AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.
Time is fond of strange surprises,
Ne'er we know what is before us;
Acting as stern Fate advises,
Time is fond of strange surprises.
Empires fall, a nation rises,
Those who hated, now adore us.
Time is fond of strange surprises,
Ne'er we know what is before us.
It was Dolores! The lost Dolores, for whom he had sought so long, so
vainly. She lay on his breast, sobbing as though her heart would break,
and Jack was so overcome with emotion that he could not speak. Cocom,
with true delicacy, had withdrawn, and they were alone in the temple.
For some moments they could neither speak nor move, but remained locked
in one another's arms, silently, passionately, grateful for the
meeting. Behind them, the slowly revolving opal flashed out a thin
streak of blue. It was an omen of peace, of love.
Jack, as was natural, first recovered himself, and did all in his power
to quieten the hysterical emotion of Dolores. The poor girl looked ill
and haggard, as well she might, seeing how much she had suffered during
the last fortnight. Torn from her home, from her friends, her kindred,
her lover, entombed in the sepulchre of a vast forest, with no hope of
ever being released, she had abandoned herself to despair. The
unexpected appearance of Jack was too much for her overstrained nerves,
and she utterly broke down. Duval placed her on a stone near the
doorway of the shrine, and, kneeling at her feet, strove to calm her
agitation. He was having but ill success, when Cocom appeared in the
doorway, and seeing at a glance what was the matter with the girl, at
once produced one of those mysterious medicines he constantly carried
about with him.
"Let the Señorita drink of this," he said, thrusting a small bottle
into Jack's hand. "Cocom will watch at the staircase that none ascend.
But be speedy, Señor. Ixtlilxochitli remains not long away from the
opal."
When the Indian withdrew, Jack forced Dolores to take some of the drink
prescribed. The effect was magical, for in a few minutes her sobs
ceased, she became composed, and her eyes brightened with joy as she
looked at her lover. Jack was still in his serge shooting-suit, high
boots and all; while Dolores, in amber skirt, lace mantilla, and dainty
shoes, looked as though she were arrayed for a ball. The Indians had
evidently treated her with great tenderness, and save for her haggard
looks, she looked little different from what she did at Tlatonac. In
their European dresses, they were out of keeping in that savage house
of worship. A strange scene, truly. The blood-stained deity, the
fantastic figures of the gods, the twirling opal, flashing sparks of
light, and at the door these most unhappy lovers, oblivious to all save
themselves.
"Querido!" sighed Dolores, looking fondly in Jack's face; "how like an
angel do you appear to me. I thought never to see you again; but now
you are here, and I am happy. Tell of the dear ones, Juanito, of
Eulalia and Rafael. How does my dear uncle, my aunt?"
"I have not seen them for over a week, cara," replied Jack, kissing
her; "they were much disturbed at your disappearance. We all thought
that you had been carried off to Acauhtzin, and with Don Felipe and
your brother I went up there to demand you from the base one."
"I know all of this, mi amigo," said Dolores, quickly. "Ah! do not look
so astonished. Cocom is our friend; Cocom told me all. Of Marina
departing with Pepe in _The Pizarro_, of your journey to Acauhtzin,
and how you were betrayed to the priests by Don Hypolito."
"You know my story, Dolores, but I do not know yours. Tell me how it
was that you were carried off. I at first suspected the Indians, but
afterwards deemed Pepe had taken you to Xuarez. I suspected him
wrongly, it seems."
"No, Juan!" cried the girl, her eyes flashing with anger; "all this
misery was contrived by Don Hypolito. He told Ixtlilxochitli that----"
"What!" interrupted Jack, in astonishment; "does Xuarez know the
priest? Has he been here? Is he a worshipper of that devil stone?"
"As to that I am not certain, but he has been here frequently, and held
long conversations with Ixtlilxochitli. Don Hypolito, you know, says he
is a Mestizo. It is false; he is a pure Indian. His parents dwelt here
as worshippers of the old gods, and it was in Totatzine that he was
born. Afterwards, when he became a man, he grew weary of this buried
city, and went forth to seek his fortune. He prospered, as you know,
and now says he has Spanish blood in his veins, to gain favour with my
own people. But his heart is Indian; he is a friend of Ixtlilxochitli;
he comes here frequently. I said, querido, that I was not certain that
he worshipped the devil stone. I am wrong; I think he does. Through him
does that opal counsel war; and you were delivered to the priests to be
the victim of the cycle."
"And in return for this handsome gift of my life, what does Don
Hypolito get?"
"Can you not guess? Ixtlilxochitli, anxious to see the Ruler of
Cholacaca one who is a believer in the old gods, has promised to make
the Indians fight for him. He can do this by means of the opal's
prophecies. The priest thinks that if Don Hypolito becomes President,
he will restore the worship of Huitzilopochtli."
"Ridiculous!"
"It is not. Yet Ixtlilxochitli, who is a clever man, is completely
deceived by Don Hypolito, and believes that this will be so."
"Now I see how Xuarez came to the sacred city," said Jack,
reflectively; "but you say it was he who carried you off?"
"By means of the Indians, yes. Listen, Juanito. The last time Don
Hypolito was here, he told Ixtlilxochitli that he desired to marry me;
also, that if I were not carried off from Tlatonac, and placed for
safety in the opal shrine, that I would probably marry you. As you can
guess, it would never do to let the guardian of the opal marry a white
man, so, as desired by Don Hypolito, I was decoyed from Tlatonac, and
carried to this frightful place."
"How were you decoyed?"
"By means of your friend, Don Pedro."
"By Pedro!" cried Jack, in surprise. "Why, what had he to do with your
kidnapping?"
"He had nothing actually to do with it. But his name was used in this
way. Listen, mi cara; it is the strangest of tales."
Jack nodded and settled himself to listen, whereon Doña Dolores began
her story at once, as every moment was precious.
"When you left me on that day, Juanito, I went to the cathedral, in
order to pray for you, and to obtain from Padre Ignatius the holy relic
for your protection. With Marina did I kneel before the shrine of the
Virgin, and waited for the Padre, but he did not appear."
"Nevertheless, he was in the cathedral all the time waiting for you in
the sacristy."
"That is strange," observed Dolores, in some perplexity, "for I grew
weary of waiting, and sent Marina to seek Padre Ignatius in the
sacristy. As she did not return, I presumed that she could not find
him, and had perhaps gone to look for him in his own church."
"She went neither to sacristy nor to church," explained Jack, hastily;
"she saw Pepe at the door of the cathedral, as she went to seek the
good Father, and departed with the zambo. Then she was afraid of being
punished by you, and did not return to the Casa Maraquando until late,
when we found you were missing. I expect it was fear that made her run
off to Acauhtzin with Pepe."
"Very probably; yes, Juan, it was as you say. She did not go for the
Padre, and he, waiting in the sacristy, expected me to meet him there.
I, on my part, thinking Marina would return every moment, remained
before the shrine. Then I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and turned
round expecting to see Marina. It was a dwarf Indian, called T'ho, who
gave me a message from--as I thought--Cocom and Don Pedro."
"But it was not Cocom who betrayed you, Dolores?"
"No, indeed. But through the craft of Ixtlilxochitli, his name was made
use of as a decoy. This Indian, T'ho, did not speak, but gave me an
object message."
"Dios! What is that?"
"Do you not know, Juanito? and yet you have dwelt so long in Cholacaca.
An object message is one the meaning of which is read by certain things
delivered. For instance, querido, in this case, T'ho gave me a yellow
flower and several objects cut in bark, including an arrow, a pair of
spectacles, and a round coloured red. Now can you understand?"
"The yellow flower meant Cocom! Is that not so? He told me to-day his
name was from such a flower."
"Yes, that is right--the spectacles?"
"Eh, Dolores! The spectacles! Oh, I know; Peter wears spectacles."
"You're right, mi amigo," replied Dolores, smiling at his discovery,
"and the arrow was a hint to be swift--the rough piece of bark,
coloured scarlet, showed that some one was wounded."
"Wait a moment, Dolores," interposed Duval, hastily; "I can read the
message now. It came presumably from Cocom, and read, 'Come quickly,
Don Pedro is wounded.'"
Dolores clapped her hands.
"Santissima Madre! You have guessed rightly. That was the message. At
once I obeyed it, for I thought poor Don Pedro might be dying."
"It was kind of you, Dolores, but terribly rash."
"I did not think it would be far away from the gates, and suspected no
evil. Besides, I had been kind to T'ho, and did not dream he would
betray me."
"Which he did?"
"Yes, base criminal, he did. I followed him from the church just as the
sun was setting. He led me through the streets out of the town by the
Puerta de la Culebra. No one recognised me, as I veiled my face in my
mantilla. T'ho guided me past the chapel of Padre Ignatius to the open
country----"
"How rash of you!" ejaculated Jack, reproachfully, "how terribly rash!"
"Yes, it was rash, Juanito! But do not be angry, querido. I did it for
the sake of Don Pedro, whom I thought was wounded."
"Well! and what happened after that?" said Duval, kissing her, to show
he was not cross.
"Dios!" replied Dolores, tapping her mouth with her closed fan; "I
hardly remember! I was asking T'ho where lay the poor Señor Americano,
when a cloth was flung over my head, and I was borne swiftly away. With
the shock, I suppose I must have fainted, for on recovering my senses I
found myself in an open boat going up the coast. I tried to cry out,
but was so weak that I could make no sound. Only Indians were in the
boat, and one of them held a cup of wine to my lips. It was, I think,
drugged, as I then lost all consciousness, and awoke to find myself in
Totatzine!"
"And all this was planned by Don Hypolito?"
"Yes, and executed by Ixtlilxochitli. I have been kindly treated since
I have been here, and have a house yonder, across the square, all to
myself, with attendants. The high priest told me I had been carried off
so that no harm might happen to me, as guardian of the opal, during the
war. He also informed me that it was the desire of the god that I
should wed with Don Hypolito."
"Confound his impudence," muttered Jack, in his native tongue. "And
what did you reply, Dolores?"
"I said I would never wed with the traitor Xuarez; that my heart was
given to another, to Don Juan, the Americano. Ixtlilxochitli was
terribly angry when he heard this, and swore that never would the
guardian of the opal be permitted to wed a white man. 'But I have no
fear,' said this base one, 'for Don Hypolito, the true worshipper of
the sacred opal, will aid us to secure this evil Americano, and
sacrifice him to the gods.'"
"And Don Hypolito succeeded," said Jack, with a shudder. "The wretch!
he had made up his mind to seize me from the moment I set foot in
Acauhtzin. Oh, if I can only escape, how dearly will I make him pay for
all this treachery."
At this moment Cocom darted in at the door.
"Señor, the priest, Ixtlilxochitli, is climbing the steps. Hide
yourself, lady. You must not be seen with my lord."
"Why not?" asked Jack, as they arose to their feet.
"Can you ask, after what I have told you?" whispered Dolores,
hurriedly. "The priest knows I love you, and if we were seen together
you would be detained in prison until the day of the sacrifice. Not
even your character of a god could save you from that. Cocom contrived
our meeting here, and the priests suspect nothing. Trust to Cocom! He
will tell you our plans of escape. Adios! I must hide!"
"When will I see you again, angelito?" said Jack, kissing her
hurriedly.
"To-morrow night, in the secret way. Adios!"
She ran rapidly towards the shrine, and vanished behind the image of
the war-god, while Jack followed Cocom out on to the vast platform of
the pyramid. Midway on the steps they saw the old high priest,
painfully climbing upward.
"Will he not find Doña Dolores in there, Cocom, and thus guess we have
met?"
"No, Señor. He but comes to see that the sacred fire burns. That the
opal yet spins before the god. If the fire should go out, or the opal
stand still, great calamities would befall the city. Only does the opal
pause when it prophesies."
"How is it managed?"
"Santissima! Señor, I know not. But come, let us go down.
Ixtlilxochitli will just look at the fire, and then descend, after
which the Doña Dolores can come down and regain her palace without
being seen."
"Is the shrine thus frequently left alone?"
"Yes, Señor. Save at festivals, it is deserted. But a priest climbs to
the temple every five hours, to see that the sacred fire burns. But
see, Ixtlilxochitli is near us. Be cautious, my lord."
When Jack paused on his downward way, the priest coming up at once
knelt on the steps to show his reverence.
"Tell the old fool to get up," said Jack, angrily, being weary of such
mummery.
"My lord bids you rise, Ixtlilxochitli!" translated Cocom, more
politely.
The priest arose, with his hands folded across his breast, and, with
downcast eyes, addressed Cocom.
"Has my lord seen the holy shrine, and the thrice sacred Chalchuih
Tlatonac?"
"Yes; my lord has been graciously pleased to look at these things."
"It is well! My lord should know well the sacred shrine, so that on the
great day he be prepared to act his part, as saviour of the city, with
dignity."
"Deuce take your dignity!" cried Jack, in a rage when this polite
speech was translated. "I say Cocom, cannot we knock this old reprobate
down the steps; he wouldn't get up again in a hurry."
"Nay, nay, Señor! such a course would not be wise," replied Cocom,
hastily thinking that Jack was about to carry his threat into
execution.
"What says my lord?" asked Ixtlilxochitli blandly.
"That he will not keep you longer from the sacred offices of the god."
"It is well! See that my lord has all things, Cocom. The city is his,
and we are his, for on his sacrifice to the holy gods does the
existence of Totatzine depend."
Cocom did not deem it politic to translate this speech to Jack, fearing
lest the young man should thereupon carry out his threat, and kick the
old priest down the steps. Already he was so exasperated at being
perpetually reminded of his awful position, that it would take but
little more to make him kill this bland, servile priest--to punish at
least one of his enemies before he was slain himself. Many men would
have been paralysed by the thought of the sacrificial stone, but peril
only the more firmly braced Jack's nerves, and relying, as he did, on
Cocom's help, and his own energy, he was determined to escape from
Totatzine in some way or another. The meeting with Dolores had inspired
him with fresh energies; and, after leaving Ixtlilxochitli climbing the
steps, he hurried Cocom to the palace where he was living, with the
idea of hearing what plan of escape the Indian had conceived.
Now that Duval had seen Dolores, the reserve hitherto maintained by
Cocom entirely vanished, and he professed himself eager to explain his
designs. With instinctive caution, however, he refused to converse in
the lower room, where Jack habitually slept fearing lest they should be
overheard. It is true they constantly spoke the Spanish tongue, of
which the priestly spies were woefully ignorant; but Ixtlilxochitli was
quite crafty enough to employ a coast Indian as an eavesdropper;
therefore it was wise to put any such possibility of betrayal beyond
all doubt. With this intent, they ascended to the flat roof of the
palace; but, even here, Cocom felt doubtful of being absolutely safe.
In the end, they climbed the mirador, the sole tower of the palace,
where it was quite impossible that they could be either seen or heard
from below. Crouching on his hunkers below the low wall of the tower
platform, Cocom gravely took out some cigarettes, wrapped in
maize-husks, and presented them to Jack, who was lying full-length
against the opposite parapet. In a few minutes they were smoking, and
talking earnestly.
"The priests, Señor," said Cocom, wrapping his zarape round his thin
shoulders, "the priests say that the entrance to the secret way is in
the shrine itself on the summit of yonder teocalli. That is a lie!"
"Then where is it, Cocom?"
"Three bridges are there over the stream, Don Juan. The largest and
oldest bridge is that central one, which leads straight to the square
of the sacrifice. Señor, below that bridge is the secret way!"
"How do you know, Cocom? Were you not blindfolded when you were brought
here?"
"Yes, Señor; but I smelt water. The priests blind the eyes, and close
the ears, so that the way be not seen, nor the voice of the torrent
heard; but I, Señor, have come by the hidden way many times. It is
there. I examined it secretly one night at the peril of my life."
"And you found out you were correct?" said Jack, anxiously.
"Absolutely, Señor. Under the bridge the torrent has worn a deep
channel; at the very bottom the path runs eastward, and is concealed by
a stone wall made to look like the natural cliff of the stream. You go
up that path which leads to the foot of the waterfall, then along a
passage which leads upward to the thickest part of the forest. Leaving
this passage, you ascend steps, which lead to a narrow gorge, cut in
the top of the mountain--deep, very deep, Señor, is the pass; no one
can see the city therefrom. In the centre of the pass is a circular
space, whence ten passages, cut from the solid rock, lead everywhere.
Go by eight of these passages, and you fall over cliffs, for the path
ends abruptly. They are death-traps. Of the other two passages, one
leads to the sacred city, the other to the forests beyond the
mountains. In this circular place do the priests blindfold the
worshippers. Those who go out can reach that place, those who come in
the same; but, unless guided, they would go astray into the
death-traps. Therefore are they blindfolded by the priests, and led
forward in safety."
"What a horrible idea," said Duval, shuddering; "but how am I to know
the right passage?"
"There is a carving of the opal, throwing rays, cut at the entrance of
the passage. That is the right one. Go through that, and you come on to
a broad platform on the other side of the mountain. Steps lead down
from thence to the valley into a broad way built of old by the Toltecs.
This road ends suddenly in a wilderness of trees. Then you guide
yourself to the coast by red marks on the trunks of trees--the opal,
painted crimson, is the sign. Follow those, and you come to the
sea-shore."
"How far is it from here to the sea-shore?"
"Fifty miles, Señor."
"Fifty miles!" groaned Jack, in dismay. "However can Dolores manage to
do that? and then the perils from incoming Indians!"
"Listen, Señor. Oftentimes the priests send forth penitents who have on
them a vow of silence. I will procure dresses for my lord and Doña
Dolores. You shall be disguised as Indians under the vow of silence.
Should you meet anyone, make a sign thus, and they will permit you to
pass without question. As to the length of the way, I will give you
provisions, and you must travel to the coast as best you can. It will
take many days, but what of that? You will be free."
"Suppose we are pursued?"
"No, Señor; I have a plan. Beyond the great wall of the west is the
narrow path of the cañon. When you and Doña Dolores depart, I will take
your clothes through the gate, which is always open, and strew some of
them on the narrow path. I will let fall some blood of an animal down
the side of the cliff. Below rushes the torrent, white and fearful. When
the priests find out you are gone they will not search the secret way,
not thinking that it is known to anyone but themselves. No, Don Juan,
they will go beyond the wall, to the narrow path, and there they will
find your clothes, and those of Doña Dolores. They will then think that
you have fallen into the torrent, and so all search will cease."
"That's a capital idea, Cocom! Your ingenuity is wonderful. But when
myself and Doña Dolores come to the coast, what shall we do?"
"Wait there, Señor, in a cave I will describe to you, until I come. I
will have to remain behind so as to avert suspicion. Yes; I will tear
my hair when you have gone, and say that you have fled by the way of
the cañon; the priests will search, and think you have fallen into the
torrent. The next day, they will thrust me from the sacred city for
having not guarded you well. I will then come down to the coast, to the
cave. Once there, Señor, and we shall soon contrive some plan to get
back to Tlatonac."
"But the priests might kill you, Cocom!"
"Have no fear of that, Señor; I am old, my sacrifice would not be
acceptable to the gods. And again, Señor, I have secrets of herbs known
only to myself, which the priests fain would learn. Should they
threaten my life, I will tell them my secrets and go free."
"You can never return to Totatzine?"
"What matter," replied Cocom, indifferently. "I am very old. Soon I
will die. When I get again to Tlatonac I will worship the Virgin, and
die in my corner. Who will care? The old have no friends!"
"You will have a friend in me, Cocom," said Jack, shaking the hand of
the old Indian. "I promise you that neither myself nor Doña Dolores
will forget this service. By the way, when do we make this attempt?"
"To-morrow night, Señor."
"Bueno! But why to-morrow night?"
"At dawn, Señor, to-morrow, there will be a sacrifice to the god, and a
man will die. The priests will ask you be present so as to sanctify the
ceremony."
"A kind of rehearsal, I suppose," said Jack, grimly. "Go on, Cocom."
"Afterwards there will be a great festival. All day it will continue,
till sunset. It may be," continued Cocom, artfully, "that the priests
and the people will drink much; if so, it will be the better for us. In
any case, Don Juan, all will be weary, and sleep well at sunset. Then I
will disguise you and Doña Dolores as Indians, and lead you to the
secret way. By dawn you will be far down beyond the mountains. Travel
all night, Señor, so as to reach the central forests before dawn. For
it may be that the priests will look from the platform down the road of
the Toltecs, and there see you far off. But this, I think, will not be.
The whole city will sleep heavily, exhausted by the festival, and when
they waken, you, Señor, will have escaped."
"God grant this scheme may succeed!" said Duval, rising to his feet. "I
can never thank you sufficiently for this, Cocom."
"Bueno! You are the friend of Don Miguel, who saved my life. Be happy,
Señor; I will not fail to rescue you from the stone of Huitzilopochtli.
And now, Señor Juan, we must go down, else will the priests be
suspicious of these long talks between us."
"There is only one thing I would like to do before I leave Totatzine,"
remarked Duval, as they went down to his room.
"And that, Señor?"
"Is to break the neck of Ixtlilxochitli by throwing him down those
steps."
Cocom laughed softly. It was a rare thing for this melancholy Indian to
do, but he did not love Ixtlilxochitli, and the idea amused him
greatly.
"Come," said Duval, tapping his friend on the back, "let us go and take
the eleven. We must drink success to our scheme in a flask of
aguardiente."