AN INDIAN FESTIVAL.
The sacred drums of serpents' skins
Send forth their muffled roar afar;
Before the shrine the opal spins,
A changing star!
That flashes rays of rainbow light
From out its breast of cloudy white,
Rebuking sins
Which mar!
Oh, see the maidens forward bound,
To swing and sway in dances wild,
Loose locks with fragrant chaplets crowned,
Their glances mild!
Exchanged for looks, whose frantic fires
The sacred god himself inspires,
Who thrice hath frowned,
And smiled.
The victim! see the victim pure!
Approaches to the stone to die;
But for a space his pangs endure,
And then on high
His soul mounts upward to the sun,
For ever with that orb to run,
Of pleasure sure
For aye.
That evening, Jack received an invitation from Ixtlilxochitli to be
present at dawn next morning on the summit of the teocalli, to take
part in a religious ceremony of peculiar solemnity. The god
Huitzilopochtli was to be asked if it was his will that the Indian
tribes should array their ranks in battle on the side of Don Hypolito
Xuarez? Through the opal was the answer to be given. If it gleamed red
the god desired war, if blue there was to be peace in the land. Seeing
the bloodthirsty character of the deity, and the secret understanding
between his high priest and Xuarez, there was but little doubt in the
mind of Jack as to what the answer would be. Still, as he was anxious
to know how the prophecies were given, and not averse to seeing a
unique religious ceremony, he accepted the invitation of Ixtlilxochitli
with avidity.
For many days, messages had been sent far and wide, calling on the
Indians to repair to the sacred city, and assist at the festival. The
town was filled to overflowing, and all the caravansaries in the square
of the sacrifice were crowded. Owing to the depth of the valley, the
ceremony could not take place precisely at dawn, as it was some time
before the sun rose above the peaks of the surrounding mountains. His
presence was indispensable to the ceremony, as the heart of the victim
had to be held up by the officiating priest for the benediction of his
rays. Jack rather shrank from witnessing this horrible rite,
particularly as, unless he succeeded in effecting his escape, he would
probably be forced to take part in the same function; but curiosity
triumphed over repugnance, and he looked forward eagerly to beholding
this extraordinary spectacle.
In the grey light of dawn he was awakened by the thunder of the
serpent-skin drums, which for some hours roared continuously. Springing
out of bed, he hastily put on his clothes, and had just finished
dressing when Cocom entered the room. The old Indian was arrayed in
white cotton garments, with a chaplet of flowers on his grey locks. He
had another wreath, of red blossoms, which he held out for Jack's
acceptance--an offer which that young man promptly refused. Red was the
emblem of a dedicated victim, and Jack, knowing this, objected to being
thus distinguished.
"Carrajo! No, mi amigo," he said, vigorously, "I am not going to be
decked out as a victim yet."
"Ixtlilxochitli will be angry, Señor."
"He can be as angry as the devil, for all I care. I don't intend taking
any part in this infernal idol worship. Don't they look on me as a god,
Cocom?"
"Yes, my lord; you are supposed to be the visible representative of
Tezcatlipoca, the soul of the universe."
"Bueno! Well, the soul of the universe is going to have his own way.
What is the use of being Tez--what's-his-name, if you can't do as you
please? Besides, I wear European clothes, and wreaths don't go with
this rig-out."
"As you please, Don Juan. Still, it is not wise to anger the priests."
"I'll take the risk, Cocom. By the way, I trust Doña Dolores will not
be present at this butchery to-day."
"No, Señor! She intends to sleep many hours."
"Poor girl, she needs rest, seeing we shall be walking all night. I
will rest this afternoon myself, Cocom."
"It would be wise, Señor."
"You have everything prepared?"
"Assuredly, Señor. You will find nothing wanting."
"Bueno! Now let us go to the teocalli."
The immense area of the square of sacrifice was densely packed with
Indians, mostly men, as the ceremonies of the war-god were
pre-eminently of a masculine character. A few women were to be seen;
but, as a rule, they preferred the gentler worship of Tezcatlipoca, and
left the fierce adoration of Huitzilopochtli to the rulers and
warriors. These pilgrims were one and all arrayed in white-cotton robes
similar to that of Cocom, and, like him, bore wreaths of flowers on
their locks. Many of the most opulent were draped in mantles of
gorgeous feather work, and adorned their persons with collars,
earrings, girdles, and bracelets of gold set with rough gems. The
summit of the teocalli was unoccupied, as the priests in their sable
vestments were waiting for the victim at the foot of the great
staircase. A constant thunder of drums, and shrilling of discordant
trumpets, added to the wild character of the scene.
Jack had no sooner made his appearance than the multitude, recognising
the sacred victim of the cycle, parted to let him pass through. An
immense wave of movement swept across this sea of white garments, and
all flung themselves on their faces, not even daring to look at the
august presence of the incarnate deity. Attended by Cocom, Jack passed
up the avenue, opened by religious awe in this living mass, and
ultimately gained the steps of the teocalli. Here they saw
Ixtlilxochitli, who waved his hand to intimate that they had better
ascend the staircase, which they did, without further remark.
Seated on the parapet surrounding the platform of the pyramid, Jack
looked down on the throng of people whose dark faces were turned
upwards to the shrine of the opal, and shuddered involuntarily, as he
thought of the fanaticism which had drawn this concourse together.
Devoutly did he pray that Cocom's scheme might be successful, as it was
terrible to think that in the presence of such savages he should be
slaughtered by those wild-looking priests.
The morning was slightly chilly, as the valley was yet in the shadow;
but, beyond the rim of the mountains, Jack could see the rays of the
rising sun shooting up in the roseate sky. He trembled and held his
breath as a single trumpet bellowed below, and leaning over the
parapet, saw that the procession of priests were now escorting the
victim up the stair-case. Cocom manifested no emotion, he was but half
civilised, after all, and the horror of the coming deed did not strike
him as particularly awful. Men must die sometime, was Cocom's
philosophic view of the matter, and as well might death take place on
the sacrificial stone as in any other way. Jack felt his flesh creep at
the idea of what he would soon behold; but Cocom, with folded arms,
stood like a statue of bronze, silent, indifferent, unmoved.
Up the staircase climbed that ghastly procession. The victim, a
handsome young Indian, tall and slender, seemed indifferent to his
fate, and bore his part in the ceremony with becoming dignity. As he
ascended the height, one by one he threw away his ornaments and rich
robes. His chaplet of flowers, his bracelets, earrings, girdles, his
mantle of feather work, his cotton robe of white, they were all strewed
on the steps like wreckage, and when he arrived at the summit of the
teocalli, he was completely naked. With his splendid muscular
development, his immobile face, his absolute repose, standing nude by
the jasper stone of sacrifice, he looked like a magnificent bronze
statue, and Jack could not but admire the stoical resignation with
which he met his death. Ixtlilxochitli vanished through the open door
of the shrine, and the sable-clad priests, looking like demons in their
religious frenzy, held up their arms to the east. A wild, barbaric
chant flowed from their mouths, weird and ear-piercing, rising and
falling like the waves of the sea. They chanted long lines of
invocation to the sun, and were answered by a confused roar from the
multitude below. So fierce, so savage was the music, that Jack
shuddered and closed his eyes with horror. The victim made no sign.
Then the high priest, clad in scarlet robes, and holding a knife of
itzli in his hand, came forth from the presence of the god, and made a
sign to the officiating priests. The rim of the sun was just seen above
the heights when five priests darted forward, and, seizing the
impassive victim, flung him on the altar stone. An appealing cry to
Huitzilopochtli arose from the worshippers, the drums rolled, the
trumpets bellowed, and Ixtlilxochitli rapidly opening the breast of the
young man, tore out his heart. The multitude prostrated themselves
humbly, an immense sigh exhaled upward from a thousand breasts, and
after holding the bleeding heart to the sun, now full in sight, the
high-priest flung it at the feet of the idol. Jack felt sick with
horror at the consummation of this tragedy, and closed his eyes for a
moment. When he opened them again, the dead body of the victim was
rolling down the steps of the teocalli, to plunge into the sea of white
boiling in the square.
"Horrible!" he muttered to Cocom; "these priests are devils."
"Hush, Señor!" replied the Indian in a low voice; "be cautious. Now
they consult the opal."
Wiping the perspiration from his forehead, Duval, leaning on the arm of
Cocom, entered the shrine which was crowded with priests. They all made
way for him respectfully, and, as the great drum outside commenced to
roll out its thunder, knelt in the presence of the deity. Even Cocom
bowed before the god, and Jack was the only one standing. A small fire
of coals burned on the altar, and thereon Ixtlilxochitli flung
priceless gums, storax, copal, and odorous resins. A rich perfume
spread through the temple, and a thick cloud of white smoke rolled
upward, veiling the hideous face of the war-god, hiding the now rapidly
revolving opal. A chant arose, sad and melancholy as the sweeping of
the wind through trees, supplicating and sorrowful--an appeal to the
terrible deity who had been thus propitiated with blood, with the heart
of a man.
A thin shaft of sunlight entering the temple through some unseen
opening, smote the great gem with fierce fire, causing it to glitter
with blinding splendour. Every eye was fixed on the opal, which
continued spinning incessantly, darting its rays of red and blue, and
yellow, and green. Jack, at a glance, saw how the miracle was done. The
priests cunningly twisted the gold string attached to the roof, and as
it slowly unwound itself the great gem revolved. Whether they left the
colour it was to show when still, to chance, Jack did not know, but
they must have had some trick to make it pause when they chose, for he
felt certain the red side of the stone would ultimately reveal itself.
In the semi-darkness he kept his gaze on the jewel, twirling in the
yellow glare, and heard, as in a dream, the roar of the throng far
below waiting the announcement of the god's will. The teocalli was as
an island in the midst of a sea, and against its huge base these living
waves beat without intermission.
At first the opal spun rapidly, throwing out sparks of coloured fire,
then it gradually slowed down as the string unwound itself. Slower and
slower it twisted, sparkling a ray of emerald green, a dazzling shaft
of blue, or a glory of golden haze. At last the motion was hardly
perceptible, and the worshippers held their breaths in reverential awe.
It moved slightly, it paused, it began to revolve slowly backward, and
then, with a slow oscillation, hung motionless from the roof. From out
its white breast shot a fierce glare of violent crimson. The will of
the god was war!
Amid a dead silence Ixtlilxochitli stalked forth to the verge of the
staircase, now wearing only his black garments, and held up his scarlet
mantle as a sign that the opal was red. A frantic shout of delight
roared upward to the sky, and the multitude below broke into a frenzy
of joy. The religious ceremonies were at an end, the festival had
commenced.
"Por el amor de Dios, let me go back to my room," whispered Jack, in
the ear of Cocom. "If I stay here, I will assuredly smash that idol and
kick old Ixtlilxochitli down the steps."
Unwilling to risk such a scandal, Cocom hurried his charge out of the
temple at once. Ixtlilxochitli came forward as Jack departed, evidently
expecting to be congratulated on a successful performance, but the
young engineer, with a gesture of repugnance, turned his back on the
old villain, and sprang down the steps of the teocalli. The high-priest
looked grave. This dissatisfaction of the visible deity was a bad omen.
"This place is a hell upon earth," cried Jack, throwing himself down on
his couch. "How many victims do they sacrifice to that infernal deity,
Cocom?"
The old man counted on his fingers.
"Señor, about one hundred in the year, more or less."
"How terrible!"
"Yes, Don Juan, more were offered up in the old days. It is said by the
priests that at the dedication of the great Teocalli in Mexico seventy
thousand victims were offered to Huitzilopochtli."
"Butchery! I tell you what, Cocom, if I get safely back, and this war
is concluded in favour of the Junta, I will get Don Francisco Gomez to
send an army to stop this sort of thing."
Cocom smiled scornfully.
"Nay, Señor; no army could reach the city of Totatzine. It is hidden,
and the secret way is but narrow, as you shall see. Besides, Don Juan,
I would not aid an army to come hither. The city is sacred."
"But you do not believe in this devil-worship?"
"No, Señor. Still, it was the religion of my fathers. I do not wish it
destroyed."
Jack saw that his proposition was distasteful to the old Indian, so did
not make further remark, fearful of raising anger in Cocom's breast. If
this one friend refused to assist them, neither himself nor Dolores
could hope to escape. Therefore Jack was wise and held his peace.
Shortly afterwards he intimated his desire to sleep in order to prepare
for the fatigue of the midnight journey, so Cocom left him, and
departed to make all arrangements for the escape.
All day long the festival continued. Even through the massive walls of
his room Jack could hear the shrieks and yells of the worshippers as
they maddened themselves with pulque and aguardiente. Once he had the
curiosity to ascend to the flat roof and look down on the square. It
was filled with a mass of frenzied human beings, who danced and sang,
and bellowed wildly. Some cut themselves with knives, others climbing
up to the summit of the teocalli flung themselves headlong down the
staircase. Great fires were lighted in the square, and rings of
Indians, men and women, danced round them, singing frantically.
Everywhere the priests, long-haired, sable-robed, inciting worshippers
to fresh frenzies, constantly the wild piping of barbaric music, the
rumbling of drums. It was a horrible sight, this madness of the
multitude, and after a glance or so Jack descended to his bedroom to
think over the future.
He was anxious to regain Tlatonac and see his friends once more. Philip
and Peter, and Tim, would be grieving for his loss; but they, no doubt,
thought that he was at Acauhtzin and not pent up in this city of
devildom. Jack knew well that Philip would never have turned _The
Bohemian's_ nose south unless he had been compelled to do so. Against
the heavy guns of ships and forts the bravest man could do nothing, and
the yacht had been forced to retreat. Doubtless Philip had steamed
direct to Tlatonac, and insisted on an army being sent to Acauhtzin to
release his friend and Dolores. But this could not be; as Jack felt
sure there were no transports to take the soldiers northward by sea,
and the inland route was impossible.
How had the war gone? Had the torpederas arrived? or had Don Hypolito
sent the war-ships filled with soldiers southward to attack Janjalla,
and from thence forced his way overland to the capital? The campaign
would probably be conducted as theorised by Don Rafael. Xuarez would
first capture Janjalla, march his troops northward across the plains to
effect a conjunction with the Indians before the walls of Tlatonac, and
then bring his war-ships up to the capital. In this way the city would
be assaulted on both sides: bombarded by the war-ships, and stormed by
the regular troops of the Opposidores and the Indian tribes.
"I must escape," thought Duval, as he restlessly tossed and turned on
his couch. "This last order of the Opal will send an Indian army to the
walls of Tlatonac. I know all or most of the plans of Xuarez and when I
tell them to Don Francisco he may be able to thwart them. It is now two
weeks since I was taken by that infernal Don Hypolito, and we cannot
regain Tlatonac for at least another five or six days, if, indeed then.
Three weeks is a long time, and many events may have happened. I hope
those fellows are all right. Once I get back, we shall manage to baffle
Xuarez in some way."
These thoughts were not conducive to slumber, but during the afternoon
he managed to obtain a few hours of sleep. The herbal medicines of
Cocom had completely restored him to health, and he now felt strong
enough to undergo the hardships of the journey to the coast. Dolores,
however, was delicate, and Jack dreaded to think how she would suffer.
Still, it was a case of life or death, so it was best to make the
attempt. Anything was better than the certainty of a horrible death for
one, constant imprisonment for the other. At whatever cost, they must
escape.
"It's a case of Pike's Peak, or bust," said Jack recalling the
favourite expression of an American comrade. "I hope to the Lord we
won't bust, this trip."
Towards sunset Cocom came to wake him for the great attempt. He brought
a very gratifying report as to the state of the population, who were
all either drunk or worn out with religious frenzy. The priests were
scarcely better, and in three hours not a soul in the sacred city would
be capable of observation or movement. It is true that in the
commercial half of the town across the torrent, many people might be on
the alert; but fortunately the entrance to the secret way was on the
sacerdotal side of the bridge, so that the two lovers could escape
unseen. Jack was delighted to hear that things promised so well, and
proceeded under the supervision of Cocom to disguise himself as an
Indian.
It was not a particularly agreeable task, for he had to strip to the
buff, and sponge himself from head to foot with a liquid so as to
darken his skin. He was also forced to sacrifice his moustache, as the
Central American Indians have no hair on their faces. Jack sorely
rebelled against this demand, but recognising that there was no help
for it, he shaved himself clean as directed, stained his face, dyed his
hair, and at length stood out a very athletic young Indian. Being thus
physically perfect, he assumed sandals of hide, short white cotton
drawers, a loose cotton shirt, an ample scarlet woollen mantle, and a
crown of peacock's feathers. Cocom also adorned him with a plentitude
of bracelets and jingling ornaments. Thus arrayed, Jack was supposed to
be a penitent under a vow of silence, travelling to the coast with his
sister.
"I hope, Cocom, there won't be any rain," he said, as he followed the
Indian out of the room; "it might wash the dye off."
"No fear! no rain," replied the Indian, confidently; "the staining will
hold, Señor. Now, not a word! It is dangerous."
So long had the perfecting of the disguise taken that it was now
considerably after eight o'clock, and the moon was shining brilliantly
in the sky. Guided by the old man, Jack stepped lightly across the
square, which was cumbered with human bodies in all kinds of positions.
Some sleeping heavily from exhaustion, others from intoxication, the
whole of the immense area looked like a battle-field strewn with dead
men. In the midst arose the huge mound of the teocalli, menacing,
formidable. Not a sound broke the stillness, save the sigh of some
sleeper, or the restless turning of another. Under the clear sky lay
the field of the dead, and as Jack stepped gently across the prostrate
bodies he could not help shuddering.
Remembering Cocom's caution, however, he uttered no sound, but followed
the Indian towards the bridge. Here, in the shadow of the wall, they
found Dolores stained as was her lover, and fantastically tricked out
in savage finery. When she saw Jack's tall form with the nodding plumes
on his head, she could not restrain an exclamation of surprise, but in
another moment was clasped in his arms.
"Peace, dear one," whispered Jack, fondly kissing her; "keep your heart
brave. We must not wait a moment. Alas! querida, I feel doubtful that
you will bear the fatigues of the mountains."
"Fear not, Juanito!" she answered, hastily drying her tears; "the
Virgin will sustain and protect us in the wilderness. With thee by my
side, I have no fear."
Cocom, impatient of this delay, made a clucking noise with his tongue,
so they at once sprang towards him. He guided them a little distance
past the bridge towards the left, and paused before a high wall,
pierced by a dozen or more gateways, with massive doors, grotesquely
carved. By some trick, known only to himself, the old man opened the
valves of one door, and motioned them to enter. On doing so, they found
themselves in an immense oblong court-yard, decorated round the walls
with nothing but huge statues of the god Huitzilopochtli. Cocom had
closed the outside door, and standing in the open court, the fugitives
could see no mode of ingress or egress. The moon shining brightly made
all things as clear as day, and all around, at intervals of a yard,
arose the mighty images, between which was but smooth wall. It was a
trap out of which no one could hope to emerge.
"The worshippers, Señor," explained Cocom, in a low voice, "are
admitted into this court from the secret way on the right. When the
court is full, their bandages are removed, and no one can tell how he
entered, or how he can go out. This confuses all, and then the bandages
are replaced, and they are thrust out of those many doors on to the
street, and guided to the great square. When they see, they behold but
the great teocalli, and cannot tell the way by which they came. Neither
can the dwellers in Totatzine, for none are admitted to this court."
"And the secret way?" asked Jack, anxiously.
"Is behind one of those statues, Señor."
Both Jack and Dolores looked blankly at the long line of hideous images
against the opposite wall. One statue was as like the other as two
peas, and it was absolutely impossible to tell which one concealed the
entrance. Jack turned to Cocom, and shook his head.
"If my life depended on it, I could not tell."
"Eh, Señor, your life does depend on it," said Cocom, grimly, enjoying
his little joke. "Behold!"
He walked slowly forward, and to all appearance chose a statue at
random. Touching a spring in the protuberant stomach of the idol, the
massive image swung outward, revealing a dark passage. The two lovers
ran forward, but were stopped by Cocom.
"That passage, Señor, ends with a precipice," he said, with emphasis;
"if you went down there, you would fall into the torrent."
"A misleading way," said Duval, shrinking back with a shudder at the
horrible imagination of the idea. "Are there others?"
"This, and this, and this," replied Cocom, causing several statues to
swing out of their places. "All passages you see, Don Juan; all snares
for the unwary. Let me put the images back again. So! Now, Señor,
observe. This image of Huitzilopochtli has a representation of the opal
in its forehead. That is the mark of the way throughout. See!"
The statue swung round, and Cocom, stepping boldly into the yawning
cavity disclosed, beckoned to them to follow. With the terrified
Dolores on his arm, Jack did so, and they found themselves at the top
of a flight of damp-looking steps. Once inside, and Cocom, pressing the
spring, restored the image to its proper position; then, taking Jack's
hand, led him down the staircase. Clasping Dolores tightly, he
cautiously descended into the pitchy gloom. They seemed to be
proceeding into the bowels of the earth. Down, and down, and still
down, until the hoarse roar of the torrent struck their ears, and
emerging into a darkness little less dense than that in the passage,
they found themselves on a rocky ledge, below the huge structure of the
bridge, almost on a level with the water. At their feet swirled and
foamed the flood, raging over sharp-pointed rocks. To the right, a path
led upward in a gentle slope; to the left, a similar path descended.
Cocom pointed to this latter.
"Another trap, Señor," he said, grimly, "ending in the cañon. Take that
path, and you would die. Follow this one to the right, and it will lead
you to the great platform beyond the mountains. From thence you can
descend by the great way, and when in the forest, track your path by
the scarlet sign of the opal. Always the opal, Señor. Go nowhere but
where that sign points."
"I will remember," replied Jack, confidently.
"Take this wallet, Señor. It contains food for some days, and cacao
leaves, and strong drink. It will last until you reach the cave whereof
I told you. Wait there for me, and I will come shortly. Remember always
the rule of silence--that you are both penitents--the sign thus--lip
and forehead. Now go, Señor. I depart to scatter your clothes on the
narrow way, and spread a false report of your death in the torrent,
while escaping. In four days, Señor, expect me at the cave. Adios, lady
of the precious stone, and you, Señor."
He sprang backward into the darkness up the stair, and left the lovers
standing in that gloomy inferno, with the torrent roaring below, the
huge masonry of the bridge high above, and, to the right, that perilous
way which they must tread to reach safety. Duval expected Dolores to
give way at thus finding herself in such danger, but, to his surprise,
she was brave, and gay, and strong.
"Come, querido," she said, cheerfully, "let us go at once. We must
reach the forests before dawn, if possible."
"It will exhaust you terribly, angelito!"
"Probably. Still, I must keep up, if only for your sake! Come, querido!
let us depart."
They moved simultaneously towards the right.
Oh, that interminable passage, long and narrow and always ascending.
They thought it would never end; but at length it terminated at the
foot of the waterfall. Down from a great height thundered great masses
of water, smashing to foam in the basin below. The spray, rising fine
and mist-like, was damp on their faces. They could not hear themselves
speak, owing to the roar. Jack grasped the hand of Dolores to give her
courage, and turned off abruptly to the right where they entered a
passage cut out of the solid rock. Still gently sloping upward, the
path lead them out into a vast clearing, girdled on all sides by great
trees. The moon shone bright as day; and across the grass ran an
indistinct track. Following this, they found a great flight of steps
leading upward under the boughs of mighty trees--pine, and oak, and
hemlock, throwing their giant branches across, and almost shutting out
the moonlight sky. The staircase was crumbled and old, but wonderfully
built of great blocks of stone. Jack could not restrain his admiration
at this Titanic work.
"How did they do it?" he said to Dolores, as they painfully climbed up
the superb stair; "they must have known a lot about engineering, those
Toltecs. To swing these blocks into their places must have taken
derricks and complicated machinery. A wonderful work; a wonderful race.
How Philip would enjoy this!"
"I think Señor Felipe would rather be where he is--in Tlatonac,"
replied Dolores, wearily. "I would I were in the Casa Maraquando."
"Cheer up, my heart! We will be there in a few days. Will I carry you,
cara?"
"Dios, no! You are already laden!"
"But you are as light as a feather."
"Eh, Juanito. You would not find that after carrying me for an hour or
so. No; I am still able to walk. I am stronger than you think."
They steadily climbed up the staircase, and at length entered the
narrow gorge described by Cocom. Here Jack made the girl sit down and
drink some wine, which did her so much good that in a few minutes she
declared herself ready to resume the journey. Thus fortified, they
entered the gorge, and, cautiously following its windings, at length
emerged suddenly into a circular space. So unexpectedly did they enter
that, as passages opened out in all directions, they could not tell by
which way they had come. This pit--for it was little else, hewn out of
the rock--was fifty or sixty feet in depth, and must have represented
years of toil. On all sides, innumerable passages darted out like rays,
and it was this thought that caused Jack to exclaim--
"It is like the opal, Dolores. This space is the stone, those passages
the rays; so it serves a double purpose--to mislead the runaway, and
yet be a symbol of the Chalchuih Tlatonac."
Fortune favoured the fugitives, for the moon, directly overhead, sent
down her full glory into the pit. Had they arrived later, they would
probably have had to wait till dawn, as the blackness would have been
too intense to permit them to find the true outlet. But the moonlight,
by happy chance, was so strong that, after carefully examining the
sides of several entrances, Jack at length hit on the sign. A huge
crimson blot, with scarlet rays, blazed on a passage to the right.
"Here we are, Dolores," cried Duval, joyfully, "this is the right way;
but we must be careful, and not risk a snare; one can never tell what
these infernal Indians are up to."
With great caution they entered the tunnel indicated by the sign, and
feeling every step before them, for the whole place was intensely dark,
moved onward at a snail's pace. The tunnel wound hither and thither,
until they felt quite bewildered. For a time the passage was level, but
after a series of turnings it began to slope gently downwards, and so
continued to the entrance.
"I hope to Heaven there are no branch tunnels," said Jack, anxiously,
"we could easily go off the main track in this gloom."
"I am sure there are no side tunnels," replied Dolores, decisively;
"even the priests could not find their way through this place otherwise
than with one way. If there were other tunnels, they would lose
themselves, and that they would not care to risk."
"Well, let us move on. At all events, the tunnel is getting
straighter," remarked Jack, hopefully. "I wish Cocom had given us a
torch."
"What is that yonder?" cried Dolores, pressing his arm. "A gleam of
light."
"Bueno! It is the exit. Come, Dolores, and say no word, lest, when we
emerge on to the platform, there should be Indians waiting there.
Remember our vow of silence."
Encouraged by this sign of deliverance, they hurried rapidly forward,
quite certain that the ground was safe, and in a few minutes stepped
out of the tunnel's mouth on to a mighty platform, half way down the
mountain. Jack cast a swift glance to right and left, but the area of
masonry was quite bare. They were the only human beings thereon. He
turned to speak to Dolores, and found her staring motionless at the
magnificent scene before her.
The platform, Jack guessed, was fully a quarter of a mile in length,
and enormously wide. It had first been hewn out of the living rock, and
then faced with masonry, flagged with stones. Here was adopted the same
device for misleading strangers as had been done in the court of the
gods, at the entrance from Totatzine. The whole face of the cliff, at
the back of the terrace, was perforated with tunnels, and now that they
had moved to the verge of the platform neither of them could tell which
tunnel they had come out of. Saving one, all those passages led to
death and destruction. Only one was safe, and that the tunnel
distinguished by the opal sign. No one, ignorant of that sign, could
have escaped death.
"I don't wonder Totatzine remains hidden," said Jack, thoughtfully.
"The whole of that path is a mass of danger and snares. Now, however,
we shall have a clearer way."
Turning towards the east, they beheld a vast stair-case sloping
downward to a broad road, at the sides of which were giant images of
the gods. In the pale moonlight they looked like demons, so frightful
were their aspects. In long lines, like pillars, they stretched away
eastward, into the forests, ending in dim obscurity. On either side,
dense foliage; away in the distance, a sea of green trees. There was
nothing but trackless woods and this great road, piercing into the
emerald profundity like a wedge. Behind, arose tall red cliffs, crowned
with ancient trees, tunnelled with black cavities. From thence spread
out the platform with its huge blocks of stone, its walls covered with
hieroglyphics, statues of fierce gods, and vast piles of truncated
towers. Below, the forests, the roadway, the staircase.
"What a terrible place, Dolores," said Jack, drawing a long breath. "It
is like the abode of demons. Come! it is now after midnight, and the
moon will soon be setting. While we have the light, let us try to reach
the end of yonder avenue."
"One moment, Juan," replied Dolores, drawing forth something from her
bosom. "While Cocom was with you, I went up to the shrine of
Huitzilopochtli and took in--this."
Between her fingers, in the pale moonlight, it flashed faintly with
weak sparks of many coloured fire. Jack bounded forward.
"The Harlequin Opal!" he exclaimed, delighted. "You have taken the
Harlequin Opal."