| Show HEART IF THE WORLD A strange ii w taken from a Manu bequeathed qu eathea by an old ola i adian to his friona friend and ana cornea an englishman named J nos nes rry rey IT I 1 arlt at it CHAPTER IX im THE DOE DOEL tow we placed our ears against the panelling and listened first we heard creaks that were loud in the stillness then soft hear heavy ay noises such as are made by at a cat catchen when it jumps from a height to the ground and a I 1 gentle rubbing as of feet upon the floor after this for some horns seconds there was silence that presently was as broken by the elide click of steel and the sound of heavy blows delivered upa upa some sott soft substance with swords and knives the murderers were driving their weapons through the bedclothes thinking that we slept beneat li them next came whisperings and muttered oaths then a voice dun jose joics said be careful the beds are empty another instant candles were lit for their light reached us its through small peepholes peep holes in the panel and by putting our eyes to ahse we could coal see all that passed in ill the room there before us was don jose don smith and four of their companions all armed with knives or machetes while framed as it were in th ewall in the place that had been occupied by tho the picture of the abbot stood our lost host don pedro holding a candle above hi his head shead and glaring with his fishlike eyes into every corner of the room where are they lie he said where are tile the wizards rind find them quick and kill them Z sow low the men ran to and fro about the room dragging aside trie beds and staring it at the pictures on the walls as though they expected to see sec us there they are gone said jose at length that indian ignatio has conjured them away 11 lie e is a demonio and not a man I 1 thought it from the first impossible cried dom pedro bedro who was as white with rage and fear the door has been watched ever since they entered it and no living thing could coula for force c e those bars search search they must be hidden search yourself yo answered don smith sullenly they re not here perhaps alie them discovered the trick of the pie titie and escaped dow doain n the passage to the chapel it caimol be said don fedro again for just now I 1 was in the chapel and saw no signs of them wo nye havo have some traitor among us who lias liar led them from the house houge uy by heaven if I 1 find him out t and lie uttered a fearful oath shall we bring the logs dogs asked jose and I 1 trembled at liis his words they might smell their footing fool vi 1 hat is the use of dogs clis in a place where all of you have been tramping tram pin answered alie father tomorrow at t dawn we will try them out sc for those these men must be found and killed or we are ruined tell those rascals to give up the search and go to bed it is useless then do y you ou come quiet to my mv room and we will visit the indian and his daughter if we are to get their secret out of them it must be done to night for like a fool I 1 told that lishman the story when the 1 wine ine wo was s in me inc thinking that lie he would never live to I 1 repeat it yes yes it must be done tonight to night for tomorrow morrow to lo we may have to fly put but what it the brutes wont speak father we will find means to make them speak answered theold man with wilh a hideous chuckle but whether they speak or not they must be silent rilent afterward and aid he drew his hand across liis his throat and added come an hour passed while we stood in the hole trembling with c excitement hope a and d fear and then once more we heard cracks followed presently by the sound of a voice whispering on the further bide of the panel 11 are you there lord the whisper s said a id it is 1 I luisa i f yes ves I 1 abili answered r t now she touch touched lisl the spring and owned opened the door listen isten sit she e said aid they have gone t asleep allot t 1 I of them but bat bea to dawn they aiu I 1 bap up fl aaen al n to r yolie vo r far and N vicc V ide theia hei for you mst m st do one of two tiro fluids s lie hid here perhaps rier haps for days d ej or take t G 5 our chance chal licie of escape at once 11 bow a can we escape I 1 asked bhare there is but one war lord through the chapel the door into it is locked but I 1 can show you a place phwe from which chica the priests used to watch those below beloi und thence it i yon are brave you yon can to tile the beneath for the height is not great once there you yon lan can escape into ohp garden through the window over the altar which is br broken as I 1 have seen from without though to do so lb you v ill have to climb upon caoli others shoulders ahen you t fly a I 1 swiftly as you cart can by the lic flit ot oi the moon which has risen the djs 1 s hive eliav been orceil gorged and tied up so if ill the heart i is 5 your friend you a yet go ounh unharmed arnic now ow I 1 to the senor saying although h the woman does arnot not know now it I 1 t lin 1 it 11 likely cly that we shall find company in this chapel a cl freeing ing that the and his au eltera imprisoned there whore don pe pedro ro a and J jose have gono gone to them the risk is great reat shall we vve take it yes 1 answered answer fd tile nor enor after a a moment mo menth F thought fur for it i is hetter better to take lake a risk than to perish by indies inches in this hole bole of starvation or perhaps to be b e discovered and p nd murdered in cold blood aio also we have traveled tar far unit and undergone rauch much to find the indian and it if e lose our chance of doing doin so ho we ive may get no other now one by one we climbed through the false panel and by the light of tile the moon luisa led us across across tile the chamber t to uie spot between the beds v here hangs brings t the h e picture of the abbot this picture which is on it a pali panted ted slab of wood nood proved to be nothing more than a cunningly devised door constructed to swing biving upon a pivot resting Ke her knee on the threshold luiba scrambled into the passage beyond and vt lien hen the rest of us stood by bv her side bide slie she closed the panel and bid dingus to cling to one al another lother and be silent site she took me by the hand and guide glided us it through various passages till at length she whispered ee be cautions aoi now for we come to the place whence you drop into th the e chapel and there i io a stairway to your light 11 we passed the stairway and turned the corner luisa still leading next instant she staggered back into in my arms murmuring mother smother of li heaven javen the shots the ghosts indeed had I 1 not licit let her she houi would d ha bays ve fled baill clasping her hand I 1 pushed for boitt ard to find myself standing in a small recess that was placed about ten feet above the floor of tho the chapel and like other ot her places in this house so arranged that the abbot or monk in authority without vit hout teeing seen himself himsel f could see egand and hear all that passed be neith him of one thill thing I 1 am sure that during all the generations that aze aie gone by no monk here eversal ever saw a stranger sight than that which met my e yes the chancel of the chapel was lit up by shafts of brilliant moonlight that poured through the broken window and by at a lamp which stood U upon 0 1 trag I 1 tie the stone altar within the circle of r strong light thrown by this la lamp mp were four people namely don pedro his sou son don jose an old indian anda and a girl on cither side of the altar then is as no non rose two carven pillars of sapote wood the tops of which were fashioned into the of angels and to these columns the old indian and the women ornen were tied one to each column their hands hems joined together it at the bock back of the pillars pi liars in such a mannor manner is to render them absolutely help belp lob lesa my eyes first rested upon the woman vo inan w who 1 1 was nearest to TOO me and seeing her even as she was then dis bevelled hevel led and worn with pain and hunger with her proud face distorted by agony of mind anti and impotent rage rage I 1 no longer wondered that both T molas laos and don pedro pilro had raved about her beauty she was an indian but such in an indian as I 1 had never neler nel er kno i n before for in color she w was as almost white and her bet da dark dak k and waving halt hair bull hung in masses to her ter knee I 1 ter her fam face was was oval and small faatu ed and in it shone a pair of 0 wonderful dark clark blue eyes while the clinging v hite robe she wore revealed the her tall and delicate shape i bad as was vat the sirls girls plight that ot of tile old man mAnJi let er father lather who was none other than t tip Zi balbay w we had come to seek see ved eren worse ire was as molas had described him thin and very tall etith ith white hair and beard hawk like ayes eyes and aquiline features feature nor had don pedro bedro spoken more than the truth when lie said lie he looked like a king icing what shall we try him with now said don jose addres addressing sinz don pedro hot steel or cold make up your mind I 1 for I 1 arn am gett getting illg tired well if you won t just hand bond me that machete will you now friend lie went on addressing dres ing the indian for the last time tima I 1 ask you vou to tell us vicere here i ib tha tem pie full ol of gold god ot of which you spoke to your laughter daughter in my father s hearing there is no such place white man lie he answered sullenly Ilu indeed deed friend then will you explain where you got those little ingots ingols which we captured from the indian who had been visiting you and whence came this machete and he pointed to the we weapon apon in his hand it was a sword of great beauty beamut as I 1 could see sec 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 Trul tail 1 I do not know where lie he got it really answered J jose aso with ith as ai brutal laugh perhaps you will remember presently here father warm the point of the machete achete ih in the lamp will you while I 1 tell our gues how we are arc going to serve him blin and his daughter don pedro nodded and taking the sword held the tip of ikover it over the flame fiame while jose bending forward whispered spere d into the indians ear pointing from to time to the girl 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 la law conj or justice stice among you von lyn kone at all friend answered jose we are good fellows enough but times are hard rind and we must mu st live now one once e more will you guide us to the place whence that gold came leaving your daughter here as in hostage stage kr for our safar safety never cried the indian better that we ire two should perish a hundred times than that tile the anicent secrets of my people should pass to such as you iso so you have secrets after all rather Fat lier is the sword hot asked jose one minute more said the old man turning the point in the fl flame time till was the scene that we ian witnessed esse a and these m were ere the words that a astonished toni shed our ears cars it is time to interfere muttered the senor and placing his ban hand d UP upon on the rail he prepared to drop in into t 0 the t hurch vow now a thought struck me and I 1 drew him bak bade to the passage se perhaps the door asin is open en I 1 said are you going in t there 1 re asked the girl lu luia I 1 ft c certainly ert E t i aly I 1 replied we must rescue these people or die with viem then senor renor farewell I 1 have done al all I 1 I 1 can for oh and ami now tile saints I 1 must bo be your guide for if I 1 ao am they u rl ill kill me ire anti and I 1 have a child tor for whose saki desire to live again farewell and she gli geltl ic it away lilo like a sandow now we crept forward prid bad down the stair at the foot ot it was a little doar which as ais ire h ind ld blood ajar air I 1 a 1 I moment wo vve consulted to together g calic r then we crawled forward through the g loom toward the ring of light about the altar now kow jose find tile the heated sword in his liand hand look up my dear look up lie he said to the girl patting ng her on the cheek 1 I am about to baptize your excello bt father according accordine to the rites of the cl christian 11 isthan religion by marl marking drig him with a cross upon the forehead and head he advanced N the hie point of the sword toward the I 1 indian nal ian s face at that instance molas pinned him hiim from behind causing him to drop the weapon N while hile I 1 sid did the same office b by y don on it him m s so 0 stir that hat struggle ashe might he could 1 n not 0 t stir make a sound either cither of you and nd you yon are arc dead said the senor picking up the machete and placing the hot point of it aai ast joses breast where it slowly burned burned its ita way through his clothes what are we to do with these men he asked rill kill them as they would have killed us answered moh molas or if you fear adar tile task cut loose the old ma man ii yonder and let hino sy it avenge enge his and his daughter s wrongly wrongs wrong what say you ignatio 1 I seek no mans blood but for our own safety it aswell is well that those these wretches should die away with them now don pedro began to bleat inarticulately in his terror and that hero jose burst into tears and pleaded for his life writhing with pain tile the while i hile for the point of the sword scorched scorch iid him you von are arc an english gent gentleman loman he groaned you cannot butcher a helpless man as though lie he were an ox A As you tried to butcher us in the chamber yonder it us who bo saved your life answered the senor you are right I 1 cannot do it because as you say I 1 am a gentleman ge molas loose this dog and if be tries to run put a knife through him jose moreno moredo you have a sword by your side and I 1 live one in my hand I 1 will not murder you boutwe but we have a quarrel and we w ill settle it here now youage you are mad senor I 1 said to risk your lif lafr thus I 1 myself will kill him rather than it should be so will you U light lit it if I 1 loose you jose lk moreno loreno lie be said makin making me no answer or will wil you be lulled killed where you stand I 1 1 1 I tt NN ill fi fight ht he replied good bet let him free molas and be ready with your knife 1 I command you I 1 began but atile already man was loose and the senor st stood waiting at ting for heinit his lit back to the door and the indian machete handled wit with 1 I the golden woman in his hand from the moment that I 1 saw them fronting each other my fears for the issue vanished victory was written on tile the ealm calm features feature lea tures of the senor title gillie the face of jose jae arild only of baffled fury struggling x N ith bottom bottomless lebs despair still it was lie iho i he struck first for topping stepping forward lie he aimed a desperate blon it at the head m who ho springing in aside avoided it and in return ran him through the left arm with aery a cry of pair pain the mexican sprang back followed to oil by the senor at v whom hom lie cut from time to time hut but without result for every blow was parried ried now they were within nl and lit now bisback was against one odthe of the carved pillars of sapote wood that to hichi the girl was tied then the end came for the senor who was watching his chance drew suddenly within reach only to step back so that the furious blow aimed at his head struck a I 1 ringing 6 sound upon tile marble floor before don dose could lift the sword again the senor thrust wil with 1 I all his strength and hs his machete pierced the mexican through the heart and now I 1 must tell of my own folly that went near to bringing us all to leath you ym will trill remember that I |
