Show HEART OF THE WORLD A strange story talton taken from a manuscript bequeathed Eusa thed by a an n old mexican indian to his friend and Comrad 3 an englishman named jonos ry ny 11 CHAPTER nc turning to tile the place w here we hall had cr catan t ell xio wo found the aleal alcalde cle talking alvi with tit tile sailors is as to plans the rhe senor un bucked the bull belt of money which lie wore about his waist and and pouring out half a handful of gold pieces begged the fie boats ain aai to accept of them for division between himself ami d his compani companions all this while ar don c ln jose was sitting close to us watching everything that passed aal a nil I 1 saw llis his eyoul eyes lighten at tile the big lit of the bel belief 6 sold you are fortunate to have saved so much lie said speak speaking inq for the first time all that I 1 1 hall had lias has gone down w etli the ship yes three thousand dollars or more you should have fol followed loed 21 our e C 1 ample answered the senor we divided clor cash between the three of us anti and secured it upon our poisons pel sons though perhaps 1 on oil i w ere wise alter all since sail a w ciglio of grid gold might inight have been aNk ackward ward R if like yon vie lie tall been called upon to swim ly the way senor what nhat are your plans if 1 you 1011 1 w mallow ill allow me ine answered tile the mexican exic an 1 I will vill alk Mth you toward li for my home lies on the road would you lie be offended senor if on the behalf behal I 1 of my lily father I 1 ventured to offer liis his hospitality to you yon und and your compa companions n ions to specie plainly don jose said the senor our past ci experience perien chesire has not dot been such as to cause to desire to have anything more to do with you yon may I 1 remind youl you that putting aside other matters last night you attempted to stab slab me senor answered the man with every sign of conti cont if I 1 did this it was s because terror and madness possessed sali sed me and most humbly do I 1 beg eg tier our pardon panion for tile lie deed I 1 know that bat you vou have heard an ill report of my oathir father and to speak the truth ti uth at times when the liquor I 1 is in him lie is a ban au arid and violent old man net et he has I 1 his virtue that he loves arc me his son and all those who are good to me inc therefore in his name arid and my own I 1 pray that you on will forget the past abid and accept of chur our hospitality for some few days davs or at least until you have recovered from your fatigue and are able to furnish you 3 with ith arms end and horses to help you forward on your journey certainly we desire to buy bey mules mule and puns guns answered the senor and if you think that your father will vill be able to supply these we will avail ourselves of your kindness and pass a night or tw tv 0 at his hacienda ten minutes later we were ou on the road before we went however Iio wever we bade a warm f farewell ir viNell to tile the sa sailors alors and also to the alcalde alcaide of the villa village ge all of whom were somewhat what disturbed on lent Icar ninEr that we prop propped propos oed cd to sleep at santa rian ia cruz cn tile place has an evil name said tile al ai clde evide and is a home of thieves ibid smugglers le lers only last week a cargo that never never alaid duty went up the river they ba sav v that don bedio 0 wit was fathered by the devil in person ma may y the saints you from him lord we vc have business that takes us to till this house friend lan I 1 answered still doubtless it will be easy for you yon to keep yourself ined of r v hat chances in that neighborhood and if we should not appear again within a few days perhaps it will please you to advise the authorities at Cam campiche campeche peche that we are nissi og the rhe authorities are arc afraid of ron don pedro answered the hie alcalde shaking hib bib head also lie he bribes them so be heavily that they grow blind when they look his wa still I 1 will do the best I 1 L can bebur be sure of that and as is an inglese is with yon yen it is possible that I 1 may be able to get help if necessary our walk that day was wa ion ions and hot though at length we e euine w athin sight 0 of f this hacienda 1 v c reached thc jhc rate gate way and entered the court courtyard vard where we were met by maiv fierce dogs shieh rushed upon us flout all sides shius don jose beat bark back the thedoes dogs that knew him and leaving us under the charge of some half breeds lie entered the house after awhile he returned again and led us through the passage pas sagi into the dining airl in hall several lamps were gutig upon r i ils il s walls and by their it light lit we saw div five or six tie people ciple gather ed round a long table waiting wailing fur for supper toward the far end of tile the cha chamber a hammock was swung from the beams in the roof in which lay a train man whom a handsome girl also alho indian was employed in rocking to anti aad fro come com e and be introduced to ray father v who ill expects you said aid do aou u jose loading leading tile the way toward the hie hammock tl ither here I 1 is that brave who saved mj m life last night arid and with willi tile the indian vent gentleman lemau who did not with to save iny 11 lift life As I 1 told you I 1 have offered them hospitality on your behalf feeling sure that they would be welcome cle cime here atthe at tin sound nd of sissons ins son s voice roice don pedro aa ail olie oke or pretended to awake from ill ins doze doe aud and bade the girl cease swinging tin the hammock then he sat up alj and I 1 booked at us lie was wai a short tout mau man of about sixta sixt years of age so short indeed that although tile the har was hung low his lers legs did not touch the floor boti ith standing ills his lack of tt turc doti don ance was striking w hile tin the long kocg carefully brushed white lair yare gave I 1 him i im a cn erable aspect he benor nor A nil 1111 J lud thia aliouse and within it 11 ta lit at your disposal I 1 josd and that of 5 3 oil our r cull V 1 alons an ami he glanced ution attai it the eco coarse itNe beetle bloed man beside him lio one end of his mustache it nud ud staring at it us out of tile the corner of his ryes eyes tell nit ine lie he added to x what hat do I 1 owe the honor bonor of t your pre pi belice to an acLid accident erit don pedro the senor Is As it chances the ruins ruin ica of this ancient land interest rue nu much and 1 was as to palenque with my I 1 rillian indian I 1 I 1 bend didDon on ignatio Jn atio i w lien hen u nc c ircle ere so no ill linol as to br be wrecked near bour 3 our hospitable house in our dile dilemma inina HI N accepted tin tile invitation of our son on to visit you in ill tile the hope that you ul may 1 l be able to sell bell in us some ity juris guns and li mules Cs I luins senor Decide decidedly div you von en ark are strange bapper will ill be served shortly hort lv till then adjo goire RO with thern them hy lle added addless in the n conall who i ho tall had been engaged ill sivi nging hammock batez mi iua i bt bf wanted and other things the pirl girl bowed anti and w cut an aland at the door wo we found her standing lamp lit hii ha liand till to light us down the passage blell when you arci arc cady said baid dun don J jose oo 00 ft ill 3 ou on come to supper you w m lu ill not loso lose tile the way for you can follow tile smell of tile food and lie left the room one mor moment rient I 1 said addressing the girl fir who was about to accompany ac compan Y him perhaps j ou ell will see that our and I 1 pointed to molas hoa lia some meat brought to him here since your masters will not wish him to sit at table si answered the girl NN whose hose name in was as luisa searching my face with her eyes by this tune time don jose was ahr through on gh the door which the draught pushed to behind him I 1 watched it close then a thought struck me for I 1 remembered that amon almonr our order there are women associates of the outer circle and I 1 whispered some words in her ear and made it n sign with tny illy liand hand she started and gave fi ave the ancient answer which is taught even to children whereto I 1 replied 1 to 1 with another sign that of the D presence cresence of the heart IN here slie site asked glancing ngat at each of us ns in turn here I 1 answered and drawing out oua t the be symbol I 1 hold held it before her eyes she saw and maile made obeisance and at that hat L moment we heard don jose calling her I 1 from tom the f urther further side of the door 1 I come she cried in answer then r added in ill a whisper lord you are in danger in this house I 1 cannot tell you nov no but if possible I 1 will return the chice wine is is safe but drink no coffe and do not sleep w hen youlie you lie down seara the floor and you yon will understand the reason I 1 ceilie tome senor I 1 come and she fled from the room sosoon ho soon as the girl was lias gone the senor went to the door and locked it then lie he returned arid and said IN what lint does docs all this mean ll ignatio T natio I 1 did not ansi answer er but pus pushing bilag aside one of tile the beds I 1 searched the floor beneath it it was discolored in several places next I 1 pulled tit alie blankets off the beds and examined tile webbing that formed the mattresses to discover that this also was stained though sh slightly ditl y for it had been washed then I 1 s said aid men alen have died in these beds senor and the stains were made by their blood it would seem that the quests guests of don pedro sleep well vell first they are drugged then they aliey are murdered and it is for aliis purpose that wo we have been lured to the house well we expected nothing else do riot not despond I 1 answered we are bained in time and therefore I 1 think shall hall escape by the help of that pirl girl anti and the other indians in tile place since in an hou one of them will know who i ito we are and be prepared to rut their lives to save u us s now let us make malte ready and go 0 o amon amons g these men with ith a bold bola face to fos of tit aliis is you may be sure that nothing will vill bu be attempted till late at night when they think us slenia ia have you yon understood mola moi I 1 as yes answered the indian ilion watch here or in tile the outer room until we return and should tile gru fin I 1 come learn all you can ft fi om her as to tin till whereabouts of tl alie 1 e 0 old ill doctor anu anti his daughter and ot other he r matters fur when bhe alic knows you to be of tin the order she will ill speak have you been acco biej by arty any one 1 I think not senor when we en it was too dark for them to see good then keep out of their way if possible po siule sible do the best you can with tile the girl f irl and take note of all that passes farewell rowill 11 when ue ii e reached the end of the dining hall don pedro slid from his hama hammock jock to 1 lie ground and taking the senor by the hand said Letine let ire introduce you to my overseer the yenor senor smith from texas ue ile is till an american and will lie glad lad to meet one OIK wl wit can speak ali Ln gibli for notwithstanding much practice his is noti notion none of tile best the senor owed bowed and the american cil desperado spoke to him in english 9 weal in a agrin prin on his face alilce aw a wicked dor as lied lie did ill so though I 1 il not kno know what he fie said then dou don pedro conducted bill to a place of honor bauor at the head of the table that beside liis his own seat while I 1 vas led to another table at a little distance where till my meat a as served to me alone since as an indian of pure blood I 1 was not thought fit for alio company of these cross bird curs don jose jobe having havin taken his place at the further end of the tab table le with tile the americano Amerie anu the meal began and an excellent one it was try some soine more of this barg til n I 1 ya r said aid doti don pedro when tile dislikes ba bad d been removed filling his tumbler for the seventh or eighth it is tile the alit stuff straight from france it never paid duty and he winked iti his leaden eye your bijil anti and mav you von live to do dally F such tich brave deeds deed as aa that thai of yesterday when you saved tar my son got from fro tile thu sea UY lly tin tile way do yo you u know thit that oil board that thai ship th aliey y said that i ou in had the evil ea bic e and brought C her to ID wieck t eck yes it ami all jour 5 our I 1 oil I 1 c I 1 compi inon the hie indian also alidee ll idee t I 1 neier heard of it berche ber cre ans answered the senor with a but if so hr olar ur evil eves eyes shall nul not trouble von for long is as vie c propose to continue our journey tu to iti orrow Nou bease friend nonsense N on oil dont don t suppose that I 1 believe in that sort of rubbish do aou ou wo we say many things that we do not believe just for a juke thus an aad d lie raised his voice so that I 1 could hear him tit at my iny table bour colli companion there is lie he not named ignatio I 1 told lold a doiy to my lily on oil board tile hie ship which I 1 an sure lie lid did not believe and suddenly lie he nt at inland added insolently Is it not so indian 1 if you von suck seek my opinion don poll padro ro I 1 ansi answered ered leaning forward and sped ing verv verb clearly 1 I 1 can siy say that it is to repeat words that are said aid or to remember deeds that are done with if I 1 spoke certain ord of 01 if in the past you did ceilan here beneath your lio root roof is ib riot not the place to them quite so indian quite so you talk like an oracle as Alonte zinna bletl used to talk to cortes till tile the conquer aoi t a wily to teach him it akilia a great man cortes lie how to deal with tile the indians then lie spat upon the floor bloor and hh having r n 1 looked down alie table to th tile idled in a somewhat anxious to tell F ci I 1 me lie said for your sight is better than mine how many the are present here tonight to night counting my fric friend ld thirteen he be answer ed 1 I thought thouy lit so said aid our host hos hostila tili ti ith in an oath arld add it is too late tu to mend nat now U may mar tile saint siimes ind they be thick about a avert the union omen I 1 see i on oil think tile me a fool not at all lie he ansi answered ered 1 I am 1111 rather superstitious myself nir self all and dislike sitting down to a table so do 1 so do 1 I senor strickland listen last time we no dined thirteen in tills this rodam there were i ore two travelers liere americans friends of don smith Sni illi w li liu were iverc trying to open up u p a trade in aliee pacts they drank more than was as good for them and the end of it was as that in the they quarrelled quarrel led anti and killed each other yonder in tile the abbots ch chamber aniber where you ari are sleeping poor men poor pool men there was trouble about the matter at the time but lion don smith explained to his countrymen and it came to nothing indeed answered the alie senor it was sti strange anee that two drunken men should kill 1611 each other so I 1 say sar senor in truth for a while I 1 thought that indians must have rot ot into their room and murdered them but i ut it was ayes proved beyond a doubt tha lat t tilis this w was as not so ali ah the they y are a wicked people the indians I 1 h ive L ve seen much of them and I 1 should know now the government wishes to treat them too well our lathers knew better how to deal I 1 eal with them ito luckily the arin of the scarcely reaches here bere and no whining padres or officials come prying about m im house bause though once velmall we ve had liall some bol soldiers dier and he cui c d at the recollection and aad drank another glass of burgundy 1 I tell you yon that they the v are arc a wicked people he went on the de their fathers worshipped wor mor shipped still possess them also they are as |