OCR Text |
Show MONTEZUMA'S MINKS; AN AZTEC TALE. ! l MM ii i i sm H "'Mariel,' I cried 'bj-thr gods' Us a white msn" Marsel ou will re- s i fifl Mt member wns ono of our pirts When the man wns within thlrts ynrds of un i I Jjjfl H ho stopped short He store no hat und he was naked to the waist. And on j ijrlfl Mm his breast there was u great red scar the sign ot n crossl Ills hair w"aa Ions j jvB H and limited urul It ftatned till) long, lanky fare like n tuft of dry sea grass UH H "Mariel being n man of most disgusting manners and 'braios ot spirit, j j JH H wns the first to break the silence thut ensued, J1 I qflfl "'Hy! ltlp" lie soiled 'How ou wns" -jt rA 9H M ' The fellow did nut hear him, or else he wns loth lo nnswer, for pointing to t I '. HH the mountain, which now burned like a pillow of flame In the fading sunlight, 1 Ifsn Mm he spoke T !)(' VMM bsIh Tunis' You seek the tnlnoet nf Montezuma Tnko warning nnd flee elfo ,h .(-j 9H H ou would bo tho cursed of the gods, ns nm 1,' And he polnteet to the scar on n n'"j Wm mW his breist -k 4 jHJj j$9F "Those were strange words to come from tho lips of a human being, and fljlfjli'l bsj iI we nil put him down ns a lunnlip of the llrst water. 'Sir ril uM s'sH " 'Demented,' r.ild I. '1 mote that we shnke his acquaintance' Hut Mariel SKJ JJrl ,ll UMU was for Insestlgntlng it' iK 81 Wmm "'Laugh,' he snld, 'laugh! Hut I tell sou there Is something behind nil SfS 1'ltf UH s'sH this, rentlemen What's tho matter wllh those Indiana back thete? They seem TT llS OH i'bIh to wnlk about In 11 elreutn. Dunn me If the) don t ait like the fable I Lotus ', Sr? SB mW Haters, And this nppnrltlpn here with the sign of n cross burnt on Ita breast & a ,'BW Mm what's It meiin? ! iji,, )Q mM "t will ndd right herp Hint there was not one In our pnrty who war) nbla i, i'i SU stii to glte 11 sane repls' to nny of Marsel s questions, and rnlixlntr Into n moody Vll-t Sltfl pH sllente he spoke not another word during the remainder of our Journey, Wo X ft 'i fu m pitched camp when It got too dark tn travel with any safety, nnd making a fire j, fTM HH soon had a supper on way. After Ihe menl Muriel called me aside. Ills faro 'A jv j9 wus very whiles and drawn, and theru was a strange look In his eye. 11 ftj ' jlBj MKW "Tlrent,' he said, after wo had walked some distance In silence, 'I nm not jl fp IH ittV a fool, neither nm I n dreimer of dreams Listen! In my youth I was a great M L''' jffl IH student of ancient histors, cspeclnlls thnt of this countrj Mexico I loted It, It S ' ft i flS MU was terribly fascinating in me because of Ita complex mysteries And conse 1! .) iff fw rW m quently he stnppe 1 nbriiptls, bit nt tho end of hln clgir, nnd faced me 'You L'i.if 1 iSM MM have heard of the mines of the Montezuma Montczunn, the last, practically il Mt ',' fjfl HH the hist, of the Aztec emperois?' J) iji M ) " 'Itnah.' I s lid. M I' ; JJfl 11 " 'Hosh,' ho repealed 'That Is like jou Hut I know I Itnntvt Look yon. V- m) H ll der allot c us, around us. We stand on Mount Oajain, a second Olsinpus, tho n1 llfilf Ml H abode ot gods It Is the Mecca of a den 1 race of people! Uiok afar whero i!'fIui'iffi Jifl slLa the moonlight Is beginning tn shine Inn see a last shndnwy lint), a dark, HIJEsn!' Tkfl stl silent forest, which wo havo enmo In explore Underneath, a hilndied feet be- T 'jifffp 11 low the surface of the earth there nte numberless menu. Tho Isthmus ot 'jfLf elil MU Tchunntepec. Is full nf them Tho lichen of Montezumn are hurled there. They ,jii Ifflr ifjO H He In the hollow nf thin mountain. How dn I know? Legends traditions his- ijl J.V .Tjl IH tors', nnd the stranBO things I have witnessed today Those are my proofs, if. S. itfl ifl What more do you want? Lord, man, Lord, what un 'Hldorado' Is within our il I. . ) reach. Will you pass It by?' f). Kj. !( BB "'Undoubtedly this Is one of sour theories, Mariel,' I said. 'But what jit Vi , iSMmmm would you do?' BM'S'ii iH aBI '"Do? I would probe the secret from those heathens back there. I would Jf ' ft LiH Mm search the very bowels of this mountain. Hut look! Look! t "i V IGL sflLl What Is that? A light it flame of lire!' , i .1 I mW "I turned In the direction pointed out nnd wide-eyed nnd wondering siw ,1, . ' ifi MUt what had attracted his attention llonrlng over the summit of the mountain, 'j SI lB high above us, waa a pillow of flame II was square shaped, and It glowed and ' h ' if J simmered with a quit erlng motion. Those hick nt the camp had alio noticed It. 'ijl. IH nnd the next moment they came rushing toward us to get a better ilew. For '' , fit PH fully fifteen minutes did wo seo thut lurid Maine, then It gradually faded nwny, 1 'V 'j nnd the Intcrienlng darkness rushed In nnd hid tho mountain peak from our 1 It' ill pMH sight. AVa put It to a voto and decided thut tho strange light wo had seen was .j ' jA Iho result of sulphurous fumes rising up nut of tho mountain's crater w ,ji 5; If it had one And a little later we rolled ourselits up In nur blankets nnd, nne M 1 .1 j hy one, dropped off tn sleep, with the exception of Muriel, whom I saw last, 1 ')i Just before sleep oiertook me, sitting crouched un his haunches oier thn few , j si flickering embern of tho camp fire, M ill "When we uwoko next morning Mnriel was missing' All that day nnd tho !'!! ii BBBj following wo sought for him. We went back to the village, and tn our tonster- 1 j , J l IMj nation found It deserted We scoured the country for miles about, but lo no 'f"H ' M H BjiVJI mail Mnriel tins loet And lime being precious with us nt the close of tho (j i I BBS second das, we continued our Journey through tho forest wilderness with sad 1. j 11 I BBBJ hearU " b jl ( I Cnpt. Drent paused In his narrative nnd rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 1 11 i jB BBBJ "Now, gentlemen, romei the rub! A month Inter I found myselr In Vera fl i Jf I BBBJ Cruz, lying stretched on n cot smitten with a terrible death-dealing malady T J ' m BBBB that was sweeping the countrs' l'rlends had turned me oier In un unconscious t f Jti H BBBB ntate to recelio tho caro -i 'sister of meicy' In a Catholic mission that stood on .1 li-jli BBBB a high bluff that Jutted out Into the seo, II wan a queer old place I remember 4tJ"flJj ' BBjBj now, as solemn nml grim of aspect as 11 tlmeworn nnl battle-scarred fortress. 'Vl liliM! BsjBj And with tho help of those good sisters within three weeks' time I was a well ' JtM? BBBB man. Weak and a living skeleton, Jen bjt wllh a good sound grip on I "3jj If. life again, Well, on the lery day that I was pronounced well enough to begin ftA BBBB my battle with the world ngaln a strange thing happened a very strange thine H it "j ! '1 tins toll that the head phssklan desired nn Interview wllh me in hi . (J11' '(' BjSBJ closet. He was a little man, diessed In a black cossack that dragged tho floor iff, X '! BBBB when he walked , iir4ll BBBB ' Heuor llrent," ho snld, casting nil formality nslde, "I hate a patient whom ify 'Ml pSSj I would hate sou meet before leaving us, He Is an American as sourself Ami 1 .1 . 'Ii Bill perhaps you may be able lo help us to Identify him I'oor man! 1 will be plain ,-, U j jSBJ with sou, he Is a maniac n hopeless case In Ida delirium ho often mumbles 1 ill V strange things Wo do not understand lilm He speaks of burled treasures and lli. . J 'i BjSBJ of a burled people nnd claims to lime been 1111 officer In somo army. Hut the ,j ' I? ,f(, i BIBb strangest thing of all, senor there Is u great ted scar on his breast, tho sign J,; J, ' ,a of a cross " , , '. BHBI "I sprnng to ms feet with a cr, grent beads nf sweat trickling down my 'l ii fr ' Mmm face. , 'jit, BBJBJ "'Miriel,' I gasped, 'It Is Mariel Where is he" h jif f 'Tlie minutes nfter I stood before the unfortunate man, with Iron tare be- J ;,i .'.,' BBBBJ tstoen us Ho was 11 pitiful sight to behold A gray haired old man with a , i, ' y BBBBJ fuco lined with Inexprenslble suffering He did not recognize mo his mind was 1 M ; BjVBB c-ompletely gone hick with horror I turnel to leave the room linen my com jJN t j " BBBBJ panlou plucked mo by the sleeie jj 1 i I V BBflVJ "'Walt,' ho said 'there Is something else-a letter. It was written by him f' ' 1 (jj BBBBJ when his mind was not so fni gone I will glvo It lo sou' He drew It from tho 1 ',! 1! (: BBBBJ folds nf Ilia gown and hunted It tn me - it j li'l U pJJV 'Thero were but u few lines scribbled In a cramped nervous, hand. It read i J 'i BBBjl Uko Ihlsl tiH'i?'U BBBB " 'To Capt Hrcnt Once ou laughed nt my 'mad theories,' and uu laughed, ft 1 BJii BBBB when I spoko ot tho mines of Montezuma Hut, my dear skeptical friend, what t 1 if jW will you suy 01 do now when you have te.id this letter enn though I must ud- M (Hi BBBBj mlt that I found not tho treason J sought In my strango Journey Into unother 'M A.I', BBBK world as It were und nil ms theories pioied groumlless Hut even In my mad. ;i .;: mi'3 PJJF ness I had not Imagined 11 mystery ns mad und Improbable 11 that which waa ,k ; ! 'Um BBBB reiealod to me an underground city peopled ultb living; human beings and fljf .1 'mf BBBj filled with the blood iceklng temples of nn IdoUtre . You will rememl r K '"Ad 1) BBBB. that It wws my belief that great taterns existed lo earth throughout f'j Al t f BBBB. Tehuantcj c and lential America It Is eier j 1 bnlieie that tha ulullaiSi BBBB stranf,e people I dlse-oiercd, llilng In tho bowels , earth were the ancient ! ? if : it yl BBBJ IViltccs llclng drlien from thn land of the sun' ax anl ares ago by a mora '$) tA '' BBBJ wmllko people, they took retugo In this underground world nnd have dwelt S i j, ,' there throuwhinit lh Interienlng centuries In dnrkness, worahlplng - thou- M r ft VUl IIIBi. sand Iduls und sue rttlclng liumon beings In th ilea to appease the wrath of Sl.tt1 IN"1 BJBBj their (.oils, who condemned them to this world 01 ondleru night !S Jft tr ''.' BBBBJ " I wis eti etched on the ultui nt mtrlftce und with ted hot Irons (he sign 'MM ivl', BBBJr nt the ttoss was burnt on my breast, tho snered ssmbol of their religion After sVI'R 101 BBBBJJ that I lost conw.ousness, nnd when I came to llfe ugaln I was breathing fresh Bali? L' BBBBJ ulr again and lying on u rock on the stdH ot the mountain with the blessed sun- ifUfJ'T'r BBBBJ hlno In my fact, a numboi of halt-nuked Indlins from the vlllige gathered iJiLwef' i'i BBBBH about ms, who were making signs to me nnd walling loudly 81 ifefl W BJBJE " 'This la the uholo of my story. I feel that I nm going mad Slflliltu fU BBBBt ' Gentlemen," said Capt. Hrcnt, "now that I haie icluted my stors, may I ask; jjj cTviPJJbI what you think of 117' Sf jy Jt J BJJJJ "A pipe dream?" sill onc, "' V nTMIlV' ?f BBJBJ "Hut concerning those people of whom he spoke In that letter Who were JWllfJ 1 BBBBJ thej, and how did he roe cite that scar on his breast, which I saw with my own BuUQiyj k BBBBJ eyes and which sou saw on the breast ot that unfununute lunatlo nt ()i,.i 1 JIVisBS?' J BBBBJ mountain?' UlwErin? BJBJB1 "Qulen sabe? 'Sunny So PJlP-uil? BjBJJ |