Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

Fe O74 fered a convenient hiding place and lookout. He climbed up one of the boles, and spread himself full out. Through the spreading leaves he could see into the chamber and beyond, to the rocky lip. In a moment there appeared Xlaco and six guards. Each of the guards bore in his hand a little coil of plantain rope. One of them dropped the ladder over the edge of the bowl, leaving its end attached to an old stump. The miserable creatures in the bot- tom of the bowl! rushed eagerly for it, and _ fought one another for the chance to touch it first. Xlaco stood at the top of the ladder and uncoiled from his waist a sort of riata which in his hands seethed and coiled above their heads with angry swiftness. Meanwhile the old man called out sternly to the Mayans to stand back. ‘They cowered away and crouched in the corners of the bowl under the menace of his words, backed up by the seething whip. Only Black Pete stood his ground. He advanced to the ladder and took hold firmly of the lower rungs. Of this evidently Xlaco _ approved, for he pulled up his riata, and beckoned to Pete to ascend. The desperado climbed with alacrity, while two of the guards stood to receive him. No sooner were his shoulders above the ledge than they threw withes of plantain about him. In a moment he lay writhing on the rock, bound securely and cursing horribly. They placed a stick behind his back and bound his arms round it, his hands being firmly lashed across his stomach. Then Xlaco cracked his riata. The guards prod- ded Black Pete and one of them led the way back along the trail. Pete followed and the others closed in, Xlaco the last. Tench did not wait very long before he, too, was on the trail toward the village. When he regained his hut it was mid fore- noon. It was plain something was astir. The men were on the streets, garbed as for a festival, with their Sun Windows in place with their hair greased, and slickly laid down. Women could be seen preparing their children as they did on occasional days when they left their houses. They placed ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. them in rough cradles which were no more — than bits of tree trunk hollowed out. These were placed in the doorways, and the babies lashed in them so that they could not get away. All children old enough to walk about easily always accompanie their mothers. ; In a short time all the tribe, men, women, and children, except those in the cradles, were assembled in the streets, waiting and casting inquiring glances from time to time toward the doorway of the council room, Where two guards squatted on _ their haunches, indicating that the council was in session inside. : Presently the guards rose and stood at attention. The members of the council filed out one by one. Each wore his full regalia of yellow jewels. The chief was robed in his semi-huitzin. Tench could see in their manner and in the awed look on the faces of the members of the tribe, that this was a most solemn occasion, Then out of the hut came Black Pete, still bound and being hustled along by watchful guards. Every few moments he cursed volubly, but as his curses were not understood, and plainly were having no ef- fect, he gradually lost his pep. The members of the council went on up the street, and out on the trail toward the mine. The prisoner was close behind, and after him, the members of the trible fell in, in ragged procession. Half a mile from the village, they turned to the right, and a little farther on defiled into a recess formed by adjoining mounds, or buttes. When Tench entered this recess with the other members of the tribe, he was aston- ished to discover a natural amphitheater, almost circular, and probably a thousand feet across in each direction. Around all sides the natural rock had been terraced into seats, and on these the members of the tribe were gathering, and turning to face the cen- ter of the stadium or whatever it might be called. Tt looked very much like a primitive the- ater; for in its center was a raised platform or stage, which was reached by three steps. In the center of this stage was a stone slab about eight feet long and three feet wide. As Tench took his seat, the members of ‘€omicbooks 2 .* .