what had passed, and of the dangers before us. But this -was not so. I think we felt--all of us--that there was nothing more to -be said. It is useless to fight against Fate, and it is still more -useless to be afraid of him, seeing that whatever we do or leave -undone, he has his will of us at last. So we sat and chatted on -indifferent things,--of our life at the mine at Cumarvo, of that night -which we spent in the _hacienda_ at Santa Cruz, of the death of our -brave companion, Molas, and I know not what besides. Presently the -child awoke, and its parents occupied themselves with it, finding -resemblance to each other in its tiny features, while I walked up and -down the hall, counting the lamps, smoking, and wondering where I -should be by this time on the morrow. - -At length the gates opened, for now it was almost the middle of the -night, and there came through them Dimas and a guard of priests. The -old man bowed before us and said that the time had come to lead us -before the Council in the Sanctuary, but that we were to have no fear, -seeing that, from all that he had been able to learn, our offence -would be leniently dealt with. Maya asked what was to become of the -infant, which could not be left alone, and he replied that she must -bring it with her, whereon she began to wrap it in a _serape_. - -“Your care is needless,” said Dimas. “There is a secret way to the -Sanctuary from this place, by which I propose to lead you in order -that the child, our lord, shall not be exposed to the raw cold of the -night.” - -Then he took a bunch of keys from his girdle, and, handing them to one -who accompanied him,--a fellow-priest and a member of the Council,--he -commanded him to go forward with several of the escort, to open the -doors and light lamps in the passages that lay between us and the -Sanctuary. The priest went, and, having waited awhile, we followed -him, to find him standing by the marble wall which separated the -passages from the Sanctuary. On seeing us approach, he gave the signs, -which were answered from within; next he opened the false door with a -silver key, leaving the key and the bunch to which it was attached -fixed in the lock, for Dimas to take as he passed. This, however, the -old priest did not do, for he thought that we should all return by -this passage, and as we stepped into the Sanctuary he contented -himself with closing the door without locking it. - -Now once more we stood within the dim and holy place, there to take -our trial for offences committed against the laws of the City of the -Heart. There was a full gathering of the Council, and Tikal, its -high-priest and president, sat in his seat behind the altar, but I -noted, with a thrill of hope, that Nahua his wife was not by his side, -nor was she to be found among the members of the Council. We took -seats that had been prepared for us in the open space before the -altar, Maya being placed in the centre, and the señor and myself on -either side of her. Next the Priest of the Records rose and announced -that the first business before the Council was the trial of three of -its members, namely, Maya, Lady of the Heart, her husband, the white -man, Son of the Sea, and Ignatio, the Wanderer, a lord of the Heart -from beyond the mountains, upon the charge of having broken their -oaths which they took as members of the Council. Having read this -formal accusation, the priest set out the case against us clearly but -briefly: - -“On this very night of the festival of the Rising of Waters, a year -ago,” he began, “you, strangers, amongst other things swore upon the -altar, setting in pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment of -the oath, that without the consent of this high Brotherhood you would -not attempt to leave the gates of the City of the Heart. Yet but the -other day you were overtaken and seized in the act of flying across -the mountains to the wilderness beyond. Nor is this all your crime, -for with you was that infant, born of the white man and the Lady of -the Heart, the Heaven-sent Child of prophecy, of whom you wickedly -sought to rob us and the people. Say, now, how do you plead to these -charges?” - -“We plead guilty,” answered Maya, “but we ask to be heard in our own -defence. Listen, lords: Since that night when we were married by your -command, my husband and I myself have been dogged by murder, and -yonder, as high-priest of the Heart and president of your councils, he -sits who would have murdered us. I see among you this night some of -those who waited on me upon the day of our escape, having the Lord -Dimas at the head of them. What did they tell me? That a plot had been -discovered, made by Tikal, my cousin, to murder my husband, my child, -and my friend, Ignatio the Wanderer. They told me also that Tikal -would be deposed because of this and his other crimes, and that the -infant in my arms would to-night be anointed _cacique_ of the people -of the Heart. Is it not so, Dimas?” - -“It is so, lady,” he answered, “and learn that you are not the only -ones who are on trial this night. Though your case is taken first, -that of Tikal the high-priest and others will follow; but till then, -in virtue of his rank and office, he sits as president of our -Council.” - -Now Tikal sprang from his seat, but Dimas turned upon him and said -sternly: - -“Keep silent, lord, or speak only to fulfil the duties of your place. -Your judging shall be just, but know that there is no hope of escape -for you till it is done, seeing that your guards are disarmed, and all -the paths are watched.” - -Tikal seated himself again, and Maya went on: - -“On that very night of the coming of the Lord Dimas, when I was alone -in my chamber, the Lady Nahua, the wife of Tikal, crept upon me and -strove to murder this my child;” and she set out the story telling how -the señor and I, hearing her cries for help, had entered the chamber -and seized and bound Nahua. “Then it was, brethren, that sudden terror -took us, and we fled, seeking to escape a land where we could not live -in safety from one hour to another. This is our sin, and we leave our -punishment in your hands. Surely it was better that we should strive -to save the child, so that he might live to play his part, whatever -that may be, than that he should be kept here to be butchered by those -whom you have raised up to rule you.” - -When Maya had finished her speech the señor and I addressed the -Council in turn, confirming all that she had said, and submitting -ourselves to the judgment of the Brotherhood. - -Now we were commanded to fall back, and took our stand beneath the -mask of the Nameless god, while the Council consulted together, and -there we awaited our doom. Presently we were brought forward again, -and Tikal spoke to us, saying that our sentence was postponed till the -charge against Nahua, the daughter of Mattai, and against himself, -Tikal, the _cacique_ and high-priest of the City of the Heart, had -been considered, adding in a slow and triumphant voice: - -“Let Nahua, the daughter of Mattai, who waits without, be brought into -the presence of the Heart.” - -We heard, and gathered up our courage to meet the advancing fate, for -we knew that death was on us, and that for us there was no more pity -or escape. - -The door was opened, and Nahua came through it, dressed in the robes -of her rank, and wearing the green diadem that could be carried only -by the wife or mother of the _cacique_. - -“What is your pleasure with me, lords?” she said proudly, after she -had made her obeisance to the altar. - -Then the Priest of the Records rose and read the charge, namely, that -she had attempted with her own hand to do murder upon the body of the -infant child of Maya, Lady of the Heart, and her husband, the white -man; also that she had aided and abetted Tikal, her husband, in -various acts of cruelty and misgovernment that were alleged against -him, asking her what she pleaded in answer. - -“To the last charge, not guilty,” she said. “Let Tikal defend his own -sins. To the first, guilty. I did attempt to put an end to yonder -brat, but Maya discovered me, and I was caught and bound.” - -“Surely, brethren,” said Dimas, rising, “we need carry this matter no -further. We have heard the evidence of the Lady Maya and the others, -and now Nahua confesses to her crime. She confesses that she attempted -to take the life of him whom she knew to be the sacred child, the hope -of the People of the Heart, and for such a sin it seems to me that -there is but one punishment, though it is terrible, and she who must -suffer it is a woman and of high rank.” - -“Stay!” broke in Nahua. “You have not heard me out, and I have the -right to speak before I am condemned to die. You charge me with having -attempted to take the life of ‘the sacred child, the hope of the -People of the Heart,’ and, had I done this, doubtless I should be -worthy of your doom, whereas in truth I am worthy of your praise. -Lords of the Heart, this child whom you adore, the Heaven-sent Child -of prophecy, whom to-night you would anoint as your _cacique_, -deposing Tikal, my husband, and who, as you believe, shall be the star -to light our race to greatness and to victory, is a living lie, a -fraud, and a bastard!” - -Now a confusion broke out among the Council, and angry voices called -to her to cease her blasphemies; but she won silence, and went on: - -“Hear me out, I pray you, for, even if I wished it, I should not dare -to speak thus at random, but am prepared with proof of every word I -utter. You think that I would have killed this child to wring the -heart of my rival, Maya,--and indeed I desire to wring it; and that I -would set my own son in his place,--and indeed I wish to set him -there. Yet these were not my reasons for the deed. Lords of the -Council, listen to a tale, the strangest that ever you have heard, and -judge between me and Tikal, my husband, and Maya, my rival, and her -friends. Mattai, my father, was known to you all, seeing that at the -time of his death, and, indeed, since Tikal was anointed _cacique_, he -stood next to him in place and power among the People of the Heart, -holding those offices in the Brotherhood which now are filled by -Dimas, and among them that of Keeper of the Sanctuary. Yet, lords, -Mattai, my father, was no true man. Alas! that I should have to say -it, seeing that it was more for my sake that he sinned than for his -own, since he loved me, and desired my welfare above everything on -earth. It was this love of his that ruined him, making him false to -his god, to his oaths, and to his country. Thus, in the beginning, he -knew that since I was a child I had set my heart upon the Lord Tikal, -who was affianced to the Lady Maya; also that I was ambitious and -yearned to be great. Therefore it was that he deceived Tikal, -pretending that it had been revealed to him by heaven that the Lady -Maya and her father were dead in the wilderness. Therefore it was also -that when he had persuaded him that she was lost to him for ever, he -pressed it upon the Lord Tikal that he should marry me in place of -Maya, his affianced, who was dead, promising him in return that he -would bring it about that he should be anointed _cacique_ of the -People of the Heart. All these things and others he did, though at -that time I knew nothing of them, and thought in my folly that Tikal -married me because he loved me, and sought me as the companion of his -life and power. - -“Then Zibalbay returned on the night of our marriage-feast, and with -him came Maya and the strangers; and from that hour my husband began -to hate me because I was his wife in place of Maya, whom he loved. -More, as I have learned since, he went to Zibalbay while he lay in -prison, and offered to resign his place as _cacique_ in his favour for -so long as he should live, and no more to oppose his schemes, if he -would give him Maya in marriage after I had been put away either by -death or by divorce. This Zibalbay would have done, and gladly; but, -as it chanced, Maya here had set her heart upon the white man during -their journeyings together through the wilderness, and refused to be -separated from him that she might be palmed off in marriage upon -Tikal. Yet he might have won his way, for their case was desperate, -and the alternative was death had not Mattai, my father, found a plan -whereby they could be saved and I remain the wife of the _cacique_. -This was the plan, lords: that a prophecy should be set in the symbol -of the Heart yonder, such as would deceive the Council of the Heart, -and bring it about that Maya should be given in marriage to the white -man whom she loved. Lords, this was done. At the dead of night they -crept to the Sanctuary, and, opening the Heart, they placed within it -that tablet which you have seen, the tablet that foreshadowed the -birth of a Deliverer. The rest you know.” - -“It is false,” cried many voices. “Such sacrilege is not possible.” - -“It is not false,” answered Nahua, “and I will prove to you that the -sacrilege was possible. The Heart was opened, and the false prophecy -forged by my father was placed within it, where it was found by you on -the night of the festival of the Rising of Waters, this day a year -ago. But when the holy Heart was opened, behold! it was not empty, for -in it lay another prophecy,--a true prophecy,--which was removed from -it, that the lie which has deceived you might be set in its place.” - -“Where, then, is that writing?” asked Dimas. - -“Here,” she answered, drawing the tablet from her breast. “Listen----” -and she read: - -“_The Eye that has slept and is awakened sees the heart and purpose of -the wicked. I say that in the hour of the desolation of my city not -all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away their sin._” - -“Take it, lords, and see for yourselves,” she continued, laying the -tablet on the altar. “Now, listen again, and learn how it chanced that -this relic came into my keeping. After he had wrought this great sin, -the curse of the Nameless god fell upon my father, and, as you know, -he was smitten with a sore disease. Then it came about that, when he -lay dying, remorse took him, and he wrote a certain paper which he -caused to be witnessed and given to me, together with this tablet. In -my hand I hold that paper, lords; hear it and judge for yourselves -whether I have spoken truth or falsehood,”--and she read aloud the -confession of Mattai, that set out every detail of our plot and the -manner of its execution. - -“Now, lords,” she added, when the reading was finished and the -signatures had been examined, “you will understand how it happened -that in my rage at this tidings I strove to kill yonder infant, who -has been palmed off upon you as the seed of the god, and I leave it to -you to deal with those who planned the fraud.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - FAREWELL - -Nahua ceased and sat down, and so great was the astonishment--or -rather the awe--of the Council at the tale that she had told, that for -a while none of them spoke. At length Dimas rose, and said: - -“Maya, Lady of the Heart, and you strangers, you have heard the awful -charge that is brought against you. What do you say in answer to it?” - -“We say that it is true,” answered Maya calmly. “We were forced to -choose between the loss of our lives and the doing of this deed, and -we chose to live. It was Mattai who hatched the fraud and executed the -forgery, and now it seems that we must suffer for his sin as well as -for our own. One word more: Ignatio here did not enter into this plot -willingly, but was forced into it by my husband and myself, and -chiefly by myself.” - -Dimas made no answer, but at a sign the two priests who guarded the -altar with drawn swords came forward and drove us into the passage -that led from the Sanctuary to the Hall of the Dead, where they shut -us in between the double doors, leaving us in darkness. - -Here, as all was finished, I knelt down to offer my last prayers to -Heaven, while Maya wept in her husband’s arms, taking farewell of him -and of her child, which wailed upon her breast. - -“Truly,” he said, “you were wise, wife, when you urged us not to enter -this Country of the Heart. Still, what is done cannot be undone, and, -having been happy together for a little space, let us die together as -bravely as we may, hoping that still together we may awake presently -in some new world of peace.” - -While he spoke, the door was opened, and the priests with drawn swords -led us back into the Sanctuary. As Maya crossed the threshold first of -the three of us, she was met by Tikal, who with a sudden movement, but -without roughness, took the child from her arms. Now we saw what was -prepared for us, for the stone in front of the altar had been lifted, -and at our feet yawned the black shaft from which ascended the sound -of waters. They placed us with our backs resting against the altar; -but Tikal stood in front, and between him and us lay the mouth of the -pit. - -“Maya, daughter of Zibalbay the _cacique_, Lady of the Heart; white -man, Son of the Sea; Ignatio the Wanderer; and Mattai the priest, -whom, being dead in the body, we summon in the spirit,” began Dimas in -a cold and terrible voice, “you by your own confession are proved -guilty of the greatest crimes that can be dreamed of in the wicked -brain of man and executed by his impious hands. You have broken your -solemn oaths taken in the presence of heaven and your brethren; you -have offered insult to the god we worship, and violated his Sanctuary; -and you have palmed off as their god-sent prince, upon the people who -trusted you, a bastard and a child of sin. For all these and other -crimes which you have committed,--why we know not,--it is not in our -power to mete out to you a just reward. That must be measured to you -elsewhere, when you have passed our judgment-seat and your names are -long forgotten upon the earth. - -“This is the sentence of the Council of the Heart, that your name, -Mattai, be erased from the list of the officers of the Heart; that -your memory be proclaimed accursed; that your dwelling-place be burned -with fire, and the site of it strewn with salt; that your corpse be -torn from its grave and laid upon the summit of the pyramid till the -birds of the air devour it; and that your soul be handed over to the -tormentors of the lower world to deal with according to their pleasure -for ever and for aye. - -“This is the sentence of the Council of the Heart upon you, Maya, -daughter of Zibalbay the _cacique_, Lady of the Heart; white man, Son -of the Sea, and Ignatio the Wanderer: That your names be erased from -the roll of the Brethren of the Heart, and proclaimed accursed in the -streets of the city; that you be gagged, bound hand and foot, and -chained living to the walls of the Sanctuary, and there left before -the altar of the god which you have violated, till death from thirst -and hunger shall overtake you; that your corpses be laid upon the -pyramid as a prey to the birds of the air; and that your souls be -handed over to the tormentors of the under-world to deal with -according to their pleasure for ever and for aye. It is spoken. Let -the sentence of the Council be done. But first, since this bastard -babe is too young to sin and suffer punishment, let him be handed into -the keeping of the god, that the god may deal with him according to -his pleasure.” - -As the words passed his lips, and before we fully understood them, -dazed as we were with the terror of our awful doom, Tikal stepped -forward and--even now I shudder when I write of it--holding the poor -infant, which at this instant began to wail again as though with pain -or fear, over the mouth of the pit, suddenly he let it fall into the -depths beneath. - -The shriek of the agonised mother ran round the walls of the holy -place, and before it had died away the señor had leaped -forward--leaped like a puma--across the gulf of the open well and -gripped Tikal by the throat and waist. He gripped him, and, rage -giving him strength, he lifted him high above his head and hurled him -down the dreadful place whither the child had gone before. - -With a hoarse scream, Tikal vanished, and for a moment there was -silence. It was broken by the voice of Maya, crying aloud, in accents -of madness and despair,-- - -“Not all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away our sin, yet may -they serve to avenge us upon you, O you murderers of a helpless -child!” - -As she spoke, followed by the señor and myself, who I think alone of -all the company guessed her dreadful purpose, Maya ran round the -altar, and with both her hands grasped the symbol of the Heart which -lay upon it. - -“Forbear!” cried the voice of Dimas, but she did not heed him. Before -he or any of us could reach her, dragging at it with desperate -strength, she tore the ancient symbol from its bed, and with a loud -and mocking laugh had cast it down upon the marble floor, where it -shattered into fragments. - -For one second all was still; then from the altar there came a sudden -twang as of harp-strings breaking, that was followed instantly by -another and more awful sound, the sound of the roar of many waters. - -“Fly! fly!” cried a voice, “the floods are loosed and destruction is -upon us and upon the People of the Heart!” - -Now the Council rushed one and all towards the door of the Sanctuary; -but I, Ignatio, by the grace of Heaven, remembered the other door, the -secret door through which we had entered, that the priest had left -ajar. - -“This way!” I cried in Spanish to the señor, and seizing Maya by the -arm I dragged her with me into the passage. When all three of us were -through I turned to close the door, and as I did so I saw an awful -sight. - -Out of the mouth of the pit before the altar sprang a vast column of -water, which struck the roof of the Sanctuary with such fearful force -that already the massive marble blocks began to rain down upon the -crowd of fugitives, who struggled and in vain to open the door and -escape into the Hall of the Dead. One other thing I saw; it was the -corpse of Tikal, vomited from the depth into which the señor had -hurled him, a shapeless mass ascending and descending with the column -of water as alternately it struck and rebounded from the roof. - - [image: img_337.jpg - caption: Out of the mouth of the pit... sprang a vast column of - water.] - -Then, before the flood could reach it, I closed the door, and, -possessing myself of the bunch of keys that still hung in the lock, we -fled up the passages and stairs till we came to the hall where we had -been imprisoned. Here, however, we dared not stay, for already strange -gurgling sounds struck upon our ears, and we felt the mighty fabric of -the pyramid shake and quiver beneath the blows of the imprisoned -waters as they burst their way upward and outward. Seizing lamps, we -ran to the copper gates at the head of the hall, and not without -trouble found the key that opened them. We had no time to spare, for -as we left it the water rushed in at the further end of the chamber, a -solid wave that in some few seconds filled it to the depth of six or -eight feet. On we fled before the advancing flood, and well was it for -us that our course lay upwards, for otherwise we must have been -drowned as we searched for the keys to open the different gates and -doors. But now fortune, which for so long had been our foe, befriended -us, and the end of it was that we reached the summit of the pyramid -just as the dawn began to break. - -The dawn was breaking and seldom perhaps has the light of day revealed -a more wonderful or terrible sight to the eyes of man. Outside the -gates of the courtyard of the pyramid were gathered a great multitude -of people waiting to be admitted to celebrate the feast that on this -day of the year was to be held, according to the custom, upon the -summit of the pyramid. Indeed, they should have already been assembled -there, but it was the rule that the gates could not be opened until -the Council had left the Sanctuary, and this night the Council sat -late. As we looked at them a cry of fear and wonder rose from the -multitude, and this was the cause of it. Along that street which ran -from the landing-place to the great square rushed a vast foam-topped -wall of water twenty feet or more in depth by a hundred broad. Now we -learned the truth. The symbol on the altar--I know not how--was -connected with secret and subterranean sluice-gates which for many -generations had protected the City of the Heart from flood. When it -was torn from its bed these sluice-gates were opened, and the waters, -rushing in, sought their natural level, which at this season of the -year was higher than the housetops of the city. - -On the summit of the pyramid were two priests who tended the sacred -fire and made ready for the service to be celebrated. Seeing us emerge -from the watch-house, they ran towards us, wringing their hands, and -asking what dreadful thing had come to pass. I replied that we did not -know, but that seeing the water gather in our prison we had fled from -it. How we had fled they never stopped to ask, but ran down the -stairway of the pyramid, only to return again presently, for before -they reached its base their escape was cut off. - -Meanwhile the terror thickened and the doom began. Everywhere the -waters spread and gathered, replenished from the inexhaustible -reservoir of the vast lake. Whole streets went down before them, to -vanish suddenly beneath their foaming face, while from the crowd below -rose one continuous shriek of agony. - -Maya heard it, and, casting herself face downward upon the surface of -the pyramid, that she might not see her handiwork, she thrust her -fingers into her ears to stop them, while the señor and I watched, -fascinated. Now the flood struck the people, some thousands of them, -who were gathered on the rising ground at the gates of the enclosure -of the temple, and lo! in an instant they were gone, borne away as -withered leaves are borne before a gale. Ere a man might count ten the -most of the population of the City of the Heart had perished! - -For a little while some of the more massive houses stood, only to -vanish one by one, in silence as it seemed, for now the roar of the -advancing waters mastered all other sounds. Before the sun was well up -it was finished, and of that ancient and beautiful city, Heart of the -World, there remained nothing to be seen except the tops of trees and -the upper parts of the pyramids of worship rising above the level of -the lake. The Golden City was no more. It was gone, and with it all -its hoarded treasures, its learning and its ancient faith, and that -which for many generations had been held to be a myth had now become a -myth indeed. One short hour had sufficed to sweep out of existence the -ripe fruit of the labour of centuries, and with it the dwindling -remnant of the last pure race of Indians, who followed the customs and -the creed of my forefathers. Doubtless their day was done, and the -Power above us had decreed their fall; still, so vast and sudden a -ruin was a thing awful to behold, or even to think upon. What, I -wondered, would the founders of this great city and the fashioners of -its solemn pyramids and Sanctuary have thought and felt, could they -have foreseen the manner of its end? Would they, then, have set the -holy symbol so cunningly upon its altar, that the strength of a -maddened woman, by tearing it away, could bury altar, temple, town, -and all who lived therein, for ever beneath the surface of the lake? -This they did to protect their homes and fanes against the foe, so -that, if need were, they could prefer destruction to dishonour; but -they did not foresee--indeed they never dreamed--that this foe might -be of their own race, and that the hand of one of her children would -bring disaster, utter and irredeemable, upon the proud head of their -holy stronghold, the city Heart of the World. - -Now foot by foot the waters found their level, filling up the cup in -which the town had stood, and the bright sunlight shone upon their -placid surface as they rippled round the sides of the pyramid and over -the flat roofs of the submerged houses. Here and there floated a mass -of wreckage, and here and there a human corpse, over which already the -water-eagles began to gather, and that was all. - -Presently Maya rose to her knees and looked out from beneath the -hollow of her hand, for the light was dazzling there upon the white -summit of the pyramid. Then she flung her arms above her head and -uttered a great and bitter cry. - -“Behold my handiwork,” she said, “and the harvest of my sin! Oh! my -father, that dream which you sent to haunt my sleep was dreadful, but -it did not touch the truth. Oh! my father, the people whom you would -have saved are dead; lost is the city that you loved, and it is I who -have destroyed them. Oh! my father, my father, your curse has found me -out indeed, and I am accursed.” - -Some such words as these she spoke, then began to laugh, and turning -to the señor, she said, - -“Where is the child, husband?” - -He could not answer her, but she took no note of it, only she bent her -arms, rocking them and crooning as though the infant lay upon her -breast, then came first to him and next to me, saying,-- - -“Look, is he not a pretty boy? Am I not happy to be the mother of such -a boy?” - -I made pretence to look, but the sight of her pitiful face and of the -empty arms, as she swayed them, was so dreadful that I was forced to -turn away to hide my tears. Now I saw the truth. Weariness, sorrow, -and shock had turned her brain, and she was mad. - - [image: img_341.jpg - caption: She was mad.] - -We led her to the watch-house, where there was shelter, and the -priests, who had returned, gave us food so soon as we could make them -understand that we needed it, for they too were almost mad. Here her -last illness seized the Lady Maya. It began with a hardening of the -breast, which changed presently to fever. Two days and nights, with -breaking hearts, we nursed her there upon the pyramid, striving not to -listen to her sick ravings and piteous talk about the child, and at -dawn upon the third day she died. Before she died her senses returned -to her, and she spoke to her husband beautiful and tender words which -seem almost too holy to set down. - -“Alas!” she ended, “as my heart foretold me, I have brought you -nothing but evil, and now the time has come for me to go away from -you. Ignatio was right, and we were wrong,--or rather I was wrong. We -should have died together a year ago, if that were needful, sooner -than commit the sin we worked in the Sanctuary, for then at least our -hands would have been clean, nor would the blood of the people have -rested on my head. Yet, believe me, husband, that when I did the deed -of death, I was mad, for I had seen our child murdered before my eyes -and I heard a voice within me bidding me to be avenged. Well, it is -done, and I have suffered for it and perhaps shall suffer more, yet I -think that I was but the hand or the instrument of Fate predestined to -bring destruction upon a race already doomed, and on a faith outworn. -That faith I no longer believe in, for you have taught me another -worship, therefore I do not fear the vengeance of the god of my -people. May my other sins find forgiveness, if they are sins, for it -was my love of you that led me to them. Husband, I trust that you may -escape from this ill-omened place, and live on for many years in -happiness; but most of all I trust that in the land which you will -reach at last, you may find us waiting for you, the child and I -together. Farewell to you. This is a sad parting, and my life has been -short and sorrowful. Yet I am glad to have lived it, since it brought -me to your arms, and, however little I may have deserved it, I think -that you loved me truly and will love my memory even when I am dead. -To you also, Ignatio, farewell. You have been a true friend to me, -though I brought you no good luck, and at times I was jealous of you. -Think kindly of me if you can, though had it not been for me you might -have attained your ends, and, as in the old days before we met, -comfort my husband with your friendship.” - -Then once more she turned to the señor and in a gasping and broken -voice prayed of him not to forget her or her child. I heard him answer -that this she need not fear, as his happiness died with her, and, even -if he should escape, he thought that they would not be parted for very -long, nor could any other woman take her place within his heart. - -She blessed him and thanked him, caressing his face with her dying -hands, and, unable to bear more of such a sight, I left them together. - - - -An hour later the señor came from the watch-house, and though he did -not speak, one glance at him was enough to tell me that all was over. - -So died Maya, Lady of the Heart, the last of the ancient royal blood -of the Indian princes, myself alone excepted, a very sweet and -beautiful woman, though at times headstrong, passionate, and -capricious. - - - -Now while Maya lay dying we learned that some Indians still lived on -the mainland, men and women who had been sent there to tend the crops, -for we saw a canoe hovering round what once had been the Island of the -Heart. The two priests who were with us on the pyramid tried to signal -to it to come to our rescue, but either those in the boat did not see -us, or they were terror-stricken and feared to approach the pyramid. -Still we kept the body all that day, hoping that help might reach us, -so that we could take it ashore for burial. Towards night, however, -when none came, we made another plan. On the roof of the watch-house -the sacred fire still burned, for the two priests had tended it, more -from custom, I think, than for any other reason. Hither we brought -some of the gilded stools that were used by the nobles of the Heart on -days of festival, and all the fuel that had been stored to replenish -the fire, building the whole into a funeral pyre around and above the -brazier. Then, as it caught, we carried out the body of Maya, wrapped -in her white robes, and laid it upon the pyre and left it. - -Presently the great pile was alight and burning so fiercely that it -lit up the whole summit of the pyramid and the darkness which -surrounded it. All that night we watched it, while the two priests -lamented and beat their breasts after their fashion, till at length it -flared itself away, and the holy fire that had burned for more than a -thousand years died down and was extinguished. It seemed very fitting -that the latest office of this ancient and consecrated flame should be -to consume the body of the last of the royal race who had tended it -for so many generations. Towards dawn a wind sprang up with drizzling -rain, and when we approached the place at daybreak it was to find it -cold and blackened. No spark remained alight, and no ash or fragment -could be seen of her who was once the beautiful and gracious Lady of -the Heart. - - [image: img_343.jpg - caption: Presently the great pile was alight.] - -Now we set ourselves sadly enough to find a means of escape to the -mainland, which indeed it was time to do, for the waters, working in -its centre, were sapping the foundations of the great pyramid, -portions of which had already fallen away. Our plan was to form a raft -by lashing together some benches that were at hand, and on it to float -or paddle ourselves to the shore. This, however, we were spared the -pains of doing, for when our task was half completed we saw a large -canoe, manned by three Indians, advancing towards us, and signalled to -them to paddle round to the steps of the pyramid. They did so, and, -taking with us all the food and such few articles of value as were to -be found in the watch-house, the four of us embarked, though not -without difficulty, for the current ran so strongly round the -crumbling angles of the pyramid that it was hard to bring the canoe up -to the stairs. - -From the Indians we learned that those on shore were so overwhelmed -with horror at the catastrophe which had fallen upon their holy city, -that they did not dare to approach the place where it had stood. But -when on the previous night they saw the great flame of Maya’s funeral -pyre, they knew that men still lived upon the pyramid, who, as they -thought, were signalling to them for help, and ventured out to save -them. They asked us how it came about that the waters had overwhelmed -the city which had stood among them safely from the beginning of time. -We replied that we did not know, and the priests with us, now that -they had escaped with their lives, seemed too prostrated to tell our -deliverers that we had been imprisoned in the hollow of the pyramid, -even if they knew that this was so. - -On reaching the shore we found a little gathering of awe-stricken -Indians,--perhaps there may have been a hundred and fifty of -them,--the sole survivors of the People of the Heart, unless indeed a -few still lived on the high land of those portions of the island of -the Heart that as yet had not been submerged. Open-mouthed and almost -without comment they listened to the terrible tale of the sudden and -utter destruction of their city. When it was done, one among them -suggested that the white man should be killed, as without doubt he had -brought misfortune and the vengeance of heaven upon their race, but -this proposal seemed to find no favour with the rest of them. Indeed, -had they known the part which we played in the disaster, I doubt if -they would have found the spirit to make an end of us. - -On the other hand they gave us what food and clothing we required, and -even weapons, such as _machetes_, bows and arrows, and blow-pipes, and -left us to go our way. Often I have wondered what became of them, and -if any of their number, or of their children, still survive. - -So we turned our faces to the mountains, and on the second day we -crossed them safely, for Maya had told us the secret of the passage -through the rocks, which, under her guidance, we had passed -blindfolded. - -Thus, at length, having looked our last upon the blue waters of the -Holy Lake, sparkling in the sunshine above the palaces of the city and -the bones of its inhabitants, did we leave that accursed Country of -the Heart, where so much loss and evil had befallen us. - - - - - ENVOI. - -My friend, now I, Ignatio, have finished writing that story of how I -came to visit the Golden City of the Indians, which so many have -believed to be fabulous, and that to-day exists no more. It is a -strange story, and I trust that it may interest you to read it when I -am dead and buried. - -Perhaps you would like to know the details of our homeward journey, -but in truth I have neither the strength nor the patience to set them -down. It was a terrible journey, and once we both of us fell ill with -fever from which I thought that we should not recover; but recover we -did by the help of some wandering Indians who nursed us, and at length -reached this place from which we had fled for our lives nearly two -years before. We found the _hacienda_ deserted, for it had the -reputation of being haunted, though some of the Indian dependents, or -rather slaves, of that great villain, Don Pedro Moreno, still worked -patches of the land. Well, the señor took a fancy to stay in the -place, for it was here that he had first seen his wife, and so we sold -that girdle of emeralds which Maya took from the chest of ornaments -and gave to me when we were imprisoned for the first time in the hall -of the pyramid (do not lose the clasp, friend, for it is the only -remaining relic of the People of the Heart), and with the proceeds we -bought at a cheap rate from the government of the day, who had entered -into possession of them, this house and the wide lands round it, that -I have cultivated ever since. For, my friend, now my ambitions were -finished. I had played my last card and it had failed me, and, albeit -with a sorrowful mind, I abandoned my hopes for the regeneration of -the Indians which I had no longer the means or the health and vigour -to attempt. Also, I was no more Lord of the Heart, for with its -counterpart it was lost in the Sanctuary yonder beneath the waters of -the Holy Lake, and with the ancient symbol went much of my power. - -For five years the señor and I lived here together, but I think that -during all this time he was dying. He, who used to be so strong in -body and merry in mind, never regained his health or spirits from that -hour when Maya passed upon the pyramid, and though he seldom spoke of -her, I know that night and day she was always present in his thoughts. -Twice in the spring seasons he suffered from _calenturas_, as we call -the fever of the country, which left him sallow in face and shrunken -in body; and when the spring came round for the third time, I begged -him to go to Mexico for change, returning to the _hacienda_ in the -summer. In vain; he would not do it, indeed I do not think that he -cared whether he lived or died. So the end of it was that the -_calentura_ took him again, and die he did in my arms, happily as a -child that falls asleep. - -Now my days are accomplished also, and, having failed in all things -and known much sorrow and disappointment, I go to join him. My friend, -farewell. Perhaps you will think of me from time to time, and, though -you are a heretic, send up a prayer to heaven for the welfare of the -soul of the old Indian-- - - Ignatio. - - THE END. - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES. - - -Errors/inconsistencies of the author that have been preserved: - -The Usumacinta River is referred to as the _Usumacinto_ River. - -_Tabasco_ and _Tobasco_ are used interchangeably. - -Minor spelling and hyphenization inconsistencies (e.g. corn-field/corn -field, lamplight/lamp-light, etc.). - -Alterations to the text: - -[Title Page] - -Add illustrator’s credit. - -[Chapter III] - -Change “_Zilbalbay_ spoke to me in the presence” to _Zibalbay_. - -[Chapter VI] - -“tore along her deck from stem to _stem_” to _stern_. - -“the mouth of the _Usamacinto_ river” to _Usumacinto_. - -[End of Text] - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE WORLD *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Rider Haggard - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - -/* Headers and Divisions */ - h1, h2, h3 {margin:2em 0em 1em 0em; page-break-before:always; text-align:center;} - - div.tp {text-align:center;} /* title page */ - - .nobreak {page-break-before:avoid;} - - /* center a block of text */ - div.quote_o {font-size:95%; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 2em; text-align:center;} - div.quote_i {display:inline-block; text-align:left;} - -/* General */ - - body {margin:0% 5% 0% 5%;} - - p {margin:0em 0em 0em 0em; text-align:justify; text-indent:2em;} - p.center {margin:0em 0em 0em 0em; text-align:center; text-indent:0em;} - p.right {margin:0em 0em 0em 0em; text-align:right; text-indent:0em;} - p.noindent {text-indent:0em;} - p.sign2 {margin:0em 2em 0em 0em; text-align:right; text-indent:0em;} - p.spacer {margin:0.5em 0em 0.5em 0em; text-align:center; text-indent:0em;} - p.end {margin:1em 0em 0em 0em; text-align:center; text-indent:0em;} - - p.toc_1 {font-variant:small-caps; text-align:left; text-indent:0em;} - p.loi {font-variant:small-caps; margin:0em 0em 0em 2em; text-align:left; text-indent:-2em;} - - div.letter {margin:1em 0em 1em 3em;} - - span.font80 {font-size:80%;} - - span.sc {font-variant:small-caps;} - - span.chap_sub {font-size:80%;} - -/* Images and captions */ - - div.fig {margin:auto; padding:1em 1em 1em 1em; text-align:center;} - - div.caption {font-size:80%; padding:0 2em 0 2em; text-align:center;} - - img {height:50%; width:auto;} - - </style> -</head> - -<body> - -<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heart of the World, by H. Rider Haggard</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Heart of the World</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: H. Rider Haggard</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Amy Sawyer</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: July 23, 2021 [eBook #65901]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE WORLD ***</div> - -<div class="fig" id="img_000"> -<a href="images/img_000.jpg"> -<img alt="Maya" src="images/img_000_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -Maya -</div></div> - - - -<div class="tp"> -<h1> -HEART OF THE WORLD -</h1> - -BY<br/> -H. RIDER HAGGARD -<br/><br/> - -<i>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY SAWYER</i> - -<br/><br/><br/><br/> -LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.<br/> -<span class="font80">LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY<br/> -1896<br/> -<i>All rights reserved</i></span> -</div> - - -<h2> -DEDICATION. -</h2> - -<p class="center"> -I INSCRIBE THIS STORY OF THE GOLDEN CITY<br/> -‘<i>HEART OF THE WORLD</i>’<br/> -TO MY NAMESAKE AND GODCHILD<br/> -HENRY RIDER HAGGARD<br/> -OF BUTLER, U. S. A. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<i>Ditchingham</i>,<br/> -</p> - -<p> -<i>Christmas Day, 1894</i> -</p> - - -<h2> -CONTENTS. -</h2> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch00">Prologue—Don Ignatio</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch01">Chapter I. How the Plot Failed</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch02">Chapter II. The Señor Strickland</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch03">Chapter III. The Summons</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch04">Chapter IV. The Legend of the Heart</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch05">Chapter V. The Beginning of the Quest</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch06">Chapter VI. “El Norte”</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch07">Chapter VII. “The Hacienda”</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch08">Chapter VIII. The Supper and After</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch09">Chapter IX. The Duel</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch10">Chapter X. How Molas Died</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch11">Chapter XI. Zibalbay Tells His Mission</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch12">Chapter XII. Maya Descends the Cueva</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch13">Chapter XIII. Ignatio’s Oath</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch14">Chapter XIV. The City of the Heart</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch15">Chapter XV. How Zibalbay Came Home</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch16">Chapter XVI. On the Pyramid</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch17">Chapter XVII. The Curse of Zibalbay</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch18">Chapter XVIII. The Plot</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch19">Chapter XIX. The Sacrilege</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch20">Chapter XX. The Council of the Heart</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch21">Chapter XXI. The Marriage of Maya</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch22">Chapter XXII. Mattai Prophesies Evil</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch23">Chapter XXIII. Our Flight and How it Ended</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch24">Chapter XXIV. Nahua Bears Witness</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch25">Chapter XXV. Farewell</a> -</p> - -<p class="toc_1"> -<a href="#ch26">ENVOI</a> -</p> - - -<h2> -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. -</h2> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_000">Maya</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_010">‘Can you read this writing?’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_031">‘This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_075">‘You shall pay for that, Englishman.’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_114">I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to tremble.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_126">‘Oh! that I were free to avenge you!’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_145">The mass of stonework fell, ... taking Molas with it.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_170">So beautiful was this bubble... that for some minutes Maya watched it.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_184">Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya joined us.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_209">‘It is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home.’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_265">It was... Zibalbay, ... come back from the boundaries of death.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_304">‘You—false Lady of the Heart.’</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_337">Out of the mouth of the pit... sprang a vast column of water.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_341">She was mad.</a> -</p> - -<p class="loi"> -<a href="#img_343">Presently the great pile was alight.</a> -</p> - - -<h2> -HEART OF THE WORLD -</h2> - -<h3 class="nobreak" id="ch00"> -PROLOGUE.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">DON IGNATIO</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">The</span> circumstances under which the following pages come to be printed -are somewhat curious and worthy of record. Within the last few years a -certain English gentleman, whom we will call Jones, because it was not -his name, chanced to be employed as the manager of a mine not far from -the Usumacinto River, the upper reaches of which divide the Mexican -State of Chiapas from the Republic of Guatemala. -</p> - -<p> -Now life at a mine in Chiapas, though doubtless it has some -compensations, does not altogether fulfil a European’s ideal of -happiness. To begin with, the work is hard, desperately hard, and -though the climate is healthy enough among the mountains, there are -valleys where men may die of fever. Of sport, strictly speaking, there -is none, for the forests are too dense to hunt in with any comfort, -and, if they were not, the swarms of venomous insects of various -degree, that haunt them, would make this particular relaxation -impossible. -</p> - -<p> -Society also, as we understand it, is conspicuous by its absence, and -should a man chance even to be married, he could not well bring his -wife into regions that are still very unsettled, across forest paths, -through rivers, and along the brinks of precipices, dangerous and -impassable enough to strike terror to the heart of the stoutest -traveller. -</p> - -<p> -When Mr. Jones had dwelt for a year at the mines of La Concepcion, the -fact of his loneliness, and a desire for acquaintances more congenial -than the American clerk of the stores and his Indian labourers, came -home to him with some force. During the first months of his residence -he had attempted to make friends with the owners of some neighbouring -<i>fincas</i> or farms. This attempt, however, he soon gave up in disgust, -for these men proved to be half-breeds of the lowest class, living in -an atmosphere of monotonous vice. -</p> - -<p> -In this emergency, being a person of intelligence, Jones fell back -upon intellectual resources, and devoted himself, so far as his time -would allow, to the collection of antiquities, and to the study of -such of the numerous ruins of pre-Aztec cities and temples as lay -within his reach. The longer he pursued these researches, the more did -they fascinate his imagination. Therefore, when he chanced to hear -that, on the farther side of the mountain, at a <i>hacienda</i> called -Santa Cruz, there dwelt an Indian, Don Ignatio by name, the owner of -the <i>hacienda</i>, who was reported to have more knowledge of the -<i>antiguos</i>, their history and relics, than anybody else in this part -of Mexico, he determined to visit him upon the first opportunity. -</p> - -<p> -This, indeed, he would have done before, for Don Ignatio boasted an -excellent reputation, had it not been for the length of the journey to -his home. Now, however, the difficulty was lessened by an Indian who -offered to point out a practicable path over the mountain, which -brought the <i>hacienda</i> of Santa Cruz to within a three hours’ ride on -mule-back from La Concepcion, in place of the ten hours that were -necessary to reach it by the more frequented road. Accordingly, one -day in the dry season, when work was slack at the mine, owing to the -water having fallen too low to turn the crushing-mill, Jones started. -This was on a Saturday, for on the Monday previous he had despatched a -runner to Don Ignatio announcing his intended visit, and received in -reply a most courteous and well-written letter, begging him to pass -the next Sunday at the <i>hacienda</i>, “where any English gentleman would -always be most welcome.” -</p> - -<p> -As he approached the <i>hacienda</i>, he was astonished to see the -<i>façade</i> of an enormous white stone building of a semi-Moorish style -of architecture, having towers and ornamented doorways at either end, -and a large dome rising from the centre of its flat roof. Riding -through the <i>milpas</i>, or corn-fields, and groves of cocoa and coffee -bushes, all in a perfect state of cultivation, which covered many -acres on every side of the building, Jones came to the gateway of a -large <i>patio</i>, or courtyard, where grew several gigantic <i>ceiba</i> -trees, throwing their grateful shade over the mouth of a well. From -under these trees an Indian appeared, who evidently had been watching -for his arrival, and, taking the horse, informed him, with many -salutations, that the Señor Ignatio was at even-song with his people -in the chapel yonder, according to his habit, but that the prayers -would soon be finished. -</p> - -<p> -Leaving his horse in charge of the Indian, Jones went to the chapel, -and, its great doors being open, he entered and sat down. So soon as -his eyes became accustomed to the dim light, he perceived that the -place was unusually beautiful, both in its proportions and its -decorations. -</p> - -<p> -The worshippers also were many—perhaps they numbered three hundred, -clearly all of them Indians employed upon the estate; and so intent -were they upon their devotions that his entry was not even noticed. To -his mind, however, the most curious object in the building was a slab -of white marble, let into the wall above the altar, whereon the -following inscription was engraved in Spanish, in letters so large -that he had no difficulty in reading it: -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -“Dedicated by Ignatio, the Indian, to the memory of his most beloved -friend, James Strickland, an English gentleman, and Maya, Princess of -the Heart, his wife, whom first he met upon this spot. Pray for their -souls, of your charity, O passer-by.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -While Jones was wondering who this James Strickland, and Maya, -Princess of the Heart, might be, and whether it was his host who had -set up the tablet to their memory, the priest pronounced his -benediction, and the congregation began to leave the church. -</p> - -<p> -The first to pass its doors was an Indian gentleman, whom Jones -rightly took to be Don Ignatio himself. He was a man of about sixty -years, but one who looked much older than his age, for sorrow, -hardship, and suffering had left their marks upon him. In person he -was tall and spare, nor did a slight lameness detract from the dignity -of his bearing. His dress was very simple and quite innocent of the -finery and silver buttons which have so much attraction for the -Mexican mind, consisting as it did of a sombrero of Panama straw, with -a black ribbon in place of the usual gilt cord, a clean white jacket -and shirt, a black tie fastened in a bow, a pair of drab-coloured -trousers, and brown boots of European make. -</p> - -<p> -Indeed, the only really remarkable thing about Don Ignatio was his -face. Never, thought Jones, had he beheld so beautiful a countenance, -or, to be more accurate, one that gave him such assurance of its -owner’s absolute goodness and purity of nature. The features were -those of a high-bred Indian, thin and delicately cut; the nose -aquiline, the cheek-bones and brow prominent, while beneath the latter -shone a pair of large and soft black eyes, so tender and trustful in -their expression that they seemed almost out of place in the face of a -man. -</p> - -<p> -He stood by the door of the chapel, in the light of the setting sun, -leaning somewhat heavily on a stick, while the Indians filed past him. -Every one of these, man, woman, and child, saluted him with the utmost -reverence as they went, some of them, especially the children, kissing -his long and finely-shaped hand when they bade him good-night in terms -of affection, such as “father,” and called on the Saints to guard him. -Jones, watching them, reflected upon the difference of their attitude -from that of the crouching servility which centuries of oppression -have induced in their race towards any master of white blood, and -wondered to what his host’s influence over them was due. It was at -this moment that Don Ignatio turned and saw him. -</p> - -<p> -“A thousand pardons, señor,” he said in Spanish, with a shy and -singularly engaging smile as he lifted his sombrero, showing his long -hair, which, like his pointed beard, was almost white. “You must -indeed have thought me rude, but it is my custom at the end of the -week’s work to attend worship with the peons—do not press round the -noble <i>Inglese</i>, my children—also I did not think that you would -arrive before the sun was down.” -</p> - -<p> -“Pray don’t apologise, señor,” answered Jones; “I have been much -interested in watching all your servants at their devotions. What a -beautiful chapel this is! May I look at it before you shut the doors?” -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly, señor. Like the rest of the house, it is fine. The old -monks who designed it two hundred years ago—for this was a great -monastery—knew how to build, and labour was forced in those days and -cost nothing. Of course I have repaired it a great deal, for those who -lived here before me did not trouble about such things. -</p> - -<p> -“You would scarcely think, señor, that in the old days, twenty years -ago, this place was a nest of highway robbers, smugglers, and -man-slayers, and that these people whom you see to-night, or their -fathers, were slaves with no more rights than a dog. -</p> - -<p> -“But so it was. Many a traveller has lost his life in this house or -its neighbourhood. I, myself, was nearly murdered here once. Look at -the carving of that altarpiece. It is fine, is it not? Those <i>sapote</i> -wood columns date from the time of the old monks. Well, I have known -Don Pedro Moreno, my predecessor, tie human beings to them in order to -brand them with red-hot irons.” -</p> - -<p> -“To whom does that inscription refer?” asked Jones, pointing to the -marble slab which has been described. -</p> - -<p> -Don Ignatio’s face grew very sad as he answered: -</p> - -<p> -“It refers, señor, to the greatest friend I ever had, the man who -saved my life at the risk of his own when I came by this limp, and one -who was dear to me with a love passing the love of woman. But there -was a woman who loved him also, an Indian woman too, and he cared for -her more than he did for me, as was right, for has not God decreed -that a man should leave his friends, yes, his father and mother even, -and cleave unto his wife?” -</p> - -<p> -“He married her then?” said Jones, who was growing interested. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh, yes; he married her, and in a strange place and fashion. But it -is an old story, señor, and with your permission I will not tell it; -even to think of it revives too many painful memories, memories of -death and loss, and disappointed ambition, and high hopes unfulfilled. -Perhaps, one day, if I have the courage and live long enough, I will -write it all down. Indeed, some years ago I made a beginning, but it -wearied me, and what I wrote seemed foolishness, so I gave up the -task. -</p> - -<p> -“I have lived a rough life, señor, and met with many adventures in -it, though, thanks be to God, my last years have been spent in peace. -Well, well, it is coming to an end now, and were it not for the -thought that my people here may fall into evil hands when I am gone, -that would not trouble me. -</p> - -<p> -“But come, señor, you are hungry, and the good father, who has -promised to eat with us, must ride to-night to celebrate a mass -to-morrow at a village three leagues away, so I have ordered supper -early. The porter with your bag arrived safely; it has been placed in -your chamber, the Abbot’s room it is called, and if you will follow me -I will show you a short path to it from the chapel.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he led the way to a little door in the wall. Unlocking this door, -they passed up some narrow stairs, at the head of which was a -landing-place with a window, or rather <i>grille</i>, so arranged that, -while it was invisible from below, an observer standing there could -hear and see all that passed in the chapel. -</p> - -<p> -“This was the place,” said Don Ignatio, “whence the old abbots kept -secret watch upon the monks, and it was here that once I saw a sight -which I am not likely to forget.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he passed on through several long and intricate passages, till he -came to a sitting-room filled with handsome old Spanish furniture. -</p> - -<p> -“Your sleeping-place lies beyond, señor,” he said, opening another -door that led into a large and dreary-looking chamber, lighted by -heavily-barred windows, of which the sills were not less than ten feet -from the ground. -</p> - -<p> -On the walls were frescoes of the Last Judgment, and of scenes -inspired by the bloody drama of the Inquisition, grim to look on and -somewhat injured by damp, but executed with great power and vivid, if -distorted, imagination. Below the centre window, and reaching to -within three feet of the floor, was an ancient full-length portrait of -one of the abbots of the monastery, life-size and painted in oils upon -a panel, representing a man of fierce and evil countenance, over whose -tonsured head the Holy Spirit was shown hovering in the shape of a -dove. For the rest, the room was well, if lightly, furnished, and -boasted the luxury of squares of matting laid upon the brick floor. -</p> - -<p> -“I fear that you will think this but a dismal apartment, señor,” said -Don Ignatio, “still it is our guest-chamber; moreover, there is a room -attached which I thought might be useful to you to write in, should -you wish to do so. The people here say that the place is haunted, but -I know you Englishmen do not bother about such things. It is not -wonderful, however, that they talk thus, seeing that murders were done -in this chamber in the time of Don Pedro Moreno. Indeed, he laid a -plot to kill me and my friend here, and, though he did not succeed in -that instance, when I came into possession afterwards, I found several -skeletons beneath the floor—two of them, I remember, just where the -bed stands now—and gave them decent burial.” -</p> - -<p> -Jones, as in honour bound, declared himself to be totally indifferent -to representations of tortures of the Inquisition, memories of -departed abbots, skeletons of murdered men beneath the floor, ghosts, -and <i>hoc genus omne</i>. Still, though he never confessed it to his host, -his first night in the abbot’s chamber, owing probably to the strong -coffee which he had drunk, was not altogether a pleasant experience. -In after days, however, he became well accustomed to the place, and, -indeed, preferred it to any other room in the <i>hacienda</i>. -</p> - -<p> -In contrast to the rude and ill-dressed fare with which Jones was fain -to satisfy himself at the mine, Don Ignatio’s supper was a feast -worthy of Epicurus, especially as it was free from the horrible -messes, compounded of oil and the inward parts of animals, that figure -so largely in Mexican cookery. -</p> - -<p> -After their meal, cigars and black coffee were handed round, of which -the raw materials had been grown on the estate, and never in his life -did Jones smoke better tobacco. When the <i>padre</i>—a gentle and -well-informed man—had departed, Jones began to speak of the -antiquities of the country. Soon he found that his host’s knowledge of -the subject had not been exaggerated, seeing that he was even able to -decipher hieroglyphic writings of which the key was supposed to be -lost, and to give an outline of the history of the races who built the -great temples and palaces, whereof so many ruins are to be found in -the Palenque district. -</p> - -<p> -“It is sad to think,” said Jones presently, “that nothing in which the -breath of life remains is left of all this civilisation. If only the -old legend of the Golden City, hidden away somewhere in the unexplored -recesses of Central America, were true, I think that I would give ten -years of my existence to visit it. It would be a glorious thing to -step back into the past, to see a system at work, and mingle with a -people of which the world has lost all count and knowledge; for, let -the imagination be active as it will, it is practically impossible to -reconstruct these things from ruins and traditions. In fact, Don -Ignatio, I do not understand how it is that you, who have never seen -the <i>antiguos</i> in the flesh, can talk about them so certainly.” -</p> - -<p> -“If I had never seen them, señor,” he answered, quietly, “it would be -wonderful. Indeed, you might be justified in setting me down as a -teller of tales, but it chances that I <i>have</i> seen the Golden City of -fable and its civilisation, and I can assure you that its wonders were -far greater than any that have been told of in legend, or even by the -Spanish romancers.” -</p> - -<p> -“What!” gasped Jones, “what! Have I been drinking too much of your -excellent wine? Am I asleep, or did I hear you say that you, the -gentleman sitting before me, with your own eyes had seen the secret -city of the Indians?” -</p> - -<p> -“You heard me say so, señor, though I did not in the least expect you -to believe me. Indeed, it is because I cannot bear to be thought a -liar, that I have never said anything of this story, and for this same -reason I shall not repeat it to you, since I do not wish that one whom -I hope will become my friend should hold me in contempt. -</p> - -<p> -“In truth I am sorry that I have spoken so freely, but, in support of -my veracity, I will beg you to remember that among the huge forests, -wildernesses, and <i>sierras</i> of Central America, where no white man has -set his foot, and whence the Indians vanished generations since, there -is room for many ancient cities. Why, señor, within two hundred miles -or less of where we sit to-night, there exist tribes of <i>Lacandones</i>, -or unbaptised Indians, who have never seen a white man and who still -follow their fathers’ faiths. No, señor, that story shall never be -told, at any rate in my lifetime, for I have nothing to show in proof -of it, or at least only one thing——” -</p> - -<p> -“What is it?” asked Jones, eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -“You shall see if you wish, señor,” his host answered, and left the -room. -</p> - -<p> -Presently he returned with a little leather bag from which he -extracted a very curious and beautiful ornament. It was a great -emerald, by far the largest that Jones had ever seen, uncut, but -highly polished. This stone, which was set in pure gold, obviously had -formed the clasp of a belt and could also be used as a seal; for on -it, cut in <i>intaglio</i>, was the mask of a solemn and death-like human -face surrounded by a hieroglyphic inscription, while on the reverse -were other hieroglyphics. -</p> - -<p> -“Can you read this writing?” asked Jones, when he had examined the -ornament. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_010"> -<a href="images/img_010.jpg"> -<img alt="Can you read this writing?" src="images/img_010_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘Can you read this writing?’ -</div></div> - -<p> -“Yes, señor. The words in front are: ‘O Eyes and Mouth, look on me, -plead for me.’ And those on the back: ‘Heart of Heaven, be thou my -home.’” -</p> - -<p> -“It is wonderful,” said Jones, restoring the relic with a sigh, for he -would have given everything that he had, down to his shoes, to possess -it. “And now will you not make an exception in my favour, and tell me -the story?” -</p> - -<p> -“I fear that I cannot oblige you, señor,” Don Ignatio answered, -shaking his head. -</p> - -<p> -“But,” pleaded Jones, “having revealed so much, it is cruel to hide -the rest.” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor,” said his host, “will you take some more coffee? No. Then -shall we walk a little on the roof and look at the view; it is pretty -by moonlight, and the roofs here are wonderful, all built of solid -stone; there is a tradition that the old monks used to dine on them in -summer. They have a loop-holed wall round them whence that abbot, -whose portrait hangs in your sleeping-chamber, beat back a great -attack of the Indians whom his oppression stirred into rebellion. -</p> - -<p> -“To-morrow I shall hope to show you round the lands, which have repaid -me well for my twenty years of cultivation. Everybody in Mexico runs -after mines, but its soil is the richest mine of all. I knew that, -and, seeing the capacities of the place, I sold the other emeralds -which went with this clasp—they were fine stones, but unengraved, and -therefore of no particular interest—and bought it cheap enough. Now -that the country is more settled, and I have planted so much, its -value has become great, and will be greater still when all the young -cocoa bushes are in full bearing a few years hence. -</p> - -<p> -“There, thanks be to the Saints, the stair is done—of late my back -hurts me when I climb up steps. The air is sweet, is it not, señor, -and the prospect pleasing? Look, the river shines like silver. Ah! how -beautiful is God’s world! It makes me sad to think of leaving it, but -doubtless He will provide still finer places for us to work and serve -Him in, gardens where sin and grief cannot enter. Surely there is room -enough yonder,” and he nodded toward the sky. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -This was but the first of many nights that Jones spent under Don -Ignatio’s hospitable roof, where, as the months went by, he grew more -and more welcome. Soon he conceived a great affection for the grave, -sweet-natured, kindly old Indian gentleman, whose mind seemed to be -incapable of any evil thought, and whose chief ambitions were to -improve his land and do good to all about him, more especially to his -Indian servants or peons. -</p> - -<p> -In the beginning of their intimacy they made several expeditions -together to inspect ruins in the neighbourhood, and once Don Ignatio -came to stay with him at the mine of La Concepcion, where his visit -proved of the greatest use to Mr. Jones and the company he served. One -of the difficulties in working this particular mine lay in the -scarcity of labour. At a word from Don Ignatio this trouble vanished. -He sent for a <i>cacique</i>, who lived in the mountains, and spoke to him, -and, lo! within a week, fifty stalwart Indians appeared to offer their -services at the mine, thus affording one of many instances that came -to Jones’s knowledge, of his friend’s extraordinary influence among -the natives. -</p> - -<p> -As time went on, however, these excursions ceased, since Don Ignatio’s -health grew too feeble to allow him to leave the <i>hacienda</i>. -</p> - -<p> -At length, it was when they had been acquainted for nearly two years, -a messenger arrived at the mine one morning, saying that he was -instructed by his master, Don Ignatio, to tell the Señor Jones that -he lay dying and would be glad to see him. He was to add, however, -that if it should be in any way inconvenient, the Señor Jones must -not trouble himself to come for so small a matter, as his master had -written a letter which would be delivered to him after his death. -</p> - -<p> -Needless to say the Señor Jones travelled across the mountains as -fast as the best mule he owned would carry him. On arriving at the -<i>hacienda</i> he found Don Ignatio lying in his room, almost paralysed -and very weak, but perfectly clear-headed and rejoiced to see him. -</p> - -<p> -“I am about to make my last journey, friend,” he said, “and I am glad, -for of late I have suffered a great deal of pain in my back, the -result of an ancient injury. Also it is time that a helpless old man -should make room for a more active one.” And he looked at his visitor -strangely, and smiled. -</p> - -<p> -Jones, whose feelings were touched, made the usual reply as to his -having many months to live, but Don Ignatio cut him short. -</p> - -<p> -“Don’t waste time like that, friend,” he said, “but listen. Ever since -we knew each other you have been trying to extract from me the story -of how I came to visit the city, Heart of the World, and of my friend, -James Strickland, whom, thanks be to God, I so soon shall see again. -</p> - -<p> -“Well, I never would tell it to you, though once or twice I nearly did -so when I saw how my silence chagrined you, partly because I pride -myself upon being able to keep a secret when pressed to reveal it, and -also because I am selfish and knew that so soon as you had heard my -story, you would cease to interest yourself in a stupid, failing old -man, for who is there that cares about the rind when he has sucked the -orange? -</p> - -<p> -“Also there were other reasons: for instance, I could not have related -that history without displaying unseemly emotion, and I know that you -Englishmen despise such exhibitions. Lastly, if I told it at all, I -desired to tell it fully and carefully, keeping everything in -proportion, and this it would have been difficult to do by word of -mouth. Yet I have not wished to disappoint you altogether, and I have -wished that some record of the curious things which I have seen in my -life should be preserved, though this last desire alone would not have -been sufficiently strong to move me to the task which I finished ten -days ago, before the paralysis crept into my arm. -</p> - -<p> -“May I trouble you to open that cupboard near the foot of the bed, and -to give me the pile of writing that you will find in it. A thousand -thanks. Here, señor, in these pages, if you care to take the trouble -to read them, is set out an account of how I and my English friend -came to visit the Golden City, of what we saw and suffered there, and -of some other matters which you may think superfluous, but that are -not without their bearing upon the tale. I fear that my skill in -writing is small, still perhaps it may serve its turn, and if not, it -matters nothing, seeing that you seek the spirit, not the letter, and -are not sufficient of a Spanish scholar to be too critical. -</p> - -<p> -“Now take the book and put it away, for the very sight of it wearies -me, recalling the hours of labour that I have spent on it. Also I wish -to talk of something more important. Tell me, friend, do you propose -to stop in this country, or to return to England?” -</p> - -<p> -“Return to England! Why, I should starve where there are no mines to -manage. No, I am too poor.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then would you return if you were rich?” asked the dying man -anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know; it depends. But I think that I have been too long away -to go to live in England for good.” -</p> - -<p> -“I am glad to hear that, friend, for I may as well tell you at once -that I have made you my heir, so that henceforth you will be a wealthy -man as we understand wealth in this country.” -</p> - -<p> -“You have made me your heir!” stammered Jones. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes. Why should I not? I like you well, and know you to be a good and -honest man. I have no relations and no friends, and, above all, I am -sure that you will deal justly and gently by my people here, for I -have watched your bearing towards those who work under you at the -mine. Moreover, I have conditions to make which will not be the less -binding on you because they are not set out in the will, namely, that -you should live here yourself and carry on the work that I have begun, -for so long as may be possible, and that, if you are forced to sell -the place by any unforeseen circumstance, or to leave it away by -testament, you should do so to an Englishman only, and one of whom you -know something. Do you accept?” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed, yes, and I know not how to thank you.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do not thank me at all, thank your own character and honest face -which have led me to believe that I can make no better disposal of my -property. And now go, for I am tired, but come to see me again -to-morrow morning after the priest has left.” -</p> - -<p> -So Jones, who had entered that room possessed of a hard-earned eight -hundred a year, departed from it the owner of a property which, before -long, became worth as many thousands annually, as any who have visited -him at Santa Cruz can testify. Three days later Don Ignatio passed -away peacefully, and was laid to his rest in the chapel of the -<i>hacienda</i>. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -This, then, was how the story of the city, Heart of the World, and of -Don Ignatio and his friend, James Strickland, who saw it, came into -the hands of him whom we have called Jones. -</p> - -<p> -Here follows a translation of the manuscript. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch01"> -CHAPTER I.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">HOW THE PLOT FAILED</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">I, Ignatio</span>, the writer of this history, being now a man in my -sixty-second year, was born in a village among the mountains that lie -between the little towns of Pichaucalco and Tiapa. Of all that -district my father was the hereditary <i>cacique</i>, and the Indians there -loved him much. -</p> - -<p> -When I was a lad, perhaps nine years old, troubles arose in the -country. I never quite understood them, or I may have forgotten the -circumstances, for such things were always happening, but I think that -they were caused by some tax which the government at Mexico had -imposed upon us unjustly. Anyhow, my father, a tall man with fiery -eyes, refused to pay a tax, and, after a while, a body of soldiers -arrived, mounted upon horses, who shot down a great number of the -people, and took away some of the women and children. -</p> - -<p> -Of my father they made a prisoner, and next day they led him out while -my mother and I were forced to look on, and sat him by the edge of a -hole that they had dug, holding guns to his head and threatening to -shoot him unless he would tell them a secret which they were anxious -to learn. All he said, however, was that he wished that they would -kill him at once, and so free him from the torment of the mosquitoes -which hummed around him. -</p> - -<p> -But they did not kill him then, and that night they put him back in a -prison, where I was brought to visit him by the <i>padre</i>, Ignatio, his -cousin and my godfather. I remember that he was shut up in a dirty -place, so hot that it was difficult even to breathe, and that there -were some drunken Mexican soldiers outside the door, who now and again -threatened to make an end of us Indian dogs. -</p> - -<p> -My godfather, the priest Ignatio, confessed my father in a corner of -the cell, and took something from his hand. Then my father called me -to him and kissed me, and with his own fingers for a few moments he -hung about my neck that thing which the priest had taken from him, -only to remove it again and give it to Ignatio for safe-keeping, -saying: “See that the boy has it, and its story with it, when he comes -of age.” -</p> - -<p> -Now my father kissed me again, blessing me in the name of God, and as -he did so great tears ran down his face. Then the priest Ignatio took -me away, and I never saw my father any more, for the soldiers shot him -next morning, and threw his body into the hole that they had dug to -receive it. -</p> - -<p> -After this, my godfather, cousin, and namesake, Ignatio, took me and -my mother to the little town of Tiapa, of which he was priest, but she -soon died there of a broken heart. -</p> - -<p> -In Tiapa we lived in the best house in the place, for it was built of -stone and set upon a bank overhanging a beautiful rushing river with -water that was always clear as glass, however much it rained, which -river ran a hundred feet or more below the windows. -</p> - -<p> -About Tiapa there is little to say, except that in those days the -people were for the most part thieves, and such great sinners that my -cousin, the <i>padre</i>, would not shrive some of them, even on their -death-beds. There was a church, however, whereof the roof was -overgrown with the most beautiful orchids. Also the roads were so bad -that, except in the dry season, it was difficult to travel either to -or from the town. -</p> - -<p> -Here in this forgotten place I grew up, but not without education, as -might have been expected, seeing that my cousin was a good scholar, -and did all he could to keep me out of mischief. -</p> - -<p> -When I was about fifteen years of age, of a sudden a desire took hold -of me to become a priest. It was in this wise: One Sunday evening I -sat in the church at Tiapa, looking now at the sprays of orchid -flowers that swung to and fro in the breeze outside the window, and -now at the votive pictures on the walls, offerings made by men and -women who had called upon their patron saints in the hour of danger -and had been rescued by them—here from fire, there from murderers, -and here again from drowning; rude and superstitious daubs, but -doubtless acceptable to God, who could see in them the piety and -gratitude of those that out of their penury had caused them to be -painted. -</p> - -<p> -As I sat thus idly, my godfather, the good priest, began to preach. -Now, it chanced that two nights before there had been a dreadful -murder in Tiapa. Three travellers and a boy, the son of one of them, -passing from San Christobel to the coast, stopped to spend the night -at a house near our own. With them they brought a mule-load of -dollars, the price of the merchandise that they had sold at San -Christobel, which some of our fellow-townsmen, half-breeds of wicked -life, determined to steal. -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly, to the number of ten, these assassins broke into the -house where the travellers lodged, and, meeting with resistance, they -cut down the three of them with <i>machetes</i>, and possessed themselves -of the silver. Just as they were leaving, one of the thieves perceived -the boy hiding beneath a bed, and, dragging him out, they killed him -also, lest he should bear witness against them. -</p> - -<p> -Now, those who had done this deed of shame were well known in the -town; still none were arrested, for they bribed the officers with part -of their booty. But my godfather, seeing some of them present in the -church, took for his text the commandment—“Thou shalt do no murder.” -</p> - -<p> -Never have I heard a finer sermon; indeed, before it was finished, two -of the men rose and crept from the church conscience-stricken, and -when the preacher described the slaughter of the lad whom their wicked -hands had of a sudden hurled into eternity, many of the congregation -burst into tears. -</p> - -<p> -I tell this story because it was then for the first time, as I thought -of the murdered boy, who some few days before had been as full of life -as I was myself, that I came to know what death meant, and to -understand that I also must die and depart for ever either into heaven -or hell. I shook as the thought struck me, and it seemed to me that I -saw Death standing at my elbow, as he stands to-day, and then and -there I determined that I would be a priest and do good all my life, -in order that I might find peace at the last and escape the fate of -the evil. -</p> - -<p> -On the morrow I went into my godfather’s room and told him of my -desire. He listened to me attentively, and answered: “I would that it -might be so, my son, holding as I do that the things of the world to -come outweigh those of this present earth ten thousandfold, but it -cannot be, for reasons that you shall learn when you are older. Then, -when my trust is ended, you may make your choice, and, if you still -wish it, become a priest.” -</p> - -<p class="spacer"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -Five more years passed away, during which time I grew strong and -active, and skilled in all manly exercises. Also I studied much under -the teaching of my godfather, who sent even to Spain to buy me books. -</p> - -<p> -Among these books were many histories of my own race, the Indians, and -of their conquest by the Spaniards, all that had been published -indeed. Of such histories I never tired, although it maddened me to -read of the misfortunes and cruel oppression of my people, who to-day -were but a nation of slaves. -</p> - -<p> -At length, on my twentieth birthday, my godfather, who now was grown -very old and feeble, called me into his chamber, and, having locked -the door, he spoke to me thus: -</p> - -<p> -“My son, the time has come when I must deliver to you the last -messages of your beloved father, my cousin and best friend, who was -murdered by the soldiers when you were a little child, and tell you of -your descent and other matters. -</p> - -<p> -“First, then, you must know that you are of royal and ancient blood, -for your forefather in the eleventh degree was none other than -Guatemoc, the last of the Aztec emperors, whom the Spaniards murdered, -which descent I can prove to you by means of old writings and -pedigrees; also it is known and attested among the Indians, who even -now do not forget the stock whence sprang their kings.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then by right I am Emperor of Mexico,” I said proudly, for in my -folly it seemed a fine thing to be sprung from men who once had worn a -crown. -</p> - -<p> -“Alas! my son,” the old priest answered sadly, “in this world might is -the only right, and the Spaniards ended that of your forefathers long -ago by aid of torture and the noose. Save that it will earn you -reverence among the Indians, it is but a barren honour which you -inherit with your blood. -</p> - -<p> -“Yet there is one thing that has come down to you from your ancestor, -Guatemoc, and the monarchs who ruled before him. Perchance you -remember that on the night previous to his death, your father set an -amulet upon your neck, and, removing it again, gave it to me to keep. -Here is that amulet.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he handed me a trinket made of the half of a heart-shaped -emerald, smooth with wear, but unpolished, that, if joined to its -missing section, would have been as large as a dove’s egg. This stone -was not broken, but cut from the top to the bottom, the line of -separation being so cunningly sawn that no man, unless he had one half -before him, could imitate the other. The charm was bored through so as -to be worn upon a chain, and engraved upon its surface were some -strange hieroglyphics and the outline of half a human face. -</p> - -<p> -“What is it?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -The old priest shrugged his shoulders, and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“A relic which had to do with their wicked heathen magic and rites, I -suppose. I know little about it, except that your father told me it -was the most valued possession of the Aztec kings, and that the -natives believe that when the two halves of this stone come together, -the men of white blood will be driven from Central America and an -Indian emperor shall rule from sea to sea.” -</p> - -<p> -“And where is the other half, father?” -</p> - -<p> -“How should I know,” he answered testily, “who have no faith in such -stories, or in stones with the heads of idols graven upon them? I am a -priest, and therefore your father told me little of the matter, since -it is not lawful that I should belong to secret societies. Still, some -such society exists, and, in virtue of the ownership of that talisman, -you will be head of it, as your ancestors were before you, though, so -far as I can learn, the honour brought them but little luck. -</p> - -<p> -“I know no more about it, but I will give you letters to a certain -Indian who lives in the district of which your father was <i>cacique</i>, -and, when you show him the stone, doubtless he will initiate you into -its mysteries, though I counsel you to have nothing to do with them. -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, Ignatio, my son, you are a rich man; how rich I cannot tell -you, but for many generations your forefathers have hidden up treasure -for an object which I must explain, and the gold will be handed over -to you by those of your clan in whose keeping it is. It was because of -this treasure that your father and your great-grandfather were done to -death with many others, since the rumour of it came to the ears of -those that ruled in Mexico, who, when they failed to force its secret -from them, tormented and killed them in their rage. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, this was the message of your father to you concerning the wealth -which he and his ancestors had hidden: -</p> - -<p> -“‘Tell my son, Ignatio, should he live to grow up, that there has -never departed from our family the desire to win back the crown that -Guatemoc lost, or at least to drive out the accursed Spaniards and -their spawn, and to establish an Indian Republic. To this end we have -heaped up wealth for generations, that it might serve us when the hour -was ripe; and because of this wealth, of which the whisper could not -altogether be hid in a land which is full of spies, some of us have -come to cruel deaths, as I am about to do to-night. -</p> - -<p> -“‘But I shall die keeping my secret, and when my son grows up others -may rule at Mexico, or the matter may have been forgotten: at least -the gold will be where I left it. Now, say to my son that it is my -hope that he will use it in the cause to further which it has been -amassed; that he will devote his life to the humbling of our white -masters, and to the uplifting of the race which for centuries they -have robbed, murdered, and enslaved. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Nevertheless, say to him that I lay no commands upon him as to these -matters, seeing that he must follow his own will about them, for I -cannot forget that, from generation to generation, those who went -before him have reaped nothing but disaster in their struggle against -the white devils, whom, because of the sins and idolatry of our -forefathers, it has pleased God to set over us.’ -</p> - -<p> -“Those were your father’s words, my son, which he spoke to me in the -hour of his murder. And now you will understand why I said that you -must wait before you determined to be a priest. If that is still your -wish, it can be fulfilled, for your father left it to you to follow -whatever life you might desire.” -</p> - -<p> -When he had finished speaking I thought for a while, and answered: “So -long as my father’s blood is unavenged I cannot become a priest.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is as I feared,” said the old man with a sigh, “that cursed -talisman which lies about your neck has begun its work with you, -Ignatio, and you will tread the path that the others trod, perchance -to die in blood as they died. Oh! why cannot man be content to leave -the righting of wrongs and the destinies of nations in the hands of -the Almighty and His angels?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because for good or evil the Almighty chooses men to be His -instruments,” I answered. -</p> - -<p class="spacer"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -Within a week from this day some Indians came to Tiapa disguised as -porters, whose mission it was to lead me to the mountains among which -my father had lived, and where his treasure still lay hidden. -</p> - -<p> -Bidding farewell to my godparent, the priest, who wept when he parted -from me, I started upon my journey, keeping my destination secret. As -it chanced, I never saw him more, for a month later he was seized with -some kind of <i>calentura</i>, or fever, and died suddenly. The best thing -I can say of him is that, with one exception, there lives no man in -heaven above whom I so greatly desire to meet again. -</p> - -<p> -On the third day of my journey we reached a narrow pass in the -mountains, beyond which lay an Indian village. Here my guides took me -to the house of one Antonio, to whom the <i>padre</i> Ignatio had given me -letters, an old man of venerable aspect, who greeted me warmly, and -made me known to several <i>caciques</i> who were staying with him, I knew -not why. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as we were alone in the house, one of these <i>caciques</i>, after -addressing me in words which I could not understand, asked me if I had -a “Heart.” To this I replied that I hoped so, whereat they all -laughed. Then the man Antonio, coming to me, unbuttoned my shirt, -revealing the talisman that had belonged to my father, and at the -sight of it the company bowed. -</p> - -<p> -Next the doors were locked, and, sentries having been posted before -them, a ceremony began, which even now it is not lawful that I should -describe in detail. On this solemn occasion I was first initiated into -the mysteries of the Order of the Heart, and afterwards installed as -its hereditary chief, thus becoming, while yet a boy, the absolute -lord of many thousand men, brethren of our Society, who were scattered -far and wide about the land. -</p> - -<p> -On the day after I had taken the final oaths, Antonio handed over to -me the treasure that my ancestors hoarded in a secret place, which my -father had left in his keeping, and it was a great treasure, amounting -to more than a million dollars in value. -</p> - -<p> -Now I was rich, both in men and money, still, following the counsel of -Antonio, I abode for a while in the village, receiving those who came -from every part of Mexico to visit me as Holder of the Heart, and as -first in rank among the fallen peoples of the Indians. -</p> - -<p> -It was during these months that I made the great error of my life. -Some three miles from the village where I dwelt, lived two sisters, -Indian ladies of noble blood, though poor, one of them a widow, and -the other a very beautiful girl, younger than myself. It chanced that, -riding past their house upon a certain Sunday evening, when most of -the inhabitants of the valley were away at a <i>festa</i>, I heard screams -coming from it. -</p> - -<p> -Dismounting from my horse I ran in at the door, which was open, and -saw one of the sisters, the widow, lying dead upon the ground, while -two bandits, Mexicans, were attacking the younger woman. Drawing my -<i>machete</i>, I cut down the first of them before he had time to turn, -then I fell upon the second man with such fury that I drove him back -against the wall. Seeing that his life was in danger, he called upon -me not to kill him for the sake of a low Indian girl, which insult -maddened me so that I slew him upon the spot, and caused his body, -with that of his companion, to be buried secretly. -</p> - -<p> -It happened that after this the girl whose life I had saved came to -dwell in my village, where I saw much of her. So lovely was she and so -clever, that soon she won my heart, and the end of it was that, being -headstrong and in love, I married her, against the advice of Antonio -and others of my brethren of the Order. It would have been better for -the Indian people, and perhaps for me also, if I had died before I -stood at the altar with this woman, though for a while she was a good -wife, and, because of her cleverness, of great service to me at that -time. -</p> - -<p> -Now, it must be stated that during all these months I had not been -idle. The more I thought on them, the more the wrongs of my -countrymen, the real owners of the land, took hold of my mind, till at -length they possessed it utterly, and I became an enthusiast and a -dreamer. This was the object of my life—to form a great conspiracy, -which should bring about a rising of the Indians in every province of -Mexico upon a given day; then, when the Spaniards and their bastards, -the Spanish Mexicans, had been stamped out, to re-establish the Empire -of the Aztecs. -</p> - -<p> -It was a madness, perhaps, but the madness lurked in my blood; my -forefathers had suffered from and for it, and I think that it must -have come down to us from our ancestor, Guatemoc, the greatest and -most unfortunate Indian who ever lived. Where they failed I determined -to succeed, and, strange to say, in the end I went near to success. -</p> - -<p> -For years I laboured, travelling to and fro about the land till there -was no province where I was not known as the Holder of the Heart, and -the chief by blood of the Indian tribes. Everywhere I strove to rouse -the people from their sloth, and to win the <i>caciques</i>, or head men, -to the cause, and I did not strive in vain. I used my great wealth to -buy arms, to gain over the lukewarm with bribes, and in many other -ways. When my fortune sank low I gathered more, for without gold -nothing could be done. Treasures that were buried in the old days were -given up to me as Lord of the Heart by those who had their secret; -also many brought me money, each what he could spare, and I hoarded it -against the hour of need. -</p> - -<p> -For a year or more I was the greatest power in Mexico, and yet, though -hundreds were privy to my plot, it was so well hidden that no whisper -of it came to the ears of the Government. At length all was ready, and -so carefully were my plans laid that success seemed certain; but the -unforeseen happened, and I failed—thus: -</p> - -<p> -That woman whose life I had saved, my own wife whom I loved and -trusted, who was bound to my cause and that of her countrymen by every -tie human and divine, betrayed me and it. Just before the time fixed -for the rising, it was agreed that she should be placed, as one of -whom we could be sure, to play the part of a servant in the house of -the man who ruled Mexico in those days, that she might spy upon him. -</p> - -<p> -Instead of so doing, she, my wife, fell in love with him. It is easy -to guess the rest. One night, but a week before the appointed time, I -and some five or six others, the leaders of our party, were seized. My -companions were made away with secretly, but I was brought before the -great man, who received me alone, holding a pistol in his hand. -</p> - -<p> -“I know all your plans, friend,” he said, “and I congratulate you on -them, for they were cleverly managed. I know also that you have a -great treasure in gold hidden away——” and he named the sum. “That -wife of yours, whom you were fool enough to trust, has told me -everything, but she cannot tell me where the money is hidden, for this -you withheld from her, which shows that you are not altogether mad. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, friend, I make you a fair offer—hand over this treasure, and -you shall go free—of course when the day of vengeance is past and -your sheep have found themselves without a shepherd—nor shall you be -molested afterwards. Refuse to do so, and you will be brought to trial -and die as you deserve.” -</p> - -<p> -“How can you promise for others?” I asked. “You are not the only white -man who would have fallen.” -</p> - -<p> -“I can promise for others, first, because I am their master, and, -secondly, because nobody but myself knows anything of this matter, -since, if I told them, I must also share your wealth with them, and -that, friend, I mean to keep. Give it up to me and you may go and plot -against my successors and the Government of Mexico as much as pleases -you, and take your wife with you for aught I care; for, friend, having -earned so comfortable a competence, I propose to leave a land where, -as this business proves, people in authority are too apt to have their -throats cut. Now choose, and be so good as to stand quite still while -you are thinking the matter over, or I may be forced to shoot you.” -</p> - -<p> -“How about my associates?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I believe that three or four of them have been carried off—by -typhus—within the last day or two, the prisons here are so unhealthy; -but I am sure that if the gold is forthcoming, no more will sicken.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I chose, for I thought to myself that I might get more gold, but -I could never get another life, and if I died many must suffer with me -and all my hopes for the future of the Indian race would come to -naught. Also I knew this villain to be a man of his word, and that -what he promised he would fulfil. -</p> - -<p> -Within ten days he had the money, and I was free to begin my life -again, nor did any of those who were doomed to perish in it, learn the -tale of the plot that had threatened them. -</p> - -<p> -I was free; but what a freedom was this, when I had lost everything -save the breath that God placed in my nostrils, and, perhaps, my -honour. The great house that I had builded was fallen to the ground, -the moneys I had amassed were stolen, the chief of my companions were -dead, my credit as a deliverer of the people was gone, and my cause -had become hopeless. All these things had come upon me because of a -woman, a traitress, whom I had nurtured in my bosom. -</p> - -<p> -At first I was dazed, but when I came to understand I swore a great -oath before Heaven that, for her false sake, I would hate and renounce -her sex; that, whatever might be the temptation, never again would I -look kindly upon women, or have to do with one of them in word, or -thought, or deed. That oath, so far as lay in my power, I have kept to -this day, and I hope to keep through all eternity. -</p> - -<p> -It may be asked what became of my wife. I do not know. I lifted no -hand against her who was flesh of my flesh, but she perished. The -story was known. I was forced to tell it to clear myself. After I -escaped from the prison I lay ill for many weeks, and when I recovered -she was gone. Others had been betrayed besides myself, and doubtless -some of them had wreaked fitting vengeance on her. What it was I never -asked. -</p> - -<p> -For many years—twenty perhaps—I became a wanderer. Now as before the -Indians loved me, and, as Lord of the Heart and their hereditary -<i>cacique</i>, in a sense I still was great, although but the shadow of -power dwelt with me: the substance had departed, as it departs ever -from those who fail. From time to time I strove to rebuild the plot; -but, now that I was friendless and without fortune, few would follow -me thus far. -</p> - -<p> -So it came about that at length I abandoned the endeavour, and lived -as best I could. I fought in three wars, and gained honours therein, -and took my share in many adventures, all of which left me as poor as -I had entered on them. At times I remembered my desire to become a -priest, but now it was over late to study; also my hands were too much -soiled with the affairs of the world. -</p> - -<p> -Wearying of the struggle, I went back to my village in the mountains -and dwelt there awhile, but this also wearied me, having nothing to -do, and I turned my attention to the management of mines. -</p> - -<p> -It was while I was thus employed, as a middle-aged man, that I made -the acquaintance of James Strickland, who was destined to accompany me -to the city, Heart of the World. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch02"> -CHAPTER II.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE SEÑOR STRICKLAND</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Two</span>-and-twenty years ago, I, Ignatio, visited a village in the State -of Tamaulipas, named Cumarvo, a beautiful place, half-hidden in pine -forests amongst the mountains. I came to this hamlet because a friend -of mine, one of the brethren of the Order of the Heart, wrote to me -saying that there was an Indian in the neighbourhood who had in his -possession an ancient Aztec scroll, which, being in picture-writing, -neither he nor anyone else could read. -</p> - -<p> -This scroll had descended to the Indian through many generations, and -with it a tradition that it told of a very rich gold mine in the -mountains whereof the site was lost, which had been closed to save it -from the grip of Cortes, by the order of Guatemoc, my forefather, whom -the Spaniards murdered—may their souls be accursed! -</p> - -<p> -Now, I had been taught the secret of the picture-writing by old -Antonio, my father’s friend, when first I was initiated into the -mysteries of the Heart, though it must die with me, for I believe that -at this hour there is no other man living who can read it. -</p> - -<p> -This writing the Indian was willing to give up to me as Lord of the -Heart, and accordingly, having nothing better to do, I journeyed to -Cumarvo to study it. In this matter, as in many others, I was destined -to meet with disappointment, however—at any rate for a while; for, on -my arrival at the house of my friend, I heard that the Indian had died -of a sudden sickness, and that his son could not discover where the -scroll was hidden. -</p> - -<p> -Another thing I heard also, namely, that a white man, an <i>Inglese</i>, -the first who ever visited these parts, had come to the village about -six months before, and was engaged in working some old silver mines on -behalf of a company, a task that he found difficult, for the Mexican -owners of land in the neighbourhood, being jealous of him and angry -because he paid his men a fair wage, were striving to prevent Indians -from labouring in his mine. -</p> - -<p> -Now the natives of this place, from Monday morning to Saturday night, -were a gentle and industrious people, but they had this fault, that on -the Saturday night many of them were accustomed to become drunk on -<i>mescal</i>, the spirit that is distilled from the root of the aloe. Then -their natures were changed, and fierce quarrels would spring up -amongst them, for the most part about women, that ended often enough -in bloodshed. -</p> - -<p> -It chanced that such a fray arose on the night of my arrival at -Cumarvo. On the morrow I saw the fruits of it as I walked down the -little street which was bordered by white, flat-roofed houses and -paved with cobble-stones, purposing to attend mass in the lime-washed -church, where the bell rang night and day to scare evil spirits back -to hell. -</p> - -<p> -In the middle of the street, lying in the shade of a house, were two -dead men. A handsome Indian girl, with a sullen and unmoved -countenance, was engaged in winding a <i>serape</i>, or blanket, round one -of the bodies; but the other lay untended, certain stains upon the -clothing revealing the manner of its end. On a doorstep sat a third -man, much wounded about the head and face, while the barber of the -village, its only doctor, attempted to remove his hair with a pair of -blunt scissors, so that he might dress the cuts. -</p> - -<p> -The scene was dreadful, but no one took much notice of it, for Indian -life is cheap, and in those days death by violence was even more -common in Mexico than it is now. On the opposite side of the street an -old woman chaffered with a passer-by about the price of her oranges, -while some children with shouts and laughter strove to lasso and drag -away a pig that haunted the place; and a girl on her way to mass -stepped over the uncovered body which lay so quiet in the shade, and, -recognising it as that of a friend, crossed herself as she hurried on. -</p> - -<p> -“What is the cause of this, señor?” I asked of the barber. -</p> - -<p> -“I think that I have the honour of addressing Don Ignatio,” the little -man answered, and, lifting his hands from their work, he made a sign -showing that he also was a member of our Brotherhood, though a humble -one. -</p> - -<p> -“Ah, I thought so,” he went on as I gave the countersign; “we heard -that you were going to visit us, and I am glad of it, for I weary of -dressing wounds on Sundays, and perhaps you may be able to put a stop -to these fights. The woman was the cause of it, of course, señor; -these are not the first she has brought to their deaths,” and he -nodded at the girl who was wrapping the body in a blanket. -</p> - -<p> -“You see, she was going to marry this man,” and he tapped the Indian -whose wounds he was dressing on the shoulder, “but she took up with -that one,” pointing to the nearest body, “whereon Number One here, -being drunk with <i>mescal</i>, laid wait for Number Two and stabbed him -dead. The girl who was with him ran for Number Three yonder, Number -Two’s brother, but Number One ambushed him, so he was killed also. -Then, hearing the noise, the village guard came up and cut down our -friend here with their <i>machetes</i>, but as you see, unfortunately, they -did not kill him.” -</p> - -<p> -I heard, and anger took hold of me. Approaching the girl, I said: -</p> - -<p> -“This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?” -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_031"> -<a href="images/img_031.jpg"> -<img alt="This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?" src="images/img_031_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘This is your doing, woman! Are you not afraid?’ -</div></div> - -<p> -“What of it?” she answered, sullenly; “can I help it if I am pretty, -and men fight for me? Also, who are you who ask me whether I am -afraid?” -</p> - -<p> -“Fool!” cried the barber from the doorstep; “do you dare to speak thus -to the Lord of the Heart?” -</p> - -<p> -The girl started, and replied: -</p> - -<p> -“Why not? Is he then my lord?” -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, girl!” I said; “others besides these have died through you.” -</p> - -<p> -“How do you know that?” she answered. “But what need to ask? If you -are the Lord of the Heart you have the evil eye, and can read secrets -without their being discovered to you.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is you that have the evil eye, woman, like many another of your -sex!” I said. “Hear me, now: you will leave this place, and you will -never return to it, for if you do, you die! Also, remember that if -harm should come to any more men on your account, wherever you go I -shall know of it, and you will die there!” -</p> - -<p> -“Whoever you are, you are not the Government, and have no right to -kill me,” she said, trying to hide the fear which crept into her dark -eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“No, woman, I am not the Government; but among our people I am more -powerful than the Government. If you do not believe me, ask the doctor -yonder, and he will tell you that I should be obeyed, even by people -who had never seen me, where a troop of soldiers would be laughed at. -If I say that you are to die, you will die in this way or in that, for -my curse will be on you. Perhaps you may tumble over a precipice, or -you may take a fever, or be drowned in crossing a river, <i>quien -sabe</i>!” -</p> - -<p> -“I know, lord, I know,” she whispered, shivering, for now she was -frightened. “Do not look so terribly at me; spare me this time for the -love of God! I did not mean to do it, but when men put their hearts -into a woman’s hand, how can she help squeezing them, especially if -she hates men? But I did not hate this one,” and she touched the cheek -of the dead Indian caressingly; “I really meant to marry him. It is -that fellow whom I hate,” pointing to her wounded lover, “and I hope -that he will be shot, else I think that I shall poison him.” -</p> - -<p> -“You will not poison him, woman; and, though he deserves to die, you -are worse than he. Now begone, and remember my words!” -</p> - -<p> -Bending down, she touched the corpse’s forehead with her lips, then, -rising, said: -</p> - -<p> -“I kiss your feet, Lord of the Heart,” and went away without looking -behind her, nor was she seen again in that village. -</p> - -<p> -Then, with a sigh, I also was turning to go, for it saddened me to -think that when drink got hold of them, a woman should have the power -to change these men, who were my brethren, into savage beasts -thirsting for each other’s blood. -</p> - -<p> -“Ah!” I mused, “had it not been for that other woman who destroyed me -and my hope, by now I had begun to teach them better.” -</p> - -<p> -At this moment, looking up, I chanced to see a man such as I had never -before beheld, standing by my side and gazing at me. Stories are told -of how men and women, looking on each other for the first time, in -certain cases are filled with a strange passion of love, of which, -come what may, they can not again be rid. -</p> - -<p> -Among many misfortunes, thanks be to my guardian angels, this fate has -never overtaken me, yet at that moment I felt something that was akin -to it—not love, indeed, but a great sense of friendship and sympathy -for and with this man, which, mastering me then, is still growing to -this hour, though its object has for many years been dead. -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps it was the contrast between us that attracted me so much at -first, since human beings are ever drawn towards their opposites in -nature and appearance. I, as you, my friend, for whom I write this -history, will remember, although you have only known me in my age, am -tall, thin, and sallow, like all my race, with a sad expression -reflecting the heart within, and melancholy eyes. -</p> - -<p> -Very different were the mind and appearance of James Strickland, the -Englishman. He was a fine man, over thirty years of age, short in -proportion to his width, though somewhat spare in frame and slender in -limb. His features were as clearly cut as those of an ancient god upon -a marble wall; his eyes were blue as the sea, and, though just now -they were troubled at the sight of death, merry like the eyes of a -boy; his curling hair—for he had removed his hat in the presence of -the dead—was yellow as mimosa bloom, darkening almost to red in the -short beard and about the ears, where the weather had caught it; and -beneath his shirt, which was open at the neck, his skin showed white -like milk. For the rest, his hands were long and delicate, -notwithstanding the hard work of which they bore traces; his glance -was quick, and his smile the most pleasant that ever I had seen. -</p> - -<p> -“Your pardon, señor,” said this <i>Inglese</i>, in good Spanish, bowing to -me as he spoke, “but unwittingly I have overheard some of your talk -with yonder woman, and I cannot understand how it comes about that -you, a stranger, have so much authority over her. I wish that you -would explain it to me in order that I might learn how to put a stop -to such murders. These dead men were two of my best workmen, and I do -not know where I shall look to replace them.” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot explain it, señor,” I answered, returning his bow, “further -than to say that I have a certain rank among the Indians, on account -of which they reverence me. Still, though I have no right to ask it of -a stranger, I pray that you will forget any words of mine which may -chance to have reached your ears, since of such authority the -Government is jealous.” -</p> - -<p> -“By all means, señor; they are already forgotten. Well, <i>adios</i>, this -sight is not so pleasant that I wish to study it,” and replacing his -hat upon his head, he passed on. -</p> - -<p> -Although my journey proved to be in vain, seeing that the scroll I -came to read had vanished, I lingered in the village of Cumarvo, -alleging as the reason of my stay a hope that it might be discovered, -but really, as I believe, because I desired to become friendly with -this white man. -</p> - -<p> -As it chanced, an opportunity was soon given me to do him a signal -service. I have stated that there dwelt men of position in this place, -Mexicans who were jealous of the Englishman, and these people stirred -up some discontented miners in his employ to make a plot to murder -him, saying that, if they did so, they would win a great treasure -which he kept hidden in his house. -</p> - -<p> -This plot came to my ears through one of the Brotherhood, and I -determined to frustrate it, to which end I collected together twenty -good men and true, and, arming them with guns, bade them be silent -about the matter, above all to the <i>Inglese</i>, whom I did not wish to -alarm. -</p> - -<p> -The plan of the murderers was at the hour of dawn to attack the house -where the Señor Strickland slept with four or five servants only, and -to put all within its walls to death. Accordingly, about one o’clock -on the night fixed, I despatched my men by twos and threes, -instructing them to go round the hills at the back of the house, and, -creeping into the garden, to hide themselves there among the trees -till I appeared. -</p> - -<p> -An hour later I followed them myself without being observed by the -spies of the attacking party, for rain fell and the night was very -dark. Arriving in the garden, I collected my men, and placed them in -ambush under a low wall commanding the street, up which I knew the -murderers must come. Here we waited patiently till the cocks crew and -the dawn began to break in the east. -</p> - -<p> -Presently we heard a stir in the village beneath, as of men marching, -and in the gathering light we saw the murderers creeping stealthily up -the street to the number of fifty or more. So great was their fear of -the Englishman, that they thought it safer to bring many men to kill -him, also each of the villains desired that his neighbour should be a -sharer in the crime. -</p> - -<p> -“Will you not wake up the <i>Inglese</i>?” asked the man next to me. -</p> - -<p> -“No,” I answered, “it will be time enough to wake him when the affair -is settled. Let none of you fire till I give the word.” -</p> - -<p> -Now, the brigands in the street below,—men without shame,—after -waiting a little time for the light to grow stronger, advanced toward -the gate, looking like a procession of monks, for the air was chilly -and each of them wore his <i>serape</i> wrapped about his head. In their -hands they carried rifles and drawn <i>machetes</i>. -</p> - -<p> -Within ten paces of the gate they paused for a minute to consult, and -I heard their leader, a Mexican, direct half of them to creep round to -the back of the house so as to cut off all escape. Then I whistled, -which was the signal agreed upon, at the same time covering the -Mexican with my rifle. Almost before the sound had left my lips, there -followed a report of twenty guns, and some fifteen or sixteen of the -enemy were stretched upon the ground. -</p> - -<p> -For a moment they wavered, and I thought that the rest of them were -going to fly, but this they dared not do, for they knew that they had -been seen; therefore they rushed at the wall with a yell, firing as -they came. As they climbed over it we met them with pistol shots and -<i>machetes</i>, and for a few minutes the affair was sharp, for they were -desperate, and outnumbered us. -</p> - -<p> -Still they lost many men in scaling the wall and forcing the gate, and -with the exception of fourteen who fled, and were for the most part -caught afterwards, the rest of them we finished amongst the flowers -and vegetables of the garden. Just as all was over, the Englishman, -who was a sound sleeper, appeared yawning, dressed in white, and -holding a pistol in his hand. -</p> - -<p> -“What is this noise?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, “and why are you -people fighting in my garden? Go away, all of you, or I shall shoot at -you.” -</p> - -<p> -“I trust,” I said, bowing, “that the señor will pardon us for -disturbing him in his slumber, but this matter could not be settled -without some noise. May I offer the señor my <i>serape</i>? The air is -chilly, and he will catch cold in that dress.” -</p> - -<p> -“Thank you,” he said, putting on the <i>serape</i>. “And now perhaps you -will explain why you come to spoil my garden by making a battle-field -of it.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I told him, and was astonished to see that as I went on he grew -very angry. -</p> - -<p> -“I suppose that I must thank you, gentlemen, for saving my life,” he -said at last, “though I never asked you to do it. But, all the same, I -think it shameless that you should have had this fight in my own -garden, without giving me the opportunity of sharing it. <i>Caramba</i>! am -I a little girl that I should be treated in such a way?” And of a -sudden he burst out laughing and shook me by the hand. -</p> - -<p> -That day, when all the trouble was over, and the place had been made -tidy, the Señor Strickland sent a man to ask if I would do him the -pleasure to dine with him. I accepted, and as we sat smoking after -dinner, having talked of the fight till we were tired of it, he spoke -thus to me: -</p> - -<p> -“Don Ignatio, I owe you my life, and, believe me, I am grateful, for I -do not see why you should have risked so much for a foreign stranger.” -</p> - -<p> -“I did it because I like you, señor,” I answered, “also because it is -very pleasant to catch the wicked in their own toils. Those who -perished this morning were villains, every one of them. They came in -the hope of plunder, for such ‘men without shame’ will murder human -beings for five dollars a head; but they were set on by others who -hate you because you treat your Indian workmen fairly, and also -because they do not wish foreigners here to compete with them, and -think that you are but the first bird of the flock. Therefore they -thought that it would be good policy to kill you so as to frighten -away others who might follow. However, that danger has gone by, and -you need have no more fear, for they have learnt a lesson which they -will not forget.” -</p> - -<p> -“So much the better then,” he answered, “for I have troubles enough to -deal with here, without being bothered to protect my life against such -contemptible vermin. And now, Don Ignatio, I hardly like to ask you, -and I daresay that you will think the offer beneath contempt, but are -you willing to accept an engagement? I am sadly in need of a -sub-manager, one who could control the Indians, and to such a man I am -prepared to pay a hundred dollars a month; the funds of the company I -represent will not allow me to offer more.” -</p> - -<p> -I thought for a while and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“Señor, the money is not enough to tempt me, though it will serve to -buy food, lodging, and cigars, but I accept your offer for the same -reason that I fought your battles this morning, because I like you, -and will gladly do my best to serve you and your interests. Still, I -must warn you that, for aught I know, I may have to leave your service -at short notice, for my time is not altogether my own. I also am the -servant of a great company, señor, and though now I am on leave, as -it were, and have been for these many years, I may be required at any -moment.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Thus it was, then, that I entered the service of the Señor James -Strickland, or rather of his company, in which I continued for -something more than a year, working very hard, for the señor did not -spare either me or himself. But as the records of those months of -fruitless labour could have little interest for you, my friend, -instead of writing of them, I will tell you in few words what was the -history of this Englishman as he told it to me. -</p> - -<p> -He was of noble blood, as might be seen in his face, for he had a -right to be addressed as “honourable,” which it would seem means more -in England than it does here. Nevertheless, his father was a priest of -the heretic church and quite poor, though, how this came about, you, -being an Englishman, will understand better than I, seeing that in -most countries it is the privilege of nobles to enrich themselves at -the expense of others of less rank. -</p> - -<p> -At any rate, when James Strickland’s father died, his son, who was -then a lad of twenty, found that he possessed in the world no more -than five thousand dollars. This sum, being of adventurous mind and -sanguine temperament, he invested in a ranch in Texas, where he -endured much danger and hardship, and lost all his money. -</p> - -<p> -After this experience, having nothing to live on and no friends, he -was obliged to labour with his hands like a peon, and this he did in -many ways. He broke horses, he herded cattle; once, even, for two -months he sank so low—it makes me angry to write of it—as to be -forced to wait upon the guests in an inn at Panama. -</p> - -<p> -Thence he drifted to Nicaragua, and became mixed up in mining -ventures, and when first I met him he had been a miner for ten years. -Most of this time he spent managing a mine for an American, in the -Chontales country, on the frontier of Honduras, where the fever is so -bad that few white men can live. Here it was that he learned to speak -Spanish and the Indian or Maya tongue. At length, after an attack of -fever which nearly killed him, he left Honduras, and came to Mexico, -where he accepted the management of this silver mine at Cumarvo. -Hitherto it had been worked by a Mexican on behalf of its owners, who -dismissed the rogue for stealing the ore and selling it. -</p> - -<p> -This mine, though very rich, was hard to deal with profitably because -of the water gathered in it, and all the months that the Señor -Strickland had been its captain he was employed in driving a tunnel -upwards from a lower level in the cliff, in order to drain the -workings. Shortly after I came into his service this tunnel was -finished, for now I was able to obtain plenty of labour, which before -he had lacked, and we began to bring to bank ore running as high as -two hundred ounces to the ton, so that for some months all went well. -</p> - -<p> -Then of a sudden the ore body dipped straight downward, as though it -had been bent when hot, and we followed it till the water increased so -much that we were unable to carry it out, for in those days there were -no steam pumps in Mexico, such as are now used for the drying of -mines. First we tried to strike another vein, but without success; -then we attempted to pierce a second drainage tunnel at a still lower -level, but, after more than three months’ labour, the rock became so -hard that we were obliged to abandon the task. -</p> - -<p> -Now there was nothing to be done except to stop work at the tunnel, -and report the matter by letter to the owners of the mine, employing -ourselves meanwhile in the smelting of such ore as we had stacked. -This, indeed, we needed to do in order to pay wages with the silver, -seeing that after the first few months the owners ceased to remit us -money. -</p> - -<p> -One evening, on returning from the smelting-works to the house, I -found the Señor Strickland, his chin resting on his hand and an -unlighted cigar in his mouth, seated at a table, on which lay an open -letter. All through our misfortunes and heavy labour he had never lost -heart, or forgotten to smile and be merry, but now he looked sad as a -man who has just buried his mother, and I asked him what evil thing -had happened. -</p> - -<p> -“Nothing particular, Ignatio,” he answered; “but listen here.” And he -read the letter aloud. -</p> - -<p> -It was from one of the owners of the mine, and this was the purport of -it: that the shaft had become choked with water because of the -incompetence and neglect of the señor; that they, the owners, hereby -dismissed him summarily, refusing to pay him the salary due; and, -lastly, that they held him responsible in his own person for such -money as they had lost. -</p> - -<p> -“Surely,” I cried in wrath, when he had finished, “this letter was -written by a man without shame, and I pray that he may find his grave -in the stomachs of hogs and vultures!” for I forgot myself in my -indignation against those that could speak thus of the señor, who had -slaved day and night in their service, giving himself no rest. -</p> - -<p> -“Do not trouble, Ignatio,” he said, with a little smile, “it is the -way of the world. I have failed, and must take the consequences. Had I -succeeded, there would have been a different story. Still I think -that, if ever I meet this man again, I will kick him for telling lies -about me. Do you know, Ignatio, that, with the exception of one -thousand dollars which remain to my credit in Mexico, I have spent all -my own money that I had saved upon this mine, and of that thousand -dollars, eight hundred are due to you for back pay, so, whatever trade -I take to next, I shall not begin as a rich man.” -</p> - -<p> -“Be silent, I beg of you, señor,” I answered, “for such words make my -ears burn. What! am I also a thief that I should rob you, you who have -already been plucked like a fowl for the good of others? Insult me -once more by such thoughts and I will never pardon you.” -</p> - -<p> -And I left the house to calm myself by walking among the mountains, -little knowing what I should hear before I entered it again. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch03"> -CHAPTER III.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE SUMMONS</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">As</span> I walked down the street of the village I met my friend, with -whom I had stayed when first I came to Cumarvo. -</p> - -<p> -“Ah! lord,” he said—for those who are initiated among the Indians -give me this title when none are by—“I was seeking you. The scroll -has been found.” -</p> - -<p> -“What scroll?” -</p> - -<p> -“That picture-writing about the ancient mine which brought you here. -You remember that he who owned the document died, and his son could -not discover its whereabouts. Well, yesterday he found it by chance -while he was hunting rats in the roof of his house, and brought it to -me. Here it is,” and he gave me a roll wrapped in yellow linen. -</p> - -<p> -“Good,” I answered, “I will study it to-night,” and continued my walk, -thinking little more about the matter, for my mind was full of other -things. -</p> - -<p> -The air was pleasant and the evening fine, so that I did not return to -the house till the moon rose. As I passed up the path a man stepped so -suddenly from the shelter of a bush in front of me, that I drew my -<i>machete</i>, thinking that he meant to do me a mischief. -</p> - -<p> -“Stay your hand, lord,” said the man, saluting me humbly, and at the -same time giving the sign of brotherhood. “It is many years since we -met, so perchance you may have forgotten me; still, you will remember -my name; I am Molas, your foster-brother.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I looked at him in the moonlight and knew him, though time had -changed us both, and, putting my arms round him, I embraced him, -seeing that he had been faithful when many deserted me, and I loved -him as to-day I love his memory. -</p> - -<p> -“What brings you here, Molas?” I asked; “when last I heard of you, you -were dwelling far away in Chiapas.” -</p> - -<p> -“A strange matter: Business of the Heart, O Lord of the Heart, which I -deemed so pressing that I have journeyed over land and sea to find -you. Have you a place where I can speak with you alone?” -</p> - -<p> -“Follow me,” I said, wondering, and led him to my own chamber, where I -gave him food and drink, for he was weary with travel. -</p> - -<p> -“Now set out this business,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“First show me the token, lord. I desire to see it once more for a -purpose of my own.” -</p> - -<p> -I rose and closed the shutters of the window, then I bared my breast, -revealing the ancient symbol. For a while he gazed upon it, and said, -“It is enough. Tell me, lord, what is the saying that has descended -with this trinket.” -</p> - -<p> -“The saying is, Molas, that when this half that I wear is reunited -with the half that is wanting, then the Indians shall rule again from -sea to sea, as they did when the Heart was whole.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is the saying, lord. We learn it in the ritual that is called -‘Opening of the Heart,’ do we not? and in this ritual that half which -you wear is named ‘Day’ since it can be seen, and that half which is -lost is named ‘Night,’ since, though present, it is not seen, and it -is told to us that the ‘Day’ and the ‘Night’ together will make one -perfect circle, whereof the centre is named the ‘Heart of Heaven,’ of -which these things are the symbol. Is it not so?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is so, Molas.” -</p> - -<p> -“Good. Now listen. That which was lost is found, the half which is -named ‘Night’ has appeared in the land, for I have seen it with my -eyes, and it is to tell you of it that I have travelled hither.” -</p> - -<p> -“Speak on,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“Lord, yonder in Chiapas there is a ruined temple that the <i>antiguos</i> -built, and to that temple have come a man and a woman, his daughter. -The man is old and fierce-eyed, a terrible man, and the girl is -beautiful exceedingly. There in the ruins they have dwelt these four -months and more, and the man practises the art of medicine, for he is -a great doctor, and has wrought many cures, though he takes no money -in payment for his skill, but food only. -</p> - -<p> -“Now it chanced, lord, that my wife, whom I married but two years ago, -was very sick,—so sick that the village doctor could do nothing for -her. Therefore the fame of the old Indian who dwelt in the ruined -temple having reached me, I determined to visit him and seek his -counsel, or, if possible, to bring him to my home. -</p> - -<p> -“When my wife heard of it, she said it was of no use, as she saw Death -sitting at the foot of her bed. Still I kissed her and went, leaving -her in charge of the <i>padre</i> of the village and some women, her -sisters. With me I took a lock of her hair, and some fowls and eggs as -a present to the <i>Lacandone</i>, for they said that, though of our race, -this doctor was not a Christian. -</p> - -<p> -“Starting before the dawn I travelled all day by the river and through -the forest, till at evening I came to the ruined temple which I knew, -and began to climb its broken stair. As I neared the top, a man -appeared from beneath the leaning arch that is the gateway of the -stair, and stood gazing at the ball of the setting sun. He was an aged -man, clad in a linen robe only, very light in colour, with long white -beard and hair, a nose hooked like a hawk’s beak, and fierce eyes that -seemed to pierce those he looked upon and to read their most secret -thoughts. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Greeting, brother,’ he said, speaking in our own tongue, but with a -strange accent, and using many words which are unknown to me, ‘What -brings you here?’ -</p> - -<p> -“Then he looked at me awhile, and asked slowly: -</p> - -<p> -“‘Say, brother, are you sick at heart?’ -</p> - -<p> -“Now, lord, when I heard those words whereof you know the meaning, I -was so astounded that I almost fell backwards down the ruined stair, -but, recovering myself, I tried him with a sign, and lo, he answered -it. Then I tried him with the second sign, and the third, and the -fourth, and so on up to the twelfth, and he answered them all, though -not always as we use them. Then I paused, and he said: -</p> - -<p> -“‘You have passed the door of the Sanctuary, enter, brother, and draw -on to the Altar.’ -</p> - -<p> -“But I shook my head, for I could not. Next he tried me with various -signs and strange words that have to do with the inmost mysteries, but -I was not able to answer them, though at times I saw their drift. -</p> - -<p> -“‘You have some knowledge,’ he said, ‘yet you do but stand at the foot -of the pyramid, whereas I watch the stars from its crest, warming my -hands at the eternal fire.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘None of my order have more, lord,’ I answered, ‘save the very -highest.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Then there are higher in the land?’ he asked eagerly, but started -suddenly, and, looking round, went on without waiting for an answer, -‘You are in sorrow, Child of the Heart, and have come from one who was -sick to the death; to your business, and perchance we will speak of -these matters afterwards.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘First, lord,’ I said, ‘I have brought an offering,’ and I set down -the basket at his feet. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Gifts are good between brethren,’ he replied; ‘moreover, in this -barren place food is welcome. Come hither, daughter, and take what -this stranger brings.’ -</p> - -<p> -“As he spoke a lady came forward through the archway, dressed like her -father, in a white robe of fine fabric, but somewhat worn. I looked at -her, and it is truth, lord, that for the second time I went near to -falling, for so great was the loveliness of this girl that my heart -turned to water within me. Never before had I seen, or even dreamed -of, such beauty in a woman.” -</p> - -<p> -“To your tale, Molas, to your tale. What has the fashion of a woman’s -beauty to do with the business of the Heart?” I broke in, angrily. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know, lord,” he answered; “and yet I think that it has to do -with all earthly things.” Then he continued: -</p> - -<p> -“The lady, whose name was Maya, looked at me carelessly, and took the -basket. Following her through the archway to the terrace beyond, I set -out the matter of my wife’s illness to the doctor—or rather to him -who passes as a doctor, and who is named Zibalbay, or Watcher—praying -that he would come to the village and minister to her. -</p> - -<p> -“He listened in silence, then took the lock of hair that I had brought -with me, and, going to a fire that burned near by, he laid some of the -hair upon an ember and watched it as it writhed and shrivelled away. -</p> - -<p> -“‘It would be of little use, brother,’ he said, sadly, ‘seeing that -your wife is now dead. I felt her spirit pass us as we talked together -in the gateway; still, until I burnt the hair, I did not know whether -it was she who went by, or another.’ -</p> - -<p> -“Here I may tell you, lord, that, as I found afterwards, my wife -departed at that very hour of sunset, though whether the doctor, -Zibalbay, guessed that she must die then from the symptoms which I -described to him, or whether he has the spirit sight, and saw her, I -do not know. -</p> - -<p> -“Still, it seems natural that at that moment of her passing she should -come to bid farewell to the husband whom she loved, though I think it -is a bad omen for me, and I pray that I may never see that place -again. At the least, when I heard him speak thus I did not doubt his -truth, for something within me confirmed it, but I hid my face and -groaned aloud in the bitterness of my grief. -</p> - -<p> -“Then, taking my hand, Zibalbay, the Watcher, spoke great words to me -in a solemn voice that seemed to soothe me as the song of a mother -soothes a restless child, for he talked with certainty as one who has -knowledge and vision of those who have gone beyond, telling me that -this parting was not for long, and that soon I should find her whom I -had lost made glorious and folded close to the Heart of Heaven. Then -he laid his hand upon my head, and I slept awhile, to wake, sad, -indeed, but filled with a strange peace. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Food is ready, my brother,’ said Zibalbay. ‘Eat and rest here this -night; to-morrow you can return.’ -</p> - -<p> -“Now when we had eaten, Zibalbay spoke to me in the presence of his -daughter, who, though a woman, is also of the Order, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“‘You are of our Brotherhood, therefore the words I speak will be -repeated to none who are not brethren, for I speak upon the Heart.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘I hear with the Ears, lord,’ I answered. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Listen!’ he went on. ‘I come from far with this maiden, my daughter, -and we are not what we seem, but who and what we are now is not the -hour to tell. This is the purpose of our coming—to find that which is -one, but divided; that which is not lost, but hidden. Perchance, -brother, you can point the path to it,’ and he paused and looked at me -with his piercing eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, lord, I understood to what his words had reference, for are they -not part of the ritual of the service ‘Opening of the Heart?’ Still, -because I desired to be sure, and not commit myself, I picked up a -piece of burnt wood, and, as though in idleness, bent down, and, by -the light of the fire, I drew the half of a heart with a saw-like edge -upon the pavement of the chamber where we sat. Then I handed the stick -to Zibalbay, who took it and passed it on to his daughter, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“‘I have no skill at such arts; finish it, Maya.’ -</p> - -<p> -“She smiled, and, kneeling down, traced the half of a face within the -outline that I had drawn, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“‘Is it enough, or do you need the writing also?’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘It is enough,’ I answered. ‘Now, lord, what do you desire?’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘I desire to know where that which is hidden can be brought to light, -and if it dwells in this land, for I have journeyed far to seek it.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘It dwells here,’ I answered, ‘for I have beheld it with my eyes, and -he guards it who is its keeper.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Can you lead me to him, brother?’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘No, for I have no such commands; but perhaps I can bring him to you, -though I must journey by sea and land to find him—that is, if he -wills to come. Say, what message shall I give? That a stranger whom I -have met desires to look upon the holy symbol? It will scarcely bring -him so far.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Nay, tell him that the hour is come for “Night” and “Day” to be -joined together, that a new sun may shine in a new sky.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘I can tell him this, but will he believe it, seeing that I have no -proof? Will he not rather think that some cunning stranger and false -brother lays a plot to trap him? Give me proofs, lord, or I do not -start upon this errand.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Will he believe that which you have seen with your eyes?’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘He will believe it, for he has trusted me from childhood.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Then look!’ said the man, and, opening his robe at the neck, he -kneeled down in the light of the fire. -</p> - -<p> -“There, lord, upon his breast hung that which has been hidden from our -sight since the sons of Quetzal, the god, ruled in the land, the -counterpart of the severed symbol which is upon your breast. That is -all my story, lord.” -</p> - -<p class="spacer"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -Now I, Ignatio, listened amazed, for the thing was marvellous. -</p> - -<p> -“Did the man send me no further message?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“None. He said that if you were a true keeper of the mystery you would -come to learn his mission from himself, or bring him to you.” -</p> - -<p> -“And did you tell him anything of me and of my history, Molas?” -</p> - -<p> -“Nothing; I had no such command. On the morrow at dawn I left to bury -my wife, if she were dead, or to nurse her if she still were sick, -saying that so soon as might be I would travel to the city of Mexico -to seek out the Keeper of the Heart and give him this tidings, and -that within eight weeks or less I trusted to report how I had fared. -The old man asked me if I had money, and without waiting to be -answered he gave me two handfuls of lumps of moulded gold from a hide -bag, whereof each lump was stamped with the symbol of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“Let me see one,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“Alas! my lord Ignatio, I have none. Not far from the ruined temple -where this Zibalbay and his daughter sojourned, is the <i>hacienda</i> of -Santa Cruz, and there, as you may have heard, dwell a gang of men -under the leadership of one Don Pedro Moreno, who are by profession -smugglers, highway robbers, and murderers, though they pretend to earn -a living by the cultivation of coffee and cocoa. -</p> - -<p> -“As it chanced, in journeying homewards, I fell into the hands of some -of these men. They searched me, and, finding the lumps of gold in my -pocket, handed them over to Don Pedro himself, who rode up when he saw -that they had the fish in their net. He examined the gold closely, and -asked me whence it came. At first I refused to answer, whereupon he -said that I should be confined in a dungeon at the <i>hacienda</i> until -such time as I chose to speak. -</p> - -<p> -“Then, being mad to get back to my village and learn the fate of my -wife, I found my tongue and spoke the truth, saying that the gold was -given in exchange for food by an old Indian doctor, who dwelt with his -daughter in a ruined temple in the forest. -</p> - -<p> -“‘Mother of Heaven!’ said Don Pedro, ‘I have heard of this man before; -but now I know the kind of merchandise in which he trades, I think -that I must pay him a visit and learn what mint it was stamped at.’ -</p> - -<p> -“Then, having plucked me bare as a fowl for the oven, they let me go -without hurt, but often I have sorrowed because, in my hour of haste -and need, I told them whence the gold came, since I fear lest I should -thus have let loose these villains upon the old wanderer and his -daughter, and in that case they may well be murdered before ever you -can reach them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless Heaven will protect them,” I answered, “though you acted -foolishly. But tell me, Molas, how did you find me out and come here -without money?” -</p> - -<p> -“I had some money at home, lord, and when I had buried my wife I -travelled to Frontera on the coast, where I found a ship bound for -Vera Cruz, and in her I sailed, giving my service as a sailor, which -is a trade that I have followed. From Vera Cruz I made my way to -Mexico, and reported myself to the head of the Brotherhood in that -city, who, as I expected, was able to give me tidings of you. -</p> - -<p> -“Then I came on to this village, and arrived here to-night, having -been a month and two days on my journey. And now, lord, if you can, -give me a place to sleep in, since I am weary, who for three days have -scarcely shut my eyes. To-morrow you can let me know what answer I -must bear to the old man, Zibalbay.” -</p> - -<p class="spacer"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -I, Ignatio, sat late that night pondering over these tidings, which -filled me with a strange hope. Could it be that my hour of success was -at hand after so many years of waiting? If there were truth in -prophecies it would seem so, and yet my faith wavered. This traveller, -whom Molas had seen, might be a madman, and his symbol might be -forged. I could not tell, but at least I would put the matter to the -proof, for to-morrow, or so soon as was possible, I would journey down -to Chiapas and seek him out. -</p> - -<p> -Thinking thus, I threw myself upon my bed and strove to sleep, but -could not. Then, remembering the scroll that my friend had given me, I -rose, purposing to change my thoughts in studying it and so win sleep. -It was a hard task, but at length I mastered its meaning, and found -that it dealt with a mine near Cumarvo, and described the exact -position of the mouth of the tunnel. -</p> - -<p> -This mouth, it would appear, had been closed up in the reign of -Guatemoc, and the scroll was written by the <i>cacique</i> who had charge -of the mine in those days, in order that a record might remain that -would enable his descendants to reopen it, should a time come when the -Spaniards were driven from the land. That the mine was very rich in -free gold was shown by the weights of pure metal stated in this scroll -to have been sent year by year to the Court of Montezuma by this -<i>cacique</i>, and also by the fact that it was thought worth hiding from -the Spaniards. -</p> - -<p> -Early on the morrow I went to the room of the Señor Strickland and -spoke to him with a heavy heart. -</p> - -<p> -“Señor,” I said, “you will remember that when I entered your service -I told you that I might have to leave it at any moment. Now I am here -to say that the time is come, for a messenger has arrived to summon me -to the other end of Mexico upon business of which I may not speak, and -to-morrow I must start upon the journey.” -</p> - -<p> -“I am sorry to hear it, Ignatio,” he answered, “for you have been a -good friend to me. Still, you do well to separate your fortunes from -those of an unlucky man.” -</p> - -<p> -“And you, señor, do ill to speak thus to me,” I answered with -indignation; “still, I forgive you because I know that at times, when -the heart is sore, the mouth utters words that are not meant. Listen, -señor, when you have eaten your breakfast, will you take a ride with -me?” -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly, if you like. But whither do you wish to ride?” -</p> - -<p> -“To another mine that is, or should be, about two hours on horseback -from here, in a valley at the foot of yonder peak. I only heard of it -last night, though I came to Cumarvo to seek it, and it would seem -that it was very rich in Montezuma’s day.” -</p> - -<p> -“In Montezuma’s day?” he said. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, it was last worked then, and I propose that if we can find it, -and it looks well, that you should ‘denounce’ it for yourself, giving -a reward of a few dollars to the Indian from whom I had the -information, who is a poor man.” -</p> - -<p> -“But if it is so good, why don’t <i>you</i> denounce it, Ignatio; and how -did you come to hear about it after all these years?” -</p> - -<p> -“For two reasons, señor; first, because I wish to do you a service if -it is in my humble power, and, secondly, because I cannot look after -it and must leave you, though to do so will be a true grief to me, -for, if you will permit me to say it, never have I met a man for whom -I conceived a greater respect and affection. Perhaps, if I return -again, you will give me a share in the profits, so that we may grow -rich together. And now I will show you how I came to hear of the -mine.” And I fetched the scroll, with the translation that I had made, -and read it to him. -</p> - -<p> -He listened eagerly, for, like yourself, Señor Jones, your -countryman, James Strickland, loved adventure and all things that have -to do with the past of this ancient land. -</p> - -<p> -“Let us go at once,” he said when I had finished. “I will order the -horses and a mule with the prospecting kit to be got ready. Shall we -take men with us?” -</p> - -<p> -“I think not, señor; the mine is not yet found, and the less talk -there is about it the better, for if the matter is noised abroad -somebody may be before you in denouncing it. The messenger who came to -see me last night is a trusty man, but he is weary with journeying, -and rests, so we will go alone.” -</p> - -<p> -An hour later we were riding among the mountains, I having left a -message for Molas to say that I should return before dark. The trail -which we were following was a difficult one, and ran for some miles -along the edge of a precipice till it reached the crest of the range. -Indeed, so bad was it in parts, that we were forced to dismount and -drive the horses and mule before us, while we followed, clinging to -the ferns and creepers on the rocks to keep ourselves from falling. -</p> - -<p> -At length we came to the summit of the range, and turned downwards -through a forest of oak and fir trees, heading for a valley that lay -at the base of a solitary mountain peak, along which ran a stream. -Down this stream we rode a mile or more, since I was searching for a -certain pointed rock that was mentioned in the scroll as standing by -itself on the slope of a mountain where no trees grew, beneath which -should be the glen where in the days of Guatemoc was a great <i>ceiba</i> -tree that, so said the writing, overshadowed the mouth of the mine. -</p> - -<p> -Riding uphill through a dense grove of oaks, we came presently to the -glen that lay just below the slope whereon stood the tall rock. -</p> - -<p> -“This must be the place,” I said, “but I see no <i>ceiba</i> tree.” -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless it has fallen and rotted since those days,” answered the -Señor Strickland. “Let us tether the horses and search.” -</p> - -<p> -This we did, and the hunt was long, for here grasses and ferns grew -thick, but at length I discovered a spot where the trunk of a very -ancient tree had decayed in the ground, so that nothing remained -except the outline of its circle and some of the larger roots. -</p> - -<p> -Round about these roots we sought desperately for an hour or more, but -without avail, till at length my companion grew weary of the sport, -and went to pull up a small glossy-leaved palm that he had discovered, -purposing to take it home and set it in his garden, for he was a great -lover of plants and flowers. -</p> - -<p> -While he was thus engaged, and I toiled amongst the grasses looking -for the mouth of the mine, which, as I began to think, was lost -forever, suddenly he called out, “Come here, Ignatio. Beneath the -roots of this palm is refuse rock that has been broken with hammers. I -believe that this must have been the platform in front of the mine. -One can see that the ground was flat here.” -</p> - -<p> -I came to him, and together we renewed our search, till at length, by -good luck, we discovered a hole immediately beneath a rock, large -enough for a man to creep into. -</p> - -<p> -“Was this made by a <i>coyote</i>, or is it the mouth of the mine?” the -señor asked. -</p> - -<p> -“That we can only find out by entering it,” I answered. “Doubtless -when they shut down the mine, the <i>antiguos</i> would have left some such -place as this to ventilate the workings. Bring the pickaxe, señor, -and we will soon see.” -</p> - -<p> -For ten minutes or more we laboured, working in soft ground with pick -and spade till we bared the side of a tunnel, which I examined. -</p> - -<p> -“There is no need to trouble further,” I said, “this rock has been cut -with copper chisels, for here is the green of the copper. Without -doubt we have found the mouth of the mine. Now give me the hammer and -candles, and bring the leather bag for samples, and we will enter.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch04"> -CHAPTER IV.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE LEGEND OF THE HEART</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">When</span> I had gone a few paces down the hole, it widened suddenly, so -that we were able to stand upright and light our candles. Now there -was no doubt that we were in the tunnel of an old mine, a rudely-dug -shaft that turned this way and that as it followed the windings of the -ore body. -</p> - -<p> -Along this tunnel we went for thirty or forty paces, creeping over the -fallen boulders, and twisting ourselves between the brown stalactites -that in the course of ages had formed upon the roof and floor, till -presently we reached an obstacle that barred our further progress; a -huge mass of rock which at some time or other had fallen from the roof -of the tunnel and blocked it. I looked at it, and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Now, señor, I think that we shall have to go back. You remember the -writing tells us that this mine, although so rich, was unsafe because -of the rottenness of the rock. Doubtless they propped it in the old -days, but the timbers have decayed long ago.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” he answered, “we can do nothing here without help, and, -Ignatio, I don’t like the look of the roof, it is full of cracks.” -</p> - -<p> -As these last words left his lips a piece of stone, the size of a -child’s head, fell from above almost at his feet. -</p> - -<p> -“Speak softly,” I whispered, “the ring of your voice is bringing down -the roof.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I stooped to pick up the fallen stone, thinking that it might -show ore, and, as I did so, my hand touched something sharp, which I -lifted and held to the candle. It was the jawbone of a man, yellow -with age, and corroded by damp. I showed it to the señor, and, -kneeling down, we examined the bed of the tunnel together, and not -uselessly, for there we found the remainder of the skull and some -fragments of an arm-bone, but the rest of the skeleton lay under the -great boulder in front of us. -</p> - -<p> -“He was coming out of the mine when the rock fell upon him, poor -fellow,” whispered the señor. “Look here,” and he pointed to a little -heap of something that gleamed in the candle-light. -</p> - -<p> -It was free gold, six or seven ounces of it, almost pure, and for the -most part in small nuggets, that once were contained in a bag which -had long since rotted away. -</p> - -<p> -Doubtless, after the mine was closed, some Aztec, who knew its secret, -had made a practice of working there for his own benefit, till one -day, as he was coming out, the rock fell upon him and crushed him, -leaving his spirit to haunt the place for ever. -</p> - -<p> -“There is no doubt about this mine being rich,” whispered the señor; -“but all the same I think that we had better get out of it. I hear odd -noises and rumblings which frighten me. Come, Ignatio,” and he turned -to lead the way towards the opening. -</p> - -<p> -Two paces farther I saw him strike his ankle against a piece of rock -that stood up some six or eight inches from the floor-bed of the -tunnel, and the pain of the blow was so sharp that, forgetting where -he was, he called out loudly. The next instant there was a curious -sound above me as of something being torn, and, lo! I lay upon my face -on the rock, and upon me rested a huge mass of stone. -</p> - -<p> -I say that it rested upon me, but this is not altogether true, for, -had it been so, that stone would have killed me at once, as a beetle -is killed beneath the foot of a man, instead of taking more than -two-and-twenty years to do it. The greater part of its weight was -borne by the piece of rock against which the señor had struck his -leg, a point of the fallen boulder only pressing into my back and -grinding me against the ground. Now we were in darkness, for the -señor had been knocked down also, and his candle extinguished, and, -in the midst of my tortures, it came into my mind that he must be -dead. -</p> - -<p> -Presently, however, I heard his voice, saying, “Ignatio; do you live, -Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -Now I thought for a moment. Even in my pain I remembered that more of -the roof would surely give ere long, and that if my friend stayed here -he must die with me. Nothing could save me, I was doomed to a slow -death beneath the stone; and yet if I told him this I knew that he -would not go. Therefore I answered as strongly as I could: -</p> - -<p> -“Fly, señor, I am safe, and do but stay to light a candle. I will -follow you.” -</p> - -<p> -“You are lying to me,” he answered; “your voice comes from the level -of the floor.” And as he spoke I heard the scratching sound of a -match. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as he had found his candle and lit it, he knelt down and -looked at me. Then he examined the roof above, and, following his -glance with difficulty, I saw that next to the hole whence the boulder -had fallen, hung a huge block of stone, that, surrounded by great -cracks from which water dropped, trembled like a leaf whenever he -moved or spoke. -</p> - -<p> -“For the love of God, fly,” I whispered. “In a few hours it will be -over with me, and you cannot help me. I am a dead man, do not stop -here to share my fate.” -</p> - -<p> -For a moment he seemed to hesitate, then his courage came back to him, -and he answered hoarsely: -</p> - -<p> -“We entered this place together, friend, and we will go out together, -or not at all. You must be fixed by the rock and not crushed, or you -would not speak of living for hours. Let me look,” and he lay upon his -breast and examined the fallen rock by the light of the candle. “Thank -God! there is hope,” he said at last, “the boulder rests on the ground -and upon the stone against which I struck my leg, for only one point -of it is fixed in your back. Do you think that anything is broken, -Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot say, señor, my pain is great, and I am being slowly crushed -to death; but I believe that as yet my bones are whole. Fly, I beg of -you.” -</p> - -<p> -“I will not,” he answered sullenly, “I am going to roll this rock off -you.” -</p> - -<p> -Then, lifting with all his great strength, he strove to move the -stone, but without avail, for it was beyond the power of mortal man to -stir it, and all the while the black mass trembled above his head. -</p> - -<p> -“I must go for help,” he said, presently. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, yes, señor,” I answered, “go for help;” for I knew well that -before he could return with any, more of the roof would have fallen, -shutting me in to perish by inches, or perhaps crushing the life out -of me in mercy. Then I remembered, and added: -</p> - -<p> -“Stay a moment before you go; you are noble, I will give you -something. Feel here round my neck, there is a little chain—now, draw -it over my head—so. You see a token hangs to it; if ever you are in -trouble with the Indians, take their chief man apart and show him -this, and he will die for you if need be. -</p> - -<p> -“Englishman, by this gift I have made you heir to the empire of the -Aztecs in the heart of every Indian, and the master of the great -brotherhood of Mexico. Molas, the messenger, will tell you all and -bring you to those who can initiate you. Bid him lead you whither he -would have led me. Farewell, and God go with you. Tell the Indians how -I died, that they may not think that you have murdered me.” -</p> - -<p> -To these words of mine the señor made no answer, but thrust the token -into his pocket without looking at it, like one who dreams. Then, -taking the candle with him, he crept forward down the tunnel and -vanished, and my heart sank as I saw him go, leaving me to my dreadful -fate without a word of farewell. -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless he is too frightened to speak,” I thought, “and it is right -that he should fly as quickly as possible to save his life.” -</p> - -<p> -Now, as I was soon to learn, I was doing the señor a bitter wrong in -my mind, seeing that he never dreamed of deserting me, but went to -find a means of rescue. As he told me afterwards, when he reached the -mouth of the tunnel, he could think of no way by which I might be -saved, since these mountains were uninhabited, and it would take -several hours to bring men from Cumarvo. -</p> - -<p> -Outside the mine he sat himself down to consider what could be done, -but no thought came, for it was impossible to use the strength of the -horses in that narrow place. Then he sprang up and looked round him in -despair. Close to him was a little ravine hollowed by water, and on -its very edge grew a small mimosa thorn of which the long roots had -been washed almost bare by a flood. He saw it, and an inspiration -entered into him. With the help of a lever he might be able to do a -feat to which his unaided strength was not equal. -</p> - -<p> -Springing at the little tree, that being of so tough a wood was the -best possible for his purpose, he tore it from such root-hold as -remained to it. A few strokes with his heavy hunting-knife trimmed off -the branches and fibres, and soon he was creeping carefully up the -tunnel, dragging the trunk after him. When he had gone some twenty -paces he heard another fragment of the roof fall, and, so he said in -his story, was minded to fly. -</p> - -<p> -He had but just escaped from a horrible end, the end that generations -ago overtook the poor Aztec, and it was awful to brave it again. He -knew that his chances of being able to rescue me were few indeed, -whereas those that he would perish miserably in the attempt were many. -Then he remembered what my sufferings must be if I still lived, and -how his own conscience would reproach him in the after years, should -he leave me to my fate, and he went on. -</p> - -<p> -Now he could see that the half-detached mass of the roof still hung; -it was a smaller fragment which had fallen, one nearer to the -entrance. He could see also that I lay in the same position beneath -the rock, and he thought that I was dead, because I neither moved nor -spoke, though, in fact, I had but swooned under the agony of my -suffering. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you dead?” he whispered, and I heard his voice through my sleep, -and, lifting my head, looked up at him astonished, for I had never -thought to see him again. -</p> - -<p> -“Do I behold a spirit,” I said, “or is it you come back?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is I, Ignatio, and I have brought a lever. Now when I lift, -struggle forward if you can.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he placed the trunk of the thorn-tree in what seemed to him the -best position, and put all his strength upon it. It was in vain; even -so he could not stir the rock. -</p> - -<p> -“Try a little more to the right,” I said, faintly; “there is a better -hold.” -</p> - -<p> -He shifted the lever and dragged at it till his muscles cracked, and I -felt the stone tremble as its bulk began to rise. -</p> - -<p> -“If you can help ever so little, it will come!” he gasped. -</p> - -<p> -Then in my despair, though the anguish of it nearly killed me, I set -my palms upon the ground, and, contracting myself like a snake that is -held with a forked stick, thrust upwards with my back, till the point -of the stone was raised to the height of eight or ten inches from the -ground. -</p> - -<p> -For a moment, and one only, it hung there; next instant the lever -slipped, and down it came again. But I had taken my chance, for, -clinging to the floor with my fingers, so soon as my back was free, -with a quick movement I dragged myself a foot or more forward. Then -the point of rock that had been lifted from my spine fell again, but -this time it struck the ground between my thighs. -</p> - -<p> -Now he seized me by the arms and tore me free, though I left one of my -long boots beneath the stone. I strove to rise, but could not because -of the hurt to my back. -</p> - -<p> -“You must carry me, señor,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -He glanced at the mass that trembled above us; then, giving me the -candle, he lifted me from the ground like an infant and staggered -forward down the tunnel. Perhaps we had gone some seven or eight -paces, not more, when there was a dreadful crash behind us. The roof -had fallen in, and the spot which we occupied some thirty seconds -before was now piled high with rocks. -</p> - -<p> -“On!” I said; “cracks are showing in the stone above us!” and he -rushed forward till we found ourselves outside the mine. -</p> - -<p> -Now I bowed my head and returned thanks for my escape; then, lifting -it, I looked my preserver in the face and said: -</p> - -<p> -“I swear by the name of God, señor, that He never made a man nobler -than yourself!” -</p> - -<p> -The next instant I fell forward and fainted there among the ferns. -</p> - -<p class="spacer"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -Ten days had passed since I was carried from the mouth of that -accursed mine back to Cumarvo in a litter, and during all this time I -had suffered much pain in my back, and been very ill—so ill, indeed, -that I was scarcely allowed to speak with anyone. Now, however, I was -much better, and one afternoon the Señor Strickland, assisted by my -foster-brother Molas, lifted me from my bed into a hammock. -</p> - -<p> -“By the way, Ignatio,” said the señor when Molas had gone, “I never -gave you back this charm of yours. What a strange trinket it is!” he -added, taking it from his neck; “and what did you mean by your talk in -the tunnel about its making me heir to the empire of the Aztecs in the -heart of every Indian, and the rest of it? I suppose that you were -delirious with pain, and did not know what you were saying.” -</p> - -<p> -“Is the door shut, señor?” I asked; “and are you sure that there is -no one on the verandah? Good! Then draw your chair nearer and I will -tell you something. I am not certain that I should take this talisman -back again, still I will do so for reasons which you shall learn -presently. -</p> - -<p> -“Know, señor, that this broken gem is at once the foundation-stone -and the secret symbol of a great order, of which, although you have -not been initiated into it, you are now one of the lords, seeing that -the crowning and vital ceremony of the creation of a Lord of the Heart -consists in the hanging of the symbol about his neck for the space of -a minute only by myself, who am the chief lord and Keeper of the Heart -for life, and you have worn it for ten whole days. -</p> - -<p> -“Before we part I will call a chapter of the order—for even among -these mountains we have brethren—and you shall be initiated into its -ritual and raised to the rank of a chief lord, as is your right. -Meanwhile I will instruct you briefly in its mysteries, as it is my -bounden duty to do. -</p> - -<p> -“Understand, señor, that the first duty of the servant of the Heart -is silence, and that silence I demand of you. Men have died ere now, -señor; yes, they have died on the rack in the dungeons of the -Inquisition, and shrivelled as wizards in the fires of the stake, -sooner than reveal those things that have been told them upon the -faith of the Heart, against which the confessional itself cannot -prevail—no, not with the best of Catholics.” -</p> - -<p> -“But suppose that a man should not keep silence, Ignatio, what then?” -he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“There is a land, señor,” I answered, “where the most talkative grow -dumb, and its borders can be crossed by all, even by the Lords of the -Heart, for fearful is the doom of a false brother!” -</p> - -<p> -“You mean that if I repeat anything I may hear, I shall be murdered.” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed, no, señor; but you may happen to die. I speak on the Heart; -do you hear with the Ears?” -</p> - -<p> -“I hear with the Ears,” he answered, catching my meaning. -</p> - -<p> -“Very well, señor, since you have now sworn secrecy to me by the most -solemn oath that can pass the lips of man, I will speak to you openly. -This is the tale of the Broken Heart, so far as I know it, though how -much of it is truth and how much is legend I cannot say: -</p> - -<p> -“You have heard the story of that white man, or god, sometimes called -Quetzal by the Indians, and sometimes Cucumatz, who came to these -lands in the far past and civilised their peoples? Afterwards he -vanished away in a ship, promising that when many generations had -passed he would return again. -</p> - -<p> -“When he had gone, the empire which he created fell into the hands of -two brothers, whose chief city was either at Palenque or in its -neighbourhood, and the citizens of this empire, like we Christians, -worshipped one good god, the true God, under the name of the Heart of -Heaven, and to Him they offered few sacrifices save those of fruit and -flowers. Now one of these brothers married a wife from another -country—a daughter of devils, very beautiful and a great witch. -</p> - -<p> -“Soon this woman, as in the story of the wives of Solomon and their -lord, drew away the king, her husband, from the true faith to the -worship of the gods of her own land, and brought it about that he -offered human sacrifice to them. Then there arose a great confusion in -that country, and the end of it was that the people divided themselves -into two parties, the worshippers of the Heart of Heaven and the -worshippers of devils. -</p> - -<p> -“They made war upon each other, till many of their chief men were -killed; then they came to an agreement whereby the nation was -sundered. Half of it, under that king who had married the woman, -marched northwards, and became the fathers of the Aztecs and other -tribes; and half, the faithful worshippers of the Heart, remained in -the Tobasco country. -</p> - -<p> -“Now from that day forward evil overtook both these peoples, for -though the Aztecs flourished for a while, in the end Spaniards -despoiled them. The worshippers of the Heart also were driven from -their cities by hordes of barbarians who rolled down upon them, and -their faith perished, or seemed to perish.” -</p> - -<p> -“But what has this history to do with the charm about your neck, -Ignatio?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I will tell you. When Quetzal sailed away from his people, so says -the legend, he left the stone, that once he had worn upon his brow, of -which this is the half, to be a treasure to the kings who came after -him. Also he set this fate upon it: that while the Heart remained -unbroken, for so long should the people be one and whole; but if it -came about that it was cut or shattered, they should be divided with -it, to be no more one people until again the fragments were one stone. -</p> - -<p> -“Now when these king-brethren quarrelled and parted, they sawed the -token asunder, as you see, each of them keeping a half, this half -being that of him who married the woman. For generations it was worn -by his descendants, and upon their death-beds passed on by them to -another, or at times taken from their bodies after they were dead. -</p> - -<p> -“There are many stories told about the stone in the old days, and it -is certain that he who had it was the real king of the country for the -time being. At length it came into the hands of the great Guatemoc, -last of the Aztec emperors, who, before the Spaniards hung him, found -means to send it to his son, from whom it has come down to me.” -</p> - -<p> -“To you? What have you to do with Guatemoc?” -</p> - -<p> -“I am his lineal descendant, señor, the eleventh in the male line.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then you ought to be Emperor of the Indians if every man had his -rights, Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is so, señor, but of my own story I will tell you presently. -Now of this stone. Through all the ages it has never been lost, and it -is known in the land from end to end; he who wears it for his life -being called ‘Keeper of the Heart,’ and also ‘Hope of those who wait,’ -since it may happen in his day that the two halves will come together -again.” -</p> - -<p> -“And what if they do?” -</p> - -<p> -“Then, so says the legend, the Indians will once more be a mighty -nation, and drive those who oppress them into the sea, as the wind -drives dust.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the señor rose from his chair and walked up and down the room. -</p> - -<p> -“Do you believe all this?” he asked, suddenly. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” I answered, “or the greater part of it. Indeed, if what I hear -is true, the lost half of the talisman that has been missing for so -many generations is in Mexico at this moment, and, so soon as I am -well enough, I go to seek him who bears it, and who has come from far -to find me. That is why we must part, señor.” -</p> - -<p> -“Where has this man come from?” he asked, eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know for certain,” I answered, “but I think that he has come -from the sacred city of the Indians, the hidden Golden City which the -Spaniards sought for but could not find, though it still exists among -the mountains and deserts of the far interior, whither I hope to -journey with him.” -</p> - -<p> -“That still exists! Ignatio, you must be mad. It never has existed -except in the imagination.” -</p> - -<p> -“You say so, señor, but I think differently. At least, I knew a man -whose grandfather had seen it. He, the grandfather, was a native of -San Juan Batista, in Tobasco, and when he was young he committed some -crime and fled inland to save his life. -</p> - -<p> -“All that befell him I do not know, but at length he found himself -wandering by the shores of a great lake, somewhere in or beyond the -country that is now known as Guatemala, and, being exhausted, he laid -himself down to die there and fell asleep. -</p> - -<p> -“When he awoke, people were standing round him, like the Indians to -look at, but very light in colour, and beautifully dressed in white -robes, with necklaces of emeralds and feather capes. These people put -him on board a great canoe, and took him to a glorious city with a -high pyramid in the centre of it, which was named Heart of the World. -</p> - -<p> -“Of this city he saw little, however, for its inhabitants kept him a -prisoner, only from time to time he was brought before their king and -elders, who sat in a hall filled with images of dead men fashioned in -gold, and there was questioned as to the country whence he came, the -tribes that dwelt in it, and more especially of the white men who -ruled the land. -</p> - -<p> -“In that hall alone, so he said, there were more gold and precious -stones than are to be found in all Mexico. When he had nothing more to -tell them, the people wished to kill him, fearing lest he should -escape and bring upon them the white men who loved gold. The end of it -was that he did escape by the help of a woman, who guided him back -towards the sea, though she never came there, for she died upon the -road. -</p> - -<p> -“Afterwards this man went to live in a little village near Palenque, -where he also died, having revealed nothing of what he had seen, since -he feared lest the vengeance of the People of the Heart should follow -him. When he was dying, he told his son, who told his son, who told -the tale to me. Señor, it has been the dream of my life to visit that -city, and now at last I think that I have found the clue which will -lead me to it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you want to visit it, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“To understand that, señor, you must know my history.” And I told him -of the failure of the great plot and the part that I had played in it, -all of which I have already set out, also of the secret hopes and -ambitions of my life. -</p> - -<p> -“Señor,” I added, “though I am beaten I am not yet crushed, and I -still desire to build up a great Indian empire. I see by your face -that you think me foolish. You may be right or I may be right. I may -be pursuing truths or dreams, I may be sane and a redeemer, or insane -and a fool. What does it matter? I follow the light that runs before -me; will-o’-the-wisp or star, it leads to one end, and for me it is -the light that I am born to follow. If you believe nothing else, at -least believe this, señor, that I do not seek my own good or -advancement, but rather that of my people. At the worst, I am not a -knave, I am only a fool.” -</p> - -<p> -“But how will you help your cause by visiting this city, supposing it -to exist, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“Thus, señor: these people—among whom without doubt the old man of -whom I have spoken, who is named Zibalbay, is a chief or king—are the -true stock and head of all the Indian races, and when they learn my -plans and whom I am, they will be glad to furnish me with means -whereby I can bring them to their former empire.” -</p> - -<p> -“And if they take another view of the matter, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“Then I fail, that is all, and among so many failures one more will -scarcely matter. I am like a swimmer who sees, or thinks that he sees, -a single plank that may bear him to safety. Maybe he cannot reach that -plank, or, if he reach it, maybe it will sink beneath his weight. At -least, he has no other hope. -</p> - -<p> -“Señor, I have no other hope. There in the Golden City is untold -wealth, for the man saw it, and without money, great sums of money, I -am helpless, therefore I go thither to win the money. The ship has -foundered under me, and with it the cargo of my ambitions and the work -of my life; so, being desperate, I fall back upon a desperate -expedient. -</p> - -<p> -“First, I will seek this man, that the two halves of the Heart may -come together, and the prophecy be fulfilled; then, if it may be, I -will travel with him to the City, Heart of the World, careless whether -I live or die, but determined, if there is need, to die fighting for -the fulfilment of the dream of an Indian empire—Christian, -regenerated, and stretching from sea to sea—that I have followed all -my days.” -</p> - -<p> -“The dream, Ignatio? Perhaps you name it well, yet few have such noble -dreams. And now, who goes with you on this journey?” -</p> - -<p> -“Who goes with me? Molas, so far as the temple where the Indian is. -After that, if I proceed, no one. Who would accompany a man grown old -in failure, whom even those that love him deem a visionary, on such a -desperate quest? Why, if I should dare to tell my projects even, men -would mock me as children mock an idiot in the street. I go alone, -señor, perhaps to die.” -</p> - -<p> -“As regards the dying, Ignatio, of course I can say nothing, since all -men must die sooner or later, and the moment and manner of their end -is in the hand of Providence. But for the rest you shall not make this -journey alone, that is, if you care to have me for a companion, for I -will accompany you.” -</p> - -<p> -“You, señor, <i>you</i>. Think what it means: the certainty of every sort -of danger, the risk of every kind of death, and at the end, the -probability of failure. It is folly, señor.” -</p> - -<p> -“Ignatio,” he answered, “I will be frank with you. Notwithstanding all -the prophecies about the wonders that are to follow the reuniting of -the Heart, and the messages from the old man in the temple, I think -your scheme of building up an Indian empire greater than that which -Cortez destroyed, as impracticable as it is grand, since the time has -gone by when it could have been done, or perhaps it has not yet -returned. -</p> - -<p> -“Before the Indians can rule again, they must forget the bitter -lessons and the degradation of ages; in short, they must be educated, -Ignatio. Still, if you think otherwise, that is your affair; you can -only fail, and there are failures more glorious than most successes. -Do you understand me?” -</p> - -<p> -“Perfectly, señor.” -</p> - -<p> -“Very well. And now as regards the search for this Golden City. To me -the matter seems very vague, since your hopes of finding it are based -upon a traveller’s tale, told by a man who died seventy or eighty -years ago, and the chance that a certain person, whom you have not yet -seen, has come from there, and is willing to guide you back to it. -</p> - -<p> -“Still, the prospect of hunting for that city pleases me, for I am an -adventurer in my heart. If ever we get further than the forest country -in Tabasco, where your friend with the token is waiting for you, our -search will probably end in the leaving of our bones to decorate some -wilderness or mountain top in the unknown regions of Guatemala. -</p> - -<p> -“But what of that? I have no chick or child; my death would matter -nothing to any living soul; for years I have worked hard with small -results; why should I not follow my natural bent and become an -adventurer? I can scarcely do worse than I have done, and I think that -the way of life would suit me. -</p> - -<p> -“That mine you showed me is rich enough no doubt, but I have no -capital to deal with it, and if I had, my experience of the place was -such that I never wish to set foot in it again. In short, I am ready -to start for Tabasco, and the Sacred City, and wherever else you like, -so soon as you are fit to travel.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you swear that on the Heart, señor?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“By all means; but I should prefer to give you my hand upon it.” And -he stretched out his hand, which I took. -</p> - -<p> -“Good. You swear on the Heart, and give me your hand—the oath is -perfect. We are comrades henceforth, señor; for my part I ask no -better one. I have nothing more to say. I cannot promise that you will -find this City, or that, if you find it, it will advantage you. I am -an unlucky man, and it is more likely that, by yoking yourself with -me, you will bring my misfortunes upon your head. This I swear, -however, that I will be a true comrade to you, as you were to me -yonder in the mine, and for the rest, the adventure must be its own -reward.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch05"> -CHAPTER V.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE BEGINNING OF THE QUEST</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Something</span> more than a month from the day when the Señor Strickland -and I made our compact to search for the secret city of the Indians, -we found ourselves, together with Molas, at Vera Cruz, waiting for a -ship to take us to Frontera, where we proposed to disembark. This port -we had chosen in preference to Campeche, although the latter was -nearer to the ruins where we hoped to find the Indian Zibalbay, -because from it we could travel in canoes up the Grijalva and other -rivers, unobserved by any save the natives. -</p> - -<p> -Things are changed now in these parts, but in those days the white men -who lived thereabouts beyond the circle of the towns were too often -robbers, as Molas had found to his cost some few weeks before. -</p> - -<p> -At Vera Cruz we purchased such articles as were necessary to our -journey, not many, for we could not be sure of finding means to carry -them. Among them were hammocks, three guns that would shoot either -ball or shot, with ammunition, as many muzzle-loading Colt’s -revolvers, the best that were to be had twenty years ago, some -medicines, blankets, boots, and spare clothes. -</p> - -<p> -Also we took with us all the money that we possessed, amounting to -something over fifteen hundred dollars in gold, which sum we divided -between us, carrying it in belts about our middles. At Vera Cruz, -where people are very curious about the business of others, we gave -out that the Señor Strickland was one of those strange Englishmen who -love to visit old ruins, for which purpose he was travelling to -Yucatan; that I, Ignatio, was his guide and companion, and that Molas, -my foster-brother, was our servant. -</p> - -<p> -Now we purposed to leave Vera Cruz by a fine American vessel, a -sailing ship, that, after touching at the ports along the coast, -traded to Havana and New York. As it chanced, the departure of this -ship was delayed for a week, so, being pressed for time and fearing -lest we should catch the yellow fever that was raging in the town, -unhappily for ourselves we took passage in a Mexican boat called the -<i>Santa Maria</i>. -</p> - -<p> -She was an old sailing vessel of not more than two hundred and fifty -tons burden, that had been converted by her owners into a paddle-wheel -steamer, with the result that, except in favourable weather, she could -neither sail nor steam with any speed or safety. Her business was to -trade with passengers and cargo between Vera Cruz and the ports of -Frontera and Campeche. -</p> - -<p> -“Where for?” asked the agent of the Señor Strickland, as he filled in -the tickets. -</p> - -<p> -“Frontera,” he answered. “Your boat stops there, does she not?” -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! certainly, señor,” he said, as he pocketed the dollars, and yet -all the while this shameless rogue knew that she had orders to touch -at Campeche, which is the furthest port, first, and return to Frontera -a week later. But of this more in its place. -</p> - -<p> -That afternoon the <i>Santa Maria</i>, with us on board of her, was piloted -out of the harbour of Vera Cruz, and we heard the pilot swearing -because she would not answer properly to her helm. Standing by the -engines we noticed also that, though they had not been working for -more than half an hour, it was found necessary to keep a stream of -water in constant play upon the bearings. -</p> - -<p> -The señor asked the reason of this of the man who was mate and -engineer of the boat, and he answered, with a shrug, that sand had got -into the machinery when she was steaming over the bar of the Grijalva -river, but that he thought the bearings, should it please the Saints, -would last this voyage, unless they had the bad luck to run into a -norther, as you English call <i>el Norte</i>; the fearful gales that in -certain seasons of the year sweep over the Gulf of Mexico. -</p> - -<p> -“And if we ‘run into a norther’?” he asked,—whereupon the man made a -grimace, crossed himself to avert the omen, and vanished down the -stoke-hole. -</p> - -<p> -Now we began to feel sorry that we had not taken passage in the -American ship, since of late northers had been frequent, but as, for -good or ill, we were on board the <i>Santa Maria</i>, we amused ourselves -by studying our fellow-passengers. -</p> - -<p> -Of these there were several on board, perhaps twenty in all, Mexican -landowners and officials returning to their <i>haciendas</i> and native -towns after a visit to Vera Cruz, or the capital, some of them -pleasant companions enough and others not so. Three or four of these -gentlemen were accompanied by their wives, but the ladies had already -retired to the bunks opening out of the cabin, where, although the sea -was quite smooth, they could be heard suffering the pains of sickness. -</p> - -<p> -Among the passengers was one, a man of not more than thirty years of -age, who particularly attracted our attention because of the -gorgeousness of his dress. In appearance he was large, handsome, and -coarse, and he had Indian blood in his veins, as was shown by the -darkness of his colour and the thick black eyebrows that gave a -truculent expression to his face. While I was wondering who he might -be, Molas made a sign to me to come aside, and said: -</p> - -<p> -“You see yonder man with the silver buttons on his coat: he is Don -José Moreno, the son of that Don Pedro Moreno who waylaid and robbed -me of the nuggets which the old Indian gave me for the cost of my -journey to find you. I heard at the time that he was away from the -<i>hacienda</i> in Vera Cruz or Mexico, and now doubtless he returns -thither. Beware of him, lord, and bid the Englishman to do the same, -for, like his father, he is a bad man—” and he told me certain things -connected with him and his family. -</p> - -<p> -While Molas was talking, a bell had been rung for dinner, but I waited -till he had finished before going down. At the door of the cabin I met -the captain, a stout man with a face like a full moon and a bland -smile. -</p> - -<p> -“What do you seek, señor?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“My dinner, señor,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -“It shall be sent to you on the deck,” he said, not without confusion. -“I do not wish to be rude, señor, but you know that these Mexicans—I -am a Spaniard myself and do not care—hate to sit at meat with an -Indian, so, if you insist upon coming in, there will be trouble.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I heard, and though the insult was deep, it was one to which I was -accustomed, for in this land, which belongs to them and where their -fathers ruled, to be an Indian is to be an outcast. -</p> - -<p> -Therefore, not wishing to make a stir, I bowed and turned away. -Meanwhile, it seems that the Señor Strickland, missing me in the -cabin, asked the captain where I was, saying that perhaps I did not -know that the meal was ready. -</p> - -<p> -“If you refer to your servant, the Indian,” said the captain, “I met -him at the door and sent him away. Surely the señor knows that we do -not sit at table with these people.” -</p> - -<p> -“Captain,” answered the Señor Strickland, “if my friend is an Indian, -he is as good a gentleman as you or anybody else in this cabin; -moreover he has paid for a first-class fare and has a right to -first-class accommodation. I insist upon a seat being provided for him -at my side.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you wish,” answered the captain, smiling, for he was a man of -peace, “only if he comes there will be trouble.” And he ordered the -steward to fetch me. -</p> - -<p> -Now this steward was an Indian who knew my rank. Therefore not wishing -to offend me by repeating what had passed, he said simply that the -captain sent his compliments and begged that I would come down to -dinner. The end of it was that I went, though doubtfully, and, seeing -me in the doorway the Señor Strickland called to me in a loud voice, -saying: -</p> - -<p> -“You are late for dinner, friend, but I have kept your place here by -me. Sit down quickly or the food will be cold.” -</p> - -<p> -I bowed to the company and obeyed, and then the trouble commenced, for -all present had heard this talk. As I took my seat the Mexicans began -to murmur, and the passenger who was next to me insolently moved his -plate and glass away. Now almost opposite to me sat Don José Moreno, -that man of whom Molas had told me. As I took my seat he consulted -hastily with a neighbour on his right, then, addressing the captain, -said in a loud voice: -</p> - -<p> -“There is some mistake; it is not usual that Indian dogs should sit at -the same table with gentlemen.” -</p> - -<p> -The captain shrugged his shoulders and answered mildly: -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps the señor will settle the question with the English señor -on my left. To me it does not matter; I am only a poor sailor, and -accustomed to every sort of company.” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor Strickland,” said Don José, “be so good as to order your -servant to leave the cabin.” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor,” he answered, for his temper was quick, “I will see you in -hell before I do so.” -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Caramba</i>,” said the Mexican, laying a hand upon the knife in his -belt, “you shall pay for that, Englishman.” -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_075"> -<a href="images/img_075.jpg"> -<img alt="You shall pay for that, Englishman." src="images/img_075_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘You shall pay for that, Englishman.’ -</div></div> - -<p> -“When and how you will, señor. I always pay my debts.” -</p> - -<p> -Then the captain broke in, in a strange way. First he put his hand -behind him, and, drawing a large pistol from his pocket, he laid it by -his plate. -</p> - -<p> -“Señors, both,” he said in a soft voice and with a gentle smile, “I -am loth to interfere in a quarrel of two esteemed passengers, but -though I am only a poor sailor, it is my duty to see that there is no -bloodshed on board this vessel. Therefore, much as I regret it, I -shall be obliged to shoot dead the first man who draws a weapon,” and -he cocked the pistol. -</p> - -<p> -Now the Mexican scowled, and the Señor Strickland laughed outright, -for it was a curious thing to hear a man with the face of a sheep -growl and threaten like a wolf. Meanwhile I had risen, for this insult -was more than I could bear. -</p> - -<p> -“Señors,” I said, speaking in Spanish, “as I see that my presence is -unwelcome to the majority of those here, I hasten to withdraw myself. -But before I go I wish to say something, not by way of boasting, but -to justify my friend, the English gentleman, in his action on my -behalf. However well-born you may be, my descent is nobler and more -ancient than yours, and therefore it should be no shame to you to sit -at table with me. Least of all should the Don José Moreno, whose -father is a murderer, a highway robber, and a man without shame, and -whose mother was a half-bred <i>mestiza</i> slut, dare to be insolent to me -who, as any Indian on board this ship can tell you, am a prince among -my own people.” -</p> - -<p> -Now every eye was fixed upon Don José. His sallow complexion turned -to a whitish green as he listened to my words, and for a moment he -sank back in his chair overcome with rage. Then he sprang up, once -more gripping at his knife. -</p> - -<p> -“You dog!” he gasped, “let me but come at you and I’ll cut your lying -tongue out.” -</p> - -<p> -“You will do nothing of the sort, Don José Moreno,” I answered, -fixing my eyes upon his face; “what I have said of your father is -true; more, there is a man on board this ship whom, not three months -since, he robbed with violence. If the gentlemen your companions would -like to hear the story I can tell it to them. For the rest, I am well -able to defend myself. Moreover this vessel is manned by Indians who -know me, and should any harm come to me or to my friend, the Señor -Strickland, I warn you that you will not reach your home alive. -Gentlemen, I salute you,” and I bowed and left the cabin. -</p> - -<p> -“Friend, I thank you,” I said to the señor, when he came upon deck -after the dinner was ended. “Knowing who I am and seeing how, in -common with my race, I am accustomed to be treated by such hounds as -these, can you wonder that I am not fond of Mexicans?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, Ignatio,” he answered; “but all the same I advise you to be -careful of this Don José. He is not a man to kiss the stick that -beats him, and he will make an end of you, and me too for the matter -of that, if he can.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do not be afraid, señor,” I answered laughing; “besides the steward -and Molas there are twenty Indians on board, most of them belonging to -the tribe that dwells beyond Campeche, the finest race in Mexico. Two -of these men are associates of the Heart, and all the rest know my -rank, and will watch that man day and night so that he can never come -near us without finding them ready for him. Only we shall do well to -sleep on deck and not below.” -</p> - -<p> -That night we spent, wrapped in our <i>serapes</i>, upon two coils of rope -on the forecastle of the <i>Santa Maria</i>, with Molas sleeping close -behind us. It was a lovely night and we whiled away the hours in -telling tales to each other of our adventures in past years, and in -wonderings as to those that lay before us, till at length, fearing -nothing, for we knew that our safety was watched over, we fell asleep, -to be awakened by the sudden stoppage of the vessel. -</p> - -<p> -The day was on the point of dawn; a beautiful and pearly light lay -upon the quiet surface of the sea; above us the stars still shone -faintly in the heavens, but to the east the cloud-banks were tinged -with pink and violet. We sat up wondering what had happened, and saw -the captain, wrapped in a dirty blanket, engaged in earnest -conversation with the engineer, who wore a still dirtier shirt, and -nothing else. Hearing that something was wrong, the Señor James went -to the captain and asked him why we had stopped. -</p> - -<p> -“Because the engines won’t go any more, and there is no wind to sail -with,” he answered politely. “But have no fear, my comrade says that -he can mend them up. He has nursed them for years and knows their weak -points.” -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly there is not much to fear in weather like this,” said the -señor, “except delay.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nothing, nothing,” replied the captain, glancing anxiously at a -narrow black band of cloud, that lay on the rim of the horizon beneath -the fleecy masses in which the lights of dawn were burning. -</p> - -<p> -“Do you think that we are likely to have a norther?” asked the señor -in his blunt white man’s way. -</p> - -<p> -“No, no,” exclaimed the captain, crossing himself at the name of that -evil power—<i>el Norte</i>, “but <i>quien sabe</i>! God makes the weather, not -we poor sailors.” And with another glance at the threatening line of -cloud, he hurried away as though to avoid further conversation. -</p> - -<p> -Presently the engines began to work again, though haltingly, like a -lame mule, and as the morning drew on the day became clear and the -thin black cloud vanished from the horizon. Towards three o’clock in -the afternoon Molas, pointing to a low coast-line, and a spot on the -sea where the ocean swell showed tipped with white, told us that -yonder was the bar of the Grijalva river, and that behind it lay the -village of Frontera, our destination. -</p> - -<p> -“Good,” said the señor, “then I think that I will get my things on -deck,” and going to his cabin he brought up a sack containing some -wraps and food. -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you fetch your baggage?” asked the captain presently, “you may -want it to-night.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is why I brought it up,” he answered. “I do not wish to land at -Frontera with nothing.” -</p> - -<p> -“Land at Frontera, señor? No one will land at Frontera from this ship -for another six or seven days. We pass Frontera and run straight on to -Campeche, which, by the blessing of the Saints, we shall reach -to-morrow evening.” -</p> - -<p> -“But I have taken tickets for Frontera,” said the señor. “The agent -gave them to me, and I insist upon being put on shore there.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is quite right, señor. All being well we shall call at Frontera -this day week, and then you can go ashore without extra charge, but -before this my orders are to put into no port except Campeche,—that -is, unless a norther forces me to do so.” -</p> - -<p> -“May the norther sink you, your ship, your agents, and every thing you -have to do with,” answered the señor in so angry a voice, that the -Mexican passengers who were listening began to laugh at the -Englishman’s discomfiture, though the more thoughtful of them crossed -themselves to avert the evil omen. -</p> - -<p> -Then followed a storm, for the señor—whose temper, as I have said, -was not of the coolest—raged and swore in no measured terms; the -captain shrugged his shoulders and apologised; the passengers smiled; -and, seeing that there was no help for the matter, I looked on -patiently after the manner of my race. At length the captain fled, -wiping his brow and exclaiming: -</p> - -<p> -“What manner of men are these English that they make such a trouble -about a little time? Mother of Heaven! why are they always in a hurry? -Is not to-morrow as good as to-day—and better?” -</p> - -<p> -That evening we dined together upon deck; for neither of us were in -any good mood to descend to the cabin and meet Don José Moreno, of -whom we had seen nothing since the previous night. As we were -finishing our meal the light faded and the sky grew curiously dark, -while suddenly to the north there appeared a rim of cloud similar to -that which we had seen upon the horizon at dawn, but now it was of an -angry red and glowed like the smoke from a smelting-furnace at night. -</p> - -<p> -“The sky looks very strange, Ignatio,” said the señor to me, and at -that moment we heard Molas and an Indian sailor speaking together in -brief words. -</p> - -<p> -“<i>El Norte</i>,” said Molas, pointing towards the red rim of light. -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Si, el Norte</i>,” answered the sailor as he went towards the cabin. -</p> - -<p> -Presently the captain hurried up the companion-ladder and studied the -horizon, of which the aspect seemed to frighten him. In another minute -the mate joined him, appearing from the engine hatch, and the two of -them began to converse, or rather to dispute. I was sitting near, -unobserved in the darkness, and, so far as I could gather, the mate -was in favour of putting the ship about and running for Frontera, from -which port we were now distant some forty miles. -</p> - -<p> -On the other hand, the captain said that if they did so and the -norther came up, it would catch them before they got there, and wreck -them upon the bar of the Grijalva river; but he added that he did not -believe there would be any norther, and if by ill-luck it should come, -their best course was to stand for the open sea and ride it out. -</p> - -<p> -The mate answered that this would be an excellent plan if the ship -were staunch and the engines to be relied on, but he declared loudly -that they might as well try to sail a boat with a mast made of -cigarettes, as attempt to lie head on to a norther with leaking -boilers, worn-out engines, and a strained paddle-wheel. -</p> - -<p> -After this the discussion grew fierce, and as full of oaths as a -shark’s mouth with teeth, but in the end the two sailors determined -that their safest plan would be to hold on their present course, and, -if necessary, round Point Xicalango and take shelter behind Carmen -Island, or, if they could, in the mouth of the Usumacinto river. Then -they parted, the captain adjuring the mate to say nothing of the state -of the weather to the passengers, and above all to that accursed -Englishman, who had called this misfortune upon them because he was -not put off at Frontera, and whose evil eye brought bad luck. -</p> - -<p> -Another two hours passed without much change, except that the night -grew darker and darker, and stiller and yet more still. The Señor -Strickland, who had been walking up and down the deck smoking a cigar, -came and sat beside me on a coil of rope, and asked me if I thought -the norther was coming. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, it is coming,” I answered, “and I fear that it will sink us, at -least so say the Indian sailors.” -</p> - -<p> -“You take the idea of being drowned like a puppy in a sack very -coolly, Ignatio. How far are we from Point Xicalango?” -</p> - -<p> -“About twelve miles, I believe, and I take it coolly because there is -no use in making an outcry. God will protect us if He chooses, and if -He chooses He will drown us. It is childish to struggle against -destiny.” -</p> - -<p> -“A true Indian creed, Ignatio,” he answered; “you people sit down and -say—‘It is fate, let us accept it’—but one that I and the men of my -nation do not believe in. If they had done so, instead of being the -first country in the world to-day, England long ago would have ceased -to exist, for many a time she has stood face to face with Fate and -beaten her. For my part, if I must die, I prefer to die fighting. Tell -me, are any of these people to be relied on if it comes to a pinch?” -</p> - -<p> -“The Indian sailors are Campeche men and brave, also they know the -coast, and if need be they will do anything that I tell them. For the -rest I cannot say, but the captain seems to understand something of -his business. Look and listen!” -</p> - -<p> -As I spoke a vivid flash of lightning pierced the heavens above us, -followed by a deafening peal of thunder. In its fierce and sudden -glare we could see the coast some three or four miles away, and almost -ahead of us the bolder outline of Point Xicalango. The water about our -ship was dead calm, and slipped past her sides like oil; the smoke in -the funnel rose almost straight into the air, where at a certain -height it twisted round and round; and a sail that had been hoisted -flapped to and fro for lack of wind to draw it. -</p> - -<p> -A mile or so to windward, however, was a different sight, for there -came the norther, rushing upon us like a thing alive; in front of it a -line of white billows torn from the quiet surface of the sea, and -behind it, fretted by little lightnings, a dense wall of black cloud -stretching from the face of ocean to the arc of heaven. -</p> - -<p> -Now the captain, who was on deck, saw his danger, for if those billows -caught us broadside on we must surely founder. In the strange silence -that followed the boom of the thunder, he shouted to the helmsman to -bring the ship head on to the sea, and to the sailors to batten down -the after-hatch, the only one that remained open, shutting the -passengers, except ourselves and Molas, into the cabin. -</p> - -<p> -His orders were obeyed well and quickly, the <i>Santa Maria</i> came round -and began to paddle towards the open water and the advancing line of -foam. It was terrible to see her, so small a thing, driving on thus -into what appeared to be the very jaws of death. Now the unnatural -quiet was broken, a low moaning noise thrilled through the air, the -waters about the ship’s side began to seethe and hiss, and spray -flying ahead of the wind cut our faces like the lash of a whip. -</p> - -<p> -A few more seconds and something white and enormous could be seen -looming above our bows, and the sight of it caused the captain, whose -face looked pale as death in the gleam of the lightnings, to shriek -another order to his crew. -</p> - -<p> -“Lie down and hold on tight to the rope,” I said to the Señor -Strickland and Molas, who were beside me, “here comes <i>el Norte</i>, and -he brings death for many of us on board this ship.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch06"> -CHAPTER VI.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">“EL NORTE”</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Another</span> moment and <i>el Norte</i> had come in strength. First a sudden -rush of wind struck the vessel, causing her to shiver, and with a -sharp report rending from its fastenings the jib, which had not been -furled. This gust went howling by, and after it rolled the storm. -</p> - -<p> -To us it seemed that the <i>Santa Maria</i> dived head first into a huge -wave, a level line of white illumined with lightnings and swept -forward by the hurricane, for in an instant a foot of foaming water -tore along her deck from stem to stern, sweeping away everything -movable upon it, including two Indian sailors. We should have gone -with the rest had we not clung with all our strength to the rope -coiled about the foremast, but as it was we escaped with a wetting. -</p> - -<p> -For a while the ship stood quite still, and it seemed as though she -were being pressed into the deep by the weight of water on her decks, -but as this fell from her in cataracts, she rose again and ploughed -forward. Fortunately the first burst of the tempest was also the most -terrible, and it had not taken her broadside on, for one or two more -such waves would have swamped us. -</p> - -<p> -After it had passed shorewards, driven by the hurricane wind, for a -little space there was what by comparison might be called a lull, then -the <i>Santa Maria</i> met the full weight of the norther. For a while she -forged ahead against the shrieking wind and vast succeeding seas, -shipping such a quantity of water that presently the captain found it -necessary to reduce her engines to half speed, which it was hoped -would suffice to give her way without filling her. -</p> - -<p> -Now less water came aboard, but on the other hand, as was soon -evident, the vessel began to drift towards the Point Xicalango, and -from this moment it became clear that only a miracle could save her. -For an hour or more the <i>Santa Maria</i> kept up a gallant and unequal -fight, being constantly pressed backwards by the might of the storm, -till at length we could see in the glare of the lightning that the -breakers of the Point were raging not two hundred paces from her -stern. The captain saw them also and made a last effort. Shifting the -vessel’s bow a little, so that the seas struck her on the port -quarter, he gave the order of “Full steam ahead,” and once more we -drove forward. -</p> - -<p> -Before and since that day I have made many voyages across the Gulf of -Mexico in all weathers, but never have I met with such an experience -as that which followed. The ship plunged and strained and rocked, -lifting now her bow and now her stern high above the waves, till it -seemed as though she must fall to pieces, while water in tons rushed -aboard of her at every dip, which, as she righted herself, streamed -through the broken bulwarks. -</p> - -<p> -Slowly, very slowly, we were forging away from the Point and out into -the channel which lies between it and Carmen Island, but the effort -was too fierce to last. Presently, after a succession of terrible -pitchings, one paddle-wheel suddenly ceased to thrash the water, while -the other broke to pieces, and a faint cry from below told those on -deck that the worn-out machinery had collapsed. -</p> - -<p> -Now we were in the mid-race or channel, through which the boiling -current, driven by the fury of the gale and the push of the tide, tore -at a speed of fifteen or sixteen knots, carrying the <i>Santa Maria</i> -along with it as a chip of wood is carried down a flooded gutter. -Twice she whirled right round, for now that her machinery had gone -there was no power to keep her head to the waves, and on the second -occasion, as she lay broadside to them, a green sea came aboard of her -that swept her decks almost clean, taking away with it every boat -except the cutter, which fortunately was slung upon davits to -starboard and out of its reach. -</p> - -<p> -Crouching under shelter of the mast, again the three of us clung to -our rope, nor did we leave go although the water ground us against the -deck, covering us for so long that before our heads were clear of it -we felt as though our lungs must burst. As it chanced, what remained -of the starboard bulwarks was carried away by the rush, allowing the -sea to escape, or the ship must have foundered at once. But it had -done its work, for the engine-room hatchway and the cabin light were -stove in, and the <i>Santa Maria</i> was half full of water. -</p> - -<p> -Before a second sea could strike her, her nose swung round, and in -this position she was washed along the race, her deck not standing -more than four feet above the level of the waves. -</p> - -<p> -Now from time to time the moon shone out between rifts in the storm -clouds, revealing a dreadful scene. Fragments of the little bridge -still remained, and to them was lashed the large body of the captain -in an upright position, though, as he neither spoke nor stirred, we -never learned whether he was only paralysed by terror, or had been -killed by a blow from the funnel as it fell. -</p> - -<p> -You will remember, my friend, that he had ordered the passengers to be -battened down, and there in the cabin they remained, twenty or more of -them, until the hatchways were stove in. Then, with the exception of -one or two, who were drowned by the water that poured down upon them, -they rushed up the companion, men and women together, for they could -no longer stay below, and, shrieking, praying, and blaspheming, clung -to fragments of the bulwarks, shrouds of the mast, or anything which -they thought could give them protection against the pitiless waves. -</p> - -<p> -Awful were the wails of the women, who, clad only in their -night-dresses, now quitted their bunks for the first time since they -entered them in the harbour of Vera Cruz. Overcome by fear, and having -no knowledge of the dangers of the deep, these poor creatures flung -themselves at full length upon the deck, striving to keep a hold of -the slippery boards, whence one by one they rolled into the ocean as -the vessel lurched, or were carried away by the seas that pooped her. -</p> - -<p> -Some of the men followed them to their watery grave, others, more -self-possessed, crept forward, attempting to escape the waves that -broke over the stern, but none made any effort to save them, and -indeed it would have been impossible so to do. -</p> - -<p> -Among those who crawled forward to where we and some of the Indian -sailors were clinging to the rope that was coiled round the stump of -the broken foremast, was Don José Moreno. Even in his terror, which -was great, this man could still be ferocious, for, recognising the -señor, he yelled: -</p> - -<p> -“Ah! <i>maldonado</i>—evil-gifted one—you called down the norther upon -us. Well, at least you shall die with the rest,” and, suddenly drawing -his long knife, he rose to his knees, and, holding the rope with one -hand, attempted to drive it into the señor’s body with the other. -Doubtless he would have succeeded in his wickedness had not an Indian -boatswain, who was near, bent forward and struck him so sharply on the -arm with his clenched fist that the knife flew from his hand. In -trying to recover it Don José fell face downwards on the deck, where -he lay making no further effort at aggression. -</p> - -<p> -Afterwards the señor told me, such was the horror and confusion of -the scene, that, at the time, he scarcely noticed this incident, -though every detail came back to him on the morrow, and with it a -great wonder that even when death was staring them in the face, the -Indians did not forget their promise to watch over our safety. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile, swept onward by the tide and gale, the <i>Santa Maria</i>, -waterlogged and sinking, rushed swiftly to her doom. Our last hour was -upon us, and for a space this knowledge seemed to benumb the mind of -the Señor Strickland, who crouched at my side, as the wet and cold -had benumbed his body. Nor was this strange, for it seemed terrible to -perish thus. -</p> - -<p> -“Can we do nothing?” he said to me at length. “Ask the Indians if -there is any hope.” -</p> - -<p> -Putting my face close to the ear of the boatswain, I spoke to him, -then shouted back: -</p> - -<p> -“He says that the current is taking us round the point of the island, -and if the ship weathers it, we shall come presently into calmer -water, where a boat might live, if there is one left and it can be -launched. He thinks, however, that we must sink.” -</p> - -<p> -When the señor heard this he hid his face in his hands, and doubtless -began to say his prayers, as I did also. Soon, however, we ceased even -from that effort, for we were rounding the point and once more the -seas were breaking on and over the vessel’s sides. -</p> - -<p> -For a few minutes there was a turmoil that cannot be described; then, -although the wind still shrieked overhead, we felt that we were in -water which seemed almost calm to us. The ship no longer pitched and -rolled, she only rocked as she settled before sinking, while the moon, -shining out between the clouds, showed that what had been her bulwarks -were not more than two or three feet above the level of the sea. -</p> - -<p> -Six Indians, our three selves, Don José, who seemed to be senseless, -and the body of the captain lashed to the broken bridge, alone -remained of the crew and passengers of the <i>Santa Maria</i>. The rest had -been swept away, but there close to us the cutter still hung upon the -davits. -</p> - -<p> -The señor saw it, and I think that he remembered his saying of a few -hours before, that he would die fighting; at least he cried: -</p> - -<p> -“The ship is sinking. To the boat, quick!” and, running to the cutter, -he climbed into her, as did I, Molas, and the six Indian sailors. -</p> - -<p> -She was full of water almost to the thwarts, which could only be got -rid of by pulling out the wooden plug in her bottom. -</p> - -<p> -Happily the boatswain, that same man who had struck the knife from the -hand of Don José, knew where to look for this plug, and, being a -sailor of courage and resource, he was able to loose it, so that -presently the water was pouring from her in a stream thick as a -hawser. Meanwhile, urged to it by the hope of escape, the other -Indians were employed in getting out the oars, and in loosening the -tackles before slipping them altogether when enough water had run out -to allow the boat to swim. -</p> - -<p> -“Get the plug back,” said the señor, “the vessel is sinking, you must -bale the rest.” -</p> - -<p> -Half a minute more and it was done; then, at a word from the -boatswain, the sailors lowered away—they had not far to go—and we -were afloat, and, better still, quite clear of the ship. -</p> - -<p> -Scarcely had they brought the head of the cutter round and pulled -three or four strokes, when from the deck of the <i>Santa Maria</i> there -came the sound of a man’s voice crying for help, and by the light of -the moon we discovered the figure of Don José Moreno clinging to the -broken bulwarks, that now were almost awash. -</p> - -<p> -“For the love of God, come back to me!” he screamed. -</p> - -<p> -The oarsmen hesitated, but the boatswain said, with an Indian oath: -</p> - -<p> -“Pull on and let the dog drown.” -</p> - -<p> -It seemed as if Don José heard him, at least he raised so piteous a -wailing that the señor’s heart, which was always over-tender, was -touched by it. -</p> - -<p> -“We cannot desert the man,” he answered, “put back for him.” -</p> - -<p> -“He tried to murder you just now,” shouted the boatswain, “and if we -go near the ship, she will take us down with her.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he turned to me and asked, “Do you command us to put back, lord?” -</p> - -<p> -“Since the señor wills it, I command you,” I answered. “We must save -the man and take our chance.” -</p> - -<p> -“He commands whom we must obey,” shouted the boatswain again; “put -back, my brothers.” -</p> - -<p> -Sullenly, but submissively, the Indians backed water till we lay -almost beneath the counter of the vessel, that wallowed in the trough -of the swell before she went down. On the deck, clinging to the stays -of the mast, stood Don José—his straight oiled hair beat about his -face, his gorgeous dress was soaked and disordered. -</p> - -<p> -“Save me!” he yelled hoarsely, “save me!” -</p> - -<p> -“Throw yourself into the sea, señor, and we will pick you up.” -</p> - -<p> -“I dare not,” was the answer, “come aboard and fetch me.” -</p> - -<p> -“Does the señor still wish us to stay?” asked the boatswain, calmly. -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, you cur,” shouted the señor, “the ship is sinking and will -take us with it. At the word ‘three,’ give way, men. Now will you -come, or not? One, two——” -</p> - -<p> -“I come,” said the Mexican, and, driven to it by despair, he cast -himself into the sea. -</p> - -<p> -With difficulty the señor, assisted by an Indian with a boathook, -succeeded in getting hold of him as he was washed past on the swell. I -confess that I would have no hand in the affair, since—may I be -forgiven the sin—my charity was not true enough to make me wish to -save this villain. There, however, the matter rested for the present, -as they could not stop to pull him into the boat, for just then the -deck of the <i>Santa Maria</i> burst with a rending sound, and she began to -go down bodily. -</p> - -<p> -“Row for your lives,” shouted the boatswain, and they rowed, dragging -Don José in the wake of the cutter. -</p> - -<p> -Down went the <i>Santa Maria</i>, bow first, making a hollow in the sea -that sucked us back towards her. For a moment the issue hung doubtful, -for the whirlpool caused by the vanished vessel was strong and almost -engulfed us, but in the end the stout arms of the Indians conquered -and drew our boat clear. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as this great danger had gone by, the sailors with much labour -lifted Don José into the cutter, where he lay gasping but unharmed. -</p> - -<p> -Then arose the question of what we could possibly do to save our -lives. -</p> - -<p> -We were lying under the lee of Carmen Island, which sheltered us -somewhat from the fury of the norther, and we might either try to land -upon this island, or to put about and run for the mouth of the -Usumacinto river. There was a third course: to keep the boat’s head to -the seas, if that were possible, and let her drift till daylight. In -the end this was what we determined to do. -</p> - -<p> -Indeed, while we were discussing the question it was settled for us, -for suddenly the rain began to fall in torrents, blotting out such -moonlight as there was; and to land in this darkness would have been -impossible, even if the nature of the beach allowed of it. Therefore -we lay to and gave our thoughts and strength to the task of preventing -the waves, which became more and more formidable as we drifted beyond -the shelter of the island, from swamping or oversetting us. -</p> - -<p> -It was a great struggle, and had it not been that the heavy rain beat -down the seas, we could never have lived till morning. As it was we -must have been swamped many times over but for the staunchness of the -boat, which, fortunately, was a new one, and the seamanship and -ceaseless vigilance of the Indian boatswain who commanded her. For -hour after hour he crouched in the bow of the cutter, staring through -the sheets of rain and the darkness with his hawk-like eyes, and -shouting directions to the crew as he heard or caught sight of a -white-crested billow rolling down upon us, that presently would fling -us upwards to sink deep into the trough on its further side, sometimes -half filling the boat with water, which must be baled out before the -next sea overtook us. -</p> - -<p> -Afterwards the señor told me that, knowing it to be the nature of -Indians to submit to evil rather than to struggle against it, he -wondered how it came about that these men faced the fight so -gallantly, instead of throwing down their oars and suffering -themselves to be drowned. I also was somewhat astonished till -presently the matter was explained, for once, when a larger sea than -those that went before had almost filled us, the boatswain called out -to his companions: -</p> - -<p> -“Be brave, my brothers, and fear nothing. The Keeper of the Heart is -with us, and death will flee him.” -</p> - -<p> -To the señor, however, this comfort seemed cold, since he did not -believe that any talisman could save us from the powers of the sky and -sea, nor indeed did I. Wet and half frozen as he was, his nerve broken -by the terrible scenes that we had witnessed upon the lost ship, and -by thoughts of the many who had gone down with her, his spirit, so he -told me, failed him at last. -</p> - -<p> -He gave no outward sign of his inward state indeed; he did not follow -the example of the Mexican, who lay in the water at the bottom of the -boat, groaning, weeping, and confessing his sins, which seemed to be -many. Only he sat still and silent and surrendered himself to destiny, -till by degrees his forces, mental and bodily, deserted him and he -sank into a torpor. It was little wonder, for rarely have shipwrecked -men been in a more hopeless position. The blinding rain, the -bewildering darkness, the roaring wind and sea, all combined to -destroy us while we drifted in our frail craft we knew not whither. -</p> - -<p> -As minute after minute of that endless night went by, our escape -seemed to become more impossible, for each took with it something of -the strength and mental energy of those who fought so bravely against -the doom that overshadowed us. For my part, I was sure that my hour -had come, but this did not trouble me overmuch, since my life had not -been so happy or successful that I grieved at the thought of losing -it. Moreover, ever since I became a man it has been my daily endeavour -to prepare my mind for Death, and so to live that I should not have to -fear the hour of his coming. -</p> - -<p> -In truth it seems to me that without such preparation the life of any -man who thinks must be one long wretchedness, seeing that at the last, -strive as he may, fate will overtake him, and that there is no event -in our lives which can compare in importance with the inevitable end. -We live not to escape from death, but in order that we may die; this -is the great issue and object of our existence. Still, Death is -terrible, more especially when we are called upon to await him hour -after hour amid the horror and turmoil of shipwreck. -</p> - -<p> -Therefore I was very thankful when, having flung my <i>serape</i> about the -form of my friend, at length I also was overcome by cold and -exhaustion, and after a space of time, in which the present seemed to -fade from me, taking with it all fears and hopes of the future, and -the past alone possessed me, peopled by the dead, I sank into -unconsciousness or swoon. -</p> - -<p> -How long I remained in this merciful state of oblivion I do not know, -but I was roused from it by Molas, who shook me and called into my ear -with a voice that trembled with cold or joy, or both: -</p> - -<p> -“Awake, awake, we are saved!” -</p> - -<p> -“Saved?” I said, confusedly. “What from?” -</p> - -<p> -“From death in the sea. Look, lord.” -</p> - -<p> -Then with much pain, for the salt spray had congealed upon my face -like frost, I opened my eyes to find that the morning was an hour old, -and though the skies were still leaden we were no longer at sea, but -floated on the waters of a river, whereof the bar roared behind us. -</p> - -<p> -“Where are we?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“In the Usumacinto river, thanks be to God!” answered Molas. “We have -been driven across the bay in the dark, and at the dawn found -ourselves just outside the breakers. Somehow we passed them safely, -and there before us is the blessed land.” -</p> - -<p> -I looked at the bank of the river clothed with reeds and grasses, and -the noble palm-trees that grew among them. Then I looked at my -companions. The Señor Strickland lay as though he were dead beneath -the <i>serape</i> that I had thrown over him, his head resting on the -thwarts, but the Mexican, Don José, was sitting up in the bottom of -the boat and staring wildly at the shore. -</p> - -<p> -As for the Indians, the men to whom we owed our lives, they were -utterly worn out. Two of them appeared to have swooned where they sat, -and I saw that their hands were bleeding from the friction of the -oars. Three others lay gasping beneath the seats, but Molas held the -tiller at my side, and the boatswain still sat upright in the bow -where he had faced death for so many dreadful hours. -</p> - -<p> -“Say, lord,” he asked, turning his face that was hollow with suspense -and suffering, and white with encrusted salt, to speak to me, “can you -row? If so, take the oars and pull us to the bank while Molas steers, -for our arms will work no more.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I struggled from my seat, and with great efforts, for every -movement caused me pain, I pulled the cutter to the bank, and as her -bows struck against it, the sun broke through the thinning clouds. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as the boat was made fast, Molas and I lifted the señor from -her, and, laying him on the bank, we removed his clothes so that the -sun might play upon his limbs, which were blue with cold. As the -clouds melted and the warmth increased, I saw the blood begin to creep -beneath the whiteness of his skin, which was drawn with the wet and -wind, and rejoiced, for now I knew that he did but sleep, and that the -tide of life was rising in his veins again, as in my own. -</p> - -<p> -Whilst we sat thus warming ourselves in the sunlight, some Indians -appeared belonging to a <i>rancho</i>, or village, half a league away. On -learning our misfortunes and who we were, these men hurried home to -bring us food, having first pointed out to us a pool of sweet -rain-water, of which we stood in great need, for our throats were dry. -When they had been gone nearly an hour, the señor awoke and asked for -drink, which I gave him in the baling-bowl. Next he inquired where we -were and what had happened to us. When I had told him he hid his face -in his hands for a while, then lifted it and said: -</p> - -<p> -“I am a fool and a boaster, Ignatio. I said that I would die fighting, -and it is these men who have fought and saved my life while I swooned -like a child.” -</p> - -<p> -“I did the same, señor,” I answered; “only those who were working at -the oars could keep their senses, for labour warmed them somewhat. -Come to the river and wash, for now your clothes are dry again,” and -throwing the <i>serape</i> over his shoulders, I led him to the water. -</p> - -<p> -As we climbed down the bank we met the boatswain, and the señor said, -holding out his hand to him: -</p> - -<p> -“You are a brave man and you have saved all our lives.” -</p> - -<p> -“No, señor, not I,” answered the Indian. “You forget that with us was -the Keeper of the Heart, and the Heart that has endured so long, -cannot be lost. This we knew, and therefore we laboured on, well -assured that our toil would not be in vain.” -</p> - -<p> -“I shall soon begin to believe in that talisman of yours myself, -Ignatio,” said the señor shrugging his shoulders; “certainly it did -us good service last night.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he washed, and by the time he had dressed himself, women arrived -from the <i>rancho</i> bearing with them baskets laden with <i>tortillas</i> or -meal cakes, <i>frijole</i> beans, a roast kid, and a bottle of good <i>agua -ardiente</i>, the brandy of this country. On these provisions we fell to -thankfully, and, before we had finished our meal, the <i>alcalde</i>, or -head man of the village, presented himself to pay his respects and to -invite us to his house. -</p> - -<p> -Now I whispered to Molas, who had some acquaintance with this man, to -take him apart and discover my rank to him, and to learn if perchance -he had any tidings of that stranger whom we came to visit, the doctor -Zibalbay. He nodded and obeyed, and after a while I rose and followed -him behind some trees, where the <i>alcalde</i>, who was of our -brotherhood, greeted me with reverence. -</p> - -<p> -“I have news, my lord,” said Molas. “This man says that he has heard -of the old Indian and his daughter, and that but this morning one who -has travelled down the river told him how some five or six days ago -they were both of them seized by Don Pedro Moreno, the father of Don -José yonder, and imprisoned at the <i>hacienda</i> of Santa Cruz, where, -dead or alive, they remain.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I thought a while, then, sending for the Señor James, I told him -what we had learnt. -</p> - -<p> -“But what can this villain want to do with an old Indian and his -daughter?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“The señor forgets,” said Molas, “that Don Pedro robbed me of the -gold which the doctor gave me, and that in my folly I told him from -whom it came. Doubtless he thinks to win the secret of the mine whence -it was dug, and of the mint where it was stamped with the sign of the -Heart. Also there is the daughter, whom some men might value above all -the gold in Mexico. Now, lord, I fear that your journey is fruitless, -since those who become Don Pedro’s guests are apt to stay with him for -ever.” -</p> - -<p> -“That, I think, we must take the risk of,” said the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” I answered: “having come so far to find this stranger, we -cannot turn back now. At least we have lived through worse dangers -than those which await us at Santa Cruz.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch07"> -CHAPTER VII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">“THE HACIENDA”</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Returning</span> to the place where we had eaten, we found the <i>alcalde</i> -talking with the sailors as to their plans. On seeing us the boatswain -advanced, and said that, if it was our pleasure, he and his companions -proposed to rest for a few days at the neighbouring <i>rancho</i> and then -to row the boat along the coast to Campeche, which they hoped in -favourable weather to reach in sixty hours, adding that he trusted we -would accompany them. -</p> - -<p> -I answered that we wished for no more of the sea at present, and that -we intended to pursue our journey to the town of Potrerillo, where we -could refit before undertaking an expedition to the ruined cities of -Yucatan. The boatswain said it was well, though he was sorry that they -could not escort us so far, as it was their duty to report the loss of -the ship to its owner, who lived at Campeche. -</p> - -<p> -When we heard this the señor unbuckled the belt of money, which he -wore about his waist, and, pouring out half a handful of gold pieces, -he begged the boatswain to accept of them for division between himself -and his companions. All this while Don José was sitting close to us, -watching everything that passed, and I saw his eyes brighten at the -sight of the belt of gold. -</p> - -<p> -“You are fortunate to have saved so much,” he said, speaking for the -first time. “All that I had has gone down with the ship, yes, three -thousand dollars or more.” -</p> - -<p> -“You should have followed our example,” answered the señor; “we -divided our cash between the three of us and secured it upon our -persons, though perhaps you were wise after all, since such a weight -of gold might have been awkward if, like you, we had been called upon -to swim. By the way, señor, what are <i>your</i> plans?” -</p> - -<p> -“If you will allow me,” answered the Mexican, “I will walk with you -towards Potrerillo, for my home lies on that road. Would you be -offended, señor, if, on behalf of my father, I ventured to offer his -hospitality to you and your companions?” -</p> - -<p> -“To speak plainly, Don José,” said the señor, “our past experience -has not been such as to cause us to desire to have anything more to do -with you. May I remind you, putting aside other matters, that last -night you attempted to stab me?” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor,” answered the man with every sign of contrition, “if I did -this it was because terror and madness possessed me, and most humbly -do I beg your pardon for the deed, and for any angry and foolish words -that I may have spoken before it. Señor, you saved my life, and my -heart is filled with gratitude towards you, who have thus repaid evil -with good. I know that you have heard an ill report of my father, and, -to speak truth, at times when the liquor is in him, he is a bad and -violent old man, yet he has this virtue, that he loves me, his son, -and all those who are kind to me. Therefore, in his name and my own, I -pray that you will forget the past and accept of our hospitality for -some few days, or at least until you have recovered from your fatigue -and we can furnish you with arms and horses to help you forward on -your journey.” -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly we desire to buy mules and guns,” answered the señor, “and -if you think that your father will be able to supply these, we will -avail ourselves of your kindness and pass a night or two at his -<i>hacienda</i>.” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor, the place is yours and all that it contains,” Don José -answered with much courtesy; but as he spoke I saw his eye gleam with -an evil fire. -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless,” I interrupted, “for I understand that Don Pedro Moreno is -famed for his hospitality. Still, in accepting it, I venture to ask -for a promise of safe-conduct, more especially as, save for our -pistols and knives, we are unarmed.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you wish to insult me, señor?” Don José asked angrily. -</p> - -<p> -“Not in the least, señor, but I find it a little strange that you, -who two nights ago refused to sit at meat with ‘a dog of an Indian,’ -should now be anxious to receive that same dog into your home.” -</p> - -<p> -“Have I not said that I am sorry for what is past?” he answered, “and -can a man do more? Gentlemen, if any evil is attempted towards you in -my father’s house, I will answer for it with my life.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is quite sufficient,” broke in the señor, “especially as in -such an event we should most certainly hold you to your bond. And now -tell me how far is the <i>hacienda</i> from this spot?” -</p> - -<p> -“If we start at once we should reach it at sundown,” he answered, -“that is on foot, though it is but three hours’ ride from the house to -the mouth of the river.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then let us go,” he said, and ten minutes later we were on the road. -</p> - -<p> -Before we went, however, we bade a warm farewell to the sailors, and -also to the <i>alcalde</i> of the village, all of whom were somewhat -disturbed on learning that we proposed to sleep at Santa Cruz. -</p> - -<p> -“The place has an evil name,” said the <i>alcalde</i>, “and it is a home of -thieves and smugglers—only last week a cargo that never paid duty -went up the river. They say that Don Pedro was fathered by the devil -in person; may the Saints protect you from him, lord!” -</p> - -<p> -“We have business that takes us to this house, friend,” I answered; -“but doubtless it will be easy for you to keep yourself informed of -what chances in that neighbourhood, and if we should not appear again -within a few days, perhaps it may please you to advise the authorities -at Campeche that we are missing.” -</p> - -<p> -“The authorities are afraid of Don Pedro,” answered the <i>alcalde</i>, -shaking his head, “also he bribes them so heavily that they grow blind -when they look his way. Still I will do the best I can, be sure of -that, and as an <i>Inglese</i> is with you, it is possible that I may be -able to get help if necessary.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Our walk that day was long and hot, though we had nothing to carry -except the clothes on our backs, all our possessions having been lost -in the ship. At noon we halted, and, the heat being great, ate some -food that we had brought with us, and slept two hours in the shade, -which sleep was most grateful, for we were weary. Then we rose and -tramped on, till at length we came within sight of this <i>hacienda</i>, -where, though I little guessed it at the time, I was fated to spend so -many years of my life. -</p> - -<p> -Walking through a large <i>milpa</i>, or corn field,—that in front of the -building which is now planted with coffee-bushes,—we reached the -gateway and entered the courtyard, where we were met by many fierce -dogs which rushed upon us from all sides. Don José beat back the -dogs, that knew him, and, leaving us under the charge of some -half-breeds, he entered the house. -</p> - -<p> -After a while he returned again and led us through the passages into -the dining-hall, which, as you know, is the largest room in the -<i>hacienda</i>, and in former days served as the refectory of the monks. -Several lamps were hung upon its walls, for already it grew dark, and -by their light we saw five or six people gathered round a long table -waiting for supper, which was being laid by Indian girls. Of these men -it is sufficient to say that they were of mixed nationality and -villainous appearance. Turning from them we looked towards the far end -of the chamber, where a hammock was slung from the beams in the roof, -in which lay a man whom a handsome girl, also an Indian, was employed -in rocking to and fro. -</p> - -<p> -“Come and be introduced to my father, who expects you,” said Don -José, leading the way towards the hammock. “Father, here is that -brave Englishman who saved my life last night, and with him the Indian -gentleman, who—did not wish to save my life. As I told you, I have -offered them hospitality on your behalf, feeling sure that they would -be welcome here.” -</p> - -<p> -At the sound of his son’s voice Don Pedro awoke, or pretended to -awake, from his doze, and bade the girl cease swinging the hammock. -Then he sat up and looked at us. He was a short stout man of about -sixty years of age,—so short indeed that, although the hammock was -slung low, his legs did not touch the floor. Notwithstanding this lack -of stature, Don Pedro’s appearance was striking, while his long, -carefully brushed white hair gave him a venerable aspect. -</p> - -<p> -Other beauties he had none, however, for his cheeks were flabby and -wrinkled, his mouth was cruel and sensuous; and his dull eyes, which -were small, half opened, and protected from the glare of the lamps by -spectacles of tinted glass, can best be described as horrible, like -those of a snake. Looking at him we could well believe that his -reputation was not exaggerated, for he bore the stamp of evil on his -face. Still he bowed with much courtesy and addressed the señor in -Spanish. -</p> - -<p> -“So you are the Englishman who saved my son here from the sinking -ship,” he said in a slow, powerful voice, peering at us with his -fish-like eyes from beneath the coloured glasses. “He tells me that -you rowed back to the side of the foundering vessel merely in order to -fetch him. Well, it was a brave deed and one that I should not have -dared myself, for I have always found it hard enough to keep my own -breath in me without attempting to preserve that of other people. But -as I have seen several times, you Englishmen are peculiar in these -matters, foolhardy indeed. Señor, I am grateful to you, and this -house and all within it is at your disposal and that of your -companions,” and he glanced with genuine affection at the coarse -beetle-browed man beside him, who was gnawing one end of his moustache -and staring at us out of the corners of his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“Tell me,” he added, “to what do I owe the honour of your presence?” -</p> - -<p> -“To an accident, Don Pedro,” the señor answered. “As it chances, the -ruins of this ancient land interest me much, and I was travelling to -Palenque with my Indian friend, Don Ignatio, when we were so -unfortunate as to be wrecked near your hospitable house. In our -dilemma we accepted the invitation of your son to visit you, in the -hope that you may be able to sell us some guns and mules.” -</p> - -<p> -“Ruins, Señor Strickland! Decidedly you Englishmen are strange. What -pleasure can you find in hunting about among old walls, built by men -long dead, unless indeed you seek for treasure there. For my part I -hate the name of ruins, for I have always suffered from a presentiment -that I should meet my end among them, and that is bad to think of. -Bah!”—and he spat upon the floor—“there, it comes upon me again, -suddenly as a fit of the ague.” -</p> - -<p> -“Well,” he went on, “you are lucky to have saved your lives and your -money, and to-morrow we will see about the things that you desire to -buy. Meanwhile, you are travel-stained and doubtless will wish to -cleanse yourselves before you eat. José, conduct the señor and his -Indian friend, since he is so fond of his company, to their room, the -abbot’s chamber. Supper will be served shortly, till then, <i>adios</i>. -Girl, go with them,” he added, addressing the woman who had been -engaged in swinging the hammock, “water may be wanted and other -things.” -</p> - -<p> -The woman bowed and went away, and at the door we found her standing, -lamp in hand, to light us down the passage. -</p> - -<p> -Now, Señor Jones, you, for whom I write my history, have so often -slept in the abbot’s chamber in this house that it is needless for me -to stop to describe it. Except for the furniture, the room is just as -it was in those days. Then it was empty save for a few chairs, a rough -washing-stand, and two truckle bedsteads of American make, which were -placed at a little distance from each other on either side of the -picture of the abbot. -</p> - -<p> -“I fear that you will think this a poor place, after the luxury of -Mexico, gentlemen,” said Don José, “but it is our guest-chamber, the -best that we have.” -</p> - -<p> -“Thank you,” answered the señor, “it will do very well, though -perhaps your visitors suffer sometimes from nightmare,” and he glanced -at the awful and life-sized picture on the south wall of an Indian -being burnt at an <i>auto-da-fé</i>, while devils hanging above his head -dragged the soul from his tortured and expiring body. -</p> - -<p> -“Pretty, are they not?” said Don José; “I would have them whitewashed -over, but my father likes them. You see all the victims are Indians, -there isn’t a white man among them, and the old man never could bear -Indians. Well, when you are ready, will you come to supper? You will -not lose the way, for you can follow the smell of the food,” and he -left the room. -</p> - -<p> -“One moment,” I said addressing the girl, who was about to accompany -him, “perhaps you will see that our servant,” and I pointed to Molas, -“has some meat brought to him here, since your masters will not wish -him to sit at table.” -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Si</i>,” answered the girl, whose name was Luisa, searching my face -with her eyes. -</p> - -<p> -By this time Don José was through the door, which the draught pushed -to behind him. I watched it close, then a thought struck me, for I -remembered that among our Order there are women, associates of the -outer circle, and I whispered some words into Luisa’s ear and made a -sign with my hand. She started and gave the ancient answer, which is -taught even to children, whereto I replied with another sign, that of -the Presence of the Heart. “<i>Where</i>?” she asked glancing at each of us -in turn. -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Here</i>,” I answered, and, drawing out the symbol, I held it before -her eyes. -</p> - -<p> -She saw and made obeisance, and at that moment we heard Don José -calling her from the further side of the door. -</p> - -<p> -“I come,” she cried in answer, then added in a whisper: “Lord, you are -in danger in this house. I cannot tell you now, but if possible I will -return. The wine is safe, but drink no coffee, and do not sleep when -you lie down. Search the floor and you will understand the reason. I -come, señor! I come!” and she fled from the room. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as the girl was gone, the Señor James went to the door and -locked it, then he returned and said: -</p> - -<p> -“What does all this mean, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -I did not answer, but, pushing aside one of the beds, I searched the -floor beneath it. It was discoloured in several places. Next I pulled -the blankets off the beds and examined the webbing that formed the -mattresses, to discover that this also was stained, though slightly, -for it had been washed. Then I said: -</p> - -<p> -“Men have died in these beds, señor, and yonder stains were made by -their blood. It would seem that the guests of Don Pedro sleep well; -first they are drugged, then they are murdered; and it is for this -purpose that we have been lured to the house. Well, we expected -nothing else.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is a pleasing prospect,” he answered, “we are this man’s guests, -surely therefore he will not——” and he drew his hand across his -throat. -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly he will, señor, and it is to this end that we have been -brought here by Don José. If others have been murdered, it is not -likely that we shall escape, since Don Pedro will be sure that an -<i>Inglese</i> would not travel without a large sum of money. Moreover, we -have a quarrel with the son, and know too much about the father.” -</p> - -<p> -“Again I say that the prospect is a pleasant one,” answered the -señor. “On the whole it would have been better to be drowned than to -live on to be butchered by those villains in this awful place. What an -end!” -</p> - -<p> -“Do not despair,” I answered. “We are warned in time and therefore, I -think, shall escape by the help of that girl and the other Indians in -the place, since in an hour every one of them will have learned who we -are, and be prepared to venture their lives to save us. Also we came -for a purpose, knowing our risk. Now let us make ready and go among -these men with a bold face; for of this you may be sure, that nothing -will be attempted till late at night when they think us sleeping. Have -you understood, Molas?” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” answered the Indian. -</p> - -<p> -“Then watch here, or in the outer room, till we return, and should the -girl come, learn all you can from her as to the whereabouts of the old -doctor and his daughter, and other matters, for when she knows you to -be of the Order she will speak. Have you been recognised by anyone?” -</p> - -<p> -“I think not, señor. When we entered it was too dark for them to -see.” -</p> - -<p> -“Good. Then keep out of their way if possible, do the best you can -with the girl, and take note of all that passes. Farewell.” -</p> - -<p> -When we reached the dining-hall, nine of the company were already -seated at the table impatient for their food, but Don Pedro was still -sitting in his hammock engaged in earnest conversation with his son -José. Of those at the table but one was a white man, a lanky, -withered-looking person with a broken nose, whose general appearance -filled us with disgust. The rest were half-breeds, the refuse of -revolutions, villains who had escaped the hand of justice and who -lived by robbery and murder. -</p> - -<p> -Looking at these outcasts it became clear to us that, if once we fell -into their power, we could expect little mercy at their hands, for -they would think no more of butchering us in cold blood than does a -sportsman of shooting a deer. -</p> - -<p> -When Don Pedro perceived us, he slid from his hammock to the ground, -and, taking the señor by the hand, he said: -</p> - -<p> -“Let me introduce you to my overseer, the Señor Smith, from Texas. He -is an American and will be glad to meet one who can speak English, -for, notwithstanding much practice, his Spanish is none of the best.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor bowed, and the American desperado spoke to him in English, -wearing a grin on his face like that of a wicked dog as he did so, -though I do not know what he said. Then Don Pedro conducted his guest -to a place of honour at the head of the table, that beside his own -seat, while I was led to another table at a little distance, where my -meat was served to me alone, since, as an Indian of pure blood, I was -not thought fit for the company of these cross-bred curs. Don José -having taken his place at the further end of the board with the -<i>Americano</i>, the meal began, and an excellent one it was. -</p> - -<p> -Now, in the conversation that ensued I took no part, except when -members of the gang called to me to drink wine with them, for they -desired to make me drunk; but while I pretended to be occupied with my -meat, I thought much and watched more. The talk that passed I set down -as I overheard it and as it was reported to me by the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Try some more of this Burgundy,” said Don Pedro when the dishes had -been removed, filling his tumbler for the seventh or eighth time, “it -is the right stuff, straight from France, though it never paid duty,” -and he winked his leaden eye. -</p> - -<p> -“Your health, señor, and may you live to do many such brave deeds as -that of yesterday, when you saved my son from the sea. By the way, do -you know that on board the <i>Santa Maria</i> they said that you had the -evil eye and brought her to wreck;—yes, and your long-faced -companion, the Indian, also?” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed, I never heard of it before,” answered the señor with a -laugh; “but if so, our evil eyes shall not trouble you for long, as we -propose to continue our journey to-morrow.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nonsense, friend, nonsense, you don’t suppose that I believe in that -sort of rubbish, do you? We say many things that we do not believe -just for a joke; thus,” and he raised his voice so that I could hear -him at my table, “your companion there—is he not named Ignatio?—told -a story to my disadvantage on board the ship, which I am sure that he -did not believe,” and suddenly he stared at me and added insolently: -“Is it not so, Indian?” -</p> - -<p> -“If you seek my opinion, Don Pedro,” I answered, leaning forward and -speaking very clearly, “I say that it is unprofitable to repeat words -that are said, or to remember deeds that are done with. If I spoke -certain words, or if in the past you did certain deeds, here beneath -your hospitable roof is not the place to recall them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Quite so, Indian, quite so, you talk like an oracle, as Montezuma -used to talk to Cortes till the Conqueror found a way to teach him -plain speaking—a great man, Cortes, he understood how to deal with -Indians.” Then he spat upon the floor and, having looked down the -table, spoke to the señor in a somewhat anxious voice. -</p> - -<p> -“Tell me,” he said, “for your sight is better than mine, how many are -there present here to-night?” -</p> - -<p> -“Counting my friend, thirteen,” he answered. -</p> - -<p> -“I thought so,” said our host, with an oath, “and it is too late to -mend matters now. Well, may the Saints, and they should be thick about -a monastery, avert the omen. I see you think me a fool.” -</p> - -<p> -“Not at all,” he replied; “I am rather superstitious myself and -dislike sitting down thirteen to table.” -</p> - -<p> -“So do I, so do I, Señor Strickland. Listen; last time we dined -thirteen in this room, there were two travellers here, <i>Americanos</i>, -friends of Don Smith, who were trying to open up a trade in these -parts. They drank more than was good for them, and the end of it was -that in the night they quarrelled and killed each other, yonder in the -abbot’s chamber, where you are sleeping,—poor men, poor men! There -was trouble about the matter at the time, but Don Smith explained to -his countrymen and it came to nothing.” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed,” answered the señor; “it was strange that two drunken men -should kill each other.” -</p> - -<p> -“So I say, señor. In truth for a while I thought that Indians must -have got into their rooms and murdered them, but it was proved beyond -a doubt that this was not so. Ah! they are a wicked people, the -Indians; I have seen much of them and I should know. Now the -Government wishes to treat them too well. Our fathers knew better how -to deal with them, but luckily the arm of the Government scarcely -reaches here, and no whining <i>padres</i> or officials come prying about -my house, though once we had some soldiers,” and he cursed at the -recollection and drank another glass of Burgundy. -</p> - -<p> -“I tell you that they are a wicked people,” he went on, “the -<i>demonios</i> their fathers worshipped still possess them, also they are -secret and dangerous; there are Indians now who know where vast -treasures are buried, but they will tell nothing. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,”—and suddenly growing excited under the influence of the strong -drink, he leaned over and whispered into his guest’s ear,—“I have one -such in the house at this moment, an old <i>Lacandone</i>, that is, an -unbaptised Indian, not that I think him any the worse for that, and -with him his daughter, a woman more beautiful than the night—perhaps -if I go on liking you, Englishman, I will show her to you to-morrow, -only then I should have to keep you, for you would never go away. -Beautiful! yes, she is beautiful, though a devil at heart. I have not -dared to let these little ones see her,” and he winked and nodded -towards the villains at the table, “but José is to pay her and her -papa a visit to-night, and he won’t mind her tempers, though they -frighten me. -</p> - -<p> -“Well, would you believe it? this girl and her old father have the -secret of enough treasure to make every man of us here rich as the -Queen of England. How do I know that? I know it because I heard it -from their own lips, but fill your glass and take a cigar and I will -tell you the story.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch08"> -CHAPTER VIII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE SUPPER AND AFTER</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -“<span class="sc">Listen</span>, señor; if you are interested in old ruins and the Indians, -you must have heard tales of races living away in the forest country, -where no white man has set his foot, and of their wonderful cities -that are said to be full of gold. Many say that these tales are lies, -that no such people and no such cities exist, and they say this -because nobody has found them; but I, for my part, have always -believed there was something in the story, seeing that otherwise it -would not have lasted so long. -</p> - -<p> -“Well, a few months back, I heard that a strange old Indian doctor, -who was said to have travelled from the far interior, was dwelling -somewhere in the forest together with a woman, but where he dwelt -exactly I could not learn, nor, indeed, did I trouble myself to do so. -About eight weeks ago, however, it happened that an Indian, being -asked for the toll, which I charge all passers-by—to recoup me for my -expense in making roads, señor—paid it with a little lump of pure -gold having a heart stamped on either side of the metal. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, you may not know, though I do, that the heart is a sacred symbol -among these Indians, and has been for many generations, for it is to -be seen cut upon the walls of their ruins, though what it means only -Satan, their master, can tell. -</p> - -<p> -“Therefore, when I saw the lump of gold with the token on it, I asked -the Indian whence he had it, and he told me readily enough that it -came from this old doctor, who gave it to him in payment for some -food. He told me also where I might find him, and went upon his way, -but, his heart being full of deceit, he lied as to the place, so that -I searched in vain. Well, to shorten a long story, although to this -hour I do not know where the Indian was hiding, I set a trap for him -and caught him,—ay, and his daughter too. -</p> - -<p> -“It was a simple one, a man in my pay knew another man who visited the -doctor in the forest to get medicine from him, but who would not -reveal his hiding-place. Still, my servant drew it out of him thus: he -sent piteous messages through his friend, begging the doctor to come -and save the life of his dying child, which lay in a house near here, -and could not be moved. -</p> - -<p> -“The end of it was that the doctor came, and his daughter with him. -Yes, they walked at night straight to the snare, into this very house, -señor, and only discovered their mistake when they found the doors -locked upon them, and that the dying child was none other than your -humble servant, Don Pedro Moreno. -</p> - -<p> -“I can tell you, señor, that I laughed till I nearly cried at the -sight of their faces, when they found out the trick, though there was -nothing to laugh at in them, for the man looked like an old king, and -the girl like a queen, quite different from the Indians in these -parts; moreover, they wore two such <i>serapes</i> as I had never seen, -made of green feathers fastened to a foundation of linen. -</p> - -<p> -“When the old man found himself caged, he asked what it meant and -where he was, speaking in a dialect so like the Maya tongue that I -could understand him quite well. I told him that he was to be my guest -for a while, and with the help of two men who were with me I proceeded -to secure him and his daughter in a safe place, whereat he flew into a -fearful rage, and cursed all of us most dreadfully, and more -especially that man who had betrayed him. So awful were his curses and -the vengeance that he conjured upon us from heaven, that my hair stood -straight upon my head, and as for the man who lured him here under -pretence of visiting his child, it came about that within two days he -died of a sudden sickness bred of his own fears. When the second man -heard of his companion’s death, he in turn fled from the place, -dreading lest a like fate should overtake him, and has been no more -heard of. -</p> - -<p> -“Thus it comes about, señor, that I alone know where these birds are -caged, though I hope to introduce my son to them to-night, for I dare -not trust the others, and wish to keep them in the family, nor will I -let any Indians near them. -</p> - -<p> -“Well, when they had calmed down a little, I spoke to my prisoners -through a grating, telling them that I wished to know whence they had -obtained those lumps of gold stamped with a heart, to which the old -man answered that he had no knowledge of any such gold. Now, I was -sure that he lied, and took refuge in another trick. The cell where -they were shut up is that in which the old monks imprisoned such as -were suspected of heresy, and others, and close to it is a secret -place—there are many such in this house, señor—where a spy may be -hid, and both see and hear all that passes in the cell. -</p> - -<p> -“In this place I ensconced myself, and lay there for hours, with the -rats running over me, so anxious was I to get at the truth. In the end -I was not disappointed, for they began to talk. A great deal of their -conversation I could make nothing of, but at length the girl said, -after examining an old gilt crucifix that hung upon the wall: -</p> - -<p> -“‘Look, father, here also they have gold.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘It is gilt, not gold,’ he answered, ‘I know the art of it, though -with us it is not practised, except to keep from corruption the spears -and arrowheads that fowlers use upon the lake.’ Then he added: -</p> - -<p> -“‘I wonder what that leaden-eyed, greedy-faced white thief would say -if he knew that in a single temple we could show him enough of the -metal he covets to fill this place five times over from floor to -ceiling.’ -</p> - -<p> -“‘Hush!’ she said, ‘ears may be listening even in these walls; let us -risk nothing, seeing that by seeming to be ignorant alone we can hope -to escape.’” -</p> - -<p> -“Well,” asked the señor eagerly, “and what did Zibalbay answer? I -think that you said the old man’s name was Zibalbay,” he added, trying -to recover the slip. -</p> - -<p> -“Zibalbay! No, I never mentioned that name,” Don Pedro replied -suspiciously, and with a sudden change of manner. “He answered nothing -at all. Next morning, when I came to question them, the birds had -flown. It is a pity, for otherwise I might have asked the old man—if -his name is Zibalbay. I suppose that the Indians had let them out, but -I could not discover.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why, Don Pedro, you said just now that they were still in the house.” -</p> - -<p> -“Did I? Then I made a mistake, as you did about the name; this wine is -strong, it must have gone to my head; sometimes it does—a weakness, -and a bad one. It is an odd tale, but there it ended so far as I am -concerned. Come, señor, take a cup of coffee, it is good.” -</p> - -<p> -“Thank you, no,” answered the señor, “I never drink coffee at night, -it keeps me awake.” -</p> - -<p> -“Still, I beg you to try ours, friend, we grow it ourselves and are -proud of its flavour.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is poison to me, I dare not,” he said. “But pray tell me, do the -gentlemen whom I have the honour to see at table cultivate your -plantations?” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, yes, they cultivate the coffee and the cocoa, and other things -also when they have a mind. I daresay you think them a rough-looking -lot, but they are kind-hearted, ah! so kind-hearted; feeble as I am -they treat me like a father. Bah! señor, what is the good of hiding -the truth from one of your discernment? We do business of all sorts -here, but the staple of it is smuggling rather than agriculture. -</p> - -<p> -“The trade is not what it was, those sharks of customs officers down -on the coast there want so much to hold their tongues, but still there -are a few pickings. In the old times, when they did not ask questions, -it was otherwise, for then men of pluck were ready for anything from -revolution down to the stringing up of a coach-load of fat merchants, -but now is the day of small profits, and we must be thankful for -whatever trifles Providence sends us.” -</p> - -<p> -“Such as the two Americans who got drunk and killed each other,” -suggested the señor, whose tongue was never of the most cautious. -</p> - -<p> -Instantly Don Pedro’s face changed, the sham geniality born of drink -went out of it, and was replaced by a hard and cunning look. -</p> - -<p> -“I am tired, señor,” he said, “as you must be also, and, if you will -excuse me, I will light another cigar and take a nap in my hammock. -Perhaps you will amuse yourself with the others, señor, till you wish -to go to rest.” Then rising, he bowed and walked somewhat unsteadily -to the far end of the room. -</p> - -<p> -When Don Pedro had retired to his hammock, whither the Indian girl, -Luisa, was summoned to swing him to sleep, I saw his son José and the -Texan outcast, Smith, both of whom, like the rest of the company, were -more or less drunk, come to the señor and ask him to join in a game -of cards. Guessing that their object was to make him show what cash he -had about him, he also affected to be in liquor, and replied noisily -that he had lost most of his money in the shipwreck, and was, -moreover, too full of wine to play. -</p> - -<p> -“Then you must have lost it on the road, friend,” said Don José, “for -you forget that you made those sailors a present from a belt of gold -which you wore about your middle. However, no gentleman shall be -forced to gamble in this house, so come and talk while the others have -their little game.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, that will be better,” answered the señor, and he staggered to -an empty chair, placed not far from the table at which I remained, and -was served with spirits and cigars. Here he sat watching the play, -which was high, although the counters looked innocent enough,—they -were cocoa beans,—and listened to the conversation of the gamblers, -in which he joined from time to time. -</p> - -<p> -The talk was not good to hear, for as these wretches grew more -drunken, they began to boast of their past exploits in various parts -of the country. One man told how he had kidnapped and tortured an -Indian who had offended him; another, how he had murdered a woman of -whom he was jealous; and the third, of the successful robbing of a -coach-load of travellers, and their subsequent butchery by the driving -of the coach over the edge of a precipice. All these stories, however, -were as milk to brandy compared to those that Don Smith, the -<i>Americano</i>, growing confidential in his cups, poured forth one after -the other, till the señor, unable to bear them any longer, affected -to sink into a tipsy doze. -</p> - -<p> -All this while I sat at the little table where my dinner had been -served, saying nothing, for none spoke to me, but within hearing of -everything that passed. There I sat quiet, my arms folded on my -breast, listening attentively to the tales of outrage, wrong, and -murder practised by these wicked ones upon my countrymen. -</p> - -<p> -To them I was only a member of a despised and hated race, admitted to -their company on sufferance in order that I might be robbed and -murdered in due course, but in my heart I looked on them with loathing -and contempt, and felt far above them as the stars, while I watched -and wondered how long the great God would suffer his world to be -outraged by their presence. -</p> - -<p> -Some such thoughts seemed to strike others of that company, for -presently Don Smith called out,— -</p> - -<p> -“Look at that Indian rascal, friend, he is proud as a turkey-cock in -springtime: why, he reminds me of the figure of the king in that ruin -where we laid up last year waiting for the señora and her party. You -remember the señora, don’t you, José? I can hear her squeaks -now,”—and he laughed brutally, and added, “Come, king, have a drink.” -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Gracias</i>, señor,” I answered, “I have drunk.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then smoke a cigar, O king.” -</p> - -<p> -“<i>Gracias</i>, señor, I do not smoke to-night.” -</p> - -<p> -“My lord <i>cacique</i> of all the Indians won’t drink and won’t smoke,” -said Don Smith, “so we will offer him incense,”—and, taking a plate, -he filled it with dry tobacco and cigarette-paper, to which he set -fire. Then he placed the plate on the table before me, so that the -fumes of the tobacco rose into the air about my head. -</p> - -<p> -“There, now he looks like a real god,” said the <i>Americano</i>, clapping -his hands; “I say, José, let us make a sacrifice to him. There is the -girl who ran away last week, and whom we caught with the dogs——” -</p> - -<p> -“No, no, comrade,” broke in José, “none of your jokes to-night, you -forget that we have a visitor. Not but what I should like to sacrifice -this old <i>demonio</i> of an Indian to himself,” he added, in an outburst -of drunken fury. “Curse him! he insulted me and my father and mother, -yonder on board the ship.” -</p> - -<p> -“And are you going to put up with that from this wooden Indian god? -Why, if I were in your place, by now I would have filled him as full -of holes as a coffee-roaster, just to let the lies out.” -</p> - -<p> -“That’s what I want to do,” said José, gnashing his teeth, “he has -insulted me and threatened me, and ought to pay for it, the black -thief,” and, drawing a large knife, he flourished it in my face. -</p> - -<p> -I did not shrink from it; I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to -tremble, though the steel flashed within an inch of them, for I knew -that if once I showed fear he would strike. Therefore I said calmly: -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_114"> -<a href="images/img_114.jpg"> -<img alt="I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to tremble." src="images/img_114_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -I did not so much as suffer my eyelids to tremble. -</div></div> - -<p> -“You are pleased to jest, señor, and your jests are somewhat rude, -but I pass them by, for I know that you cannot harm me because I am -your guest, and those who kill a guest are not gentlemen, but -murderers, which the high-born Don José Moreno could never be.” -</p> - -<p> -“Stick the pig, José,” said Smith, “he is insulting you again. It -will save you trouble afterwards.” -</p> - -<p> -Then, as Don José again advanced upon me with the knife, of a sudden -the señor sprang up from his chair and stood between us. -</p> - -<p> -“Come, friend,” he said, “a joke is a joke, but you are carrying this -too far, according to your custom,” and, seizing the man by the -shoulders, he put out all his great strength, and swung him back with -such force that, striking against the long table with his thighs, he -rolled on to and over it, falling heavily to the ground upon the -farther side, whence he rose cursing with rage. -</p> - -<p> -By now, Don Pedro, who had wakened or affected to waken from his -sleep, thought that the time had come to interfere. -</p> - -<p> -“Peace, little ones, peace!” he cried sleepily from his hammock. -“Remember that the men are guests, and cease brawling. Let them go to -bed, it is time for them to go to bed, and they need rest; by -to-morrow your differences will be healed up for ever.” -</p> - -<p> -“I take the hint,” said the señor, with forced gaiety. “Come, -Ignatio, let us sleep off our host’s good wine. Gentlemen, sweet -dreams to you,” and he walked across the hall, followed by myself. -</p> - -<p> -At the door I turned my head and looked back. Every man in the room -was watching us intently, and it seemed to me that the drunkenness had -passed from their faces, scared away by a sense of some great -wickedness about to be worked. Don Smith was whispering into the ear -of José, who still held the knife in his hand, but the rest were -staring at us as people stare at men passing to the scaffold. -</p> - -<p> -Even Don Pedro, wide awake now, sat up in his hammock and peered with -his horny eyes, while the Indian girl, Luisa, her hand upon the cord, -watched our departure with some such face as mourners watch the -out-bearing of a corpse. All this I noted in a moment as I crossed the -threshold and went forward down the passage, and as I went I shivered, -for the scene was uncanny and fateful. -</p> - -<p> -Presently we were in the abbot’s chamber, our sleeping-place, and had -locked the door behind us. Near the washstand, on which burned a -single candle set in the neck of a bottle, sat Molas, his face buried -in his hands. -</p> - -<p> -“Have they brought you no supper, that you look so sad?” asked the -señor. -</p> - -<p> -“The woman, Luisa, gave me to eat,” he whispered. “Listen, lord, and -you, Señor Strickland, our fears are well founded; there is a plot to -murder us to-night, of this the woman is sure, for she heard some -words pass between Don Pedro and a white man called Smith; also she -saw one of the half-breeds fetch spades from the garden and place them -in readiness, which spades are to be used in the hollowing of our -graves beneath this floor.” -</p> - -<p> -Now when we heard this our hearts sank, for it was terrible to think -that we were doomed within a few hours to lie beneath the ground -whereon our living feet were resting. Yet, if these assassins were -determined upon our slaughter, our fate seemed certain, seeing that we -had only knives wherewith to defend ourselves, for, though we had -saved the pistols and some powder in a flask, the damp had reached the -latter during the shipwreck, so that it could not be relied upon. -</p> - -<p> -“I am afraid that we have been too venturesome in coming here,” I -said, “and that unless we can escape at once we must be prepared to -pay the price of our folly with our lives.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do not be downcast, lord,” answered Molas, “for you have not heard -all the tale. The woman has shown me a means whereby you can save -yourselves from death, at any rate for to-night. Come here,” and, -leading us across the room, he knelt upon the floor at a spot almost -opposite the picture of the abbot, and pressed on a panel in the low -wainscoting of cedar wood with which the wall was clothed to a height -of about three feet. -</p> - -<p> -The panel slid aside, leaving a space barely large enough for a man to -pass. Through this opening we crept one by one, and descended four -narrow steps, to find ourselves in a chamber hollowed out of the -foundations of the wall, so small that there was only just room for -the three of us to stand in it, our heads being some inches above the -level of the floor. -</p> - -<p> -And here I may tell you, Señor Jones, that, though I have never shown -it to you, this place still exists, as you may discover by searching -the wainscoting. For many years I have used it for the safe keeping of -papers and valuables. There, by the way, you will find that emerald -which I showed you on the first night of our meeting. What the purpose -of this chamber was in the time of the abbots I do not know, and -perhaps it is as well not to inquire, though they also may have used -it to store their wealth. -</p> - -<p> -“How can we save ourselves by crouching here like rats in a drain?” I -asked of Molas. “Doubtless the secret of the hiding-place is known to -those who live in the house, and they will drag us out and butcher -us.” -</p> - -<p> -“The woman Luisa says that it is known to none except herself, lord, -for she declares that not two months ago she discovered it for the -first time by the accident of the broom with which she was sweeping -the floor striking against the springs of the panel. Now let us come -out for a while, for it is not yet eleven o’clock, and she says that -there will be no danger till after midnight.” -</p> - -<p> -“Has she any plan for our escape?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“She has a plan, though she is doubtful of its success. When the -murderers have been, and found us gone, they will think either that we -are wizards or that we have made our way out of the house, and will -search no more till dawn. Meanwhile, if she can, Luisa will return, -and, entering the chamber by the secret entrance, will lead us to the -chapel, whence she thinks that we may fly into the forest.” -</p> - -<p> -“Where is this secret entrance, Molas?” -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know, lord; she had no time to tell me, but the murderers -will come by it. She did tell me, however, that she believes that a -man and a woman are imprisoned near the chapel, though she knows -nothing of them and never visits the place, because the Indians deem -it to be haunted. Doubtless these two are Zibalbay and his daughter, -so that if you live to come so far, you may find them there and speak -with them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you say ‘if <i>you</i> live,’ Molas?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because I think, lord, that then I shall be already dead; at least, -death waits on me.” -</p> - -<p> -“What do you mean?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“I will tell you. After the woman Luisa had gone I ate the food she -brought me and drank some wine. Then I think that I fell asleep, for -when I awoke the candle had burned out and I was in darkness. Hastily -I turned to search for another candle that I had placed by the bottle, -and was about to make fire when something drew my eyes, causing me to -look up. -</p> - -<p> -“This was what I saw: at the far end of the chamber, enclosed in a -film of such pale light as is given by the glowfly, stood the figure -of a man, and that man myself, dressed as I am now. There I stood -surrounded by faint fire; and though the face was the face of a dead -man, yet the hand was not dead, for it beckoned towards me through the -darkness. -</p> - -<p> -“Now I saw, and the cold sweat of fear broke out upon me, so that I -could scarcely light the candle which I held. At length, however, it -burned brightly, and, holding it over my head, I walked towards the -spot where I had seen the shadow, only to find that it was gone.” -</p> - -<p> -“Or in other words, that you had slept off your indigestion,” said the -señor. “I congratulate you on getting rid of it so soon.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is easy to mock,” answered Molas, “but that which I have seen, I -have seen, and I know that it portends my death. Well, so be it; I am -not yet old, but I have lived long enough and now it is time to go. -May Heaven have mercy on my sins, and thus let it be.” -</p> - -<p> -After this the señor and I strove to reason him out of his folly, but -in vain, nor, in fact, was it altogether a folly, seeing that Molas -was doomed to die upon the morrow; though whether the vision that he -saw came to warn him of his fate, or was but a dream, it is not for me -to say. -</p> - -<p> -Presently we ceased talking of ghosts and omens, for we must look to -our own bodies and the necessities of the hour. Some minutes before -midnight we extinguished the light, and, creeping one by one through -the hole in the panelling, we closed it behind us and took our stand -in the little dungeon. Here the darkness was awful, and as the warmth -of the wine that we had drunk passed from our veins, fears gathered -thick upon us and oppressed our souls. Those hours on the sinking ship -had been evil, but what were they compared to this? -</p> - -<p> -Deep as was the silence, yet there were noises in it, strange creaks -and flutterings that thrilled our marrows. We prayed till we were -weary, then for my part I tried to doze, only to find that at such a -time sleep was worse than waking, for my imagination peopled it with -visions till it seemed to me that all the painted horrors on the walls -of the chamber took life, and enacted themselves before my eyes. -</p> - -<p> -I heard the groaning of the martyrs, and the cruel jeers of those who -watched their agony, urged on by the hard-faced abbot, whose picture -hung above us. Then the vision changed and I seemed to see the tragedy -of the two Americans, of whose fate the señor had told me and whose -blood still stained the floor. The darkness opened as it were, and I -saw the beds on which they were sleeping heavily, stalwart men in the -prime of life. -</p> - -<p> -Then appeared figures standing over them, Don Pedro, Don José, and -others, while from the shadows behind peeped the wicked face of their -countryman, Don Smith. The bed-clothes were twitched away and once -more all was black, but in the darkness I heard a sound of blows and -groaning, of the hurrying feet of murderers, and the clinking of bags -of money stolen from the dead men. Now the señor touched me and I -woke with a start. -</p> - -<p> -“Hark,” he whispered into my ear, “I hear men creeping about the -room.” -</p> - -<p> -“For the love of God, be silent,” I answered, gripping his hand. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch09"> -CHAPTER IX.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE DUEL</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Now</span> we placed our ears against the panelling and listened. First we -heard creaks that were loud in the stillness, then soft heavy noises -such as are made by a cat when it jumps from a height to the ground, -and a gentle rubbing as of stockinged feet upon the floor. After this -for some seconds came silence that presently was broken by the clink -of steel, and the sound of heavy blows delivered upon a soft substance -with swords and knives. The murderers were driving their weapons -through the bed-clothes, thinking that we slept beneath them. Next we -heard whisperings and muttered oaths, then a voice, Don José’s, said: -</p> - -<p> -“Be careful, the beds are empty.” -</p> - -<p> -Another instant and candles were lit, for their light reached us -through small peep-holes in the panel, and by putting our eyes to -these we could see what passed in the room. There before us we beheld -Don José, Don Smith, and four of their companions, all armed with -knives or <i>machetes</i>, while, framed, as it were in the wall, in the -place that had been occupied by the picture of the abbot, stood our -host, Don Pedro, holding a candle above his head, and glaring with his -fish-like eyes into every corner of the room. -</p> - -<p> -“Where are they?” he said. “Where are the wizards? Find them quick and -kill them.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the men ran to and fro about the chamber, dragging aside the beds -and staring at the pictures on the wall as though they expected to see -us there. -</p> - -<p> -“They are gone,” said José at length, “that Indian, Ignatio, has -conjured them away. He is a <i>demonio</i> and not a man; I thought it from -the first.” -</p> - -<p> -“Impossible!” cried Don Pedro, who was white with rage and fear. “The -door has been watched ever since they entered it, and no living thing -could force those bars. Search, search, they must be hidden.” -</p> - -<p> -“Search yourself,” answered Don Smith sullenly, “they are not here. -Perhaps they discovered the trick of the picture and escaped down the -passages to the chapel.” -</p> - -<p> -“It cannot be,” said Don Pedro again, “for just now I was in the -chapel and saw no signs of them. We have some traitor among us who has -led them from the house; by Heaven, if I find him out——” and he -uttered a fearful oath. -</p> - -<p> -“Shall we bring the dogs?” asked José,—and I trembled at his words: -“they might smell their footing.” -</p> - -<p> -“Fool, what is the use of dogs in a place where all of you have been -tramping?” answered the father. “To-morrow at dawn we will try them -outside, for these men must be found and killed, or we are ruined. -Already the authorities suspect us because of the disappearance of the -two <i>Americanos</i>, and they will send soldiers from Vera Cruz to shoot -us down, for without doubt this <i>Inglese</i> is rich and powerful. It is -certain that they are not here, but perhaps they are hidden elsewhere -in the building. Come, let us search the passages and the roof,” and -he vanished into the wall, followed by the others, leaving the chamber -as dark and silent as it had been before their coming. -</p> - -<p> -For a while the danger had passed, and we pressed each other’s hands -in gratitude, for to speak or even to whisper we did not dare. Ten -minutes or more went by, when once again we heard sounds, and a light -appeared in the room, borne in the hand of Don Pedro, who was -accompanied by his son, Don José. -</p> - -<p> -“They have vanished,” said the old man, “the devil their master knows -how. Well, to-morrow we must hunt them out if possible, till then -nothing can be done. You were a fool to bring them here, José. Have I -not told you that no money should tempt me to have more to do with the -death of white men?” -</p> - -<p> -“I did it for revenge, not money,” answered José. -</p> - -<p> -“A nice revenge,” said his father, “a revenge that is likely to cost -us all our lives, even in this country. I tell you that, if they are -not found to-morrow and silenced, I shall leave this place and travel -into the interior, where no law can follow us, for I do not wish to be -shot down like a dog. -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, José, bid those rascals to give up the search and go to bed, -it is useless. Then do you come quietly to my room, and we will visit -the Indian and his daughter. If we are to screw their secret out of -them, it must be done to-night, for, like a fool, I told that -Englishman the story when the wine was in me, thinking that he would -never live to repeat it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, yes, it must be to-night, for to-morrow we may have to fly. But -what if the brutes won’t speak, father?” -</p> - -<p> -“We will find means to make them,” answered the old man with a hideous -chuckle; “but whether they speak or not, they must be silenced -afterwards——” and he drew his hand across his throat, adding, -“Come.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -An hour passed while we stood in the hole trembling with excitement, -hope, and fear, and then once more we heard footfalls, followed -presently by the sound of a voice whispering on the further side of -the panel. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you there, lord?” the whisper said. “It is I, Luisa.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -Now she touched the spring and opened the panel. -</p> - -<p> -“Listen,” she said, “they have gone to sleep all of them, but before -dawn they will be up again to search for you far and wide. Therefore -you must do one of two things; lie hid here, perhaps for days, or take -your chance of escape at once.” -</p> - -<p> -“How can we escape?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“There is but one way, lord, through the chapel. The door into it is -locked, but I can show you a place from which the priests used to -watch those below, and thence, if you are brave, you can drop to the -ground beneath, for the height is not great. Once there, you can -escape into the garden through the window over the altar, which is -broken, as I have seen from without, though to do so, perhaps, you -will have to climb upon each other’s shoulders. Then you must fly as -swiftly as you can by the light of the moon, which has risen. The dogs -have been gorged and tied up, so, if the Heart is your friend, you may -yet go unharmed.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I spoke to the señor, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Although the woman does not know it, I think it likely that we shall -find company in this chapel, seeing that the Indian and his daughter -are imprisoned there, where Don Pedro and José have gone to visit -them. The risk is great, shall we take it?” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” answered the señor after a moment’s thought, “for it is better -to take a risk than to perish by inches in this hole of starvation, or -perhaps to be discovered and murdered in cold blood. Also we have -travelled far and undergone much to find this Indian, and if we lose -our chance of doing so, we may get no other.” -</p> - -<p> -“What do you say, Molas?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I say that the words of the señor are wise, also that it matters -little to me what we do, since whether I turn to left or right death -waits me on my path.” -</p> - -<p> -Now one by one we climbed through the false panel, and by the light of -the moon Luisa led us across the chamber to the spot between the beds, -where hangs the picture of the abbot, which picture, that is painted -on a slab of wood, proved to be only a cunningly devised door -constructed to swing upon a pivot. -</p> - -<p> -Placing her knee on the threshold of the secret door, Luisa scrambled -into the passage beyond. When the rest of us stood by her side, she -closed the panel, and, bidding us cling to one another and be silent, -she took me by the hand and guided us through some passages till at -length she whispered: -</p> - -<p> -“Be cautious now, for we come to the place whence you must drop into -the chapel, and there is a stairway to your right.” -</p> - -<p> -We passed the stairway and turned a corner, Luisa still leading. -</p> - -<p> -Next instant she staggered back into my arms, murmuring, “Mother of -Heaven! the ghosts! the ghosts!” Indeed, had I not held her she would -have fled. Still grasping her hand, I pushed forward to find myself -standing in a small recess—the one I showed you, Señor Jones—that -was placed about ten feet above the floor of the chapel, and, like -other places in this house, so arranged that the abbot or monk in -authority, without being seen himself, could see and hear all that -passed beneath him. -</p> - -<p> -Of one thing I am sure, that during all the generations that are gone -no monk watching here ever saw a stranger sight than that which met my -eyes. The chancel of the chapel was lit up by shafts of brilliant -moonlight that poured through the broken window, and by a lamp which -stood upon the stone altar. Within the circle of strong light thrown -by this lamp were four people, namely, Don Pedro, his son Don José, -an old Indian, and a girl. -</p> - -<p> -On either side of the altar then, as now, rose two carven pillars of -<i>sapote</i> wood, the tops of which were fashioned into the figures of -angels, and to these columns the old Indian and the woman were tied, -one to each column, their hands being joined together at the back of -the pillars in such a manner as to render them absolutely helpless. My -eyes rested first upon the woman, who was nearest to me, and seeing -her, even as she was then, dishevelled, worn with pain and hunger, her -proud face distorted by agony of mind and impotent rage, I no longer -wondered that both Molas and Don Pedro had raved about her beauty. -</p> - -<p> -She was an Indian, but such an Indian as I had never known before, for -in colour she was almost white, and her dark and waving hair hung in -masses to her knees. Her face was oval and small-featured, and in it -shone a pair of wonderful dark-blue eyes, while the clinging white -robe she wore revealed the loveliness of her tall and delicate shape. -</p> - -<p> -Bad as was the girl’s plight, that of the old man her father, who was -none other than the Zibalbay we had come to seek, seemed even worse. -As Molas had described him, he was thin and very tall, with white hair -and beard, wild and hawk-like eyes, and aquiline features, nor had Don -Pedro spoken more than the truth when he said that he looked like a -king. His robe had been torn from him, leaving him half naked, and on -his forehead, breast, and arms were blood and bruises which clearly -had been caused by a riding-whip that lay broken at his feet. -</p> - -<p> -It was not difficult to guess who had broken it, for in front of the -old man, breathing heavily and wiping the perspiration from his brow, -stood Don José. -</p> - -<p> -“This mule won’t stir,” he said to his father in Spanish; “ask the -girl, it must wake her up to see the old man knocked about.” -</p> - -<p> -Then Don Pedro slipped off the altar rail upon which he had been -seated, and, advancing to the woman, he peered at her with his leaden -eyes: -</p> - -<p> -“My dear,” he said to her in the Maya language, “this sight must -grieve you. Put an end to it then by telling us of that place where so -much gold is hidden.” -</p> - -<p> -“As with my last breath, daughter,” broke in Zibalbay, “I command you -to say nothing, no, not if you see them murder me by inches before -your eyes.” -</p> - -<p> -“Silence, you dog,” said Don José, striking him across the lips with -his hand. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! that I were free to avenge you!” gasped the girl as she strained -and tore at the ropes which held her. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_126"> -<a href="images/img_126.jpg"> -<img alt="Oh! that I were free to avenge you!" src="images/img_126_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘Oh! that I were free to avenge you!’ -</div></div> - -<p> -“Don’t be in a hurry, my love,” sneered Don José, “wait a while and -you will have yourself to avenge as well as your father. If he won’t -speak I think we can find a way to make you talk, only I do not want -to be rough with you unless I am forced to it. You are too pretty, -much too pretty.” -</p> - -<p> -The girl shivered, gasping with fear and hate, and was silent. -</p> - -<p> -“What shall we try him with now?” he went on, addressing Don Pedro; -“hot steel or cold? Make up your mind, for I am growing tired. Well, -if you won’t, just hand me that <i>machete</i>, will you? Now, friend,” he -said, addressing the Indian, “for the last time I ask you to tell us -where is that temple full of gold, of which you spoke to your daughter -in my father’s hearing?” -</p> - -<p> -“There is no such place, white man,” he answered sullenly. -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed, friend! Then will you explain where you found those little -ingots, which we captured from the Indian who had been visiting you, -and whence came this <i>machete</i>?” and he pointed to the weapon in his -hand. -</p> - -<p> -It was a sword of great beauty, as I could see even from where we -stood, made not of steel, but of hardened copper, and having for a -handle a female figure with outstretched arms fashioned in solid gold. -</p> - -<p> -“The <i>machete</i> was given to me by a friend,” said the Indian, “I do -not know where he got it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Really,” answered José with a brutal laugh, “perhaps you will -remember presently. Here, father, warm the point of the <i>machete</i> in -the lamp, will you, while I tell our guest how we are going to serve -him and his daughter.” -</p> - -<p> -Don Pedro nodded, and, taking the sword, he held the tip of it over -the flame, while José bending forward whispered into the Indian’s -ear, pointing from time to time to the girl, who, overcome with -faintness or horror, had sunk to the ground, where she was huddled in -a heap half hidden by the masses of her hair. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you white men then devils?” said the old man at length, with a -groan that seemed to burst from the bottom of his heart, “and is there -no law or justice among you?” -</p> - -<p> -“Not at all, friend,” answered José, “we are good fellows enough, but -times are hard and we must live. As for the rest, we don’t trouble -over much about law in these parts, and I never heard that unbaptised -Indian dogs have any right to justice. Now, once more, will you guide -us to the place whence that gold came, leaving your daughter here as -hostage for our safety?” -</p> - -<p> -“Never!” cried the Indian, “better that we two should perish a hundred -times, than that the ancient secrets of my people should pass to such -as you.” -</p> - -<p> -“So you have secrets after all! Father, is the sword hot?” asked -José. -</p> - -<p> -“One minute more, son,” said the old man, quietly turning the point in -the flame. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -This was the scene that we witnessed, and these were the words that -astonished our ears. -</p> - -<p> -“It is time to interfere,” muttered the señor, and, placing his hand -upon the rail, he prepared to drop into the church. -</p> - -<p> -Now a thought struck me, and I drew him back to the passage. -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps the door is open,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you going in there?” asked the girl Luisa. -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly,” I replied; “we must rescue these people, or die with -them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then, señors, farewell, I have done all I can for you, and now the -saints must be your guide, for if I am seen they will kill me, and I -have a child for whose sake I desire to live. Again, farewell,” and -she glided away like a shadow. -</p> - -<p> -We crept forward down the stair. At the foot of it was a little door, -which, as we had hoped, stood ajar. For a moment we consulted -together, then we crawled on through the gloom towards the ring of -light about the altar. Now José had the heated sword in his hand. -</p> - -<p> -“Look up, my dear, look up,” he said to the girl, patting her on the -cheek. “I am about to baptize your excellent father according to the -rites of the Christian religion, by marking him with a cross upon the -forehead,” and he advanced the glowing point of the sword towards the -Indian’s face. -</p> - -<p> -At that instant Molas pinned him from behind, causing him to drop the -weapon, while I did the same office by Don Pedro, holding him so that, -struggle as he might, he could not stir. -</p> - -<p> -“Make a sound, either of you, and you are dead,” said the señor, -picking up the <i>machete</i> and placing its hot point against José’s -breast, where it slowly burnt its way through his clothes. -</p> - -<p> -“What are we to do with these men?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“Kill them as they would have killed us,” answered Molas; “or, if you -fear the task, cut loose the old man yonder and let him avenge his own -and his daughter’s wrongs.” -</p> - -<p> -“What say you, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“I seek no man’s blood, but for our own safety it is well that these -wretches should die. Away with them!” -</p> - -<p> -Now Don Pedro began to bleat inarticulately in his terror, and that -hero, José, burst into tears and pleaded for his life, writhing with -pain the while, for the point of the sword scorched him. -</p> - -<p> -“You are an English gentleman,” he groaned, “you cannot butcher a -helpless man as though he were an ox.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you tried to butcher us in the chamber yonder,—us, who saved your -life,” answered the señor. “Still, you are right, I cannot do it -because, as you say, I am a gentleman. Molas, loose this dog, and if -he tries to run, put your knife through him. José Moreno, you have a -sword by your side, and I hold one in my hand; I will not murder you, -but we have a quarrel, and we will settle it here and now.” -</p> - -<p> -“You are mad, señor,” I said, “to risk your life thus, I myself will -kill him rather than it should be so.” -</p> - -<p> -“Will you fight if I loose you, José Moreno?” he asked, making me no -answer, “or will you be killed where you stand?” -</p> - -<p> -“I will fight,” he replied. -</p> - -<p> -“Good. Let him free, Molas, and be ready with your knife.” -</p> - -<p> -“I command you,” I began, but already the man was loose and the señor -stood waiting for him, his back to the door, and grasping the Indian -<i>machete</i> handled with the golden woman. -</p> - -<p> -Now José glanced round as though he sought a means of escape, but -there was none, for in front was the <i>machete</i> and behind was the -knife of Molas. For some seconds—ten perhaps—they stood facing each -other in the ring of the lamp-light, whilst the moonbeams played -faintly about their heads. We watched in utter silence, the Indian -girl shaking the long hair from her face, and leaning forward as far -as her bonds would allow, that she might see this battle to the death -between him who had insulted and tormented her, and the noble-looking -white man who had appeared out of the gloom to bring her deliverance. -</p> - -<p> -It was a strange scene, for the contrast of light and darkness, or of -good and evil, is not greater than was that of these two men, and what -made it stranger were the place and hour. Behind them was the half-lit -emptiness of the deserted chapel, before them stood the holy crucifix -and the desecrated altar of God, and beneath their feet lay the bones -of the forgotten dead, whose spirits mayhap were watching them from -the shadows as earnestly as did our living eyes. Yes, that midnight -scene of death and vengeance enacted in the House of Peace was very -strange, and even now it thrills my blood to think of it. -</p> - -<p> -From the moment that I saw them fronting each other, my fears for the -issue vanished. Victory was written on the calm features of the -señor, and more especially in his large blue eyes, that of a sudden -had grown stern as those of an avenging angel, while the face of José -told only of baffled fury struggling with bottomless despair. He was -about to die, and the terror of approaching death unnerved him. -</p> - -<p> -Still it was he who struck the first, for, stepping forward, he aimed -a desperate blow at the señor’s head, who, springing aside, avoided -it, and in return ran him through the left arm. With a cry of pain, -the Mexican sprang back, followed by the señor, at whom he cut from -time to time, but without result, for every blow was parried. -</p> - -<p> -Now they were within the altar rails, and now his back was against one -of the carved pillars of <i>sapote</i> wood,—that to which the girl was -tied. Further he could not fly, but stayed there, laying about him -wildly, so that the woman at the other side of the pillar crouched -upon the ground to avoid the sweep of his sword. -</p> - -<p> -Then the end came, for the señor, who was waiting his chance, drew -suddenly within reach, only to step back so that the furious blow -aimed at his head struck with a ringing sound upon the marble floor, -where the mark of it may yet be seen. Before Don José, whose arm was -numbed by the shock, could lift the sword again, the señor ran in, -and for the second time thrust with all his strength. But now the aim -was truer, for his <i>machete</i> pierced the Mexican through the heart, so -that he fell down and died there upon the altar step. -</p> - -<p> -Now I must tell of my own folly that went near to bringing us all to -death. You will remember that I was holding Don Pedro, and how it came -about I know not, but in my joy and agitation I slacked my grip, so -that with a sudden twist he was able to tear himself from my hands, -and in a twinkling of an eye was gone. -</p> - -<p> -I bounded after him, but too late, for as I reached the door it was -slammed in my face, nor could I open it, for on the chapel side were -neither key nor handle. -</p> - -<p> -“Fly,” I cried, rushing back to the altar, “he has escaped, and will -presently be here with the rest.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor had seen, and already was engaged in severing with his -sword the rope that bound the girl, while Molas cut loose her father. -Now I leapt upon the altar—may the sacrilege be forgiven to my -need—and, springing at the stonework of the broken window, I made -shift to pull myself up with the help of Molas pushing from below. -Seated upon the window ledge I leaned down, and catching the Indian -Zibalbay by the wrists, for he was too stiff to leap, with great -efforts I dragged him to me, and bade him drop without fear to the -ground, which was not more than ten feet below us. Next came his -daughter, then the Señor, and last of all, Molas, so that within -three minutes from the escape of Don Pedro we stood unhurt outside the -chapel among the bushes of a garden. -</p> - -<p> -“Where to now?” I asked, for the place was strange to me. -</p> - -<p> -The girl, Maya, looked round her, then she glanced up at the heavens. -</p> - -<p> -“Follow me,” she said, “I know a way,” and started down the garden at -a run. -</p> - -<p> -Presently we came to a wall the height of a man, beyond which was a -thick hedge of aloes. Over the wall we climbed, and through the aloes -we burst a path, not without doing ourselves some hurt,—for the -thorns were sharp,—to find ourselves in a <i>milpa</i> or corn-field. Here -the girl stopped, again searching the stars, and at that moment we -heard sounds of shouting, and, looking back, saw lights moving to and -fro in the <i>hacienda</i>. -</p> - -<p> -“We must go forward or perish,” I said, “Don Pedro has aroused his -men.” -</p> - -<p> -Then she dashed into the <i>milpa</i>, and we followed her. There was no -path, and the cornstalks, that stood high above us, caught our feet -and shook the dew in showers upon our heads, till our clothes were -filled with water like a sponge. Still we struggled on, one following -the other, for fifteen minutes or more, till at length we were clear -of the cultivated land and standing on the borders of the forest. -</p> - -<p> -“Halt,” I said, “where do we run to? The road lies to the right, and -by following it we may reach a town.” -</p> - -<p> -“To be arrested as murderers,” broke in the señor. “You forget that -José Moreno is dead at my hands, and his father will swear our lives -away, or that at the best we shall be thrown into prison. No, no, we -must hide in the bush.” -</p> - -<p> -“Sirs,” said the old Indian, speaking for the first time, “I know a -secret place in the forest, an ancient and ruined building, where we -may take refuge for a while if we can reach it. But first I ask, who -are you?” -</p> - -<p> -“You should know me, Zibalbay,” said Molas, “seeing that I am the -messenger whom you sent to search for him that you desire to find, the -Lord and Keeper of the Heart,” and he pointed to me. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you that man?” asked the Indian. -</p> - -<p> -“I am,” I answered, “and I have suffered much to find you, but now is -no time for talk; guide us to this hiding-place of yours, for our -danger is great.” -</p> - -<p> -Then once more the girl took the lead, and we plunged forward into the -forest, often stumbling and falling in the darkness, till the dawn -broke in the east, and the shoutings of our pursuers died away. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch10"> -CHAPTER X.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">HOW MOLAS DIED</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">For</span> some few minutes we rested to recover our breath, then we -started forward again. In front went the girl, Maya, our guide, whom -the señor led by the hand, while behind followed Zibalbay supported -by Molas and myself. At first these two had run as quickly as the rest -of us, but now all the fatigues and terrors that they had undergone -took hold of them, so that from time to time they were forced to stop -to rest. This was little to be wondered at, indeed, seeing that during -five days they had eaten no solid food, for it had been Don Pedro’s -purpose to starve their secret out of them. Doubtless he would have -succeeded in this design, or in doing them to death, had it not been -for a quantity of a certain preparation of the <i>cuca</i> leaf, mixed with -pounded meat and other ingredients, which they carried with them. -Zibalbay had the secret of this Indian food, and by the help of it he -and his daughter had journeyed far across unpeopled wastes, for so -wonderful are its properties that a piece no larger than a bullet will -serve to stay a man’s stomach for twenty-four hours, even when his -power is taxed by work or travel. On this nutriment they had sustained -themselves to the amazement of their captor, who could not discover -whence they drew their strength; still it is a stimulant rather than a -food, and so great was their craving to fill themselves, that as they -ran they plucked cobs of the Indian corn and devoured them. -</p> - -<p> -Our path lay through a tropical forest so dense that, even when the -sun shone, the gloom was that of twilight. Many sorts of huge and -uncouth trees grew in it, whereof the boughs were starred with orchids -and hung with trailing ferns, or in places with long festoons of grey -Spanish moss that gave them a very strange and unnatural appearance. -Up these trees climbed creepers, some of them thicker than a man’s -thigh, and beneath them the ground was clothed with soft-wooded bush, -or with vast brakes of a plant that in Mexico attains a height of from -ten to twelve feet, which the señor told me is cultivated in English -gardens under the name of Indian Shot. Slowly and with much toil we -forced a path through this mass of vegetation. Now we were creeping -over the rotten trunks of fallen and fern-encumbered trees, now foot -by foot we must make our way between the stout stems of the Indian -Shot, and now our clothes were caught and our flesh was torn by the -hook-like thorns and brambles, or our feet tripped in the roots of -climbing plants. No breath of air penetrated that measureless thicket, -whereof the stagnant atmosphere, laden with the decay of ages, choked -and almost overpowered us, causing the sweat to start from every pore. -Above us, hiding the sky, hung masses of deep green foliage, beneath -which we struggled on in the solemn gloom and the silence that was -broken only from time to time by the grunting of an ape, or by a -distant crash, as some great tree, after centuries of life, fell with -a noise like thunder to the earth from whence it sprang. -</p> - -<p> -This forest that seemed so destitute of life was peopled by millions -of insects, all of them venomous. <i>Garrapatas</i>, tiny grey flies, -wood-wasps, and ants black and red, tormented us with their bites and -stings till we groaned aloud in misery, then, remembering our danger, -pushed on again. -</p> - -<p> -Thus two hours and more passed, till, reaching a little stream that -ran through a ravine in the forest, we paused to drink and to cool our -fevered feet and hands. Zibalbay sank exhausted upon the bank, where I -brought him water in my sombrero, while his daughter sat herself down -on a stone in the stream, suffering it to flow over her feet and -ankles, that by now were swollen with ant-bites and bleeding from the -cuts of thorns and grasses. Presently she looked up, and, seeing the -señor, who stood upon the bank talking to me, she invited him with a -motion of her hand to seat himself beside her. -</p> - -<p> -“What is your name, white man?” she asked. -</p> - -<p> -“James Strickland, lady.” -</p> - -<p> -“James Strickland,” she repeated with some difficulty, “I thank you, -James Strickland, for rescuing my father from torment and me from -insult; and because of that deed, I, Maya of the Heart, whom many have -served, am your servant for ever.” -</p> - -<p> -“You should thank my friend, Don Ignatio,” he said, pointing to me. -</p> - -<p> -For a few moments she looked at me searchingly, then replied, “I thank -him also, but you I thank the most, for your hand rid me of that -hateful man and saved us.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is early to return thanks, lady,” he said; “we are not out of -danger yet.” -</p> - -<p> -“I have little fear now that we have escaped from that dreadful -house,” she answered almost indifferently, “since our hiding-place is -at hand. Also how can they find us in this forest? Hark! what was -that?” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke a faint and distant sound fell upon our ears,—such a -sound as might have been made by a bell struck far away at night. -</p> - -<p> -“That is how they will find us,” he said, springing to his feet. “Do -you hear, Ignatio? The dogs have hit our trail. Which way does our -road run now, lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“Along the banks of the stream.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then we must go forward in the water,” said the señor, “it is our -only chance, for the hounds cannot track us there.” -</p> - -<p> -Now we began to scramble down the bed of the stream as fast as the -boulders and the weariness of Zibalbay would allow. Fortunately it was -not a broad river, nor very deep, still sometimes we could scarcely -stand in the rapids, and twice, not daring to set foot upon the bank, -we were forced to swim the length of the pools, which we did in terror -fearing lest they should be haunted by alligators. For something over -an hour we followed the stream thus, till suddenly Maya halted, saying -that if we would gain the building where they had dwelt, we must leave -the water and plunge into the forest. By now we were -exhausted,—indeed, unless he were carried, the old Indian, Zibalbay, -could not have gone another mile; so, notwithstanding the danger of -setting foot upon the land, on learning that the place was near and -that food was to be found in it, we hesitated no longer, but once more -began to thread the bush. Not more than three hundred paces from the -banks of the river we came upon a high mound densely overgrown with -trees, between the boles of which appeared masses of cut stone. -</p> - -<p> -“This is the place,” gasped Zibalbay. “Look, yonder above us are the -walls of the temple, and here is the stairway that led to it,” and he -pointed to a long flight of crumbling stone steps, almost hidden in -ferns and bushes, which stretched from the base of the pyramid to the -ancient Indian fane on its crest. Up these steps we went with caution, -for the climb was dangerous, Molas carrying Zibalbay upon his broad -back, since so weary was he that the old Indian could mount them in no -other fashion. -</p> - -<p> -This staircase was built in three flights, the top flight, now almost -entirely broken away, emerging on what once had been a broad and -splendid terrace, but to-day was a chaos of stonework, in the crevices -of which grew bushes and even large trees. Over the head of the -stairway still stood a colossal arch sculptured with the figures of -gods and beasts. This arch was in the last stage of decay,—indeed the -crown of it, a mass of masonry that must have weighed between one and -two hundred tons, had been nearly separated from its supports by the -action of time and rain, aided perhaps by a shock of earthquake, and -hung threateningly over the top steps of the stair. In truth so slight -were the attachments which remained between it and its supporting side -columns and buttresses, that at first sight it seemed as though it -must fall at once. A closer examination showed, however, that it was -held in place by three or four great roots, which, springing from -trees that grew upon the crown of the arch, in the course of years had -thrust themselves deep into the crevices of the masonry of the massive -pillars, and through their foundations into the soil beneath. Beyond -the arch, on the further side of the terrace, rose the ruined temple, -a long single-storied building with a flat roof whereon grew many -shrubs and palms. -</p> - -<p> -Passing through the central doorway of this temple, Maya led us into a -chamber decorated everywhere with serpents carved in stone, which had -been occupied, and recently, for it was clean, and upon the floor were -ashes and bits of burnt wood. In the corner also lay a little pile of -articles covered over with a <i>serape</i> that Maya hastened to remove, -revealing amongst other things an earthen cooking-pot, a copper axe of -similar workmanship to the <i>machete</i> with which the señor had killed -Don José, two curiously fashioned blow-pipes with a supply of -poisoned darts, and, lastly, bags containing dried flesh, beans, and -<i>cuca</i> paste. -</p> - -<p> -“All is safe,” she said; “now let us eat that we may be strong to meet -danger.” -</p> - -<p> -While we were filling ourselves thankfully with the dried meat, the -señor spoke to me, saying he hoped that our pursuit had been -abandoned. -</p> - -<p> -“You can know little of these men to speak thus,” I answered; “they -must hunt us down for their own sakes, also Don Pedro will certainly -seek to avenge the blood of his son. Our only hope is that the water -will baffle the hounds, or that, if they strike the place where we -left it, the heat of the day may have killed our scent. But I fear -that this will not be so, since the ground is damp beneath the trees.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then what do you propose to do?” he asked. “Start on again, or stop -here?” -</p> - -<p> -“Señor, we must stop here because we cannot travel farther, unless -you would abandon the old man and his daughter. Moreover in the forest -it would be easy to overwhelm us, but this place is hard to climb, and -here at least we may die fighting. Let us make ready for the worst, -señor.” -</p> - -<p> -“How are we to make ready,” he asked, “when we have nothing to fight -with except <i>machetes</i> and Indian blow-pipes? The powder in the pistol -flasks is damp and the caps will miss fire, so that if we are attacked -our death is certain.” -</p> - -<p> -“It seems so,” I answered, “yet if it pleases God we may live. Yonder -lie stones in plenty; let us pile them up beneath the archway, perhaps -we can kill some of our foes by rolling them down the steps.” -</p> - -<p> -This we did, then, while Maya watched us. At length the task was -finished, and as we turned to leave the heaps of stones, of a sudden -we heard a dog baying down by the river, followed by a sound of men -and horses forcing a path through the bush. For a while we stared at -each other in silence, then Molas said, “They are coming.” -</p> - -<p> -“If so I wish they would come quickly,” answered the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Why, White Man? Are you afraid?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, very much,” he answered, with a little laugh, “for the odds are -heavy, and probably we shall soon be killed, that is, all the men -among us will be killed. Does not the prospect frighten you?” -</p> - -<p> -“Why should it,” she answered, with a shrug and a smile, “seeing that -if it comes to the worst, I shall be killed also and spared a long -journey home?” -</p> - -<p> -“How can you be sure of that, Lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“So,” she answered, holding a tiny blow-pipe dart before his eyes. “If -I prick myself with this here—” and she touched the large vein in her -neck, “in one minute I shall be asleep, and in two I shall be dead.” -</p> - -<p> -“I understand; but you talk of death very easily for one so young and -beautiful.” -</p> - -<p> -“If so, señor, it is because I have not found life too soft, -nor”—she added with a sigh—“do I know what destiny awaits me in the -future; but I do know that when we sleep upon the Heart of Heaven, we -shall find peace if nothing more.” -</p> - -<p> -“I hope so,” said the señor. “Look, here they come,” and as he spoke -a party of seven or eight men, three of them riding on mules, appeared -at the foot of the mound, and, dismounting, picketed their animals to -trees. -</p> - -<p> -“Now for it,” said the señor, rising and shaking himself like a dog -that leaves the water. “I wonder how many of us will be left alive -when this sun sets.” -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke one of the men reached the foot of the stairway holding a -great hound in a leash. For a moment the dog sniffed the stones, then, -lifting his head, he bayed aloud, whereat the band shouted, for they -knew that they had trapped us. Still for a while they did not advance, -but, gathering themselves in a knot, they consulted together -earnestly. We looked at each other in despair, for truly our case was -desperate. Fly we could not, and we had no arms wherewith to fight, -therefore it seemed certain that within some few minutes we must lose -our lives at the hands of these murderers, if indeed they chose to -kill us outright in mercy. The señor hid his face in his hands for -awhile, then he looked up and said, -</p> - -<p> -“Can we bargain with them, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“Impossible,” I answered, “what have we to give that they cannot -take?” -</p> - -<p> -“Then there is nothing for it except to die as bravely as we may,” he -answered. “This is the end of our search for the Golden City. The -quest has not been a lucky one, Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the old Indian, Zibalbay, who was crouched upon the ground beside -us, spoke for the first time, saying, -</p> - -<p> -“Friends, why do you not fly? Doubtless you can find a path down the -further side of the pyramid, and in the forest you may hide from these -men.” -</p> - -<p> -“How can we fly,” answered the señor, “when you have no strength to -walk a step?” -</p> - -<p> -“I am old and ready to die,” he answered; “leave me here, and be sure -that when the time comes I shall know how to slip through the grasp of -these villains. My daughter, go you with them. You have the holy -symbol, and should you escape and prove this stranger to be the man -whom we seek, lead him to our home that things may befall as they are -fated.” -</p> - -<p> -“Peace, my father,” said Maya, throwing her arms about his neck, -“together we will live or perish. These señors may go if it pleases -them, but here I stay with you.” -</p> - -<p> -“And so do I,” said Molas, “for I weary of flying from the death that -dogs me. Also it is too late to talk of flight, for look, they are -coming up the stair, the eight of them with Don Pedro and the -<i>Americano</i> at their head.” -</p> - -<p> -I looked; it was true. Already they had climbed half the steps of the -first flight. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh for some rifles!” groaned the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“It is useless to cry for what we have not,” I answered. “God can help -us if He wishes, and if He does not, we must bow us to His will.” -</p> - -<p> -Then there was silence, broken only by the voice of Zibalbay, who, -standing behind us, lifted his hands to heaven and prayed aloud to his -gods to bring a vengeance upon our foes. Now we could see through the -trees and bushes that the men were beginning to climb the second -flight. -</p> - -<p> -“Come, let us do something,” said the señor, and, running to the -piles of stones which we had prepared, he called to us to help him -roll the heaviest of them upon the enemy. This we did for awhile, but -without effect, for the tree-trunks turned our missiles; moreover -those against whom they were directed, taking cover at the sides of -the stairway, opened so sharp a fire on us with their rifles, that in -a few minutes we were driven from the stone heaps and forced to -retreat behind the shelter of the arch. -</p> - -<p> -Now they came on again, till presently they reached the foot of the -third flight, and paused to take breath. Then it was that Molas, -seizing one of the Indian blow-pipes, ran out on to the terrace, -followed by the señor, though why the latter went I do not know, for -he could not use this weapon. Before the men beneath were aware of -their presence, Molas had set the blow-pipe to his lips and discharged -the poisoned dart among them. As it chanced it struck the Texan Smith -full in the throat. Watching round the corner of the arch, I saw him -lift his hand to pull out the dart, then of a sudden he fell to the -ground, and at that instant a storm of bullets swept through the -archway, aimed at Molas and the señor as they fled back for refuge. I -saw Molas fall and the señor stop to lift him to his feet, and, as he -was in the very act, a patch of red appear upon his face. Another -moment and they were under cover. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you hurt?” I asked of the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“No, no,” he answered; “my cheek was grazed by a bullet, that is all. -Look to Molas, he is shot in the side.” -</p> - -<p> -“Leave me,” said Molas, “it is nothing.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we were silent, only Maya sobbed a little as she strove to -staunch the blood that flowed from the señor’s wound with cobwebs -which she gathered from among the stones. -</p> - -<p> -“Do not trouble, lady,” he said, with a sad smile, “for soon there -will be other wounds that cannot be dressed. What shall you do?” -</p> - -<p> -By way of answer she showed him the poisoned dart which she held in -the hollow of her hand. -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot advise you otherwise,” he said. “Farewell, I am glad to have -met you and I hope that we may meet again yonder,” and he glanced -towards the sky. “Now you had best say good-bye to your father, for -our time is short.” She nodded, went to the old man, Zibalbay, who -stood silent, stroking his grey beard, and, putting her arms about his -neck, she kissed him tenderly. -</p> - -<p> -Looking out carefully we saw that the men had dragged Don Smith to the -side of the stairway, where some of them supported him while he died -of the poison, and others watched for a chance to shoot us should we -show ourselves upon the terrace. Presently he was dead, and, cursing -us aloud, his companions commenced to mount the third flight with -great caution, for they feared a snare. -</p> - -<p> -“Is there nothing to be done to save our lives?” asked the señor, in -a heavy voice. -</p> - -<p> -There was no answer, but of a sudden Molas, who was standing with one -hand pressed upon the wound in his side and the other before his eyes, -turned and ran into the chamber behind us, whence he reappeared -carrying the copper axe. Then, without speaking, he climbed the -masonry of the archway with great swiftness, till he stood with his -feet in the crack beneath the crown of the arch, which you will -remember was held in place only by the tough tree-roots, that grew -from it into the stonework of the buttresses. Supporting himself by a -creeper with his left hand, with his right he struck blow after blow -at the biggest of these roots, severing them one by one. Now we saw -his purpose—to send two hundred tons of stonework thundering down the -stairway upon the heads of the murderers. -</p> - -<p> -“By heaven! that is an answer to my question,” said the señor; then -he paused and added, “Come down, Molas; if the arch falls, you will -fall with it and be crushed.” -</p> - -<p> -“It matters little,” he answered; “this is my doom day, that bullet -has cut me inside and I bleed to death, and on this spot, as I have -long feared, it is fated that I should die. Pray for my soul, and -farewell.” -</p> - -<p> -“Fare you well, you gallant man,” said the señor. “I have no axe or I -would come with you.” -</p> - -<p> -“Farewell, Molas, my brother, true servant of the Heart,” I echoed; -“of this I am sure, that you shall not lose your reward.” -</p> - -<p> -Now three of the roots were severed, but the fourth and largest, which -was thicker than a man’s leg, remained, and at this Molas began to hew -despairingly. -</p> - -<p> -“Are they near?” he gasped, as the white chips flew. -</p> - -<p> -We peeped round the corner of the arch and saw that some seventy feet -below us the band had halted on the slippery face of the pyramid, -fearing they knew not what, for they heard the dull sound of the axe -blows, but could not guess what it portended. One of their number was -talking to Don Pedro, apparently urging something upon him to which he -did not agree, and in this way they wasted two minutes before at last -the order was given to rush up the remaining steps and take the temple -by storm. -</p> - -<p> -Two minutes—it was but a short time, yet it meant much, for only a -third of the root remained unsevered, and the bark cracking and -peeling showed how great was the strain upon it. -</p> - -<p> -“Quick,” whispered the señor, “they come,”—and as he spoke the -handle of the axe broke and its head fell to the ground. -</p> - -<p> -“Now if the root holds we are lost,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -But it was not to be, for Molas still had his heavy hunting-knife, and -with this he hewed frantically at the wood. At the third cut it began -to part, torn slowly asunder as though by the strength of a giant, and -while it gave, the vast superincumbent mass of masonry, which it had -helped to support for so many years, shifted a little with a grinding -sound, then hung again. -</p> - -<p> -“Come down, Molas, come down!” cried the señor. -</p> - -<p> -But Molas would not. He struck one more blow, severing the root, then -with a shout of farewell, either through faintness or by design, he -cast himself forward with outstretched arms against the face of the -wall. His weight was little indeed, yet it seemed that it sufficed to -turn the balance as dust turns a scale, for again the trembling mass -moved perceptibly and the tall trees upon the top of it began to nod -as though beneath the sudden pressure of wind. Now it slid forward -faster and faster, while sharp sounds like pistol-shots came from the -heart of it, and the trees above bent like a rod beneath the rush of a -fish. Now also for the first time the villains on the slope below -perceived the doom that threatened them, and uttered such a yell as I -had never heard. Some stood still and some flung themselves down the -stair, one only, Don Pedro himself, rushed forward. It was too late; -the mass of stonework, sixty feet long by twenty in breadth, was -falling. It was falling—it fell, taking Molas with it. With a roar -like that of thunder it struck upon the stairway, and, bursting into -fragments, swept it from end to end. No discharge of grape-shot could -have been so terrible in its effects as this hurricane of stones that -nothing could withstand, for even the big trees which stood in its -path were snapped like sticks and borne away upon its crest, as the -carved masonry that had been carried up the pyramid by the long labour -of the Indians of a bygone age, rushed downward to its foot. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_145"> -<a href="images/img_145.jpg"> -<img alt="The mass of stonework fell, ... taking Molas with it." src="images/img_145_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -The mass of stonework fell, ... taking Molas with it. -</div></div> - -<p> -In less than a minute it was done, the sounds had died away, and -nothing was left to tell of what had happened except a little dust and -some remains that had been men. Of all those who stood upon the -stairway only one survived, Don Pedro, who had run forward in the hope -of escaping the fall of the arch. As it chanced he was too late, for -though the mass had missed him, a single stone struck him across the -middle, breaking his bones and sweeping him to the foot of the first -flight, but leaving him alive. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -When all was finished, and the dust had fallen to the earth again, the -señor spoke, saying, “Let us go and search for the body of our -deliverer.” -</p> - -<p> -So we went, the three of us, leaving Zibalbay in the temple, but we -could not find it; doubtless to this day Molas lies buried beneath -some of the larger blocks of masonry. There were other bodies indeed, -from which we did not scruple to take the rifles and whatever else was -likely to be of value to us. Better still, tied among some trees near -the foot of the pyramid, we found four good mules, one of them laden -with ammunition and provisions, for Don Pedro had come out determined -to hunt us down, even if he must follow us for days. -</p> - -<p> -Having picketed the mules where they could graze, we returned to the -temple, bearing with us food and drink, of which we stood in sore -need. On our way up the steps, Don Pedro called to us from where he -lay broken and bleeding against an uprooted tree. -</p> - -<p> -“Water,” he cried, “give me water.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor gave him some mixed with brandy that we had found upon the -sumpter mule. -</p> - -<p> -“Your heart is merciful,” said Maya gravely; “I am not cruel, yet I -think that I should suffer that dog to die untended.” -</p> - -<p> -“We all of us have sins to pay for, Lady, and the thought of them -should teach us charity, especially now when it has pleased God to -spare us,” answered the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“I am dying,” moaned the wretch; “my presentiment has come true, and -death finds me amongst ruins. How dare I die who have been a murderer -and a thief from my boyhood?” -</p> - -<p> -The señor shrugged his shoulders, for he could not answer this -question. -</p> - -<p> -“Give me absolution,” he went on, “for the love of Christ, give me -absolution.” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot,” said the señor; “I have no authority. Pray to Heaven to -shrive you, for your time is short.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he turned and went, but for a long time we were troubled by the -last cries and blasphemies of this most evil man; indeed they did not -cease till sunset, when the devil came to claim his own. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch11"> -CHAPTER XI.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">ZIBALBAY TELLS HIS MISSION</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">When</span> we reached the ruins of the temple we ate and drank, then, -knowing that we could travel no farther that night, I spoke, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Some two months since, Zibalbay, you sent a message by Molas, my -foster-brother, that man who died to save us this day, to him who -among the Indians is known as Lord of the Heart. Your messenger -travelled fast and far, by sea and by land, till he found him and -delivered the message.” -</p> - -<p> -“To whom did he deliver it?” asked Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -“To me, for I am the man you seek, and with my companion I have -journeyed here to find you, suffering many dangers and evils on the -path.” -</p> - -<p> -“Prove that you are the man,”—and he asked me certain secret -questions, to all of which I returned answers. -</p> - -<p> -“You are instructed,” he said at length, “yet something is lacking; -if, indeed, you are the Lord of the Heart, reveal its mystery to my -eyes.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nay,” I answered, “it is you who seek me, not I you. To Molas, your -messenger, you showed a certain symbol; let me see that symbol, for -then and not till then will I reveal the mystery.” -</p> - -<p> -Now he looked round him doubtfully, and said, “You I have proved, and -this woman is my daughter and knows all; but what of the white man? Is -it lawful that I should unveil the Heart before him?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is lawful,” I answered, “for this white man is my brother, and we -are one till death. Also he is sworn of our brotherhood, and himself, -for a while, was Lord and Holder of the Heart, for I passed it on to -him when I thought that I lay dying, and to him cling its virtues and -prerogatives. So it comes about that we have no secrets from each -other; that his ears are my ears, and his mouth is my mouth. Speak to -us, then, as though we were one man, or be silent to both, for I vouch -for him and he for me.” -</p> - -<p> -“Are these things so, White Man?” asked Zibalbay, making the sign of -brotherhood. -</p> - -<p> -“They are so,” replied the señor, giving the countersign. -</p> - -<p> -“Then I speak,” said Zibalbay, “I speak in the name of the Heart, and -woe be to him who betrays the secrets that he learns under cover of -this name. Come hither, daughter, and give me that which is hidden -about you.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Maya put her hands to her head, and drawing forth something from -the dense masses of her hair, she passed it to her father. -</p> - -<p> -“Is this what you would see?” he asked, holding the talisman in the -light of the setting sun. -</p> - -<p> -I looked, and lo! there before me was the very counterpart of that -which had descended to me from my forefathers, and which I wore about -my neck. -</p> - -<p> -“It would seem so, unless my sight deceives me,” I answered; “and is -this what you have come so far to seek, Zibalbay?” and I drew forth -the ancient symbol of the Broken Heart. -</p> - -<p> -Now he leaned forward, and examined first the one half and then the -other, searching them with his eyes. Then he clasped his hands and, -looking to the heavens, said: -</p> - -<p> -“I thank thee, O Nameless One, god of my fathers, that thou hast led -my feet aright, and given it to mine eyes to see their desire. As thou -hast prospered the beginning, so prosper thou the end, I beseech -thee.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he turned to me and continued as in an ecstasy: -</p> - -<p> -“Now have Day and Night come together, and soon shall the new sun -rise, the sun of our glory, for already the dawn is breaking. Take -that which is in your keeping, and I will take that which is in mine, -for not here must they be joined, but far away. Listen, brethren, to -my tale, which shall be brief, seeing that if it be the will of -Heaven, your eyes shall prove my words where all things can be made -clear to you, and if not, that of which little is told is the more -easily forgotten. Perchance, my brethren, you have heard legends of -that ancient undiscovered city, the last home of our race which is -undefiled by the foot of the white conqueror, and the secret sanctuary -of the pure faith given to our forefathers by the divine Cucumatz, who -is of some named Quetzal.” -</p> - -<p> -“We have heard of it and greatly desire to see it,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -“If this be so,” went on Zibalbay, “in us you have found those who can -guide you to that city, of which I am the <i>cacique</i> and hereditary -high priest, and my only child here is the heiress and lady. You -wonder how it comes then that we, being of this condition, are found -unguarded and alone, wandering like beggars in the land of the white -man. Listen: The City of the Heart, as it is called, is of all cities -the most beautiful and ancient, and once in the far past she ruled -these lands from sea to sea, for her walls were built by one of those -brethren whom the holy Cucumatz, the white god, left to share his -throne, after there had been war between the brethren and they -separated, each becoming the father of a nation. So great was her -power in the early days that all the cities whose ruins may be found -buried in these forests were her tributaries, but as the years went -by, hordes of barbarians rolled down upon her frontier towns so that -they were lost to her. Still no enemies came near her gates, and she -remained the richest and most powerful of the cities of the world. -</p> - -<p> -“Now the City of the Heart is built upon an island in the centre of a -lake, but many thousands of her children lived upon the mainland, -where they cultivated fields and dug in the earth for gold and gems. -So she flourished, and her children with her, till twelve generations -since, when there came tidings to the king of that day that a nation -of white men had conquered the empires near the sea, putting their -inhabitants to the sword and possessing themselves of their wealth. -Tidings came also that these white men, having learned the tale of the -City of the Heart and of the measureless treasures of gold with which -it is adorned, purposed to seek it out to sack it. When the ruling -<i>cacique</i> was sure that these things were true, he took counsel with -his wise men and with the oracle of the god which is in the Sanctuary, -and issued a decree that all those who lived upon the mainland should -be brought within the walls of the city, so that the white men might -find none to guide them thither. This was done then, and the spoilers -sought in vain for many years, till it was reported among them that -this legend of a town filled with gold was but a fable. Now, however, -great sickness took hold of those who lived in the City of the Heart, -because it was over full of men,—so great a sickness, indeed, that -soon there was space and to spare for all who remained within its -walls. The sickness went away, but as the generations passed a new and -a worse trouble fell upon our forefathers. The blood of the people -grew old, and but few children were born to them. There were none left -upon the mainland to replenish the race, and this is our law, a law -which cannot be broken under pain of death, that no man or woman may -leave our territories to seek a husband or a wife of different blood. -</p> - -<p> -“Thus, then, it has come about that the people have grown less and -less, wasting away like snow upon a mountain top in summer, till at -length they are dwindled to a few thousands, who in bygone days could -count their number by tens and twenties of thousands. Now I, Zibalbay, -have ruled this city since I was young, and bitterly has it grieved me -to know that before another hundred years have been added to the past, -the city, Heart of the World, must become nothing but a waste and a -home for the dead, though of that those who live therein to-day reck -but little, for the people have no thought for the morrow, and the -hearts of its nobles have become gross and their eyes blind. -</p> - -<p> -“But an ancient prophecy has come down to us from our forefathers, and -it is, that when once more the two halves of the symbol of the Heart -are laid side by side in their place upon the altar in the Sanctuary -of the holy city, then from that hour she shall grow great again. Over -this saying I brooded long, and long and often did I pray to that god -whom I worship and whose high-priest I am, the Nameless god, Heart of -Heaven and Lord of all the earth, that it would please him to give me -light and wisdom whereby I might find that which was lost, and save -the people from perishing as, in a season of drought, flowers perish -for lack of rain, bringing forth no seed. At length upon a certain -night it came about that a voice spoke to me in a dream answering my -prayer, bidding me to wander forth from the country of the Heart and -follow the ancient road towards the sea, for there near to the eastern -shore I should find that which was lost. -</p> - -<p> -“Then I summoned the Council of the Heart and opened my mind to them, -telling them of my dream, and that I purposed to obey it. But they -made a mock of me, for they thought me mad, and said that I might go -if I wished, for being their ruler they had no power to stay me, but -that no man of the people should accompany me across the mountains, -for that was against the ancient law. -</p> - -<p> -“I answered that it was well, and I would go alone since go I must, -whereon my daughter rose in her place and said that she would journey -with me, as she had a right to do, and to this they must consent, -though one of their number spoke bitterly against it, for he was my -nephew, and affianced to my daughter. Was it not so, Maya?” -</p> - -<p> -“It was so,” she answered with a smile. -</p> - -<p> -“To be short,” went on Zibalbay, “since my heart was set upon this -mission, and my daughter yonder, who is wilful, would not be gainsayed -of her desire to accompany me, Tikal, my nephew, was placed over the -city to rule as <i>cacique</i> in my stead until I should return again. -Then I left the city with this my daughter, many of the nobles and of -the common people accompanying us across the lake and a day’s journey -beyond it to the mountain pass, where they bid us farewell with tears, -for they were certain that we were mad and went to our deaths. -</p> - -<p> -“Alone we crossed the mountains, and alone, following the traces of -the ancient road, we travelled through the desert and the forest that -lies beyond it, till at length we reached this secret place and stayed -here, for, though we were unharmed, danger, toil, and hunger had worn -us out, moreover we were afraid to venture among the white people. -Brethren, there is no need to tell the rest of the tale, for it is -known to you. That power which sent me on my mission has guided me -through all its troubles, and after much hardship and suffering has -caused me to triumph, seeing that to-night we are still alive, having -found that which we came forth to seek. Such is my story, brother; -now, if it pleases you, let us hear yours, and learn what purpose led -you and your companion here in time to save us from the grip of that -white devil who lies dead upon the stairway.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I spoke, telling to Zibalbay and his daughter the story of my -life, whereof I have written already, and of my great scheme to build -up again that empire which fell in the day of Montezuma. -</p> - -<p> -“Now you speak words that are after my own heart,” said the old chief; -“but tell me, how is it to be done?” -</p> - -<p> -“By your help,” I answered. “Men are here in plenty, but to use them I -must have gold, whereas yonder it seems you have gold and no men. -Therefore I ask of you some portion of your useless wealth that by its -help I may lift up your people and my own.” -</p> - -<p> -“Follow me to the city, and if I can bring it about you shall have all -that you desire,” he answered. “Brother, our ends are one, and fate -has brought us together from far away, in order that they may be -accomplished. The prophecy is true, and truly have I dreamed; soon -shall the severed symbol be brought together in the Sanctuary and the -will of Heaven be made clear. Oh! not in vain have I lived and prayed, -enduring the mockery of men, for Day and Night have met, and already -the light of the new dawn is shining in the sky. Place your hand in -mine, and let us swear an oath upon the Heart that we, its guardians, -will be true to each other and to our purpose until death chooses us. -So, it is sworn. Now, daughter, lead me to my rest, for I am -overwhelmed, not with toil and suffering, but with too much joy. O -Heart of Heaven, I thank thee!” and lifting his hands above his head, -as though in adoration, Zibalbay turned, and, followed by the girl, -Maya, he tottered rather than walked into the chamber. -</p> - -<p> -When he had gone the señor spoke to me. -</p> - -<p> -“This is very well, Ignatio,” he said, “and most interesting, but just -now, as I may remind you, there are things more pressing than the -regeneration of the Indian race; for instance, our own safety. -To-morrow, at the latest, men will come to seek these villains who lie -yonder, and if we are found here it seems likely that we shall be shot -down as murderers. Say, then, what do you propose to do?” -</p> - -<p> -“I propose, señor, that at the first light of dawn we should take the -mules and ride away. The forest is dense, and it will be difficult to -find us in it, moreover two days’ journey will place us beyond the -reach of white men. Tell me, Lady,” I added to Maya, who had returned -from the chamber, “do you know the road?” -</p> - -<p> -“I know the road,” she answered, “but, sirs, before you take it, it is -right that I should tell you something, seeing that not to do so would -be to make an ill return for all the nobleness which you have shown -towards my father and myself, saving us from death and shame. You have -heard my father’s words, and they are true, every one of them, but -they are not all the truth. He rules that city of which he has spoken -to you, but the nobles there are weary of his rule, which at times is -somewhat harsh; also they deem him mad. It was for this reason that -they suffered him to wander forth, seeking the fulfilment of a -prophecy in which none of them have faith, for they were certain that -he would perish in the wilderness and return no more to trouble them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then why did they allow you, who are his heiress, to accompany him, -Lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because I would have it so. I love my father, and if he was doomed to -die because of his folly, it was my wish to die with him. Moreover, if -you would know the truth, I hate that city where I was born, and the -man in it to whom I am destined to be married, and desired to escape -from it if only for a while.” -</p> - -<p> -“And does that man hate you, Lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” she answered, turning her head aside; “but if he loves me, I -believe that he loves power more. Had I stayed, although I am a woman, -my father must have appointed me to rule in his place, and Tikal, my -cousin, would have been next the throne, not on it; therefore it was -that he consented to my going, or at the least I think so. Sirs, I -learn now that you are to accompany us to the City of the Heart, -should we live to reach it, and for my part I rejoice at this, though -I should be glad if our faces were set towards some other land. But I -learn also that you have entered into a compact with my father, under -which he is to give you the gold you need, and many great things are -to happen, having for their end the setting up of the Indian people -above the white men, and the raising of the City of the Heart to the -place and power that she has lost, which according to the prophecy -shall come about after the two halves of the broken symbol are set -once more in the place that is prepared for them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you not believe, then, in the prophecy?” asked the señor quickly. -</p> - -<p> -“I did not say so,” she answered. “Certainly it is strange that by -following a dream my father should have found that which he sought so -eagerly, the trinket that your companion bears upon his breast. And -yet I will say this; that I have no great faith in priests and visions -and gods, for of these it seems there have been many,”—and she -glanced at the walls of the temple, that were sculptured over with the -demons which our forefathers worshipped, then added,—“indeed, if I -understand aright, you, sirs, follow a faith that is unknown to us.” -</p> - -<p> -“We follow the true faith,” I answered, “all the rest are false.” -</p> - -<p> -“It may be so,” she said, “but I know not how this saying will sound -in the ears of the servants of the Heart of Heaven. Come if you will, -but be warned; my people are a jealous people, and the name of a -stranger is hateful to them. Few such have ever reached the City of -the Heart for many generations, and of those, save for one or two, -none have escaped from it alive. They do not desire new things, they -have little knowledge of the world beyond their walls, and seek for -none; they wish to live as their forefathers lived, careless of a -future which they will never see, and I think that it must go very ill -with any who come among them bringing new faiths and doctrines, -seeking to take power from their hands and to awake them from their -narrow sloth. Now, sirs, choose whether you will accompany us in our -march towards the City of Waters, or whether you will set your face to -the sea again and forget that you chanced to hear a certain story from -a wandering doctor, whose misfortunes had made him mad, and an Indian -girl who tended him.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I listened to these words which the Lady Maya spoke very earnestly -and with power, and understood that they meant much; they meant that -in going to the City of the Heart we were, as she believed, going to -our doom. -</p> - -<p> -“Lady,” I said, “it may well chance that Death waits me yonder, but I -have looked too often in his eyes of late to shun them now. Death is -everywhere, lady, and, did men stop to let him pass, little work would -be done in the world. I have my task to do, or to attempt, and it -seems that it lies yonder in the Secret City, therefore thither I -shall go if my strength does not fail me and fate will suffer it. Come -what may, I travel with your father towards the City of the Heart. For -the señor here it is different. Weeks ago I told him that no good -could come to him from this journey, and what I said then I say now. -He has heard your words, and if he will hearken to them and to mine, -he will bid us farewell to-morrow, and go his ways, leaving us to go -ours.” -</p> - -<p> -She listened, and, turning towards him, said, “You hear. What say you, -White Man?” and it seemed to me, who was watching her, that she -awaited his answer anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, Lady, I hear,” he replied, with a laugh, “and doubtless it is -all true enough, and I shall leave my bones yonder among your -countrymen. Well, so be it, I have determined to go, not in order to -regenerate the race of Indians or any other race, but that I may see -this city; and go I will, since, other things apart, I am too idle to -change my mind. Also it seems to me that after this day’s business -there is more danger in staying here than in pushing forward.” -</p> - -<p> -“I am glad that you are going, since you go of your own free will,” -she said, smiling. “May our fears be confounded, and your journey and -ours prove prosperous. And now let us rest, for you must be very -weary, as I am, and we should be stirring before the dawn.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Next morning, at the first break of light, we started upon our -journey, riding on three of the mules that we had captured, and -leading the fourth laden with our goods and water-skins. Very glad -were all of us to see the last of that ruined temple, and yet it was -sad to me to leave it, for there, hidden beneath some of the masses of -the fallen masonry, lay all that was left of my friend and -foster-brother, Molas, he whose bravery and wit had saved our lives at -the cost of his own. -</p> - -<p> -Our plan was to avoid villages where we might be seen by men, and to -keep ourselves hidden in the forest, for we feared lest we should be -followed and brought to judgment because of the death of Don Pedro and -his companions. This, as it chanced, we were able to do, since, having -guns and ammunition in plenty, we shot birds and deer for our daily -food. Travelling thus on mule-back, soon our strength returned to us, -even to the old man Zibalbay, who had suffered the most from fatigue -and from ill-treatment at the hands of the Mexicans. -</p> - -<p> -In something less than a week we had passed through the inhabited -districts of Yucatan and far out of reach of the white man, and now -were journeying through the forest towards the great <i>sierra</i> that -lies beyond it. To find a way in this thick and almost endless forest -appeared impossible; indeed, it would have been so but for the -knowledge that Zibalbay and his daughter had gathered on their path -seaward, and for an ancient map which they brought with them. On this -map were traced the lines of the roads that in the days of Indian -civilisation pierced the country in every direction. One of these -roads, the largest, ran from the mountain range which surrounds the -lake of the City of the Heart, straight across <i>sierras</i> and through -woodlands to the ruined town of Palenque, and thence to the coast. -This road, or rather causeway, was in many places utterly overgrown by -trees, and in others sunk in swamps or hidden by the dust and sand of -the <i>sierras</i>. Sometimes for two or three days’ journey there was -nothing to show us that it had ever existed, still, by following the -line traced upon the map, and from time to time taking our position by -the ruins of cities marked thereon, we never failed to find it again. -</p> - -<p> -The number of these old cities and temples was wonderful, and -astonished the señor beyond measure, which is not strange, seeing -that he was the first white man who had ever looked upon them. Often, -as we rode, he would talk to me about them, and strive to paint in -words a picture of this country, now but desert plains or tangled -bush, as it must have been five hundred years or more before our day, -when cities and villages, palaces and temples, crowded with tens of -thousands of inhabitants, were to be seen everywhere, and the fertile -face of the earth was hidden in the green of crops. What histories lay -buried in those jungles, and what scenes must have been enacted on the -crumbling pyramids which confronted us day by day, before the sword of -the conqueror or the breath of pestilence, or both, made the land -desolate. Then it would have been a sight worth seeing; and our hearts -beat at the thought that if things went well with us it might be our -fortune to witness that sight; that <i>our</i> eyes might behold the -greatest of these cities, sought for many generations but as yet -unfound, the very navel of this ancient and mysterious civilisation, -dying indeed, but still existent. -</p> - -<p> -I had other hopes to draw me onward, but, as I believe, it was this -desire that sustained the señor in many a difficulty and danger of -our march. It was with him while he was hacking a mule-path through -the scrub with his <i>machete</i>, when we toiled along hour after hour -beneath the burning sun, and even at night as he lay over-tired and -sleepless, tormented by insects, and aching with fever. Filled with -this thought he was never weary of questioning the silent Zibalbay as -to the history, or rather the legend, of the land through which we -journeyed, or of listening to the Lady Maya’s descriptions of the City -of the Heart, till even she grew tired, and begged him to speak, -instead, of the country across the water where he was born, of its -ceaseless busy life, and the wonders of civilisation. Strange as it -may seem, I, who watched them both from day to day, know it to be true -that she was in mind the more modern of the two,—so much so, indeed, -that, in listening to their talk, I might have fancied that Maya was -the child of the New World, filled with the spirit of to-day, and he -the heir of a proud and secret race dying beneath its weight of years. -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot understand you,” she would say to him; “why do you so love -histories and ruins and stories of people that have long been dead? I -hate them. Once they lived, and doubtless were well enough in their -place and time, but now they are past and done with, and it is we who -live, live, live!” and she stretched out her arms as though she would -clasp the sunshine to her breast. -</p> - -<p> -“I tell you,” she went on, “that this home of mine, of which you are -so fond of talking, is nothing but a great burying-place, and those -who dwell in it are like ghosts who wander to and fro thinking of the -things that they did, or did not do, a thousand years before. It was -their ancestors who did the things, not they, for they do nothing -except plot against each other, eat, sleep, drink, and mumble prayers -to a god in whom they do not believe. Did my father but know it, he -wastes time and trouble in making plans for the redemption of the -People of the Heart, who think him mad for his pains. They cannot be -redeemed. Were it otherwise, do you suppose that they would have been -content to sit still all these hundreds of years, knowing nothing of -the great world outside of them, and day by day watching their numbers -dwindle, till life but flickers in the race as in a dying lamp? So it -is also, if in a less degree, with those Indians whom Don Ignatio here -seeks to lift out of the mire into which the Spaniards trod them. -Sirs, I believe that our blood has had its day. There is no more -growth in us, we are corn ripe for the sickle of Death,—that is, most -of us are. Therefore, if I could have my will, while I am still young -I would turn my back upon this city which you so desire to see, taking -with me the wealth that is useless there, but which, it seems, would -bring me many good things in other lands, and live out my time among -people who have a present and a future as well as a past.” -</p> - -<p> -Then the señor would laugh, and argue that the past is more than the -present, and that it is better to be dead than alive, and many other -such follies; and I would grow angry and reprove Maya for her words, -which shocked me, whereat she would yawn, and talk of something else, -for I and my discourses wearied her. Only Zibalbay took no heed, for -his mind was set upon other things, even if he heard us, which I -doubt. -</p> - -<p> -But all this while, notwithstanding her light talk and careless -manner, the Lady Maya was learning—yes, even from me—when the señor -was not at hand, for she would inquire into everything and forget -nothing that she heard. The history of the countries of the world, -their modes of government and religions, the manners, customs, and -appearance of their inhabitants,—he told her of them all from day to -day. Nor did she weary of listening, till at length the señor met -with an adventure that went near to separating him from her for ever, -and showed me, although I had no great love for her or any of her sex, -that, whatever might be her faults, this woman’s heart was true and -bold. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch12"> -CHAPTER XII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">MAYA DESCENDS THE CUEVA</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">One</span> evening—it was after we had left the forest country, and with -much toil climbed the <i>sierra</i> till we reached the desert beyond, a -desert that seemed to be boundless—we set our camp amongst a clump of -great aloes that grew at the foot of a stony hill. This hill was -marked on Zibalbay’s map as being the site of an underground -reservoir, known as a <i>cueva</i>, whence in the old days, when this place -was inhabited, the Indians drew their supply of water in the dry -season from deep down in the bowels of the earth. That this particular -<i>cueva</i> existed was proved by the fact that the ancient road, which -here was plainly visible, ran through the ruins of a large town -whereof the population must once have been supplied by it; but when -Zibalbay and his daughter slept at the spot on their downward journey, -they were spared the necessity of looking for it by the discovery of a -rain-pool in the hollow of a rock. Now, however, no rain having fallen -for weeks, after we had eaten, and drunk such water as remained in the -water-skins, we determined to seek for the <i>cueva</i> in order to refill -the skins and give drink to the thirsty mules. -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly we began to examine the rocky hill, and presently found a -stone archway, now nearly filled up with soil and half hidden by thorn -bushes, which from its appearance and position we judged to be the -entrance to the <i>cueva</i>. Having provided ourselves with an armful of -torches made from the dead stems of a variety of aloe that grew around -in plenty, we lit four of them, and I led the way through the hole to -find myself in a cave where a great and mysterious wind blew and -sighed in sudden gusts that almost extinguished our lights. Following -this cave we came to a pit or shaft at the end of it, which evidently -led to the springs of water. This shaft, of unknown depth, was almost -if not quite as smooth and perpendicular as though it had been -hollowed by the hand of man, but the strangest thing about it was the -terrible stairway that the ancients had used to approach the water, -consisting, as it did, of a double row of notches eight or ten inches -deep, cut in the surface of the shaft. Up and down these notches the -water-carriers must have passed for generations, for they were much -worn, and a groove made by the feet of men ran to the top of this -awful ladder. The señor, finding a fragment of rock, let it fall over -the edge of the pit, and several seconds passed before a faint sound -told us that it had touched the bottom. -</p> - -<p> -“What a dreadful place!” he said. “I think that I had rather die of -thirst than attempt to go down it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Still people have gone down in the past,” answered Maya, “for look, -this is where they stepped off the edge.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps they had a rope to hold by, lady,” I suggested. “When I was a -young man I have descended mines almost as steep, with no other ladder -than one made of tree-trunks—monkey-poles they are called—notched -after this fashion, and set from side to side of the shaft, but now it -would be my death to try, for such heights make me dizzy.” -</p> - -<p> -“Come away,” said Zibalbay; “none of us here could take that road and -live. The mules must go thirsty; five hours’ journey away there is a -pool where they can drink to-morrow.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we turned and left this cave of the winds and were glad to be -outside of it, for the place had an unholy look, and, all the draught -notwithstanding, was hot to suffocation. -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay walked to the camp, but we stayed to pluck some forage for -the mules. Soon the others grew weary of this task and fell to talking -as they watched the sunset, which was very beautiful on these lonely -plains. Presently I heard the Lady Maya say: -</p> - -<p> -“Pick me that flower, friend, to wear upon my breast,” and she pointed -to a snow-white cactus-bloom that grew amongst some rocks. -</p> - -<p> -The señor climbed to the place and stretched out his hand to cut the -flower, when of a sudden I heard him utter an exclamation and saw him -start. -</p> - -<p> -“What is it?” I said, “have you pricked yourself or cut your hand?” He -made no answer, but his eyes grew wide with horror, and he pointed at -something grey that was gliding away among the stones, and as he -pointed I saw a spot of blood appear upon his wrist. Maya saw it also. -</p> - -<p> -“A snake has bitten you!” she cried in a voice of agony, and, -springing at him before I guessed what she was about to do, she seized -his arm with both hands and set her lips to the wound. -</p> - -<p> -He tried to wrench it free, but she clung to him fiercely, then, -calling to me to bring a stick, she tore a strip off her robe and made -it fast round his wrist above the puncture. By now I was there with -the stick, and, setting it in the loop of linen, I twisted it till the -hand turned blue from the pressure. -</p> - -<p> -“What snake was it?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“The deadly grey sort,” he answered, adding: “Don’t look so -frightened, Maya, I know a cure. Come to the camp, quick!” -</p> - -<p> -In two minutes we reached it, and the señor had snatched a sharp -knife and a powder-flask. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, friend,” he said, handing me the knife, “cut deep, since it is -life or death for me and there are no arteries in the top of the -wrist.” -</p> - -<p> -Seeing what had come about, Zibalbay held the señor’s hand and I cut -twice. He never winced, but at each slash Maya groaned. Then, having -let the blood fall till it would run no more, we poured powder into -the wound, as much as will lie on a twenty cent piece, and fired it. -It went off in a puff of white smoke, leaving the flesh beneath black -and charred. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, as we have no brandy, there is nothing more to be done except to -wait,” said the señor, with an attempt at a smile; but Zibalbay, -going to a bag, produced from it some <i>cuca</i> paste. -</p> - -<p> -“Eat this,” he said, “it is better than any fire-water.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor took the stuff and began to swallow it, till presently I -saw that he could force no more down, for a paralysis seemed to be -creeping over him; his throat contracted, and his eyelids fell as -though weighed upon by irresistible sleep. Now, notwithstanding our -remedies, seeing that the poison had got hold of him, we seized him by -the arms and began to walk him to and fro, encouraging him at the same -time to keep a brave heart and fight against death. -</p> - -<p> -“I am doing my best,” he answered feebly; then his mind began to -wander, and at length he fell down and his eyes shut. -</p> - -<p> -A great fear and horror seized me, for I thought that he was about to -die, and with them a kind of rage because I was impotent to save him. -Already, to tell the truth, I was jealous of the Lady Maya, and now my -jealousy broke out in bitter and unjust words. -</p> - -<p> -“This is your fault,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“You are cruel,” she answered, “and you speak thus because you hate -me.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps I am cruel, lady. Would not you be cruel if you saw the -friend you love perishing through a woman’s folly?” -</p> - -<p> -“Are you the only one that can love?” she whispered. -</p> - -<p> -“Unless we can rouse him the white man will die,” said Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! awake,” cried Maya despairingly, placing her lips close to the -señor’s ear. “They say that I have killed you, awake, awake!” -</p> - -<p> -He seemed to hear her, for, though his eyes did not open, he smiled -faintly and murmured, “I will try.” Then with our help he struggled -from the ground and began to walk once more, but like a man who is -drunk. Thrice he staggered backwards and forwards along the path our -feet had worn. Then he fell again, and, putting our hands upon his -breast, we could feel the contractions of his heart growing weaker -every moment, till at last they seemed to die away. But of a sudden, -when we had already abandoned hope, it pulsed violently, and from -every pore of his skin, which till now had been parched and dry, there -burst so profuse a perspiration that in the light of the rising moon -we could see it running down his face. -</p> - -<p> -“I think that the white man will live now; he has conquered the -poison,” said Zibalbay quietly, and hearing his words I returned -thanks to God in my heart. -</p> - -<p> -Then we laid him in a hammock, piling blankets and <i>serapes</i> over him -till at length the perspiration ceased, all the fluid in his body -having evaporated, taking the venom with it. -</p> - -<p> -For an hour or more he slept, then awoke and asked for water in a -faint voice. We, who were watching, looked at each other in dismay, -for we had not a single drop to give, and this we were obliged to tell -him. He groaned and was silent for a while, then said: -</p> - -<p> -“It would have been kinder to let me die of the poison, for this -torment of thirst is more than I can bear.” -</p> - -<p> -“Can we try the <i>cueva</i>?” faltered Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“It is impossible,” answered her father. “We should all be killed.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, yes,” repeated the señor, “it is impossible. Better that one -should die than four.” -</p> - -<p> -“Father,” said Maya, “you must take the best mule and ride forward to -the pool where we should camp to-morrow. The moon shines, and with -good fortune you may be back in eight or nine hours.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is useless,” murmured the señor, “I can never live so long -without drink, my throat is hot like a coal.” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay shrugged his shoulders, he also thought that it was useless, -but his daughter turned upon him fiercely and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Are you going, or shall I ride myself?” -</p> - -<p> -Then he went, muttering in his beard, and in a few minutes we heard -the footsteps of the mule as it shambled forward into the desert. -</p> - -<p> -“Fear not,” I said to the señor, “it is the poison that has dried you -up, but thirst will not kill you so soon, and presently you will feel -it less. Oh! that we had medicine here to make you sleep!” -</p> - -<p> -He lay quiet for a space, giving no answer, but from the workings of -his hands and face we could see that he suffered much. -</p> - -<p> -“Maya,” he said at length, “can you find me a cool stone to put in my -mouth?” -</p> - -<p> -She searched and found a pebble which he sucked, but after a time it -fell from his lips, and we saw that it was as dry as when it entered -them. Then of a sudden his brain gave way, and he began to rave -huskily in many languages. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you devils,” he asked, “that you suffer me to die in torment for -the want of a drink of water? Why do you stand there and mock me? Oh! -have pity and give me water.” -</p> - -<p> -For a while we bore it, though perhaps our agonies were greater than -his own—then Maya rose and looked at his face. It was sunken as with -a heavy illness, thick black rings had appeared beneath his blue eyes, -and his lips were flecked with blood. -</p> - -<p> -“I can endure this no more,” she said, in a dry voice; “watch your -friend, Don Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -“You are right,” I answered, “this is no place for a woman. Go and -sleep yonder, so that I can wake you if there is need.” -</p> - -<p> -She looked at me reproachfully, but went without answering, and sat -down behind a bush about thirty yards away. Here it seems—for all -this story she told me afterwards, and for the most part I do but -repeat her words—she began to think. She was sure that without water -the señor could not live through the night, and it was impossible -that her father should return before dawn at the earliest. He was -dying, and she felt as though her life were ebbing with his own, for -now she knew that she loved him. Unless something could be done he -must soon be dead, and her heart would be broken. Only one thing could -save him—and her,—water. In the depths of yonder hill, within a few -paces of her, doubtless it lay in plenty, but who would venture to -seek it there? And yet the descent of the <i>cueva</i> must be possible, -since the ancients used it daily, and why could she not do what they -had done? She was young and active, and from childhood it had been a -delight to her to climb in dangerous places about the walls and -pyramids of the City of the Heart, nor had her head failed her however -lofty they might chance to be. Why, then, should it fail her now when -the life of the man she loved was at stake? And what would it matter -if it did fail her, seeing that if he died she wished to die also? -</p> - -<p> -Yes, she would try it! -</p> - -<p> -When once she had made up her mind Maya set about the task swiftly. I -was standing by the hammock praying to heaven to spare the life of my -friend, who lay there beating his hands to and fro and moaning in -misery, when I saw her creep up and look at him. -</p> - -<p> -“You think you love him,” she said to me suddenly, “but I tell you -that you do not know what love is. If I live, I, whom you despise, -will teach you, Don Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -I took no heed of her words, for I thought them foolish. -</p> - -<p> -Then, unseen by me, Maya glided away to where the mules were picketed -and provided herself with flint, steel, tinder, a rope, and a small -water-skin of untanned hide, which she strapped upon her shoulders. In -another minute she was running across the desert like a deer. At the -entrance to the <i>cueva</i> she paused to gather up the aloe torches which -had been thrown down there, and also to look for one moment at the -familiar face of night, the night that she might never see again. Then -she lit a torch and crept through the narrow opening. -</p> - -<p> -The place had been awful in the evening when she visited it in the -company of the rest of us. Now, alone and at night, it appalled her. -Great winds roared round its vast recesses, sucked thither from the -hollows of the earth, and in them could be heard sounds like to those -of human voices, sobbing and making moan. Maya shivered, for she -thought that these were the ghosts of dead <i>antiguos</i> bewailing their -eternal griefs in this unearthly place, but she pressed forward -boldly, notwithstanding her fears, till she stood on the brink of the -pit. Here she halted to strip herself so that there might be as little -as possible to impede her movements in climbing the stair, and twisted -her hair into a knot. Next she tied the cord about her middle, and the -water-skin, to which she fastened the flint and steel, upon her -shoulders. Lighting two of the largest torches she fixed them -slantingwise in crevices of the rock, so that their flame shone over -the mouth of the shaft, down which she threw, first, a bundle of unlit -torches, and, lastly, one on fire. This torch did not go out, as she -half expected that it would, for presently, looking down the pit, she -saw a spark of light shining a hundred and fifty feet or more beneath -her. -</p> - -<p> -Now all her preparations were complete, and nothing remained to be -done except to descend and search for the water. For a moment Maya -hesitated, looking at the spark of fire that gleamed so far below, and -at the narrow niches cut in the smooth surface of the rock. Then, -feeling that if she stood longer thus, her terrors would master her, -she knelt down, and, holding to the rock with her hands, she thrust -her leg over the edge of the pit, feeling at its side with her foot -till she found the first niche. Resting her weight on this foot, she -dropped the other till she reached the second niche, which was about -eighteen inches lower and ten inches to the left of the first, for -these niches were cut in a zig-zag fashion, No. 1 being above No. 3, -No. 2 above No. 4 and so on. Now she must face one of the most -terrible risks of the descent, for it was impossible for her to reach -No. 3 niche without leaving go of the edge of the pit, nor could she -get a hold of No. 1 with her hand until her foot was in No. 4, so that -there was no alternative except to balance herself on one leg, and, -placing her palms against the smooth rock, slide them down it till her -foot rested on No. 4, and her fingers in No. 1. -</p> - -<p> -Clinging thus like a fly to the rock, she stepped into No. 3, and, not -daring to pause, began at once to feel for No. 4. In her anxiety she -dropped her leg too low, and while drawing it back almost overbalanced -herself. A thrill of horrible fear struck her, causing her spine to -creep, but, resting her face against the rock, by a desperate effort -she retained her presence of mind, and in another second was standing -in No. 4 and holding to No. 1. Thenceforward the descent was easier, -since all she had to do was to shift the grip of her hands from hole -to hole and remember in which line she must search with her foot for -the succeeding niche. So far from hindering her, the darkness proved a -boon, since it prevented her from beholding the horror of the place. -</p> - -<p> -By the time that she was a third of the way down the shaft her courage -returned to her, and the only fear she felt was lest some of the -niches should be broken. Fortunately this was not the case, although -one of them was so much worn that her toes slipped out of it and for a -second or two she hung by her hands. Recovering herself, she went on -from step to step till at length she stood at the bottom of the shaft. -</p> - -<p> -After a minute’s pause to get her breath, Maya found one of the dry -aloe stems, and lit it at the embers of the torch which she had thrown -down the pit. Then she looked round her, to find herself in a large -natural cavern of no great height, which sloped gently downwards -further than she could see. Turning her eyes to the floor, she -searched for and discovered the path that had been hollowed out by the -feet of the ancients, but now was half hidden in sand and dust. It ran -straight down the cave, and she followed it for fifty paces or more, -holding the light in one hand, and some spare torches under her arm. -Here in this cave the atmosphere was so hot and still, that she was -scarcely able to breathe, though even at a distance she could hear a -strange eddying wind roaring in the shaft down which she had come. -Presently the cavern began to decrease in size till it narrowed into a -small passage, and Maya sighed aloud, fearing lest she should be -coming to the mouth of a second shaft, for she had heard me say that -the water in these <i>cuevas</i> was sometimes found at a depth of five or -six hundred feet, whereas she had not descended more than two hundred. -</p> - -<p> -When she had walked another ten or fifteen paces, however, the passage -took a sudden turn and her doubts were set at rest, for there in the -centre of a wonderful place, such as she had never seen before, -gleamed the water which she had risked her life to reach. -</p> - -<p> -How large the place where she found herself might be Maya never knew, -since the feeble light of her torch did not pierce far into the gloom. -All that she could see was a number of white columns—without doubt -stalactites, though she imagined them to have been fashioned by -man—rising from the floor of the cavern to its roof, and in the midst -of them a circular pit, thirty feet or more across, in which lay the -water. This water, though clear as crystal, was not still, for once in -every few seconds a great bubble three or four feet in diameter rose -in the centre of the pool, to burst on its surface and send a ring of -ripples to the rocky sides. So beautiful was this bubble and so -regular its appearance that for some minutes Maya watched it; then, -remembering that she had no time to spare, she set herself to get the -water, only to learn that she was confronted by a new difficulty and -one which but for her foresight might have proved insuperable. The -rock bank of the pool was so smooth, and sloped so steeply to the -water, that it was quite impossible for anyone to keep a footing on -it. The ancients had overcome the trouble by means of a wooden -staircase, as was evident from the places hollowed in the rock to -receive the uprights, but this structure had long since rotted away. -At the head of where this staircase had stood, a hole was bored in the -rock, doubtless to receive a rope by which the water-bearers supported -themselves while they filled their jars, and the sight of this hole -gave Maya a thought. Untying the cord which she had brought with her, -she made it fast through the hole, and, having fixed the torch into -one of the spaces hollowed to hold the timbers of the stairway, she -slid down the bank till she stood breast high in the water. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_170"> -<a href="images/img_170.jpg"> -<img alt="So beautiful was this bubble... that for some minutes Maya watched it." src="images/img_170_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -So beautiful was this bubble... that for some minutes Maya watched it. -</div></div> - -<p> -For a minute or more she remained thus, drinking her fill and enjoying -the coolness of her bath, which was pleasant after the stupefying heat -of the caves, then, first having taken care to remove the tinder that -was tied to it, she slipped the water-skin from her shoulder, washed -it out, filled and replaced it. Next, she dragged herself up the bank, -and by the light of a new torch started for the foot of the shaft. -</p> - -<p> -Here Maya rested awhile, gathering up her energies, then, feeling that -once more she began to grow afraid, she commenced the ascent. There -were a hundred and one of the notches, for she had counted them as she -came down, and now again she began to count, so that she might know -her exact position in the shaft, of which she could see nothing -because of the intense darkness. Before she had ascended fifty steps -she was dismayed to find a feeling of weariness taking possession of -her, which forced her to pause awhile hanging to the face of the pit. -Then she went on again and with great efforts reached the -seventy-fifth step, where once more she was obliged to hang, gaining -breath, till a pain in her right leg, upon which most of her weight -rested, warned her that she must stay no longer. For the third time -she struggled upwards, desperately and despairingly dragging her feet -from niche to niche. Her breath came in gasps, the straps of the heavy -water-skin cut into her tender flesh, and her brain began to reel. -</p> - -<p> -Now there were but ten more steps. It came into her mind that she -might save herself by loosing the burden of water from her shoulders, -to fall to the bottom of the pit, but this she would not do. Now only -three niches remained and the goal would be won, but now also her -brain was giving. Darker and more bewildered it grew, yet by a -desperate effort she kept some fragment of her sense. Her foot was in -the topmost hole, her body was balanced upon the edge of the pit, and, -pulled down by the choking weight of the water, she was like to fall -backwards. Then it seemed that a voice called her, and for the last -time she struggled, writhing forward as does a wounded snake, till -darkness closed in upon her mind. -</p> - -<p> -When Maya recovered, a while later, she found that she was lying on -the edge of the shaft, over which her feet still hung. Instantly she -remembered all, and, with a little scream of terror, drew herself -along the floor. Then with difficulty, for she was still breathless, -and her muscles seemed to have no strength, she rose to her feet, and -having felt for and picked up her linen robe, she crept towards the -spot of light which marked the entrance to the cave. Presently she was -through it, and with a sigh of thankfulness sank to the earth and put -on her garment, then, rising, she walked slowly towards the camp, -bearing the precious water with her. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile, knowing nothing of all this, I, Ignatio, also had been -thinking. I remembered how, when I lay crushed beneath the rock, the -señor had ventured his life to save me. Should I not then venture -mine to save his? It seemed so. Without water he would certainly die, -and greatly as I dreaded to attempt the descent of the <i>cueva</i>, yet it -must be done. Leaving the hammock, I searched for the Lady Maya, but -could not find her, so I called aloud,—“Señora, señora. Where are -you, señora?” -</p> - -<p> -“Here,” she answered. “What is it? Is he dead?” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” I said, “but I am sure that unless he has water he will die -within little more than an hour. Therefore I have made up my mind to -try to descend the <i>cueva</i>. Will you be so good as to watch the señor -till I return, and if I return no more, as is probable, to tell your -father what has happened. He will find the talisman of the Broken -Heart lying with my clothes at the mouth of the pit. I pray that he -will take it, and I pray also that he should travel back to Mexico, -bearing with him some of the wealth of his city, there to continue the -great work that I have begun, of which I have spoken to him. Farewell, -señora.” -</p> - -<p> -“Stop, Don Ignatio,” said Maya in a hoarse voice, “there is no need -for you to descend the <i>cueva</i>.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why not, Lady? I should be glad to escape the task, but this is a -question of life or death.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” she answered, “and because it is a question of life or death, -Don Ignatio, I have already climbed that hideous place, and—here is -the water,”—and she fell forward and swooned upon the ground. -</p> - -<p> -I said nothing. I was too much amazed, and, indeed, too much ashamed, -to speak. Lifting Maya’s senseless form, I placed her in a hammock -that was slung close by. Then I took the water-skin and a leather cup, -and ran with it to my friend’s side. By now the señor was lost in a -coma and lay still, only moaning from time to time. Undoing the mouth -of the skin, I poured out a cupful of water, with which I began to -sprinkle his brow and to moisten his cracked lips. At the touch and -smell of the fluid a change came over the face of the dying man, the -empty look left it, and the eyes opened. -</p> - -<p> -“That was water,” he muttered, “I can taste it.” Then he saw the cup, -and the sight seemed to give him a sudden strength, for he stretched -out his arms and, snatching it from my hand, he drained it in three -gulps. -</p> - -<p> -“More,” he gasped, “more.” -</p> - -<p> -But as yet I would give him no more, though he prayed for it -piteously, and when I did allow him to drink again it was in sips -only. For an hour he sipped thus till at length even his thirst was -partially satisfied, and the shrunken cheeks began to fill out and the -dull eyes to brighten. -</p> - -<p> -“That water has saved my life,” he whispered; “where did it come -from?” -</p> - -<p> -“I will tell you to-morrow,” I answered; “sleep now if you can.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch13"> -CHAPTER XIII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">IGNATIO’S OATH</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">At</span> sunrise on the following day I lit a fire by which to prepare -soup for the señor, who still slept, and as I was engaged thus I saw -the Lady Maya walking towards me, and noticed that her hands and feet -were swollen. -</p> - -<p> -“Señora,” I said, bowing before her, “I humbly congratulate you upon -your courage and your escape from great dangers. Last night I said -words to you in my grief that should not have been spoken, for it is -my fault that I am apt to be unjust to women. I crave your pardon, and -I will add that if, in atonement for my past injustice, I can serve -you in any way now and afterwards, I pray you to command me.” -</p> - -<p> -She listened and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“I thank you for your kind words, Don Ignatio, and I forget other -words that were not kind which you have spoken to me from time to -time. If in truth you wish to show yourself my friend, it is in your -power to do so. You have guessed my secret, therefore I am not ashamed -to repeat that the señor yonder has become everything to me, though -as yet I may be little to him. I ask you, then, to swear upon the -Heart that you will do nothing to turn him from me, or to separate us -should he ever learn to love me, but rather, should this come about, -that whatever may be our need, you will help us by all means in your -reach.” -</p> - -<p> -“You ask me to swear a large oath, señora, and one that deals with -the future, of which we have no knowledge,” I answered, hesitating. -</p> - -<p> -“I do, señor, but remember that were it not for me at this moment -your friend, who sleeps yonder like a child, would be stiff in death. -Remember also that you have ends to gain in the City of the Heart, -where it will be well for you to keep me as a friend should we ever -live to reach it. Still, do not swear unless you wish, only then I -shall know that you are my secret enemy and I shall be yours.” -</p> - -<p> -“There is no need to threaten me, señora,” I answered, “nor am I to -be moved thus, but I promise that I will not stand between you and the -señor. Why should I? His will is his own, and, as you say, you saved -his life. But see, he awakes, and his soup is ready.” -</p> - -<p> -She took the pot off the fire, skimmed it, and poured the contents -into a gourd. -</p> - -<p> -“Shall I take it, or will you?” she asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I think that you had better take it,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -Then she walked to the hammock and said, “Señor, here is your soup.” -</p> - -<p> -He was but newly awakened, and looked at her vacantly. -</p> - -<p> -“Tell me, Maya,” he asked, “what has happened?” -</p> - -<p> -“Last evening,” she began, “in picking a flower for me you were bitten -by a snake, and very nearly died.” -</p> - -<p> -“I know,” he answered. “Without doubt I should have died had you not -sucked the wound and tied a bandage round my wrist, for that grey -snake is the deadliest in the country. Go on.” -</p> - -<p> -“After the danger of the poison was past you became thirsty, so -thirsty that you were dying of it, and there was no water to give -you.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, yes,” he said, “it was agony; I pray that I may never suffer so -again. But I drank water and lived. Who brought it to me?” -</p> - -<p> -“My father started on to the next camping-place, where there is a -pool,” she answered. -</p> - -<p> -“Has he returned?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, not yet.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then he cannot have brought the water. Where did it come from?” -</p> - -<p> -“It came from the <i>cueva</i>, that cave which we examined before you were -bitten.” -</p> - -<p> -“Who went down the <i>cueva</i> to get it? The place is unclimbable.” -</p> - -<p> -“I went down.” -</p> - -<p> -“You!” he said, in amazement. “<i>You</i>! It is not possible. Do not jest. -Tell me the truth quickly. I am tired.” -</p> - -<p> -“I am not jesting. Listen, señor. You were dying for want of water, -dying before our eyes; it was horrible to see. I could not bear it, -and I knew that my father would not be back in time, so I took the -water-skin and some torches and went without saying anything to -Ignatio. The shaft was hard to climb, and the adventure strange. I -will tell you of that by and by, but as it chanced I came through it -safely to find Ignatio about to start on the same errand.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor heard and understood, but he made no answer; he only -stretched out his arms towards her, and there and thus in the -wilderness did they plight their troth. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -“Remember I am but an Indian girl,” she murmured presently, “and you -are one of the white lords of the earth. Is it well that you should -love me?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is well,” he answered, “for you are the noblest woman that I have -known, and you have saved my life.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay did not return till past midday, when he appeared with the -water, leading the mule, which had set its foot upon a sharp stone in -the desert and gone lame. -</p> - -<p> -“Does he still live?” he asked of Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, father.” -</p> - -<p> -“He must be strong then,” he answered; “I thought that thirst would -have killed him ere now.” -</p> - -<p> -“He has had water, father. I descended the <i>cueva</i> and fetched it,” -she added, after a moment’s pause. -</p> - -<p> -The old man looked at her amazed. -</p> - -<p> -“How came it that you found courage to go down that place, daughter?” -he asked at length. -</p> - -<p> -“The desire to save a friend gave me courage,” she answered, letting -her eyes fall beneath his gaze. “I knew that you could not be back in -time, so I went.” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay pondered awhile, then said: -</p> - -<p> -“I think that you would have done better to let him die, daughter, for -I believe that this white man will bring trouble upon us. It has -pleased the gods to preserve you alive; remember, then, that your life -belongs to them, and that you must follow the path which they have -chosen, not that which you would choose for yourself. Remember also -that one waits you in the city yonder who may have a word to say as to -your friendship with this wanderer.” And he passed on with the mule. -</p> - -<p> -That same evening Maya told me of her father’s words and said: -</p> - -<p> -“I think that before all is done I shall need the help that you have -sworn to give me, señor, for I can see well that my father will be -against me unless my wish runs with his purpose. Of one thing I am -sure, that my life is my own and not a possession of the gods; for in -such gods as my father worships and I was brought up to serve, I have -lost faith, if indeed I ever had any.” -</p> - -<p> -“You speak rashly,” I answered, “and if you are wise you will not let -your father hear such words.” -</p> - -<p> -“Lest by and by my life should be forfeit to the gods whom I -blaspheme!” she broke in. “Say, then, do you believe in these gods, -Don Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, Lady, I am a Christian and have no part with idols and those who -worship them.” -</p> - -<p> -“I understand; it is only in their wealth that you would have part. -Well, and why should I not become a Christian also? I have learned -something of your faith from the señor yonder, and see that it is -great and pure, and full of comfort for us mortals.” -</p> - -<p> -“May grace be given to you to follow in that road, Lady, but it is not -Christian to taunt me about the wealth which I come to seek for the -advantage of our race, seeing that you know I ask nothing for myself.” -</p> - -<p> -“Forgive me,” she answered, “my tongue is sharp—as yours has been at -times, Don Ignatio. Hark! the señor calls me.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -For two more days we rested there by the <i>cueva</i> till the señor was -fit to travel, then we started on again. Ten days we journeyed across -the wilderness, following the line of the ancient road, and meeting -with no traces of man save such as were furnished by the familiar -sight of ruined pyramids and temples. On the eleventh we began to -ascend the slope of a lofty range of mountains that pushed its flanks -far out into the desert-land, and on the twelfth we reached the -snow-line, where we were obliged to abandon the three mules which -remained to us, seeing that no green food was to be found higher up, -and the path became too steep for them to find a footing on it. That -night we slept, with little to eat, in a hole dug in the snow, wrapped -in our <i>serapes</i>, or, rather, we tried to sleep, for our rest was -broken by the cold, and the moaning of bitter and mysterious winds -which sprang up and passed away suddenly beneath a clear sky; also, -from time to time, by the thunder of distant avalanches rushing from -the peaks above. -</p> - -<p> -“How far must we travel up this snow?” I asked of Zibalbay, as we -stood shivering in the ashy light of the dawn. -</p> - -<p> -“Look yonder,” he answered, pointing to where the first ray of the sun -shone upon a surface of black rock far above us; “there is the highest -point, and we should reach it before nightfall.” -</p> - -<p> -Thus encouraged we pushed forward for hour after hour, Zibalbay -marching ahead in silence, until our sight was bewildered with -snow-blindness, and I was seized with a fit of mountain sickness. -Fortunately the climbing was not difficult, so that by four in the -afternoon we found ourselves beneath the shadow of the wall of black -rock. -</p> - -<p> -“Must we scale that precipice?” I asked of Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -“No,” he answered, “it would not be possible without wings. There is a -way through it. Twice in the old days bodies of white men searching -for the Golden City to sack it, came to this spot, but, finding no -path through the cliff, they went home again, though their hands were -on the door.” -</p> - -<p> -“Does the wall of rock encircle all the valley of the city?” asked the -señor. -</p> - -<p> -“No, White Man, it ends many days’ journey away to the west, but he -who would travel round it must wade through a great swamp. Also the -mountains may be crossed to the east by journeying for three days -through snows and down precipices; but so far as I have learned only -one man lived to pass them, a wandering Indian, who found his way to -the banks of the Holy Waters in the days of my grandfather. Now, stay -here while I search.” -</p> - -<p> -“Are you glad to see the gateway of your home, Maya?” asked the -señor. -</p> - -<p> -“No,” she answered, almost fiercely, “for here in the wilderness I -have been happy, but there sorrow awaits me and you. Oh! if indeed I -am dear to you, let us turn even now and fly together back to the -lands where your people live,” and she clasped his hand and looked -earnestly into his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“What,” he answered, “and leave your father and Ignatio to finish the -journey by themselves?” -</p> - -<p> -“You are more to me than my father, though perhaps this solemn Ignatio -is more to you than I am.” -</p> - -<p> -“No, Maya, but having come so far I wish to see the sacred city.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you will,” she said, letting fall his hand. “See, my father has -found the place and calls us.” -</p> - -<p> -We walked on for about a hundred paces, threading our path through -piles of boulders that lay at the foot of the precipice till we came -to where Zibalbay stood, leaning against the wall of rock in which we -could see no break or opening. -</p> - -<p> -“Although I trust you, and, as I believe, Heaven has brought us -together for its own purposes,” said the old <i>cacique</i>, “yet I must -follow the ancient custom and obey my oath to suffer no stranger to -see the entrance to this mountain gate. Come hither, daughter, and -blindfold these foreigners.” -</p> - -<p> -She obeyed, and as she tied the handkerchief about the señor’s face I -heard her whisper, -</p> - -<p> -“Fear not, I will be your eyes.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we were taken by the hand, and led this way and that till we were -confused. After we had walked some paces, we were halted and left -while, as we judged from the sounds, our guides moved something heavy. -Next we were conducted down a steep incline, through a passage so -narrow and low that our shoulders rubbed the sides of it, and in parts -we were obliged to bend our heads. At length, after taking many sharp -turns, the passage grew wider and the path smooth and level. -</p> - -<p> -“Loose the bandages,” said the voice of Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -Maya did so, and, when our eyes were accustomed to the light, we -looked round us curiously to find that we stood at the bottom of a -deep cleft or volcanic rift in the rock, made not by the hand of man -but by that of Nature working with her tools of fire and water. This -cleft—along which ran a road so solidly built and drained that, save -here and there where snowdrifts blocked it, it was still easily -passable after centuries of disuse—did not measure more than forty -paces from wall to wall. On either side of it towered sheer black -cliffs, honeycombed with doorways that could only have been reached by -ladders. -</p> - -<p> -“What are those?” I asked of Zibalbay. “Burying-places?” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” he answered, “dwelling-houses. They were there, so say the -records, before our forefathers founded the City of the Heart, and in -them dwelt cave-men, barbarians who fed on little and did not feel the -cold. It was by following some of these cave-men through that passage -which we have passed that the founder of the ancient city discovered -this cleft and the good country and great lake that lie beyond it, -where the rock-dwellers, whom our forefathers killed out, used to live -in the winter season. Once, when I was young, with some companions I -entered these caves by means of ropes and ladders, and found many -strange things there, such as stone axes and rude ornaments of gold, -relics of the barbarians. But let us press on, or night will overtake -us in the pass.” -</p> - -<p> -By degrees the great cleft, that had widened as we walked, began to -narrow again till it appeared to end in a second wall of rock. -</p> - -<p> -Passing round a boulder that lay at the foot of this wall, Zibalbay -led the way into a tunnel behind it. -</p> - -<p> -“Do not fear the darkness,” he said, “the passage is short and there -are no pitfalls.” -</p> - -<p> -So we followed the sound of his footsteps through the gloom, till -presently a spot of light appeared before us, and in another minute we -stood on the further side of the mountain, though we could see nothing -of the place because of the falling shadows. -</p> - -<p> -Without pausing, Zibalbay pushed on down the hill, and, suddenly -turning to the right, stopped before the door of a house built of hewn -stone. -</p> - -<p> -“Enter,” he said, “and welcome to the country of the People of the -Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -As the door was thrown open, light from the fire within streamed -through it, and a man’s voice was heard asking, “Who is there?” -</p> - -<p> -Without answering, Zibalbay walked into the room. It was a low vaulted -apartment, and at a table placed before the great fire which burnt -upon the hearth sat a man and a woman eating. -</p> - -<p> -“Is this the way that you watch for my return?” he asked in a stern -voice. “Haste now and make food ready for we are starved with cold and -hunger.” -</p> - -<p> -The man, who had risen, stood hesitating, but the woman, whose -position enabled her to see the face of the speaker, caught him by the -arm, saying, -</p> - -<p> -“Down to your knees, husband. It is the <i>cacique</i> come back.” -</p> - -<p> -“Pardon,” cried the man, taking the hint; “but to be frank, O lord, it -has been so dinned in my ears down in the city yonder, that neither -you nor the Lady of the Heart would ever return again, that I thought -you must be ghosts. Yes, and so they will think in the city, where I -have heard that Tikal rules in your place.” -</p> - -<p> -“Peace,” said Zibalbay, frowning heavily. “We left robes here, did we -not? Go, lay them out in the sleeping-chambers, and with them others -for these my guests, while the woman prepares our meat.” -</p> - -<p> -The man bowed, stretching out his arms till the backs of his hands -touched the ground. Then, taking an earthenware lamp from a side -table, he lit it and disappeared behind a curtain, an example which -the woman followed after she had rapidly removed the dishes that were -upon the table, and fed the fire with wood. -</p> - -<p> -When they were gone we gathered round the hearth to bask in the luxury -of its warmth. -</p> - -<p> -“What is this place?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay, who was wrapped in his own thoughts, did not seem to hear -him, and Maya answered, -</p> - -<p> -“A poor hovel that is used as a rest-house and by hunters of game, no -more. These people are its keepers, and were charged to watch for our -return, but they seem to have fulfilled their task ill. Pardon me, I -go to help them. Come, father.” -</p> - -<p> -They went, and presently the señor awoke from a doze induced by the -delightful warmth of the fire, to see the custodian of the place -standing before him staring at him in amazement not unmixed with awe. -</p> - -<p> -“What is the matter with the man, and what does he want, Ignatio?” he -asked in Spanish. -</p> - -<p> -“He wonders at your white skin and fair hair, señor, and says that he -does not dare to speak to you because you must be one of the -Heaven-born of whom their legends tell, wherefore he asks me to say -that water to wash in and raiment to put on have been made ready for -us if we will come with him.” -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly we followed the Indian, who led us into a passage at the -back of the sitting-chamber, and thence to a small sleeping-room, one -of several to which the passage gave access. In this room, which was -lit by an oil lamp, were two bedsteads covered with blankets of -deerskin and cotton sheets, and laid upon them were fine linen robes, -and <i>serapes</i> made in alternate bands of grey and black feathers, -worked on to a foundation of stout linen. Standing upon wooden stools -in a corner of the room, and half-filled with steaming water, were two -basins, which the señor noticed with astonishment were of hammered -silver. -</p> - -<p> -“These people must be rich,” he said to me so soon as the keeper of -the place had gone, “if they fashion the utensils of their rest-houses -of silver. Till now this story of the Sacred City of which Zibalbay -was <i>cacique</i>, and Maya heiress apparent, has always sounded like a -fairy tale to me, but it seems that it is true after all, for the -man’s manner shows that Zibalbay is a very important person.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we put on the robes that had been provided for our use, not -without difficulty, since their make was strange to us, and returned -to the eating-room. Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya -joined us—the Lady Maya, but so changed that we started in -astonishment. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_184"> -<a href="images/img_184.jpg"> -<img alt="Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya joined us." src="images/img_184_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -Presently the curtain was drawn, and the Lady Maya joined us. -</div></div> - -<p> -Different, indeed, was she to the ill-clad and travel-stained girl who -had been our companion for so many weeks. Now she was dressed in a -robe of snowy white, bordered with embroidery of the royal green, and -having the image of the Heart traced in gold thread upon the breast. -On her feet were sandals, also worked in green, while round her -throat, wrists, waist, and ankles shone circlets of dead gold. Her -dark hair no longer fell loose about her, but was twisted into a -simple knot and confined in a little golden net, and from her -shoulders hung a cloak of pure white feathers, relieved here and there -by the delicate yellow plumes of the greater egret. -</p> - -<p> -“Like you I have changed my garments,” she said in explanation. “Is -the dress ugly, that you look astonished?” -</p> - -<p> -“Ugly!” answered the señor, “I think it is the most beautiful that I -ever saw.” -</p> - -<p> -“This is the most beautiful dress that you ever saw! Why, friend, it -is the simplest that I have. Wait till you see me in my royal robes, -wearing the great emeralds of the Heart; what will you say then, I -wonder?” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot tell, but I say now that I don’t know which is the most -lovely, you or your dress.” -</p> - -<p> -“Hush!” she said, laughing, yet with a note of earnestness in her -voice. “You must not speak thus freely to me. Yonder in the pass, -friend, I was the Indian girl your fellow-traveller; here I am the -Lady of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then I wish that you had remained the Indian girl in the pass,” he -answered, after a pause, “but perhaps you jest.” -</p> - -<p> -“I was not altogether jesting,” she answered, with a sigh, “you must -be careful now, or it might be ill for you or me, or both of us, since -by rank I am the greatest lady in this land, and doubtless my cousin, -Tikal, will watch me closely. See! here comes my father.” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke Zibalbay entered, followed by the two Indians bearing -food. He was simply dressed in a white toga-like robe similar to that -which had been given to the señor and myself. A cloak of black -feathers covered his shoulders, and round his neck was hung a massive -gold chain to which was attached the emblem of the Heart, also -fashioned in plain gold. -</p> - -<p> -We noticed that, as he came, his daughter, Maya, made a courtesy to -him, which he acknowledged with a nod, and that whenever they passed -him the two Indians crouched almost to the ground. -</p> - -<p> -Evidently the friendship of our desert journeying was done with, and -the person of whom we had hitherto thought and spoken as an equal must -henceforth be treated with respect. Indeed the proud-faced, -white-bearded chief seemed so royal in his changed surroundings that -we were almost moved to follow the example of the others, and bow -whenever he looked at us. -</p> - -<p> -“The food is ready,” said Zibalbay, “such as it is. Be seated, I beg -of you. Nay, daughter, you need not stand before me. We are still -fellow-wanderers, all of us, and ceremony can stay till we are come to -the City of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we sat down and the Indians waited on us. What the dishes -consisted of we did not know, but after our long privations it seemed -to us that we had never eaten so excellent a meal, or drunk anything -so good as the native wine which was served with it. Still, -notwithstanding our present comfort, I think the señor’s heart -misgave him, and that he had presentiments of evil. Maya and he still -loved one another, but he felt that things were utterly changed, as -she herself had shown him. While they wandered, in some sense he had -been the head of the party, as, to speak truth, among companions of a -coloured race a white man of gentle birth is always acknowledged to be -by right of blood. Now things were changed, and he must take his place -as an alien wanderer, admitted to the country upon sufferance, and -already this difference could be seen in Zibalbay’s manner and mode of -address. Formerly he had called him “señor,” or even “friend;” -to-night, when speaking to him, he used a word which meant -“foreigner,” or “unknown one,” and even myself he addressed by name -without adding any title of respect. -</p> - -<p> -One good thing, however, we found in this place, who had lacked -tobacco for six weeks and more, for presently the Indian entered -bearing cigarettes made by rolling the herb in the thin sheath that -grows about the cobs of Indian corn. -</p> - -<p> -“Come hither, you,” said Zibalbay to the Indian, when he had handed us -the cigarettes. “Start now to the borders of the lake and advise the -captain of the village of the corn-growers that his lord is returned -again, commanding him in my name to furnish four travelling litters to -be here within five hours after sunrise. Warn him also to have canoes -in readiness to bear us across the lake, but, as he values his life, -to send no word of our coming to the city. Go now and swiftly.” -</p> - -<p> -The man bowed, and, snatching a spear and a feather cloak from a peg -near the door, vanished into the night, heedless of the howling wind -and the sleet that thrashed upon the roof. -</p> - -<p> -“How far is it to the village?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Ten leagues or more,” Zibalbay answered, “and the road is not good, -still if he does not fall from a precipice or lose his life in a -snow-drift, he will be there within six hours. Come, daughter, it is -time for us to rest, our journey has been long, and you must be weary. -Good night to you, my guests, to-morrow I shall hope to house you -better.” Then, bowing to us, he left the room. -</p> - -<p> -Maya rose to follow his example, and, going to the señor, gave him -her hand, which he touched with his lips. -</p> - -<p> -“How good it is to taste tobacco again,” he said as Maya went. “No, -don’t go to bed yet, Ignatio, take a cigarette and another glass of -this <i>agua ardiente</i>, and let us talk. Do you know, friend, it seems -to me that Zibalbay has changed. I never was a great admirer of his -character, but perhaps I do not understand it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you not, señor? I think that I do. Like some Christian priests -the man is a fanatic, and like myself, a dreamer. Also he is full of -ambition and tyrannical, one who will spare neither himself nor others -where he has an end to gain, or thinks that he can promote the welfare -of his country and the glory of his gods. Think how brave and earnest -the man must have been who, at the bidding of a voice or a vision, -dared in his old age, unaccompanied save by his only child, to lay -down his state and travel almost without food through hundreds of -leagues of bush and desert, that none of his race had crossed for -generations. Think what it must have been to him who for many years -has been treated almost as divine, to play the part of a medicine-man -in the forests of Yucatan, and to suffer, in his own person and in -that of his daughter, insults and torment at the hands of low white -thieves. Yet all this and more Zibalbay has borne without a murmur -because, as he believes, the object of his mission is attained.” -</p> - -<p> -“But, Ignatio, what is the object of his mission, and what have we to -do with it? To this hour I do not quite know.” -</p> - -<p> -“The object of his mission, and indeed of his life, is to build up the -fallen empire of the City of the Heart. In short, señor, though I do -not believe in his gods, in Zibalbay’s visions I do believe, seeing -that they have led him to me, whose aim is his aim, and that neither -of us can succeed without the other.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why not?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because I need wealth and he needs men; and if he will give me the -wealth, I can give him men in thousands.” -</p> - -<p> -“I hear,” answered the señor. “It sounds simple enough, but perhaps -you will both of you find that there are difficulties in the way. What -I do not understand, however, is what part Maya and I are to play in -this affair, who are not anxious to regenerate a race or to build up -an empire. I suppose that we are only spectators of the game.” -</p> - -<p> -“How can that be, señor, when she is Lady of the Heart and heiress to -her father, and when,” I added, dropping my voice, “you and she have -grown so dear to one another?” -</p> - -<p> -“I did not know that you had noticed anything of that, Ignatio. You -never seemed to observe our affection, and, as you hate women so much, -I did not speak of it,” he answered, colouring. -</p> - -<p> -“I am not altogether blind, señor. Also, is it possible for a man not -to know when a woman comes between him and the friend he loves? But of -that I will say nothing, for it is as it should be; besides, you might -scarcely understand me if I did. No, no, señor, you cannot be left -out of this game, you are too deep in it already, though what part you -will play I cannot tell. It depends, perhaps, upon what the gods -reveal to Zibalbay, or what he guesses that they reveal. At present he -is well disposed towards you because he thinks that the oracle may -declare you to be the son of Quetzal through whom his people shall be -redeemed, since it seems that here there is some such prophecy, and -for this reason it is that he has not forbidden the friendship between -you and his daughter, or so he hinted to me. But be warned, señor; -for if he comes to know that you are not the man, then he will sweep -you aside as of small account, and you may bid farewell to the Lady of -the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“I will not do that while I live,” he answered quietly. -</p> - -<p> -“No, señor, perhaps not while you live, but those who stand in the -path of priests and kings do not live long. Still, though there is -cause to be cautious, there is no cause to be down-hearted, seeing -that if you are not the man, I may be, in which case I shall be able -to help you, as I have sworn to the Lady Maya that I will do, or -perhaps you will be able to help me.” -</p> - -<p> -“At any rate, we will stand together,” said the señor. “And now, as -there is no use in talking of the future, I think that we had better -go to sleep. Of one thing, however, you may be certain—unless she -dies, or I die, I mean to marry Maya.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch14"> -CHAPTER XIV.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE CITY OF THE HEART</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">While</span> it was yet dark on the following morning we were awakened by -the voice of Zibalbay calling us. -</p> - -<p> -“Arise,” he said; “it is time to start upon our road.” -</p> - -<p> -“Are the litters here?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“No, nor can be for some hours. I desire to reach the city this night, -therefore we must push forward on foot to meet them.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we rose, and, having no choice, dressed ourselves as best we -could in the garments of the country that had been given to us, for -our own were but rags, in which we were ashamed to be seen. In the -common room we found Zibalbay and the Lady Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Eat,” said the old man, pointing to food that was ready, “and let us -be going.” -</p> - -<p> -Ten minutes later we were outside the house. There was no wind, but at -this great height the air is of so piercing a quality that we were -glad to fold our <i>serapes</i> round us and walk briskly forward, Zibalbay -leading the way. At first a grey gloom reigned, but presently snowy -peaks shone through it, everywhere radiant with the hues of the -unrisen sun, although the mountain sides beneath us were still wrapped -in night. By degrees, as the light grew, we saw that the country at -our feet was shaped like a bowl, whereof the mountain range upon which -we stood formed the rim, and at the bottom of the bowl, fed by -numberless streams that had their sources among the surrounding snows, -lay the lake, the Holy Waters of this people. Of all this, however, we -could as yet see little, since the vast expanse beneath us lay hidden -in volumes of mist that moved and rolled like the face of ocean. Never -before had we looked upon anything so strange as this dense garment of -vapour while the light of heaven gathered upon its surface, tingeing -it with lines and patches of colour. It seemed as though a map of the -world was unrolled before us—continents, seas, islands, and cities -formed themselves, only to disappear in quick succession and assume -new and endless shapes. -</p> - -<p> -“It is beautiful, is it not?” said Maya. “But wait until the mist -breaks. Look, it is beginning!” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke, of a sudden the sea of mist grew thin and opened in its -centre, and through the gap thus formed showed first the pyramids and -temple tops, and then the entire panorama of the city Heart of the -World, floating, as it were, upon the face of the Holy Waters. It was -far away, but, now that the night fog no longer thickened the air, so -clear was the atmosphere and so high were we above it, that it seemed -to be almost at our feet. The city, which appeared to be surrounded by -a wall, was built of marble or some other snow-white stone, whereon -the light gleamed and flashed. It stood upon a heart-shaped island, -and round about the shores of this island, stretching further than the -eye could reach, sparkled the blue waters of the Holy Lake. By degrees -the ring of mist rolled up the sides of the mountains and vanished, -and in place of it the round bowl of the valley was filled with the -clear light of day. Now we could see the shores of the lake, with -their green fringe of reeds; and above them grass lands threaded by -silver streams; and above these again, upon the flanks of the -mountains, great forests of oak and cedars rising almost to the snow -line. To the right and left of us the huge, round-shouldered mountains -stretched in a majestic sweep till they melted into the blue of the -horizon, while here and there some tall, snow-robed peak, the cone of -an extinct volcano, towered above us like a sentinel. -</p> - -<p> -“There lies my country,” said Maya, with a proud wave of her hand; -“does it please you, white man?” -</p> - -<p> -“It pleases me so well, Maya,” he answered, “that now less than ever -can I understand why you wish to leave it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Because, though lakes and mountains and cities full of wealth are -fine things, it is not to these, but to the men and women among whom -we live, that we must look for happiness.” -</p> - -<p> -“Some people might think otherwise, Maya. They might say that -happiness must be sought for in ourselves. At least I could be happy -in such a land as this.” -</p> - -<p> -“You think so now,” she answered, meaningly, “but when you have been -awhile in the city yonder, you will think otherwise. Oh!” she went on, -passionately, “if, indeed, you care for me, we should never have -crossed that mountain behind us. But you do not care for me—not -truly; for all this time you have been half ashamed of your affection -for an Indian girl whom you were obliged to become fond of, because -she was pretty and you were so much with her, and she chanced to save -your life. Yes, you would have been ashamed to marry me according to -your customs, and to show me as your wife among the white people—me, -the wandering Indian with a mad father whom you found in the hands of -thieves. Here it will be different, for here at least I am a great -lady, and you will see the people in the streets bow themselves to the -ground before me; and if I say that a man shall die, you will see that -man killed. Also here I have wealth more than any white woman, and you -will be fond of me for that——” -</p> - -<p> -“You are very unjust,” he broke in, angrily; “it is shameful that you -should speak to me thus for no cause.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps I am unjust,” she answered with a sob, “but there are so many -troubles before us. First there is Tikal——” -</p> - -<p> -“What does Tikal want?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“He wants to marry me, or to become <i>cacique</i> of the city in my right, -which is the same thing; at least he will not give me up without a -struggle. Then there is my father, who serves two masters only,—his -gods and his country,—and who will use me like a piece in a game if -it suits his purpose—yes, and you too. Our good days are done with, -the evil ones have to come, and after them—the night. Henceforward we -shall find few opportunities of speaking, even, for I shall be -surrounded by officers and waiting-ladies who will watch my every -action and hear my every word, and my father will watch me also.” -</p> - -<p> -“Now I begin to be sorry that I did not take your advice and stop on -the further side of the mountain,” answered the señor. “Do you think -that we could escape there?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, it is too late—they would track us down; we must go on now and -meet our fate, whatever it may be. Only swear to me by my gods, or -your own, or whatever you hold dear, that you will cleave to me till I -am dead, as I will cleave to you.” And, taking his hand in hers, she -looked up appealingly into his face. -</p> - -<p> -At this moment Zibalbay, who was walking in front, lost in his own -thoughts, chanced to turn and see them. -</p> - -<p> -“Come hither, daughter, and you, White Man,” he said, in a stern -voice. “Listen, both of you—I am old, but my sight and hearing are -still keen, though yonder in the wilderness I took no heed of much -that I saw and heard. Here in my own land it is otherwise. Learn, -White Man, that the Lady of the Heart is set far above you, and there -I think she will remain. Do you understand my meaning?” -</p> - -<p> -“Perfectly,” answered the señor, striving to control his anger; “but, -Chief, it is a pity that you did not see well to tell me this before. -Had it not been for what we and one dead were able to do to save you, -to-day your bones would have been whitening in the forest. Why did you -not tell me there that I was no fit company for your daughter?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because you were sent by the gods to do me service, and because there -I had need of you, White Man,” answered Zibalbay quietly, “as may be I -shall have need of you again. Had it not been for that chance, we -should have parted company on the further side of the mountain.” -</p> - -<p> -“In truth I wish that we had!” exclaimed the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“I may come to wish it, too,” said the old man grimly. “But you are -here and not there, perhaps for so long as you shall live, and I would -have you remember that you are in my power. A word from me will set -you high or lay you low beneath the earth; therefore be warned and -take with gratitude that which it shall please me to give you. No, do -not look behind you—escape is impossible. Submit yourself to my will -in this and everything, and all shall be well with you; struggle -against it and I will crush you. I have spoken: be pleased to walk in -front of me, and do you, my daughter, walk behind.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I saw that the señor’s rage was great, and that he was about to -answer angrily, and lifted my hand in warning, while Maya looked at -him entreatingly. He saw, and checked himself. -</p> - -<p> -“I hear your words, Chief,” he said, in a forced voice. “You are -right, I am in your power, and it is useless for me to answer you,” -and he took his place in front as he had been commanded, while Maya -fell behind. -</p> - -<p> -As I walked on, side by side with Zibalbay, I spoke to him, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“You use sharp words towards him who is my brother, Chief, and -therefore towards me.” -</p> - -<p> -“I speak as I must,” he answered, coldly. “Many troubles await me at -the city. Did you not hear what that knave said last night,—that -Tikal, my nephew, whom I left in charge, rules in my stead? Well, this -girl of mine, who is affianced to him, and through whom he hopes to -govern in after years, may be the only bait that will tempt him from -his place, for he looks upon me as one dead, and it will not please -him to lay down the rod of power. How should it please him then, and -those who follow him, to see a white stranger holding that daughter’s -hand, and whispering in her ear. Ignatio, I tell you that such a sight -would provoke a war against me, and therefore it is that I spoke -sharply while there is yet time, and therefore you will do well to -drive the nail home, seeing that if I fall your plans will come to -nothing, and your life be forfeit.” -</p> - -<p> -I made no answer, for at that moment we turned a corner, and came face -to face with the bearers of the litters whom Zibalbay had summoned to -meet us. -</p> - -<p> -There were forty of these men or more; for the most part they were -tall and well shaped, with regular features, and, like Zibalbay and -Maya, very fair for Indians, but the look upon their faces was -different from any that I have seen among my people. It was not stupid -or brutal, or even empty; rather did it suggest great weariness. The -youngest man there, notwithstanding his rounded cheeks and eyes full -of health, seemed as though he were weighed down by the memories of -many years. Weariness was the master, not of their bodies, for they -were very strong and active, but of their minds; and, looking at them, -I could understand what Zibalbay meant when he said that his race was -outworn. Even the sight of the white face of the señor, strange as it -must have been to them, did not seem to move them. They stared indeed, -muttering something to each other as to the length and colour of his -beard, and that was all. -</p> - -<p> -But to Zibalbay they said, in low, guttural tones, “Father, we salute -you,” then, at a signal given by their captain, they cast themselves -upon the ground before him, and lay there with outstretched arms as -though they were dead. -</p> - -<p> -“Rise, my children,” said Zibalbay. Then, summoning the captain of the -bearers, he talked to him while his companions ate food that they had -brought with them, and I noted that what he heard seemed to give him -little pleasure. Next he ordered us to enter the litters, which were -of rude make, being constructed of chairs without curtains, lashed -between two poles, and carried, each of them, by eight bearers, for -the road was very steep and rough. -</p> - -<p> -We started forward down the mountain, and in an hour we had left the -region of snow behind, and entered the cedar forests. These great -trees grew in groups, which were separated by glades of turf, the home -of herds of deer. So thick was their foliage that a twilight reigned -beneath them, while from each branch hung a fringe of grey Spanish -moss that swayed to and fro in the draught of the mountain breeze. -Everywhere stretched vistas that brought to my mind memories of the -dimly-lighted nave of the great cathedral at Mexico, roofed by the -impenetrable boughs of these cedars, whereof the trunks might have -been supporting columns and the scent of their leaves the odour of -incense. -</p> - -<p> -After the cedar belt came the oak groves, and then miles of beautiful -turf slopes, clothed in rich grass starred with flowers. Truly it was -a lovely land. It was late in the afternoon before we descended the -last of these slopes and entered the tract of alluvial soil that lay -between them and the lake, where the climate was much warmer. It was -easy to see by the irrigation ditches and other signs that this belt -of country had always supplied the inhabitants of the City of the -Heart with corn and all necessary crops. Here grew great groves of -sugar-cane, and cocoa-bushes laden with their purple pods, together -with many varieties of fruit-trees planted in separate orchards. Soon -it became clear to us that the greater part of these ancient orchards -were untended, since their fruit rotted in heaps upon the ground. -Evidently they had been planted in more prosperous days, and now their -supply exceeded the wants of the population. -</p> - -<p> -At length, as the evening began to fall, we entered the village of -corn-growers, a half-ruined place of which the houses were for the -most part built of <i>adobe</i> or mud bricks, and roofed with a concrete -of white lime. In the centre of the village was a <i>plaza</i>, planted -round with trees, and having in its midst a fountain, near to which -stood a simple altar, piled with fruit and flowers. Close to this -altar the inhabitants of the village, to the number of a hundred or -so, were gathered to meet us. Most of the men had but just come in -from their labours, for their garments and feet were stained with -fresh earth, and they held copper hoes and reaping-hooks in their -hands. All these men wore upon their faces the same look of weariness -of mind which we had noticed in the bearers. So monotonous were their -countenances, indeed, that I turned my eyes impatiently to the group -of women who were standing behind them. Like their husband and -brothers, these women were very fair for Indians, and handsome in -person, but they also had been stamped with melancholy. The sight of -the señor’s white skin and chestnut-coloured beard seemed for some -few moments to rouse them from their attitude of listless -indifference. Soon, however, they fell into it again, and began to -chat idly, or to play with and pull to pieces the flowers that every -one of them wore at her girdle. There were hardly any children among -the crowd, and it was strange to observe how great was the resemblance -of the individuals composing it to each other. Indeed, had they all -been members of a single family it could not have been more marked, -seeing that it was difficult for a stranger to distinguish one woman -from another of about the same age. -</p> - -<p> -When Zibalbay descended from his litter, all those present prostrated -themselves, and remained thus till, followed by some of the headmen, -he had passed into a house which was made ready for his use, leaving -us without. -</p> - -<p> -“Do all your people look so sad?” I asked the Lady Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” she answered, “that is, all the common people who labour. It is -otherwise with the nobles, who are of a different blood. Here, Don -Ignatio, there are two classes, the lords and the people, and of the -people each family is forced to work for three months in the year, the -other nine being given to them for rest. The fruits of their labour -are gathered into storehouses and distributed among all the Children -of the Heart, but the temples, the <i>cacique</i>, and many of the nobles -have their own serfs who have served them from father to son.” -</p> - -<p> -“And what happens if they will not work?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Then they must starve, for nothing is served out to them or their -families from the common store, and when they grow hungry they are set -to the heaviest tasks.” -</p> - -<p> -Now we understood why these people looked so weary and listless. What -could be expected from men and women without ambition or -responsibility, the gain of whose toil was placed to the public credit -and doled out to them in rations? In my old age I have heard that -there are teachers who advocate such a system for all mankind, but of -this I am sure, that had they dwelt among the People of the Heart, -where it had been in force for many centuries, they would cease to -preach this doctrine, for there, at least, it did not promote the -welfare of the race. -</p> - -<p> -Presently a messenger came from Zibalbay to summon us into the house, -where we found an ample meal prepared, consisting chiefly of fish from -the lake, baked wild-fowl, and many sorts of fruit. By the time we had -finished eating and had drunk the chocolate that was served to us in -cups of hammered silver, the night had fallen completely. I asked -Zibalbay if we should sleep there, to which he replied shortly that we -were about to start for the city. Accordingly we set out by the light -of the moon and were guided to a little harbour in the shore of the -lake, where a large canoe, fitted with a mast and sail, and manned by -ten Indians, was waiting for us. We embarked, and, the wind being off -land, hoisted the sail and started towards the Island of the Heart, -which stood at a distance of about fifteen miles from the mainland. -</p> - -<p> -The breeze was light, but after the cold of the mountains the air was -so soft and balmy, and the scene so new and strange, that I, for one, -did not regret our slow progress. Nobody spoke in the boat, for all of -us were lost in our own reflections, and the Indians were awed to -silence by the presence of their lord, who alone seemed impatient, -since from time to time he pulled his beard and muttered to himself. -So we glided across the blue lake, whose quiet was broken only by the -whistling wings of the wild-fowl travelling to their feeding-grounds, -by the sudden leaps of great fish rising in pursuit of some night-fly, -and by the lapping of the water against the wooden sides of the canoe. -Before us, luminous and unearthly in the perfect moonlight, shone the -walls and temples of the mysterious city which we had travelled so far -to reach. We watched them growing more and more distinct minute by -minute, and, as we watched, strange hopes and fears took possession of -our hearts. This was no dream: before us lay the fabled golden town we -had so longed to see; soon our feet would pass its white walls and our -eyes behold its ancient civilisation. -</p> - -<p> -“What waits us there?” whispered the señor, and he looked at Maya. -She heard his words and shook her head sadly. There was no hope in her -eyes, which were dimmed with tears. Then he turned to me as though for -comfort, and the easy fires of enthusiasm burnt up within me and I -answered: -</p> - -<p> -“Fear not, the goal is won, and we shall overcome all difficulty and -danger. The useless wealth of yonder Golden City will be ours, and by -its help I shall wreak the stored-up vengeance of ages upon the -oppressors of my race, and create a great Indian Dominion stretching -from sea to sea, whereof this city shall be the heart.” -</p> - -<p> -He heard and smiled, answering: -</p> - -<p> -“It may be so; for your sake, I trust that it will be so; but we seek -different ends, Ignatio,” and he looked again at the Lady Maya. -</p> - -<p> -On we glided, through the moonlight and the silence, for from the town -came no sound, save the cry of the watchmen, calling the hours, as -they kept their guard along the ancient walls, till at length we -entered the shadow of the Holy City lying dark upon the waters, and -the Indians, getting out their paddles (for the wind no longer served -us), rowed the canoe up a stone-embanked canal that led to a -watergate. -</p> - -<p> -Now we halted in front of the gate, where there was no man to be seen. -In an impatient voice, Zibalbay bade the captain hail the guardian of -the gate, and presently a man came down the steps yawning, and -inquired who was there. -</p> - -<p> -“I, the <i>cacique</i>,” said Zibalbay. “Open.” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed! That is strange,” answered the man, “seeing that this night -the <i>cacique</i> holds his marriage-feast at the palace yonder, and there -is but one <i>cacique</i> of the People of the Heart! Get back to the -mainland, wanderers, and return in the day-time, when the gates stand -wide.” -</p> - -<p> -Now when Zibalbay heard these words, he cursed aloud in his anger, but -Maya started as though with joy. -</p> - -<p> -“I tell you that I am Zibalbay, come home again, your lord, and no -other,” he cried, “and you will be wise to do my bidding.” -</p> - -<p> -The man stared, and hesitated, till the captain of the boat spoke to -him, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Fool, would you become food for fishes? This is the Lord Zibalbay, -returned from the dead.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he hastened to open the gate, as fast as his fear would let him. -</p> - -<p> -“Pardon, father, pardon,” he cried, prostrating himself, “but the Lord -Tikal, who rules in your place, has given it out that you were dead in -the wilderness, and commanded that your name should be spoken no more -in the city.” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay swept by him without a word. When he had passed up the marble -steps, and through the water-way, pierced in the thickness of the -frowning walls, he halted, and, addressing the captain of the boatmen, -said: -</p> - -<p> -“Let this man be scourged to-morrow at noon in the market-place, that -henceforth he may learn not to sleep at his post!” -</p> - -<p> -On the further side of the wall ran a wide street, bordered by -splendid houses built of white stone, which led to the central square -of the city, a mile or more away. Up this street we walked swiftly and -in silence, and as we went I noticed that much of it was grass-grown, -and that many of the great houses seemed to be deserted; indeed, -though light came from some of the latticed window-places, I could see -no sign of any human being. -</p> - -<p> -“Here is the city,” whispered the señor to me, “but where are the -people?” -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless they celebrate the wedding-feast in the great square,” I -answered. “Hark, I hear them.” -</p> - -<p> -As I spoke the wind turned a little, and a sound of singing floated -down it, that grew momentarily clearer as we approached the square. -Another five minutes passed and we were entering it. It was a wide -place, covering not less than thirty acres of ground, and in its -centre, rising three hundred feet into the air, gleamed the pyramid of -the Temple of the Heart, crowned by the star of holy fire that -flickered eternally upon its summit. In the open space between the -walls of the inclosure of this pyramid and the great buildings that -formed the sides of the square, the inhabitants of the city were -gathered for their midnight feast. All were dressed in white robes, -while many wore glittering feather capes upon their shoulders and were -crowned with wreaths of flowers. Some of them were dancing, some of -them were singing, while others watched the tricks of jugglers and -buffoons. But the most of their number were seated round little tables -eating, drinking, smoking, and making love, and we noticed that at -these tables the children seemed the most honourable guests, and that -everybody petted them and waited on their words. Nothing could be more -beautiful or stranger to our eyes than this innocent festival -celebrated beneath the open sky and lighted by the moon. Yet the sight -of it did not please Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -Along the side of the square ran an avenue of trees bearing white -flowers with a heavy scent, and Zibalbay motioned to us to follow him -into their shadow. Many of the tables were placed just beyond the -spread of these trees, so that he was able to stop from time to time -and, unseen himself, to listen to the talk that was passing at them. -Presently he halted thus opposite to a table at which sat a man of -middle age and a woman young and pretty. What they said interested -him, and we who were close by his side understood it, for the -difference between the dialect of these people and the Maya tongue is -so small that even the señor had little difficulty in following their -talk. -</p> - -<p> -“The feast is merry to-night,” said the man. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, husband,” answered his companion, “and so it should be, seeing -that yesterday the Lord Tikal was elected <i>cacique</i> by the Council of -the Heart, and to-day he was wedded in the presence of the people to -Nahua the Beautiful, child of the Lord Mattai.” -</p> - -<p> -“It was a fine sight,” said the man, “though for my part I think it -early to proclaim him <i>cacique</i>. Zibalbay might yet come back, and -then——” -</p> - -<p> -“Zibalbay will never come back, husband, or the Lady Maya either. They -have perished in the wilderness long ago. For her I am sorry, because -she was so lovely and different from other great ladies; but I do not -grieve much for him, for he was a hard taskmaster to us common people; -also he was stingy. Why, Tikal has given more feasts during the last -ten months than Zibalbay gave in as many years; moreover, he has -relaxed the laws so that we poor women may now wear ornaments like our -betters;” and she glanced at a gold bracelet upon her wrist. -</p> - -<p> -“It is easy to be generous with the goods of others,” answered the -man. “Zibalbay was the bee who stored; Tikal is the wasp who eats. -They say that the old fellow was mad, but I do not believe it. I think -that he was a greater man than the rest of us, that is all, who saw -the wasting of the people and desired to find a means to stop it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Certainly he was mad,” answered the woman. “How could he stop the -wasting of the people by taking his daughter to wander in the -wilderness till they died of starvation, both of them. If anybody -dwells out yonder it is a folk of white devils of whom we have heard, -who kill and enslave the Indians, that they may rob them of their -wealth, and we do not desire that such should be shown the way to our -city. Also, what does it matter to us if the people do waste away? We -have all things that we wish, those who come after must see to it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet, wife, I have heard you say that you desired children.” -</p> - -<p> -Suddenly the woman’s face grew sad. -</p> - -<p> -“Ah!” she answered, “if Zibalbay will give me a child I will take back -all my words about him, and proclaim him the wisest of men, instead of -what he is, or rather was—an old fool gone crazy with vanity and too -much praying. But he is dead, and if he were not he could never do -this; that is beyond the power of the gods themselves, if indeed the -gods are anything except a dream. So what is the use of talking about -him; let me enjoy the feast that Tikal gives us, husband, and do not -speak of children, lest I should weep, and learn to hate those of my -sisters who have been blest with them.” -</p> - -<p> -Then at a sign from Zibalbay we moved on, but Maya, hanging back for a -moment, whispered: -</p> - -<p> -“Look at my father’s face. Never have I seen him so angry. Yet these -tidings are not altogether ill,” and she glanced at the señor. -</p> - -<p> -Now Zibalbay walked on swiftly, pulling at his beard and muttering to -himself, till we came to a great archway where two soldiers armed with -copper spears stood on guard, chatting with women in the crowd that -gathered round the open door, and eating sweetmeats which they offered -them. Zibalbay covered his face with the corner of his robe, and, -bidding us do likewise, began to walk through the archway, whereupon -the two soldiers, crossing their spears, demanded his name and title. -</p> - -<p> -“By whose orders do you ask?” said Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -“By order of our lord, the <i>cacique</i>, who celebrates his -marriage-feast with the nobles his guests,” answered one of them. -“Say, are you of their number who come so late?” -</p> - -<p> -Then Zibalbay uncovered his face and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Look at me, man. Did I command you to shut my own doors against me?” -</p> - -<p> -He looked and gasped: “It is the <i>cacique</i> come home again!” -</p> - -<p> -“How, then, do you say that you keep the doors by order of the -<i>cacique</i>? Can there be two <i>caciques</i> in the City of the Heart?” -asked Zibalbay in a bitter voice, and, without waiting for an answer, -he walked on, followed by the three of us, into the <i>plaza</i> or -courtyard of the palace, where many fountains splashed upon the marble -pavement. -</p> - -<p> -Passing beneath a colonnade and through an open doorway whence light -flowed, of a sudden we found ourselves in a great and wonderful -chamber, a hundred feet or more in length, having a roof of panelled -cedar, supported by a double row of wooden columns exquisitely carved, -between which were set tables laden with fruit and flowers, -drinking-vessels, and other ornaments of gold. The walls also were -cedar-panelled, and hung over with tapestries worked in silver, and -ranged along them stood grotesque images of dwarfs and monkeys, -fashioned in solid gold, each of which held in its hand a silver lamp. -At the far end of this place was a small table, and behind it, seated -upon throne-like chairs, were a man and a woman, having an armed guard -on either side of them. -</p> - -<p> -The man was magnificently dressed in a white robe, broidered with the -symbol of the Heart, and a glittering feather cloak. Upon his brow was -a circlet of gold, from which rose a <i>panache</i>, or plume, of green -feathers, and in his hand he held a little golden sceptre tipped with -an emerald. He was of middle height, very stoutly built, and about -five-and-thirty years of age, having straight black hair that hung -down upon his shoulders. In face he was handsome, but forbidding, for -his dark eyes shone with a strange fire beneath the beetling brows, -and his powerful mouth and chin wore a sullen look that did not leave -them even when he smiled. The lady at his side was also beautifully -attired in white bridal robes, bordered with silver, and having the -royal Heart worked upon her breast, while on her brow, arms, and bosom -shone strings of emeralds. She was young and tall, with splendid eyes -and a proud, handsome face, somewhat marred, however, by the heaviness -of the mouth, and it was easy to see that she loved the husband at her -side, for all her looks were towards him. -</p> - -<p> -Between us and this royal pair stretched the length of the great hall, -filled with people—for the most of the feasters had left their -seats—so splendidly attired and so bright with the flash of gems and -gold that for a few moments our eyes were dazzled. The company, who -may have numbered two or three hundred, stood in groups with their -backs towards us, leaving a clear space at the far end of the chamber, -where beautiful women, in filmy, silken robes adorned with flowers and -turquoises, were singing and dancing to the sound of pipes before the -bride and bridegroom on the throne. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch15"> -CHAPTER XV.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">HOW ZIBALBAY CAME HOME</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">For</span> a while we stood unnoticed in the shadow of the doorway, -observing this strange and beautiful scene, till, as Zibalbay was -about to advance towards the throne, the Lord Tikal held up his -sceptre as a signal, and suddenly the women ceased from their dance -and song. At the sight of the uplifted sceptre, Zibalbay halted again -and drew back further into the shadow, motioning us to do likewise. -Then Tikal began to speak in a rich, deep voice that filled the hall: -</p> - -<p> -“Councillors and Nobles of the Heart,” he said, “and you, high-born -ladies, wives and daughters of the nobles, hear me. But yesterday, as -you know, I took upon myself the place and power of my forefathers, -and by your wish and will I was proclaimed the sole chief and ruler of -the People of the Heart. Now I have bidden you to my marriage feast, -that you may grace my nuptials and share my joy. For be it known to -you that to-night I have taken in marriage Nahua the Beautiful, -daughter of the High Lord Mattai, Chief of the Astronomers, Keeper of -the Sanctuary, and President of the Council of the Heart. Her, in the -presence of you all, I name as my first and lawful wife, the sharer of -my power, and your ruler under me, who, whate’er betide, cannot be put -away from my bed and throne, and as such I call upon you to salute -her.” -</p> - -<p> -Then, ceasing from his address, he turned and kissed the woman at his -side, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Hail! to you, Lady of the Heart, whom it has pleased the gods to lift -up and bless. May children be given to you, and with them happiness -and power for many years.” -</p> - -<p> -Thereon the whole company bowed themselves before Nahua, whose fair -face flushed with pride and joy, and repeated, as with one voice: -</p> - -<p> -“Hail! to you, Lady of the Heart, whom it has pleased the gods to lift -up and bless. May children be given to you, and with them happiness -and power for many years.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nobles,” went on Tikal, when this ceremony was finished, “it has come -to my ears that there are some who murmur against me, saying that I -have no right to the ancient sceptre of <i>cacique</i> which I hold in my -hand this night. Nobles, I have somewhat to say to you of this matter, -that to-morrow, after the sacrifice, I shall repeat in the ears of the -common people, and I say it having consulted with my Council, the -masters of the mysteries of the Heart. To-morrow a year will have gone -by since Zibalbay, my uncle, who was <i>cacique</i> before me, and his only -child and heiress of his rank and power, the Lady Maya, my affianced -bride, left the city upon a certain mission. Before they departed upon -this mission, it was agreed between Zibalbay, Maya, the Lady of the -Heart, myself, and the Council, the Brotherhood of the Heart, that I -should rule as next heir during the absence of Zibalbay and his -daughter, and that if they should not return within two years, then -their heritage should be mine for ever. To this agreement I set my -name with sorrow, for then, as now, I held that my uncle was mad, and -in his madness went to doom, taking with him his daughter whom I -loved. Yet when they were gone I fulfilled it to the letter; but -trouble arose among the people, for they will not listen to the voice -of one who is not their anointed lord, but say, ‘We will wait until -Zibalbay comes again and hear his command upon these matters.’ -</p> - -<p> -“Also, Zibalbay being absent, there was no high priest left in the -land, so that until a successor was raised up to him, certain of the -inmost mysteries of our worship must go uncelebrated, thus bringing -down upon us the anger of the Nameless god. So it came about that many -pressed it on me that for the sake of the people and the welfare of -the city, I should shorten the period of my regency and suffer myself -to be anointed. But, remembering my promise, I answered them sharply, -saying that I would not depart from it by a hair’s breadth, and that, -come what might, two full years must be completed before I sat me down -in the place of my fathers. -</p> - -<p> -“To this mind, then, I held till three days since, when those of the -people to whose lot it fell in turn to pass to the mainland, there to -cultivate the fields that are apportioned to the service of the -temple, refused to get them to their labour, declaring that the high -priest alone had authority over them, and there was no high priest in -the city. Then in my perplexity I took counsel with the Lord Mattai, -Master of the Stars, and he consulted the stars on my behalf. All -night long he searched the heavens, and he read in them that Zibalbay, -who, led by a lying dream, broke through the laws of the land and -wandered across the mountains, has paid the price of his folly, and is -dead in the wilderness, together with his daughter that was my -affianced and the Lady of the Heart. Is it not so, Mattai?” -</p> - -<p> -Now the person addressed, a stout man with a bald head, quick, -shifting eyes, and a thick and grizzled beard, stepped forward and -said, bowing, -</p> - -<p> -“If my wisdom is not at fault, such was the message of the stars, O -lord.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nobles,” went on Tikal, “you have heard my testimony and the -testimony of Mattai, whose voice is the voice of truth. For these -reasons I have suffered myself to be anointed and set over you as your -ruler, seeing that I am the heir of Zibalbay by law and by descent. -For these reasons also—she to whom I was affianced being dead—I have -taken to wife Nahua the daughter of Mattai. Say, do you accept us?” -</p> - -<p> -Some few of the company were silent, but the rest cried: -</p> - -<p> -“We accept you, Tikal and Nahua, and long may you rule over us -according to the ancient customs of the land.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is well, my brethren,” answered Tikal. “Now, before we drink the -parting-cup, have any of you ought to say to me?” -</p> - -<p> -“I have something to say to you,” cried Zibalbay in a loud voice from -the shadows wherein we stood at the far end of the hall. -</p> - -<p> -At the sound of his voice, the tones of which he seemed to know, Tikal -started and rose in fear, but, recovering himself, said: -</p> - -<p> -“Advance from the shadow, whoever you are, and say your say where men -may see you.” -</p> - -<p> -Turning to his daughter and to us, Zibalbay bade us follow him, and do -as he did. Then, veiling his face with a corner of his robe, he walked -up the hall, the crowd of nobles and ladies opening a path till we -stood before the throne. Here he uncovered himself, as we did also, -and standing sideways, so that he could be seen both by Tikal and all -that company, he opened his lips to speak. Before a word could pass -them a cry of astonishment broke from the nobles, and of a sudden the -sceptre fell from the hand of Tikal and rolled along the floor. -</p> - -<p> -“Zibalbay!” said the cry. “It is Zibalbay come back, or the ghost of -him, and with him the Lady of the Heart!” -</p> - -<p> -“Aye, nobles,” he said, in a quiet voice, although his hand shook with -rage, “it is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home, and not too soon, as -it would seem. What, my nephew, were you so hungry for my place and -power, that you must break the oath you swore upon the Heart, and -seize them before the appointed time? And you, Mattai, have you lost -your skill, or have the gods smitten you with a curse, that you -prophesy falsely, saying that it was written in the stars that we who -are alive were dead, thereby lifting up your daughter to the seat of -the Lady of the Heart. Nay, do not answer me. Standing yonder I have -heard all your story. I say to you, Tikal, that you are a foresworn -traitor, and to you, Mattai, that you are a charlatan and a liar, who -have dared to use the holy art for your own ends, and the advancement -of your house. On both of you will I be avenged,—aye, and on all -those who have abetted you in your crimes. Guards, seize that man, and -the Lord Mattai with him, and let them be held fast till I shall judge -them.” -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_209"> -<a href="images/img_209.jpg"> -<img alt="It is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home." src="images/img_209_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘It is I, Zibalbay, your lord, come home.’ -</div></div> - -<p> -Now the soldiers that stood on either side of the thrones hesitated -for a moment, and then advanced towards Tikal as though to lay hands -upon him in obedience to Zibalbay’s order. But Nahua rose and waved -them off, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“What! dare you to touch your anointed lord? Back, I say to you, if -you would save yourselves from the doom of sacrilege. Living or dead, -the day of Zibalbay is done, for the Council of the Heart has set his -crown upon the brow of Tikal, and, whether for good or ill, their -decree cannot be changed.” -</p> - -<p> -“Aye!” said Tikal, whose courage had come back to him. “The Lady Nahua -speaks truth. Touch me not if you would live to look upon the sun.” -</p> - -<p> -But all the while he spoke his eyes were fixed upon Maya, whose -beautiful face he watched as though it were that of some lost love -risen from the dead. -</p> - -<p> -Now, as Zibalbay was about to speak again, Mattai the astronomer bowed -before him and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Be not angry, but hear me, my lord. You have travelled far, and you -are weary, and a weary man is apt at wrath. You think that you have -been wronged, and, doubtless, all this that has chanced is strange to -you, but now is not the time for us to give count of our acts and -stewardship, or for you to hearken. Rest this night; and to-morrow on -the pyramid, in the presence of the people, all things shall be made -clear to you, and justice be done to all. Welcome to you, Zibalbay, -and to you also, Daughter of the Heart,—and say, who are these -strangers that you bring with you from the desert lands across the -mountains?” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay paused awhile, looking round him out of the corners of his -eyes, like a wolf in a trap, for he sought to discover the temper of -the nobles. Then, finding that there were but few present whom he -could trust to help him, he lifted his head and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“You are right, Mattai, I am weary; for age, travel, and the -faithlessness of men have worn me out. To-morrow these matters shall -be dealt with in the presence of the people, and there, before the -altar, it shall be made known whether I am their lord, or you, Tikal. -There, too, I will tell you who these strangers are, and why I have -brought them across the mountains. Until then I leave them in your -keeping, for your own sake charging you to keep them well. Nay, here I -will neither eat nor drink. Do you come with me,” and he called to -certain lords by name whom he knew to be faithful to him. -</p> - -<p> -Then, without more words, he turned and left the hall, followed by a -number of the nobles. -</p> - -<p> -“It seems that my father has forgotten me,” said Maya, with a laugh, -when he had gone. “Greeting to you all, friends, and to you, my -cousin, Tikal, and greeting also to your wife, Nahua, who, once my -waiting-lady, by the gift of fortune has now been lifted up to take my -place and title. Whatever may be the issue of these broils, may you be -happy in each other’s love, Tikal and Nahua.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Tikal descended from the throne and bowed before her, saying, “I -swear to you, Maya——” -</p> - -<p> -“No, do not swear,” she broke in, “but give me and my friends here a -cup of wine and some fragments from your wedding-feast, for we are -hungry. I thank you. How beautiful is that bride’s robe which Nahua -wears, and—surely—those emeralds were once my own. Well, let her -take them from me as a wedding-gift. Make room, I pray you, Tikal, and -suffer these ladies to tell me of their tidings, for remember that I -have wandered far, and it is pleasant to see faces that are dear to -me.” -</p> - -<p> -For awhile we sat and ate, or made pretence to eat, while Maya talked -thus lightly and all that company watched us, for we were wonderful in -their eyes, who never till now had seen a white man. Indeed, the sight -of the señor, auburn-haired, long-bearded, and white-skinned, was so -marvellous to them, that, unlike the common people, they forgot their -courtesy and crowded round him in their amazement. Still, there were -two who took small note of the señor or of me, and these were Tikal, -who gazed at Maya as he stood behind her chair serving her like some -waiting slave, and Nahua his wife, who sat silent and neglected on her -throne, sullenly noting his every word and gesture. At length she -could bear this play no longer, but, rising from her seat, began to -move down the chamber. -</p> - -<p> -“Make room for the bride, ladies,” said Maya. “Cousin, good-night, it -grows late, and your wife awaits you.” -</p> - -<p> -Then, muttering I know not what, Tikal turned and went, and side by -side the pair walked down the great hall, followed by their guard of -soldiers. -</p> - -<p> -“How beautiful is the bride, and how brave the groom!” said Maya, as -she watched them go, “and yet I have seen couples that looked happier -on their wedding-day. Well, it is time to rest. Friends, good-night. -Mattai, I leave these strangers in your keeping. Guard them well—and, -stay, bring them to my apartments to-morrow after they have eaten, for -if it is my father’s will, I would show them something of the city -before the hour of noon, when we meet upon the temple-top.” -</p> - -<p> -When she had gone, Mattai bowed to us with much ceremony and begged us -to follow him, which we did, across the courtyard and through many -passages, to a beautiful chamber, dimly lighted with silver lamps, -that had been made ready for us. Here were beds covered with silken -wrappings, and on a table in the centre of the room cool drinks and -many sorts of fruits, but so tired were we that we took little note of -these things. -</p> - -<p> -Bidding good-night to Mattai, who looked at us curiously and announced -that he would visit us early in the morning, we made fast the copper -bolts upon the door and threw ourselves upon the beds. -</p> - -<p> -Weary as I was, I could not sleep in this strange place, and when, -from time to time, my eyes closed, the sound of feet passing without -our chamber door roused me again to wakefulness. Of one thing I was -sure, that Zibalbay was not wanted here in his own city, and that -there would be trouble on the morrow when he told his tale to the -people, for certainly Tikal would not suffer himself easily to be -thrust from the place he had usurped, and he had many friends. -Doubtless it was their feet that I heard outside the door as they -hurried to and fro from the chamber where Mattai sat taking counsel -with them. What would be our fate, I wondered, in this struggle for -power that must come? These people feared strangers—so much I could -read in their faces—and doubtless they would be rid of us if they -might. Well, we had a good friend in Maya, and the rest we must leave -to Providence. -</p> - -<p> -Thinking thus, at length I fell asleep, to be awakened by the voice of -the señor, who was sitting upon the edge of his bed, singing a song -and looking round the chamber, for now the daylight streamed through -the lattices. I wished him good-morrow, and asked him why he sang. -</p> - -<p> -“Because of the lightness of my heart,” he answered. “We have reached -the city at last, and it is far more splendid and wonderful than -anything I dreamed of. Also the luck is with us, for this Tikal has -taken another woman in marriage, who, to judge from the look of her, -will not readily let him go, and therefore Maya has no more to fear -from him. Thirdly, there is enough treasure in this town, if what we -saw last night may be taken as a sample, to enable you to establish -three Indian Empires, if you wish, and doubtless Zibalbay will give -you as much of it as you may want. Therefore, friend Ignatio, you -should sing, as I do, instead of looking as gloomy as though you saw -your own coffin being brought in at the door.” -</p> - -<p> -I shook my head, and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“I fear you speak lightly. There is trouble brewing in this city, and -we shall be drawn into it, for the struggle between Tikal and Zibalbay -will be to the death. As for the Lady Maya, of this I am certain, -that—wife or no wife—Tikal still loves her and will strive to take -her; I saw it in his eyes last night. Lastly, it is true enough that -here there is boundless wealth; but whether its owners will suffer me -to have any portion of it, to forward my great purposes,—useless -though it be to them,—is another matter.” -</p> - -<p> -“There was a man in the Bible called Job, and he had a friend named -Eliphaz,—I think you are that friend come to life again, Ignatio,” -answered the señor, laughing. “For my part, I mean to make the best -of the present, and not to trouble myself about the future or the -politics of this benighted people. But hark, there is someone knocking -at the door.” -</p> - -<p> -I rose, and undid the bolt, whereon attendants entered bearing goblets -of chocolate, and little cakes upon a tray. After we had eaten, they -led us to the baths, which were of marble and very beautiful, one of -them being filled with water from a warm spring, and then to a -chamber, where breakfast was made ready for us. While we sat at table, -Mattai came to us, and I saw that he had not slept that night, for his -eyes were heavy. -</p> - -<p> -“I trust that you have rested well, strangers,” he said courteously. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, lord,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -“Well, it is more than I have done, for it is my business to watch the -stars, especially my own star, which just now is somewhat obscured,” -and he smiled. “If you have finished your meal, my commands are to -lead you to the apartments of the Lady Maya, who wishes to show you -something of our city, which, being strangers, may interest you. By -the way, if I do not ask too much, perhaps you will tell me to what -race you belong,” and he bowed towards the señor. “We have heard of -white men here, though we have learned no good of them, and tradition -tells us that our first ruler, Cucumatz, was of this race. Are you of -his blood, stranger?” -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know,” answered the señor, laughing. “I come from a cold -country far beyond the sea, where all the men are as I am.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then the inhabitants of that country must be goodly to behold,” -answered Mattai gravely. “I thank you for your courtesy, Son of the -Sea, in answering my question so readily. I did not ask it from -curiosity alone, since the people in this city are terrified of -strangers, and clamour for some account of you.” -</p> - -<p> -“Doubtless our friend Zibalbay will satisfy them,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“Good. Now be pleased to follow me,”—and Mattai led us across courts -and through passages till we reached a little ante-room filled with -ancient carvings and decorated with flowers, where some girls stood -chatting. -</p> - -<p> -“Tell the Lady Maya that her guests await her,” said Mattai, then -turned to take his departure, adding, in a low voice, “doubtless we -shall meet at noon upon the pyramid, and there you will see I know not -what; but, whatever befalls, be sure of this, strangers, that I will -protect you if I can. Farewell.” -</p> - -<p> -One of the girls vanished through a doorway at the further end of the -chamber, and, having offered us seats, the others stood together at a -little distance, watching us out of the corners of their eyes. -Presently the door opened, and through it came Maya, wearing a silken -<i>serape</i> that covered her head and shoulders and looking very sweet -and beautiful in the shaded light of the room. -</p> - -<p> -“Greeting, friends,” she said, as we bowed before her. “I have my -father’s leave to show you something of this city that you longed so -much to see. These ladies here will accompany us, and a guard, but we -shall want no litters until we have ascended the great temple, for I -desire that you should see the view from thence before the place is -cumbered with the multitude. Come, if you are ready.” -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly we set out, Maya walking between us, while her guards and -ladies followed after. Crossing the square, which had been the scene -of the festival of the previous night, but now in the early morning -was almost deserted, we came to the inclosure of the court-yard of the -pyramid, a limestone wall worked with sculptures of hunting scenes, -relieved by a border of writhing snakes, and at intervals by emblems -of the Heart. At the gateway of this wall we paused to contemplate the -mighty mass of the pyramid that towered above us. There is one in the -land of Egypt that is bigger, so said the señor, although he believed -this to be a more wonderful sight because of its glittering slopes of -limestone, whose expanse was broken only by the vast stair that ran up -its eastern face from base to summit. -</p> - -<p> -“It is a great building,” said Maya, noting our astonishment, “and one -that could not be reared in these days. Tradition says that -five-and-twenty thousand men worked on it for fifty years—twenty -thousand of them cutting and carrying the stone, and five thousand -laying the blocks.” -</p> - -<p> -“Where did the material come from, then?” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Some of it was hewn from beneath the base of the temple itself,” she -answered, “but the most was borne in big canoes from quarries on the -mainland, for these quarries can still be seen.” -</p> - -<p> -“Is the pyramid hollow, then?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, in it are many chambers, for the most part store and treasure -houses, and beneath its base lie crypts, the burying-place of the -<i>caciques</i>, their wives, and children. There also is the Holy -Sanctuary of the Heart, which you, being of the Brotherhood, may -perhaps be permitted to visit. Come, let us climb the stair,”—and she -led us across the court-yard to the foot of a stairway forty feet or -more in breadth, which ran to the platform of the pyramid in six -flights, each of fifty steps, and linked together by resting-places. -</p> - -<p> -Up these flights we toiled slowly, followed by the ladies and the -guard, till at length our labour was rewarded, and we stood upon the -dizzy edge of the pyramid. Before us was a platform bordered by a low -wall, large enough to give standing room to several thousand people. -On the western side of this platform stood a small marble house, used -as a place to store fuel, and as a watch-tower by the priests, who -were on duty day and night, tending the sacred fire which flared in a -brazier from its roof. Situated at some distance from this house, and -immediately in front of it, was a small altar wreathed with flowers, -but for the rest the area was empty. -</p> - -<p> -“Look,” said Maya. -</p> - -<p> -The city beneath us was built upon a low, heart-shaped island, so -hollow in its centre that once it might have been the crater of some -volcano, or perhaps a mere ridge of land inclosing a lagoon. This -island measured about ten miles in length by six across at its widest, -and seemed to float like a huge green leaf upon the lake, the Holy -Waters of these Indians, of which the circumference is so great that -even from the summit of the pyramid, a few small and rocky islets -excepted, land was only visible to the north, whence we had sailed on -the previous night. Elsewhere the eye met nothing but blue expanses of -inland sea, limitless and desolate, unrelieved by any sail or sign of -life. Amidst these waters the island gleamed like an emerald. Here -were gardens filled with gorgeous flowers and clumps of beautiful -palms and willows, framed by banks of dense green reeds that grew in -the shallows around the shores. So luxuriant was the vegetation, -fertilised year by year with the rich mud of the lake, and so lovely -were the trees and flowers in the soft light of the morning, that the -place seemed like a paradise rather than a home of men; and as was the -island, so was the city that was built upon one end of it. -</p> - -<p> -Following the lines of the land upon which it stood, it was -heart-shaped—a heart of cold, white marble lying within a heart of -glowing green. All about it ran a moat filled with water from the -lake, and on the hither side of this moat stood a wall fifty feet or -more in height, built of great blocks of white limestone that formed -the bed-rock of the island, which wall was everywhere sculptured with -allegorical devices and designs, and the gigantic figures of gods. -Within the oblong of this wall lay the city; a city of palaces, -pyramids, and temples, or rather the remains of it, for we could see -at a glance that the population was unable to keep so many streets and -edifices in repair. Thus palm-trees were to be found growing through -the flat roofs of houses, and in crevices of the temple-pyramids, -while many of the streets and avenues were green with grass and ferns, -a narrow pathway in the centre of them showing how few were the feet -of the passers-by. Even in the great square beneath us the signs of -traffic were rare, and there was little of the bustle of a people -engaged in the business of life, although this very place had been the -scene of last night’s feast, and would again soon be filled with men -and women flocking to the pyramid. Now and again some graceful, -languid girl, a reed basket in her hand, might be seen visiting the -booths, where rations of fish from the lake, or of meal, fruit, dried -venison, and cocoa, were distributed according to the wants of each -family. Or perhaps a party of men, on their way to labour in the -gardens, stopped to smoke and talk together in a fashion that showed -time to be of little value to them. Here and there also a few—a very -few—children played together with flowers for toys in the shadow of -the palaces, barracks, and store-houses which bordered the central -square; but this was all, for the rest the place seemed empty and -asleep. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch16"> -CHAPTER XVI.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">ON THE PYRAMID</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -“<span class="sc">Does</span> not the city lie very low?” I asked of Maya, when we had -studied the prospect on every side. “To my eye its houses seem almost -upon a level with the waters of the lake.” -</p> - -<p> -“I believe that is so,” she answered. “Moreover, during those months -of the year that are coming, the surface of the lake rises many feet, -so that the greater part of the island is submerged and the water -stands about the wall.” -</p> - -<p> -“How, then, do you prevent the town from being flooded?” asked the -señor. “If once the water flowed in, the place would vanish and every -soul be drowned.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, friend, but the waters never rise beyond a certain height, and -they are kept from flooding the city by the great sluice-gate. If that -gate were to be opened in the time of inundation, then we should -perish, every one. But it never is opened during those months, for if -any would leave or enter the city they do so by means of ladders -leading from the summit of the wall to floating landing-stages on the -moat beneath. Also night and day the gate is guarded; moreover, it can -be moved from one place only by those that know its secret, who are -few.” -</p> - -<p> -“It seems a strange place to build a city,” answered the señor. “I do -not think that I should ever sleep sound during the months of -inundation, knowing that my life depended upon a single gate.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet men have slept safely here for a thousand years or more,” she -said. “Legend tells us that our ancestors who came up from the coast -in ancient days settled on the island by command of their gods, -choosing this hollow bed of land to build in, so that rather than -submit themselves to foes, as their fathers were forced to do in the -country beyond the mountains, they could, if need were, flood the -place and perish in the water. For this reason it is that the holy -sanctuary of the Nameless god, the Heart of Heaven, is hollowed deep -in the rock beneath us, for the waters of the lake would flow in upon -it at a touch, burying it and all its treasures from the sight of man -for ever. Now, if you have seen enough, I will take you to visit the -public workshops where fish is dried, linen woven, and all other -industries carried on that are necessary to our comfort,”—and, -turning, she led the way with her ladies towards the head of the -stairs. -</p> - -<p> -As we drew near to it, however, three men appeared upon the platform, -in one of whom I knew Tikal. Seeing Maya he advanced toward her, -bowing as he came. -</p> - -<p> -“Lady,” he said, “learning that you were here with these strangers, I -have followed you to beg that you will speak with me alone for some -few minutes.” -</p> - -<p> -“That I cannot do, cousin,” she answered coldly, “for who knows what -colour might afterwards be put upon my words. If you have anything to -say to me, say it before us all.” -</p> - -<p> -“That <i>I</i> cannot do,” he replied, “for what I have to say is secret. -Still, for your father’s sake, and perhaps for your own, you will do -well to hear it.” -</p> - -<p> -“Without a witness I will not listen to you, Tikal.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then, Lady, farewell,” he said, and turned to go. -</p> - -<p> -“Stay, cousin. If you fear to speak before our own people, let this -stranger—” and she pointed to me, Ignatio—“be present at our talk. -He is of our blood, and can understand our tongue, a discreet man, -moreover, one of the Brethren of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“One of the Brethren of the Heart? How can a stranger be a Brother of -the Heart? Prove it to me, wanderer.” -</p> - -<p> -And, drawing me aside, he said certain words, which I answered, giving -him the signs. -</p> - -<p> -“Do you agree?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, Lady, since I must, though it pleases me little to open my mind -before a stranger. Let us step apart,”—and he walked to the centre of -the platform, followed by Maya and myself. -</p> - -<p> -“Lady,” he began, “my business with you is not easy to tell. For many -years we were affianced, and both you and your father promised that we -should be wed when you returned from this journey——” -</p> - -<p> -“Surely, as things are, cousin, it is needless to discuss the matter -of our betrothal,” she broke in with sarcasm. -</p> - -<p> -“Not altogether needless, Lady,” he answered. “I have much to ask your -pardon for, yet I make bold to ask it. Maya, you know well that I have -loved and love you dearly, and that no other woman has ever been near -my heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed,” she said with a laugh, “these words sound strange in the -mouth of the new-made husband of Nahua.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps, Lady, and yet they are true. I am married to Nahua, but I do -not love her, though she loves me. It is you whom I love, and when I -saw you yesterday all my heart went out to you, so that I almost hated -the fair bride at my side.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why, then, did you marry her?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because I must, and because I believed you dead, and your father with -you, as did every man in the city. You and Zibalbay being dead, as I -thought, was it wonderful that I should wish to keep the place that -many were plotting to take from me? This could be done in one way -only, by the help of Mattai, the most clever and the most powerful man -in the city, and this was Mattai’s price, that his daughter should -become the Lady of the Heart. Well, she loved me, she is beautiful, -and she has her father’s strength and foresight, so that among all the -ladies in the land there was none more fitted to be my wife.” -</p> - -<p> -“Well, and you married her, and there’s an end. You ask my -forgiveness, and you have it, seeing that it does not befit me to play -the part of a jealous woman. Doubtless time will soften the blow to -me, Tikal,” she added, mockingly. -</p> - -<p> -“There is not an end, Maya, and I come to ask you to-day to renew your -promise that you will be my wife.” -</p> - -<p> -“What, cousin! Having broken your troth, would you now offer me -insult? Do you then propose that I, the Daughter of the Heart, should -be Nahua’s handmaid?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, I propose that when Nahua is put away you should take her place -and your own.” -</p> - -<p> -“How can this be, seeing that the Lady of the Heart cannot be -divorced?” -</p> - -<p> -“If she ceases to be the Lady of the Heart she can be divorced like -any other woman; at the least, love has no laws, and I will find a -way.” -</p> - -<p> -“The way of death, perhaps. No, I will have none of you. Honour has -laws, Tikal, if love has none. Go back to your wife, and pray that she -may never learn how you would have treated her.” -</p> - -<p> -“Is that your last word, Lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you ask?” -</p> - -<p> -“Because more hangs on it than you know. Listen: Very soon all the men -in the city will be gathered on this place to hear your father’s -words, and to decide whether he or I shall rule. See, already they -assemble in the temple square. Promise to be my wife, and in return I -will yield to your father and he shall be master for his life’s days -and have his way in all things. Refuse, and I will cling to power, and -matters may go badly for him, for you, and—” he added threateningly, -“for these strangers, your friends.” -</p> - -<p> -“All this must befall as it chances,” she answered proudly, “I do not -meddle with such questions, nor do your threats move me. If you are so -base as to plot mischief against an old man who has poured benefits -upon you, plot on, and in due time meet with your reward, but for -myself I tell you that I have done with you, and that, come what may, -I will never be your wife.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps you may yet live to take back those words, Lady,” he said in -a quiet voice; then, with a low obeisance, he turned and went. -</p> - -<p> -“You have made a dangerous enemy, Lady,” I said, when he was out of -earshot. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not fear him, Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is well,” I answered, “but for my part I do. I think that his -plans are ready, and that before this day is done there will be -trouble. Indeed, I shall be thankful if we live to see to-morrow’s -light.” -</p> - -<p> -By this time we had reached the others. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you weary of waiting?” she said to the señor, giving him a sweet -look as she spoke. “Well, I should have been happier here than I was -yonder. Give me your hand and lead me down the stair, for I am tired. -Ah, friend, did you but know it, I have just dared more for your sake -than I should have done for my own.” -</p> - -<p> -“What have you dared?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -“That you will learn in due time, if we live long enough, friend,” she -answered, “but, oh! I would that we had never set foot within this -city.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Two hours had passed, and, following in the train of Zibalbay and -Maya, who walked beside him, once more we found ourselves upon the -summit of the pyramid. Now, however, it was no longer empty, for on it -were collected men to the number of some thousands; indeed, all the -adult male population of the city. On one side of the altar were -seated Tikal, his bride Nahua, who was the only woman there, and some -hundreds of nobles, all of whom, I noted, were armed and guarded by a -body of soldiers that stood behind them. On the other side were many -vacant places; and as Zibalbay, with Maya and all the great company of -followers that he had gathered, advanced to take them, Tikal and every -man present on the pyramid uncovered their heads and bowed in greeting -to him. -</p> - -<p> -After a few moments’ pause, two priests came forward from the -watch-house behind the altar, and, having laid upon it an offering of -fresh flowers, the elder of them, who was robed in pure white, uttered -a short prayer to the Nameless god, the Heart of Heaven, asking that -he would be pleased to accept the gift, and to send a blessing upon -the deliberations of his people here assembled. Then Zibalbay rose to -address the multitude, and I noted that his fierce face was pale and -anxious, and that his hand shook, although his eyes flashed angrily: -</p> - -<p> -“Nobles and people of the City of the Heart,” he began, “on this day a -year ago, I, your hereditary ruler and <i>cacique</i>, and the high-priest -of the Heart of Heaven, left this city on a certain mission. This was -my mission: To find the severed portion of the sacred symbol that lies -in the sanctuary of the temple, the portion that is called Day, which -has been lost for many an age. You know that our race has fallen upon -evil times, and that, year by year, our numbers dwindle, till at -length the end of the people is in sight, seeing that within some few -generations they must die out and be forgotten. You know also the -ancient prophecy, that when once more the two halves of the Symbol of -the Heart, Day and Night, are laid side by side, in their place upon -the altar in the sanctuary, then, from that hour, this people shall -grow great again; and you know how a voice spoke to me, in answer to -my prayers, bidding me, Zibalbay, to wander forth from the country of -the Heart, following the road to the sea, for there I should find that -which was lost. -</p> - -<p> -“Thither, then, having won the permission of my Council, the -Brotherhood of the Heart, I have wandered alone with my daughter, the -Lady Maya, suffering much hardship and danger in my journeyings, and -lo! I have found that which was lost, and brought it back to you, for -here it hangs upon the neck of this Ignatio, who has accompanied me -from the lands beyond the desert.” -</p> - -<p> -Now a murmur of astonishment went up from the multitude, and Zibalbay -paused awhile. -</p> - -<p> -“Of this matter of the finding of the symbol,” he continued, “I will -speak more fully at the proper time, and to those who have a right to -hear it, namely, to the elected Brotherhood of the Heart, in the holy -Sanctuary, on the day of the Rising of Waters, being one of the eight -days in each year on which it is lawful for the Council of the Heart -to meet in the Sanctuary. But first in this hour I will deal with -other questions. -</p> - -<p> -“It is known to you that, when I went upon my mission, I left my -nephew Tikal to sit in my place, it being agreed between us and the -Council that if I should return no more within two years he should -become <i>cacique</i> of the people. I have returned within one year, and I -find this: That already he has allowed himself to be anointed -<i>cacique</i>, and more, that he, who was affianced to my daughter, has -taken another woman to be his wife. Last night with my own ears I -heard him proclaim his treachery in the hall of the palace, and when I -spoke out the bitterness that was in my heart, I, your lord, was met -with threats, and told that Tikal, having been anointed, could not now -be deposed. I use the saying against him. Nobles, have I not been -anointed, and ruled over you and the people for many years, and can I -then be deposed,—I, who am not a traitor to my master, nor a -forswearer of my oaths, as is my nephew yonder?” -</p> - -<p> -Again he paused, and some of the audience, with those who had -accompanied Zibalbay, shouted “No;” but the most of them looked -towards Tikal and were silent. Now Mattai rose from his place behind -Tikal and spoke, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“As one who had to do with the anointing of Tikal to be <i>cacique</i> when -we believed you and the Lady Maya to be dead, I would ask you, -Zibalbay, before we on this side of the altar answer you, to tell us -openly what is the meaning of this journey that you have undertaken, -and for what purpose you have brought these two strangers, who are -named Ignatio and Son of the Sea, with you, in defiance of the ancient -law, which says that he who brings a stranger across the mountains -into the land of the City of the Heart shall die, together with the -stranger.” -</p> - -<p> -Now, when Zibalbay heard this question he started, for he had -forgotten this law, and saw the cunning trap that Mattai had spread -for his feet. Nevertheless he answered boldly, since it was his nature -to be outspoken and straightforward. -</p> - -<p> -“It becomes you ill, Mattai, to question me,—you who have proved -yourself a plotter and a lying prophet, reading in the stars that I -and my daughter were dead, while we still draw the breath of life -beneath them. Yet I will answer you, and, scorning subterfuge or -falsehood, set out the whole matter in the hearing of the people, that -they may judge between me, your party, and your master. First, I will -say that I had forgotten the law of which you speak, whereof I have -broken the letter, or, if at any time I remembered it, my necessities -caused me to disregard it. Learn, then, that the stranger Ignatio is -of royal Indian blood, and the holder of that symbol which I went -forth to seek, and that the white man whom you call Son of the Sea is -as a brother to him, and that both of them are of the fellowship of -the Heart, the Lord Ignatio being no less a man than the master of the -order in yonder lands, as I am here. This Lord Ignatio I summoned to -me, and he came. He came, and with his companion, Son of the Sea, -saved me and my daughter from shame and death at the hands of certain -murderers, white men. Then, when we had escaped, we tried each other, -and laid the symbols side by side, and, lo! Day and Night came -together and they were one. Then, also, I told him the story of how it -happened that I was wandering far from my own place, and he told me -what was his purpose and the desire of his life. -</p> - -<p> -“This is his purpose—to break the yoke that the white man has set -upon the neck of the Indians in the far lands, and to build up a -mighty Indian nation stretching from sea to sea, whereof this city, -Heart of the World, shall be the centre and the capital. Then we made -a compact together, a compact that cannot be broken, and it was this: -That the Lord Ignatio, with the white man, his companion, from whom he -will not be separated, should accompany us here, where the symbols -should be set in the appointed place, that the prophecy may be -fulfilled and fortune return to us: That I should give to him so much -as he may need of the treasures which lie useless in our storehouses, -wherewith he may arm troops and bring about his ends, and that in -return he should bring to us what we need far more than gold and -gems—men and women with whom we may intermarry, so that our race, -ceasing to dwindle, may once again multiply and grow great. -</p> - -<p> -“Such, nobles, is our compact, and this is the path which the god who -rules us has pointed out for our feet to tread. Accept it and grow -great—refuse it and perish. For know that not for myself do I speak, -who am old and near to death, but for you and your posterity for ever. -Be not bewildered or amazed, for, though these things are new to you, -it may well chance that after the Council of the Heart has been -celebrated in the Sanctuary on the night of the Rising of Waters, the -god whom we worship, the Nameless god under whose guidance all these -things have come about, will reveal his purpose by the mouth of his -oracle, and show what part these strangers and each of us shall play -in the fate that is to be. Oh! nobles, and my people, let not your -sight be dimmed nor your heart hardened, and put not away the fortune -and the future that lie before you. I have dared much for your sake; -dare a little for your own. Shut your ears and your gates and rise in -rebellion against me, and I tell you that soon there shall remain of -you and of your glorious home scarcely a memory; but be gentle and be -guided by my wisdom and the will of your gods, and your fame and power -shall cover the world; ay! you shall be to what you were as is the sun -in all its glory to some faint and fading star. I have spoken—now -choose.” -</p> - -<p> -He ceased and for a while there was silence, the silence of amaze, for -the nobles stared each on each, and such of the common people as were -within earshot stood gaping at him with open mouths, since to them who -did not meddle in matters of polity, and, indeed, thought little for -themselves, his words had small meaning. Presently it was broken, and -by Tikal, who sprang from his seat and cried aloud: -</p> - -<p> -“Of a truth they were wise who said that this old man was mad. Have -you heard and understood, O people of the Heart? This is what you must -do to fulfil the will of Zibalbay: First, you must set him in his -place again, giving him all power, and me you must condemn to death or -chains; next, you must pardon him his breaches of the law,—the law -that he of all men was bound to keep. Then you must hand over your -treasures—the treasures hoarded by your forefathers for many a -generation—to these wandering thieves whom he has brought with him; -and, lastly, you must open your gates, which have been kept secret for -a thousand years, to other thieves that they shall lead here, to whom, -forsooth, you must give your women in marriage that the race may be -increased. Say, will you do these things, children of the Heart?” -</p> - -<p> -Now all the nobles who stood behind Tikal shouted “Never!” and the -people beyond took up the cry with a voice of thunder, though the most -of them understood little of what was passing. -</p> - -<p> -Tikal held up his hand, and there was silence. -</p> - -<p> -“You will not do them,” he said, “and base indeed were you had you -answered otherwise. What, then, will you do? Tell me, first, whom do -you choose as your ruler, my uncle, who now is mad and would bring you -to shame and ruin; or me, who have sworn to preserve your ancient -laws?” -</p> - -<p> -“We choose you, Tikal, Tikal!” came the answer. -</p> - -<p> -“I thank you,” he cried, “but what then shall be done with this old -man, and those whom he has brought with him to spy out our secrets and -to rob us?” -</p> - -<p> -“Kill them before the altar!” they shouted, waving their swords. -</p> - -<p> -Tikal thought for a moment, then pointed towards us and said, -</p> - -<p> -“Seize these men.” -</p> - -<p> -At his word a hundred or more of the nobles, who evidently had been -instructed to execute his orders, rushed at us suddenly. As they came -across the open space I saw the señor put his hand to his belt, and -said to him: -</p> - -<p> -“For the love of God! do not strike, for should you touch one of them -they will certainly kill us.” -</p> - -<p> -“That they will do in any case,—but as you wish,” he answered. -</p> - -<p> -Then they broke on us. As they came, all those nobles who had followed -Zibalbay to the crest of the pyramid gave way before their rush, -leaving the three of us and the Lady Maya standing alone. -</p> - -<p> -“Cowards!” said Zibalbay, glancing behind him. Then he drew his -<i>machete</i> and with a shout cut down the foremost of those who assailed -us—a great noble. In another instant the weapon was struck from him, -and the señor and I were being dragged towards the altar, followed by -Zibalbay and the Lady Maya, upon whom, however, our assailants laid no -hand. -</p> - -<p> -“What shall we do with these men?” cried Tikal again. -</p> - -<p> -And again the nobles answered, “Kill them!” -</p> - -<p> -So they threw us down, and men came at us with swords to make an end -of us, which indeed they would have done quickly, had not the Lady -Maya sprung forward, and, standing over the señor, cried, “Hold!” in -so piercing a voice that they stayed their hands. -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, people of the Heart,” she said, “would you do murder upon -your own holy altar, staining it with the blood of innocent men? You -talk of broken laws. Is there not a law in the city that none can be -put to death except after trial before the <i>cacique</i> and his Council? -Have these men been tried, and if so, by whom? You say that my father, -your lawful ruler, is deposed. If that is so, not Tikal, but I, who am -his heir, rule in his stead, and I have passed no judgment on them.” -</p> - -<p> -Now at her words there was a murmur of mingled doubt and applause, but -Tikal answered her, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Lady, the law you quote holds good for you, for your father, and for -every citizen of the Heart, however humble; but in the case of these -men it does not hold, for they are wandering strangers and spies, who -can claim no protection from our justice, and therefore it is right -that they should die.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is not right that they should die,” she answered passionately. -“You, Tikal, have usurped my father’s place, and now you would -celebrate the beginning of your rule by a deed of the foulest murder. -I tell you that these men are innocent of all offence. If any are -guilty it is my father and I, and if any should suffer we should -suffer. More,” she went on, with flashing eyes, “if these men to whom -we have sworn safe-conduct must die, then for my part I will die with -them, and whether I pass by your hands or by my own, may the curse of -my blood rest upon you for ever and for ever.” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke she snatched a knife from her jewelled girdle, and stood -before them, its bare blade glittering in the sunlight, looking so -beautiful and fierce that the nobles fell back from her, and hundreds -of the people applauded, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Hear the Lady Maya, and obey her. She is <i>cacique</i>, and no other.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Zibalbay, who had covered his eyes with his hands, looked up and -said: -</p> - -<p> -“You are right, daughter. Since the people reject us, and we cannot -even protect our guests, it is best that we should die with them,” and -once more he covered his eyes with his hands. -</p> - -<p> -Then there came a pause and a sound of whispering. I looked up between -the sword-blades which were pointed at my throat, and saw that Nahua -was standing at the side of her lord, and pleading with him. They were -so close to me that my hearing, always keen, being sharpened moreover -by the fear of instant death, enabled me to catch some of their talk. -</p> - -<p> -“She will do what she says,” said Nahua, “and that will be your ruin; -for if her father is hated, she is beloved, and many will arise to -avenge her.” -</p> - -<p> -“Why should she kill herself because of a white wanderer?” he asked. -</p> - -<p> -Nahua shrugged her shoulders, and smiled darkly, as she answered: -</p> - -<p> -“Who can tell; he is her friend, and women have been known to give -their lives for their friends. Do as you will, but if Maya dies I do -not think that we shall live to see another dawn,” and, leaving his -side, she sought her chair again. -</p> - -<p> -Now Tikal looked at the señor, who was stretched upon the ground -beside me, and seeing that there was hate in his eyes I trembled, -thinking that the end had come, then turned my head aside, and began -to commend my soul to the care of Heaven. As I prayed he spoke, -addressing himself to Maya: -</p> - -<p> -“Lady,” he said, “you have appealed to the law on behalf of these -wanderers, of your father, and of yourself, and by the law you shall -be dealt with. To-morrow the judges shall be chosen, and hold their -court here before the people.” -</p> - -<p> -“It cannot be, Tikal,” she answered calmly, “there is but one court -which can try us four, all of whom are Brethren of the Heart, and that -is the Council of the Heart sitting in the Sanctuary, which assembles -on the eighth day from now, on the night of the Rising of Waters. Is -it not so, nobles?” -</p> - -<p> -“If you are of the number of the Brethren of the Heart, all of you, it -is so,” they answered. -</p> - -<p> -“So be it,” said Tikal; “but till then I must hold you in -safe-keeping. Will it please you to follow Mattai, Lady, and you, my -Lord Zibalbay. Guards, bring these men to the watch-house yonder, and -keep them there till I come to you.” -</p> - -<p> -Maya bowed, and, turning to the audience, she said in a clear voice, -“Farewell, my people. If we are seen no more you will know that my -father and I have been done to death by Tikal, who has usurped our -place, and to you I leave it to take vengeance for our blood.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch17"> -CHAPTER XVII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE CURSE OF ZIBALBAY</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Thankful</span> enough was I to rise from the ground feeling my life whole -in me. -</p> - -<p> -“Death has been near to us,” said the señor with something between a -sob and a laugh, as we followed Zibalbay and Maya into the -guard-house. -</p> - -<p> -“He is near to us still,” I answered, “but at least, unless Tikal -changes his mind, we have won some days of respite.” -</p> - -<p> -“Thanks to her,” he said, nodding towards Maya, and as he spoke we -entered the guard-house, a small chamber with a massive door, somewhat -roughly furnished. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as we were in, the door was shut upon us, and we found -ourselves alone. Zibalbay sat himself down, and, fixing his eyes upon -the wall, stared at it as though it offered no hindrance to his sight, -but the rest of us stood together near the door, listening to the -turmoil of the multitude without. Clearly argument ran high among -them, for we could hear the sound of angry voices, of shouting, and of -the hurrying footfalls of the people leaving the pyramid by way of the -great stair. -</p> - -<p> -“You have saved our lives for a while, for which we owe you thanks,” -said the señor to Maya presently, “but tell me, what will they do -with us now?” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot say,” she answered, “but in this pyramid are chambers where -we shall be hidden away until our day of trial. At the least I think -so, for they dare not let us out among the people, lest we should -cause a tumult in the city.” -</p> - -<p> -Before the words had left her lips the door was opened, and through it -came Tikal, Mattai, and other of the great lords who were hostile to -Zibalbay. -</p> - -<p> -“What is your pleasure with us?” asked Zibalbay, awaking from his -dream. -</p> - -<p> -“That you should follow me,” answered Tikal sternly, “you and the -others,”—adding, with a low bow to Maya, “forgive me, Lady, that I -must exercise this violence towards you and your father, but I have no -other choice if I would save you from the vengeance of the people.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is not the vengeance of the people that we have to fear, Tikal,” -she answered quietly, “but rather your hate.” -</p> - -<p> -“Which it is in your power to appease, lady,” he said in a low voice. -</p> - -<p> -“It may be in my power, but it is not in my will,” she answered, -setting her lips. “Come, cousin, take us to the dungeon that you have -prepared for us.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you wish,” he said; “follow me.” And he led the way across the -guard-house, through a sleeping-chamber of the priests that lay behind -it, to the further wall that was hidden by a curtain. -</p> - -<p> -This curtain, on being drawn, revealed a small stone door, which -Mattai, having first lit some lamps that stood ready in the chamber, -unlocked with a key which hung at his girdle. One by one we passed -through the door, Tikal preceding us, and Mattai, with others of the -great lords, to the number of six, following after us. Beyond the door -lay a flight of twenty steps, then came a gate of copper bars. On the -further side of this gate were flight upon flight of steps, joined -together by landings, and running, now in this direction now in that, -into the bowels of the mighty pyramid. At length, when my limbs were -weary of descending so many stairs, we found ourselves in front of -other gates, larger and more beautifully worked than those that we had -already passed. Presently they clanged behind us, and we stood in a -vast apartment or hall that was built in the heart of the pyramid. It -would seem that this hall had been made ready for our coming, for it -was lighted with many silver lamps, and in one part of it rugs were -laid and on them stood tables and seats. So great was the place that -the light of the lamps shone in it only as stars shine in the sky, -still, as we passed down it, we saw that its roof was vaulted, and -that its walls and floor were of white marble finely polished. Once, -as we learned afterwards, it had served as the assembly-rooms for the -priests of the temple, but now that they were so few it was not used, -except from time to time as a prison for offenders of high rank. At -intervals along its length were doors leading to sleeping and other -chambers. Some of the doors were open, and as we passed them Mattai -told us that these were to be our bed-chambers. Then, having announced -that food would be brought to us, the nobles, headed by Tikal, -withdrew, and we heard the copper gates clash and the echo of their -footsteps die into nothingness upon the endless stairs. -</p> - -<p> -For a while we stood staring at each other in silence. It was Zibalbay -who broke it, and his voice rang strangely in the vaulted place. -</p> - -<p> -“It is his hour now,” he said, shaking his fists towards the stair by -which Tikal had left us, “but let him pray that mine may never come,” -and suddenly he turned and, walking to a couch, flung himself upon it -and buried his face in his hands. -</p> - -<p> -Maya followed him and, bending down, strove to comfort him, but he -waved her away and she came back to us. -</p> - -<p> -“This is a gloomy place,” said the señor, in a half whisper, for here -one scarcely dared to speak aloud because of the echoes that ran about -the walls, “but, dark though it is, it seems safer than the summit of -the pyramid, where sword-points are so many,” and he pointed to a -little cut upon his throat. -</p> - -<p> -“It is safe enough,” Maya answered, with a bitter laugh, “and safely -will it keep our bones till the world’s end, for through those gates -and the men that guard them there is no escape, and the death that -threatened us in the sunshine shall overtake us in the shadow. Did I -not warn you against this mad quest and the seeking of the city of my -people? I warned you both, and you would not listen, and now the -trouble is at hand and your lives will pay the forfeit for your folly -and my father’s.” -</p> - -<p> -“What must be, must be,” answered the señor with a sigh, “but for my -part I hope that the worst is past and that they will not kill us. It -was your father’s rashness which brought these evils on us, and -perhaps misfortune may teach him wisdom.” -</p> - -<p> -“Never,” she answered, shaking her head, “for they are right; on this -matter he is mad, as you, Ignatio, are mad also. Come, let us look at -our prison, for I have not seen it till this hour,” and, taking one of -the hand-lamps that stood near, she walked down the length of the -hall. At its further end were gates similar to those by which we had -entered, and through them came a draught of air. -</p> - -<p> -“Where do they lead?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know,” she answered, “perhaps to the Sanctuary by a secret -way. At least the pyramid is full of these chambers, that in old days -were used for many things, such as the storage of corn and weapons, -and the burying-places of priests, thousands of whom are at rest -within it. Now they are empty and deserted.” -</p> - -<p> -As we walked back again I stopped before a wooden door that stood -ajar, leading into one of the chambers of which I have spoken. -</p> - -<p> -“Let us go in,” said Maya, pushing it open, and we entered, to find -ourselves in a small room lined with shelves. On these shelves, each -of which was numbered, lay hundreds of rolls thickly covered with -dust. Maya took up one of them at a hazard and unrolled the parchment, -revealing a manuscript beautifully executed in the picture-painting of -the Indians. -</p> - -<p> -“This must be nearly a thousand years old,” she said; “I know it by -the style of the painting. Well, we shall not lack history to read -while we sojourn here,” and she threw the priceless roll back on to -its shelf and left the chamber. -</p> - -<p> -A few steps further on we came to another room of which the door was -closed, but so rotten was the woodwork with age that a push freed it -from its fastenings, and we entered. Here also there were shelves, -packed some of them with yellow and some with white bars of metal. -</p> - -<p> -“Copper and lead,” said the señor glancing at them. -</p> - -<p> -“Not so,” answered Maya with a laugh, “but that which you white men -covet, gold and silver. Look what is painted above the shelves,” and -she held up the lamp and read: “Pure metal from the southern mines, -set apart for the service of the Temple of the Heart, and of the -Temples of the East and West. Of gold—such a weight; of silver—such -a weight.” -</p> - -<p> -I stared and my eyes grew greedy, for here in this one room, neglected -and forgotten, was enough wealth to carry out my purpose three times -over, stored there by the forefathers of this strange rust-eaten race. -Ah, if only I could see one half of it safe across the mountains, how -great might be my future and that of the people which I lived to -serve. -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps you may win it after all, Ignatio,” said Maya, interpreting -my thoughts, “but, to be frank, I fear that you will gain nothing -except a sepulchre in these gloomy vaults.” -</p> - -<p> -After this we visited several chambers that were empty, or filled only -with the wreck of moth-eaten tapestries and curious furnitures, till -at length we came to a room, or rather a large cupboard, piled from -floor to ceiling with golden vessels of the most quaint and ancient -workmanship, which had been discarded by the priests and cast aside as -worthless,—why, I do not know. In front of this gleaming pile stood a -chest, unlocked, that the señor opened. It was packed with priestly -ornaments of gold, set with great emeralds. Maya picked out a belt -from the box and gave it to me, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Take it, Ignatio, since you love such trinkets. It will set off that -robe of yours.” -</p> - -<p> -I took it and put it on, not over my robe, but beneath it. My friend, -it is the clasp of that belt, which now is yours, that I showed you a -while ago, and with the price of the other gems in it I bought this -<i>hacienda</i> and all its lands. -</p> - -<p> -Wearied at length by the sight of so much useless treasure, we -returned to Zibalbay, who was seated as we had left him, lost in -thought. -</p> - -<p> -At this moment the gates of our prison were opened, and men came -through them, escorted by captains of the guard, bringing with them -food in plenty, which they set upon the table, waiting on us while we -ate, but speaking no word, good or bad. Our meal finished, they -cleared away the fragments, and, having replenished the lamps and -prepared the chambers for us to sleep in, they bowed and left us. For -a while we sat round the table, Zibalbay and I in silence, and Maya -and the señor talking together in a low voice, till at length the -dreariness of the place overcame us, and, as though by a common -impulse, we rose and sought the sleeping-vaults, there to rest, if we -might. -</p> - -<p> -We slept, and woke, and rose again, though whether it was night or day -here, where no light came, we could not tell; indeed, as time went on, -our only means of distinguishing the one from the other was by the -visits of those who brought our food and waited on us. -</p> - -<p> -I think it must have been in the early afternoon of the day following -that on which we were imprisoned, that Tikal visited us, accompanied -only by four guards. -</p> - -<p> -“A small band,” said the señor as he watched them advance, “but -enough to put us to death, who are unarmed” (for all our weapons had -been taken from us), “if such should be their will.” -</p> - -<p> -“Have no fear, friend,” said Maya, “they will not do murder so -openly.” -</p> - -<p> -By now Tikal stood before us, bowing, and Zibalbay, who as usual was -seated brooding at the table, looked up and saw him. -</p> - -<p> -“What do you seek, traitor?” he asked angrily, the blood flushing -beneath his withered skin. “Would you kill us? If so, slay on, for -thus shall I come the sooner to the bosom of that god whose vengeance -I call down upon you.” -</p> - -<p> -“I am no murderer, Zibalbay,” answered Tikal with dignity. “If you -die, it will be by the command of the law that you have broken, and -not by mine. I am here to speak with you, if you will come apart with -me.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then speak on before these others, or leave your words unsaid,” he -answered, “for not one step will I stir with you, who doubtless seek -some opportunity to stab me in the back.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet it is necessary that you should hear what I have to say, -Zibalbay.” -</p> - -<p> -“Say on then, traitor, or go.” -</p> - -<p> -Tikal thought for a while, looking doubtfully at Maya, from whose fair -face, indeed, he rarely took his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“Is it your wish that I should withdraw?” she asked shortly. -</p> - -<p> -“It is not mine,” said Zibalbay; “stay where you are, daughter.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Tikal hesitated no longer, but, bidding the guards who had -accompanied him to fall back out of earshot, he said: -</p> - -<p> -“Listen, Zibalbay; yesterday, before the gathering on the pyramid, I -saw your daughter, the Lady Maya, and spoke with her, telling her that -now, as always, I loved her, although, believing her to be dead, for -reasons of state I had taken another woman to be my wife. Then I made -her this offer: That if she would consent to become my wife I would -put away Nahua, whom I had married. Moreover, I added this, that I -would give up my place as <i>cacique</i> to you, Zibalbay, whose it is by -right, to hold for so long as you should live, and would not oppose -you or your policy in any matter. I told her, on the other hand, that -if she refused to become my wife, I would surrender nothing, but would -put out my strength to crush you and her and these strangers, your -friends. She answered me with contempt, saying that I might do my -worst, but she would have naught to say to me. What happened -afterwards you know, Zibalbay, and you know also the danger in which -you stand to-day, now that power has left you, and your very life -trembles in the balance.” -</p> - -<p> -He paused, and Zibalbay, who had been listening to his words amazed, -turned to Maya and said sternly: -</p> - -<p> -“Does this man speak lies, daughter?” -</p> - -<p> -As she was about to answer,—though what she meant to say I do not -know,—Tikal broke in: -</p> - -<p> -“What is the use of asking her, Zibalbay? Is it to be thought that she -will answer you truly, though that I speak truth this wanderer who -stands at your side can bear witness, for he was present and heard my -words. This offer I made to her, and, that it may be put beyond a -doubt, now I make it to her and to you again. If she will take me in -marriage, for her sake I will put away Nahua; I will lay down my rule -and set you in your place again, with liberty, so long as you shall -live, to work such follies as the gods may suffer. All these things I -will do because I love her to whom I have been affianced from my youth -up, better than them all, because she is as the light to mine eyes and -the breath to my nostrils, and without her I have no joy in life, as I -have had none since I believed her to be dead.” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay heard, and, rising, lifted his hand to the vault above him, -and said: -</p> - -<p> -“I thank thee, O god, who, in answer to my prayers, hast shown me a -way of escape from the troubles that beset me. Tikal, it shall be as -you wish, and we will swear our peace upon the altar of the Heart. -Doubtless there will be trouble with Mattai and some of his following, -but if we stand together they can be overcome. Rejoice with me, -Ignatio, my friend, for now the seed that we have planted with so much -labour shall bring forth golden fruit.” -</p> - -<p> -Here I heard the señor groan with doubt and wrath behind me, and knew -that, like so many others, this vision which filled my mind with glory -must be brought to nothing because of the fancy of a woman. -</p> - -<p> -“Your pardon, Zibalbay,” I interrupted, “the Lady Maya has not -spoken.” -</p> - -<p> -“Spoken!” he exclaimed. “Why, what should she say?” -</p> - -<p> -“What I said to my cousin Tikal yesterday,” she answered, setting her -lips, and speaking very low,—“that I will have nothing to do with -him.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nothing to do with him, girl! Nothing to do with him! Why he is your -affianced; you do not understand?” -</p> - -<p> -“I understand well, father, but for naught that can be offered to me -upon the earth will I give myself in marriage to a man who has treated -you and me as my cousin Tikal has done,—a man who could not keep his -oath to you, or wait for me one single year.” -</p> - -<p> -“Cease to be foolish,” said Zibalbay. “Tikal has erred, no doubt; but -now he would make atonement for his error, and if I can forgive him, -so can you. Think no more of the girl’s folly, Tikal, but send for ink -and parchment and let us set down our contract, for I am old and have -little time to lose; and perhaps, before another year is gone, that -which you would have snatched by force shall come to you by right.” -</p> - -<p> -“I have the paper here, lord,” said Tikal, drawing a roll from his -breast; “but, pardon me, does the Lady Maya consent?” -</p> - -<p> -“Aye, aye, she consents.” -</p> - -<p> -“I do <i>not</i> consent, father, and if you drag me to the altar with -yonder man, I will cry out to the people to protect me, or, failing -their aid, I will seek refuge in death,—by my own hand if need be.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Zibalbay turned upon his daughter, trembling with rage, but, -checking himself of a sudden, he said: -</p> - -<p> -“Tikal, for the moment this girl of mine is mad; leave us, and come -back in some few hours, when you shall find her of another mind. Go -now, I pray, before words are said that cannot be forgotten.” -</p> - -<p> -Tikal turned and went, and, until the gates at the far end of the hall -had clashed behind him and his guards, there was silence. -</p> - -<p> -Then Zibalbay spoke to his daughter. -</p> - -<p> -“Girl,” he said, “I know your heart and that your lips spoke a lie, -when you told us that it was because of Tikal’s forgetfulness of his -vow and troth that you will not marry him. There is another reason of -which you have not spoken. This white man, who in his own country is -named James Strickland, is the reason. You have suffered yourself to -look on him with longing, and you cannot pluck his image from your -breast. Do I not speak truth?” -</p> - -<p> -“You speak truth, father,” she answered, placing her hand in that of -the señor as she said the words. “To you, at least, I will not lie.” -</p> - -<p> -“I thank you, daughter. Now, hear me; I am sorry for your plight and -for that of the white man, if indeed he would make of you anything -more than his toy, but here your wishes must give way to the common -good. Who and what are you that your whims should stand between me and -the fulfilment of my lifelong desire, between your people and their -redemption? Must all these things come to nothing because of the -fancies of a love-sick girl, whose poor beauty, as it chances by -favour of the gods, can avail to bring them about?” -</p> - -<p> -“It seems so, father,” she said, “seeing that in this matter my duty -to myself and to him who loves me, and whom I love, is higher than my -duty to you and to your scheme. Everything else you, who are my -father, may require of me, even to my life, but my honour is my own.” -</p> - -<p> -“What shall I say to this headstrong girl?” gasped Zibalbay. “Speak, -White Man, and tell me that you renounce her, for surely your heart is -not so wicked that it will lead you to consent to this folly, and to -your own undoing to stand between her and her destiny.” -</p> - -<p> -Now all eyes were fixed upon the señor, who turned pale in the -lamplight and answered slowly: -</p> - -<p> -“Zibalbay, I grieve to vex you, but your daughter’s destiny and mine -are one, nor can I command her to forsake me and give herself in -marriage to a man she hates.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet it seems that you could command her to break her plighted troth -for your sake, O most honourable White Man,” said Zibalbay with a -bitter laugh. “Hearken, friend Ignatio, for you at least are not in -love, tell your brother there and this rebellious girl which way their -duty lies. Teach them that we are sent here to dwell upon the earth -for higher ends than the satisfying of our own desires. Stay, before -you speak, remember that with this matter your own fate is interwoven. -Remember how you have suffered and striven for many years, remember -all you have undergone to win what to-day lies in your grasp, the -wealth that shall enable you to carry out your purposes. There, in -those vaults, it lies to your hand, and if that be not enough I will -give you more. Take it, Ignatio, take it to bribe your enemies and pay -your armies, and become a king, a righteous king, crowned by heaven to -complete the destinies of our race. Say such words as shall bend this -girl and her lover to our will, and triumph; or fail to say them, and -some few days hence meet the end of a thief at the hands of Tikal. Now -speak.” -</p> - -<p> -I heard him, and my heart stood still within me. Alas! his words were -true, and now was the turning-point of my fate. If the girl would give -herself to Tikal, who was mad with love of her, all would be well, and -within three years the dream of my race might be fulfilled, and the -vengeance of generations accomplished upon the spawn of the accursed -Spaniard. There in those vaults, useless and forgotten, lay the -treasures that I needed, and yonder in Mexico were men in thousands -who by their means might be armed and led; but between me and them -stood the desire of this woman and the folly of my friend. Oh! truly -had my heart warned me against her when first I learned to know her -lovely face, having foreknowledge of the evil that she should bring -upon me. With her I could do nothing, for who can turn a woman from -her love or hate? But with my friend it was otherwise; he would listen -to me if I pleaded with him, seeing that not only my hopes but my very -life hung upon his answer, and no true man has the right to bring -others to their death in order that he may fulfil the wishes of his -heart. Also, it would be better that he should be separated from this -girl, who was not of his blood and colour, and whose love soon or late -would be his undoing. Surely I should do well to pray him to let her -go to the man whose affianced she had been, and he would do well to -hearken to me. Almost the entreaty was upon my lips when Maya, reading -my thought, touched me on the arm and whispered: -</p> - -<p> -“Remember your oath, Ignatio.” Then I called to mind what I had -promised yonder in the desert, when by her courage she had saved her -lover’s life, and knew that once again a woman must be my ruin, since -it is better to lose all than to break such vows as this. -</p> - -<p> -“Zibalbay,” I said, “I cannot plead your cause and mine, though not to -do so be our destruction, seeing that I have sworn that, come what -may, I will not stand between these two. To-day, for the second time -in my life, my plans are brought to nothing by the passion of a woman. -Well, so it is fated, and so let it be!” -</p> - -<p> -Zibalbay did not answer me, but, turning to the señor, he said: -</p> - -<p> -“White Man, you have heard from your friend words that should touch -you more deeply than any prayer. Will you still cling to your purpose, -and take advantage of my daughter’s madness? If so, know that your -triumph shall be short, for when, in some few hours, Tikal comes -again, I will tell him all and give you over to his keeping to deal -with as he wishes. Then Heaven help you, wanderer, for he is vengeful -by nature, nor is that life likely to be long which bars the way -between a ruler of men and the woman he would wed. Answer then, and -for the last time: Do you choose life or death?” -</p> - -<p> -“I choose death,” he said, boldly, “if the price of life be the -breaking of my troth and the surrender of my bride to another man. I -am sorry for you, Zibalbay; and for you, Ignatio, my friend, I am -still more sorry: but it is fate and not I that has brought these -evils on you. If Ignatio here cannot forget his oath, how much less -can I forget mine, which I have sworn with this lady. Moreover, worse -fortune even than to-day’s would come upon us if I did, seeing that -such cowardice could breed no luck. Therefore, till the Lady Maya -renounces me, for good or for evil, in death or in life, I will cleave -to her.” -</p> - -<p> -“And in death or in life I will cleave to you, beloved,” she said. -“Take such vengeance as you wish upon us, my father, yes, if you wish, -give over this man, to whom my heart drew me across the mountains and -the desert, to die at the hands of Tikal; but know that he will hold -me faster dead than he did while he was alive, for into the valley of -death I shall follow him swiftly.” -</p> - -<p> -Now at last the rage of Zibalbay broke loose, and it was terrible. -Rising from his seat he shook his clenched hands above his daughter’s -head and cursed her, till in her fear she shrank away from him to her -lover’s breast. -</p> - -<p> -“As with my last breath,” he cried, “I pray that the curse of your -gods, of your country, of your ancestors, and of me, your father, may -rest upon you and your children. May your desire turn to ashes in your -mouth, and may death rob you of its fruit; may your heart break by -inches for remorse and sorrow, and your name become a hissing and a -shame. Oh! I seem to see the future, and I tell you, daughter, that -you shall win him for whose sake you brought your father to death and -ruin. By fraud shall you win him, and for a while he shall lie at your -side, and this is the price that shall be asked of you, and that you -shall pay,—the doom of your race, and its destruction at your -hands—” -</p> - -<p> -He paused, gasping for breath, and Maya fell at his knees, sobbing: -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! father, unsay those words and spare me. Have you no pity for a -woman’s heart?” -</p> - -<p> -“Ay!” he said, “so much pity as you have for my sorrows and grey hair. -Why should I spare you, girl, who have not spared me, your father. My -curse is spoken, and I will add this to it, that it shall break your -heart at last, ay! and the heart of that man who has robbed me of your -duty and your love.” -</p> - -<p> -Then suddenly he ceased speaking, his eyes grew empty, he stretched -out his arms and fell heavily to the floor. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch18"> -CHAPTER XVIII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE PLOT</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Springing</span> forward, but too late to save him, the señor and I lifted -Zibalbay from the ground and laid him on a couch. Peeping over our -shoulders, Maya caught sight of his ghastly face and the foam upon his -lips. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh, he is dead,” she moaned; “my father is dead, and he died cursing -me.” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” said the señor, “he is not dead, for his heart stirs. Bring -water, Maya.” -</p> - -<p> -She obeyed, and for hard upon two hours we struggled to restore his -sense, but in vain; life lingered indeed, but we could not stir him -from his stupor. At length, as we were resting, wearied with our -fruitless labour, the gates opened and Tikal came again. -</p> - -<p> -“What now?” he asked, seeing the form of Zibalbay stretched upon the -couch. “Does the old man sleep?” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, he sleeps,” answered the señor, “and I think that he will wake -no more. The words he spoke to you to-day are coming true, and that -which you took from him by force will soon be yours by right.” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” answered Tikal, “by right it will be the Lady Maya’s yonder, -though by force it may remain mine, unless, indeed, she gives it to me -of her own free will. But say, how did this come about?” -</p> - -<p> -Now I broke in hastily, fearing lest the señor should tell too much, -and thus bring some swift and awful fate upon himself. -</p> - -<p> -“He was worn out with the fatigue of our journey and the excitement of -yesterday. After you had left he began to talk of your proposals, and -suddenly was taken with this fit. These matters are not for me to -speak of, who am but a prisoner in a strange land; still, lord, it -will not look well if he who once was <i>cacique</i> of this city dies here -and unattended, for then people may say that you have murdered him. -Have you no doctors who can be summoned to minister to him, for, -without drugs, or even a bleeding-knife, we have done all we can do.” -</p> - -<p> -“Murdered him! That they will say in any case. Yes, there are doctors -here, and the best and greatest of them is Mattai, my father-in-law. I -will send him. But, Maya, before I go, have you no word for me?” -</p> - -<p> -Maya, who was seated by the table, her face buried in her hands, -looked up and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Is your heart stone that you can trouble me in such an hour? When my -father is recovered, or dead, I will answer you, and not before.” -</p> - -<p> -“So be it, Lady,” he said, “till then I will wait. And now I must get -hence, for there may be trouble in the city when this news reaches -it.” -</p> - -<p> -A while passed, and Mattai appeared before us, followed by one who -carried his scales and medicines. Without speaking, he came to where -Zibalbay lay, and examined him by the light of a lamp. Then he poured -medicine down his throat, and waited as though he expected to see him -rise, but he neither rose nor stirred. -</p> - -<p> -“A bad case,” he said. “I fear that he will awake no more. How came he -thus?” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you wish to know?” asked Maya, speaking for the first time. “Then -bid your attendant stand back, and I will tell you. My father yonder -was smitten down while he cursed me in his rage.” -</p> - -<p> -“And why did he curse you, Lady?” -</p> - -<p> -“For this reason: While we wandered in the wilderness, Tikal, my -cousin and my betrothed, took a wife, your daughter Nahua, who was -crowned with him as Lady of the Heart. But it seems, Mattai, that -though he gave your daughter place and power, he gave her no love, for -to-day this son-in-law of yours came to my father, and in the presence -of us all offered to set him in his lawful place again and to suffer -him to carry out his schemes, whatever they might be, if I would but -consent to become his wife.” -</p> - -<p> -“To become his wife!” said Mattai, in amazement. “How could you become -his wife when he is married? Can there then be two Ladies of the -Heart?” -</p> - -<p> -“No,” answered Maya quietly, “but the proposal of Tikal, my cousin, -is, that he should either put away or kill your daughter—and you with -her, Mattai—in order that he may set me in her place.” -</p> - -<p> -Now when Mattai heard this his quick eyes flashed, and his very beard -seemed to bristle with rage. -</p> - -<p> -“He proposed that! He dared to propose that!” he gasped. “Oh! let him -have a care. I set him up, and perchance I can pull him down again. -Continue, Lady.” -</p> - -<p> -“He proposed it, and my father agreed to the offer, for, knowing that -you have plotted against him, he had little care for the honour and -safety of you or of your house, Mattai. But if my father accepted, I -refused, seeing that it is not my wish to have more to do with Tikal. -Then my father cursed me, and while he cursed was stricken down.” -</p> - -<p> -“You say it is not your wish to marry Tikal, Lady. Is it, then, your -wish to marry any other man?” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” she answered, letting her eyes fall, “I love this white lord -here, whom you name Son of the Sea, and I would become his wife. I -would become his wife,” she went on after a pause, “but, Mattai, Tikal -is very strong, and it may be, unless I can find help elsewhere, that -in order to save the life of the man I love, of his friend and mine, -Ignatio, and my own, I shall be forced into the arms of Tikal. But now -Tikal has asked me for my answer, and I have told him that I will give -it when my father is recovered or dead. Perhaps it will be for you to -say what that answer shall be, for alone and in prison I am not strong -enough to stand against Tikal. Say, now, do the people love me well -enough to depose Tikal and set me in my father’s place, should he -die?” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot say, Lady,” he answered shortly, “but at the least you will -scarcely ask me thus to bring about my own and my daughter’s ruin. I -will be open with you. I gained over the Council of the Heart to -Tikal’s cause, and my price was that he should marry my daughter, -thereby satisfying her love and my ambition. Yes, I have plotted to -set Nahua on high, both for her sake and for my own, seeing that after -the <i>cacique</i> I sought to be the chief man in the city. Can I, then, -turn round and depose him, and my daughter and myself with him? And if -I did, what would be my fate at your hands in the days to come? No, I -seek to be revenged on Tikal, indeed, who has offered so deadly an -affront to me and mine, but it must be in some other way than this. -Tell me now, lady, what is it that you desire most,—to be the -<i>cacique</i> of this city by your right of birth, or to marry the man you -love?” -</p> - -<p> -“I desire to marry the man I love,” she answered, “and to escape from -this place with him back to those lands where white men live. I desire -also that my friend and my lord’s friend, Ignatio, should be given as -much gold as he needs to enable him to carry out his purposes in the -coast country yonder. If things can be brought about thus, Tikal and -Nahua and their descendants, for aught I care, may rule in the City of -the Heart till the world’s end.” -</p> - -<p> -“You ask little enough, Lady,” said Mattai, “and it shall go hard if I -cannot get it for you. Now I will leave you, for I must have time to -think; but, if Tikal returns, say him neither yea nor nay till we have -spoken again. And as for you, strangers, remember that your lives -depend upon your caution. Farewell.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Two more days passed, or so we reckoned by the number of meals that -were brought to us, but neither Tikal nor Mattai returned to visit us. -Other doctors came, indeed, and saw Zibalbay, who lay upon his bed -like one plunged in a deep sleep, but though they tried many remedies -they were of no avail. On the night of the second day we were gathered -round his couch, watching him and talking together sadly enough, for -the solitude, and the darkness, and the fear of impending death had -broken our spirits, so that even the señor ceased to be merry, and -the presence of her beloved to give comfort to Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Alas!” she said, “it was an evil day when we met yonder in the land -of Yucatan, and, friend, no gift could have been more unlucky than -that of my love to you, for which, being worth so little, you are -doomed to pay so dear. Fortune has gone hardly with you also, Ignatio, -who are fated thus for the second time to see a woman wreck your -hopes. Say, now, friend,”—and she caught the señor by the -arm,—“would it not be best that we should make an end of all this -folly, and that I should give myself to Tikal? Then I could bargain -for you both that before I pass to him I should, with my own eyes, see -you safe across the mountains, taking that with you which would make -you rich for life. Nor need you trouble for me, or think that you left -me to dishonour, for, so soon as you were gone, I should seek the arms -of another lord whose name is Death, and there take my rest, till in -some day unborn you came to join me.” -</p> - -<p> -“Cease to talk thus, Maya,” said the señor, drawing her to his -breast; “whatever there is to bear we will undergo together, since, -even if I could be so base as to buy safety at such a price, without -you my life would be worth nothing to me, and, indeed, I had rather -die at your side than live on alone. It is my fault that ever we came -to this pass, seeing that, if I had taken your counsel, we should not -have set foot within the City of the Heart. But curiosity conquered -me, for I longed to see the place, as now I long to see the last of -it; also, had we turned back, I must have left Ignatio to go on alone. -Keep your courage, sweetheart, for though your father is dying and our -danger is great, I am sure that we shall escape from these dungeons -and be happy with each other beneath the sunlight.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he kissed her upon the lips and comforted her, wiping away the -tears that ran from her blue eyes. -</p> - -<p> -It was at this moment that I looked up and saw Mattai standing in the -doorway,—for we were gathered, not in the hall, but in Zibalbay’s -chamber,—watching the scene curiously and with a softened face. -</p> - -<p> -“Greeting,” he said, “and forgive me that I come so late, but my -business is secret and such as is best done at night. How goes it with -Zibalbay?” -</p> - -<p> -“He lives,” I answered; “I can say no more, for he is senseless, and, -without doubt, soon must die. But come, see for yourself.” -</p> - -<p> -Mattai walked to the bed and examined the old man, lifting the eyelids -and feeling his heart. -</p> - -<p> -“He cannot live long,” he said. “Well, death is his best friend. Now -to my business. There is trouble in the city, and strange rumours pass -from mouth to mouth among the people, many of whom declare that Tikal -has murdered Zibalbay, and demand that you, Lady, should be brought -before them, that you may be named <i>cacique</i> in his place. Things -being so, it has been urged upon Tikal by the chiefs of his party that -as, do what he will, he can never clear himself of the death of -Zibalbay, it would be well that he should make away with you also, -Lady, and, of course, with these two strangers, your friends, seeing -that then there will be none to dispute his rights. The matter was -laid before him strongly at a secret council held this afternoon, and -once he issued the order for your deaths, only to recall it before the -messenger left the palace; for at the last I saw that his heart -overcame his reason, and he could not bear thus to divorce himself -from you, Lady, though what he said was that he would not stain his -hands with the blood of one so innocent and fair. Still, I will not -hide from you, Lady, or from you, strangers, that your danger is very -great that you go, indeed, in jeopardy of your life from one hour to -the next.” -</p> - -<p> -Now he paused, and Maya asked in a low voice: -</p> - -<p> -“Have you no plan to save us, Mattai?” -</p> - -<p> -“Why should I have a plan, Lady, who with my house would benefit so -greatly by your death?” -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know why you should have a plan, old man,” broke in the -señor; “but I tell you that you will do well to make one, else you do -not leave this place alive,”—and as he spoke, with a sudden movement, -he sprang between Mattai and the door. -</p> - -<p> -“If we are to be murdered like birds in a cage,” he went on, “at least -your neck shall be twisted first. Do you understand?” -</p> - -<p> -“I understand, Son of the Sea,” answered Mattai, flinching a little -before the señor’s fierce face and hand outstretched as though to -grip him. “But I would have you understand something also; namely, -that if I do not return presently, there are some without who will -come to seek me, and then——” -</p> - -<p> -“And then they will find your carcase,” broke in the señor, “and what -will all your plots and schemes advantage you when you are a lump of -senseless clay?” -</p> - -<p> -“Little indeed, I confess,” he answered. “Still, my daughter, whom I -love better than myself, will reap some profit, and with that, in this -sad case, I must be content. But, do not be so hasty, white man. I -asked why I should have a plan? I did not say that I had none.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then if you have one, let us hear it without more ado,” said the -señor. -</p> - -<p> -Mattai bowed, as he answered: -</p> - -<p> -“Your will is mine: but I know not how my plan will please the Lady -Maya yonder, and therefore, before I unfold it, I will make it clear -to you that there is but one alternative,—the death of all of you by -to-morrow’s light. Your lives lie in my hand, and if I must do so to -save my daughter and myself, I shall not hesitate to take them.” -</p> - -<p> -“Any more than I shall hesitate to take yours, old man,” said the -señor, grimly; “for remember always that if you do not make your plan -such as we can accept, you will leave this chamber feet first with a -broken neck.” -</p> - -<p> -Again Mattai bowed, and continued: -</p> - -<p> -“In one way only has Tikal been able to pacify the tumult among the -people, by declaring that the Lady Maya shall be produced before the -Council of the Heart, in the Sanctuary of the Nameless god, upon the -night of the Rising of Waters, being the first day when it is lawful -for the Council to sit in the Sanctuary, and afterwards at dawn in the -eyes of the whole city. The words of Zibalbay have taken a strange -hold of the people, although they cried him down as he spoke them; and -they desire to know what will happen when the prophecy is fulfilled, -and once more the severed halves of the symbol of the Heart are laid -side by side in their place upon the altar. Zibalbay told them that he -believed that then the god would reveal his purpose, and show what -part each of you should play in the fate that is to be, and therefore -the people—aye! and many among the nobles, and even the Council of -the Heart—look to see some sign or wonder when Day and Night are come -together, and that which was parted is made one, for they begin to -hold that the madness of Zibalbay is from heaven, and that the voice -of heaven sent him on his journey.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Mattai thought for a while and went on: -</p> - -<p> -“Lady, I am old, and for many years I have followed the worship of the -gods, doing sacrifice to them, and importuning them with prayers, yet -never have I known the gods to make answer to their votaries, or heard -the voices of the immortals speaking into human ears. It seems that -gods are many: thus, perchance these strangers have their own; and, -Lady, thus it comes that in my age I ask myself if there are any gods -other than those that the mind of man has shaped from nothingness, or -fashioned in the likeness of its own passions. I cannot tell, but I -think that were I in so sore a strait as you find yourselves to-night, -I should not hesitate to give a voice to these dumb gods.” -</p> - -<p> -“What is your meaning?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“This: When the severed halves of the Heart are set in their place -upon the altar, if there be any gods they should give a sign. Thus, as -I who am the keeper of the Sanctuary know, the ancient symbol on the -altar is hollow, and if it were to chance to open, it might be that a -writing would be found within it,—an ancient writing of the gods, -prepared against the present time,—that shall be to us as a lantern -to one wandering in the dark; or it might be that nothing would be -found. Now, as it happens, in searching through the earliest records -of the temple, I have discovered a certain writing, and it seems to me -that your fortune would be great if this writing should lie within the -symbol on the night of the Rising of Waters. Here it is——” -</p> - -<p> -And from his robe he produced a small plate of dull gold, covered over -with hieroglyphics. -</p> - -<p> -“Read it,” said Maya. -</p> - -<p> -Then Mattai read: -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -“This is the voice of the Nameless god that his prophet heard in the -year of the building of the Sanctuary, and graved upon a tablet of -gold which he set in a secret place in the symbol of the Sanctuary, to -be declared in that far-off hour when the lost is found and the signs -of the Day and the Night are come together. To thee it speaks, unborn -daughter of a chief to be, whose name is the name of a nation. When my -people have grown old and their numbers are lessened, and their heart -is faint, then, maiden, take to thyself as a husband a man of the race -of the white god, a son of the sea-foam, whom thou shalt lead hither -across the desert, for so my people shall once more prosper and grow -strong, and the land shall be to thy child and the child of the god, -east and west, and north and south, further than my eagles wing -between sunrise and set.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -He finished reading, and there was silence as we looked on each other, -amazed at the boldness and the cunning of this old priest and plotter. -It was Maya who spoke first. -</p> - -<p> -“You have forged this writing, Mattai,” she said coldly, “and now you -desire that I should set it in the symbol, for you are mindful of that -curse which is written in the ritual Opening of the Heart against him -who shall profane its mysteries and token, or who should dare to tell -a lie within the Sanctuary, or to swear falsely by the symbol. In -short, if you do not fear the vengeance of the god, you fear the -vengeance of the Order.” -</p> - -<p> -“To speak truth, lady, I fear both, for, in offering insult to the -Nameless god, who knows what he offends? Still, you must make your -choice—and swiftly, seeing that if you refuse the deed, by to-morrow -you will have learned, or, perhaps—remembering the words of the white -lord—I should say <i>we</i> shall have learned what virtue there is in the -religions.” -</p> - -<p> -Now she turned to us, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Advise me, friends, for I know not what to answer. In the faith of my -people I have lost faith, and it is to yours that I look for comfort; -and yet the deed seems awful, for if we are not worshippers of the -Nameless god, still we are all of us brethren of the ancient mysteries -of the Heart, and to do this thing would be to break our solemn oaths. -Come, let us put it to the vote, and do you who are the oldest and the -wisest among us, vote first, Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -“So be it,” I answered. “For my part I give my voice against the -trick. Of the gods of your people I know nothing and think less, but I -am the Master of our Order in my own land, and I will not offend -against it. To do this thing would be to act the greatest of lies, and -a lie is a sin in the face of heaven. All men must die, but I wish to -pass to doom with my hands unstained by fraud. Still, in this matter -your lives are at stake as well as mine; therefore, if, of the three -of us, two are in favour of the act, I will be bound by their -decision. But if only one is in favour, then he must be bound by -ours.” -</p> - -<p> -“Good, let it be so,” said Maya. “And now, beloved, speak and tell us -whether you choose death and a clean conscience, or life and my love -to gladden it,”—and she looked into his face with her beautiful eyes, -and half stretched out her arms as though she would clasp him to her -breast. -</p> - -<p> -Now, although the señor did not answer at once, when I saw this and -heard her words, I, Ignatio, knew that it was finished, since it could -not be in the heart of a man in love to resist her pleadings and her -witcheries. Presently he spoke, and as he did so his face grew red -with a half shame. -</p> - -<p> -“I have no choice,” he said. “I do not fear to die if need be, but I -should be no man were I to choose death while it is your wish that I -should live. Like Ignatio, I say that the gods of this city are to me -nothing more than idols, and to deceive that which does not exist is -impossible. For the rest, I became a Brother of the Heart not by my -own wish, but by accident, therefore on this point my conscience -pricks me little. Only, to be a partner in this plot, I must speak or -act a lie, and this I have never done before. Still it seems to me -that a man may choose life and his love in place of a cruel and secret -death, and keep his hands clean, even though he must play a harmless -trick as the price of them. Yet, Maya, in this as in every other -matter, I will do your wish, and if you think it better that we should -die, why let us die and make an end.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nay,” she answered, with a flash of reckless passion, “I think it -better that we should live, far from this unlucky city, and there be -happy in each other’s love. For your sake my father’s curse has fallen -on me, and after it all other maledictions of gods or men will be -light as feathers. If this be a sin that we are about to work, I do it -for the sake of you and of our love; also because I would live awhile -in happiness before I go down to the grave. See my father lying there; -throughout a long life he has served his god, and behold how his god -has served him in the hour of his trouble. Let his prayers answer for -us both, for I will have none of such false gods, unless it be to use -them for my ends. If this be a sin that we are about to do, and -vengeance should tread upon the heels of sin, let it fall upon the -heads of my people, who would murder me for no crime; upon the head of -Mattai, who tempted me for his own advantage; and, if that be not -enough, upon my head also. Little do I care for vengeance to come, if -for only one short year I may call you husband.” -</p> - -<p> -“Ill-omened words,” muttered Mattai, shivering a little, “words that -only a woman would utter; but so be it.” -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke I thought that I heard a faint groan break from the man -upon the couch. I glanced anxiously at Zibalbay, to find that I must -have been mistaken, or, at least, that it had not proceeded from his -lips, for he lay there rigid and senseless as a corpse. -</p> - -<p> -“The vote is taken,” I said sadly. “What next, Mattai?” -</p> - -<p> -“Follow me,” he answered, “and I will show you a secret path from this -chamber to the Sanctuary beneath. Nay, you need not fear to leave him, -for if his life still burns within him, it is fast asleep. But stay, -where is the talisman? That will be necessary to us.” -</p> - -<p> -“I have one half,” I answered, “the other is about Zibalbay’s neck.” -</p> - -<p> -“Find it,” he said, sternly, to the Lady Maya. “Nay, you must!” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch19"> -CHAPTER XIX.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE SACRILEGE</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Now</span> Maya bent over the form of her father and took the talisman from -his neck. -</p> - -<p> -“I feel like one who robs the dead,” she said. -</p> - -<p> -“Remember that it is to save the living, and be comforted,” answered -Mattai. “Come, let us be going, for the night draws on.” -</p> - -<p> -“Take a lamp, each of you,” he said presently, when we had reached the -further end of the great hall, where he unlocked the copper gates with -a key from the bunch that hung at his girdle. We passed through, and, -turning, he almost closed the gate, but not quite. -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you leave the gates ajar?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -“Because there are none to follow us,” he answered, “and who knows -what may happen. Should we be forced to fly the Sanctuary, open doors -are easier to pass than those that are shut.” -</p> - -<p> -“Who or what could force us to fly the Sanctuary?” I asked. -</p> - -<p> -Mattai shrugged his shoulders and went on without answering. Now we -passed down many stairs, along passages, and through secret doors, -each of which Mattai left open behind us, till at length we came to a -blank wall of marble. On this wall Mattai felt with his thumb, till he -found a spot that, being pressed, slid back, revealing a keyhole into -which he inserted a small silver key. Then again he pressed upon the -marble, and a panel moved that might have been two feet wide by six in -height, and we saw that light streamed through the opening. Beckoning -to us he walked through the gap in the wall, and one by one we -followed him into the Sanctuary of the Nameless god, and stood on the -further side of the wall, huddled together and clasping each other’s -hands, for the place was awesome, and its utter silence and solemnity -filled us with fear. -</p> - -<p> -The first thing that caught our eyes, as was natural, for it was built -into the wall opposite to us, and through it streamed the light that -filled the chamber, was the most wonderful and mystic effigy in the -City of the Heart. That effigy was a colossal mask of singular and -fearful beauty, fashioned from polished jade, and similar in design to -those which are to be found in the ruins of Palenque and other -deserted Indian cities, whereof no man knows the age. This huge green -mask was placed above the narrow door that gave entrance to the -Sanctuary, and had been carved to represent the countenance of a being -that, although its features were human, resembled neither man nor -woman in its unearthly dignity and its stamp of cruel calm. The thick -lips were curved with a contemptuous smile, and between them gleamed -teeth made of white enamel; the nose was aquiline, with widespread -nostrils that seemed to inhale the incense of worship; and the -forehead, in whose centre appeared the impress of a woman’s hand -soaked in some scarlet dye, was broad, low, and retreating. Beneath -the solemn and contracted brows were jewelled eyes. Through these -eyes, and, indeed, from the entire surface of the mask, streamed -light, making the face visible as though it were limned in phosphorus, -for the jade was transparent as the thinnest alabaster, and behind it -burned two great lamps that were named after the Sun and Moon. -</p> - -<p> -Such was the effigy of the Nameless spirit that we now beheld for the -first time, who had face but no form; the spirit, Mouth of the Heart, -to whom every lesser god was subject, Utterer of the thoughts of the -Heart of Heaven, Lord of power, Dweller in the darkness behind the -Sun, Searcher of the secrets of death. Without pity was this god of -theirs, and without wrath, who, clothed in eternal calm, so these -people fabled, rested in a home of darkness, watching the shadow of -events celestial and terrestrial in his mirror of the moon, and -telling of them to the Heart which was his soul. The seal of the -woman’s blood-stained hand was set upon his brow because woman is a -symbol of life renewed, the hand is the sign of purpose and the -strength to do it, and by blood and anguish must every purpose be -accomplished. But the Nameless one executed no purpose,—that was the -work of lesser gods. In the beginning the Heart thought, and the Mouth -blew with his breath, giving life to the earth, and causing it to roll -forward among the spheres, and now the Eyes watched, ever smiling, -while it and those upon it work out our doom, till at length its -primal force grows faint and fails when, so said the priests, Heart -and Mouth and Eyes will think and speak and search, and at their -command a new world shall arise from the corpse of the old, and a new -life from the lives of those who dwelt upon it. -</p> - -<p> -Therefore it was, though now faith waned among them with their waning -energies, that this people, knowing no better creed, worshipped the -threefold Fate without a name, whom they held to be master of gods and -men. Therefore, also, long generations since, in this spot which we -came to violate,—to them the most holy on the earth,—they set up -effigies of a Heart, a Mouth, and Eyes, as symbols of his attributes. -</p> - -<p> -The roof of the Sanctuary, which was of no great size, was -vault-shaped, in imitation of the arching sky, and in it appeared a -golden sun, a silver crescent moon, and the stars of heaven. Its walls -were lined throughout with polished blocks of the beautiful stone -known as Mexican onyx, fretted over to the height of a man with a -border of hieroglyphics and effigies of the lesser gods in attitudes -of adoration, all of them cast in gold and set flush with the face of -the wall. The furniture was very simple, consisting only of stools cut -from rich woods heavily gilded in quaint designs, and a small table -whereon lay sheets of paper made of bark, together with brushes of -reed fibre and pots of pigment, such as were used in the -picture-writing of this people. Lastly, at that end by which we had -entered the chamber, stood an altar of black marble written around -with letters shaped in gold, and upon this altar lay something covered -with a silken cloth. -</p> - -<p> -For a minute or more we remained silent, contemplating these wonders; -then, with a gesture of impatience, Mattai spoke in a whisper, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Let that be done which we have come to do, for now the sacrilege is -committed and it is too late for doubts.” -</p> - -<p> -Speaking thus, he stepped to the altar and lifted the silken cloth -that lay over the object which was upon it, revealing the image of a -human heart fashioned in blood-stone and veined with arteries of gold. -In the centre of this heart appeared a small and shallow hole that had -been hollowed in its substance. -</p> - -<p> -“This is the tradition,” said Mattai, still speaking in a whisper, -“that when the two halves of a certain talisman are placed in this -hollow, the symbol will open and reveal that which has been set within -it since it was fashioned by Cucumatz thousands of years ago, and -there is this in favour of the truth of the tale that golden hinges -appear upon the sides of the symbol. Now one-half of the talisman has -rested here for many generations, till Zibalbay took it with him -indeed, when he went out to seek for the other half, and yet the -symbol has never opened; still, I am sure that it will open when the -whole talisman is set in its place. In this matter, however, there is -something more to fear than the vengeance of the gods, for, as I can -read well—it is written in those letters that encircle the altar—an -ancient tradition tells us that if the symbol be stirred from the -place where it has lain for so many ages, the flood-gate will roll -back and the waters of the lake will pour in upon the city, destroying -it and its inhabitants.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet the flood-gate cannot roll back when it is not shut, nor can the -waters flow in during the dry season, when they are not on a level -with the walls,” answered Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“They cannot, Lady, and yet other things may happen. Why was the Heart -set thus? Was it not that in the utmost need of its worshippers they -might choose death rather than defeat and slavery? And was this choice -given to them in the wet months only? Be sure that if at this moment -any despairing or impious hand tore yonder symbol from its altar, -either the waters would rush up through the bed of the city, or -subterranean fires would break loose and burn it. Still, though there -is something, I think that we have little to fear, seeing that the -writing says that, in order to bring about so terrible a doom, the -symbol must be torn from its altar with might. And now to our task. -Stranger, give to the Lady Maya your half of the ancient talisman, -that she may set it, together with the half she bears, in the place -prepared in the symbol.” -</p> - -<p> -Now with a sigh, seeing that it was too late to draw back, I undid the -emerald from my neck and gave it to Maya, who laid it side by side -with its counterpart upon the palm of her trembling hand, and stepped -with it to the altar. Here she stood for a moment, then whispered in a -faint voice: -</p> - -<p> -“Terror has taken hold of me, and I fear to do this thing.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet it must be done, and not by me,” said Mattai, “or we shall have -come on a fool’s errand, and go back, some of us, to a fool’s death,” -and he looked towards me. -</p> - -<p> -“I will not do it,” I said, answering his look, “not because I fear -your gods, but my own conscience I do fear.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then I will,” said the señor boldly, “for I fear neither. Give me -that trinket, Maya.” -</p> - -<p> -She obeyed, and presently he had caused the two halves of the talisman -to fall into their ancient and appointed bed in the symbol. In the -great silence I remember the sound they made, as they tinkled against -the stone, struck my ear so sharply that I started. -</p> - -<p> -For some seconds, perhaps twenty, we stood still, watching the altar -with eager eyes, but the symbol never stirred. Then I said: -</p> - -<p> -“It seems, Mattai, that you must hide your lying writing elsewhere, -since yonder heart will not open, or, if it will, we have not found -the key.” -</p> - -<p> -“Wait a little,” broke in the señor, “perhaps the springs are -rusted.” And before any of us could interfere to stop him, he placed -his thumb upon the halves of the emerald and pressed so hard that the -symbol trembled on its marble stand. -</p> - -<p> -“Beware!” cried Mattai, and as the echoes of his voice died away all -of us started in astonishment, for lo! the heart was opening like a -flower. -</p> - -<p> -Slowly it opened, till the severed talisman fell from it, and its two -halves lay back on the marble of the altar, revealing something hidden -in its centre that shone like an ember in the lamplight. We crept -forward and looked, then stood silent and half afraid, for in the -hollow of the heart, laid upon a square plate of gold which was -covered with picture-writing, glared a red jewel shaped like a human -eye, that seemed to answer stare with stare. -</p> - -<p> -“If we stand like this we shall grow frightened,” said the señor -roughly, glancing round him as he spoke, “there is nothing to fear in -a red stone cut like an eye.” -</p> - -<p> -“If you think so, White Man,” answered Mattai in a voice that shook a -little, strive as he would to command it, “lift up the holy thing and -give me the writing that is beneath it. Stay, first take this, set it -in the symbol, replacing the eye upon it,” and he handed him the -forged tablet. -</p> - -<p> -The señor obeyed, nor did any wonder come to pass when he lifted that -dreadful-looking jewel, and changed the true for the false. -</p> - -<p> -“Read it,” said Maya, as the tablet was passed to Mattai, “you have -knowledge of the ancient writings.” -</p> - -<p> -“Perhaps it were best left unread,” he said, doubtfully. -</p> - -<p> -“Nay,” she answered, “let us know the worst. Read it, I bid you.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he read these strange words in a slow and solemn voice: -</p> - -<p> -“<i>The Eye that has slept and is awakened sees the heart and purpose of -the wicked. I say that in the hour of the desolation of my city not -all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away their sin.</i>” -</p> - -<p> -Now the faces of us who heard turned grey in the lamplight, for though -the gods of this people were false, we felt that the voice of a true -prophet spoke to us from that accusing tablet, and that we had called -down upon our heads a vengeance which we could not measure. -</p> - -<p> -“Did I not tell you that it were wiser to leave the writing unread,” -gasped Mattai, letting the tablet fall from his hand as though it were -a snake. -</p> - -<p> -The clatter of it as it struck the marble floor seemed to wake us from -our evil dream, for the señor turned on him, and said fiercely: -</p> - -<p> -“What does it matter what the thing says, rogue, seeing that you -forged it as you have forged the other.” -</p> - -<p> -“Ah! would that I had,” answered Mattai; “but when doom overtakes you -and all of us, then shall you learn whether I forged that ancient -writing;” and he lifted it from the floor, and, hiding it in his robe, -added, “Close the heart, White Man, and give back the severed jewel to -those who wear it.” -</p> - -<p> -The señor obeyed, replacing the silken cloth over the symbol, so that -the altar seemed to be as it had been. -</p> - -<p> -“Now let us be going,” said Mattai, “and rejoice, that if yonder eye -has seen our wickedness, at least it is hidden from the sight of man. -Doubtless the vengeance of the gods is sure, but that of men is -swift.” -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke we turned to leave the Sanctuary, and of a sudden Maya -screamed, and would have fallen had not the señor caught her. Well -might she scream, for there in the narrow niche of the secret door by -which we had entered, framed in it as a corpse is framed in its -coffin, stood a white figure which at first I took to be that of some -avenging ghost, so ghostlike were the wrappings, the snowy beard and -hair, and the thin, fierce face. Another instant, and I saw that -indeed it was a ghost, the ghost of Zibalbay, or rather his body come -back from the boundaries of death to spy upon our sacrilege before it -crossed them for ever. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_265"> -<a href="images/img_265.jpg"> -<img alt="It was ... Zibalbay ... come back from the boundaries of death." src="images/img_265_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -It was ... Zibalbay ... come back from the boundaries of death. -</div></div> - -<p> -Yes, it was Zibalbay, for while he had seemed to be unconscious upon -the bed in the chamber, his senses were awake, and oh! what must he -have suffered when he, the high priest of the Nameless god, heard us -plan our fraud upon his Sanctuary. Then, after we had left him, fury -and despair unfettered the limbs that had been bound so fast and gave -him strength to follow us, though they could not unlock his frozen -tongue. He had followed; painfully he had crept down the stairs, along -the passages, and through the open door, for the path was known to him -even in the dark, till at length he came to the secret entrance of the -Sanctuary. Here once more his force deserted him; here, unable to -speak or stir, he had leaned against the wall and seen and heard all -that was done and said. -</p> - -<p> -Oh! never shall I forget the rage of his quivering face, or the agony -and horror of his tormented eyes as they met our own. No curse could -have been so awful as that look which he let fall upon his daughter, -and no outraged deity or demon could have seemed more terrible to the -human sight than was the tall figure of this dying man, striving even -in death to protect the honour of his gods, which we had violated in -their most ancient holy of holies. Never have I seen such a dreadful -sight, and I pray that never again may I do so either in this world or -the next. -</p> - -<p> -The dying Zibalbay saw our fear, and with a last effort he staggered -forward towards his daughter, his clenched hands held above his head. -For a moment he stood before her as she lay upon her lover’s arm -staring up at him like a bird at a snake, while he swayed to and fro -above her like the snake about to strike. Then, of a sudden, foam -mingled with blood burst from his lips, and he sank down at her feet -dead, dying in a silence that was more awful than any sound. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Of all that followed I need not write. Indeed, I cannot do so, for so -great was my horror at this scene, and so intense the strain which was -put upon my vital force during these hours, that I have little memory -of what chanced after Zibalbay’s death, till I found myself lying -exhausted upon the bed in my prison cell. -</p> - -<p> -Somehow we calmed and silenced Maya; somehow we escaped from that -hateful Sanctuary, and by slow degrees brought her and the dead body -of her father up the narrow stairs and passages to the hall above, -where we laid the corpse upon its bed. Then Mattai left us, and I -remember no more till the next morning when nobles and leeches came to -watch by the body of the dead <i>cacique</i>, and to embalm it in readiness -for the tomb. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -The next two days went heavily for the three of us, oppressed as we -were by the silent gloom of our prison and the memories of that -dreadful night. The love between Maya and her father had never been -deep, for they were out of tune with each other; still, now that he -was dead she mourned him, the more perhaps because he had died hating -and cursing her. By degrees she recovered from her superstitious -fears, born of the writing in the symbol; but her father’s -maledictions she never could forget, and though she was willing to -earn and to bear these for the sake of her love for the señor, I -think that their memory lay between them like a shadow. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! why did I ever love you?” she would say. “What have you to do -with me, whom race and law and fate have set apart from me?” And yet -she went on loving him even more dearly. -</p> - -<p> -I, also, was unhappy, for though I put little faith in these omens, or -in the vapourings of dead prophets and the tricks of living -charlatans, I felt that the ill-luck which had clung to me in the past -was with me still. Things had gone cross with me; Zibalbay was dead, -and Woman, the inevitable, had drawn away the heart of my friend and -dragged me and my plans into the whirlpool of her passion, whence, if -at all, they must emerge ruined and shapeless. Still, summoning the -patience of my race to my aid, I bore these secret troubles as I -might, giving counsel and comfort to the lovers, who, lost in their -own doubts and difficulties, thought, as was natural, little of me and -my lost ambitions. -</p> - -<p> -At length they carried away the corpse of Zibalbay to be wrapped in -its winding-sheet of gold and set with all ancient pomp and ceremony -by those of its forefathers in the Hall of the Dead. Maya wept indeed, -but I for my part was glad to see the last of him, and so, I think, -was the señor, whose spirits had begun to fail him in the presence of -so much remorse and grief. -</p> - -<p> -That day—it was the day previous to the night of the Rising of -Waters, on which we were to appear before the Council of the Heart in -the Sanctuary—Tikal came to visit us. To Maya he bowed low, but on -the señor and myself he looked with an angry eye,—with the eye, -indeed, of one who would have killed us if he dared. First, with many -fine words and empty compliments, he offered her his sympathy upon the -death of her father. For this she returned her thanks, quoting, -however, with a flash of her old spirit, a certain proverb of her own -people, of which the meaning is that the death of one man is the -breath of another. -</p> - -<p> -“My father was your foe, Tikal,” she added, “and now that he is gone -you will be able to sleep and reign in peace.” -</p> - -<p> -“Not altogether so, Lady,” he answered, “seeing that he has left -behind him a more dangerous rival to my power, namely, yourself. I -will not hide from you, Maya, what you soon must learn, that a large -portion of the people, and with them many of the nobles, accusing me -of your father’s murder, clamour that I should be deposed, and that -you should be set in my place as <i>cacique</i> of the City of the Heart. -Some few days ago I might have stilled their outcry by commanding you -to be put to death, but now it is too late, for, since then, Time has -fought for you, and doubtless your end would be followed by my own. -When last we met, cousin, I asked you a certain question, to which you -promised me an answer when your father was dead or recovered, and -to-day I have come to hear that answer. While Zibalbay lived I had -much to offer him and you in exchange for your hand, and I offered it -freely. So high a value did I place upon it when it seemed lost to me, -that I was prepared to lay down my power, to suffer your father to -violate the laws, and to incur the eternal hate and active enmity of -Mattai, his daughter, and his party. Now I must make you a lower bid: -that of equal power for yourself; and for your friends here, whatever -they may desire. Should you refuse me, this is the alternative: civil -war in the city till one of us is destroyed, and instant death as the -portion of these strangers. -</p> - -<p> -“But, Maya, I pray you not to refuse me, for I have something more to -offer you—my undying love. From a child I always loved you, Maya, -although you have treated me coldly enough, and now day by day I love -you more. Indeed I believed that you and your father were dead yonder -in the wilderness, for then I had faith in Mattai, whom now I know to -be a rogue, and Mattai swore that it was written in the stars. Even so -I would not have wed another woman, for my heart bled at the loss of -you, had not Mattai made this marriage the price of his support, -without which I could not hope to be anointed <i>cacique</i>, seeing that I -have many jealous enemies. It was ambition that led me to consent, and -bitterly have I regretted my folly ever since; for if she who is -called my wife loves me, I hate her, and by this means or by that I -will be rid of her. Forgive me, then, my sin against you, remembering -only that I have loved and served you in the past as I will love and -serve you in the future, and that it was you who brought about these -troubles because, though I prayed you to stay and did all in my power -to prevent you, you determined to accompany your father upon his mad -journey into the wilderness. Now I have spoken, and I thank you for -the courtesy with which you have listened to me.” -</p> - -<p> -“You have spoken, cousin,” she answered, “and your words have been -gentle; yet, if I understand you right, some few days since you were -in doubt as to whether it would not be better to murder me here in -this darksome hole where you have placed us.” -</p> - -<p> -“If policy put any such thought into my mind, Maya, love drove it out -again,” he answered, with confusion. -</p> - -<p> -“So you admit that this was so,” she said. “Well, a day may come when -policy might breed the thought, and love, grown weary, prove not warm -enough to wither it. Also it seems that even now you threaten these my -companions with death, should I refuse you your desire.” -</p> - -<p> -“If you should refuse me my desire, Maya, perhaps it will be for a -secret reason of your own,”—and he scowled at the señor angrily,—“a -reason that the death of these men, or of one of them, will remove.” -</p> - -<p> -“Be sure of one thing, Tikal,” she broke in sharply, “that such a -wicked deed would put an end for ever to your hopes of making me your -wife. Now, listen. I have heard your words, and they have touched me -somewhat, for I think that although you have broken your oath to my -father, and your troth with me, at heart you are honest in your love. -Still, I can give you no answer now, and for this reason, that the -answer does not lie with me, but rather with the gods. To-morrow night -we appear before the high Court of the Council of the Heart, and you -yourself shall set the severed portions of the talisman that we have -travelled so far to seek in the place prepared to receive it, in the -symbol that is on the altar of the Sanctuary. Then, as my dead father -believed,—and he was gifted with wisdom from above,—the god shall -declare his purpose in this way or in that, showing his servants why -all these things have come about, and what they must do to fulfil his -will. By that will, cousin, and not by my own, I shall be guided in -this and in all other things.” -</p> - -<p> -Now, Tikal thought awhile, and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“And if nothing follows this ceremony, and the oracles of the god are -silent, what then?” -</p> - -<p> -“Then, Tikal,” she said softly, “you may ask me again if I will become -your wife, and perhaps, if the Council suffers it, I shall not say you -nay. Now, farewell, for grief still shadows me, and I can talk no -more.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch20"> -CHAPTER XX.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE COUNCIL OF THE HEART</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Now</span>, when Tikal was gone I sat silent, for although it might be -necessary to save our lives, and to bring about the fulfilment of -Maya’s love, all this double-dealing did not please me, and I could -not talk of it with a light heart. But the señor said: -</p> - -<p> -“I hope that yonder rogue, Mattai, may not have repented or been -over-bribed by Tikal, and set some other prophecy in the hollow of the -symbol, for then, Maya, you will be taken at your word, and things -will be worse than ever they have been.” -</p> - -<p> -“I pray not, and it is not likely,” she answered, starting, then with -a quick burst of passion she added: -</p> - -<p> -“But why do you look at me with such reproach, Ignatio? No, do not -answer, for I know why. It is because you think me a cheat and a liar, -and are saying in your heart, ‘This is a woman’s honour. Thus would -any woman act in the hour of temptation.’ Ignatio, with all your -courtesy, you hate and despise us women, looking on us as lower than -yourselves, as a snare to your strength and a pitfall for your feet. -Well, if so, thus we were made, and can we quarrel with that which -made us? Also, in some ways we are greater than you, though you may be -pleased to call yourselves more honest. <i>You</i> would not have dared for -your love what I have dared for mine; <i>you</i> would not have offered -deadly outrage to the god of your people, to the instinct of your -blood, and the teachings of your youth. No, you would have sat still -and wrung your hands and seen your lover perish before your face, and -then have turned your eyes to the sky and said: ‘It cannot be helped, -it is well; at least, <i>I</i> am clean in the sight of heaven.’ -</p> - -<p> -“So be it: I, Maya, am of a different nature, I have dared all these -things and I joy in them, even though you watch me ever with your -melancholy eyes. Why should I not? Is not my love everything to me, -and is it shameful that this should be so? I believe no more in this -unknown god; why, then, should I fear to offend him? I will not see my -betrothed given up to death, and myself to worse than death; and how -can I harm my people by taking a man nobler than themselves to be my -husband? Cease, then, to reproach me by your silence; or, rather, -learn to pity me, for my strait is sore, and doubtless vengeance dogs -my heels. Let it fall, if it will, on me, but not on you, -beloved,—oh! not on you——” and suddenly her anger left her, and she -sank into the señor’s arms and lay there weeping bitterly. -</p> - -<p> -Then I went to the further end of the hall and sat there reading the -ancient writings of this people, which we had found in the chamber. -Indeed, this was my daily occupation, for now I found that these -lovers liked to be alone, unless it happened that there were plans to -be thought out or counsel to be given. A shadow grew between me and -the señor in those days; for, though he said nothing of it, he also -was angry because I did not approve of the dark plot to which we were -parties, and Maya’s outburst spoke his mind with her own. Nor was this -wonderful, for now, looking back, I do not blame her or him, or think -that they did wrong, and I believe that what I really felt was not -indignation at a trick which might well be pardoned, seeing how much -hung to it, but superstitious fear lest some force, human or infernal, -should visit that trick with vengeance; for, as we know, even the -devils have power against us if we give it to them by fighting the -world with their own weapons. -</p> - -<p> -On the following day the attendants who set our meals brought with -them clean robes for each of us, scented and wonderfully worked, and -for Maya certain royal ornaments. In these we arrayed ourselves before -evening, and waited. The hours passed, and at length the copper gates -were opened, and a band of nobles and guards presented themselves -before us, saying that they were commanded to lead us to the -Sanctuary. We answered that nothing would please us better, who were -heartily weary of living like rats in the dark, and in a few minutes -we found ourselves walking up the stairs towards the crest of the -pyramid. -</p> - -<p> -We reached it, and saw the stars shining above us, and felt the breath -of heaven blowing in our faces, and never have the sight of the stars -or the taste of the night air seemed more sweet to me. Leaving the -watch-house we walked to the great stair across the lonely summit of -the pyramid and began to descend its side. At the foot of the stairway -we turned to the right till we came to a double door of copper, -beautifully worked, placed in the centre of the western face of the -pyramid, and guarded by a small body of soldiers, who saluted and -admitted us. Beyond the doors was a great hall not unlike that which -had served as our prison, lit with lamps, lined with polished marble, -and having on either side of its length doorways leading to the -apartments that were used as sleeping-places for the officers on duty. -At the threshold of this hall we were met by priests clothed in pure -white, into whose custody we were given by the company of nobles and -soldiers that had escorted us thus far. -</p> - -<p> -Surrounded by the priests, who chanted as they walked, we passed down -the hall till we reached another and a smaller door. Beyond this lay a -labyrinth of steeply sloping passages, running in every direction deep -into the bowels of the rock beneath the pyramid. So intricate and -numerous were these tunnels, that, even with the assistance of the -lights which the priests carried, it would have been almost impossible -for any one not having their secret, to find a path through them, or -even to keep his face in a given direction for more than a few paces. -</p> - -<p> -Along these passages our guides went without faltering, turning now to -the right, now to the left, and now seeming to retrace their -footsteps, till at length they halted to open a third door, covered -over with plates of beaten gold, on the further side of which lay the -most sacred spot save one in the City of the Heart, the chamber that -served the threefold purpose of a judgment-hall, a church wherein the -nobles attended worship, and a burial-place of the departed <i>caciques</i> -of the city. Here in this vast and awful vault, each of them set in -his own niche and companioned by his consort, stood the bodies of -every king-priest who had reigned in the holy city, enclosed in -coffins of solid gold, fashioned to the shape and likeness of the -corpse within, and having the name, age, date of death, and a brief -account of the good or evil that the man had done cut in symbols on -his breast. There they stood eternally, men and women made in gold, -and beneath their brows gleamed false eyes of emeralds. Numerous as -were the niches in the chamber, each had its tenants; and in the last -recess—that nearest to the entrance—stood a new comer; for here in -his gilded sheath was placed the corpse of Zibalbay, by the side of -her who had been his wife and Maya’s mother. -</p> - -<p> -For a moment Maya paused to look upon the bodies of her parents, then -with a sigh and an obeisance she passed on, saying to me, “See, this -Hall of the Dead is full, there is no place left for me or for my -descendants, and surely that is an evil omen. Well,” she added, with a -sigh, “what does it matter where they set us when we are dead? For my -part I had sooner sleep in the earth, or beneath the waters, than -stand for ever cased in gold and glaring with jewelled eyes upon the -darkness. Yes, if I might, I should choose the earth that bore me, for -it would turn my flesh to flowers.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we went on defiling before the silent company of the golden dead, -who seemed to watch us as we walked, till, passing round a -judgment-seat that was set near the end of the hall, we stood in front -of a little door over which burned great lamps. This door was guarded -by two priests with drawn swords, which they pointed towards us as a -sign that we should halt. -</p> - -<p> -Then the priests who had escorted us so far fell back behind the -judgment-seat, and we were left alone. -</p> - -<p> -“Give the sign, keepers of the gate,” said Maya. -</p> - -<p> -Thereupon one of the men with the drawn swords uttered a low and -peculiar cry like to the wail of a child. When he had made this -strange sound thrice at intervals of about half a minute, it was -answered from within by another and a louder cry pitched upon the same -note. Then of a sudden the door was flung wide, and a stern-looking -man with a shaven head came through it. -</p> - -<p> -“Who are you that seek entrance into the Sanctuary?” he asked; “are -you gods or devils, men or women?” -</p> - -<p> -“We are two men and a woman,” answered Maya, “priests and priestess of -the Heart, and we come to take our trial before the Council of the -Heart, as is our right.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you know the open signs of the Heart, the signs of Brotherhood, of -Unity, and of Love, that you dare to stand upon the threshold of the -Sanctuary, to cross which is death to the ignorant?” -</p> - -<p> -“We know them,” answered Maya. And one by one we gave those signs. -</p> - -<p> -“Do you know the secret signs of the Heart, that you dare to cross -this threshold?” he asked again. “Otherwise get you back and take your -trial in the common judgment-hall.” -</p> - -<p> -“I know them,” answered Maya, “and I vouch for these men who accompany -me. Suffer me, then, to enter, and these with me, for I am here by -ancient right, and I have knowledge both of the outward signs and the -inner mysteries.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the man withdrew, and the door was closed behind him. Presently he -appeared again and said: -</p> - -<p> -“I have reported to the Council, and it is the will of the Council -that you should enter.” -</p> - -<p> -“Follow me,” said Maya to us, “and when you are spoken to make no -answer till I have vouched for you. I will answer for you.” -</p> - -<p> -The priests let their swords fall, and, passing through the -doors,—for there were two of them connected by a short passage,—once -more we found ourselves standing beneath the mask of the Unknown god -in the Sanctuary of the City of the Heart. But now it was no longer -empty. -</p> - -<p> -Behind the little altar were three stools, and upon them, clad in -wonderful apparel, and adorned with gold and gems, sat Tikal, Mattai, -and Nahua, who was the only woman present. In front of the altar was -an open space, and beyond its circle, each wearing the orders of his -spiritual rank, sat the Brethren of the Heart according to their -degree, to the number of thirty-six. -</p> - -<p> -Led by Maya we advanced into the space before the altar, and stood -there in silence. None of those present took note of us; indeed, they -did not seem to see us, but sat with bent heads and with hands folded -crosswise on their breasts. At length one of the Brethren—he who was -nearest to the door, and had questioned us without—rose, and, -addressing Tikal, said: -</p> - -<p> -“Keeper of the Heart, one who claims to be of our company stands -before you, and with her two for whom she vouches, who, although they -be strangers, by your command I have proved to be Brethren of the -Heart, though what more they may be I know not. Be pleased, then, to -prove them also by the voice of their sponsor, that their mouths may -be opened and their prayer come to the ears of the Council.” -</p> - -<p> -At his words two of the brethren rose and blindfolded the señor and -myself, lest we should see the sacred signs, with all of which, -indeed, I was well acquainted, but Maya they did not blindfold. Then -we heard Tikal asking: -</p> - -<p> -“How are you named who are strange to our eyes?” We made no reply, for -a voice in our ears cautioned us to be silent. -</p> - -<p> -“We are named ‘the Son of the Sea’ and ‘Ignatio the Wanderer,’” -answered the voice of Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Son of the Sea, and Ignatio the Wanderer, why come you here,” asked -Tikal, “through the gate on which is written—‘Death to the Stranger -and to the Uninstructed.’” -</p> - -<p> -“Because we have a prayer to utter, an offering to make, and because, -although we dwell in a far land, we are the servants of the Heart,” -answered Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“How come ye here?” -</p> - -<p> -“The Heart led, the Mouth whispered, and we followed the light of the -Eyes.” -</p> - -<p> -“Show me the sign of the light of the Eyes, or die to this world.” -</p> - -<p> -Now there was silence, and, though we could not see it, Maya showed -the sign on our behalf. -</p> - -<p> -“Show me the second sign, the sign of the Mouth, or be cursed by the -Mouth, and die to this world and the next.” -</p> - -<p> -Again there was silence. -</p> - -<p> -“Show me the sign of the Heart, the third and greatest sign, lest the -Heart think on you, and ye die to this world, to the next world, and -all the worlds that are to be; lest ye be cast out between the Light -and Darkness, and lost in the gulf of fire that joins Heaven to Hell.” -</p> - -<p> -Now we heard a sound of rustling, as though all the company had risen -and were prostrating themselves, and presently the bandages were -lifted from our eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“Strangers,” said Tikal, “your mouths are opened in the Sanctuary -according to the ancient form, and it is lawful for the Council to -listen to your prayer. Speak, then, without fear.” -</p> - -<p> -Then I spoke, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Brethren,—for so I will dare to call you, seeing that I also, though -a stranger, am of the Brotherhood of the Heart, as I can prove to you -if need be,—ay! and higher in rank than any present here, unless it -be you, O Keeper of the Heart: on my own behalf, on behalf of my -brother who also is of our company, and on behalf of Maya, Lady of the -Heart, daughter of him who ruled you, and heiress to his power, I -speak and make my prayer to you. It would seem that we three, together -with Zibalbay, who is dead and therefore beyond the execution of your -judgment, have violated the laws of this city,—we by daring to enter -its gates, and Zibalbay and the Lady Maya by leading us to those -gates. For this crime we should have been put to death eight days ago -upon the pyramid, had not the Lady Maya here claimed a right to have -our cause laid before this high tribunal. In her case and in that of -her father this was conceded, and I pray now that the same clemency -may be extended to me and to my brother.” -</p> - -<p> -“Upon what grounds do you claim this, stranger?” asked Tikal. -</p> - -<p> -“Upon the ground that we are Brethren of the inmost circle of the -Heart, and therefore have committed no crime in visiting this city, -which is free to us by right of our rank and office.” -</p> - -<p> -Now there was a murmur of “True” from the Council behind me, and Tikal -also said “True,” but added, “If you are Brethren of the inmost circle -of the Heart, you are free from offence; but first you must prove that -this is so, which as yet you have not done. A brother of the inmost -circle knows its mysteries and can answer the secret questions. Come, -let us put you to the test, but first let the white man be removed -from the Sanctuary, for in this matter each must vouch for himself.” -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly the señor was led away, and, the doors having been closed -and the lamps shaded, the oldest and most instructed of the -councillors stood forward and put me to the test with many questions, -all of which I answered readily. Then they commanded me to stand -before the altar, and, as Keeper of the Heart, to open the Heart in -the highest degree. This I did also, though afterwards they told me -that my ritual differed in some particulars from their own. After that -I took up my parable and questioned them till at length none there -could answer me,—no, not even the high priest or Mattai; and they -confessed humbly that I was more instructed than any one of them, and -because of this knowledge from that day forward I was held in -veneration in the City of the Heart. -</p> - -<p> -Now I was given a seat among the Brethren,—the highest, indeed, after -those of the chief priest and the great officers,—and the señor was -summoned. -</p> - -<p> -He entered with a downcast look, and while Maya and I watched him -sadly, his examination began. It was not long. At the second question -he became confused, used angry language in Spanish and English, and -broke down. -</p> - -<p> -“Brethren,” said Tikal,—and there was joy in his eye, as he -spoke,—“it seems that we need not trouble further with this impostor. -By daring to enter our city he has earned the penalty of death; -moreover he has blackened his crime by claiming to be of our -Brotherhood, whereas he scarcely knows the simplest pass-word. Is it -your will that he should be taken to his fate? If so, speak the word -of doom.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Maya rose affrighted, but, motioning to her to be silent, I spoke, -saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Hear me before that fatal word is spoken which cannot be recalled! -This man is of our inmost Brotherhood, though he has not been formally -admitted to the inner circles, and has forgotten those of the -mysteries which were taught to him at his initiation. Listen, and I -will tell you how he came to join the Order of the Heart,”—and I told -them that tale of my rescue by the señor, and told them also all the -story of our meeting with Zibalbay and of our journey to the City of -the Heart, speaking to them for an hour or more while they hearkened -earnestly. -</p> - -<p> -When I had done they debated as to the fate of the señor, and—though -by only one vote—decided that if I had nothing more to urge on his -behalf he must straightway die. -</p> - -<p> -“I have something more to urge before you pass judgment,” I said in my -need and despair (speaking and acting a lie to save the life of my -beloved friend,—yes, I who had blamed Maya for this same deed), -“though it has to do with the mysteries of your religion rather than -with those of our Order. It was the belief of Zibalbay, who is dead, -that when the two halves of the ancient talisman—the halves Night and -Morning, that together make the perfect Day—are set in their place in -the symbol which once they filled before the dividing of peoples, then -it shall be made clear what part must be played by each of us -wanderers in the fate that is to be. To this end did Zibalbay -undertake his journey, and lo! here is that which he went to seek——” -and I drew the talisman from my breast. “Take it, Tikal, for I resign -it, and lay it with its fellow in the place that is prepared for them, -so that we may learn, and all your people may learn, what truth there -is in the visions of Zibalbay.” -</p> - -<p> -“That is our desire,” answered Tikal, taking the severed emerald and -its counterpart which Maya gave to him. “Let the white man, Son of the -Sea, be placed without the Sanctuary and guarded there awhile, for so -at least he will gain time to prepare himself for death. Fear not, -lady,” he added, noting Maya’s anxious face, “no harm shall be done to -him till this matter of the prophecy is made clear.” -</p> - -<p> -Now for the second time the señor was removed, and when he had gone -Tikal spoke, tracing the history of the prophecy so far as it was -known, and reciting its substance,—that when once more the two halves -of the symbol of the Heart were laid side by side in their place on -the altar in the Sanctuary, then from that hour the people should grow -great again. -</p> - -<p> -“In all this,” he said, “I have little faith; still, Zibalbay, who in -his way was wise, believed it, and, the story having gone abroad, the -people clamour that it should be put to the test. Is this your will -also?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is our will,” answered the Councillors. -</p> - -<p> -“Good. Then let it be done, and on your heads be it if harm should -come of the deed. Mattai, the Council commands you to set these -fragments in the hollow of the symbol.” -</p> - -<p> -“If such is the order of the Council I have no choice but to obey,” -said Mattai. “Yet, though none else have done so, I give my voice -against it, for I hold that this is childishness, and never did I know -any good to spring from prophecies,”—and he paused as though waiting -for an answer. -</p> - -<p> -“Obey! Obey!” said the Council, for curiosity had got a hold of them, -and they craned their necks forward to see what might happen. -</p> - -<p> -“Obey!” repeated Tikal. “But beware how you shake the Heart, lest the -legend prove true and we should perish in the doom of waters.” -</p> - -<p> -Then Mattai set the two halves of the talisman in their place; and as -before, in the midst of an utter silence, lo! the symbol opened like a -flower. Leaning forward I saw the eye within its hollow; but it seemed -to me that the fire had faded from the heart of the jewel, for now it -gleamed coldly, like the eye of a man who is two hours dead. I think -that Mattai noted this also, for as the symbol opened he started and -his hand shook. -</p> - -<p> -Now, when they saw the marvel, a gasp of wonder rose from the Council, -then Tikal spoke, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“It seems that there was wisdom in Zibalbay’s madness, for the Heart -has opened indeed, and within it is a stone eye resting upon a plate -of gold that is covered with writing.” -</p> - -<p> -“Read the writing!” they cried. -</p> - -<p> -Displacing the eye, Tikal lifted the plate of gold and scanned it. -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot,” he said, shaking his head. “It is written in a character -more ancient than any I have learned. Take it, Mattai, for you are -instructed in such signs.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Mattai took the tablet and studied it long with an anxious face, -upon which at length light broke that changed anon to wonder, or -rather blank amaze, so that I, watching him, began to think, not -knowing all the cleverness of Mattai, that the señor was right, and -the tablet had been tampered with since we saw it. -</p> - -<p> -“Read! Read!” cried the Council. -</p> - -<p> -“Brethren,” he said, “the words seem clear, and yet so strange is this -writing that I fear my learning is at fault, and that I had best give -it to others to decipher.” -</p> - -<p> -“No; read, read,” they cried again, almost angrily. -</p> - -<p> -Then he read: -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -“This is the voice of the Nameless god that his prophet heard in the -year of the building of the Sanctuary, and graved upon a tablet of -gold which he set in a secret place in the symbol of the Sanctuary, to -be declared in that far-off hour when the lost is found and the signs -of the Day and the Night are come together. To thee it speaks, unborn -daughter of a chief to be, whose name is the name of a nation. When my -people have grown old and their numbers are lessened, and their heart -is faint, then, maiden, take to thyself as a husband a man of the race -of the white god, a son of the sea-foam, whom thou shalt lead hither -across the desert, for so my people shall once more prosper and grow -strong, and the land shall be to thy child and the child of the god, -east and west, and north and south, further than my eagles wing -between sunrise and set.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Now, as Mattai read, the face of Tikal grew black with rage, and -before ever the echoes of his voice had died away, he sprang from his -seat crying: -</p> - -<p> -“Whoever it was that wrote this lying prophecy, god or man, let him be -accursed. Shall the Lady Maya—for her it must be whose name is the -name of a nation—be given in marriage to the white dog who awaits his -doom without that door, and shall his son rule over us? First will I -see her dead and him with her!” -</p> - -<p> -Then one of the oldest of the Council, a man named Dimas, who, as I -learned afterwards, had been foster-brother to Zibalbay, rose and -answered wrathily: -</p> - -<p> -“It seems that these things must be so, Tikal, and beware how you -utter threats of death lest they should fall upon your own head. We -have called upon the god, and the god has spoken in no uncertain -voice. The Lady Maya must become wife to the white man, Son of the -Sea, and then things shall befall as they are fated.” -</p> - -<p> -“What?” answered Tikal. “Is this wandering stranger to be set over me -and all of us?” -</p> - -<p> -“That I do not know,” said the Councillor, “the writing does not say -so; the writing says that his son shall be set over us, and as yet he -has no son. But this is certain, that the Lady Maya must be given to -him as wife, and in her right he well may rule, seeing that she is the -lawful heir to her father, and not you, Tikal, although you have -usurped her place.” -</p> - -<p> -Now many voices called upon Maya, and she stood forward and spoke, -with downcast eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“What shall I say?” she began, “except one thing, that my will is the -will of the gods, and if it is fated that I should be given to the -white man in marriage, why, so let it be. For many years I was taught -to look elsewhere, but he who was to have been my husband—” and she -pointed towards Tikal—“chose himself another wife, and now I see that -he did this not altogether of his own will, but because it was so -decreed. One thing more. I, who am but a woman, have no desire to rule -or to take the place that the Lady Nahua holds. The writing says that -in a day to come, a far-off day, some child of mine, if indeed I am -that ‘daughter of a chief whose name is the name of a nation,’ shall -rule in truth. Let him then come in his hour and take the glories that -await him, and meanwhile, Tikal, do you sit in your place and leave me -to rest in peace.” -</p> - -<p> -“The Lady Maya speaks you fair, Tikal, and my daughter,” said Mattai, -“and if the people will have it, you may do well to accept her offer, -leaving the future to shape itself. She says she is ready to take the -white man as a husband, but we have not yet heard whether the white -man will take her as a wife. It may be—” he added with a smile—“that -he will rather choose to die; but at the least we must have an answer -from his lips,—that is, if you accept this prophecy as sent from -heaven. Say, do you accept it?” -</p> - -<p> -“We accept it,” answered the Council almost with one voice. -</p> - -<p> -“Then let the white man, Son of the Sea, be brought before us,” said -Mattai. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch21"> -CHAPTER XXI.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">THE MARRIAGE OF MAYA</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Presently</span> the door opened and the señor was led into the Sanctuary, -as he thought to his death, for I saw that his teeth were set and that -his hand was clenched as though to defend himself. But as he came the -most of the Council rose and bowed to him, crying: -</p> - -<p> -“Hail to you! Son of the Sea, Favoured of Heaven, Father fore-ordained -of the Deliverer to come!” -</p> - -<p> -Then he knew that the plot had succeeded, and he uttered a great sigh -of relief. -</p> - -<p> -“Hearken, white lord,” said Mattai, for Tikal sat still and scowled on -him in silence; “the gods have spoken by their oracle. As Zibalbay -thought, so it is, and your feet have been led for a purpose to the -gates of the City of the Heart. Listen to the words of the -gods,”—and, taking the tablet, he read to him the false prophecy. -“Now choose, White Man. Will you take the Lady Maya to wife, or will -you be put to death in that, having wandered to the City of the Heart, -you refuse to obey the command of its gods?” -</p> - -<p> -Now the señor thought and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“The man would be foolish who hesitated between death and so fair and -sweet a bride. Still, this is a matter that I cannot decide alone. -What says the Lady Maya?” -</p> - -<p> -“She says,” answered Maya, “that although this is a marriage for which -she did not look, and it is a new thing that a daughter of the Heart -should take a stranger of less ancient blood to husband, the will of -Heaven is her will, and the lord that Heaven chooses for her shall be -her lord,”—and she stretched out her hand to the señor. -</p> - -<p> -He took it, and, bending down, kissed her fingers, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“May I be worthy of your choice, Lady.” -</p> - -<p> -Now I thought that the ceremonies were finished, and was glad, for I -grew weary of assisting at this farce, but the old priest, Zibalbay’s -foster-brother, rose and said: -</p> - -<p> -“One thing more must be done, Brethren, before we leave this -Sanctuary, and it is to swear in these strangers as members of the -Council. They have wandered here from far, and here with us they must -live and die, seeing that both of them know our secrets, and one of -them is predestined to become the father of that great lord for whose -arising we have looked for many generations, and therefore, until the -child is born, he must be watched and guarded as priests watch a -sacred fire.” -</p> - -<p> -“Ay! it is well thought of. Let them be sworn, and learn that to break -the oath is death,” was the answer. -</p> - -<p> -Then Mattai rose, as Keeper of the Sanctuary, and said: -</p> - -<p> -“You, White Man, Son of the Sea, and you, Ignatio, the Wanderer, a -Lord of the Heart, do swear upon the holy symbol of the Heart, the -oath to break which is to die horribly in this world and to be lost -everlastingly in the worlds that are to be. You swear, setting in -pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment of the oath, that -neither by word nor sign nor deed will you reveal aught of the -mysteries or the councils of this Brotherhood, whereof you will be the -faithful servants till your deaths, holding it supreme above every -power upon earth. You swear that you will not possess yourselves of -the treasures of the City of the Heart, nor, without the consent of -this high Brotherhood, attempt to leave its gates or to bring any -stranger within its walls. These things you swear with your hands upon -the altar, setting in pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment -of the oath.” -</p> - -<p> -Other clauses there were also which I have forgotten, but this was the -substance of the vow that was dictated to us. We looked at each other -helplessly, and then, there being no escape, we swore, kneeling before -the altar, with our hands resting upon it. -</p> - -<p> -As the solemn words of confirmation passed our lips, we heard a sound -of the movement of heavy stones behind us. -</p> - -<p> -“Arise now,” said the old priest, “turn, Brethren, and look upon that -which lies behind you.” -</p> - -<p> -We obeyed, and the next instant shrank back against the altar in -alarm, for within six feet of us a massive stone in the floor had been -lifted, revealing the mouth of a well, from the deep recesses of which -came the distant sound of rushing waters. -</p> - -<p> -“Behold, Brethren,” he went on, “and should the oath which you have -sworn be broken in a single letter, learn after what fashion you must -suffer for your sins. Into that pit you shall be cast, that the water -may choke your breath, and the demons of the under-world may prey upon -your souls through all eternity. Have you seen, and, seeing, do you -understand?” -</p> - -<p> -“We have seen, and we understand,” we answered. -</p> - -<p> -“Then let the mouth of the pit be sealed again, and pray you in your -hearts that it may never be opened to receive the living body of you -or of any of us. Son of the Sea, and you, Ignatio the Wanderer, the -oaths have been sworn, and the ceremony is finished. Henceforth till -your deaths you are of our number, sharers in our rights and -privileges, and to you will be assigned houses, attendants and -revenues fitted to your station. Go forth, Brethren, that you may -refresh yourselves, and prepare to meet the people upon the summit of -the pyramid at dawn; that is, within an hour. Lead them away with you, -my Lord Mattai.” -</p> - -<p> -So we went, leaving behind us the talisman of the Broken Heart, for -the priests refused to return it to me, saying that at length the -tokens named Day and Night had come together in their ancient place, -and henceforth there they must bide for ever. Accompanied by Maya, -Mattai, and the escort of priests, we passed through the halls and -passages out into the courtyard of the temple, and thence to -apartments in the palace, where we refreshed ourselves with food, for -we were weary. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -The trick had succeeded, the ordeal was past, and for the present at -least we were no longer in danger of our lives: more, the power of -Mattai was confirmed, and his daughter was assured in her position as -the wife of Tikal; and the señor and the Lady Maya were about to -attain to the fulness of their desire, and to be declared one in the -presence of the people. Yet never did I partake of a sadder meal, or -behold faces more oppressed by care and the fear of the future; for, -though nothing was said, in our hearts each of us knew that we had -become parties to a crime, and that sooner or later, in this way or in -that, our evil-doing would find us out. Putting this matter aside, I -myself had good reason to mourn, seeing that, whatever the others had -gained, I had won nothing; moreover I found myself bound by a solemn -oath not even to attempt to leave this city whither I had journeyed -with such high hopes. Well, the thing was done, and it was useless to -regret it or to think of the future, so, turning to Mattai, I asked -him what was to happen on the pyramid. -</p> - -<p> -“There will be a great gathering of the people,” he answered, “as is -customary at dawn after the night of the Rising of Waters, and there -they will be told all that has happened in the Sanctuary, and then, if -it is their will, Tikal will be confirmed as <i>cacique</i> according to -the bargain, and either to-day or to-morrow the white man here will -become the husband of the Lady Maya, in order”—he added with a -sneer—“that of their union may be born the Deliverer who is to be. -Now, if you are ready, it is time for us to go, for the multitude is -gathered, and an escort waits us without.” -</p> - -<p> -Leaving the palace we placed ourselves in the centre of a party of -nobles and guards who were in attendance, and marched across the -courtyard and up the steps of the pyramid. The night was growing grey -with the breaking of the dawn, and in the pearly light, through which -the stars shone faintly, we perceived that bands of priests and -nobles, wrapped in their broidered <i>serapes</i>,—for the morning air was -chilly,—stood in their appointed places round the altar. In front of -them were ranged the dense masses of the people, drawn here to make -their prayers upon this feast day, and also by desire to learn the -truth as to the death of Zibalbay; the fate of the strangers who had -accompanied him from the unknown lands; the decision of the Council as -to the successor to the place and power of <i>cacique</i>; and lastly, -whether or no the oracle of the god had spoken to his priests upon -this or any other matter when the lost talisman was set in its place -in the Sanctuary. -</p> - -<p> -On reaching the altar, seats were given to us among the nobles of the -Heart, those of Maya and the señor being placed in such fashion that -they would be visible to the whole multitude. -</p> - -<p> -Then followed a silence, till at length a priest who was stationed -upon the roof of the watch-house blew a silver trumpet and proclaimed -that the dawn was broken, whereon bands of singers who were in -readiness began to chant a very beautiful hymn of which the refrain -was caught up by the audience. As they sang, a beam from the rising -sun struck upon the fire that burned above the altar, and again the -trumpet sounded. Then, in the silence that followed, the priest who -stood by the fire, clothed in white robes, prayed in a loud voice, -saying: -</p> - -<p> -“O god, our god, let our sins die with the dying year. O god, our god, -strengthen us with thy strength, comfort us with thy comfort during -the day that is to be. O god, our god, have pity upon us, lift us from -the darkness of the past, and give us light in the coming time. Hear -us, Heart of Heaven, hear us!” -</p> - -<p> -He ceased, and from the surrounding gloom many voices made response, -saying: “<i>Hear us, Heart of Heaven, hear us!</i>” -</p> - -<p> -Then for a space the old priest stood still, the firelight flickering -on his tall form and rapt countenance as he gazed towards the east. -Greyer and more grey grew the gloom, till of a sudden a ray from the -unrisen sun shot through the shadows like a spear and fell athwart the -summit of the pyramid, paling the holy fire, that seemed to shrink -before it. At the coming of the sunbeam the multitude of -worshippers—men and women together—rose from the marble pavement -whereon they had been kneeling in prayer, and, casting off the dark -cloaks which covered their white robes, they turned, extending their -arms towards the east, and cried with one accord: -</p> - -<p> -“Hail to thee, O sun! bringer of all good things. Hail to thee, -new-born child of god!” -</p> - -<p> -Now the light grew fast, and soon the city appeared, rising white and -beautiful from its veil of mist; and, as the glory of the daylight -fell upon it, other priests who stood by the altar uttered prayers -appointed to be offered upon this day of the beginning of the Rising -of Waters. To the People of the Heart the occasion was a great one, -seeing that but little rain falls in their country, and thus they -depended for a bountiful harvest upon the inundation of the island and -of the low shores that lay around the lake by its waters swollen with -the melted snow of the great mountains on the mainland. When the -waters retreated, then they planted their grain in rich land made -fertile by the mud, without labour to themselves, whence, before the -lake rose again, they gathered their corn and other crops. -</p> - -<p> -When they had ended their praying, and gifts of fresh flowers had been -laid upon the altar by beautiful children chosen for that purpose, -Tikal blessed the multitude as high priest, and the simple ceremony -came to an end. -</p> - -<p> -Then Mattai rose to speak, telling the people all things that had -happened, or so much of them as it was expedient that they should -know. He told them of the death of Zibalbay, of the setting of the -lost talisman in the symbol, and of the writing that was found -therein, which he read aloud to them amidst a dead silence. Then he -told them how the Lady Maya and the white man had consented to be -married in obedience to the voice of the oracle; and lastly, how she, -the Lady Maya, had desired that her cousin Tikal should continue to be -<i>cacique</i> of the City of the Heart, that she might have more leisure -to attend upon her heaven-sent husband, and to be at rest until that -child was become a man, whose wisdom and power should make them even -greater than their forefathers had been. -</p> - -<p> -When he had finished his address there was much applause and other -expressions of joy, and a spokesman from among the people asked when -the marriage of the white man, Son of the Sea, to the Lady Maya, would -take place. -</p> - -<p> -This question she answered in person, saying modestly that it was her -lord’s will that it should take place that very night in the -banqueting-hall of the palace, and that a great feast should be -celebrated in honour of it. -</p> - -<p> -After this the talking came to an end, Tikal having said no word, good -or bad, beyond such as the duties of his office required; and -according to the custom of the country many people, noble and simple, -came forward to congratulate her who was about to be made a bride. -Weary of watching them and of hearing their pretty speeches, I took -advantage of the escort of a friendly noble and went to see the -ceremony of the closing of the flood-gate, a huge block of marble that -slid down a groove into a niche prepared to receive it, where it was -fastened with great bars of copper and sealed by certain officers, -although, so I was told, the rising water would not reach it for -another eight or ten days. Even though the flood should prove to be a -low one, it was death to break those seals for a space of four full -months, and during all this time any who would leave the city must do -so by means of ladders reaching from the wall to little wooden -jetties, where boats were moored. Afterwards we walked round the walls -and through some of the main streets, and I marvelled at the greatness -of this half-deserted place, for the most of it was in ruins, and at -the many strange sights that I saw in it. Indeed, I think that Mexico, -in the time of Montezuma, my forefather, was not more powerful or -populous than this town must have been in the days of its prosperity. -</p> - -<p> -About midday I returned to the apartments that had been assigned to me -in the palace, and, hearing that the señor was still in attendance -upon the Lady Maya, I ate my dinner alone with such appetite as I -could find, and lay down to sleep awhile. -</p> - -<p> -I was awakened from my rest by the señor, who arrived, looking merry -as he used to be before ever Molas came to lead us to the old Indian -doctor and his daughter, and full of talk about the preparations for -his wedding that night. I listened to all he had to say, and strove -earnestly to fall into his mood, but, as I suppose, without effect, -for in the end he fell into mine, which was but a sad one, and began -to talk regretfully of the past and doubtfully of the future. Now I -did my best to cheer him, but with little avail, for he shook his head -and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Indian as she is, I love Maya, and no other woman has been or can be -so much to me; and yet I am afraid, Ignatio, for this marriage is -ill-omened, and I pray that what was begun in trickery may not end in -desolation. Also the future is black both for you and for me. You came -here for a certain purpose and will desire to leave again to follow -your purpose; nor, although I take this lady to wife, do I wish to -spend my days in the City of the Heart. And yet it would seem that, -unless we can escape, this is what we must do.” -</p> - -<p> -“Let us hope that we shall be able to escape,” I answered. -</p> - -<p> -“I doubt it,” he said, “for already I have discovered that, though we -be treated with all honour, yet we shall be closely watched, or at -least I shall, for certain reasons. Still, come what may, I trust that -this marriage will make no breach in our friendship, Ignatio.” -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know, señor,” I answered, “though I think that for weeks -its shadow has lain between us, and I fear lest that shadow should -deepen. Also it has been fated that women and their loves should come -between me, my ambitions, and my friends. From the moment that my eyes -fell upon the Lady Maya bound to the altar in the chapel of the -<i>hacienda</i>, I felt that her great beauty would bring trouble upon us, -and it would seem that my heart did not lie to me. Now, under her -guidance, we have entered upon a dark and doubtful path, whereof no -man can see the end.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” he answered, “but we took that path in order to save our -lives.” -</p> - -<p> -“She took it, not to save her life, on which I think she sets little -store, but to win a husband whom she desires. For my part I hold that -it would have been better for us to die, if God so willed it, than to -live on with hearts fouled by deceit, seeing that in the end die we -must, but no years of added life can wear away that stain. Well, this -must seem sad talk to the ears of a bridegroom. Forget it, friend, and -rest awhile that you may do credit to the marriage-feast.” -</p> - -<p> -Without answering, the señor lay down upon the bed, where he -remained—whether sleeping or awake I do not know—till the hour of -sunset, when he was aroused by the arrival of several lords and -attendants who came to lead him to the bath. On his return other -messengers entered, bearing magnificent robes and jewels, the gift of -the Lady Maya, to be worn by him and by me at the ceremony. Then, -barbers having trimmed and scented his fair hair and beard according -to the fashion of this people, he was decked out like a victim for the -sacrifice. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as all was prepared, the doors were flung wide, and six -officers of the palace came through them, bearing wands of office in -their hands, accompanied by a troop of singing-girls chosen for their -loveliness, which, to speak truth, was not small. In the midst of -these officers and ladies the señor was placed, and, followed by -myself, who walked behind with a heavy heart, he set out for the -banqueting-hall. As we reached it the doors were thrown open and the -singers set up a love song, pretty enough, but so foolish that I have -forgotten it. We passed the threshold and found that the great hall -was crowded with guests arrayed in their most brilliant attire, -whereon the lamplight shone bravely. Through this company we walked -till we reached an open space at the far end of the hall, around which -in a semicircle sat the members of the Council of the Heart, Tikal and -his wife being placed in the centre of them, having Mattai on their -right, and on their left that old priest Dimas, the foster-brother of -Zibalbay, who had administered the oath to us. -</p> - -<p> -As we advanced, with one exception, all the Council rose and bowed to -the señor. That exception was Tikal, who stared straight before him -and did not move. Scarcely had they resumed their seats when the sound -of singing was heard again, mingled with that of music, and far away -at the foot of the long hall appeared a band of musicians playing upon -pipes of reeds, clad in the royal livery of green, and crowned with -oak-leaves. After the musicians marched, or rather danced, a number of -young girls robed in white only, and carrying white lilies in their -hands, which they threw upon the floor to be trodden by the feet of -the bride. Next came Maya herself, a sight of beauty such as stirred -even my cold heart, and caused me to think more gently of the señor, -who had become party to a trick to win her. She also was arrayed in -white, embroidered with gold, and having the symbol of the Heart -blazoned on her breast; about her waist and neck were a girdle and -collar of priceless emeralds; on her head was set a tiara of perfect -pearls taken in past ages from the shell-fish of the lake, and round -her wrists and ankles were bangles of dead gold. Her waving hair hung -loose almost to her sandalled feet, and in her hand, as token of her -rank, she bore a little golden sceptre, having at one end a great -pearl, and at the other a heart-shaped emerald. On she came, or rather -floated, her delicate head held high; and so strange and beautiful was -the aspect of her face, that for my part, from the instant that I -beheld it till she stood before me by the bridegroom, I seemed to see -naught else. It was very pale and somewhat set; indeed at that moment -Maya looked more like a white woman than one of Indian blood, and her -curved lips were parted as though they waited for some forgotten words -to pass them. Her deep-blue eyes also were set wide, and, beneath the -shadow of their lashes, seemed full of mystery and wonder, like the -eyes of one who walks in her sleep and beholds things invisible to the -waking sight. Presently they fell upon the eyes of the señor, and of -a sudden grew human, while the red blood mantled on her breast and -arms and brow. -</p> - -<p> -Then for me the spell was broken, and I glanced at Tikal and saw that -on his face was that same look with which he had greeted Maya when, on -the night of his own wedding-feast, he beheld her whom he believed to -be dead, standing before him clothed in life and beauty. Eagerly, -despairingly, he watched her, and I noticed that tears stood in his -angry eyes, and that a gust of jealous rage shook him from head to -foot when he saw her flush with joy at the sight of his white rival. -From Tikal my glance travelled to the dark beauty at his side, Nahua, -his wife, and I became aware that in this instant she grew certain of -what perhaps before she only guessed, that in his heart her husband -loathed her, as with all his soul and strength he loved the affianced -of his youth who stood before him the bride of another man. Doubt, -fear, rage looked out in turn from her ominous eyes as the knowledge -went home, to be succeeded by a possessing misery, the misery of one -who knows that all which makes life good to her is for ever lost. -Then, pressing her hands to her heart for a moment, she turned aside -to hide her shame and wretchedness, and when she looked up again her -face was calm as the face of a statue, but on it was frozen a mask of -unchanging hate,—hate of the woman who had robbed her. -</p> - -<p> -Now the bridegroom and the bride stood together in the open space -surrounded by the half circle of the Council of the Heart, among whom -I was given a seat, while behind them were arranged the musicians and -singing-girls, and behind these again pressed the glittering audience -of marriage-guests. When all were in their places a herald rose and -cried out the names and titles of the pair, reciting briefly that they -were to be wed by the direct command of the guardian god of the city, -by the wish of the Council of the Heart, and because of the love that -they bore one another. Next, reading from a written roll, he published -the text of the agreement whereby Maya renounced her right as ruler in -favour of her cousin Tikal, and I noticed that this agreement was -received by the company in cold silence and with some few expressions -of disapproval. Lastly, from another roll he read the list of the -honours, prerogatives, offices, wealth, houses, and servants which -were thereby assigned to the Lady Maya and her consort, and also to -myself their friend, for the maintenance of their rank and dignity and -of my comfort. -</p> - -<p> -Having finished his task, he asked the señor and Maya whether they -had heard all that he had read by command of the Council, and, if so, -whether they approved thereof. They bowed their heads in assent, -whereupon the herald turned, and, addressing Tikal by all his titles, -called upon him, in virtue of his priestly office and of his position -as chief of the state, to make these two one in the face of the -people, according to the ancient custom of the land. -</p> - -<p> -Tikal heard him and rose from his seat as though to commence the -service, then sank down again, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Seek some other priest, Herald, for this thing I will not do.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch22"> -CHAPTER XXII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">MATTAI PROPHESIES EVIL</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">At</span> Tikal’s words the company murmured in astonishment, and Mattai, -bending forward, began to whisper in his ear. Tikal listened for a -moment, then turned upon him fiercely and said aloud, so that all -could hear him: -</p> - -<p> -“I tell you, Mattai, that I will be no party to this iniquity. Has -such a thing been heard of before, that the Lady of the Heart, the -highest lady in the land, should be given in marriage to a stranger -who, like some lost dog, has wandered to our gate?” -</p> - -<p> -“The prophecy——” began Mattai. -</p> - -<p> -“The prophecy! I put no faith in prophecies. Why should I obey a -prophecy written how, when, or by whom I do not know? This lady was my -affianced bride, and now I am asked to unite her to a nameless man who -is not even of our blood or faith. Well, I will not.” -</p> - -<p> -“Surely, lord, you blaspheme,” answered Mattai, growing wrath, “seeing -that it is not for the high priest to speak against the oracle of the -god. Also,” he added, with meaning, “what can it be to you, who are -not ten days wed to the lady at your side, that she to whom once you -were affianced should choose another as her husband?” -</p> - -<p> -“What is it to me?” said Tikal, furiously. “If you desire to know, I -will tell you. It is everything. How did I come to break my troth and -to take your daughter as a wife? Through you, Mattai, through you, the -liar and the false prophet. Did you not swear to me that Maya was dead -yonder in the wilderness? And did you not, to satisfy your own -ambitions, force me on to take your daughter to wife? Ay! and is not -this marriage between the Lady of the Heart and the white man a plot -of yours devised for the furthering of your ends?” -</p> - -<p> -Now, while all stood astonished, of a sudden Nahua, who hitherto had -listened in stony silence, rose and said: -</p> - -<p> -“The Lord Tikal, my husband, forgets that common courtesy should -protect even an unwelcome wife from public insult.” Then she turned -and left the hall by the door which was behind her. -</p> - -<p> -Now a murmur of pity for the lady, and indignation at the man, ran -through the company, and as it died away Tikal said: “Evil will come -of this night’s work, and in it I will have no hand. Do what you will, -and abide the issue,”—and before any could speak in answer he also -had left the hall, followed by his guards. -</p> - -<p> -For a while there was silence, then men began to talk confusedly, and -some of the members of the Brotherhood of the Heart, rising from their -chairs, took hurried counsel together. At length they reseated -themselves, and, holding up his hand to secure silence, Mattai spoke -thus: -</p> - -<p> -“Forgive me,” he said, addressing the audience, “if my words seem few -and rough, but it is hard for me to be calm in face of the open insult -which has been put upon my daughter and myself before you all. I will -not stoop to answer the charges that the Lord Tikal has brought -against me in his rage. Surely some evil power must have afflicted him -with madness, that, forgetting his honour as a man, and his duty as a -prince and priest, he should dare to utter such calumnies against the -god we worship, the white man whom the god has chosen to be a husband -to the Lady Maya, and myself, the Keeper of the Sanctuary. There were -many among you who held me foolish when, after much prayer and -thought, to further what I believed to be the true interests of the -whole people, I gave my voice in favour of the lifting up of Tikal to -fill the place and honour of <i>cacique</i> in room of our late prince, -Zibalbay, whom we thought dead with his daughter in the wilderness. -To-day I see that they were right, and that I was foolish indeed. But -enough of regrets and bitter talk, that make ill music at a -marriage-feast. Tikal, the head of our hierarchy, has gone, but other -priests are left, nor is his will the will of the Council, or of the -People of the Heart for whom the Council speaks. Their will it is that -this marriage should go forward, and Dimas, my brother, as the oldest -among us, I call upon you to celebrate it.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the company shouted in applause, for they were set upon this -strange union of a white man with their lady, if only because it was a -new thing and touched their imagination; and even those of them who -were of his party were wrath with Tikal on account of his ill -behaviour and the cruel affront that he had offered to his new-made -wife. -</p> - -<p> -So soon as the tumult had died away, the old priest Dimas rose, and, -taking the hands of Maya and the señor, he joined them and said a -very touching and beautiful prayer over them, blessing them, and -entreating the spirit, Heart of Heaven, and other gods, to give them -increase and to make them happy in a mutual love. Lastly, he laid a -white silken cloth, which had been prepared, upon their heads as they -knelt before him, and, loosing the emerald girdle from about the waist -of the bride, he took her right hand and placed it upon the arm of the -señor, then he bound the girdle round wrist and arm, buckled it, and -in a few solemn words declared these twain to be man and wife in the -face of Heaven and earth till death undid them. -</p> - -<p> -Now the cloth was lifted and the girdle loosed, and, standing upon -their feet, the new-wed pair kissed each other before the people. A -shout of joy went up that shook the panelled roof, and one by one, in -order of their rank, the guests pressed forward to wish happiness to -the bride and bridegroom, most of them bringing some costly and -beautiful gift, which they gave into the charge of the waiting-ladies. -Last of all came the old priest Dimas, and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Sweet bride, the gift that I am commanded by the Council to make to -you, though of little value in itself, is yet one of the most precious -to be found within the walls of this ancient city, being nothing less -than the holy symbol of the all-seeing Eye of the Heart of Heaven, -which, through you, men behold to-day for the first time for many -generations. Wear it always, lady, and remember that though this jewel -has no sight, yet that Eye, whereof it is a token, from hour to hour -reads your most secret soul and purpose. Make your thoughts, then, as -fair as is your body, and let your breast harbour neither guile nor -evil; for of all these things, in a day to come, you must surely give -account.” -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke he drew from the case that hid it nothing less than that -awful Eye which we had seen within the hollow of the Heart, when with -unhallowed hands we robbed it, substituting the false for the true. -Now it had been set in a band of gold and hung to a golden chain which -he placed about the neck of the bride, so that the red and -cruel-looking gem lay gleaming on her naked breast. Maya bowed and -muttered some words of thanks, but I saw that her spirit failed her at -the touch of the ominous thing, for she turned faint and would have -fallen had not her husband caught her by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -While the señor and his wife were receiving gifts and listening to -pretty speeches, a number of attendants had brought tables laden with -every sort of food from behind the pillars where they had been -prepared, and at a signal the feast began. It was long and joyous, -though joy seemed to have faded from the face of Maya, who sat neither -eating nor drinking, but from time to time lifting the red eye from -her breast as though it scorched her skin. At length she rose, and, -accompanied by her husband, walked bowing down the hall to the -court-yard, where bearers waited for them with carrying-chairs. In -these they seated themselves, and a procession having been formed, -very long and splendid, though I will not stay to describe it, we -started to march round the great square to the sound of music and -singing, our path being lit by the light of the moon and with hundreds -of torches. Here in this square were gathered all the population of -the City of the Heart, men, women, and children, to greet the bride, -each of them bearing flowers and a flaming torch; and never have I -seen any sight more beautiful than this of their welcome. -</p> - -<p> -The circuit of the square being accomplished, the procession halted at -the palace gates, and many hands were stretched out to help the bride -and bridegroom from their litters. It was at this moment that I, who -was standing near, felt a man wrapped in a large feather cloak push -past me, and saw that he held something which gleamed like a knife. -</p> - -<p> -By instinct, as it were, I cried, “Beware, my friend!” in Spanish, and -in so piercing a voice that it caught the señor’s ear. He swung -round, for already he was standing on his feet, and, as he turned, the -man in the cloak rushed at him and stabbed with the knife. But, being -warned, the señor was too quick for him. Springing to one side, with -the same movement he dealt his would-be murderer a great buffet, that -caused him to drop the dagger and sent him staggering into the dense -shadow of the archway. -</p> - -<p> -For some seconds no one seemed to understand what had happened, and -when they did and began to search for the man, he was not to be found. -Who he was, or why he had attempted this cowardly deed, was never -discovered; but for my part I have little doubt that either Tikal -himself or some creature of his was wrapped in the dark feather cloak, -and sought thus to rid him of his rival. Indeed, as time went on, this -belief took firm hold of the mind of the people, and was one of the -causes that led to the sapping of Tikal’s power and popularity. -</p> - -<p> -Very hastily the señor assured the lords in attendance who crowded -round him that he had received no manner of hurt, and then, after -speaking a few brief words of thanks, he withdrew into the palace with -his wife, and I saw him no more that night. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -The day of this marriage was to me the beginning of the longest and -most weary year that ever I have spent in a long and weary life. Very -soon I understood how it came about that Maya had learned to hate the -City of the Heart in which she was born, its people, and its ways, and -ardently to desire a new life in new lands. Here there was no change -and little work; here, enervated by a cloying luxury, the poor remnant -of a great civilisation rotted slowly to its fall, and none lifted a -hand to save it. Since men must do something, the priests and nobles -plotted for place and power indeed, and the common people listlessly -followed this trade or that, providing food and raiment for the -community,—not for themselves,—but there was little heart in what -they did, and they took no pleasure in it. Basking in the eternal -sunshine, they loitered from the cradle to the grave, hoping nothing, -suffering nothing, fearing nothing, content to feast amid their -crumbling palaces, and, when they were weary, to sleep till it was -time to feast again, satisfying their souls the while with the husks -of a faith whereof they had lost the meaning. Such were the people of -whom Zibalbay hoped to fashion a race of conquerors! -</p> - -<p> -Still, to this life they were born and it became them; indeed, they -could have endured no other, for the breath of hardship must have -melted them away as my Indian forefathers melted beneath the iron rule -of the Spaniard, but to me it was a daily torment. Often I have beheld -some wild creature pine and die in its prison, though food was given -to it in greater abundance than it could find in its native woods, and -like that wild creature was I in this soft City of the Heart. -</p> - -<p> -The wealth I came to seek was round me in abundance, useless and -unproductive as the dead hands that had stored it, and yonder in -Mexico were men who by aid of that wealth might become free and great: -but alas! I could not bring them together. I could not even escape -from my gaol, for my every movement was watched. Yet I would have -tried so to do had it not been for the señor, who, when I spoke of -it, said I should be no true friend if I went and left him alone in -this house of strangers. Indeed his plight was worse than mine, for he -too soon grew utterly weary of this dreadful city of eternal summer, -and of everything in it except his wife. For whole hours we would sit -gazing on the wide waters of the lake, and make plan after plan -whereby we might gain the mountains and freedom, only to abandon each -in turn. For they were hopeless. Day and night he was watched, since -here alone this people forgot to be indolent. They knew that their -race was dying and, lifting no hand to save themselves, they preferred -to pin their faith upon the prophecy which promised that from this -white man should spring a saviour. Meanwhile, false though it may have -been, the prophecy, or one part of it, was in the way of fulfilment, -which in itself was a wonder to this people, among whom the births of -children were so rare. At length that child was born—a son—and the -rejoicing knew no bounds. Strangely enough, upon the same day Nahua -also gave birth to a son, and great was her anger when she learned -that it was not on her account or on that of her offspring that the -people were so glad. -</p> - -<p> -Within a few days of the señor’s marriage we heard that Mattai had -been seized with sickness, a kind of palsy, together with a leprous -condition of the arms that baffled all skill. For months he lay in his -house, growing gradually worse, so said the physicians; but one -night—I remember that it was three days previous to the birth of -Maya’s child—he appeared before Maya, the señor, and myself, as we -sat together in the palace looking out upon the moonlit garden. At -first we did not know him, for never before had I seen a sight so -dreadful. His body was bloated; one arm—his left—was swathed in -bandages; his head shook incessantly; and the leprosy had seized his -face, which was of a livid hue. -</p> - -<p> -“Do not shrink from me,” he began, in a low and quavering voice, as he -gazed upon us with his whitening eyes; “surely you should not shrink, -seeing that all of you are partners in the crime that has made of me -the loathsome thing I am. Ay! deny it if you will, but I know it. The -vengeance of the god has fallen upon me, his false servant, and it has -fallen justly. Moreover, be assured that on you also shall that -vengeance fall, for the Eye has seen, the Mouth has told, and the -Heart has thought upon your doom. Look upon me, and learn how rich are -the wages of him who works iniquity, and by my sufferings strive to -count the measure of your own. Perchance your cup is not yet full; -perchance you have still greater sins to work: but vengeance shall -come—I tell you that vengeance shall come here and hereafter. I did -this thing for my daughter’s sake; yes, for love of her, my only -child. She was ambitious and she desired this man, and I thought to -assure greatness to her and to her children after her. -</p> - -<p> -“But see how her wine has been turned to vinegar, and her pleasant -fruits to ashes. Her husband hates her with an ever-growing hate; now -they scarcely speak, or speak only to shower bitter words upon each -other’s head. More,—not for long will Tikal be <i>cacique</i> of the City -of the Heart, for his jealous rage has soured all his mind; his deeds -are deeds of oppression and injustice; already he is detested by the -people, and even those who loved him turn from him and plot against -him. Do you know what they plot? They plot to make that child that -shall be born of you, Maya, <i>cacique</i> in his room, and to set up you -and your outland husband as regents till it shall be of an age to -govern. Oh! you have planned cunningly, and things look well for you, -but I say that they shall not prosper. -</p> - -<p> -“The curse is on you, Ignatio, Lord of the Heart, for all your -high-built hopes shall fall like a rotted roof, and never shall the -eagles of that empire you have dreamed of be broidered on your -banners. Slaves are the people you have toiled for, and slaves they -shall remain, for by the crime to which you gave consent, Ignatio, you -have rivetted their fetters. The curse is on your child, Maya,—never -shall it live to become a man: the curse is on your husband,—his hair -shall not grow grey. But heaviest of all does the curse rest upon you, -false Lady of the Heart, you, whose life is one long lie; you, who -forsook your faith and broke your oath; you, who turned you from your -people and from the law of your high and ancient house, that you might -win a wandering white man to your arms. Woman, we shall meet no more; -but in the hour of your last misery, and in the long, long ages of the -eternal punishment, remember the words that I speak to you -to-day,”—and, shaking his withered arm in our faces, Mattai turned -and limped from the chamber. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_304"> -<a href="images/img_304.jpg"> -<img alt="You--false Lady of the Heart." src="images/img_304_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -‘You—false Lady of the Heart.’ -</div></div> - -<p> -He went, and we sat gazing at each other in horror, for though we none -of us had any faith in the god he worshipped, in our hearts we felt -that this man spoke truth, and that evil would overtake us. For a -moment Maya hid her face in her hands and wept; then she sprang up, -and a fire in her eyes had dried her tears. -</p> - -<p> -“So let it be,” she cried, “I care nothing. At the least I won you, my -love, and for some months, through all our troubles, I have been happy -at your side, and, come good, come ill, nothing can rob me of my -memories. But for you I fear. Husband, I fear for you——” -</p> - -<p> -Then, her passion past, she flung herself into his arms and again -began to weep. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -In due course the child was born, a beautiful boy, almost white in -colour, with his mother’s star-like eyes; and on this same night we -learned that Mattai had died in much torment, and that Nahua was -delivered of a son. -</p> - -<p> -Eighteen days went by, and Maya, new-risen from her bed, was seated -with her husband and myself, while behind us stood a waiting-lady -holding the sleeping infant in her arms, when it was announced to us -that an embassy of the great lords of the Council sought speech with -her. Presently they entered, and the spokesman, the Lord Dimas, bowed -before her and set out his mission, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“We have come to you, Lady of the Heart, on behalf of the Council and -of the people, to rejoice with you in your great happiness, and to lay -certain matters of the state before you. For some months the people -have grown weary of the oppressions and cruelties of Tikal, who in -defiance of the laws of the land has put many to death on suspicion of -their being concerned in plots against his power. Further, but -yesterday it came to the ears of the Council, through the confession -of one whom he had employed to execute his wickedness, that a plan was -laid to murder your husband, your child, and the Lord Ignatio here.” -</p> - -<p> -“Indeed,” said Maya, “and why was my name omitted from this list?” -</p> - -<p> -“Lady, we do not know,” he answered, “but it seems that the assassins -had orders to take you living, and to hide you away in a secret part -of Tikal’s house.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the señor sprang to his feet and swore a great oath to be avenged -upon Tikal. -</p> - -<p> -“Nay, lord,” said Dimas, “his person is holy and must not be touched, -nor need you have any further fear of him, for those whom he corrupted -await their trial, and he himself is watched by day and night. Also, -not for long will Tikal remain <i>cacique</i> of the City of the Heart; for -the Council have met in a secret session to which you were not -summoned, and have decreed that he shall be deposed because of his -iniquities, and in accordance with the desire of the people.” -</p> - -<p> -“Can a <i>cacique</i> be deposed?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes, lady, if he has broken the law, for was not your father to be -deposed for this same reason? Also, Tikal holds his place, not by -right of birth, but by treaty. You are the true heir to Zibalbay, Lady -of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -“It may be so,” she answered coldly, “but I have renounced my claim -and I do not desire to go back upon my word.” -</p> - -<p> -“If you have renounced it,” said Dimas, “there is one to whom it -passes,”—and he pointed to the sleeping infant. “Yonder is the Child -of Prophecy, hope of the people, and he it is whom we purpose to crown -as our ruler, setting you and your husband up to act for him till he -reaches his full age.” -</p> - -<p> -“Nay,” said Maya, “for thus shall he become the mark of Tikal’s rage -and be put to death,—openly or in secret, as it may chance.” -</p> - -<p> -“Not so, lady, for in that hour when he is proclaimed, Tikal will be -taken into safe keeping, where he shall abide for so long as his life -lasts.” -</p> - -<p> -“And when is this to be,” asked the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“To-morrow, at noon, upon the pyramid, that the child may be solemnly -anointed three days hence in the Sanctuary, on the night of the Rising -of Waters.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is foolish to crown a babe, and neither I nor my husband seek this -greatness,” said Maya. “If Tikal is to be deposed because of his -crimes, let one of the great lords be set in his place until the child -is old enough to rule.” -</p> - -<p> -“Although you and your husband are to command us in the future,” -answered Dimas, sternly, “till then you must obey, Lady, for the voice -of the Council is supreme, and it carries out the will of its founder -and invisible president, the Heart of Heaven. The Council has -determined that the heaven-sent child, of whom you are the earthly -parents, must take his own.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you will,” said Maya, with a sigh; and presently they went. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -That evening the señor and I attended a feast at the house of one of -the great nobles, whence we returned somewhat late. Having dismissed -those who had escorted us, I walked with him as far as the door of his -private chambers, purposing to leave him there; but he bade me enter, -for he wished to talk with me about the events of the day and this -forthcoming ceremony of the anointing of the child. Accordingly I did -so, and, passing through the first chamber, we came to the second, -beyond which lay his sleeping-rooms. Here we halted by the open -window, and I approached a lamp, for I wished to smoke and had no -light. As I bent over it, something caught my ear, and I listened, -since it seemed to me that through the massive doors of the bedchamber -I heard the sound of a woman’s voice crying for help. Instantly I -flung them open and rushed thither by way of an ante-room, calling to -the señor as I went. -</p> - -<p> -I did not arrive too soon, for in the bedchamber itself a strange -sight met my eyes. At the foot of the bed stood a cradle, in which lay -the child, and near to it two women struggled. One of these—in whom I -knew Nahua, the wife of Tikal—held a copper knife in her hand, and -the other, Maya, gripped her round the body and arms from behind, so -that, strive as she would, she could not free herself to use it. -Still, of the two women, Nahua was the heavier and the more strong, -and, though slowly, she dragged the other closer to the cradle. -Indeed, as I reached the room, she wrenched her right arm loose and -raised it to strike at the infant with the knife. But here the matter -ended, for at that moment I caught her round the waist and threw her -back, so that she fell heavily on the floor, letting drop the knife in -her effort to save herself. She sprang to her feet and ran towards the -door, there to be met by the señor, who seized her and held her fast. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch23"> -CHAPTER XXIII.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">OUR FLIGHT, AND HOW IT ENDED</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -“<span class="sc">How</span> came this lady here, Maya, and what does she seek!” the señor -asked. -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know how she came,” gasped his wife. “My waiting-women were -gone, and I had begun to prepare myself for sleep, when, looking into -yonder mirror, I saw her behind me, having in her hand a naked knife, -and searching the room with her eyes. Presently they fell upon the -cradle, and, lifting the knife, she took a step towards it. Then I -turned and gripped her, holding her as well as I was able; but she was -too strong for me and dragged me forward, so that had it not been for -Ignatio here, by now she would have made an end of our son.” -</p> - -<p> -“Is this true?” said the señor to Nahua. -</p> - -<p> -“It is true, White Man,” she answered. -</p> - -<p> -“Why do you desire to kill one so innocent?” he asked again. -</p> - -<p> -“Is it not natural that I should wish to destroy the child who is to -supplant my child, and to break the heart of the woman who has broken -my heart?” Nahua answered, sullenly. “Amongst many other things, I -have learned, White Man, of that ceremony which is to take place -to-morrow, whereat my husband is to be deposed and my child -dishonoured, that they may make room for you and for your child,—you, -the white wanderer, and your son, the Heaven-born, the Fore-ordained!” -</p> - -<p> -“What have we to do with these things, O woman with the heart of a -puma?” he asked. “If Tikal is to be driven from his place, it is -because of his crimes.” -</p> - -<p> -“And if you and yours are to be set in it, White Man, without doubt it -is because of your virtues; and yet, O black-hearted knave that you -are, I tell you that I know all the truth. I know how you forged the -writing, setting the false for the true within the holy symbol of the -Heart. I know also that my father helped you to the deed, for although -he is dead, he wrote down that tale before he died, and gave it to me, -together with the ancient prophecy that you dared to steal from the -holy Sanctuary. Yes, I have the proofs, and when needful I will show -them. I did not come here to do murder, at least not upon the infant; -but the sight of it sleeping in its cradle overcame me, and of a -sudden I determined to wreak my wrongs upon it and upon its mother. In -this I have failed, but when I denounce you to the Council, then I -shall not fail; then you will be known for what you are, and die the -death that you deserve.” -</p> - -<p> -“It comes into my mind, husband,” said Maya coldly, “that if we would -save our own lives we must rob this woman of hers. Such a doom she has -richly earned, nor will any blame us when they learn what was her -errand here.” -</p> - -<p> -Now when she heard these words, Nahua struggled in the señor’s grasp, -and opened her mouth as though to scream. -</p> - -<p> -“Be silent,” he said, “if you wish to keep your soul in you. Ignatio, -close those doors and give me yonder shawl.” -</p> - -<p> -I did so, and with the shawl we bound Nahua’s arms behind her, -fastening it over her mouth so that she could make no sound. Then we -took a leather girdle and strapped it about her knees, so that she -could not move, but lay helpless on the floor, glaring at us with her -fierce eyes. -</p> - -<p> -“Now let us take counsel,” I said. -</p> - -<p> -“Yes,” answered the señor, “let us take counsel, for we need it. One -of two things we must do; kill that woman, or fly the city, for if she -leaves this place alive we are certainly doomed to death before the -altar, ay! and the child also.” -</p> - -<p> -“Fly!” said Maya, “how can we fly, when I am still weak and the babe -is so young and tender? Should we succeed in escaping from the city -and across the lake, certainly we must perish among the snows of the -mountains or in the deserts beyond. Also, we should be missed and -overtaken.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then Nahua must die,” said the señor. -</p> - -<p> -“Could we not swear her to silence if we released her?” I asked, for I -shrank from such a dreadful deed, however just and necessary it might -be. -</p> - -<p> -“Swear her to silence!” said Maya contemptuously, “as easily might you -swear a snake not to use its fangs, if one should chance to tread on -it. Do you not understand that this woman hates me so bitterly, who -she thinks has robbed her of her husband’s love, that she would gladly -die herself, if thereby she could bring about my death and that of -those who are dear to me. So soon as she could leave her bed of -sickness she came here to taunt me with the doom she had prepared, -knowing that I was alone. Then she saw the child, and so great was her -desire for revenge that she could not even wait till the law should -wreak it for her. No, the issue is plain: if we cannot fly, either she -must die or we must. Is it not so, Ignatio?” -</p> - -<p> -“It seems that it is so,” I answered sadly, “and yet the thing is -awful.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is awful, but it must be done,” said the señor, “and it falls on -me to do it for the sake of my wife and child. Alas! that I was ever -born, that I should live to stand face to face with such necessity. -Could not another hand be found? No; for then we should confess -ourselves as murderers. Give me a knife. Nay, my hands will serve, and -this end will seem more natural, for I can say that when I found her -in the act of murder, I seized her and killed her suddenly by my -strength alone, not meaning it in my wrath.” -</p> - -<p> -Now he stepped to where Nahua lay, and knelt beside her, and we two -drew away sick at heart and hid our faces in our hands. -</p> - -<p> -Presently he was with us again. -</p> - -<p> -“Is it done?” asked Maya hoarsely. -</p> - -<p> -“No; nor will be by me,” he answered, in a fierce voice, “sooner would -I choke the breath out of my own body than strangle this defenceless -woman, cruel-hearted murderess though she is. If she is to be killed, -some other man must do the deed.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then it will remain undone,” said Maya. “And now, since we have thus -determined, let us think of flight, for the night draws on, and in -flight is our only hope.” -</p> - -<p> -“What, then, is to be done with this woman?” I asked. “We cannot take -her with us.” -</p> - -<p> -“No; but we can leave her here gagged and bound till they chance to -find her,” answered the señor. “Hearken, Nahua, we spare you, and to -do it go forth to our own deaths. May your fierce heart learn a lesson -of mercy from the deed. Farewell.” -</p> - -<p> -Two hours had gone by, and three figures, wrapped in rough <i>serapes</i>, -such as the common people wore, one of whom, a woman, carried an -infant in her arms, might have been seen cautiously descending the -city wall by means of a wooden ladder that ran from its summit to a -jetty built upon piers at the foot of it, which was used as a -mooring-place for boats during the months of inundation. As was common -at this season of the year, the lake was already rising, and floating -in the shallow water at the end of the jetty lay a pleasure-skiff -which the señor and I were accustomed to use for the purpose of -fishing whenever we could escape for a few hours from our wearisome -life in the city. -</p> - -<p> -Into this skiff we entered, and, having hoisted the sail, set our -course by the stars, steering for that village whence, a year before, -we had embarked for the City of the Heart. The wind being favourable -to us, our progress was rapid, and by the first grey light of dawn we -caught sight of the village not a mile away. Here, however, we did not -dare to land, for we should be seen and recognised; therefore we -beached our boat behind the shelter of some dwarf water-palms three -furlongs or more below the village, and, having hidden it as well as -we were able, set out at once towards the mountains. -</p> - -<p> -Passing round the back of the village without being seen, for as yet -folk were scarcely astir, we began our dreadful journey. For a while -Maya bore up well, but as the heat of the day increased she showed -signs of tiring, which was little to be wondered at, seeing that she -carried in her arms a child not three weeks old. At mid-day we halted -that she might rest, hiding ourselves beneath a tree by the banks of a -brook, and eating of such food as we had brought with us. In the early -afternoon we started on again, and for the rest of that dreary day -struggled forward as best we could, the señor and I carrying the -infant alternately in addition to our other burdens. -</p> - -<p> -At length the evening fell, and we camped for the night, if camping it -can be called, to sleep beneath the shadow of a cedar-tree without -fire and with little food, having no covering except our <i>serapes</i>. -Towards morning the air grew cold, for already we were at some height -above the lake, and the tender infant began to wail piteously,—a wail -that wrung our hearts. Still we rose with the sun and went on our way, -for it seemed that there was nothing else to do. Throughout that day, -with ever-wearying footsteps, we journeyed, till at sunset we reached -the snow-line, and saw before us the hunter’s rest-house where we had -slept when first we entered the Country of the Heart. -</p> - -<p> -“Let us go in,” said Maya, “and find food and shelter for the night.” -</p> - -<p> -Now, our plan had been to avoid this house and gain the pass, where we -proposed to stay till daybreak, and then to travel down the mountain -slopes into the wilderness. -</p> - -<p> -“If we enter there, Maya, we shall be trapped,” said the señor; “our -only safety lies in travelling through the pass before we are -overtaken, for it is against the law that any of your people should -follow us into the wilderness.” -</p> - -<p> -“If we do not enter, my child will die in the cold,” she answered. -“You were too tender to secure our safety by putting that would-be -murderess to death; have you, then, the heart, husband, to kill your -own child?” -</p> - -<p> -Now at these words I saw the señor’s eyes fill with tears, but he -said only: -</p> - -<p> -“Be it as you will.” -</p> - -<p> -By now, indeed, we understood—all three of us—that if we would save -ourselves we must suffer the child to die, and, however great our -necessity, this we could not do. So we went up to the house and -entered, and there by the fire sat that same man and his wife whom we -had found in this room a year ago. -</p> - -<p> -“Who are you?” he cried, springing up. “Pardon, Lady, but in that garb -I did not know you.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is best that you should not know us,” said Maya. “We are wanderers -who have lost our way out hunting. Give us food, as you are bound to -do.” -</p> - -<p> -Then the man and his wife, who were kindly people, made obeisance to -us, and set of the best they had before us. We ate, and, after eating, -slept, for we were very weary, bidding the man watch and tell us if he -saw any stranger approaching the house. Before dawn he woke us, and we -rose. A little later he came into my room and told me that a large -body of men were in sight of the house. Then I knew that it was -finished, and called the others. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, there are three things that we can do,” I said: “fly towards the -pass; defend this house; or surrender ourselves.” -</p> - -<p> -“There is no time to fly,” answered the señor, “therefore it is my -counsel that we fight.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is your counsel that two men armed with bows” (for our firearms -had been taken from us on the pyramid, and we had never been able to -recover them) “should engage with fifty. Well, friend, we can try it -if you wish, and perhaps it will be as good a way of meeting our -deaths as any other.” -</p> - -<p> -“This is folly,” broke in Maya; “there is but one thing to do; yield -ourselves and trust to fortune, if, indeed, fortune has any good in -store for us. Only I wish that we had done it before we undertook this -weary journey.” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke, by the light of the rising sun we saw a great number of -men forming a circle round the house. With them were several captains -and lords, and among these I recognised Dimas and Tikal. -</p> - -<p> -“Let us put a bold face on it,” said Maya. So we opened the door, -walked out, and came into the presence of Tikal, Dimas, and the other -lords. -</p> - -<p> -“Whom do you seek, that you come with an armed force?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“Whom should I seek but your fair self, cousin?” answered Tikal,—and -I saw that his eye was wild, as though with drink. “If Nahua, my wife, -had her way, she would have let you go, for she desires to see the -last of you; but her will is not my will, nor her desire my desire, -and as it chances we have come up with you in time.” -</p> - -<p> -Maya turned from him with a scornful gesture, and addressed herself to -Dimas, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Tell us of what we are charged that you follow us as though we were -evil-doers.” -</p> - -<p> -“Lady,” the old priest answered gravely, “it would seem that you have -earned this name, you and your companions together. Listen: two days -since you were missing, and the Lady Nahua was also missing. Search -was made, and at last your private apartments were broken open, and -there she was discovered bound and gagged. From her we learned the -secret of your flight, and followed after you.” -</p> - -<p> -“Did she, then, tell you why we fled?” asked Maya. “Did she tell you -that she crept to my chamber like a thief in the night, and there was -found in the act of doing murder on my child?” -</p> - -<p> -“No, Lady, she told us nothing of all this. Indeed, her manner was -strange; for, so soon as she was recovered somewhat, she took back her -words, and said that she knew naught of you or of your plans, and that -if you had fled we should do well to let you go before worse things -happened. But, knowing that for all this she had reasons easy to be -guessed, we followed and found you, and now we arrest you to answer -before the Council for your great sins, in that you have broken your -solemn oaths by attempting to leave the land without the consent of -the Council, and have added to your crimes by taking with you this -child, the Heaven-sent deliverer, on whom rest the hopes of our race.” -</p> - -<p> -“If we have broken our oaths,” said Maya, “we broke them to save our -lives. Were we, then, to stop in the city till the knife of the -assassin found us out? On the very night of my marriage a murderer was -set upon my husband, and perhaps one stands there”—and she pointed to -Tikal—“who could tell us who he was and whence he came. Three days -ago another murderer sought the life of our child, and that murderer -the wife of the Lord Tikal. Is it, then, a sin that we should take -from the land one whose life is not safe within it.” -</p> - -<p> -“All these matters you can lay before the Council, lady,” answered -Dimas, “and if Nahua is what you say, without a doubt she must suffer -for her crime. Yet her evil-doing cannot pay for yours, for when you -found yourself in danger, you should have claimed protection from -those who could give it, and not have betaken yourselves to flight -like thieves in terror of the watch. Come, enter the litter that is -prepared for you, and let us be going.” -</p> - -<p> -“As you will,” she said; “but one thing I pray of you, let this man, -my cousin, Tikal the <i>cacique</i>, be kept away from me, for the sight of -him is hateful to me, seeing that, not content with plotting to kill -my husband and my child, he puts me to shame continually by the offer -of his love.” -</p> - -<p> -“It shall be as you wish, Lady. Your husband and your friend can -travel by your side, and guards shall surround your litter to see that -none molest you.” -</p> - -<p> -Then we started. Of our journey back there is nothing to tell, unless -it be to say that after its own fashion it was even more wretched than -that which we had just accomplished. Then, indeed, we were footsore, -hungry, and racked with fears, but at least the hope of freedom shone -before us like a guiding-star, whereas now, although we travelled in -comfort, it was to find shame, exposure, and death awaiting us at -last. For my part, indeed, this thought did not move me very much, -seeing that hope had left me, and without hope I no longer wished to -live. You, my friend, for whom I write this history, may think my -saying strange, but had you stood where I stood that day you would not -wonder at it. Even now I sometimes dream that I am back in the City of -the Heart, and wake cold with fear as a man wakes from some haunted -sleep. True, there I had place and power and luxury, but oh! sooner -would I have earned my livelihood herding cattle in the wilderness -than fret away my life within that golden cage. What to me were their -banquets and their empty pleasures, or their petty strivings for rank -and title,—to me who all my days had followed the star of my high -aim, that star which now was setting. Maya and the señor had each -other and their child to console them; but I had nothing except such -friendship as they chose to spare me, the memory of my many failures, -the clinging bitterness of conscience, the fear of vengeance to be -wreaked, and the hope of peace beyond the end. Therefore I, an outworn -and disappointed man, was prepared to welcome the doom that awaited -me, but how would it be with the others who were still full of love -and youth? -</p> - -<p> -Late that night we reached the city and were led, not to the palace -where we lived, but towards the enclosure of the pyramid. -</p> - -<p> -“How is this?” asked Maya of the captain of the guard. “Our road lies -yonder.” -</p> - -<p> -“No, lady,” he answered, “my orders are to take you up the stairway of -the pyramid.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Maya pressed her face against the face of her child and sobbed, -for she knew that once more we must inhabit the darksome vault where -her father had been taken to die. They led us up the stair and down -the narrow way, till we stood in the lamp-lit hall, and heard our -prison gates clash behind us. Then they gave us food and left us -alone. -</p> - -<p> -Never did I pass a more evil night; for, strive as I would to win it, -sleep fled from me, and I tossed upon my couch, wondering where my bed -would be on the morrow, after we had stood before the Council in the -Sanctuary of the Heart, and Nahua had borne witness against us. I -remembered that shaft before the altar, and seemed to hear the murmur -of the water in its depths! Well, as I have said, I did not fear to -die, for God is merciful to sinners; but oh! it was dreadful to meet -this liar’s doom, and to remember that it was I who brought the señor -here to share it. -</p> - -<p> -As I mused thus, even through the massive walls of the vault I heard a -woman scream, and, springing from my bed, I ran into the central hall, -where the lamps burned always. Here I met Maya, clad in her -night-dress only, and speeding down the hall, her wide eyes filled -with terror. -</p> - -<p> -“What has happened?” I said, stopping her; and, as I spoke, the señor -came up. -</p> - -<p> -“Oh! I have dreamed,” she gasped. “I have dreamed a fearful dream. I -dreamed that my father came to me, and—I cannot tell it—the -child—the child——” and she broke down utterly, and could say no -more. -</p> - -<p> -“This place is full of evil memories, and her strength is shattered,” -said the señor, when we had calmed her somewhat. “Come back, wife, -and sleep.” -</p> - -<p> -“Sleep!” she answered. “I do not think that I shall ever sleep again; -and yet, unless I sleep, I shall go mad. Oh! that vision! Truly the -curse of Mattai has taken hold of me.” -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Some few hours later we met again in the great hall, but Maya said -nothing of her dream, nor did I ask her to tell it, though I could see -from her face that it was not forgotten. We ate, or made pretence to -eat, and sat for a while in silence, till at length the gates opened, -and through them came Dimas and some companion priests. Bidding these -to stand back, he advanced alone and greeted us kindly. -</p> - -<p> -“I am grieved,” he said, “that you should again be called upon to -occupy this gloomy lodging; but I had no choice in the matter, since I -am but the servant of the Council, and its commands were strict. It -was feared lest the infant might be spirited away, were you left at -liberty.” -</p> - -<p> -“It will soon be spirited away, indeed, Dimas,” said Maya, “if it be -kept here in the darkness. Already the child pines—within a week he -will be dead.” -</p> - -<p> -“Have no fear, lady; your imprisonment is not for long, for this very -night, the night of the Rising of Waters, you will all of you be put -upon your trial before the Council in the Sanctuary, and charged with -the crime of attempting to escape the land.” -</p> - -<p> -“Is there no other charge?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -“None, lady, that I have heard of. What other charge should there be?” -</p> - -<p> -“And what will be the verdict of the Council?” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot say, lady, but I know that none wish to deal harshly with -you, and if that charge which you bring against the Lady Nahua can be -proved, it will go in your favour. The crime you have attempted is a -great one, both in our eyes and still more in the eyes of the people, -for now they talk day and night of this Deliverer who has been born to -them, and they will not easily forgive those who strove to take him -from them. Still, I think that upon certain terms the anger of your -judges may be appeased.” -</p> - -<p> -“What terms?” asked Maya. -</p> - -<p> -Now Dimas hesitated, and answered: -</p> - -<p> -“By the strict letter of the law, if your offence is proved against -you, you are worthy of death, every one, unless you yourself are held -inviolate because of your hereditary rank as Lady of the Heart. But it -may be that the Council will not exact the extreme penalty. It may be -that it will satisfy itself with driving these strangers from our -borders instead of driving them from the land of life.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet one of them is my husband, Dimas.” -</p> - -<p> -“True, lady, but the child is born!” -</p> - -<p> -“I cannot be parted from my husband. Better that we should die -together than that we should be parted. If the people have no need of -him, neither have they any need of me; let us bid them farewell and go -free together. I am weary of this land, Dimas, for here murder dogs -our steps and I am in terror of my life. I desire nothing from my -people save liberty to leave them.” -</p> - -<p> -“But, Lady, your people desire something from you; they desire the -child. Of these strangers they would be rid by death or otherwise, and -you—though of this I am not sure—they may allow to accompany them; -but with your child they will never part, for he is their heaven-sent -king, the Son of prophecy. It comes to this, then, that if the Council -should exercise its prerogative of mercy,—as it will do if I and my -party have sufficient weight,—at the best you must choose between the -loss of your husband or of your son.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the face of Maya became drawn with pain, so that she looked as -though age had overtaken her. Then she answered: -</p> - -<p> -“Go, tell those that sent you, Dimas, that these are the words of -Maya, Lady of the Heart: My child is dear to me, for he is flesh of my -flesh; but my husband is yet dearer, for he is both flesh of my flesh -and soul of my soul. Therefore, if I must choose between the two, I -choose him who is nearest; for I may have another child, but never -another husband.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch24"> -CHAPTER XXIV.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">NAHUA BEARS WITNESS</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Some</span> hours passed, and again the gates were opened, and through them -came Tikal and a guard of five men. The guard he left by the gates, -advancing alone to where we were seated near the far end of the hall. -</p> - -<p> -“What would you of us?” asked Maya. “Can you not leave me in peace -even here in my dungeon?” -</p> - -<p> -“I desire to speak with you alone, Maya.” -</p> - -<p> -“Then, Tikal, I tell you now what I have told you before, that I will -not listen to your words alone. If you have anything to say, say it in -the presence of my husband and my friend, or go and leave it unsaid.” -</p> - -<p> -“You speak roughly to one who comes here in the hope of saving the -lives of all of you,” he answered; “still I will bear with you in this -as I have borne with you in much else. Listen: all your crimes are -known to me, for Nahua, my wife, has revealed them to me. I know how -you and that dead rogue, Mattai, on whom the curse of heaven has most -justly fallen, forged the prophecy and violated the sanctuary, for I -have held the proofs of it in my hand.” -</p> - -<p> -“Do you know that we did this to save our lives,” asked Maya, “for if -we had not done it, Mattai would have murdered us in order that, by -removing me, he might assure his daughter in her place?” -</p> - -<p> -“I do not know why you did it, nor do I care, seeing that nothing can -lighten such a crime; but I think that you did it in order that you -might win yonder white man as a husband. At the least the thing is -done, and vengeance waits you,—vengeance from which there is but one -escape.” -</p> - -<p> -“What escape?” asked Maya quickly, for when she learned that Tikal -knew everything, all hope had faded from her heart, as from ours. -</p> - -<p> -“Maya, two people live, and two alone, who know this tale,—Nahua my -wife, and I myself. Till this morning there was but one, for Nahua -only told me of it when she found that you had not escaped, and this -she has done that she may be rid of you whom she hates as her rival. -Therefore it was that she would have held me back from pursuing you, -and therefore it is that she will appear before the Council of the -Heart this night, so that her evidence may ensure your instant death -in the Pit of Waters. But as it chances, least of anything on the -earth do I desire that my eyes should lose sight of you, whom now as -ever I love better than anything on the earth.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the señor grew white with rage, and he broke in— -</p> - -<p> -“You will do well to keep such words to yourself, Tikal; for of this -be sure,—if you do not, I will add to my crimes and you shall not -leave this place alive. No need to look at your guards. What do I care -for your guards, who have but one life to lose. Speak thus again, and, -before they reach you, you shall be dead.” -</p> - -<p> -“Let him go on, husband,” said Maya; “what can a few insults more or -less matter to us now. Continue, most noble Tikal; but, for your own -sake, restrain yourself, and say nothing that a husband should not -hear.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is for this reason,” he went on, taking no notice of the señor’s -anger, “that I have come here with a plan to save you all; yes, even -this braggart white man who has robbed me of you. If Nahua and I are -silent, who will know of your crimes? And if the evidence of them is -destroyed before your eyes, who is there that can prove them? Now, I -will be silent—at a price. I will even bring the true tablet of the -prophecy and the roll of Mattai’s confession, and destroy them with -fire before you.” -</p> - -<p> -“You will be silent,” said Maya,—“but what of Nahua? Will she be -silent also?” -</p> - -<p> -Now Tikal’s dark face grew evil with some purpose of his own, though -whether it were of murder or of what I do not know. -</p> - -<p> -“Leave Nahua to me,” he said. “Withdraw the charge you made against -her, of attempting to kill yonder child, and free her thus of the need -of appearing this night in the Sanctuary, and I swear to you that no -word of her dreadful secret shall ever pass her lips. Then you will be -tried upon one issue only,—that of having broken your oaths by flying -the city,—a crime that is not beyond forgiveness.” -</p> - -<p> -“You spoke of a price, Tikal; tell us, what is this price that we must -pay?” -</p> - -<p> -“The price is yourself, Maya. Nay,—hear me out; and you, White Man, -keep silent. If you will swear upon the Heart to become my wife within -six months from this day, then I, on my part, will swear that the -white man—your husband who is not your husband, for he won the -consent of the Council to his marriage by a trick—shall be suffered -to escape the land unharmed, taking with him his friend and so much of -our treasure and things needful for their journey as he may desire. I -will swear also—and by this you may see how deep and honest is my -love for you—that your son shall not be dispossessed of the place and -rank which he holds in the eyes of the people as a Heaven-sent -Deliverer whose coming was foretold by prophecy. My child shall give -place to yours, Maya. Once before I held out the hand of peace to you, -but you refused it and tricked me, and from that refusal has sprung -the death of your father and many other sorrows. Do not refuse me -again, Maya, lest these sorrows should be increased and multiplied -upon you, and upon us all. It is no strange or unnatural thing I ask -of you—that you should wed the man to whom for many years you were -affianced, and take your place as the first lady in this city, instead -of giving yourself over, with your accomplices, to the most infamous -of deaths.” -</p> - -<p> -“Yet it is most strange and unnatural, Tikal, that a wife should be -asked to part thus from her husband. But stay,—it is for him to -speak, not me, for he may be glad to buy safety at this cost. First, -what do you say, Ignatio? Tell me,—though I fear your answer, for it -is easy to guess, seeing that Tikal offers all that you can desire, -freedom, and treasure to enable you to execute your plans.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is true, Lady,” I replied, “that he offers me these -things,—though whether or no he is able to give them I cannot say; -and it is true also that I have no wife here whom I must leave, and no -prospect save that of a traitor’s death. Still, Lady, I remember a -certain promise that I made to you yonder in the wilderness, when by -your courage you saved your husband’s life; and I remember also that -it was through me that he, my friend, came to visit this accursed -city. Therefore I say, let our fate be one fate.” -</p> - -<p> -“Those are very noble words, friend,” she said, “such as could have -come only from your noble heart. Now, husband, do you speak?” -</p> - -<p> -“I have nothing to say, Maya,” replied the señor with a little laugh, -“except that I wonder why you waste time, which we might spend happily -together, in listening to this fellow’s insults. If you bid me to go -to save you, perhaps I might think about it; but certainly I will not -stir one pace from your side to save myself from any death.” -</p> - -<p> -“It seems that I have got my answer,” said Tikal. “May none of you -regret it to-night when you come to look down into the Pit of Waters. -Well, time presses, and I have much to do before we meet again,”—and -he turned to leave us. -</p> - -<p> -Now, as he went, despair took hold of Maya. For a moment she struggled -with it and with herself, then she cried: -</p> - -<p> -“Come back, Tikal!” -</p> - -<p> -He came, and stood before her in cold silence, and she spoke, -addressing her husband in a slow voice: -</p> - -<p> -“You are over-hasty; <i>my</i> answer is not yet spoken, husband. Tikal, I -accept your offer. Prevent Nahua from giving testimony against us; -destroy the evidences she holds, and set these men safe, with all that -they may desire, on the further side of yonder mountain, and within -six months I will become your wife.” -</p> - -<p> -Now the señor and I stared at each other aghast. -</p> - -<p> -“Are you mad?” he said, “or do you speak so in the hope of saving us?” -</p> - -<p> -“Would it be wonderful, husband,” she answered, “if I should wish to -save myself and my child? That I have loved you and love you, you -know; yet is there any love in the grave? While I live, at least I -have my memories; if I die, even these may be taken from me. Go back, -husband, go back wealthy to your own people and your old life, and -choose some other woman to be your companion. Do not forget me, -indeed; but let me become as a dream to you, seeing that for all our -sakes this is the best. To you also, Ignatio, I say ‘go.’ Our -fellowship has brought you little luck; may its severing be more -fortunate, and may you at last attain your ends. Tikal, give me your -hand, and let us swear the oath.” -</p> - -<p> -He stepped towards her,—his eyes glowing with triumph; but as their -fingers touched she glanced sideways and upwards, and saw the doubt -and agony written on her husband’s face. With a little scream, she -sprang to him and threw herself into his arms, saying: -</p> - -<p> -“Forgive me; I have tried my best, but this is more than I can do. Oh! -weak and foolish that I am, I cannot part from you, no, not even to -save your life. Surely you did not think that I should have fulfilled -this oath and given myself to him in marriage. No, no,—it is to death -that I should have given myself when you were gone. But I cannot part -with you,—I cannot part with you,—though my selfishness is your -doom.” -</p> - -<p> -“I rejoice to hear it,” said the señor. “Listen you, Tikal, if you -are a man, give me a sword and let us settle this matter face to face. -So shall one of us at least be rid of his doubts and troubles.” -</p> - -<p> -“Surely, White Man,” answered Tikal, “you must be a fool as well as a -rogue, otherwise you would scarcely ask me to risk my life against -yours, which is already forfeit to the law. Farewell, Maya; long have -you fooled and tormented me; to-night I will repay you all,”—and he -went. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -It might be thought that, after Tikal was gone, we should have spoken -together of what had passed, and of the dangers before us. But this -was not so. I think we felt—all of us—that there was nothing more to -be said. It is useless to fight against Fate, and it is still more -useless to be afraid of him, seeing that whatever we do or leave -undone, he has his will of us at last. So we sat and chatted on -indifferent things,—of our life at the mine at Cumarvo, of that night -which we spent in the <i>hacienda</i> at Santa Cruz, of the death of our -brave companion, Molas, and I know not what besides. Presently the -child awoke, and its parents occupied themselves with it, finding -resemblance to each other in its tiny features, while I walked up and -down the hall, counting the lamps, smoking, and wondering where I -should be by this time on the morrow. -</p> - -<p> -At length the gates opened, for now it was almost the middle of the -night, and there came through them Dimas and a guard of priests. The -old man bowed before us and said that the time had come to lead us -before the Council in the Sanctuary, but that we were to have no fear, -seeing that, from all that he had been able to learn, our offence -would be leniently dealt with. Maya asked what was to become of the -infant, which could not be left alone, and he replied that she must -bring it with her, whereon she began to wrap it in a <i>serape</i>. -</p> - -<p> -“Your care is needless,” said Dimas. “There is a secret way to the -Sanctuary from this place, by which I propose to lead you in order -that the child, our lord, shall not be exposed to the raw cold of the -night.” -</p> - -<p> -Then he took a bunch of keys from his girdle, and, handing them to one -who accompanied him,—a fellow-priest and a member of the Council,—he -commanded him to go forward with several of the escort, to open the -doors and light lamps in the passages that lay between us and the -Sanctuary. The priest went, and, having waited awhile, we followed -him, to find him standing by the marble wall which separated the -passages from the Sanctuary. On seeing us approach, he gave the signs, -which were answered from within; next he opened the false door with a -silver key, leaving the key and the bunch to which it was attached -fixed in the lock, for Dimas to take as he passed. This, however, the -old priest did not do, for he thought that we should all return by -this passage, and as we stepped into the Sanctuary he contented -himself with closing the door without locking it. -</p> - -<p> -Now once more we stood within the dim and holy place, there to take -our trial for offences committed against the laws of the City of the -Heart. There was a full gathering of the Council, and Tikal, its -high-priest and president, sat in his seat behind the altar, but I -noted, with a thrill of hope, that Nahua his wife was not by his side, -nor was she to be found among the members of the Council. We took -seats that had been prepared for us in the open space before the -altar, Maya being placed in the centre, and the señor and myself on -either side of her. Next the Priest of the Records rose and announced -that the first business before the Council was the trial of three of -its members, namely, Maya, Lady of the Heart, her husband, the white -man, Son of the Sea, and Ignatio, the Wanderer, a lord of the Heart -from beyond the mountains, upon the charge of having broken their -oaths which they took as members of the Council. Having read this -formal accusation, the priest set out the case against us clearly but -briefly: -</p> - -<p> -“On this very night of the festival of the Rising of Waters, a year -ago,” he began, “you, strangers, amongst other things swore upon the -altar, setting in pledge your souls and bodies for the fulfilment of -the oath, that without the consent of this high Brotherhood you would -not attempt to leave the gates of the City of the Heart. Yet but the -other day you were overtaken and seized in the act of flying across -the mountains to the wilderness beyond. Nor is this all your crime, -for with you was that infant, born of the white man and the Lady of -the Heart, the Heaven-sent Child of prophecy, of whom you wickedly -sought to rob us and the people. Say, now, how do you plead to these -charges?” -</p> - -<p> -“We plead guilty,” answered Maya, “but we ask to be heard in our own -defence. Listen, lords: Since that night when we were married by your -command, my husband and I myself have been dogged by murder, and -yonder, as high-priest of the Heart and president of your councils, he -sits who would have murdered us. I see among you this night some of -those who waited on me upon the day of our escape, having the Lord -Dimas at the head of them. What did they tell me? That a plot had been -discovered, made by Tikal, my cousin, to murder my husband, my child, -and my friend, Ignatio the Wanderer. They told me also that Tikal -would be deposed because of this and his other crimes, and that the -infant in my arms would to-night be anointed <i>cacique</i> of the people -of the Heart. Is it not so, Dimas?” -</p> - -<p> -“It is so, lady,” he answered, “and learn that you are not the only -ones who are on trial this night. Though your case is taken first, -that of Tikal the high-priest and others will follow; but till then, -in virtue of his rank and office, he sits as president of our -Council.” -</p> - -<p> -Now Tikal sprang from his seat, but Dimas turned upon him and said -sternly: -</p> - -<p> -“Keep silent, lord, or speak only to fulfil the duties of your place. -Your judging shall be just, but know that there is no hope of escape -for you till it is done, seeing that your guards are disarmed, and all -the paths are watched.” -</p> - -<p> -Tikal seated himself again, and Maya went on: -</p> - -<p> -“On that very night of the coming of the Lord Dimas, when I was alone -in my chamber, the Lady Nahua, the wife of Tikal, crept upon me and -strove to murder this my child;” and she set out the story telling how -the señor and I, hearing her cries for help, had entered the chamber -and seized and bound Nahua. “Then it was, brethren, that sudden terror -took us, and we fled, seeking to escape a land where we could not live -in safety from one hour to another. This is our sin, and we leave our -punishment in your hands. Surely it was better that we should strive -to save the child, so that he might live to play his part, whatever -that may be, than that he should be kept here to be butchered by those -whom you have raised up to rule you.” -</p> - -<p> -When Maya had finished her speech the señor and I addressed the -Council in turn, confirming all that she had said, and submitting -ourselves to the judgment of the Brotherhood. -</p> - -<p> -Now we were commanded to fall back, and took our stand beneath the -mask of the Nameless god, while the Council consulted together, and -there we awaited our doom. Presently we were brought forward again, -and Tikal spoke to us, saying that our sentence was postponed till the -charge against Nahua, the daughter of Mattai, and against himself, -Tikal, the <i>cacique</i> and high-priest of the City of the Heart, had -been considered, adding in a slow and triumphant voice: -</p> - -<p> -“Let Nahua, the daughter of Mattai, who waits without, be brought into -the presence of the Heart.” -</p> - -<p> -We heard, and gathered up our courage to meet the advancing fate, for -we knew that death was on us, and that for us there was no more pity -or escape. -</p> - -<p> -The door was opened, and Nahua came through it, dressed in the robes -of her rank, and wearing the green diadem that could be carried only -by the wife or mother of the <i>cacique</i>. -</p> - -<p> -“What is your pleasure with me, lords?” she said proudly, after she -had made her obeisance to the altar. -</p> - -<p> -Then the Priest of the Records rose and read the charge, namely, that -she had attempted with her own hand to do murder upon the body of the -infant child of Maya, Lady of the Heart, and her husband, the white -man; also that she had aided and abetted Tikal, her husband, in -various acts of cruelty and misgovernment that were alleged against -him, asking her what she pleaded in answer. -</p> - -<p> -“To the last charge, not guilty,” she said. “Let Tikal defend his own -sins. To the first, guilty. I did attempt to put an end to yonder -brat, but Maya discovered me, and I was caught and bound.” -</p> - -<p> -“Surely, brethren,” said Dimas, rising, “we need carry this matter no -further. We have heard the evidence of the Lady Maya and the others, -and now Nahua confesses to her crime. She confesses that she attempted -to take the life of him whom she knew to be the sacred child, the hope -of the People of the Heart, and for such a sin it seems to me that -there is but one punishment, though it is terrible, and she who must -suffer it is a woman and of high rank.” -</p> - -<p> -“Stay!” broke in Nahua. “You have not heard me out, and I have the -right to speak before I am condemned to die. You charge me with having -attempted to take the life of ‘the sacred child, the hope of the -People of the Heart,’ and, had I done this, doubtless I should be -worthy of your doom, whereas in truth I am worthy of your praise. -Lords of the Heart, this child whom you adore, the Heaven-sent Child -of prophecy, whom to-night you would anoint as your <i>cacique</i>, -deposing Tikal, my husband, and who, as you believe, shall be the star -to light our race to greatness and to victory, is a living lie, a -fraud, and a bastard!” -</p> - -<p> -Now a confusion broke out among the Council, and angry voices called -to her to cease her blasphemies; but she won silence, and went on: -</p> - -<p> -“Hear me out, I pray you, for, even if I wished it, I should not dare -to speak thus at random, but am prepared with proof of every word I -utter. You think that I would have killed this child to wring the -heart of my rival, Maya,—and indeed I desire to wring it; and that I -would set my own son in his place,—and indeed I wish to set him -there. Yet these were not my reasons for the deed. Lords of the -Council, listen to a tale, the strangest that ever you have heard, and -judge between me and Tikal, my husband, and Maya, my rival, and her -friends. Mattai, my father, was known to you all, seeing that at the -time of his death, and, indeed, since Tikal was anointed <i>cacique</i>, he -stood next to him in place and power among the People of the Heart, -holding those offices in the Brotherhood which now are filled by -Dimas, and among them that of Keeper of the Sanctuary. Yet, lords, -Mattai, my father, was no true man. Alas! that I should have to say -it, seeing that it was more for my sake that he sinned than for his -own, since he loved me, and desired my welfare above everything on -earth. It was this love of his that ruined him, making him false to -his god, to his oaths, and to his country. Thus, in the beginning, he -knew that since I was a child I had set my heart upon the Lord Tikal, -who was affianced to the Lady Maya; also that I was ambitious and -yearned to be great. Therefore it was that he deceived Tikal, -pretending that it had been revealed to him by heaven that the Lady -Maya and her father were dead in the wilderness. Therefore it was also -that when he had persuaded him that she was lost to him for ever, he -pressed it upon the Lord Tikal that he should marry me in place of -Maya, his affianced, who was dead, promising him in return that he -would bring it about that he should be anointed <i>cacique</i> of the -People of the Heart. All these things and others he did, though at -that time I knew nothing of them, and thought in my folly that Tikal -married me because he loved me, and sought me as the companion of his -life and power. -</p> - -<p> -“Then Zibalbay returned on the night of our marriage-feast, and with -him came Maya and the strangers; and from that hour my husband began -to hate me because I was his wife in place of Maya, whom he loved. -More, as I have learned since, he went to Zibalbay while he lay in -prison, and offered to resign his place as <i>cacique</i> in his favour for -so long as he should live, and no more to oppose his schemes, if he -would give him Maya in marriage after I had been put away either by -death or by divorce. This Zibalbay would have done, and gladly; but, -as it chanced, Maya here had set her heart upon the white man during -their journeyings together through the wilderness, and refused to be -separated from him that she might be palmed off in marriage upon -Tikal. Yet he might have won his way, for their case was desperate, -and the alternative was death had not Mattai, my father, found a plan -whereby they could be saved and I remain the wife of the <i>cacique</i>. -This was the plan, lords: that a prophecy should be set in the symbol -of the Heart yonder, such as would deceive the Council of the Heart, -and bring it about that Maya should be given in marriage to the white -man whom she loved. Lords, this was done. At the dead of night they -crept to the Sanctuary, and, opening the Heart, they placed within it -that tablet which you have seen, the tablet that foreshadowed the -birth of a Deliverer. The rest you know.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is false,” cried many voices. “Such sacrilege is not possible.” -</p> - -<p> -“It is not false,” answered Nahua, “and I will prove to you that the -sacrilege was possible. The Heart was opened, and the false prophecy -forged by my father was placed within it, where it was found by you on -the night of the festival of the Rising of Waters, this day a year -ago. But when the holy Heart was opened, behold! it was not empty, for -in it lay another prophecy,—a true prophecy,—which was removed from -it, that the lie which has deceived you might be set in its place.” -</p> - -<p> -“Where, then, is that writing?” asked Dimas. -</p> - -<p> -“Here,” she answered, drawing the tablet from her breast. “Listen——” -and she read: -</p> - -<p> -“<i>The Eye that has slept and is awakened sees the heart and purpose of -the wicked. I say that in the hour of the desolation of my city not -all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away their sin.</i>” -</p> - -<p> -“Take it, lords, and see for yourselves,” she continued, laying the -tablet on the altar. “Now, listen again, and learn how it chanced that -this relic came into my keeping. After he had wrought this great sin, -the curse of the Nameless god fell upon my father, and, as you know, -he was smitten with a sore disease. Then it came about that, when he -lay dying, remorse took him, and he wrote a certain paper which he -caused to be witnessed and given to me, together with this tablet. In -my hand I hold that paper, lords; hear it and judge for yourselves -whether I have spoken truth or falsehood,”—and she read aloud the -confession of Mattai, that set out every detail of our plot and the -manner of its execution. -</p> - -<p> -“Now, lords,” she added, when the reading was finished and the -signatures had been examined, “you will understand how it happened -that in my rage at this tidings I strove to kill yonder infant, who -has been palmed off upon you as the seed of the god, and I leave it to -you to deal with those who planned the fraud.” -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch25"> -CHAPTER XXV.<br/> -<span class="chap_sub">FAREWELL</span> -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">Nahua</span> ceased and sat down, and so great was the astonishment—or -rather the awe—of the Council at the tale that she had told, that for -a while none of them spoke. At length Dimas rose, and said: -</p> - -<p> -“Maya, Lady of the Heart, and you strangers, you have heard the awful -charge that is brought against you. What do you say in answer to it?” -</p> - -<p> -“We say that it is true,” answered Maya calmly. “We were forced to -choose between the loss of our lives and the doing of this deed, and -we chose to live. It was Mattai who hatched the fraud and executed the -forgery, and now it seems that we must suffer for his sin as well as -for our own. One word more: Ignatio here did not enter into this plot -willingly, but was forced into it by my husband and myself, and -chiefly by myself.” -</p> - -<p> -Dimas made no answer, but at a sign the two priests who guarded the -altar with drawn swords came forward and drove us into the passage -that led from the Sanctuary to the Hall of the Dead, where they shut -us in between the double doors, leaving us in darkness. -</p> - -<p> -Here, as all was finished, I knelt down to offer my last prayers to -Heaven, while Maya wept in her husband’s arms, taking farewell of him -and of her child, which wailed upon her breast. -</p> - -<p> -“Truly,” he said, “you were wise, wife, when you urged us not to enter -this Country of the Heart. Still, what is done cannot be undone, and, -having been happy together for a little space, let us die together as -bravely as we may, hoping that still together we may awake presently -in some new world of peace.” -</p> - -<p> -While he spoke, the door was opened, and the priests with drawn swords -led us back into the Sanctuary. As Maya crossed the threshold first of -the three of us, she was met by Tikal, who with a sudden movement, but -without roughness, took the child from her arms. Now we saw what was -prepared for us, for the stone in front of the altar had been lifted, -and at our feet yawned the black shaft from which ascended the sound -of waters. They placed us with our backs resting against the altar; -but Tikal stood in front, and between him and us lay the mouth of the -pit. -</p> - -<p> -“Maya, daughter of Zibalbay the <i>cacique</i>, Lady of the Heart; white -man, Son of the Sea; Ignatio the Wanderer; and Mattai the priest, -whom, being dead in the body, we summon in the spirit,” began Dimas in -a cold and terrible voice, “you by your own confession are proved -guilty of the greatest crimes that can be dreamed of in the wicked -brain of man and executed by his impious hands. You have broken your -solemn oaths taken in the presence of heaven and your brethren; you -have offered insult to the god we worship, and violated his Sanctuary; -and you have palmed off as their god-sent prince, upon the people who -trusted you, a bastard and a child of sin. For all these and other -crimes which you have committed,—why we know not,—it is not in our -power to mete out to you a just reward. That must be measured to you -elsewhere, when you have passed our judgment-seat and your names are -long forgotten upon the earth. -</p> - -<p> -“This is the sentence of the Council of the Heart, that your name, -Mattai, be erased from the list of the officers of the Heart; that -your memory be proclaimed accursed; that your dwelling-place be burned -with fire, and the site of it strewn with salt; that your corpse be -torn from its grave and laid upon the summit of the pyramid till the -birds of the air devour it; and that your soul be handed over to the -tormentors of the lower world to deal with according to their pleasure -for ever and for aye. -</p> - -<p> -“This is the sentence of the Council of the Heart upon you, Maya, -daughter of Zibalbay the <i>cacique</i>, Lady of the Heart; white man, Son -of the Sea, and Ignatio the Wanderer: That your names be erased from -the roll of the Brethren of the Heart, and proclaimed accursed in the -streets of the city; that you be gagged, bound hand and foot, and -chained living to the walls of the Sanctuary, and there left before -the altar of the god which you have violated, till death from thirst -and hunger shall overtake you; that your corpses be laid upon the -pyramid as a prey to the birds of the air; and that your souls be -handed over to the tormentors of the under-world to deal with -according to their pleasure for ever and for aye. It is spoken. Let -the sentence of the Council be done. But first, since this bastard -babe is too young to sin and suffer punishment, let him be handed into -the keeping of the god, that the god may deal with him according to -his pleasure.” -</p> - -<p> -As the words passed his lips, and before we fully understood them, -dazed as we were with the terror of our awful doom, Tikal stepped -forward and—even now I shudder when I write of it—holding the poor -infant, which at this instant began to wail again as though with pain -or fear, over the mouth of the pit, suddenly he let it fall into the -depths beneath. -</p> - -<p> -The shriek of the agonised mother ran round the walls of the holy -place, and before it had died away the señor had leaped -forward—leaped like a puma—across the gulf of the open well and -gripped Tikal by the throat and waist. He gripped him, and, rage -giving him strength, he lifted him high above his head and hurled him -down the dreadful place whither the child had gone before. -</p> - -<p> -With a hoarse scream, Tikal vanished, and for a moment there was -silence. It was broken by the voice of Maya, crying aloud, in accents -of madness and despair,— -</p> - -<p> -“Not all the waters of the Holy Lake shall wash away our sin, yet may -they serve to avenge us upon you, O you murderers of a helpless -child!” -</p> - -<p> -As she spoke, followed by the señor and myself, who I think alone of -all the company guessed her dreadful purpose, Maya ran round the -altar, and with both her hands grasped the symbol of the Heart which -lay upon it. -</p> - -<p> -“Forbear!” cried the voice of Dimas, but she did not heed him. Before -he or any of us could reach her, dragging at it with desperate -strength, she tore the ancient symbol from its bed, and with a loud -and mocking laugh had cast it down upon the marble floor, where it -shattered into fragments. -</p> - -<p> -For one second all was still; then from the altar there came a sudden -twang as of harp-strings breaking, that was followed instantly by -another and more awful sound, the sound of the roar of many waters. -</p> - -<p> -“Fly! fly!” cried a voice, “the floods are loosed and destruction is -upon us and upon the People of the Heart!” -</p> - -<p> -Now the Council rushed one and all towards the door of the Sanctuary; -but I, Ignatio, by the grace of Heaven, remembered the other door, the -secret door through which we had entered, that the priest had left -ajar. -</p> - -<p> -“This way!” I cried in Spanish to the señor, and seizing Maya by the -arm I dragged her with me into the passage. When all three of us were -through I turned to close the door, and as I did so I saw an awful -sight. -</p> - -<p> -Out of the mouth of the pit before the altar sprang a vast column of -water, which struck the roof of the Sanctuary with such fearful force -that already the massive marble blocks began to rain down upon the -crowd of fugitives, who struggled and in vain to open the door and -escape into the Hall of the Dead. One other thing I saw; it was the -corpse of Tikal, vomited from the depth into which the señor had -hurled him, a shapeless mass ascending and descending with the column -of water as alternately it struck and rebounded from the roof. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_337"> -<a href="images/img_337.jpg"> -<img alt="Out of the mouth of the pit... sprang a vast column of water." src="images/img_337_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -Out of the mouth of the pit... sprang a vast column of water. -</div></div> - -<p> -Then, before the flood could reach it, I closed the door, and, -possessing myself of the bunch of keys that still hung in the lock, we -fled up the passages and stairs till we came to the hall where we had -been imprisoned. Here, however, we dared not stay, for already strange -gurgling sounds struck upon our ears, and we felt the mighty fabric of -the pyramid shake and quiver beneath the blows of the imprisoned -waters as they burst their way upward and outward. Seizing lamps, we -ran to the copper gates at the head of the hall, and not without -trouble found the key that opened them. We had no time to spare, for -as we left it the water rushed in at the further end of the chamber, a -solid wave that in some few seconds filled it to the depth of six or -eight feet. On we fled before the advancing flood, and well was it for -us that our course lay upwards, for otherwise we must have been -drowned as we searched for the keys to open the different gates and -doors. But now fortune, which for so long had been our foe, befriended -us, and the end of it was that we reached the summit of the pyramid -just as the dawn began to break. -</p> - -<p> -The dawn was breaking and seldom perhaps has the light of day revealed -a more wonderful or terrible sight to the eyes of man. Outside the -gates of the courtyard of the pyramid were gathered a great multitude -of people waiting to be admitted to celebrate the feast that on this -day of the year was to be held, according to the custom, upon the -summit of the pyramid. Indeed, they should have already been assembled -there, but it was the rule that the gates could not be opened until -the Council had left the Sanctuary, and this night the Council sat -late. As we looked at them a cry of fear and wonder rose from the -multitude, and this was the cause of it. Along that street which ran -from the landing-place to the great square rushed a vast foam-topped -wall of water twenty feet or more in depth by a hundred broad. Now we -learned the truth. The symbol on the altar—I know not how—was -connected with secret and subterranean sluice-gates which for many -generations had protected the City of the Heart from flood. When it -was torn from its bed these sluice-gates were opened, and the waters, -rushing in, sought their natural level, which at this season of the -year was higher than the housetops of the city. -</p> - -<p> -On the summit of the pyramid were two priests who tended the sacred -fire and made ready for the service to be celebrated. Seeing us emerge -from the watch-house, they ran towards us, wringing their hands, and -asking what dreadful thing had come to pass. I replied that we did not -know, but that seeing the water gather in our prison we had fled from -it. How we had fled they never stopped to ask, but ran down the -stairway of the pyramid, only to return again presently, for before -they reached its base their escape was cut off. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile the terror thickened and the doom began. Everywhere the -waters spread and gathered, replenished from the inexhaustible -reservoir of the vast lake. Whole streets went down before them, to -vanish suddenly beneath their foaming face, while from the crowd below -rose one continuous shriek of agony. -</p> - -<p> -Maya heard it, and, casting herself face downward upon the surface of -the pyramid, that she might not see her handiwork, she thrust her -fingers into her ears to stop them, while the señor and I watched, -fascinated. Now the flood struck the people, some thousands of them, -who were gathered on the rising ground at the gates of the enclosure -of the temple, and lo! in an instant they were gone, borne away as -withered leaves are borne before a gale. Ere a man might count ten the -most of the population of the City of the Heart had perished! -</p> - -<p> -For a little while some of the more massive houses stood, only to -vanish one by one, in silence as it seemed, for now the roar of the -advancing waters mastered all other sounds. Before the sun was well up -it was finished, and of that ancient and beautiful city, Heart of the -World, there remained nothing to be seen except the tops of trees and -the upper parts of the pyramids of worship rising above the level of -the lake. The Golden City was no more. It was gone, and with it all -its hoarded treasures, its learning and its ancient faith, and that -which for many generations had been held to be a myth had now become a -myth indeed. One short hour had sufficed to sweep out of existence the -ripe fruit of the labour of centuries, and with it the dwindling -remnant of the last pure race of Indians, who followed the customs and -the creed of my forefathers. Doubtless their day was done, and the -Power above us had decreed their fall; still, so vast and sudden a -ruin was a thing awful to behold, or even to think upon. What, I -wondered, would the founders of this great city and the fashioners of -its solemn pyramids and Sanctuary have thought and felt, could they -have foreseen the manner of its end? Would they, then, have set the -holy symbol so cunningly upon its altar, that the strength of a -maddened woman, by tearing it away, could bury altar, temple, town, -and all who lived therein, for ever beneath the surface of the lake? -This they did to protect their homes and fanes against the foe, so -that, if need were, they could prefer destruction to dishonour; but -they did not foresee—indeed they never dreamed—that this foe might -be of their own race, and that the hand of one of her children would -bring disaster, utter and irredeemable, upon the proud head of their -holy stronghold, the city Heart of the World. -</p> - -<p> -Now foot by foot the waters found their level, filling up the cup in -which the town had stood, and the bright sunlight shone upon their -placid surface as they rippled round the sides of the pyramid and over -the flat roofs of the submerged houses. Here and there floated a mass -of wreckage, and here and there a human corpse, over which already the -water-eagles began to gather, and that was all. -</p> - -<p> -Presently Maya rose to her knees and looked out from beneath the -hollow of her hand, for the light was dazzling there upon the white -summit of the pyramid. Then she flung her arms above her head and -uttered a great and bitter cry. -</p> - -<p> -“Behold my handiwork,” she said, “and the harvest of my sin! Oh! my -father, that dream which you sent to haunt my sleep was dreadful, but -it did not touch the truth. Oh! my father, the people whom you would -have saved are dead; lost is the city that you loved, and it is I who -have destroyed them. Oh! my father, my father, your curse has found me -out indeed, and I am accursed.” -</p> - -<p> -Some such words as these she spoke, then began to laugh, and turning -to the señor, she said, -</p> - -<p> -“Where is the child, husband?” -</p> - -<p> -He could not answer her, but she took no note of it, only she bent her -arms, rocking them and crooning as though the infant lay upon her -breast, then came first to him and next to me, saying,— -</p> - -<p> -“Look, is he not a pretty boy? Am I not happy to be the mother of such -a boy?” -</p> - -<p> -I made pretence to look, but the sight of her pitiful face and of the -empty arms, as she swayed them, was so dreadful that I was forced to -turn away to hide my tears. Now I saw the truth. Weariness, sorrow, -and shock had turned her brain, and she was mad. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_341"> -<a href="images/img_341.jpg"> -<img alt="She was mad." src="images/img_341_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -She was mad. -</div></div> - -<p> -We led her to the watch-house, where there was shelter, and the -priests, who had returned, gave us food so soon as we could make them -understand that we needed it, for they too were almost mad. Here her -last illness seized the Lady Maya. It began with a hardening of the -breast, which changed presently to fever. Two days and nights, with -breaking hearts, we nursed her there upon the pyramid, striving not to -listen to her sick ravings and piteous talk about the child, and at -dawn upon the third day she died. Before she died her senses returned -to her, and she spoke to her husband beautiful and tender words which -seem almost too holy to set down. -</p> - -<p> -“Alas!” she ended, “as my heart foretold me, I have brought you -nothing but evil, and now the time has come for me to go away from -you. Ignatio was right, and we were wrong,—or rather I was wrong. We -should have died together a year ago, if that were needful, sooner -than commit the sin we worked in the Sanctuary, for then at least our -hands would have been clean, nor would the blood of the people have -rested on my head. Yet, believe me, husband, that when I did the deed -of death, I was mad, for I had seen our child murdered before my eyes -and I heard a voice within me bidding me to be avenged. Well, it is -done, and I have suffered for it and perhaps shall suffer more, yet I -think that I was but the hand or the instrument of Fate predestined to -bring destruction upon a race already doomed, and on a faith outworn. -That faith I no longer believe in, for you have taught me another -worship, therefore I do not fear the vengeance of the god of my -people. May my other sins find forgiveness, if they are sins, for it -was my love of you that led me to them. Husband, I trust that you may -escape from this ill-omened place, and live on for many years in -happiness; but most of all I trust that in the land which you will -reach at last, you may find us waiting for you, the child and I -together. Farewell to you. This is a sad parting, and my life has been -short and sorrowful. Yet I am glad to have lived it, since it brought -me to your arms, and, however little I may have deserved it, I think -that you loved me truly and will love my memory even when I am dead. -To you also, Ignatio, farewell. You have been a true friend to me, -though I brought you no good luck, and at times I was jealous of you. -Think kindly of me if you can, though had it not been for me you might -have attained your ends, and, as in the old days before we met, -comfort my husband with your friendship.” -</p> - -<p> -Then once more she turned to the señor and in a gasping and broken -voice prayed of him not to forget her or her child. I heard him answer -that this she need not fear, as his happiness died with her, and, even -if he should escape, he thought that they would not be parted for very -long, nor could any other woman take her place within his heart. -</p> - -<p> -She blessed him and thanked him, caressing his face with her dying -hands, and, unable to bear more of such a sight, I left them together. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -An hour later the señor came from the watch-house, and though he did -not speak, one glance at him was enough to tell me that all was over. -</p> - -<p> -So died Maya, Lady of the Heart, the last of the ancient royal blood -of the Indian princes, myself alone excepted, a very sweet and -beautiful woman, though at times headstrong, passionate, and -capricious. -</p> - -<p> -<br/> -</p> - -<p> -Now while Maya lay dying we learned that some Indians still lived on -the mainland, men and women who had been sent there to tend the crops, -for we saw a canoe hovering round what once had been the Island of the -Heart. The two priests who were with us on the pyramid tried to signal -to it to come to our rescue, but either those in the boat did not see -us, or they were terror-stricken and feared to approach the pyramid. -Still we kept the body all that day, hoping that help might reach us, -so that we could take it ashore for burial. Towards night, however, -when none came, we made another plan. On the roof of the watch-house -the sacred fire still burned, for the two priests had tended it, more -from custom, I think, than for any other reason. Hither we brought -some of the gilded stools that were used by the nobles of the Heart on -days of festival, and all the fuel that had been stored to replenish -the fire, building the whole into a funeral pyre around and above the -brazier. Then, as it caught, we carried out the body of Maya, wrapped -in her white robes, and laid it upon the pyre and left it. -</p> - -<p> -Presently the great pile was alight and burning so fiercely that it -lit up the whole summit of the pyramid and the darkness which -surrounded it. All that night we watched it, while the two priests -lamented and beat their breasts after their fashion, till at length it -flared itself away, and the holy fire that had burned for more than a -thousand years died down and was extinguished. It seemed very fitting -that the latest office of this ancient and consecrated flame should be -to consume the body of the last of the royal race who had tended it -for so many generations. Towards dawn a wind sprang up with drizzling -rain, and when we approached the place at daybreak it was to find it -cold and blackened. No spark remained alight, and no ash or fragment -could be seen of her who was once the beautiful and gracious Lady of -the Heart. -</p> - -<div class="fig" id="img_343"> -<a href="images/img_343.jpg"> -<img alt="Presently the great pile was alight." src="images/img_343_th.jpg" /> -</a> -<div class="caption"> -Presently the great pile was alight. -</div></div> - -<p> -Now we set ourselves sadly enough to find a means of escape to the -mainland, which indeed it was time to do, for the waters, working in -its centre, were sapping the foundations of the great pyramid, -portions of which had already fallen away. Our plan was to form a raft -by lashing together some benches that were at hand, and on it to float -or paddle ourselves to the shore. This, however, we were spared the -pains of doing, for when our task was half completed we saw a large -canoe, manned by three Indians, advancing towards us, and signalled to -them to paddle round to the steps of the pyramid. They did so, and, -taking with us all the food and such few articles of value as were to -be found in the watch-house, the four of us embarked, though not -without difficulty, for the current ran so strongly round the -crumbling angles of the pyramid that it was hard to bring the canoe up -to the stairs. -</p> - -<p> -From the Indians we learned that those on shore were so overwhelmed -with horror at the catastrophe which had fallen upon their holy city, -that they did not dare to approach the place where it had stood. But -when on the previous night they saw the great flame of Maya’s funeral -pyre, they knew that men still lived upon the pyramid, who, as they -thought, were signalling to them for help, and ventured out to save -them. They asked us how it came about that the waters had overwhelmed -the city which had stood among them safely from the beginning of time. -We replied that we did not know, and the priests with us, now that -they had escaped with their lives, seemed too prostrated to tell our -deliverers that we had been imprisoned in the hollow of the pyramid, -even if they knew that this was so. -</p> - -<p> -On reaching the shore we found a little gathering of awe-stricken -Indians,—perhaps there may have been a hundred and fifty of -them,—the sole survivors of the People of the Heart, unless indeed a -few still lived on the high land of those portions of the island of -the Heart that as yet had not been submerged. Open-mouthed and almost -without comment they listened to the terrible tale of the sudden and -utter destruction of their city. When it was done, one among them -suggested that the white man should be killed, as without doubt he had -brought misfortune and the vengeance of heaven upon their race, but -this proposal seemed to find no favour with the rest of them. Indeed, -had they known the part which we played in the disaster, I doubt if -they would have found the spirit to make an end of us. -</p> - -<p> -On the other hand they gave us what food and clothing we required, and -even weapons, such as <i>machetes</i>, bows and arrows, and blow-pipes, and -left us to go our way. Often I have wondered what became of them, and -if any of their number, or of their children, still survive. -</p> - -<p> -So we turned our faces to the mountains, and on the second day we -crossed them safely, for Maya had told us the secret of the passage -through the rocks, which, under her guidance, we had passed -blindfolded. -</p> - -<p> -Thus, at length, having looked our last upon the blue waters of the -Holy Lake, sparkling in the sunshine above the palaces of the city and -the bones of its inhabitants, did we leave that accursed Country of -the Heart, where so much loss and evil had befallen us. -</p> - - -<h3 id="ch26"> -ENVOI. -</h3> - -<p class="noindent"> -<span class="sc">My</span> friend, now I, Ignatio, have finished writing that story of how I -came to visit the Golden City of the Indians, which so many have -believed to be fabulous, and that to-day exists no more. It is a -strange story, and I trust that it may interest you to read it when I -am dead and buried. -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps you would like to know the details of our homeward journey, -but in truth I have neither the strength nor the patience to set them -down. It was a terrible journey, and once we both of us fell ill with -fever from which I thought that we should not recover; but recover we -did by the help of some wandering Indians who nursed us, and at length -reached this place from which we had fled for our lives nearly two -years before. We found the <i>hacienda</i> deserted, for it had the -reputation of being haunted, though some of the Indian dependents, or -rather slaves, of that great villain, Don Pedro Moreno, still worked -patches of the land. Well, the señor took a fancy to stay in the -place, for it was here that he had first seen his wife, and so we sold -that girdle of emeralds which Maya took from the chest of ornaments -and gave to me when we were imprisoned for the first time in the hall -of the pyramid (do not lose the clasp, friend, for it is the only -remaining relic of the People of the Heart), and with the proceeds we -bought at a cheap rate from the government of the day, who had entered -into possession of them, this house and the wide lands round it, that -I have cultivated ever since. For, my friend, now my ambitions were -finished. I had played my last card and it had failed me, and, albeit -with a sorrowful mind, I abandoned my hopes for the regeneration of -the Indians which I had no longer the means or the health and vigour -to attempt. Also, I was no more Lord of the Heart, for with its -counterpart it was lost in the Sanctuary yonder beneath the waters of -the Holy Lake, and with the ancient symbol went much of my power. -</p> - -<p> -For five years the señor and I lived here together, but I think that -during all this time he was dying. He, who used to be so strong in -body and merry in mind, never regained his health or spirits from that -hour when Maya passed upon the pyramid, and though he seldom spoke of -her, I know that night and day she was always present in his thoughts. -Twice in the spring seasons he suffered from <i>calenturas</i>, as we call -the fever of the country, which left him sallow in face and shrunken -in body; and when the spring came round for the third time, I begged -him to go to Mexico for change, returning to the <i>hacienda</i> in the -summer. In vain; he would not do it, indeed I do not think that he -cared whether he lived or died. So the end of it was that the -<i>calentura</i> took him again, and die he did in my arms, happily as a -child that falls asleep. -</p> - -<p> -Now my days are accomplished also, and, having failed in all things -and known much sorrow and disappointment, I go to join him. My friend, -farewell. Perhaps you will think of me from time to time, and, though -you are a heretic, send up a prayer to heaven for the welfare of the -soul of the old Indian— -</p> - -<p class="sign2"> -<span class="sc">Ignatio</span>. -</p> - -<p class="end"> -THE END. -</p> - - -<h2> -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES. -</h2> - -<p class="noindent"> -<b>Errors/inconsistencies of the author that have been preserved:</b> -</p> - -<p> -The Usumacinta River is referred to as the <i>Usumacinto</i> River. -</p> - -<p> -<i>Tabasco</i> and <i>Tobasco</i> are used interchangeably. -</p> - -<p> -Minor spelling and hyphenization inconsistencies (e.g. corn-field/corn -field, lamplight/lamp-light, etc.). -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<b>Alterations to the text:</b> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -[Title Page] -</p> - -<p> -Add illustrator’s credit. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -[Chapter III] -</p> - -<p> -Change “<i>Zilbalbay</i> spoke to me in the presence” to <i>Zibalbay</i>. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -[Chapter VI] -</p> - -<p> -“tore along her deck from stem to <i>stem</i>” to <i>stern</i>. -</p> - -<p> -“the mouth of the <i>Usamacinto</i> river” to <i>Usumacinto</i>. -</p> - -<p class="end"> -[End of Text] -</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE WORLD ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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