Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 101: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Seven Cities of Cibola while from all the throng a low whisper went up. Only -one ord they said; the same word that her escort had voiced when they had first discovered her prostrate figure prone in the sunlight in the track ‘of the tornado. | “Ari-zuna,’ they whispered, “Ari- zuna,” and strained back from her.as poplars strain in a tempest. Mercedes halted as three men came slowly down the path toward her. They were old men and their white hair, cut square across the line of the shoulders, was plastered with red clay in which was mingled threads, carrying little nuggets of gold and small turquoises set in cop- per. About their necks hung strings of snake-bladders filled with small stones that rattled as they walked, and in their hands they carried little whips made of colored leather. Their only dress was a kilt made of leather strips, on which was. painted in red ocher the figure of a coy- ote and in each corner a coiled snake. They chanted a low song as they came, and shook their sacred whips excitedly, but in a grave and serious manner. When they reached her, they too sank upon their knees and, taking from their kilts little earthen whistles, they blew shrilly upon them, threw themselves face down in the dust and so waited. A great silence fell. When it had be- come almost insupportable, the oldest of the priests spoke. By listening very carefully, Mercedes made out his words: “Will Ari-zuna deign to tell her serv- ants why she has come to visit them? The trail from the Sunland is long and hot and Ari-zuna’s feet are very tender. Does she bring good of evil news for her servants ?” Like a flash it came to a These people took her for one of their heathen gods. Her white skin, her golden hair, the manner of her finding—all these were miraculous to them. She remem- bered that word Ari-zuna that had-been uttered when she was first found in the desert. She remembered all the instances when great deference and respect had been paid her.- Who would not be civil to a god? Like a shock it came to her. She could not accept this position in which Fate had placed her, yet to refuse might Zzuna: ' mean death—or worse; to accept it would be very close: to sacrilege. For answer she smiled and, raising her hands to her head, released suddenly the flood of her golden hair, allowing it to fall upon her shoulders, where. it lay a great mass of golden glory. crowd gasped as she very slowly made her reply. “T have come from a strange and dis- tant land. It was very hot there and I sought coolness.” “Among thine own _ people, !” broke in an excited priest. “The gods know! We have kept thy temple as in the days of the Chichemecs. Not a stone has beén changed since the day when Tula first laid our walls. See! The sacred whips are still used, and each year the sacred runners go east and west and south and north to the Yel- low Line to gather the earth-runners for the rites, as it has been from the begin- ning. Thy house has been set in order, and the four maids wait with the sacred salt and grain.” Bowing deeply, he backed away from her and up the rocky trail. Mercedes followed him slowly and the crowd drew after her as leaves are —— by the wind. P, up, up they went to the city walls that stood sheer upon the top of the rocky pencil. No street was level®but all rose in tier on tier. The houses that lined those streets were built of rock laid in -mortar and were plastered with stucco that had been newly coated with fresh lime so that the walls showed in the tropic glare as if they were covered with sheeted silver. Rank above rank they rose to the crowning ridge where the temple stood. The summit of the hill had been cut away to make room for it. It stood, four- square, on the very crown of the ridge. The only entrance was by a single door | about eight feet above the narrow path, from which a narrow ladder led to the entrance. Just now the door was open and the ladder in place, and from the temple came the sound of female voices singing. Mercedes walked up the narrow path, and, with all the dignity that she could 87 The | Ari- COPMICLOOOKS tut ae (eCo)