THE SHRINE OF THE OPAL.
Lord of the humming-bird's foot!
Behold thy worshippers rising and falling in adoration
before thee, as rise and fall the restless waves of
the far-reaching ocean.
These thousands gathered from the ends of the earth, are
thine, and thine only.
We see thine image bedecked with jewels, shine like the sun
at his rising
Before thee, the stone, whereon the favoured one yields up
his life for thy glory.
Smoking hearts dost thou love, the savour of blood, the carnage
of battle.
For thou art god of war, death alone is the way to thy favour.
Spins before thee that precious stone by which thou tellest thy
wishes,
That shining, precious stone, which now burns red as the blood
of thine altars,
Crimson it gleams, hinting war! War is the fate of the future!
Oh, mighty one! Lord of the humming-bird's foot! We pray thee
give order,
That the red war light melt soon to the azure of peace,
Then will fresh victims be thine, and happiness ours,
Shout, ye people! ask peace from the lord of the humming-bird's
foot.
In two days, Jack was comparatively well, and able to move about
without much trouble. This almost miraculous cure was effected by Cocom
through the medium of some medicinal herbs, the curative powers of
which were known to him alone. Out of these he made two decoctions, one
for internal, the other for external application. With the latter he
bathed the wound on Jack's head, and made him drink quantities of the
former every two hours. The effect was wonderfully rapid, and Jack soon
found himself gaining strength. In the hands of a European doctor, he
would probably have been laid up for weeks; but the rude medicine of
the Indian set him on his legs in no time. The wound on his head gave
him no trouble, and healed with great quickness; a fact which Jack put
down as much to his healthy blood, and simple living, as to Cocom's
physicing.
With renewed health and strength came a stronger desire to escape from
the horrible fate which waited him in a few weeks. When he went out,
however, and explored the strange city, in the centre of which stood
the shrine of the opal, Jack saw plainly that it would be madness to
attempt flight without the assistance of Cocom. The Indians apparently
knew this, for, treated by them more as a guest than a prisoner, he was
permitted to wander freely round the neighbourhood. Still, did he
venture too far in the direction of the belt of timber surrounding the
city, he was always followed by two or more native guards; these, when
he once more returned to the city, quietly left him. From this
espionage he plainly saw that his roaming was restricted, but not in
such a measure as to cause him any unpleasant feeling.
As regards the behaviour of the Indians, Jack had nothing to complain
of. Indeed, they could scarcely have been more deferential. Regarded as
a kind of deity, his appearance was the signal for the most slavish
adulation. The Indians, of whom there were a goodly number in the
vicinity, threw themselves on their faces before him, as he walked
abroad, attended by Cocom. If he seated himself, they strewed flowers
at his feet, and swung censers, fragrant with copal, until he was
almost hidden by white wreaths of perfumed smoke. This popularity was
not unpleasant; but, as Jack knew it was but a prelude to the
sacrificial stone, he was anything but gratified at thus being
continually reminded of the dangerous position in which he stood.
On recovering his health, Jack found Cocom much more reticent than when
he was acting as doctor. Several times had he been on the point of
making some important communication, but always stopped short and
refused to speak further. Jack supposed this caution was on account of
the priests, who, despite the deference of their demeanour, kept a
close watch on his actions, and on those of Cocom. The high priest,
Ixtlilxochitl, was a mild-looking old man, who treated Jack in a most
courteous manner, and frequently expressed his pleasure that the white
lord had so soon recovered his health. Such inquiries would have been
much more acceptable had not the recipient known that they were but the
outcome of Ixtlilxochitl's desire that he should be in good condition
for the sacrifice. It was no pleasant thing for Duval to know that
these courtesies came from an old gentleman who was anxiously looking
forward to taking his life.
Under these circumstances, Jack did not wonder that Cocom was cautious,
and though for the moment the attitude of the old Indian appeared
anything but friendly, Jack quite relied on him to aid his escape. He
was anxious to escape from this buried city, where he was threatened
with so terrible a fate; he was longing to return to Tlatonac for the
purpose of reassuring his friends, who he knew would be terribly put
out by his disappearance at Acauhtzin; and, above all, he was anxious
to be free so as to search for Dolores.
In Jack's opinion she was at Acauhtzin, as a man so vile as Don
Hypolito could no longer be believed. If she was not in the power of
the rebel leader, she would have been with the Indians. Yet here was
Jack in the very heart of this aboriginal civilisation, in the
stronghold of the opal, yet he neither saw her nor heard anything of
her. He questioned Cocom, but that wily old man replied that he knew
nothing, and as Don Hypolito had admitted that he knew where she was,
Jack felt sure that the poor girl was held a prisoner by the Mestizo at
Acauhtzin. He was therefore anxious to escape, and get back to
Tlatonac, for the purpose of urging on the war with all possible speed,
so that the northern capital should be invested within a reasonable
time, and Dolores rescued from her terrible position. Consequently,
escape was his one aim; but he saw plainly that without assistance it
would be impossible to leave this city of the opal, buried as it was in
the savage solitudes of primeval forests.
That this famous opal shrine was in Cholacaca he knew perfectly well,
but as he had been brought hither in an unconscious state, he was quite
at a loss to lay his finger on the precise locality. Cholacaca, east to
west, was two hundred miles from mountains to sea, so the city of the
opal could not be situated out of this radius. It might be fifty, a
hundred, a hundred and fifty miles from the sea, and Jack, knowing by
his pocket-compass in which direction to go, calculated that if he
marched due east he could not fail to reach the coast. Once there, and
he could soon pick up a canoe or some light boat, in which he could get
in due time to Tlatonac.
But to start for the coast without knowing the geography of the country
was sheer madness, and Jack stamped his foot with rage as he thought of
the miles of trackless forest which lay between him and freedom. To
push one's way through a virgin forest is difficult in any case, but to
make the attempt without arms, companions, food, and guides was quite
an impossibility. That there was some secret way to the coast was
plain, as the Indians came hither to this shrine from Tlatonac; but
that way was known only to the priests. Within a certain distance,
every new-comer was blinded with a bandage, and this was taken off in
the square, before the principal teocalli. The worshippers were
conducted into the forests with the same precautions; so, unless he
could bribe a priest to show him the secret way, Jack foresaw
absolutely no chance of gaining his freedom.
It was a buried city, but not a ruined city, for here the aboriginal
civilisation flourished greatly, as it had done before the coming of
the Spaniards, to Anahuac. Situated in a hollow cup, on all sides arose
verdant forests of bright green, clothing the base of great mountains,
which showed their serrated peaks above the vegetation. On three sides
the city was shut in by these giant barriers, but towards the west
opened a rugged cañon, through which flowed a noisy stream. A road ran
along the west side of this freak of nature, cut out of the solid rock,
so narrow as to allow only three men to walk abreast. Above and below
were the cliffs, thousands of feet in height and depth. No foe could
enter the city by that pass, which led into the great mountains of the
interior continent; but no foe would wish to enter, for this city was
holy ground, the Mecca of the aborigines, and had preserved its
inviolability from an invasion for centuries.
"It was built by the Toltecs, Señor," said Cocom, who acted as Jack's
cicerone. "Ages ago, you must know, this race came hither from the
North. It was they who built the great cities of Yucatan in the dark
past. Uxmal, Aké, Chichen-Itza. They reared them all. A glorious race
were my ancestors, Señor."
"But you are not a descendant of the Toltecs, Cocom?"
"No, Señor, I am a Maya. My ancestors ruled at Mayapan. See," added the
Indian, plucking a yellow flower sprouting out from a crevice close at
hand, "this is the plant Cocom--my name, Señor, and that of the great
kings who ruled Yucatan. The Mayas also built great cities, but Toltecs
or Mayas, Don Juan, what does it matter? I am a poor Indian crushed
under the heel of the white man."
"You say the Toltecs built this city also?"
"Surely, Don Juan. They came and they went; no one knows whither they
went. We are born, Señor, but we know not from whence we come. We die,
but we know not whither we go. So with the Toltecs. They came, they
went, and we know nothing more. But they left their cities behind them,
Señor, to show how great they were. In their wanderings--I speak from
the traditions of the priests--in their wanderings, Señor, they came to
this place, through yonder cañon--up the gorge, I think, for then there
was no river, no road. Here they lost their leader, and built this city
to commemorate his greatness. It is so called after him--Totatzine."
"Oh, that was his name, no doubt."
"Quien sabe! No; I do not know what his name was. Totatzine is a Nahua
word, meaning 'Our Great Father.' He was their father and leader, so
they called this place Totatzine. It is a monument to his memory."
"It is a holy city!"
"For ages, Señor, it has been sacred," replied Cocom, seriously. "Here
it was that the god Tezcatlipoca had his shrine, but when the guardians
of the opal stone fled hither, the worship of the Chalchuih Tlatonac
became the great religion here. Now the soul of the universe is
forgotten, and Huitzilopochtli alone is adored with his devil-stone."
"Who is the soul of the universe?"
"Tezcatlipoca! It is strange, Señor, that the name of this god means
'the shining mirror,' while the Chalchuih Tlatonac means 'the shining
precious stone,' so you see the religion has changed but little."
"Do you not adore the old gods, Cocom?"
The Indian looked fearfully around, as though he deemed his answer,
though delivered in Spanish, would be overheard and understood by some
lurking priest.
"No, Señor Juan," he whispered at length. "I believe the opal can
prophesy because it is inhabited by devils, as we are told by the good
Padre, but I worship the Holy One and His virgin mother. I am a
Catholic, Señor, but once I was an adorer of Huitzilopochtli, and it is
hard to break away, Señor, from the habits of youth. I came then--I
come now, and though I am looked upon as one devoted to the old gods,
yet do I follow the faith of the good Padre!"
"I am glad of that, Cocom. Otherwise you would not help me to escape."
"True. The Holy Virgin has you in her care, Don Juan. I am, assuredly,
the only Catholic here in this city of the devil-stone, and I am your
friend. You will I aid to escape."
"When?"
"Hush! my lord. Behold, Ixtlilxochitli is at hand."
The suave priest passed them slowly, and bent his head with abject
deference as Jack looked at him. He made as though he would have
stopped, but Duval waved his hand to intimate that he did not wish to
be disturbed. Ixtlilxochitli made a second genuflection, and resumed
his way. It was wonderful to see how these bloodthirsty idolators
obeyed the slightest wish of their proposed victim.
"He thinks we are plotting," hinted Jack, looking after the old man
with anything but an amiable expression.
"No. He trusts me too much. Besides, he would not care if he did guess
we were plotting, Señor, thinking, as he does, that I know not the
secret way."
"And you do know it?"
Cocom looked around and saw nobody. Then he turned towards Jack, and
nodded significantly.
"Yes, Señor, I do know it."
"Bueno! And when----?"
"Another time, Don Juan. We have already spoken too long. Let us resume
our examination of the sacred city. It is not wise to be incautious.
Folly is loud of speech, but Wisdom is silent."
Jack acquiesced in this view of the matter, and they walked on. He was
greatly interested in all he saw around him, as it is not given to
everyone to view a great aboriginal civilisation in its full glory. But
for the horrible fear he had of failing to escape, and thus run the
risk of being sacrificed to the war-god, he would have been quite
fascinated by this extraordinary place. Always a bit of an
archæologist, he viewed with enthusiasm these giant palaces, these
massive temples--works of a great race, still as fresh under the blue
tropic sky of to-day as when they were first reared in the dim past.
When Europe was a land of savages, this city was built; it rose in its
splendour while Greece was in her glory and Rome was not. Back, many
ages back before Christ; before David, perchance before Abraham, these
superb edifices rested majestically in this smiling valley. Still were
they inhabited, still were they the home of a race, of a religion--the
seat of a barbaric civilisation, the oracle of a faith, as they had
been in their pristine glory. The empire of Montezuma had fallen in
Mexico, the Incas were now but a name in Peru, gone were the Toltecs,
scattered the Mayas, yet the buried city of Totatzine, safe in the
midst of primeval forests, endured still, and would endure until that
fatal day, which would surely come, when the aboriginal race would
silently retreat before the conquering forces of civilisation. Here was
the last stronghold of the old gods, driven from the table-lands of
Anahuac; here smoked anew those altars overturned by the
Conquistadores; here shrieked the victim on the terrible stone of
sacrifice; and here was the shrine of the famous Opal, the Chalchuih
Tlatonac, the very mention of which thrilled the hearts of all far and
wide with superstitious dread.
The sacred city was admirably situated for all purposes. Nothing could
be more beautiful than this majestic work of man, set like a jewel
within the green circle of the forest-clad mountains. Its health was
assured by its being fortunately placed in the genial climate of the
Tierra Templada. A vast wall built across the huge rift of the cañon
protected it from foes in the west, and the peaks, the impenetrable
forests, formed a barrier against the outside world on all other sides.
Its inviolability depended upon its remaining hidden in the shadow of
the forests; and in this isolated valley none would guess the secret of
its existence. It was veritably a buried city, secluded from the prying
gaze of mankind, and was probably the only one of its kind in the
world. Beautiful, healthy, well defended, closely hidden, this strange
town was the pride of the barbaric tribes of Central America--their
Mecca, their Jerusalem; the altar of their ancient faith, the city of
the shining precious stone. This was the true city of the opal, and not
Tlatonac, for here in the central shrine flashed the great gem on the
altar of the war-god. The paths of all savage men converged to this
place, and from here welled forth the influence of the old gods which
frustrated the efforts of the Padres to Christianise the tribes of
Central America.
Down the eastern peaks fell a mighty torrent, which swept irresistibly
across the flat plain, and emerged from the valley through the cañon on
the west. On either side of this stream was the city built, and three
bridges of massive stone connected the one town with the other. That on
the right bank of the stream was the city of the priests, while to the
left lay the city of commerce, of dwellings, of daily life. In the
sacerdotal town a large square surrounded the vast mound whereon was
built the teocalli of the Chalchuih Tlatonac, and from this square
streets radiated--to the stream, to the mountains, to the wall, like
the spokes of a vast wheel. A similar square, with radiating streets,
formed the plan of the other town, save that the palace of the Cacique
occupied the place of the teocalli. Both towns were crowded with
Indians, but the sacerdotal portion was principally filled with
pilgrims, come to worship at the shrine of the opal, while the settled
population lived on the other side of the stream. There were large
caravansaries round the teocalli, for the accommodation of the visitors
who came from all parts of Central America; and Totatzine derived its
wealth, its splendour, its very existence, from the constant crowds
pouring in through the secret way to worship the old gods. The entrance
to that way was supposed to be in the shrine itself, but none knew the
exact place save the priests of Huitzilopochtli, and these jealously
preserved the secret on which depended their power.
Accompanied by the faithful Cocom, who, notwithstanding his advanced
age, could bear a great deal of fatigue, Jack explored the two cities,
meeting everywhere with the greatest deference from the populace.
Unpleasant as was his position, he almost forgot his peril, in
contemplating the wonderful buildings around him. The architecture of
the houses was similar to that of ancient Egypt. Long ranges of squat
pillars, decorated with vivid hues, mural paintings, religious and
warlike in character, massive walls of reddish stone, sloping inward as
they gained height, colossal flights of steps leading up to cyclopean
door-ways, and everywhere the grotesque images of the Aztec gods.
From the flat roofs of the houses arose truncated towers, carved rudely
with all the hideous forms of an obscure mythology. From these one
could see the vast expanse of the city, the interminable lines of the
terraces falling one below the other to the narrow streets, the great
squares crowded with people, dominated by teocalli, by palace, and far
off the sombre length of the wall stretching across the cañon, while
beyond this barrier the winding cliffs of the gulch shut out all view
of the world beyond. All was vague, awesome, terrible; the city wore a
menacing aspect, even in the cheerful sunlight, and the confused murmur
rising upward from the streets, seemed like the lamentations of
countless victims, the moaning of countless generations, tortured,
terrified, blinded by the blood-stained deities of Anahuac.
"If the Señor so pleases, we will go to the teocalli," said Cocom,
after they had quite exhausted the commercial portion of the city, "and
there behold the opal."
"I should like to see it, above all things," replied Jack, remembering
his first glimpse of the gem; "but I thought the priests would not let
me enter the temple."
"You can go anywhere, Don Juan. Remember, in the eyes of the priests,
of the people, you are a deity."
"A poor deity, seeing I am but preserved for that cursed altar. Where
will they kill me, Cocom--that is, if they get the chance?"
"On the sacrificial stone in front of the teocalli. Your heart will be
taken out, and then, when the sacred fire is kindled, your body will be
hurled down the steps of the pyramid."
"A very pleasant little programme," said Duval, grimly; "it is a pity
it should not be carried out; but as I propose to run away I guess it
will be Hamlet with the Dane left out. Bueno, Cocom! let us view the
shambles."
The Indian assented, and, having crossed over the bridge, they walked
up the straight, narrow street which led to the central square. Such
people as they passed immediately prostrated themselves on the ground,
and in some cases suffered Jack to walk over them. The young engineer
felt inclined to kick them so enraged did he feel at being thus
perpetually reminded of his probable fate; but as such conduct would
scarcely be politic, he managed, though with difficulty, to restrain
himself.
Soon they emerged from the street between two colossal carved idols of
appalling ugliness, and the square lay open before them. Like a vast
mountain arose the huge mound with five successive stages, and up to
the truncated summit, from the base, stretched a broad flight of sixty
steps. Wide and shallow was this staircase, with huge stone masks
scowling on each step. These dæmonic countenances were crowned with
twisted serpents, and had protruding tongues symbolical of life and
light.
"Look like pantomime ogres," thought the irreverent Jack, contemplating
these horrors. "I say, Cocom," he said in Spanish, "what are these
heads meant to represent?"
"They are god stars throwing their light over the earth, Señor. The
projecting tongues represent them doing so."
"Bueno! I never should have thought putting out one's tongue meant such
a lot. Come, Cocom, let us ascend the steps."
"One moment, Don Juan!" said Cocom, in a low voice, as Jack put his
foot on the lower step, "I have a reason for taking you up here."
"To see the opal?"
"Yes; and to see something else. Connected with your escape, Señor. We
can talk freely in the teocalli; for now it is noon, and no priest is
in the temple."
"Good! We will have it all to ourselves. But I wonder at them leaving
the opal unguarded."
"Santissima! It is quite safe, Don Juan! No one would steal the opal.
Even if anyone did he could not get out of the town, and if he did get
out of the town he would be killed before he reached the coast."
"I see! Superstition is a greater safeguard than bolts or bars."
"Promise me, Señor, you will not cry out at that which I am going to
show you," said the Indian, disregarding Jack's remark.
"I don't know what you are going to show me, but I promise you I'll
keep silent."
"Bueno, Señor Juan! Let us go!"
He ascended the steps slowly, followed by Jack, who was much puzzled to
know the reason of this warning. Cocom, however, had proved himself to
be a true friend, so Duval trusted him implicitly, and was quite
satisfied that the Indian did not speak without cause. Up those
interminable steps they went, till Jack thought they would never reach
the summit, and, being still weak from illness, had to pause three or
four times during the ascent. At last they arrived at the top, and
Cocom, making Jack sit down to rest himself, went into the temple.
During the absence of the old man, his patient amused himself in
examining the teocalli, and admiring the splendid view outspread before
him.
Far below he could see the dual city like a map, intersected by the
stream which cut it clean in two. The streets, running at right angles,
made it look like a chess-board, and on both sides of the river were
the great gaps of the squares. The surrounding green of the forests,
the grey worn peaks sharply defined against the blue sky, the
reddish-coloured city in the hollow, all made up an inexpressibly
beautiful picture. He could see the figures of men, women, and animals
moving like ants through the squares, bright-coloured dots of crawling
life. To his ear came the hoarse roar of the river dashing on its rocky
bed, the confused hum of voices, the faint cries of merchants, the thin
songs of women seated on the distant flat roofs. Hither ascended the
mingled murmur, as though the busy city exhaled a huge sigh of sorrow
and fear in the ear of their god, whose burdens were so heavy upon
them.
Then he turned to view the teocalli, which he found not unworthy of his
regard. Indeed, the whole pyramid aroused his admiration. This vast
mound of earth, faced with a coating of adobe and covered with silvery
cement, was a feat of engineering which at the first sight appeared
somewhat startling, seeing it was the work of a barbaric race. Jack was
a civil engineer, and learned in mechanics; but it puzzled him to think
how this great mass had been built up. What armies of men must have
been employed in its construction! What architectural skill was needed!
How completely were the four sides covered with the smooth cement! This
mound, a mere mole-hill compared with the great artificial hills of
Quemada, Cholula, or Palanque, was as marvellous a work of man as the
pyramids of Egypt, and as mysterious.
The teocalli itself was a structure of red stone, consisting of two
truncated towers, joined together by a flat-roofed building, in the
centre of which was a wide low doorway, the sides of which inclined
inward till they nearly touched at the lintel. The whole of this façade
was elaborately carved with convoluted serpents, mastodon heads, and
frequently bizarre emblems intermingled with representations of the
moon and stars. Birds, fishes, bows, arrows, and blazing suns were also
carved with wonderful skill out of this dull-hued stone, and directly
over the door itself flamed a painted opal, darting rays of divers
hues. As all these arabesques were gaudily coloured, the effect may be
imagined, and Jack's eyes ached as this grotesque confusion of crude
tints blazed in the strong sunlight. In front of the teocalli, to the
left, was a large serpent-skin drum, used for summoning the devotees of
the god; but Jack did not look so much at this as at an object which he
viewed with horrified repugnance. This was a huge block of jasper,
slanting and polished, on which many unhappy beings had been slain, on
which he himself was destined to suffer. Only by a strong effort did he
keep his eyes for a moment on this couch of death, and then averted
them with a shudder.
Rising from his seat, he walked towards the door of the temple, and was
met at the entrance by Cocom. The Indian threw a glance down the
staircase, to see that no one was ascending, and then stood on one side
to let Jack pass into the shrine.
"You can enter now, Señor, and speak with safety."
It was some time before Jack's eyes became accustomed to the gloom, for
the shrine was only lighted from the door. In this vast apartment
twilight prevailed, and showed but dimly the flash of jewels, the
glitter of gold and silver. The sides were encrusted with stucco,
carved with figures of Aztec deities, which formed the court to the
terrible war-god. Teoyamiqui, the goddess of death, was there, with her
skirt of platted snakes; Teotl, the supreme deity of Anahuac;
Tlacatecolotl, his enemy, the spirit of evil; Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc,
Centeotl, and many other gods of that terrible hierarchy. Masks formed
of turquoise stones hung on the walls, here and there were small
altars, on which burned scented gums, and, at the end of the hall,
under a canopy of richly carved and gilded wood, sat the terrible one,
the war-god Huitzilopochtli.
His image was scarcely human, but seemed to be simply a block of wood
distorted into hideous shapes. In one hand he grasped a bow, in the
other a sheaf of arrows, delicate humming-bird feathers adorned his
left foot, and his waist was encircled by a serpent formed of precious
stones, emeralds, turquoises, pearls, all glittering dimly in the pale
twilight. Behind the god spread a sheet of solid gold, carved with the
attributes of his deity, and in front of him appeared a grotesquely
carved altar, on which rested a red object. Jack, holding his nose, for
the stench of the slaughterhouse was terrible, advanced to see what it
was. He started back, with an exclamation of horror. It was a bleeding
human heart!
As he started back, a blue flare seemed to strike across his eyes. He
looked up, and, lo! The Harlequin Opal. Depending from the roof by a
gold thread, the great jewel twisted slowly round in front of the
altar, the height of a man from the ground. With every revolution the
colours changed, like those of a chameleon. Now would radiate a bright
green flame, then a blue ray would flash like a streak of lightning
through the gloom; at times the whole stone shone yellow as the sun,
and oftentimes a fierce tongue of red would dart from its breast. All
these changes were caused by the constant twirling of the cord by which
it was suspended, and even in the half light the splendid gem scattered
its tints on all sides with the utmost brilliance.
Fascinated by the magnificent jewel, Jack stepped forward to examine it
closely; but, just as he laid his finger on it, he heard a voice--
"Beware!"
It was a woman's voice. He turned in alarm, and saw a woman standing
near the doorway. The light fell full on her face, and Jack rushed
forward, with a loud cry of joy, to clasp her in his arms.
It was Doña Dolores!