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 ■i ;<:ENDHICK WRIGHT 
 
/ 
 
 PERKINS LIBRARY 
 
 Duke Universitj 
 
 Rare iJooks 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 in 2010 witii funding from 
 Dul<e University Libraries 
 
 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/dalleszonaseventOOwrig 
 
DALLESZONA 
 
DALLESZONA 
 
 AND 
 
 THE SEVENTH TREASURE 
 
 By 
 ALLEN KENDRICK WRIGHT 
 
 Taw-No-Ker Series 
 
 BOSTON 
 THE ROXBURGH PUBLISHING CO., INC. 
 
Copyright, 1922 
 By The Roxburgh Publishing Co., Inc. 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I Highfinger's Story g 
 
 II Magic Mystery Maid 26 
 
 III Highfinger's Last Journey 41 
 
 IV The Road to Truxlan 6s 
 
 V Saxon Meets Iximaga 81 
 
 VI An Interpreter of Dreams 98 
 
 VII Toltec Trails 136 
 
 VIII The Chancellor 180 
 
 
CHAPTER I 
 Highfinger's Story 
 
 "Ben Igo Saxon, Aviator." 
 
 Highfinger's eyes blazed and his whole face 
 flamed with excitement as he read this line in the 
 Nogales Hotel register. 
 
 "Mr. Clerk, where is this aviator.?" 
 
 "That's him, — that big fellow in the rocker 
 there. I guess — " 
 
 But Highfinger was gone. 
 
 "Pardon me, Sir. Be you Mr. Saxon?" 
 
 "Yessir. What can I do for you?" 
 
 "Can you fight?" 
 
 "Never again. I have just returned from six 
 months in France, shooting down Hun aero- 
 planes, and won't have any more scrapping. I'm 
 a peace man forevermore." 
 9 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "Give us your hand, old boy: you're my pal 
 and pilot. I'm a prospector from Rochester, 
 Nevada. You can always count on a prospector 
 starting something, and I'm — I mean we, now, 
 are going to start a revolution in Mexico." 
 
 "Then you'll have to go alone, old sport, so 
 far as I'm concerned; for I'm not fostering any 
 revolutions outside of Ben Saxon's own private 
 graveyard, and even there I don't bury anything 
 except good resolutions." 
 
 "But listen to me, Saxon, for a minute. You 
 must have come to Nogales to make money. 
 No sane man would come for any other reason, 
 except health, and you sure look healthy now. 
 I'm here to show you how to make money, — lots 
 of it, quickly and honestly." 
 
 "All right, Mr. what's your name, Highfinger, 
 fire away. I'm all attention." 
 
 Three fingers were missing from the old man's 
 10 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 left hand, and the index finger that remained 
 was pointing straight up now, and his whole 
 body was quivering with intense earnestness. 
 
 "See that hand, Saxon ? Three fingers bit off. 
 No, I'm not sayin' what bit 'em off, but losin' 
 'em has kept me out of more'n a million fights. 
 Yessum. A fellow can't make much of a fist 
 with only one finger. When I double that up, 
 so, the other fellow most always laughs, and 
 the fight is all off. You see, I'm veteran of a 
 thousand fierce arguments. When that finger 
 points straight up, so, it just nachelly draws 
 inspiration from the starry firmament same as a 
 trolley pulls juice from a live wire or a preacher 
 gets eloquence from a big collection. Yessum. 
 But when it points straight out, so, it shoots 
 conviction faster'n a Colt automatic can shoot 
 steel-nosed bullets. 
 
 "Y' see, Saxon, I broke up a riot in Nevada 
 11 
 
Dalleszona '■ -^ 
 
 with that finger. Fact. Durin' the stampede in 
 Rochester, a dozen men workin' an' twenty-five 
 hundred idle, J. B. Darnes, known as 'The 
 Jackhammer Kid,' just out o' Comstock, started 
 auction sale on three kegs of peach brandy. 
 Yessum. An' about fifty fellows chipped in and 
 bought 'em — didn't care for the brandy — just 
 wanted to help the auctioneer out. Kind-hearted, 
 that's it. But when they opened 'em, 'twan't 
 peach brandy at all. No, sir. Just grape juice 
 that wouldn't make the drunk come inside of 
 twelve hours. Think o' that! Waitin' twelve 
 hours for a drunk to come when a fellow 's in 
 a hurry. 'Y its a crime. A prospector can't 
 wait always for returns. He's used to quick 
 money, or none, mostly none, an' that was the 
 maddest bunch you ever saw. An*^ when some 
 one said Darnes was at the Palace Saloon run by 
 George De Luke, at the lower end of the gulch 
 12 
 
Hiffhfitiffer's Story 
 
 they called Main Street, they started that way, 
 an' everybody joined the parade till it was two 
 thousand strong an' niore'n a hundred per cent 
 crazy, an' rollin' down that gulch like a cloud 
 burst. 
 
 "I had just come out of Mother Wilson's soup 
 brewery chock full o' chile con carne and horse 
 radish, an' my voltage was runnin' dangerously 
 high. An' when I see all them two thousand 
 miners all in evenin' dress (every one of 'em had 
 on a six shooter an' most of 'em two), I knew 
 extinctively my hour had come. Yessum. The 
 bell of destiny was soundin' in my ears louder'n 
 an airplane motor goin' two hundred miles an 
 hour, an' I thought it must jar the universe. So 
 I climbed on a big boulder an' shouted, 'Fellow- 
 plutocrats and multi-millionaires, that auctioneer 
 fellow, Jackhammer Kid, left for Oreana over'n 
 hour ago, and I'm commissioned by the Holy Gee 
 13 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 of Rome [Of course I meant the Holy See, or 
 Ocean, whichever it is, but the crowd was up in 
 "G"] to tell you about the richest gold diggin's 
 ever located on this planet or any other satellite 
 or malachite of the solar and lunatic system,' 
 Then a swamper from Goodsprings, Nevada, 
 shouted, 'How about the Breyfogle'? An' I 
 says, 'Gentlemen, honest to goodness, the Brey- 
 fogle, Pegleg, Morning Star, Lost Gunsight and 
 Lost Aztec mines all put together wouldn't count 
 as a penny ante in the Golden Treasures of the 
 Yaki Indians in Mexico. Mark you, the first 
 treasure. For they have seven treasures, each 
 one growin' richer, an' I've located the seventh, 
 Selah!' 
 
 "By that time this finger was pointin' hori- 
 zontal an' throwin' sparks of conviction into them 
 fellers faster'n limburger cheese can discharge 
 delicious odors. Well, Sir, believe me or not, 
 14 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 but inside o' ten minutes that whole menagerie 
 was singin', 'We'll all be gay old millionaires 
 when Pay Day comes again,' and every one of 
 them was figurin' how he could slip away that 
 night and be the first to hit the trail for Mexico. 
 Such is the power of truth. Yessum. 
 
 "Now to get down to business, Saxon, I don't 
 want to start a revolution in Mexico, nor any- 
 where else at present; but I do know that there 
 are millions and millions of dollars of gold in a 
 gulch on Yaki Indian lands in Alexico, not doin' 
 them nor anybody any good, and I want a 
 Hundred Thousand of that gold. Not any more 
 nor any less. It will take just an even hundred 
 thousand to do what I must do before I die. 
 You see, I've had four stakes in my time : seventy- 
 five thousand once in Colorado, fifty thousand in 
 Idaho, thirty thousand in South Africa, and 
 twenty-five thousand in Nevada. In fact, I've 
 15 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 got twenty-five thousand deposited in that bank 
 over there now; but that will not do. I must 
 have a hundred thousand, and if you'll help me, 
 I'll get the same for you inside of thirty days." 
 "But, Mr. Highfinger, if that belongs to the 
 Yakis, we have no more right to take it from 
 them than from some white man in Arizona. I 
 have a conscience, and it's just this grabbing 
 things you happen to want that has made four 
 years of hell in Europe, and buried seventy 
 thousand of our American boys in French soil. 
 The Kaiser wanted some French coal and iron 
 mines, and without regard to others' rights, 
 without fear of God, Man or Devil, has slaugh- 
 tered millions of human beings and almost bank- 
 rupted a world in an insane attempt to take 
 them. And now you and thousands of other 
 citizens of the United States say, 'To hades with 
 the Yakis and Mexicans. We want their lands 
 16 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 and mines. Of course we do not want to resort 
 to bullets and bayonets, but we must have the 
 goods.' All the difference between us and the 
 Kaiser is, he had the courage of his convictions 
 and avarice, and built up a militarism of men 
 and materials, — physical force, — while we Ameri- 
 cans build a militarism of brains and commercial 
 shrewdness, — intellectual force. But one is just 
 as conscienceless as the other, and must erelong 
 work out universal destruction of race and gov- 
 ernments. Financial insanity is paralyzing con- 
 science in the United States in particular and the 
 white race in general. I believe the other fellow 
 has as many rights as I have." 
 
 "Charming, charming, Mr. Saxon ; mighty 
 good doctrine for reformers. But you and I 
 ain't reformers, and if we were, Nogales is not 
 the best place to start something. 'God helps 
 them that helps themselves. Keep what you get 
 17 
 
Dalleszo7ia 
 
 and get what you can,' is good enough motto for 
 me and about seventy millions other Americans. 
 Mexico is the richest country on earth, but the 
 Yakis nor Mexicans haven't got sense enough to 
 use it, and I say, 'Clean 'em up. Make 'em 
 behave, so we U. S. boys can go in and get 
 concessions we want, or take the whole bloomin' 
 country and develop the matchless resources for 
 the present generation. Every fellow for him- 
 self. Forward !' " 
 
 "Yes, Mr. Highfinger, I know that's the 
 slogan of power to-day; but you know as well 
 as I do, it's dead wrong. The timq has come 
 when this old world's affairs must be run on this 
 platform, 'Equal rights to all. Special privileges 
 to none,' or skid to failure everlasting. 
 
 "If this hellish European war is to be of any 
 good to humanity, politics and politicians must 
 take a back pew, and governments be run for 
 18 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 the benefit of the governed. You know, every 
 sane thinking man knows, there is not a pure 
 democracy on earth to-day. Probably the good 
 old U. S. A. comes the nearest to it. But Presi- 
 dent Wilson advised war, Congress voted it, and 
 nine million boys practically repudiated that vote 
 by refusing to volunteer. Had to be drafted. 
 And when the millions of boys were lined up to 
 bare their breasts to the crimson tide of European 
 slaughter, — then, I say, Congress with unblush- 
 ing treason refused to draft even eighty per cent 
 of strictly war profits, and, hiding behind the 
 mask of patriotism, practically forced the fathers 
 and mothers of these same boys to buy the bonds 
 to finance the wholesale murder. And it is a 
 safe bet that, if those with incomes above five 
 thousand a year had been pushed as hard for 
 bond subscriptions as those with incomes below 
 that figure were, instead of raising twenty bil- 
 19 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 lions we should have raised seventy to a hundred 
 billions. And, what is more, the government 
 that has a right to draft men has an equal right 
 to draft money, foodstuffs, clothing and muni- 
 tions of war without guaranteeing payment with 
 four per cent interest. And I'll tell you, Mr. 
 Highfinger, that just as long as money and prop- 
 erty is more sacred than human life, just so 
 long there will be wars. And whenever the 
 United States, or any other nation, prepares lor 
 war, even under claim of 'Keeping the Peace,' 
 some other nation will call the bluff; and when 
 that time comes, Asia's eight hundred millions 
 will be in the game, and may the Eternal God 
 have mercy on our souls. Them's my sentiments, 
 and I guess you and I cannot do any business 
 now." 
 
 "Mr. Saxon, I agree with you absolutely. I 
 beg your pardon for raising this question, but I 
 20 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 wanted to know the temper and spirit of my man. 
 Nobody knows better than we prospectors that 
 we have outraged Mexico. We have violated the 
 sanctity of her homes. And while 1 do not want 
 that Columbus affair repeated, I do know that 
 the Mexican government was not responsible for 
 it. And I also know that for every bit of deviltry 
 inflicted upon Americans in recent j^ears, Mexi- 
 can people have suffered ten times as much at 
 the hands of conscienceless white brigands, pro- 
 motors and concessionaires, who have gone to 
 Mexico for private gain. If a man must leave 
 the United States to make money, let him carry 
 his own insurance; don't ask the government to 
 underwrite his private enterprises. But in this 
 case of mine I think 1 can show you that I have 
 a full right to the hundred thousand I ask for. 
 "Ten years ago I was working in, Cananea 
 Copper Mines some months, then decided to go 
 21 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 to Guymas, and from there to, perhaps, prospect 
 some. From the Mexican government there 1 
 got written permission to prospect, and drove my 
 own burro into the Lastuna Hills and was doing 
 some placering, — washing out about an ounce of 
 dust a day. One evening when I returned to 
 my hogan in the sagebrush, I found a wounded 
 Yaki there. He spoke Spanish well and English 
 fairly, so we had no trouble understanding each 
 other. He told me he was related to Iximaga, 
 Chief of the Yakis, descending on the father's 
 side from pure Toltec. Was commissioned by 
 his people to visit Gov. Cantu, Ensenada, Lower 
 California, to arrange, if possible, for the trans- 
 fer of the peninsula to the Yakis for permanent 
 possession. Failing in this, he had returned to 
 Guymas, leaving there for home by way of 
 Hermosillo. Had been set upon by a band of 
 gringo and peon bandits, beaten, robbed, shot and 
 22 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 left to die. He surely had the spirit of a man 
 if it was in the body of a Yaki. He had been 
 shot through the right lung. I did all I could 
 for him the week he lived, and before he died 
 he gave me this signet ring, also a bit of paper 
 with a message in Spanish to Iximaga, which 
 told of his sad experience and approaching death 
 and cleared me. Also he described carefully the 
 location of the Yaki seventh treasure, and author- 
 ized me to take a hundred thousand in gold. 
 
 "Well, I buried him, then went after the gold 
 first, intending later, if I really found the gold, 
 to carry this ring and message to Iximaga at 
 Truxlan. I really found the treasure all right 
 and had about eighty thousand in dust when, one 
 night, three beacons flamed from nearby hills, 
 and I knew I was discovered. Right there I fell 
 down. I should have stood my ground, stated 
 my case, showed the ring, and taken the paper 
 23 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 to headquarters; but I started to run, and say, 
 Saxon, that was some chase. You know a fellow 
 once starts to run, there's only two landings. 
 One is freedom, the other hell. Well, I got 
 both, but I got freedom last. Yessum. Well, 
 the first night I stumbled into a cave which 
 proved to be a treasure vault, — actually tons of 
 gold there, — boulders of pure gold as large as 
 your head, slabs of it as large as the floor of 
 that tent over there, and a foot thick. I stayed 
 there the next day, but my stock of tortillas was 
 small and water less; so the second night I 
 crawled out and headed for the North Star. 
 But somehow those red bronzed devils scented 
 my trail, and for six days and nights it was a 
 case of 'Monkey and the weasel,' till I headed 
 into Hermosillo, less than a hundred miles from 
 the treasure. 
 
 "Now, Saxon, I want you to go with me after 
 24 
 
Highfinger's Story 
 
 that hundred thousand. I have a right to it, and 
 an airship is the only way to get it." 
 
 The old man had told the story with such 
 deadly earnestness and tragic humor that Saxon 
 felt he had almost experienced the suffering of 
 that perilous flight and was fully convinced that 
 Highfinger had spoken the truth. 
 
 That night they took the train for U. S. 
 aviation station, North Island, San Diego. 
 
 25 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 From a dog tent to the Grant Hotel; from 
 flapjacks and jack-rabbit stew over a smudgy 
 camp fire to cream biscuits with honey and roast 
 turkey and champagne; from sagebrush buttes 
 and alkali dust to orange groves, emerald lawns 
 and the Harbor of the Sun; from a burro train 
 and desert silences to aero-squadrons and the 
 voices of the Sunset Sea; from gnawing despair 
 long endured to splendid hopes almost realized ; 
 from sickening failure and festering defeat to 
 roaring success at the head of the procession, 
 as the band plays "All hail to the Chief"! 
 
 The ferry was jammed with hurrying throngs, 
 U. S. cruisers swung at anchorage in the oflfing, 
 while airplanes whirred with magic and North 
 26 
 
Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 Island trembled under the "Cavalry of the 
 Clouds." 
 
 Saxon met half a dozen aces fresh from the 
 skyline of Europe, and lived again those awful 
 eternities of chance when they together photo- 
 graphed enemy "formations," bombed cities, and 
 turned hell loose upon the German aero-squad- 
 rons from the forests of Argonne to the hills of 
 Verdun. 
 
 Meanwhile, Highfinger kept close watch of 
 the metal and canvas vultures as they breasted 
 the air, climbed by ever-widening circles to view- 
 less heights, or dropped through loops and nose 
 spins to seeming destruction. 
 
 "Saxon," said Admiral Brooks, "the De Havi- 
 land is at your disposal whenever you wish to 
 give us a demonstration of battle flight. I hope 
 you feel equal to it, for the day is ideal; and 
 the boys here know what you did 'Over There,' 
 27 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 and are anxious to see the machine in the hands 
 of a real veteran." 
 
 The machine indicated was the largest, strong- 
 est and speediest machine on the West Coast, and 
 had just been priced to Highfinger at a figure he 
 was willing to accept. 
 
 As Saxon felt the throb of her engines and 
 took the breath from her propeller blades, his 
 body, soul and spirit seemed transformed. His 
 blood surged in waves, his nerves became tense 
 as drawn steel springs, the fashion of his coun- 
 tenance became blood and flame, while his galena- 
 gray eyes became as molten silver. The mania 
 of conflict seized his soul. Human limitations 
 vanished. He glowed before them, an "Immortal 
 Spirit of Conflict," an engine of destruction, 
 without sense of fear or power of retreat, — an 
 unclothed, elemental force, eager to be hurled 
 into that cauldron of death where Satan flung 
 28 
 
Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 his legions on and spectre hosts battle above the 
 pits of the damned. 
 
 "Highfinger, come on; we will take a spin." 
 Without a moment's hesitation the old man 
 stepped into the bomb thrower's pit. Saxon 
 pulled the throttle wide open, threw the reverse 
 lever into working position, carefully released 
 the clutch, and with a tremendous roar they were 
 ofif, like an unhooded falcon sure of its prey. 
 Straight across the flying field toward the sharp 
 salt breath of the landless blue, higher, faster, 
 an Immelmann turn, but ever climbing, — 
 
 "Till the soul is lost in wonder 
 'Mid fadeless scenes of phantom splendor," — 
 
 into a mist of cloud where icy cold wind whistled 
 
 through struts and ribs, and hail rattled on wings 
 
 and rudder bands, and streams of spray sheeted 
 
 29 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 from controller flukes, hales of rainbow colors 
 played round propeller blades and irridescent 
 lights streamed from rudder bands in blazing 
 grandeur. Anon, into sunlight they shot as into 
 seas of flame, — up, up, the mighty motors never 
 missing a note, — ^six, eight, ten, twelve, thirteen 
 thousand feet. The city blocks blurred into 
 unbroken levels, Coronado seemed a mighty 
 scimetar. North Island its hilt, while the Harbor 
 of the Sun and the Sunset Sea shone like a sea 
 of glass in the Revelator's vision. Fifteen thou- 
 sand feet the aneroid registered ere Saxon re- 
 duced the fuel and started in a nose spin for ten 
 thousand feet. Highfinger's ears roared like a 
 Bessemer blast, and surely death to Saxon and 
 himself, with utter destruction of the plane and 
 all his plans, seemed only a matter of seconds; 
 and another turn, when Saxon suddenly reversed 
 the controller flukes, the plane slanted to hori- 
 30 
 
JMagic Mystery Maid 
 
 zontal, cushioned a few swift turns, easily took 
 the sand and anchored in front of the hangar. 
 
 "Well, Highfinger, how do you like it? Do 
 you think we can prospect Culiacan, stampede 
 the Yakis and bring home the dust?" 
 
 Still white around the gills, but game to the 
 end, the old man laughed back, "Say, Saxon, if 
 the Jackhammer Kid and Nete Pelson were here, 
 they'd give all their rights in the Breyfogle for 
 a spin like that; and when they got through, 
 they'd be so intoxicated with pleasure, they'd say, 
 'Thank you, Lady,' and" that Yaki treasure is 
 just as good as minted now." 
 
 A moment later he continued, "I have a pro- 
 gram for to-morrow, but after that you can 
 arrange for all entertainments where the De 
 Haviland is concerned." 
 
 The following morning Saxon looked across 
 
 31 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the breakfast table and said, "What's your pro- 
 gram for to-day, old higrader?" 
 
 "Well, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to 
 go up in the hills above De Luz and pick up a 
 few carats of white obsidian, or, as commonly 
 known, California diamonds; then joy ride over 
 El Cajon, the Cuyamacas, Warner's Hot Springs, 
 Temecula, Lake Elsinore and on to Riverside 
 aviation field. So much for the going. For the 
 return — well, I'll tell you about that later," 
 
 The glories of that perfect day were a never- 
 to-be-forgotten joy to both of these men. 
 
 To Saxon, fresh from the slaughter plains of 
 Europe, where pestilence walked in darkness and 
 destruction wasted at noonday, when hell swept 
 through happy homes and devastation cycloned 
 cities and towns ; where famine and flame 
 scourged farm and vineyard, and forests became 
 cemeteries for windrows of slain, the orchards 
 32 
 
Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 of the "Sunkist Vale," San Pasqual, Poway and 
 El Cajon were "Fair as a garden of the Lord." 
 To Highfinger, after wearying years upon desert 
 wash of sand and sage, the pine clad hills and 
 oak dotted vales of the Cuyamacas brought sweet 
 remembrance of boyhood days, when he had 
 roamed the picturesque solitudes of the "Blue 
 Ridge" ere the blight of sin had ruined his life 
 or the curse of crime had blasted hope. 
 
 Leisurely they loafed above the Carlsbad of 
 the Pacific, Temecula (the Dream of Paradise), 
 Lake Elsinore (Mighty Basin of Liquid Indigo) 
 set in empurpled mountains. Riverside's magnolia 
 lanes and orange groves, and on to March avia- 
 tion field, where a hundred artificial eagles 
 flashed their white wings through fleecy films of 
 cloud or roared their way o'er rugged buttes to 
 Gorgoni's snow clad heights. Returning like an 
 unleashed spirit, the De Haviland soared above 
 33 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the San Jacinto, earthquaked and thunder riven, 
 standing guard above the famished beaches of a 
 wasted sea, then back to North Island, when 
 purple twilight settled over the Harbor of the 
 Sun and the afterglow flamed its magic glory 
 across the sunset sea. 
 
 On the morrow mechanics were busy with the 
 giant De Haviland. Her pulse was tested, her 
 motors tuned, oil and gas tanks enlarged to 
 capacity for two thousand miles, lockers for 
 supplies, water tanks and secret chambers for 
 treasure chests supplied, until Highfinger was 
 delighted and Saxon knew possible emergencies 
 were provided for. 
 
 One glorious morning, when a sapphire sky 
 domed high above the Harbor of the Sun and 
 golden sunshine fell in caressing waves over land 
 and sea, and hills and valleys were garmented in 
 robes fit for the ascension morning, while North 
 34 
 
Magic iMyslery Maid 
 
 Island pulsed to the rhj'thm of mighty motors 
 and contending tides boomed and thundered spray 
 ;uul spume along the white sands of Coronado, 
 the giant De Haviland left her hangars for the 
 uncharted realms, cushioned against the western 
 breeze, circled, looped, climbed, shook the salt 
 (lewdrops from her shining flanks, and headed, 
 straight as a beam of light, [or the "Lands of 
 Unclouded Day." 
 
 Above the Cuyamacas, beyond the salton sea, 
 across the mighty Hood of the Western Nile. 
 over the changeless but ever-changing desert 
 wastes, — on aiid on with unwearied wings to the 
 drifting sands of a dry lake on the outskirts of 
 a borderland city, where the Jackhammer Kid 
 and scores of other empire builders had gathered 
 to see Highfinger's new prospecting outfit. 
 
 "^Vell, Higliflnger, old scout, you surely put 
 one over on us this time, and the drinks would 
 35 
 
Daneszo7ia 
 
 certainly be on us ; but, since this infernal country 
 went 'dry,' we cannot cultivate a thirst. But 
 say, old timer, what are you goin' to call the 
 Girl? 'Flivver' nor 'Tin Lizzie' won't do at all, 
 at all; but she must have a name, and you'll just 
 have to tell us which way lies your 'Land o' 
 Dreams.' Old boy, we must know that." 
 
 Then the balloting for a name began. 
 
 Cleopatra, Cactus Queen, Quo Vadis, Pioneer 
 Princess, Sweetheart, Honey Bunch, etc., the list 
 was long, and each had enthusiastic supporters; 
 but it was the Kid that settled the question. 
 
 "Boys," said he, "I had a vision last night. 
 Yes, I did. You know when drinks were plenty, 
 I could have a vision any old time ; now they are 
 scarce and come high ; but I put one through last 
 night and can tell you all about this 'Squeeze' 
 and the port she's headed for. 
 
 86 
 
Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 "Highfinger will sail on the Winds of Anj-- 
 where, for the Islands of Somewhere, in the 
 Seas of Everywhere, after the Gold of Nowhere, 
 and I christen this bird 'The Magic Mystery 
 Maid,' and we will paint three 'M's on her 
 beak and wings." 
 
 When pressed for date of sailing, Highfinger 
 said : — 
 
 "Birds, beasts and men are guided by invisible 
 but eternal programs. In animals we call ft 
 instinct; in men, judgment; in women, intuition. 
 The gambler calls it luck; the poet, inspiration; 
 the preacher calls it vision or revelation. The 
 gypsies have visions, and we prospectors call it 
 a 'hunch.' Likewise every successful prospector 
 follows the leadings of four signs. The Kid here 
 can tell you of three of them after I am gone. 
 I'll tell you of the fourth now. Once every 
 
 37 
 
Dalleszo/ia 
 
 year, generally between the vernal equinox and 
 summer solstice, the Aztec moon fulls at almost 
 blood red and shows the face of the Toltec Queen 
 smiling. 1 think the moon fulls to-night, and if 
 the lady's face is there, we will sail to-morrow." 
 When the morning sun shot jewelled flame 
 across the Elephant Butte Dam and waked magic 
 mirage across the wide-flung sagebrush swamps 
 of Sonora, even unto the gates of Culiacan, the 
 Mystery Maid circled far and high, then dropped 
 low above the watching boys. Ilighfinger leaned 
 far o\'er the side, waving a fond good-by, and 
 a moment later a crumpled paper fell at the feet 
 of the Jackhammer Kid. Straightening it out, 
 \vith a mist of tears before his eyes, the Kid read 
 the old prospector's message, Byron's immortal 
 line to his wife, — "Fare you well, and if forever, 
 forever fare you well." As he read, a chill fell 
 
 38 
 
Magic Mystery Maid 
 
 upon the hearts of the boys, which the desert sun 
 had no power to dispel. 
 
 Ah, those desert friendships! Together thry 
 had slept on the hot sands, under velvet skies and 
 twinkling stars, and exchanged dreams of happy 
 days gone by and happier dreams of days to come. 
 They had drunk from the same canteen the few 
 last hot drops of alkali water, then tramped 
 through the shimmering heat of sage and sun-baked 
 wash in search of water, until thirst wasted their 
 bodies, heat madness crazed their brains, and 
 their tongues protruded from cracked and bleed- 
 ing lips. They had snuggled together in frozen 
 canyons when wood was scarce, grub run low, 
 the vein "pinched" and values disappeared ; when 
 hope changed to despair; when laughter became 
 groans and wishes turned to curses, and hell and 
 starvation was the next camping place. 
 
 Meanwhile, they watched the climbing Maid 
 39 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 now circling wide and high till she disappeared 
 in the shoreless blue, and wondered if Highfinger 
 and Saxon would sail if they knew, now, all that 
 lay within that "Shadow Land of Dreams." 
 
 40 
 
Highfinger's Last Journey 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Highfinger's Last Journey 
 
 Over sand and sage, butte and barancho, moor 
 and mesa, the Mystery Maid held steadily on 
 until Hermosillo, a white checker board in the 
 shimmering heat, was passed, then swerved sharp- 
 ly to the southeast, sailing on and on through 
 amber sunshine o'er the Lastuna Hills to the very 
 base of Castile Leon, beyond which lay the fertile 
 vales and pasture mesas of the Yakis, outstretch- 
 ing toward the shadowy outlines of the Mexican 
 Cordilleras. 
 
 To the north and west of Castile Leon, snug- 
 gled close beneath his giant shoulders, lies a small 
 but picturesque valley, guarded by small but 
 sharp toothed buttes. Buried by the Creator's 
 hands, here lies' the seventh treasure of the Yakis. 
 41 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Far up the rugged heights of Castile Leon 
 lies a mighty basin, walled in by almost im- 
 penetrable thickets of chaparral and manzanite. 
 Here the Mystery Maid came safely to anchor, 
 well protected from storm or wind, and perfectly 
 screened from human sight, except from a tre- 
 mendous lava flow far up towards the mountain's 
 summit. Close to where the Maid landed, rose 
 a perpendicular cliff, from whose base gushed a 
 splendid spring. Here the weary argonauts 
 pitched their tent and rested in the fragrant 
 shadows till purple twilight charmed a world to 
 slumber and these happy exiles rolled themselves 
 in blankets by the light of a languorous moon 
 and blazing stars, and dreamed of golden fortune 
 and fond hopes realized. 
 
 Next day they explored the generous park, but 
 ventured not beyond, keeping close watch the 
 
 42 
 
Highfingcr's Last Journey 
 
 while for human being or sign thereof, and find- 
 ing none. 
 
 The second morning, with picks, shovels and 
 well filled canteens, they set off for the treasure 
 lands far below. Through thorny thickets and 
 rugged gulches, over ridges, spurs and lava slides 
 infested with vicious sidewinders, they cheered 
 each other on, till at last they stood exactly where 
 Highfinger stood ten years before and fled in hot 
 haste and terrors of hell from the pursuing Yakis. 
 
 Six days they toiled, from early dawn clearing 
 shallow sands and gathering shining nuggets from 
 potholes and crevices of bedrock, returning each 
 twilight hour to the Mystery Maid with bags 
 of gold, until by actual weight they had more 
 than ninety thousand dollars safe within the De 
 Haviland's secret lockers. 
 
 The seventh and last day Highfinger led the 
 way by a different route, hoping to rediscover the 
 43 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 gold-lined cave where he had hidden from his 
 pursuers. 
 
 More than half the day they searched the 
 mountain side before they were rewarded. Once 
 they had found the matchless treasure, every 
 other consideration was forgotten, and they gave 
 themselves to explore chambers, drifts, corridors 
 and stopes, until at length they came upon a fast 
 flowing stream that leaped into a mighty chasm 
 and plunged vuith thunder roar into an under- 
 ground lake. P'ollowing the stream some distance, 
 they emerged into a spacious chamber or resting 
 station, and stumbled onto the mummies of 
 several ancient miners, surrounded with tools of 
 hardened copper, and realized they were in the 
 much sought, long lost Aztec mine whence came 
 the gold that had adorned the temples of the 
 Montezumas and enriched the Spanish galleons 
 of Cortez. 
 
 44 
 
Highfingers Last Journey 
 
 Sight of these ghastly human forms, shrivelled 
 by blasting heat or deadly gas, or whatever form 
 of sudden death, so thoroughly surprised and 
 unnerved these reckless buccaneers, they fled in 
 haste from the chamber of horrors, nor slackened 
 their pace until, safe outside the gold lined moun- 
 tain, they breathed the sweet air of heaven, felt 
 the warmth of blessed sunshine, and thanked God 
 for life and strength and other almost forgotten 
 blessings, and realized there are some things more 
 to be desired than much coarse gold. 
 
 In the chemistry of life the reaction of a soul 
 sometimes makes speech imperative and com- 
 panionship the only preventative of utter insanity. 
 
 The younger man broke the silence with a 
 question that was characteristic of Western 
 frankness in general and a prospector's straight- 
 forwardness in particular. 
 
 "Well, Highfinger, what do you think of the 
 45 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 prospect? Is it a real strike, or are we deceiving 
 ourselves? Do you suppose we'll be as good 
 looking skates as those fellows when we've been 
 dead a thousand years more or less?" 
 
 "Saxon, did you notice that big fellow with 
 the large eyes over to the left there?" 
 
 "Well, didn't I?" 
 
 "The expression on his face was living death. 
 If hell is any worse than that, I don't want to 
 be introduced, — wouldn't recognize it on the 
 street. He must have committed some crime, for 
 he had the look a criminal surely must have when 
 suddenly ushered into the presence of the Ever- 
 living God. His face was guilt, regret and re- 
 morse wrought into immortality. And that little 
 weazel-faced shrimp sitting on that slab of gold, 
 I'll bet he was a spy, detective, plain-clothes man 
 — deceit, fraud, cunning, petrified. He sure 
 looked the part." 
 
 46 
 
Highfingcr's Last Journey 
 
 The afternoon shadows were growing long 
 before they reached the "diggins" ; but an un- 
 usually rich pothole produced all and more tlian 
 was needed to complete the hundred thovisanti, 
 and the setting sun saw them ready for the return 
 to the Mystery Maid ; but the climb would be 
 long, the night dark, and they decided to wait 
 imtil morning. 
 
 Wrapped in their blankets, they watched the 
 afterglow fade into a perfect night. The mar- 
 velous charm of the twilight liour threw its name- 
 less spell over heart and memory till the stars 
 came out and God's own holy night silences filled 
 the interminable spaces and waslicd out all grime 
 and dust from a soul's desires. 'Twas such an 
 hour as brings to the surface the best of character 
 and conscience, plan and purpose, thought and 
 will, and sets friends to talking of things worth 
 while. 
 
 47 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 The old man had been talking of mother and 
 childhood days, and ended by saying: — 
 
 "This idea that childhood days are our very 
 best days is all foolishness and ought to be dis- 
 carded. Children have just as many troubles and 
 griefs to the cubic inch as grown-ups have. All 
 the difference is, their difficulties are shorter- 
 lived, also they have sense enough to run away 
 from them sooner. The last days will be the 
 best days for every human being, who lives right, 
 thinks right and acts right. I have been a careful 
 student of human nature for fifty years. I know 
 the prosperity of wealth and the prosperity of 
 poverty. I have tasted the adversity of wealth 
 and the adversity of poverty. There are two 
 eternal, unchanging laws that work in and for 
 every human being, — 'Compensation and Retri- 
 bution.' Sometime, somewhere, some way, in this 
 world, retribution will overtake the man whose 
 48 
 
Highfinger's Last Journey 
 
 plan and purpose and deeds are evil. The wages 
 of wrongdoing is death, and must, absolutely 
 must, separate from happiness here and now as 
 well as in eternity. Compensation will come to 
 every one whose plan, purpose and deeds arc 
 right. Life, sweet, refreshing, glorious, filled 
 utterly full of joy, is the fruitage of years for 
 every man's best effort. And God has given to 
 every man to know when he has done his best. 
 By this I do not mean that any life shall be 
 free from mistakes, because judgment based on 
 brains is full of error. But judgment based on 
 motive is mighty near infallible. The Great 
 Galilean pronounced a blessing for those who 
 hunger and thirst for the right, and promised 
 they should be fed. The fateful thing in the 
 theory of fatalism is that wrongdoing does bring 
 its own punishment. Insanity of heart is infinitely 
 worse than insanity of head. 
 49 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "I promised you one day that I would tell yovi 
 how I lost the fingers of this hand, and I guess 
 to-night is as good a time as will ever — 
 
 "Ghost of Flanders! Soul of Satan! What's 
 that?" 
 
 Both men sprang to their feet as a tongue of 
 Hame shot up from a rocky spur on the opposite 
 slope, quickly follo\red by a second. Then both 
 as quickly died, and only darkness reigned. 
 
 "Highfinger, u'hat does that mean?" 
 
 "Well, I guess it's the Yakis all right, and 
 the headlight of hell for iis. Just wait a few 
 minutes. If it is the Yakis, the summit of that 
 sharp peak will tlame shortly. Look, there it 
 comes now!" And the flatnes rose twenty feet 
 high, even as he spoke. 
 
 "Well, my boy, it's the same thing that hap- 
 pened ten years ago ; but I didn't have an aero- 
 plane then, and I sorter think we'll go over the 
 50 
 
litghlingcr s Lcist Juuriicy 
 
 top with the Mystery Maid this time. It must 
 be close to midnight now, and we will just keep 
 quiet till the moon comes up about two, then 
 we'll make the climb to the De Haviland and 
 set her motors humming. 1 guess they'll have 
 some run for their gold, once we get the Maid 
 warmed up." 
 
 When the sun hurled his chariots of Hame 
 across the hills of Angustura, and bathed the 
 summits of Castile Leon with crimson glory, 
 Saxon and Highfinger slipju-d through the man- 
 zanite wall into the little park where the Maid 
 reclined. 
 
 Quickly dropping their bags of gold into the 
 pilot pit, Saxon laid his hand on the throttle, 
 A\hile more than fifty \\'arriors rose from the 
 very shadows of her wings. 
 
 With an oath Highfinger pulled his automatic, 
 
 51 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 but Saxon knocked his hand upward and the shot 
 went wild far up the mountain. 
 
 "None of that, Old Timer. I told you, when 
 I agreed to come with you, there must be no 
 bloodshed. I saw too much of that in Europe. 
 I'll not stand for any of it here. Maybe wt 
 can talk to these people, — show them that ring 
 and paper, and, if necessary, go with them to the 
 council chambers of the Iximaga. But we will 
 go with hands unstained by human blood. You 
 said you wanted to start a revolution in Mexico, 
 and I guess now is the time to start one of the 
 bloodless brand." 
 
 Saxon stepped out of the machine, faced the 
 Yaki leader and gave the Indian universal sign 
 of friendship. Instantly every warrior responded 
 with hands uplifted high, and in faultless Eng- 
 lish the leader spoke. 
 
 "Brothers from the Northland, from whence 
 52 
 
High finger's Last Journey 
 
 our fathers came to till the fertile soil that 
 slopes down to the friendly shores of the Aztec 
 Sea, we have a tradition from our fathers that 
 sometime the House of Iximaga will be given a 
 leader who will show how our treasures of gold 
 may be used for the good of all mankind. Until 
 that leader comes we must guard them well. 
 When, seven days agone, we saw the white 
 wings of this wondrous falcon bring you here, 
 we trusted you might be our messengers of hope 
 and truth and love. Tell us now by what right 
 you attempt to carry off our gold? The ring 
 we know. It is from our prince, and we will 
 honor his long-delayed message. Come with us 
 to the leaders of our people, the hogans of our 
 aged Iximaga of Truxlan, and whatever is right 
 and fair between man and man we will do." 
 
 "Highfinger, what do you say to that program? 
 What will you do?" 
 
 53 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "Well, I'm civilized. I'd go the way and do 
 the things that civilization has done for a thou- 
 sand years. I'd take some of that T. N. T. and 
 blow these bronze beauties into the happy hunting 
 grounds and let them go on with their hunt, 
 and I'd head the Mystery Maid for good old 
 U. S. A. The 'Force of Fight' is my way, — the 
 way of all brains. But maybe the 'Force of 
 Fairness' is better, — the way of hearts. I'll go 
 with you wherever the Yakis lead, even unto 
 the hogans of Iximaga. Let us hit the trail. 
 But I don't want any snapshots of Highfinger 
 eating out of the hands of a Yaki." 
 
 Tullan singled out ten of the younger warriors, 
 saying: "We will go by way of Hermosillo and 
 the Valley of the Oleanders. These others will 
 go by the shorter but rougher trail of Castile 
 Leon, and prepare the way for our coming, so 
 there may be no delay when we arrive." 
 54 
 
High finger's Last Journey 
 
 When the sun hung low above the western sea, 
 Tullan brought his band to a crj'stal spring 
 where fragrance of balsam and juniper freighted 
 the air and luscious berries ripened 'neath giant 
 ferns. 
 
 Highfinger's slumber was troubled with 
 dreams, and several times Saxon caught one 
 word, — half spoken, half-breathed, — "Bessie." 
 
 By noontide the next day they dropped a thou- 
 sand feet through chaparral and manzanite to a 
 small stream in a narrow valley, and camped 
 for the night by a white gravel-bottomed pool 
 and refreshed their weary bodies with a plunge 
 in the healing waters. After a supper of dried 
 fruits, roasted grains, nuts and honey, Highfinger 
 and Saxon sat on slabs of onyx and alabaster, 
 dipping their feet in the laughing stream, while 
 Highfinger told his life story. 
 
 "My real name is Ben Carson. I was born 
 55 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 in old Virginny, far up on the head waters of the 
 James River, not far from Clifton Forge. My 
 father was a well-to-do farmer, and my particular 
 boyhood chum, Spot Black, was the son of a 
 banker in Glen Wilton. Spot was three years 
 older than I, and most of the time was a royal 
 good fellow, but had moods or seasons every year 
 when he seemed possessed by the very devil of 
 mischief that finally developed into viciousness. 
 The fascination of his deviltry and daring smoth- 
 ered conscience, paralyzed will, and held me his 
 chum even after my mother and my own judg- 
 ment warned me of disaster. When I was eigh- 
 teen, Spot went to Richmond, and I courted 
 Bessie Conway, a beautiful, orphaned girl who 
 clerked in Wilton's general store. I loved Bessie 
 more than everything else in all the world, except 
 myself, and she promised to be my wife. Mean- 
 while Spot wrote daily letters of such easy money 
 56 
 
Highfingcr's Lost Journey 
 
 and furious fun to be had in Richmond that 1 
 decided on a short visit with him, secretly in- 
 tending to remain there if easy money could come 
 my way. Spot feasted me at high-toned res- 
 taurants with wines and champagne, and took me 
 to luxurious rooms which I soon discovered was 
 a part of the 'Scarlet Way,' and that Spot was 
 its patron devil and ruling spirit. In a week I 
 was ruined, body, soul and spirit, racketing down 
 the hot pavements to the hell of a diseased body 
 and corrupt mind. Returning to Glen Wilton, 
 Bessie and I were soon married, my father gave 
 us a beautiful cottage for a wedding present, I 
 had a good position, and we had almost two 
 years of heaven. Then our baby was born, 
 blotched with disease and totally blind. A merci- 
 ful God spared Bessie from infection. Baby died, 
 and we buried the little body in the old church- 
 yard at Glen Wilton. The day after the funeral 
 57 
 
DallciZ(j!i(L 
 
 I came home to luncheon a few minutes late. 
 Bessie, more beautiful than ever before, wore a 
 dress that belonged to her courtship days. The 
 bells of doom seemed sounding in my soul, and 
 somehow I knew the gates of living death and 
 deathless hell were wide open for me and I must 
 go in. 
 
 "After lunch, during which scarcely a word 
 was spoken, Bessie lifted her wondrous ej^es to 
 mine across the table, and, with infinite tenderness 
 in her voice, she said: 'Mr. Carson, I have ac- 
 cepted my old place at the store and am going 
 to work there to-morrow. My trunk, with all 
 that is mine, I have sent to my old room at 
 
 Mrs. , where you courted me. Clothes and 
 
 keepsakes you gave me you will find in j'our 
 bedroom. I'm sure you will find all of them 
 there. I dare not trust my soul and will not 
 give my body to a man who outrages every 
 58 
 
Ilighfingcr's Last Journey 
 
 attribute of womanhood and worse than murders 
 his own child before it is born. I have filed 
 divorce proceedings with the Ever-living (jfod. 
 When Judgment Day arrives and your case is 
 called, I will meet j'ou in His eternal Judgment 
 Hall and plead my own case, UiUil then we are 
 strangers." 
 
 That afternoon I sold the cottage and deposited 
 the money in the bank in her name. That 
 
 evening I walked past I\Irs. 's home, and 
 
 through the window saw Bessie there, busy with 
 some fancy work as in the olden days \\'hen she 
 awaited my coming. Then I took the night train 
 for Richmond, intending to kill Spot. Together 
 the next evening we drove out to a lonely road, 
 and under the shadows of great trees I pulled 
 my gun ; but the cap snapped, and Spot knocked 
 me down with his own gun, bit off three fingers 
 from my hand, beat me to insensibility, and left 
 59 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 me to bleed to death, A passing stranger took 
 me to a hospital, where for weeks I raved in 
 delirium. Meanwhile Spot disappeared. Dis- 
 missed from the hospital, I went to Leadville, 
 Colorado, hoping to find him in the haunts of 
 crime and sin there, but was disappointed. Then 
 I turned to mining, and have chased the phantom 
 of fortune ever since. Three years ago I returned 
 to Glen Wilton for some days, and found Spot 
 had been there much of the time, but had left 
 a few days before I came, and I could get no 
 trace of where he had gone. 
 
 "Bessie was still there, a trained nurse, loved 
 and honored above any other woman in Glen 
 Wilton, still vigorous and wondrously beautiful. 
 I saw her often and tried to count the measure 
 of happiness I might have had set over against 
 the cup of Damnation my sin had pressed to my 
 lips for more than thirty years. No one else 
 60 
 
Highfinger's Last Journey 
 
 ever recognized me, and, if she ever guessed who 
 I \\"as, she gave no sign, and 1 came as I went, 
 a stranger and an outlaw in the land of my 
 birth. So much for the past. Now for the 
 future. 
 
 "Last night my sleep was troubled. I had a 
 hunch that my time has come. I wanted the 
 hundred thousand for two reasons. First, I want 
 to deposit fifty thousand dollars in Glen Wilton 
 bank for Bessie, to insure comfort for her last 
 days. With the other fifty thousand I have 
 planned to search for Spot. If I live, I'll surely 
 find him. And, when I do, all the miseries and 
 sorrows and punishments of hell will be delightful 
 pleasure compared with the grief and calamity 
 I'll make him heir to. If something does happen 
 to me to-morrow, as I believe, and these Yakis 
 ever do let you go, the Mystery Maid and fifty 
 
 61 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 thousand are yours; but you must attend to the 
 fifty thousand for Bessie first." 
 
 Next day noon found them camped in a grassy 
 glen in the shadows of giant cliffs, where the 
 Hermosillo road crosses the little stream. 
 
 While they rested and talked in Nature's pic- 
 turesque parlors, a woman's voice crying "Ixi- 
 maga! Iximaga!" pierced the air, and a fusillade 
 of shots rattled beyond the turn of the road. 
 A few moments later an Indian pony with gold- 
 mounted saddle and bridle dashed across the 
 stream. Tullan caught the flying mustang, 
 snatched a woman's garment streaming from the 
 pommel, examined it for an instant, and shouted : 
 "The Princess Iximaga! For the Love of God, 
 Americanos, help!" 
 
 Saxon and Highfinger led the band around the 
 jagged rocks, where, huddled against a mighty 
 boulder, were three women, while half a dozen 
 62 
 
Highfinycr's Last Jounicy 
 
 Vakis battled fiercely with twice as many Mexi- 
 cans, led by two white-skinned outlaws, one of 
 \\"hom wore a mask. 
 
 "Ben Carson, your hour has come," shouted 
 the masked bandit as he hurled himself with 
 terrific force upon Highfinger. The desperate 
 attack sent Highfinger reeling backwards, but he 
 parried the Hashing blade and countered by a 
 downward thrust that cut the outlaw's left ear 
 entirely off, and left a crimson streak far down 
 his breast. At the same time, with the long 
 bony finger of his left hand, Highfinger pulled 
 the bandit's mask away, revealing the murderous 
 face of Spot Black, livid with insane rage. 
 
 "Hurrah for Hell! Spot, you're almost there," 
 shouted Highfinger, as his blade gouged Spot's 
 left eye out and sliced his nose and lips away. 
 Spot's shirt was ripped to shreds, his long hair 
 clotted with blood, his left arm sheared to the 
 63 
 
Dalleszojia 
 
 bone, still he lunged, desperately, blindly, on, 
 till a terrific downward blow plunged High- 
 finger's blade into his heart. As he fell forward 
 in death, his knife severed Highfinger's jugular 
 vein and sent him fiercely to the ground. 
 
 Saxon lifted the old man's limp form and 
 carried it to the stream. As he bathed the ashen 
 face, consciousness returned for a few moments, 
 a ghastly smile played around the bloodless lips 
 as he whispered, "We only need the fifty thou- 
 sand for Bessie now, for I have a hunch Spot 
 has met with a fatal accident." 
 
 Then, without sound of wings or footfall, the 
 old man slipped into the long trail whose far- 
 flung heights await us all. 
 
 64 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 The Road to Truxlan 
 
 When the morrow's sun flashed life and new- 
 born hopes across a hemisphere and settled a mist 
 of gold all o'er Lastuna's hills, Saxon laid a 
 wreath of that sweetest of all flowers, the desert 
 rose, upon the new-made grave beneath the 
 oleanders, and with his hunting knife etched the 
 old man's initials upon the granite cliff, then 
 standing, with face uplifted, in quiet strength 
 listened to the voice of the little stream as it 
 dropped over a boulder reef, dimly wondering 
 the while what the day would bring and how 
 his strange adventure should end, now his old 
 friend gone and he must face the Yaki chieftain 
 alone. 
 
 Suddenly a burst of wondrous music filled the 
 65 
 
Dalleszonn 
 
 glen, — such music as comes once to every man's 
 heart and sets his blood in waves pounding to 
 the very finger tips; such music as thrills the 
 very mystery of Heaven through his soul and 
 beckons his spirit to enchanted realms. A woman's 
 voice, clear, svv^eet, vibrant with overtones of 
 gladness, led the sunrise song of the Yakis ; and 
 Saxon forgot he was a stranger in a strange land 
 as he listened to that deep, full-throated song 
 thrilling with exultant joy. 
 
 As the voice gained in volume and register 
 and swelled in jubilant strains of the chorus to 
 triumiphal close, Saxon felt some old order had 
 passed away forevermore. All the yesterdays, 
 with their failure and heartache and struggle, 
 and laughter and tears and gladness and despair, 
 were gone. A new day with a new chance, with 
 better hopes and sweeter dreams sure of being 
 realized, seemed pressing upon him, and the 
 66 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 wonder of life arid living was so transcendently 
 beautiful, there could be nothing but rising tides 
 to bear him to summerlands of the soul. 
 
 As the last note echoed in ineffable sweetness 
 from the mighty walls of this "Garden of God," 
 the messenger of Tullan summoned him to the 
 presence of the Iximagan princess. With the 
 spell of the voice still upon him, he followed the 
 messenger toward the tent of the women. 
 
 The tent that had ser\'cd as a sleeping room 
 for the wompn was being taken down and pre- 
 pared for the pack train. The larger tent still 
 stood ; but the sides were lifted, and a splendid 
 bouquet of oleanders breathed subtle fragrance 
 everywhere. 
 
 Tullan greeted him warmly, and with an air 
 
 of expectant pride faced him toward a screen of 
 
 heavy, bright-colored silk, brocaded with forms 
 
 of birds, fruits and flowers. Only a moment 
 
 67 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 thus, when a jewelled hand brushed aside the 
 screen, and the Princess stood beside Tullan. 
 
 Surprised ! Well, possibly ; but the word does 
 not satisfy the condition. 
 
 Certainly Saxon was, not a stranger to woman- 
 ly beauty and feminine charm, for he had been 
 feted at brilliant receptions in Paris, London, 
 New York, Washington and New Orleans; but 
 here was the most entrancingly beautiful woman 
 he had ever seen. 
 
 A trifle above average height, weighing perhaps 
 a hundred and forty pounds; body well propor- 
 tioned ; waving black hair fine as silk, in shining 
 braids coroneted to a faultless head; blue-black 
 eyes lustrous as molten gold; full, tender lips; 
 complexion pink-bronze of health; cheeks with 
 hint af dimples; perfect chin that rounded to a 
 matchless throat, swelling to a voluptuous bosom ; 
 grace incarnate in look and action; wide richly- 
 68 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 colored sash at waist, with splendid reboso of 
 wine-colored silk thrown over her shoulders, an 
 uncrowned queen of original American blood, 
 justly proud of the generations of ancestors who 
 had survived the most brutal persecutions the 
 world has ever known, and preserved kindness, 
 gentleness and honor as the greatest heritage of 
 her race, she stood before him, the Creator's 
 masterpiece of beauty and loveliness. 
 
 As only an Indian maiden can look, — yea, al- 
 most as God can look, — beyond soul and sense, 
 brain and eye, into the heart and will, she gazed 
 at Saxon more than a minute, her hands linked 
 in friendship's sign, then smiling, spoke : — 
 
 "Mr. Saxon, yestermorn you were an unwel- 
 come stranger in Yaki land, but you and your 
 friend have saved more than my life; and now, 
 with all my heart I welcome you as guest of 
 honor to children of America's most ancient 
 69 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 people, — the Toltecs, — whose highest national 
 ideal was peace, and whose greatest individual 
 enrichment was kindness. 
 
 "You are perfectly free to return to your 
 flying wonder on the mountain if you wish to 
 do so with all the gold you have taken ; but you 
 can gladden my heart beyond measure if you 
 will go with us to the home of my father, and 
 learn something of the spirit and purpose of my 
 people, small remnant of the once glorious 
 Iximagas." 
 
 In accord with centuries of Yaki custom, 
 Tullan led the way, while the Princess and Saxon 
 rode side by side ; and the way was a new way 
 for each of them, though the Princess had been 
 over the road many times. 
 
 The southern end of the Hermosillo road 
 brought them over a soft, sand wash, bordered by 
 jagged hills and scant vegetation for some miles, 
 70 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 then climbed by rugged grades to Cactus Mesa, 
 — a broad savanna that stretched for a hundred 
 miles south by east, indescribably beautiful now 
 with bloom of desert rose and townships of 
 golden poppies. 
 
 A few miles from the northen border of Cactus 
 Flat lies Oleander Valley, a narrow, winding 
 gash in mother earth, with perpendicular walls 
 of basalt and bed smooth as a floor, where 
 oleanders bloom under stately sycamores, and 
 Imnets and wild canaries make music all the day. 
 Into this valley they descended, and, turning 
 to the left, journeyed all day long. When the 
 afternoon shadows lengthened, they came to a 
 laughing spring that leaped from a perpendicular 
 clifif to a great pool, but soon disappeared among 
 broken rocks. Here they camped for the night. 
 When the setting sun flamed a trail of fire 
 across the Mother Sea and the afterglow kissed 
 71 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the velvet sky into nameless beauty, the Princess 
 and Saxon climbed a rugged trail to the rim of 
 the valley above the laughing waters, while the 
 purple twilight breathed its magic charm over a 
 languorous world and peopled the unbordered 
 distances with messengers divine. 
 
 "Whence came the Iximagas? May I know 
 somewhat of the manner of their coming?" 
 
 'Twas Saxon speaking, and his eyes, if you 
 could have come close to them, had a questioning, 
 hungry look, as if the answer to his question had 
 possibilities of life and death. 
 
 The question, so direct and compelling, startled 
 the Princess; but, turning her wondrous eyes, 
 now full of friendly interest, full upon him, with 
 inquiring gaze that seemed to say, "You have 
 asked a great deal, but I feel you can be trusted," 
 she said. "Yes, I will show you the memory 
 tablets of a once mighty race. 
 72 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 "More than two thousand years ago my an- 
 cestors dwelt in a garden of deh'ght, where the 
 swift flowing Orontes sparkles through vine- 
 yards and orchards, drops through the giant 
 cedars of Libanus, and flows through fertile 
 fields where morning and evening the air is 
 heavy with fragrance of myrtle trees spiced with 
 tang of juniper and balm of Gilead, then winds 
 its way through plains bespangled with rose of 
 Sharon and lilies of the valley, to pour its 
 crystal flood into the Great Sea. This homeland 
 was a pleasant land for centuries, and they were 
 loath to leave it; but, weary of wars that de- 
 vastated lands and wasted cities, more than ten 
 thousand young couples, with high resolve and 
 strong determination, set out to find a new land, 
 somewhere on God's great earth, where they 
 might plant a new civilization, based on Right 
 
 73 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 and Justice, and maintain ideals of kindness, 
 gentleness and truth. 
 
 "Towards the rising sun they traveled, over 
 wasting sands, tremendous plateaus and match- 
 less lowlands, even unto the shores of the Mother 
 Sea. Then northward the star of hope led them 
 on to frozen lands, then eastward along a narrow 
 stretch of barren plain by whose southern shore 
 flowed a resistless flood of waters, warm from 
 tropic seas, but whose northward shore was ice- 
 bound far as the eye could reach. Eastward 
 they came to an ever widening and uninhabited 
 land of forests, filled with game and swift flow- 
 ing streams that gave sense of security and home. 
 Twelve times the moon waxed and waned, then 
 for days on days and still more days the earth 
 groaned and trembled, ocean tides boomed and 
 thundered, high mountains sent forth tongues of 
 flame, lowlands rose and fell, until nameless 
 74 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 terrors reigned everywhere and all things seemed 
 doomed to chaos. When Nature's travail was 
 ended, the bridge of land they had crossed was 
 broken into islands, and return, even if desired, 
 was impossible. Our God had given us a new 
 land, and no enemy was there to make war; and 
 highest hopes and better days filled every heart, 
 as our people journeyed southward. 
 
 "In the lands from whence you come, — 'Ari- 
 zona,' you call it, but known to our people as 
 the 'Sunshine Parlors of the Great Spirit,' — my 
 people digged water-ways, created gardens of 
 fruit and flowers and grains, with homes of 
 plenty. Oleanders bloomed, pomegranates rip- 
 ened, peace and contentment ruled, and the Ixi- 
 magas became a mighty people. Grown to mil- 
 lions, colonies were planted south and eastward 
 on the shores of the great baj'. Ever southward 
 our civilization streamed, growing in splendor 
 75 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 and power, until luxurious ease and idleness 
 became the ruling passion and a mania for 
 pleasure coursed through brain and body, and 
 God, our God, who had blest us beyond our 
 wildest dreams, was forgotten. The form and 
 ceremonies of godliness crowded our temples and 
 enriched her altars, but the spirit of brotherhood 
 had departed and our glory was gone. 
 
 "Then came the scourge of desolation, — the 
 Aztecs, offspring of scythian witches and Tartar 
 outlaws, — the Huns of America. How they 
 came only the Great Spirit knows, but they fell 
 upon all that our hands and brains and skill had 
 wrought. Cunning as spiders, fierce as demons, 
 they drove us from our cities, seized our farms, 
 set up altars for sacrifice of blood to their gods 
 of war, and my people fled across the Cordilleras 
 to the valleys and mesas of this great land. 
 Meanwhile pestilence, famine and earthquake 
 76 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 had brought desolation to northern lands, and the 
 remnant of our people there joined us here, and 
 again peace and plenty beckoned us on. 
 
 "That was seven hundred years ago. Where 
 your airship now rests was then a splendid lake. 
 This cactus covered mesa was a wide spreading 
 wheatfield, sloping down to the arms of the 
 Toltec gulf, which was much wider then and 
 extended a hundred miles farther north. 
 
 "A hundred years rolled swiftly by in 'Old 
 Mescal.' Our architects were busy with plans 
 for great temples of worship, plazas of peace and 
 pleasure, and pyramids for our dead. Abundant 
 harvests were gathered, and great fiestas of glad- 
 ness were on all over the nation. Then far to 
 the north and west Sunset Mountain shot forth 
 hissing flames a thousand feet high. A heavy 
 stream of black oil burst from the mountain's 
 base and overspread the entire inland sea. There 
 77 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 were thunderings, lightnings and an earthquake; 
 the oil caught fire ; a barrage of flame rolled in 
 tremendous cascades down to the very gates of 
 the Mother Sea, This mountain, Castile Leon, 
 belched smoke and lava ; the lowlands along the 
 coast were lifted up ; our wheat fields were baked, 
 our lake drained by underground channels. 
 Thousands of our people perished from hunger, 
 fear and black plague, and the remnant sought 
 refuge in the vales of Truxlan. Then the 
 Spaniards came, broke the Aztec power, and the 
 Toltecs had some measure of freedom and peace. 
 Now courage and hope is strong as in the olden 
 days in the hogans of the Yakis, and the House 
 of Iximaga believes the long dark night of 
 humiliation will soon be ended and the dawn of 
 a better day is at hand, — a day when the foolish, 
 cruel rule of this hybrid nation — Spaniard and 
 Aztec — will be broken, and a wise and just 
 78 
 
The Road to Truxlan 
 
 civilization worth}' of this generous, genial sunny 
 clime, will hold lasting sway from Rio Grande 
 to Yucatan and from the Mayan gulf to the 
 Mother Sea." 
 
 Inspired by the splendor and sweep of the 
 deathless passion of her people for highest ideals, 
 and thrilled with hope of speedy consummation 
 of immortal dreams, the fair Iximagan seemed 
 transformed and radiant with spiritual power 
 and loveliness. 
 
 In the morning she had appeared to Saxon 
 transcendently beautiful. Now in the deeps of 
 his soul, every vestige of racial prejudice swept 
 away, he knew that of all women she was the 
 only one who, walking by his side, could make 
 his life's pathway luminous with joy forevermore. 
 
 A tiny thread of flame shot up from the camp 
 under the sycamores far below, and one of the 
 tents glowed from lighted candles within. 
 79 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "Look," said the Princess. "Tullan has 
 kindled our watch-fires, and Vestal and Cas- 
 sandra are chanting the Toltec vesper hymn. 
 
 "Come, let us go." 
 
 80 
 
Saxon Meets Iximaga 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 Saxon Meets Iximaga 
 
 Ascending from the Valley of Oleanders the 
 following morning, Tullan led them across a 
 heavy lava flow to a narrow ridge, or headland, 
 that commanded a perfect view of the Valley 
 of the Yakis, the Vale of Tuxlan and the hogans 
 of Iximaga two thousand feet below and more 
 than twenty miles away. Eastward were low 
 hills and wooded slopes. 
 
 The valley itself lies in the form of a tre- 
 mendous quadrangle. Across the northern end 
 were three cities ; in the center of the valley stood 
 the capitol of the tribe, with the gleaming white 
 hogans of Iximaga in bold relief; while across 
 the southern end, terraced to the very base of 
 perpendicular, phonolite clififs, lay six villages 
 81 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 with scores of towers gleaming like burnished 
 silver. 
 
 As Saxon, with the trained eye of the aviator, 
 surveyed the marvelous panorama, he caught the 
 impression of a magnificent temple, the coloring 
 of the cliffs at the extreme southern end, with 
 the checker-board of villages at the base, lending 
 the effect of a tremendous pipe organ. Already 
 the valley was astir with human life. From 
 north and south long lines were forming and 
 moving toward the center of the western side, 
 where the road dropped from the broad shoulders 
 of Castile Leon to the far-spreading lowlands, 
 then ran straight as a line of light to the hogans 
 of Iximaga. Along this road the lines of wel- 
 come were forming to receive the Princess and 
 her rescuer, the messenger of the white-winged 
 falcon of the skies. 
 
 "Let us wait a little season," said the Princess. 
 82 
 
Saxon Alceis Ixiiiiaga 
 
 " 'Tis such a moaning as I have seen the mirage 
 work wonders, and I wish you might view our 
 homeland under the charm of its creative magic." 
 Scarcely had she finished speaking when the 
 viewless hands of this miracle worker began to 
 weave form and color across the northern end 
 of the valley. Steel-blue towers with girders, 
 bands, trusses and Alhambran arches climbed in 
 rich profusion to dizzy heights. Homes, business 
 blocks, temples, forums, plazas, market places, 
 domes, turrets, spires, altars, pyramids, rose in 
 splendid proportions, until the entire valley was 
 teeming with all the life, splendor and artificial 
 architecture of the great engineers of America's 
 ancient empire builders, and the glories and 
 wonders of a mighty civilization was filmed upon 
 the wide-flung greens and terraces of the land of 
 the Manziyumas. Then the continental divide 
 far beyond seemed to dissolve and melt away into 
 83 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the lowlands that sloped down to the sparkling 
 waters of the Mayan Gulf, and the vast domain 
 of prehistoric realms took form and position, with 
 orchards, vineyards, maize-fields, forests, lakes, 
 rivers, cities and the multitudinous life of peace- 
 ful millions. 
 
 Once again the slides were changed in this 
 camera of the ages, and the forces of destruction 
 in entrancing but appalling pantomime played 
 upon the screen, — mailed warriors, swift footmen, 
 vast armies in fighting formation, — battle-axes, 
 and spears, lances and bludgeons, battling rams 
 and catapults, rivers of blood, sheets of flame, 
 burning cities, blazing temples, devastated homes, 
 women and children trodden down or fleeing 
 toward the western hills, famine, pestilence, war, 
 — war, — war, — hell on every side, a vast cauldron 
 of doom, boiling, swirling everywhere; Aztec, 
 Moundbuilder, Mayan, Tezcucan, Peruvian co- 
 84 
 
Saxon Meets Ixiinaga 
 
 horts, Inca leading on, Montezuma's battalion 
 legions charging down the steeps, an irresistible 
 avalanche of destruction. Then the Spaniards 
 came to complete the desolation with his greed 
 for gold. 
 
 As the mirage vanished, Saxon turned to his 
 companion. "Fair Iximagan, you have your wish. 
 Mine eyes have seen the glory of your people 
 and their desolation. I, too, believe their former 
 greatness must be restored. Surely the sufferings 
 and calamities, past and present, of this 'Garden 
 of God' have not been altogether in vain, and 
 with return of former ideals must come a golden 
 age of a race redeemed, with another chance to 
 work out blessings for a world." 
 
 The lustrous eyes of the fair Iximagan were 
 wondrously full of happiness, as she replied : "Call 
 me not Tair Princess,' call me 'Dalleszona' ; for 
 
 85 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 thus I am known to friends, and you are more 
 than friend." 
 
 Dropping through vast reaches of purple sage 
 into a \vinding canyon, Tullan led them through 
 a narrow defile, whence they suddenly emerged 
 into the Gardens of Castile Leon, with its laugh- 
 ing fountains, singing birds and grateful shade. 
 
 After light refreshments were served, while 
 the rest of the weary travelers laughed, chatted, 
 and listened to the restful merrymaking of the 
 feathered songsters, Dalleszona led Saxon to the 
 base of a precipitous bluff where a half-naked 
 Yaki kept watchful guard near a heavy screen 
 of bougainvillaea. At a sign from Dalleszona the 
 guard passed under the blooming mass and rolled 
 aside a heavy stone door. Passing the threshold, 
 the door rolled into place, and Saxon and the 
 girl were left alone in a dimly lighted corridor, 
 with walls of solid granite. 
 
Saxon Meets Iximaga 
 
 Saxon's nerves were tense as drawn steel 
 cords, for he had just h'stened to the story of 
 the final desperate stand of the Toltecs against 
 the Aztecs in this place long centuries agonc, 
 and how, four hundred years before, the Span- 
 iards had murdered hundreds of men, women 
 and children in this old garden in an attempt 
 to extort more gold and the location of their 
 treasure from them. However, he took the candle 
 from her hand and followed her along the cor- 
 ridor, until they arrived at another circular stone 
 door, and somehow his mind called up the 
 shriveled mummies in the gold-lined cave on the 
 other side of the mountain. Upon request of 
 Dallcszona, Saxon rolled the door aside, revealing 
 utter darkness. Stepping inside, again the door 
 rolled into place, and with difficulty he refrained 
 from screaming aloud. The girl touched the 
 candle to a torch that instantly flamed, lighting 
 87 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 up a great natural cave, the roof and sides fretted 
 with gleaming crystals in fantastic forms, while 
 half-sitting, half-reclining on gypsum benches 
 were scores of the illustrious dead of the Ixi- 
 magas, — the beauty and chivalry of the Toltecs 
 for two thousand years; Humanity's last pitiful 
 effort to abolish death; Mortality's voiceless cry 
 for immortality. Down the long aisle Dalleszona 
 led the way, the dust of ages, white, soft, and 
 fine as flour under their feet, gave no sound 
 save the muffled breathings as of souls crossing 
 "No Man's Land" to eternal realms, until they 
 came to another stone door. All of Saxon's 
 strength was required to roll it in the grooves; 
 but, once inside, he stood transfixed, amazed at 
 what he saw. Brilliant white light flooded 
 everywhere, falling in dazzling splendor upon 
 long rows of tables, benches and sideboards of 
 alabaster and onyx, reflected from prisms of pure 
 88 
 
Saxon Meets Iximaga 
 
 obsidian, sparkling on globes and shafts of chal- 
 cedony, and far down the splendid length shim- 
 mering in lustrous waves from matchless tapes- 
 tries of silken wool, and maguey fibre white as 
 the garments of righteousness in the apocalyptic 
 vision. 
 
 Upon the benches and tables were all manner 
 of copper tools, also rings, brooches, bracelets 
 and other ornaments of silver and gold, inlaid 
 with priceless gems in myriad shapes and beauty; 
 bronze tablets and copper shields side by side of 
 slabs of silver and gold, engraved with the history 
 and achievements of a great people for thousands 
 of years ; also brocaded curtains and screens, with 
 forms of birds, animals, flowers, fruits, grasses 
 and grains and trees in endless variety; medal- 
 lions, plaques, busts and bas-reliefs of both men 
 and women, immortal genii of a proud race 
 
 89 
 
Dallcszona 
 
 wrought into metallic beauty, untarnished by the 
 corroding hand of Time. 
 
 The thing that impressed Saxon most was the 
 utter absence of anything, or instrument, for 
 destruction, nothing to kill or maim or wound, 
 — no relic of war of any kind, but everything to 
 create, build up and make beautiful. 
 
 Entranced, Saxon forgot time and outside 
 things, and would have spent days and weeks 
 seeing and studying things, but Dalleszona called 
 him away. 
 
 "Some day we will return, and you may see 
 and learn all you wish of these, for I want you 
 to know that we have not always been a broken- 
 hearted, humiliated, almost hopeless people; but 
 now our escort is waiting. Tullan will be re- 
 quired to report, and present you to my father 
 soon. Besides, I know you will be interested in 
 
 90 
 
Sfixo/2 Meets Iximngn 
 
 many things along the white way to which we 
 must now be going." 
 
 As they turned into the "Sunbeam Rgad," 
 Dalleszona was in happy, brilliant mood, and the 
 life-giving contagion of her splendid presence 
 inspired the whole party to laughter and song. 
 Saxon joined as far as possible in all the gayety; 
 but above the cheer and charm of the wondrous 
 welcome a mighty struggle swept his spirit. 
 Even as aero-squadrons massed in battle-formation 
 above peaceful fields and silent woods, so the 
 immortal forces of the world's spiritual ideals 
 charged in bloodless contest 'gainst prejudice, 
 precedent and propriety. It was the age-old, 
 world-wide battle of love for a wonderful woman 
 in the heart of a man with hate of people, 
 customs and things dififerent from what he had 
 been accustomed to see and know. 
 
 As they neared the capitol grounds, the throngs 
 91 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 increased to tens of thousands; for the Yakis had 
 been summoned from every nook and corner of 
 Toltec lands, and the significance of the whole 
 gathering burst upon him with overwhelming 
 power. It was not only a welcome for their 
 princess, it was also a demonstration of the past 
 and a prophecy of the future. It was two thou- 
 sand years of history writ into life. It was a 
 nation's horoscope for centuries, — ^Yakis, half- 
 naked, filthy, despairing, broken as they had been 
 for four hundred years; Yakis with mortal terror 
 in face and eyes as they fled from the flaming 
 death of Aztecs; Toltecs, strong, proud, hopeful, 
 well clothed, peace, plenty, power, passion, pleas- 
 ure, poverty, with here and there in every group 
 faces of high resolve, eyes agleam with lofty 
 ideals and unmeasured purpose, — the flower and 
 fruitage, sweetness and greatness of two millen- 
 niums of mortal endeavor. Sunlight and shadow, 
 92 
 
Saxon Aleets Iximaga 
 
 joy and sorrow, laughter and crying, hosannas 
 and curses, — a photograph of long, long centuries 
 of a nation's life staged in human flesh, fire and 
 action. 
 
 As Saxon watched and sensed the whole pag- 
 eant, he wished as only a lover can wish, that 
 Dalleszona might see the mighty gatherings of 
 his fellow-countrymen in the United States and 
 catch the sweep and vision of their institutions 
 and progress. 
 
 As they approached the hogans of Iximaga, 
 Dalleszona dismounted and, with flying feet, 
 passed to the inner court, while Tullan led 
 Saxon to a grape-vined pergola beside a silvery 
 fountain. 
 
 In half an hour Dalleszona came with her 
 
 father and mother, — leaders of a nation. A 
 
 single glance compelled Saxon to admit to himself 
 
 he was in the presence of true greatness, — the 
 
 93 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 mother, sweet-faced, with the tender questioning 
 eyes of her people; the father, seventy years of 
 age, with the form and vigor of fifty, full six 
 feet tall, broad shouldered, deep chested, clean 
 limbed, massive head domed high in front, lu- 
 minous but kindly eyes. In all the gatherings 
 of Europe Saxon had never seen the superior of 
 this commanding American. 
 
 "My son, welcome to the land of the Toltecs, 
 the hogans of Iximaga, the heart of a once great 
 and still generous race. You must be weary with 
 long hours in the saddle. Come, we will have 
 refreshments." 
 
 The dining-room was narrow, but long. An 
 alabaster slab on a heavy pedestal of chalcedony 
 served as table. The seats were rustic, of man- 
 zanite and chaparral. All dishes were glazed 
 pottery, save some bowls of woven work for 
 fruit and nuts; but the knives, forks and spoons 
 94 
 
Saxon Meets Ixiinagn 
 
 were of solid silver, hand wrought and finely en- 
 graved. Several bronze medallions of famous 
 ancestors decorated the walls; but the thing that 
 attracted Saxon's close attention was a matchless 
 piece of tapestry, which served as a screen and 
 curtain at the far end, next to a sleeping room 
 where he was later taken. Seeing his eyes often 
 turned to the tapestry, Dalleszona said: "Come, 
 I will show you the work of my brother whom 
 your friend Highfinger buried in Lastuna Hills." 
 To his utter surprise it was not tapestry at all, 
 but a massive slab of snow white obsidian, inlaid 
 with a filigree of gold in network design. The 
 reverse side was painted with mineral indigo 
 extracted from metallic ores by chemical pro- 
 cesses, so true to nature's coloring that the whole 
 piece seemed a section of real sky flecked with 
 patches of cloud whose edges were tinged with 
 fire. As he studied this unmatched creation, let 
 95 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 it be set down to his eternal credit that Ben Saxon 
 was large enough to pay sincere homage to the 
 genius of this unsung American, now sleeping in 
 an unknown grave in the desert sage. 
 
 When the voiceless magic of semi-tropical 
 night breathed all subtle charms across this land 
 of legend and romance with its crumbling towers 
 and vine-covered walls, and the stars came out 
 in a low-arched sky blue as molten sapphires, 
 these two young people sat together near a low- 
 voiced fountain, and Dalleszona thrummed sweet 
 unnamed melodies of her ancient race from a 
 maitreown, and gave to Saxon the legends of the 
 Incas before Pizzaro came. 
 
 When Dalleszona bade him good-night, he 
 passed to his own room; but ere he disrobed for 
 the night he had distinct remembrance of three 
 things of vital importance for all coming days. 
 He had promised Iximaga that he would bring 
 96 
 
Saxon Meets Iximagn 
 
 the Mystery Maid to Truxlan; Dalleszona had 
 promised to joyride with him in the airplane; 
 and he had resolved to — but I guess he would 
 not want me to write that now. 
 
 97 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 The next morning Saxon and Tullan went 
 alter the Mystery Maid, taking the shorter, 
 rugged trail across the shoulder of Castile Leon. 
 
 l\illan led the way, wary, but silent, after the 
 fashion of his people. Saxon was busy trying to 
 plan a future with Dalleszona, but finding no 
 way to get her out of the land of her nativity, or 
 separate her from her people, 
 
 Tullan was a splendid fellow. Iximaga was 
 worthy of all respect and admiration. Dalleszona 
 was perfect, with new and wonderful charms 
 coming to light in unexpected ways. But her 
 people ! Bizmillah ! In truth, most of them 
 were a filthy, mangy, hopeless bunch. How could 
 he ever come to recognize them as equals, asso- 
 98 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 ciates, friends, brothers, family relatives. Then 
 there would come the tiash-vision of Toltec 
 greatness and real grandeur in bygone ages, as 
 proved by the historic treasures he had seen in 
 the art gallery in the old garden, and with it 
 Dalleszona's faith-dream of restoration. And 
 Saxon was forced to admit the dream might be 
 realized under proper leadership, and also that 
 the leader of such an accomplishment would reap 
 the largest harvest of personal satisfaction and 
 insure to himself the largest possible measure of 
 worldly honors, and possibly become the stabilizing 
 factor that should save civilization from the 
 sweep of unrest and impending chaos which might 
 precede the reconstruction of nations emerging 
 from the wreckage of the Great War, because he 
 could clearly see it would be far more difficult 
 to secure united effort of people for rebuilding 
 the world's fortunes than it was to inspire them 
 99 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 for war. And beyond this. How could he go 
 away and ever be happy, remembering this beau- 
 tiful, talented girl, held in the bond of race, 
 working steadfastly on to certain failure and 
 infinite sorrow if no efficient leader appeared for 
 her people. Of course he could return to the 
 United States with the fifty thousand dollars for 
 a start, and after the fashion of his people he 
 could probably accumulate vast wealth; but he 
 had already seen enough of the world to know 
 that, while money could buy many comforts, 
 wealth was absolutely powerless to buy happiness 
 of heart or satisfy the craving of love. 
 
 Thus he battled with this personal problem as 
 he fled along the trail behind the swift-footed 
 Tullan. One moment, hot with wrath with 
 himself for ever listening to Highfinger's dreams, 
 then thankful and glad as he recalled the de- 
 liverance he had helped to give to Dalleszona. 
 100 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 Finally he fell to wondering what Ixiniaga had 
 in mind when he said he wanted to talk business. 
 Was it possible Iximaga would offer to him the 
 work of restoring the Toltec nation? But even 
 this alluring prospect was soon banished from 
 his mind. 
 
 The trail they had followed up the long ridges 
 now led them into a small glen. Skirting a small 
 clear lake they came upon the ruins of a mag- 
 nificent temple facing the lake. Immediately to 
 the rear of the ruins lay a small crescent of land 
 entirely flanked by a natural amphitheatre suf- 
 ficient to seat many thousands of people. In fact, 
 the place had been a national forum for the 
 Toltecs in the age of their splendor and power, 
 and had been dismantled by the Aztecs centuries 
 before. 
 
 For an hour Saxon wandered around this 
 fascinating ruin, but never dreamed of the tre- 
 101 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 mendous influence this place would have upon 
 his own and the world's future. But the pos- 
 sibilities of its restoration occupied his thoughts 
 until they reached the De Haviland. 
 
 For the return trip they sailed due east along 
 the northern line of Yaki land for many miles, 
 finally landing at Southrown, where waters of 
 mineral springs flowed into spacious granite tanks, 
 and refreshed themselves with bathing in the 
 healing waters. But the thing that interested 
 Saxon most was several heavy springs of high- 
 grade petroleum in a vast basin not far from the 
 hot springs, and could be easily turned into com- 
 mercial fortune. 
 
 That evening Iximaga very carefully examined 
 the mechanism of the Mystery Maid, and asked 
 many questions as to cost of manufacture and 
 possibilities of service. 
 
 The next day Dalleszona and Saxon sailed 
 102 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 southward, and landed near the base of the ch"ffs 
 he had seen so marvellously outlined by the 
 mirage. For several hours they explored the 
 quarries of onyx and alabaster, also the gem 
 mines where beryl, chalcedony, tourmaline and 
 rubies, amethyst and emerald, obsidian and tur- 
 quoise veined with wire gold lay in rich abun- 
 dance through immense ledges. Here were pre- 
 cious stones sufficient to enrich a world beside 
 which all the accumulated jewels of Europe and 
 Oriental royal courts paled to insignificance. 
 
 When the afternoon shadows lengthened, the 
 De Haviland soared above the clillfs and once 
 more headed southward. For miles they hovered 
 over a winding, rocky chasm which finally 
 emerged into a far-reaching valley, enriched with 
 orchard, vineyard and meadow lands, — a land 
 that for two hundred and fifty years had been 
 held by the Yakis under grant from Spain, but 
 103 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 under the rule of Diaz's covetous eyes had been 
 fastened upon it, and thousands upon thousands 
 of the fairest and best of Yaki sons and daugh- 
 ters had been and were still being sold into 
 slavery by the Mexican government, to wear 
 their lives away in the sisal hemp fields of Yu- 
 catan, whence comes the binder twine for the 
 harvest fields of U. S. A, 
 
 With streaming eyes Dalleszona told of the 
 despoiling of homes, breaking up of families and 
 confiscation of lands of her people, and finally 
 asked: "Oh, Mr. Saxon, why can't your great 
 people and mighty government that went across 
 the seas to right humanity's wrongs in Europe, 
 Oh, why can't they put an end to human slavery 
 in this fair land? Oh, can't you find some way 
 to break the spell of darkness that still hangs 
 threatening above the pathway of the Toltecs 
 
 104 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 and paralyzes the very fountains of ambition for 
 my people?" 
 
 Of course Saxon could not pledge anything 
 for his great nation, but solemnly, sublimely, 
 irrevocably he pledged his own life and effort to 
 answer the appeal of this uncrowned queen of 
 America. 
 
 The next day, and for many daj's, Saxon and 
 Iximaga passed mttny hours together in the 
 council chamber of the Yakis, and made several 
 trips to the cave of art and history treasures 
 which Dalleszona had opened for him in the 
 "Garden of Castile Leon." 
 
 Undoubtedly many, many questions of absorb- 
 ing interest were discussed, but only two things 
 became surely known. First, Saxon's parentage 
 and ancestral history, as far as known to himself, 
 were freely and fully given to Iximaga. Second, 
 Iximaga offered Saxon a salary of one thousand 
 105 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 ounces of gold per year for five years to become 
 the governmental agent and business manager of 
 his people, henceforth to be known as "The 
 Toltec Nation." 
 
 After a couple of weeks, during which Saxon 
 fulfilled his pledge to Highfinger, he returned to 
 Truxlan and undertook the most stupendous 
 task of modern times ; namely, the restoration 
 of a race to a rightful place among nations; the 
 redemption of a vast geographical domain from 
 the hand of chronic failure; and, finally, though 
 he knew it not then, the inspiration of a world 
 to deathless loyalty to a winning democracy. 
 
 The very day of his return, Dalleszona brought 
 to him the national flag of the Toltecs, a mag- 
 nificent creation of silk, wool and maguey fibre, 
 from their ancient looms, preserved through all 
 the centuries of Aztec and Spanish desolation, by 
 
 106 
 
Jn Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 Iximagan devotion, loyalty and sacrifice, even 
 unto death. 
 
 The colors were: the velvet blue of semi- 
 tropical skies, emblematic of God's protection and 
 a nation's trust and acknowledgment of Him; a 
 broad band of white speaking for peace and 
 friendship to all through the center; the lower 
 portion was perfect orange, token of resplendent 
 dawn of Hope and Progress. 
 
 As its generous folds floated upon the breeze, 
 and fluttered a thing of life above the vine- 
 wreathed hogans of Iximaga, shouts of joy and 
 surprise broke forth all over the village. It was 
 the first friendly flag many of them had ever seen, 
 and but few knew of its existence or what it 
 stood for; but every one knew it stood for some 
 change, so, wider, farther, louder swelled the cry, 
 until thousands filled the plaza and blocked the 
 streets. Briefly, Iximaga spoke to them of the 
 107 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 past and present, and what the flag meant to 
 them for the future. From lip to Hp and heart 
 to heart the joyful message was carried on, until 
 Saxon's blood tingled as when he had led his 
 aero-squadrons in fighting formation above the 
 poppies of Flander's field, and felt that at last 
 he understood that immortal line, — "Mine eyes 
 have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord," 
 — and sensed the power and spirit of an Ideal 
 to disenthrall a world, as, — 
 
 "All day long that free flag tossed 
 Over the heads of that Toltec host. 
 Ever its bright folds rose and fell 
 O'er loyal hearts that loved it well: 
 Till through the hill-gaps sunset light 
 Shone over it with a warm good-night." 
 
 Saxgn knew it was one thing to create en- 
 108 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 thusiasm by raising a flag, but a very different 
 thing to inspire a nation to live in steadfast 
 courage and loyalty to the lofty ideals that flag 
 emblazoned before an indifferent or hostile world. 
 He also knew the Mexican government would 
 mercilessly undertake to strangle this new-born 
 hope, and forever crush the passionate desire that 
 inspired it. The only question was, how soon 
 would the storm break? Could he get things 
 going and some measure of harvest reaped before 
 Recanza or Tucan or Lavill would fling forward 
 a hostile army. He also realized that back of all 
 governments of state, nation or race must be 
 homes, rich with desire for best things, hearts 
 white-heated with worthy ambitions. He also 
 believed these were latent in the Toltecs; but by 
 what process of spiritual alchemy could they be 
 translated into tremendous, persistent action for 
 individual and national upbuilding? 
 109 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 His first attempt was the restoration of the 
 Toltec dwelling-house. The effect was magical 
 and overwhelming in its grasp and power. 
 
 From specifications given him by Iximaga and 
 plans and detail drawings made by Dalleszona, 
 Saxon and Tullan fashioned the molds, ran the 
 cement for hollow walls, and built the bridge- 
 head above for suction fans that insured coolness 
 during the hottest days; also set the baths and 
 arranged the fountains for patios and lawns, in 
 accordance with ancient Toltec custom, while 
 lazy, unwashed, half-naked men and slovenly 
 women watched, smoked, scoffed or half-slept on 
 every side. But when completed, and the women 
 took the baths and felt the cool fragrance of the 
 porches, or stood before the splendid mirrors, the 
 spirit of civilization that wrought so mightily in 
 their ancestors came to life, and they rose up 
 with such resistless energy and unconquerable 
 110 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 desire that the men were swept into action; for 
 what a woman really desires with all her heart 
 she will find some way to get. Those women 
 suddenly wanted houses with baths and mirrors, 
 and they got them. 
 
 The contagion spread to surrounding villages, 
 and the travail of Saxon's soul was satisfied. 
 Dalleszona arranged a fiesta for women, and 
 they came by thousands. Everyone saw the new 
 hogans. Dalleszona saw to that. Desire flamed. 
 Good hogans called for lawns, lawns for clean 
 streets, streets for better roads. Men were put 
 to work in the seventh treasure, and a stream of 
 gold came forth to buy motor trucks and build 
 refineries for gasoline. The waste way of the 
 lake on Castile Leon was sealed with cemient, 
 and, when rain clouds swept from lake to gulf 
 as in olden days, tractors were set plowing the 
 Sahauro flats, and wheat fields that meant un- 
 lU 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 limited foods soon yielded abundant harvests. 
 Every man was allowed as much ground as he 
 could work for reasonable harvests, and the 
 universal decree was enforced that "He who will 
 not work shall not eat." But every one, whether 
 worker with brain or worker with hands, skilled 
 or unskilled, was deemed worthy of a living 
 wage; and all surplus of field, shop or mine was 
 purchased by the national government at a rea- 
 sonable price and used for the benefit of all. 
 
 Airships by scores and hundreds in all sizes for 
 carrying passengers and merchandise were pro- 
 vided with vacuum chambers to insure against 
 accident, and "Safety First" became a nation's 
 watchword. 
 
 Applied to conservation of human life it pro- 
 hibited public war or private fighting. In eco- 
 nomics, "Safety First" demanded one hundred 
 per cent production in all lines to insure against 
 112 
 
All Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 famine and pestilence. Socially, it stressed edu- 
 cation and conscience against ignorance and 
 degeneracy. 
 
 By means of these same airships provisions of 
 all kinds were quickly distributed everywhere, 
 and all surplus of grains and fruits carried to 
 warehouses for storage or shipment. 
 
 To further add to comfort and contentment, a 
 system of universal wireless telephones with re- 
 ceiving and transmitting device was installed in 
 every human habitation. Dictagraphs, too, were 
 provided for all business houses. Schools were 
 provided for all youth ; reading, writing, arith- 
 metic and geography were compulsory for all up 
 to twelve years of age. Beyond this every one 
 followed personal inclination as to mechanics, 
 farming, manufacturing and invention, etc., 
 everything in the realm of human improvement, 
 each according to ability, but no idlers, shirkers 
 113 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 nor favorites. Every one was perfectly free to 
 work himself to the limit of skill and industry, 
 but nobody could exploit his fellow man nor 
 monopolize any commodity or resource that might 
 be held for the benefit of all. The only aristoc- 
 racy recognized was kindliness and courtesy, 
 character and conscience. 
 
 Government was strictly a business proposition, 
 — a billion dolla'r corporation, administered by 
 the chancellor or manager, with a board of di- 
 rectors, limited to one term of efficient honesty. 
 But under Dalleszona's personal portfolio, "Wel- 
 fare of the Nation," all vital questions were 
 submitted to an electorate of the whole people, 
 and a majority vote decided whether a thing 
 should be carried as a "Public Utility" or as 
 a "Private Enterprise," — an absolute democracy 
 where the people forever held the sources of 
 power and procedure. 
 
 114 
 
Ati Interpreter of Dr earns 
 
 This program, pushed to the very hmit of 
 Toltec geographical boundaries, soon attracted 
 much attention from all nations, but created no 
 friction with the Mexican authorities because it 
 was not forced beyond territorial lines. How- 
 ever, Mexicans on adjacent lands, weary of war 
 that brought them nothing but misery and got 
 them nowhere except to the graveyards, soon 
 began to breathe the vital currents of this life- 
 giving contagion, and a large portion of Sonora, 
 Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tepic and Jalisco were in- 
 fected with the spirit of democracy, and San Bias 
 and Manzanillo had become mighty terminals for 
 steamship and airplane lines, carrying millions of 
 dollars of merchandise to and from South Ameri- 
 can ports, and the peon population of these dis- 
 tricts were openly soliciting an extension of Tol- 
 tec business methods and governmental policies. 
 In many cases the Toltecs were slow to respond 
 115 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 to these calls, and perhaps this very slowness had 
 made the peons more insistent. However, con- 
 siderable revenue inured directly to the Mexican 
 government, and the Toltecs were not molested. 
 
 Meanwhile, Saxon's splendid interpretation 
 of Toltec dreams and marvelous administration 
 and demonstration of democracy had so thor- 
 oughly developed and transformed the Toltecs 
 that physically, mentally and spiritually they were 
 beyond reproach, and Saxon had resolved that 
 the next requisition for slaves in the southern 
 province should not be honored. At the same 
 time he had no intention of going into battle, 
 except as a last resort, and even then only on 
 the defensive. 
 
 He had not long to wait for the test in his 
 courage. 
 
 Swift messengers soon arrived, bearing intel- 
 ligence that notices had been posted in the 
 116 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 southern province calling for three hundred boys 
 and two hundred girls, between fifteen and 
 twenty years of age, of Yaki or other Indian 
 blood, for service on the sisal plantations of 
 Yucatan. 
 
 The Mexican officials, profiteers and employ- 
 ment agents seemed to Iceep account of Yaki 
 youths, and it was next to impossible to remove 
 them from their homes, so Saxon determined to 
 appeal direct to the Mexican government. Ac- 
 cordingly, messages of protest were forwarded to 
 Racanza and General Rotanzo, who had acted 
 as military escort to kidnapped Yakis on former 
 occasions. 
 
 Insolent, defiant, arrogant, the answer was 
 returned by headquarters attache: — 
 
 117 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "Permanent Headquarters, 
 Grand Army of Mexico. 
 "Sir:— 
 
 "Under instructions of Mexican Governm,ent 
 you are informed that covenants and agreements 
 are binding only between equals, 
 
 "The Yakis hold all lands and privileges of 
 tribal relations by sufiferance of the Mexican 
 nation and are revocable at pleasure of said 
 government. 
 
 "Of Toltecs we know nothing and care less. 
 
 "Nine days from to-day, with five thousand 
 picked troops of the regular army of Mexico, I 
 will march through 'Terror Pass' into the 
 'Valley of Death.' 
 
 "You are hereby commanded to deliver, the 
 following morning, the five hundred Yaki youths 
 at our headquarters there. If you do not arrive 
 118 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 by eleven o'clock the next day, I shall proceed to 
 take them as on former trips. 
 
 "Finally, signed, Rotanzo". 
 
 Within twenty-four hours of receipt of above, 
 Saxon had communicated by wireless with every 
 village in the northern province, and ten thou- 
 sand Toltec youths between twenty-five and 
 thirty years of age were in waiting for orders to 
 sail by aeroplane for the mesa lands adjoining 
 the "Valley of Death" on the west, ready for 
 whatever action might be required. 
 
 The morning of the tenth day, at precisely ten 
 o'clock A.M., Saxon, Iximaga, Dalleszona and 
 Tullan anchored the Mystery Maid near a clump 
 of manzanite, and thirty minutes later a thou- 
 sand airplanes were arranged along the western 
 slope, and Saxon hoped by this splendid array to 
 command annulment of the slavery order. 
 119 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Under a flag of truce, Iximaga, Saxon, Dalles- 
 zona and Tullan walked down to the river bed, 
 where they were met by General Rotanzo and 
 staff; but the Mexican troops arranged along the 
 eastern bank of the river, could hear plainly, as 
 Iximaga intended they should. 
 
 After formal introductions Iximaga spoke: — 
 
 "Brothers, and I hope friends, we are here 
 pleading for peace and the right to live. We are 
 willing to concede lands and accumulated prop- 
 erty, personal belongings, — the fruit of toil, — 
 everything possible. But you are asking the im- 
 possible. Our sons and daughters cannot be 
 bought nor sold nor exchanged. Manhood and 
 womanhood are more sacred to us than gold or 
 gems. Human life cannot be treated as a pos- 
 session, now or ever. 
 
 "Long centuries ago my people possessed this 
 land from the Mayan Gulf to the Mother Sea. 
 120 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 Our power was broken, our homes despoiled. 
 We have suffered persecutions even unto death. 
 As long as there were vacant lands to go to, we 
 went to them. Now there is no land for us to 
 go to. We miust live here or perish. We desire 
 to live in peace; according to all others the same 
 rights we claim for ourselves. We do not covet 
 your lands. As long as your troops remain on 
 the eastern side of this 'River of Death,' you 
 are safe. If you come to our side to take our 
 people, we shall resist to the limit of power, the 
 last ounce of blood and body. With peace and 
 good will there is abundance for all. Without 
 these there is nothing for anyone." 
 
 As Iximaga ceased speaking, Saxon stepped 
 forward to address the soldiers on the river bank. 
 At sight of his rugged form and clean-cut face, 
 the cry of "Gringo! Gringo! Americano!" was 
 shouted down the lines, and wildest excitement 
 121 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 prevailed for a few minutes, then utter quiet and 
 closest attention. 
 
 "Fellow-citizens of a new world, I was born 
 on American soil. My parents are from Asia. 
 For two years I have battled in Europe for 
 humanity and democratic civilization. Now I 
 have cast my lot for life or for death with the 
 Toltecs, and am doing my utmost to help build 
 up a democracy founded on the proposition of 
 
 Equal Rights to All, Special Privileges to None, 
 
 "Hear me! For six thousand years this old 
 world has tried to settle its difficulties by war, — 
 fists, clubs, knives, arrows, lances, guns and 
 deadly gas. The farther we go along that road, 
 the worse for all. Why not try another way? 
 
 "My experience in Europe convinces me that 
 our trouble comes from false leaders. The 
 122 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 world's armies of the last five years left to them- 
 selves never would have begun slaughter. If the 
 kings, czars, emperors, kaisers, sultans, princes 
 and royal blood had been forced into the first 
 wave of battle, there would have been no war. 
 I believe your ofiicers to-day are to blame for this 
 battle array. If they had to lead, instead of 
 sending you into battle, there would be no battle. 
 
 "I challenge you ! Require j'our General and 
 stafif to be the first to cross this Valley of Death. 
 Why should you be sent to slaughter while they 
 remain in safety? You have all to lose, nothing 
 to gain." 
 
 Then turning to the Mexican general and 
 aides : — 
 
 "I promise you, gentlemen, that if any blood 
 
 is spilled to-day, yours will be the first. The 
 
 people I stand with will never try to enlarge 
 
 their present land holdings by conquest; but, if 
 
 123 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 you climb the western bank of this 'River of 
 Death,' every element of destruction we possess 
 will be brought to bear to preserve the lives and 
 honor of our sons and daughters. 
 
 "You have my answer. I am done." 
 
 Then the unexpected happened. 
 
 Throwing aside her aviator's hood and wine- 
 colored reboso, Dalleszona stood before the 
 mighty throng, her hair in shining braids, face 
 radiant with high resolve, eyes aflame and hands 
 outspread in tragic appeal, — a veritable flesh-and- 
 blood Goddess of Liberty clothed in shimmering 
 white, 
 
 "Fathers, husbands, sons, brothers, lovers all, 
 I challenge you to think of your mothers, wives, 
 daughters, sweethearts, and ask your souls what 
 they would have you do in this rugged and tre- 
 mendous hour. In the name of the womanhood 
 of a world, — that suffers first and most in war, — 
 124 
 
Jn Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 I ask you to throw down your guns, forsake the 
 paths of slaughter, murder and slavery, and make 
 glad and happy this garden land of God, and 
 lift high before a war-weary world the white 
 flag of Peace and Good Will among men. I 
 ask you to place, here and now, the cornerstone 
 of a civilization unstained by human blood, the 
 foundations of a democratic brotherhood which 
 shall inaugurate an era of progress as enduring 
 as the light of fixed stars, as far-reaching as the 
 longing of human hearts. Oh, I pray you, sol- 
 diers of this marvelous land, do not let the roll 
 of drum nor blast of bugle, or any other call to 
 organized loot and slaughter, sound sweeter in 
 your souls than the songs of happy wives and 
 mothers, or the voices of children playing where 
 the oleanders bloom in the valley and pome- 
 granate ripen on the hillsides. Love, cherish, 
 honor and protect the homes of this heaven-blest 
 125 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 land, and the womanhood of a world will call 
 you blessed, and you shall be — you shall be 
 blessed." 
 
 Saxon had not known of her intention to 
 speak; but, as he listened to her persuasive 
 appeal and caught the inspiring thrill of her 
 infectious enthusiasm, he felt she had never 
 appeared so divinely fair as now, in utter self- 
 forgetfulness, in an hour fraught with possibili- 
 ties of personal danger, pleading the inalienable 
 rights of womanhood, to Life, Liberty and the 
 Pursuit of Happiness in the homes of a world. 
 
 What the influence of her appeal upon the 
 general and staf? might be he could not hazard 
 even a guess; but, as they returned to the 
 Mystery Maid on the western slopes, there was 
 shouting and a babel of voices among the troops. 
 
 With powerful binoculars he could see the 
 officers riding and gesticulating along the fighting 
 126 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 lines, and with a strong but delicate dictaphone 
 caught the drift of tumultuous excitement. 
 
 Fully convinced that the officers and probably 
 part of the troops would make some attempt to 
 enforce the message of the government, Saxon 
 passed orders to the crews of a hundred bombing 
 planes to follow the movements of the Mystery 
 Maid. 
 
 At a quarter past eleven o'clock General Ro- 
 tanzo and about one hundred aides dropped into 
 the river bed, and a few minutes later appeared 
 upon the western bank on Toltec soil. At the 
 same time about a thousand troops marched in 
 fighting formation down into the river bed and 
 halted there. 
 
 Saxon knew the moment for action had ar- 
 rived. Without a moment's hesitation he set the 
 De Haviland's motors whirring, and, as the 
 Mystery Maid breasted the air, a hundred bomb- 
 127 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 ing planes swung into fighting formation with 
 flashing of wings and ^roar of propeller blades 
 terrible j'et thrilling to see. 
 
 From boyhood Saxon had been a lover of 
 peace ; but, whenever forced to fight, his program 
 was to fight as hard as possible, and this in- 
 struction was now given to the crews of the 
 bombing planes. 
 
 Saxon's plan of battle was to do all possible 
 damage to the invaders of Toltec soil, but in no 
 case to carry battle on to Mexican soil, so he 
 hurled his aero-squadrons in sets of four, at right 
 angles to the line of Rotanzo's advance. Passing 
 beyond the line of advance, the odd numbers 
 swung to the right, even to the left, each execut- 
 ing a double Immelmann turn and again joining 
 the attacking column, so that to the watchers in 
 the river bed there seemed to be an absolutely 
 endless supply of planes. 
 128 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 Like fiery thunderbolts these submarines of the 
 aerial ocean shot forward with headlights of 
 blazing power and red reflectors swung from 
 rudder bands, as spectre hosts from the pits of 
 the doomed, each manned by a mechanician, pilot 
 and two bombers. 
 
 At signal from Saxon the timed bombs filled 
 with bullets, brimstone and T. N. T. were 
 dropped from the pits, quickly followed by 
 chemical explosive bombs known only to Toltcc 
 laboratories. Tinue bombs bursting in air as well 
 as on the ground created havoc among the gene- 
 ral's staff; but, when the chemicals struck the 
 ground and became sheets of flame and rivers of 
 fire upon the earth, the destruction was appalling. 
 Literally, it was "Bullets and Brimstone," "Hail 
 and Hell." Horses plunged about in wild dis- 
 order, clothes of the officers and trappings of 
 saddles caught fire, and horses and riders fled 
 129 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 toward the river bed as living torches. But the 
 left wing of Saxon's air-legions had dropped a 
 line of bombs between them and the river bank. 
 Retreat was impossible. Also in addition to 
 bombs and flame, long lines or ribbons of in- 
 flammable films set with time fuse, that pro- 
 pelled themselves as fierce serpents through the 
 air or along the ground streamed from the 
 cavalry of the clouds. At regular intervals in 
 these films were acid capsules that struck and 
 burst as with stings of scorpions. Earth and air 
 became a maelstrom of destruction, cauldron of 
 death, a veritable inferno in which human beings 
 of flesh and blood could not live. Not a single 
 oflScer escaped. 
 
 Transfixed with horror as they gazed upon the 
 
 awful scene, the troops held their lines intact 
 
 until every ofl^cer had gone down to rise no 
 
 more, then consternation seized them, and they 
 
 130 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 fled in broken ranks and wildest confusion toward 
 "Terror Pass," closely followed by the soldiers 
 who had entered the river bed. 
 
 The Toltec victory was absolute and complete. 
 In fact, the fleeing, panic-stricken troops carried 
 such tales of "a sea of fire mingled with blood," 
 that the Mexican government could not secure 
 volunteers nor force drafted men to enter the 
 Yaki lands, and the Toltecs had peace and safety 
 as never before since the Aztecs pillaged their 
 cities and the Spaniards robbed their temples and 
 homes. 
 
 Dalleszona sat at Saxon's side through all the 
 battle, cheering him on, and rejoiced at the de- 
 liverance of her people ; but her woman's heart 
 was full of sorrow and tenderness for the Mexi- 
 can leaders who perished so miserably in the 
 "Valley of Death." 
 
 At her request all the bodies were carried 
 131 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 across the river channel and given decent burial 
 in Mexican soil, while she chanted in sobbing 
 tones that wondrously sweet melody of the 
 Toltecs for departing souls. 
 
 When they had returned to Truxlan, Iximaga 
 and Tullan went direct to the Administration 
 Building to set the automatic wireless working, 
 so the homes all over the nation might have the 
 cheer of the victorious action of the Toltec 
 legions in Death Valley, and carry to the south- 
 ern provinces the glad assurance that never more 
 v.ould their sons and daughters be sold into 
 slavery. 
 
 Dalleszona was so quiet and thoughtful that 
 Saxon took her for a stroll in the capitol gardens, 
 in hope of helping her to forget the awful battle 
 scenes that had so shocked her sensitive spirit 
 and still threw its shadows across her soul. 
 
 132 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 Scarcely were they seated in a fragrant pergola, 
 when she turned to him with intense earnestness 
 and said : — 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Saxon, I thank you with all my 
 heart and soul for the splendid deliverance you 
 have accomplished for my people to-day and 
 through the j^ears. And I am praying there will 
 be no more battles, ever, in this fair land of ours. 
 But that is not enough, and cannot be, unless the 
 rest of the world shall be led to the blessings of 
 peace and brotherhood. I want you to promise 
 me that, if you are elected chancellor at the 
 coming elections, j^ou will immediately enter 
 upon a program of world-wide peace education. 
 Begin with the children in the schools of all 
 nations with songs and movies that shall em- 
 blazon the spirit of love and brotherhood every- 
 where. Carry your peace propaganda to the 
 
 133 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 mothers of every tribe and tongue, and inspire 
 them with the mighty truth that it is infinitely 
 wiser to invest millions and millions in growing 
 a race of peace-lovers than to spend billions in 
 gatling guns and battleships to shoot bankruptcy 
 and murder around the world. Fling your air- 
 squadrons — white-winged messengers of peaceful 
 conquest — across the seas, and with your electric 
 films write upon the very heavens there, "Thou 
 shalt not kill." I believe this to be the heroic, 
 beautiful task for which America's greatest na- 
 tion has been given unlimited wealth and power, 
 and is now called upon to inaugurate. I assure 
 you the womanhood of the world will support 
 you with all her matchless powers, and is ready 
 now to fling herself with deathless loyalty into 
 this immortal campaign." 
 
 For a moment Saxon was staggered by the 
 immensity of the task; but, as he caught the 
 134 
 
An Interpreter of Dreams 
 
 splendor and sweep of Dalleszona's vision, hu- 
 man limitations seemed to melt away, and he 
 promised all that he was, or might be, to the 
 girl's inspiring call. 
 
 135 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 ToLTEc Trails 
 
 By old trail and bold trail, swinging toward the 
 
 dawn ; 
 By sky-trail and cloud-trail, ever luring on; 
 By heart-power and soul-power only may we 
 
 climb 
 The new trail, the true trail, to life and love 
 
 sublime. 
 
 How much of cheer and forgetfulness of war's 
 terrific scenes the hour in the park had brought 
 to Dalleszona, Saxon could not know; but his 
 own soul was refreshed and strengthened beyond 
 measure. Still, he was not in a mood to attend 
 to the affairs of ordinary routine, so did not 
 return to the administration ofiices that evening. 
 136 
 
Toltec 2' rails 
 
 The fascination of the tremendous program of 
 world hfe, peace and universal brotherhood, out- 
 lined by Dalleszona, thrilled and thralled his 
 soul with possibilities almost divine through the 
 twilight hour, and held him sleepless far into the 
 night. Even the next morning the beacon lights 
 she had kindled still glowed along the shores of 
 the Unknown with inspiring grandeur. 
 
 Her genius and enthusiasm had so completely 
 possessed him that he resolved to ask her to go 
 with him for a visit to the Old Garden, with 
 its treasures of art and romance of American 
 antiquities. 
 
 He found her in the fragrant pergola, busy 
 with some rolls of parchment, but clothed in 
 aviation garb. 
 
 "I knew you would come," she said, "and 
 have luncheon prepared. Oh, you men ! How 
 you boast of persistency and steadfast holding to 
 137 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 business and affairs of state; but, just the same, 
 let a woman disclose the fringe of a new fashion 
 in politics or religion, philosophy, art or love, 
 and you are completely consumed by curiosity. 
 Really, just had to come, didn't you? Now, sir, 
 I'm laying a wager that you did not sleep three 
 hours last night. Come, now, do you really feel 
 equal to an excursion in cloudland?" 
 
 "Well," he smiled back, "I always have some 
 governmental affairs to wrestle with!" 
 
 "Affairs of state! Yes, and you solved every 
 one of them, too, so have nothing to do to-day 
 except joy sailing." 
 
 "Well, we will let it go at that, so you may 
 bring the Mystery Maid around, and I'll show 
 you a new standard of holiday that will put a 
 crimp on all your stock of curiosity and former 
 vacations. I promise you, here and now, we are 
 off for a flight which will make you forget the 
 138 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 flavor of any affairs of state that j^ou ever con- 
 jured on Toltec soil." 
 
 Dalleszona took the wheel, and soon had the 
 powerful De Haviland speeding fast and high 
 toward the "Land of Unclouded Day." 
 
 "Now, ]\Ir. Chancellor, we are really on the 
 way, and I'm going to show you historic treas- 
 ures that will cause you to see visions and dream 
 dreams for centuries to come; for I expect some- 
 time in the great onrushing future, in realms 
 hcyond the shores of earth, your immortal law- 
 giver, Moses, will appoint you to a place with 
 his corps of celestial engineers, and you will be 
 pulling planets into position and arranging solar 
 systems in space, or, perchance, piloting blazing 
 mieteors along the shores of that vast abyss where 
 power creative never yet has energized and 
 existence still sleeps in the realms of Possibility. 
 
 "You know, in all ages, every nation, race and 
 139 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 people have had great leaders, — philanthropists, 
 prophets, lawgivers, because that is the way the 
 Eternal works out human progress. 
 
 "Nearly two thousand j^ears ago the Toltecs 
 were transfigured and glorified by an immortal 
 genius, Cholula Chimhueves; and to-day I will 
 show you his indestructible library, the greatest 
 of earth, and read for you some lines of his im- 
 mortal wisdom, which will yet blaze and brighten 
 across our thousand years of darkness." 
 
 As Saxon listened to this wild promise, seem- 
 ingly impossible of fulfillment, a wireless S. O. S. 
 flashed across heart and brain, — "This woman is 
 lunatic. The battle of the clouds of yesterday 
 has wrecked her mind." 
 
 However, her ability to control the De Havi- 
 
 land was perfect, and he decided to fall in with 
 
 her mood so long as life AVas not endangered ; 
 
 but it was not any pleasure to feel that he was 
 
 140 
 
To I tec Trails 
 
 being hurled through the air at above a hundred 
 miles an hour, with a maniac at the wheel. 
 
 Meanwhile, she had gradually increased speed 
 until, with wide-open throttle and reverse lever 
 in working position, the IVlj'stery Maid was cer- 
 tainly attaining a speed of one hundred twenty- 
 five miles an hour, headed, due north, and already 
 far past the Garden of Castile Leon. 
 
 As they neared the international boundary, she 
 turned to him with blazing eyes, and said : 
 "Please take my binoculars and watch closely for 
 your Uncle Sam's patrol. I do not want to break 
 any international rules of etiquette, but we must 
 cross the border; and I do not want to be ques- 
 tioned nor delayed by Custom House officials 
 and red tape." 
 
 Scarcely had she finished speaking, when Saxon 
 discovered several scout planes already in the air 
 and only a few miles ahead, but flying low under 
 141 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 what seemed to be a desert storm cloud extend- 
 ing far eastward from No Man's Mountain. 
 
 As they neared the border, two of the planes 
 signalled danger; but Dalleszona answered by 
 throwing the beak of the De Haviland upward 
 to an angle that would hurl them into the storm 
 cloud, now blazing with electrical wrath and 
 booming with omnipotent voices. 
 
 Undoubtedly the patrol divined her intention, 
 for they quickly formed a "V" shaped pocket, 
 with purpose to force a landing. 'Twas of no 
 avail. They had underestimated her speed, and 
 the terrific rush of Dalleszona's craft carried her 
 above the topmost plane, but by such close margin 
 that the wing of the scout plane was crushed 
 by the "tail skid" of the Mystery Maid, and 
 swirled to the ground, while the De Haviland 
 plunged into the cloud and was lost to view of 
 the other patrols. 
 
 142 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 Chain lightning blazed in javelin shafts all 
 about them, while electric halos played around 
 propeller blades and dropped from rudder bands 
 in flaming grandeur like unto a comet's train. 
 
 For a brief moment Saxon felt the end had 
 come, but sent up a swift prayer for some sort 
 of deliverance from immediate destruction. 
 
 Only a moment thus ; then he glanced at Dal- 
 leszona, and his soul was quieted forevermore. 
 Never again could he know fear ; for back of the 
 eyes of lambent flame, beyond the veil of her 
 flesh and blood, he saw the woman's soul, keen 
 as electric fire, but sweet, pure, true, clean, as 
 she made her appeal to the heart of the Great 
 Spirit. Conscious of the integrity of her inten- 
 tions, perfect love had cast out all fear. 
 
 The contagion of Dalleszona's intrepid spirit, 
 fearless as divine power, courageous as immortal 
 
 143 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 wisdom, submerged his spirit with a sense of 
 infinite trust. 
 
 With smiling face and steady hand she threw 
 the wheel hard over to the left, the plane shot 
 through and above the cloud, and with un- 
 diminished speed held directly westward and at 
 right angles to their former course. 
 
 Then, turning a radiant face upon Saxon, she 
 said : — 
 
 "Mr. Chancellor, this flight is in answer to 
 S. O. S. from world civilization, and the avenues 
 and cloud trails of the Great Spirit of the Toltecs 
 must ever be open and free for his loving 
 children." 
 
 As they neared Yuma, she again headed north- 
 ward, and, passing beyond the cloud barrage, was 
 sighted by other patrols, and there was nothing 
 to do but climb; and climb she did, in ever 
 widening circles, until the aerometer registered 
 144 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 three thousand fathoms and the binoculars re- 
 vealed the scout planes returning to their base. 
 
 Again, with a contented smile, she said, "Mr. 
 Saxon, what we see and do to-day is strictly our 
 own business, not your Uncle Sam's. We shall 
 not infringe upon his rights nor harm his pos- 
 sessions, and I propose to come and go to-day 
 without hail or farewell from anybody." 
 
 Still northward she held her course until the 
 Salt River and Bill Williams Fork were crossed, 
 then she landed on a sandy stretch screened by 
 willo\vs on one side and frowning clififs on the 
 other, on the California side, some three miles 
 below Topock, and the great Santa Fe bridge 
 across the Colorado River, twelve miles below 
 Needles. 
 
 Following a rugged path, Dalleszona led the 
 way to a broad, rock-strewn mesa, where a sight 
 greeted Saxon's eyes that startled and amazed 
 145 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 him, even as the record it will some day reveal 
 shall startle and thrill a world of science and 
 history. 
 
 He could scarcely believe his own eyes, as he 
 gazed upon acres and acres of smooth-faced 
 boulders and slabs of malapi, engraved with 
 closely written, beautiful hieroglyphics. 
 
 With a wave of her hand toward the writing, 
 Dalleszona turned to Saxon and said: "Mr. 
 Saxon, here are the records of America's ancient 
 civilization, etched by the pens of secretaries 
 under the personal direction and supervision of 
 our own great historian and lawgiver, Cholula 
 Chimhueves, mightiest mind and heart of Toltec's 
 golden age, — a record more perfect and complete 
 than all the cuneiform tablets and picture-writing 
 rolls of Babylon and Egypt combined, for here 
 you see a perfect system of shorthand that, if 
 
 146 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 fully written out, would cover hundreds of 
 acres." 
 
 "How many workers and how long did it take 
 to do this seemingly impossible thing?" Saxon 
 asked. 
 
 Dalleszona laughed in happy, glad-hearted 
 fashion, as she replied : "Not so long as you might 
 think, for the simple reason that Chimhueves was 
 an analytical chemist and applied an acid paste 
 to all surfaces, which practically smelted the fiber 
 of the rocks until the writing was done. Then 
 the paste was washed off and another acid applied, 
 which chilled and hardened as water sets cement, 
 thereby rendering the record imperishable for all 
 time. It was this treatment that gives it the 
 appearance of having sometime passed through 
 volcanic fire." 
 
 "Have your people preserved the key to this 
 
 147 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 writing? Can you translate what is recorded 
 here?" 
 
 "Assuredly. Come, let us pass over to the 
 extreme southwestern corner of this wide-spread- 
 ing page, and I will translate some bits of verse 
 at the very beginning." 
 
 From the folds of her reboso, Dalleszona took 
 a roll of parchment, gray with age, but the char- 
 acters traced upon it were beyond question the 
 same as those etched on the stones at his feet. 
 
 With a few words of explanation she gave him 
 the key to the whole system, then read the 
 following : — 
 
 "Cozmotl's Song 
 "Earth-quaked and thunder-riven, 
 Wide-flung, her mountains stand. 
 Deep, beneath her vales are hidden 
 Silver-reefs and golden sands. 
 148 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 Out across her sagey washes 
 Floats a veil of golden mist, 
 Trailing from her peaks and ridges 
 By the sun eternal kist. 
 
 "Till the soul is lost in wonder. 
 Fadeless scenes of phantom splendor 
 She can quickly summon from the realm of 
 
 legends bold. 
 Facts and fancies she will render 
 Of romances strong and tender 
 That alone in voiceless language of the desert 
 
 can be told. 
 
 "O land beneath the setting sun, 
 More fair than sage or poet's dream, 
 Creative power new glories won 
 Where bright thy stars through azure gleam. 
 
 149 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Thy treasures great no mortal tongue 
 Can clear describe nor fairly name. 
 O'er swinging seas, when earth was young, 
 To thy fair shores Cozmotl came. 
 
 "To peace and progress valleys woke. 
 With holy love and freedom's flame 
 Earth's highest civilization spoke 
 Where templed-homes gave God acclaim. 
 From Mayan Gulf to Mother Sea, 
 From tropic strand to snow-clad height, — 
 Enriched and robed with mystery, 
 Man's garden land of pure delight. 
 
 "Thy azure dome with starlight gemmed, 
 Foundations set with crystalled gold; 
 Thy valleys girt and diademmed 
 With beauty marvelous to behold, — 
 
 150 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 All lands, all realms, must yield to thee 
 Transcendent plan, immortal clime, — 
 Earth's wonderland from sea to sea, 
 God's masterpiece for earth and time." 
 
 For hours they wandered through this maze of 
 writing, translating rare passages here and there, 
 as fancy prompted. 
 
 With three of these, the story of the Cliff 
 Dwellers, petrified forests, and buried cities of 
 Arizona, Saxon was intensely interested, and 
 plied Dalleszona with questions concerning them 
 all through the luncheon hour. 
 
 When that noontide hour, so full of ineffable 
 sweetness for both, was ended, the Mystery Maid 
 circled above the red-silted, mighty river, and at 
 an altitude of two thousand fathoms fled south- 
 ward toward the wooded heights of Castile Leon. 
 
 As they rose above the historic scene, forever- 
 151 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 more enshrined in the happiness and joy of perfect 
 companionship, Saxon looked closely into Dal- 
 leszona's eyes, now illumined with unspeakable 
 gladness, and said: "My very best friend, what- 
 ever the future may hold for your people, or for 
 you and me, this day will always be a beginnin.:; 
 of years for me. You have made good your 
 promise: I shall evermore see visions and dream 
 dreams in all my waking hours. And, oh, so 
 sweet shall be my dreams!" 
 
 Her voice was low, full-throated and rich vv^ith 
 sweetest music to his heart, as she replied : "The 
 half has not been revealed. You have had only 
 a glimpse of the historical records of my nation's 
 achievement. Now we are going to see the 
 masterpieces of genius, the charm of home life, 
 the glory of personal character and privilege that 
 alone can make a race or nation worth while. I 
 will show you the fullness of art, engravings of 
 152 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 gold, etchings of silver, rainbow prisms and 
 cylinders of diamond glass, polishing of precious 
 gems, origin of standard of measurements, time, 
 power, also laboratory processes for determining 
 human dispositions, will power and emotions." 
 
 The old garden was a riot of bloom and 
 languorous charm. Resting in its cool retreats or 
 strolling along its gravelled walks, Saxon was 
 quite willing to enjoy as long as possible the 
 atmosphere of mystery and romance ; but Dalles- 
 zona's spirit, still under the spell of the world- 
 builder's vision, soon led him to the bougainvillaea 
 draperied cliffs, where the guard rolled aside the 
 massive jasper doors and they entered the granite 
 corridors. 
 
 When candles were lighted, Saxon rolled aside 
 the chalcedony disc, and they passed into the hall 
 of Toltec Immortals. 
 
 Halfway down the long rows of illustrious 
 153 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 dead Dalleszona paused before a form that was 
 still majestic and noble. 
 
 "This, Mr. Saxon, is all that human hands 
 could preserve of our mighty Chimhueves." 
 
 Long and silently Saxon gazed upon the mas- 
 sive shoulders and magnificent head, broad and 
 high-domed above a kindly, kingly face, trying to 
 see him as he must have been in the heyday of 
 his power, till a sign from Dalleszona caused him 
 to turn to a woman's form across the aisle. 
 
 "This is our Queen Mother, Rozemma Man- 
 zillura, — scholar, artist, constructive architect 
 and genii of Toltec splendor and renown. This 
 wornan could make the marble speak and cause 
 the water to murmur down the painted landscape. 
 She filled the hearts of men and women with an 
 enthusiasm so overmastering and overwhelming 
 in the splendor and sweep of its deathless passion, 
 that a whole race was lifted to highest ideals and 
 154 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 committed irrevocably to kindliness, truth and 
 honor. It was her great heart that inspired a 
 nation with a love for the beautiful ; her match- 
 less brain that devised a system of measurement, 
 power and time that made order and progress 
 possible and launched a mixed multitude of 
 people on the currents of civilized national life. 
 Her hands first traced the outlines of written 
 language you saw in the Chimhuevcs library." 
 
 What Saxon saw was a woman's form and face 
 of marvelous beauty, possibly fifty years of age, 
 — not a hideous shrivelled mummy, but a perfect 
 physical woman done in rose pink satin spar, so 
 lifelike that he almost expected her to speak to 
 him. 
 
 "But, Dalleszona, what magic is this? Do 
 you mean to tell me that your people were able 
 to defy the corroding hands of time, or am 1 
 
 155 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 hypnotized into seeing what might he, rather than 
 what is?" 
 
 "Come with me," she said, "to the Hall of 
 Records, and I will translate Rosemrna's memory 
 tablets and answer all your questions." 
 
 Past flashing gems and crystalled columns she 
 led him far down the jewelled corridor of this 
 underground palace, and seated him upon a divan 
 of polished chalcedony inlaid with pearls, while 
 from a nearby table she brought a medallion of 
 beaten gold more than two feet in diameter, 
 richly engraved with shorthand writing, and, 
 sitting beside him, began to translate the record, 
 when he interrupted her. 
 
 "Please pardon me, Dalleszona, for I'm sure 
 the story you have there is wonderfully interest- 
 ing, and the medallion itself is perfectly mar- 
 velous; but just now I cannot get away from 
 seeing and thinking of your Queen Mother, 
 156 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 Rozemma. Her body is so perfectly preserved, 
 I would scarcely have been surprised more if she 
 had spoken. Tell me, Dalleszona, by what 
 divine power or art did your ancestors do this 
 thing?" 
 
 "Yes, I'll gladly tell you all about this, though 
 it is the saddest passage in the history of the 
 Toltecs, and all of us try to keep as far away 
 from it as possible, 
 
 "Rozemma died very suddenly, probably from 
 heart-failure brought on by over-exertion during 
 a gala-day celebration of our graduation exercises 
 from the great school of homes at Cholula, of 
 which I wish to tell you; but it is a long story, 
 and perhaps you would rather have some other 
 questions answered now. 
 
 "At that time there was a spring of mineral 
 water in the Tlaxcala Mountains that would 
 turn to spar any living creature that drank it, 
 157 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 or anything that was placed in it for a few 
 weeks, and the Toltecs used the waters for pre- 
 serving our great ones. Shortly after Rozemma's 
 death that section of country was subjected to 
 severe earthquake, and the water ceased to flow." 
 
 "Yes, there are other questions I'll have to get 
 out of my system before I can understand your 
 program of social and educational life. 
 
 "Tell me how your construction engineers 
 moved the tremendous blocks of stone built into 
 your temples, pyramids and causeways across the 
 lake to your ancient capital city. My people have 
 great engineering skill, and construct travelling 
 cranes with mighty lifting power, but cannot 
 move those enormous blocks." 
 
 "This was only one of the works of Rozemma 
 and is really very simple and easy to work out, 
 once the idea is gained. 
 
 "A short distance down the coast below the 
 158 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 present Vera Cruz is a 'V shaped pocket, or bay, 
 where the tides and breakers run extraordinarily 
 high and strong. The whole bay is just hke the 
 lower jaw of an alhgator's mouth, with a rocky 
 reef for tongue. Even at low tide the waves 
 break across this tongue with considerabl force, 
 but at high tide their Tush and power is almost 
 irresistible. On either side of this rocky tongue 
 Rozemma placed giant tongs or grappling hooks 
 (similar to those used by the ancient Romans for 
 lifting enemy ships in naval battles), connected 
 above with wrought copper trusses bearing heavy 
 pulleys. Above these she had placed a mighty 
 barge or pontoon of mahogany, ri vetted above and 
 below to sheets of hardened copper, from which 
 ropes, cords and copper cables passed through 
 the pulleys, and were carried as far inland as 
 desired. These were connected to horizontal 
 capstans at frequent intervals. These capstans 
 159 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 were provided with sliding bases, so that all slack 
 or pull could be quickly taken care of. These 
 cables were carried back to the quarries in the 
 Tlaxcala Hills. When the tides came thunder- 
 ing in, mounting higher and higher, the pontoon 
 was lifted, and the strength of the copper cables 
 was the only limit of power. 
 
 "Uniform and perpetual, it was easy to tell 
 how far anything could be moved during any 
 portion of the day; thus both time and distance 
 units were gained, though the length of the 
 month was determined by the full of the moon, 
 twenty-eight days." 
 
 "No need to go farther with that, Dalleszona, 
 I have the formula, and can see clearly how it 
 could be worked out. 
 
 "Now I want to know what you meant when 
 you spoke of determining emotions, will power 
 and character. When you have done this, I think 
 160 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 I may have gained sufficient control of the brain- 
 storm which you started and wrecked my credi- 
 bility, so that I can understand the story of your 
 ancient home life." 
 
 Dalleszona reached over, patted his arm, 
 looked with laughing eyes squarely into his ques- 
 tioning ones and said : "Oh, you materialistic 
 Anglo-Saxon, \Y\\y don't you travel by 'Vision' 
 instead of by 'View'? I perceive you are in 
 danger of being swept into the rapids and whirl- 
 pools of commercialism, when by all rules of life 
 and love you should be listening to the harmony 
 of divinely appointed programs, ready to sail 
 beyond the sunset and the paths of all the Wes- 
 tern stars, even to the broad pacific of altruistic 
 ideals and the realms of immortal genius. 
 
 "Come with me," she said. And, taking his 
 arm with a way that would have won an an- 
 chorite, she led him directly to the most marvel- 
 161 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 ous creation of this palace of wonders. "This, I 
 would have you to know, Sir Chancellor, is more 
 than an aggregation of gems or collection of 
 jewels. 
 
 "This is a Cozmotl. Originally the word 
 meant 'World Builder' of material things, — 
 houses, farms, cities, mines, shops, factories, — 
 later applied to nations and civilization itself. 
 Finally it took on the added meaning of health 
 building, disposition and character building. 
 
 "Through all ages, races and nations have been 
 so busy with hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and 
 feeling, that there has been slight chance to 
 develop the finer sensibilities, sympathy, gentle- 
 ness, kindness, courtesy and appreciation. 
 
 "Long centuries ago the Toltecs knew that the 
 
 outdoor life in air, water and sunshine was the 
 
 only life worth while for the physical body; but 
 
 it remained for our adorable Rozemma to apply 
 
 162 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 sunlight, air, water and color to the growth and 
 beauty of disposition, will power and emotions, 
 that, all combined, produce character. 
 
 "Given a sound mind and healthy body, she 
 reasoned a human being would have a kindly 
 disposition, sweet desires, purposes and good-will 
 power. If nature's forces spelled good physical 
 health, why not good disposition and lovable 
 character? In ancient days the rainbow was 
 God's visible promise the world should never 
 again be destroyed by violence. Here was a 
 mighty truth. Why not apply it in every realm 
 of human affairs? Surely, war was violence, and 
 human beings in a normal state never would 
 engage in organized destruction, the most merci- 
 less and brutal of all crimes. There must be a 
 corrective for the insanity of heart that finds 
 expression in hate and is infinitely worse than 
 insanity of mind. If greenery of woods is 
 163 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 universally restful to eyes, why not quieting to 
 nerves? If red inflames a bull to fight, why not 
 a man to physical vigor and righteous action ? 
 If violet, indigo and orange make transcendent 
 dawns and magic twilights, may they not give 
 corresponding beauty and sweetness to desires 
 and emotions? 
 
 "Now, Mr. Saxon, I'm sure this sort of a 
 'Prospect' would have been considered a 'Certain 
 Bonanza' by your old friend Highfinger. He 
 had lived so much with cloud and storm, rain, 
 sun and stars, that he could sense the things im- 
 possible to ordinary mortals. I hope and want 
 to believe you are endowed with creative imagina- 
 tion; and, once you have dared to sail the un- 
 charted seas of possibility, you will find them 
 resplendent with mightiest rewards. 
 "Do you care to follow the gleam ?" 
 "I'll say I do. It looks to me like a true 
 164 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 'Fissure,' time wide, heaven high, eternity long. 
 Go ahead; I'll follow, or try to, wherever you 
 may lead, even unto the Gates of the Eternal 
 Morning." 
 
 "Well, I expect to go that far sometime, but 
 hope not to-day. 
 
 "Now, about this Cozmotl. I want you to 
 notice three things. First, it is made entirely of 
 volcanic glass and natural gem stones ; there is 
 not a hint of metal or wood about it. Second, 
 it was created by a woman. Third, it was not 
 made to produce wealth. It was designed to 
 produce health of body and spirit, and it has done 
 and will do all that we claim for it." 
 
 Then, with serious face but laughing eyes, she 
 added: "No, I'm not trying to sell it to you, 
 because it is not for sale. 
 
 "This great cylinder has both inner and outer 
 sides so constructed that water applied to it will 
 165 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 adhere only in drops, and when revolved at 
 proper speed in sunlight will produce a con- 
 tinuous rainbow. Over against it we place this 
 obsidian prism so that the primary colors are 
 widely separated and can be thrown singly upon 
 any object placed on this tourmaline base table. 
 
 "By many careful experiments Rozemma de- 
 monstrated that the seven primary colors of the 
 rainbow are positive antidotes for seven deadly 
 poisons generated in human minds by the seven 
 primary vicious emotions, — Hate, Fear, Suspicion, 
 Envy, Jealousy, Revenge and Deceit; that these 
 poisons are distributed by the nerves to all parts 
 of the body, but are subjected to control of will 
 power, also that will power is subject only to 
 the master passion, Love. 
 
 "With these interesting facts before her, Roz- 
 emma began to systematically observe child life, 
 and soon discovered that children who were fre- 
 166 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 quently subject to certain emotions, sometimes 
 slowly, sometimes rapidly, but always surely, 
 developed certain physical weakness that brought 
 on sickness of body and degeneracy of purpose 
 and will ; also that in every case the child was 
 extremely responsive to some particular color. 
 
 "After years of patient research and labor she 
 gave us this Cozmotl, an absolute panacea for 
 all ailments of body and mind ; an unfailing in- 
 spiration of good will, kindly disposition and 
 lovable character. 
 
 "The practical usefulness of this Cozmotl was 
 demonstrated through five hundred years of na- 
 tional life without an epidemic, pestilence or 
 plague, and, what is most wonderful, without 
 war, riot or violent bloodshed of any kind. 
 
 "Do you wonder that I am proud to belong to 
 a people who made constant progress and climb 
 in every range of human endeavor, and had 
 167 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 raised the average of life to one hundred years 
 of vigor, with peace and abundant good will 
 reigning supreme everywhere among our people, 
 when the Aztec came ? 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Saxon, I am sure you will catch 
 the vision of what unspeakable blessing that sort 
 of regime could bring to family and educational 
 life, and, understanding, appreciate the temper 
 and spirit of a great race who gave supreme con- 
 sideration in their national purpose and program 
 to the building of lives, — broad-browed, warm- 
 hearted, sunny-souled men and women." 
 
 Then a wave of consternation swept across her 
 beautiful face, and in a moment Saxon was all 
 solicitude ; but Dalleszona sent him into breezy 
 laughter by saying: "Oh, Mr. Chancellor, what 
 shall I do? You are such a wonderful man, so 
 entertaining, — that is, I mean such a good lis- 
 tener, — that I have forgotten to-night is the 
 168 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 Rotanza wedding, and we must be going. But 
 I will tell you of ancient Toltec home life, 
 school and courtship customs as the De Haviland 
 thrums across the ozone seas." 
 
 As they emerged from the palace of treasures 
 to the terraces of the old garden, a scene of 
 splendor greeted them, that caused Dalleszona to 
 shout for joy while Saxon stood entranced in 
 silent wonder and admiration. 
 
 The setting sun had dropped below the wes- 
 tern mountains, but the wide reaches of Yaki 
 land were covered with a tideless sea of mist of 
 gold. Far, far eastward, even unto the hills of 
 Angustura, shimmering lakes of purple twilight 
 flooded the canyons and terraces of the Cordil- 
 leras, and far southward the shores of cloud 
 continents rose in mighty facades of molten gold. 
 
 As the Mystery Maid rose higher and higher, 
 the Lastuna Hills and Sahaura Mesa appeared 
 169 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 bathed in bands of heliotrope and veils of saffron, 
 burnt umber, and carnelian, while farther on the 
 Mother Sea rolled in billows of flame. 
 
 "Dalleszona, have you ever seen anything like 
 this before? I certainly never have. The only 
 scene approaching it for beauty and sublimity 
 came to me once when I had sailed above and 
 beyond the Pillars of Hercules and was far out 
 over the desert of Algiers in Africa. Ever since 
 I have planned to sometime sail above the oases 
 and wide-flung sands of the Sahara." 
 
 "Yes," she said, "I have seen this very thing 
 several times, but from mountain heights only. 
 But I am so glad to have you see it with me now, 
 for you will understand why I love this garden 
 land of the Great Spirit, and so earnestly desire 
 to see with my own eyes the splendor and power 
 of Toltec ideals fully restored. 
 
 "The crowning glory of these ideals was home 
 170 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 life, that had the right of way from childhood 
 to old age. Up to sixteen years of age all chil- 
 dren were taught and trained in the homes by 
 their mothers; and during the years of mother- 
 hood the mothers were relieved of all other duties 
 and became simply companions and inspiring 
 lovers for their children. If any signs of physi- 
 cal weakness, violent temper or chronic grouch 
 appeared, they were immediately placed under 
 Cozmotl influence, with all costs borne by na- 
 tional funds. 
 
 "After sixteen, all sons and daughters were 
 required to attend the five great national schools, 
 — first, at Orizaba, where all boys were required 
 to thoroughly learn grain growing and the girls 
 were trained in all household duties, — cooking, 
 sewing, washing and housekeeping; second, Cho- 
 lula, with fruit growing for the boys, with weav- 
 ing of tapestries and cloth of all kinds and pat- 
 171 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 terns for the girls; third, Chivela, where mining 
 of precious stones and all metals was followed 
 by the boj^s and music and painting, if desired, 
 for both sons and daughters; fourth, Luzon, 
 building of dwellings, constructive engineering for 
 business and public buildings, roads, canals, etc., 
 though only drawing of plans and writing of 
 specifications was required of the girls; fifth, 
 Mescala, professions, business principles, and 
 especially conversation, equally open for both. 
 In the order named they were called Ponzos, 
 Tanzos, Montezumas, Rozemmas and Cozmotls, 
 this latter signifying that in every way they were 
 qualified to be world builders. 
 
 "Courtship looking towards marriage was ex- 
 pected and encouraged, but no one was permitted 
 to marry until they had passed through all the 
 schools with good records and the men had built 
 a house for family use. All weddings were 
 172 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 public and could be held at any of the schools 
 one day in each month, when the moon fulled ; 
 but gradually Cholula in the fruit-growing dis- 
 tricts of the Tlaxcala Hills, not far from our 
 capital Puebla, became the popular place for 
 nearly all marriages. 
 
 "There was constructed in a national park, 
 surounded by splendid forests, an oval shaped 
 amphitheatre with long rows of terraced seats on 
 either side of a sparkling brook, which flowed 
 through the center and was spanned by a long 
 bridge just wide enough for two persons to walk 
 along side by side. One end of this bridge was ?. 
 raised platform, at the other a settee or throne 
 for the Queen Mother. 
 
 "To this n:tarriage shrine once each month at 
 
 the time of the full moon lovers and sweethearts 
 
 presented themselves for the wedding rites, the 
 
 boys on one side, the girls on the other. When 
 
 173 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the great sundial on the raised platform marked 
 the noontide hour, the boys in heavy swelling 
 tones began chanting, — 
 
 'I am coming, O my sweetheart, 
 I have built a home for you, — 
 
 "then the girls in sweet, full-throated music 
 responded, — 
 
 *Do you pledge for aye and ever 
 To be tender, kind and true? 
 Just how long will you be faithful. 
 Calm or storm or cloud or sun ?' 
 
 "answer by the men, — 
 
 'Just as long as grass is growing. 
 Just as long as waters run, 
 174 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 I do pledge to love and honor, 
 Ever cherish and adore,' — 
 
 "again the girls, — 
 
 'Now I'm coming, O my lover, 
 I'm your sweetheart evermore.' 
 
 "This was repeated twice, then all arose, and 
 according to numbers, passed to the platform, 
 where each lover and sweetheart joined hands 
 and, still chanting softly together, passed along 
 the bridge over the river of life to receive, each 
 from the Queen Mother, a wedding ring set with 
 birth stones. Beyond her they entered and passed 
 through a closed corridor lighted only from above, 
 — emblem of light and guidance by the Great 
 Spirit. Passing from the corridor they entered 
 at once a spacious garden, made beautiful with 
 plashing fountains, singing birds, fragrant blos- 
 175 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 soms and clustering vines, with entertainment 
 halls and banquet tables, where a splendid repast, 
 provided by their parents, awaited them. Games 
 and entertainment of various kind, with grand 
 concert in the evening, closed the wedding day; 
 but the festivities and amusements might be pro- 
 longed for a week or more if desired by the 
 happy young people." 
 
 The mist of gold had faded into purple twi- 
 light when the Mystery Maid dropped to the 
 hangar in Truxlan, but the beauty and sweet- 
 ness of the magic hour could never be forgotten. 
 
 Whatever may have been in each of their 
 hearts, their lips were silent as they, arm in arm, 
 passed up the rose bordered walk of Dalleszona's 
 home, until they paused in the fragrant pergola 
 to say good-night, then Saxon spoke: — 
 
 "Dalleszona, this has been the happiest, 
 gladdest day of my life. I never dreamed so 
 176 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 much of beauty and fascination, joy and pure 
 delight, could be crowded into one day, even in 
 this land so rich with surprising treasure; and 1 
 do not see how I can ever repay you for all the 
 pleasure you have given to me all through this 
 wonderful, wonderful day." 
 
 With her hand still upon his arm, she said: 
 "I am surely glad the day has brought you great 
 pleasure; but within a few days I am going to 
 ask you to take me for another day's sailing of 
 Toltec Trails, which I hope will give you more 
 sweetness and delight than to-day could possibly 
 hold." 
 
 It was in his heart, and almost upon his tongue, 
 to ask her if she would go with him down the 
 long, long trail of life, when a step sounded on 
 the gravelled walk, and a moment later, his na- 
 tional chemist, Cantone Rotanza, sprang up the 
 steps. 
 
 177 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 With an expression of comic dismay on her 
 face, blushing and laughing, Dalleszona said: 
 "Please pardon me, Mr. Saxon, but you have 
 given me such a charming time that I had for- 
 gotten my promise to attend Cantone's sister's 
 wedding, and did not realize it was so late. 
 Please excuse me," and in a breezy moment she 
 was swept away from him. A few moments 
 later he heard her trilling a favorite song in her 
 own apartments. 
 
 For a few moments he chatted pleasantly with 
 Cantone, then passed down the walk, wondering 
 the while if he had done wisely to appoint so 
 handsome a young Toltec, national chemist, 
 especially since the laboratory was next to the 
 Department of Welfare, presided over by Dal- 
 leszona. 
 
 "AnyAvay," he mused, "she is the most won- 
 derful woman I have ever seen. What a world 
 178 
 
Toltec Trails 
 
 this would be with a race of such women ! After 
 all, any hope for speedy betterment of the world's 
 conditions rests with women. Men have almost 
 made a flat failure of government, trying to rule 
 the nations by force and fear, and fear of force, 
 and have practically bankrupted the world by 
 war, and mortgaged their children for a hundred 
 years to pay the costs. 
 
 "I do wonder what trip Dalleszona has in 
 mind. Where can she possibly plan to go that 
 we have not already been? Well, I do hope it 
 will not be many days before I can have another 
 full day of her infinitely charming companionship, 
 and I'm praying it may be before the elections." 
 
 179 
 
Dallcszona 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 The Chancellor 
 
 Propelled by the powers of celestial hands, the 
 cycle of ages knows no retrograde movement. 
 Five years of mortal time have slipped from the 
 calendar of a blood-stained, discontented, strug- 
 gling world into the mighty spaces of immortal 
 eternity. 
 
 Under the wise and just management of Saxon, 
 Toltec ideals have grown into world power. 
 The leaven of democracy, working its way sub- 
 limely on to universal dominion, has been eagerly 
 accepted by all the Central American republics, 
 and under the ancient name of "Chalcedon," the 
 new nation, resistless in peace, progress and prom- 
 ise, holds supreme influence from Panama to the 
 Rio Grande. 
 
 180 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 Glad and happy, the peon millions live in a 
 present, resplendent with achievement, roseate 
 with hope for centuries to come. 
 
 When purple twilight broods over this en- 
 chanted land without a serf, a servant or a slave, 
 sweet music and songs of happy lovers pulses in 
 magic rhythm from the Rio Grande to Chagres 
 River, and swells with languorous charm from 
 Vera Cruz to Mazatlan, while all the nations of 
 the world look with hungry hearts and yearning 
 admiration to her bloodless conquests and un- 
 conquerable peace. 
 
 Europe, bolshevic, blood-soaked, bankrupt to 
 the verge of anarchy, has cleared the Ship of 
 State of every form of royalty and military 
 mania. All that stood for the doctrine of force 
 has gone the way of the Hohenzollern. The 
 aristuckupracy of wealth has given way to the 
 aristuckupracy of labor; but the seven devils of 
 181 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Selfishness, Greed, Suspicion, Envy, Jealousy, 
 Hate and Revenge are still enthroned in human 
 hearts. The altruistic ideals of the Mighty 
 Galilean have been rejected, while the helpless, 
 almost hopeless millions watch and long for 
 leaders with heart and conscience committed to 
 truth and justice, with courage to blaze the trail 
 to universal brotherhood. But a flaming star of 
 hope has appeared in the person of Casimer of 
 Poland. A magnetic statesman of splendid pre- 
 sence, he has inspired his countrymen with an- 
 cient heroism, and a League of Peace, formed 
 with Russian Jews, is thundering a mighty 
 crusade for justice and equity over a blood- 
 drenched continent, and the dawn of a better day 
 already illumines the governmental skies of war- 
 cursed millions. Inspired and guided by the 
 splendor and power of Toltec ideals, enthused 
 by the policy and program of Saxon, who now 
 182 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 holds peaceful but irresistible power, Casimer is 
 surely leading the European hosts into Life, 
 Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. 
 
 In Asia, too, the spirit and power of democ- 
 racy is leading grandly on. The mighty spirit 
 of India's ancient days — Kamadeva — has awak- 
 ened the sleeping soul of Hindustan and China 
 to life and action. English dominion is ended 
 forever. Japan has received an ultimatum, — "Live 
 in peace or die in war." "Decency or extermina- 
 tion. Sink your battleships and disband your 
 army, or we will do it for you." "It's up to you." 
 This old world will no longer tolerate cesspools 
 that breed war germs and military microbes. 
 "Human as well as material sanitation is the 
 word." 
 
 Even now eight hundred millions of human 
 beings are pressing on in bloodless conquest of 
 abundant resources of the world's greatest con- 
 183 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 tinent, and the spiritual forces of India, which 
 have hitherto dissipated their unmatched powers 
 in dreaming dreams, interpreting horoscopes, hyp- 
 notizing progress and consulting ouija boards and 
 familiar spirits, has appeared incarnate in altruis- 
 tic ideals, and long centuries of caste and gloom 
 are giving way to tolerance and sanity. 
 
 In the United States the religious forces, long 
 enchained by "a form of godliness, but denying 
 the powei" thereof" (Sacrifice), is swiftly turning 
 to culture of heart and conscience rather than 
 brains and business as the supreme aim. But the 
 pleasure seekers and "joy riders" have degene- 
 rated into a race of nicotine, cocaine and mor- 
 phine fiends that threatens social, economic and 
 governmental chaos. 
 
 South American republics, startled and charmed 
 by the dazzling success of Chalcedon, watch, 
 and wonder whether a nation can really exist 
 184 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 without bullets, bloodshed, moral corruption, 
 spiritual degeneracy and chronic revolution. 
 "These things always have been. We believe 
 they always will be." "You will have to show 
 us." 
 
 So stands the world after six j^ears of attempted 
 reconstruction at the hands of politicians and 
 time-servers. 
 
 Meanwhile, national elections are on for 
 Chalcedon, and the whole world, thrilled with 
 the mighty contest of "World-changing Ideals," 
 is paying undivided attention to the fiercely con- 
 tested campaign. 
 
 In ancient days Toltec leadership had always 
 been hereditary, and for long centuries was con- 
 fined to the House of Iximaga. The present 
 Iximaga, a man of tremendous personality, pos- 
 sessed by the highest order of statesmanship, had 
 appointed Saxon to supreme authority. Saxon 
 185 
 
Dalleszotia 
 
 had banked heavily on Ixi'maga's wisdom, and in 
 all matters of national moment there had been 
 absolute accord, save this one, the manner of 
 choosing his successor. However, Saxon had 
 carried the point without bitterness ; the campaign 
 was at white heat and election day near at hand. 
 Saxon had refrained from taking any part in the 
 campaign, stoutly holding he was chancellor for 
 all rather than for any faction or party, that 
 government simply was good business, and so far 
 Iximaga had not spoken publicly. But the third 
 night before the day set for balloting, there was 
 to be a final gathering at the capitol of influential 
 delegations from every province, and Iximaga had 
 consented to speak. 
 
 Saxon's chief rival was Cantone Rotanza, na- 
 tional chemist, a brilliant, magnetic, pure-blood 
 young Toltec and closely related to the Hogan 
 of Iximaga. 
 
 186 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 Cantone was acknowledged leader of educa- 
 tional forces, and had been a tremendous factor 
 in the upbuilding of the nation. Moreover, 
 Cantone and Saxon had always worked together 
 as friends, though it was well known that the 
 handsome, popular chemist was a welcome visitor 
 at the Hogan of Iximaga and an ardent wor- 
 shipper at the shrine of Dalleszona. 
 
 Immediately following the victory of the Tol- 
 tecs in the Valley of Death, there had been a 
 week-long fiesta of national proportions, and at 
 the closing fandango, Cantone and Dalleszona 
 had been conspicuous for their attention and de- 
 votion to each other and had won the first honors 
 as beautiful and graceful dancers. In fact, the 
 beauty and brilliance of the couple had won 
 universal admiration, and there was an able- 
 bodied rumor that the Hogan of Iximaga would 
 claim relationship with the new chancellor. 
 187 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Of course Saxon could not know exactly how 
 much progress Cantone had made in the graces 
 of Dalleszona, but he did know that the chan- 
 cellorship would be but the ashes of Dead Sea 
 fruit to his soul if he failed to win Dalleszona. 
 True, they were the best of friends; together in 
 business or social life every day she had been the 
 inspirer of most of his success, had always held 
 infinite charm for him, and commanded ab- 
 solutely the love and admiration of his heart and 
 brain; but his soul had never felt sure enough 
 of her love to ask her to be his wife. 
 
 About a week before the election day she came 
 to him early in the morning and said : — 
 
 "Ben Igo, I wish you would order the Mys- 
 tery Maid and take me to Lastuna Ford on the 
 Hermosillo Road to-day," and, when he hesitated, 
 had added, "The terrible memories of that place 
 have been a living nightmare all these years, and 
 188 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 until to-day I have never been able to gain my 
 own consent to return there; but to-day I feel 
 I can go, and I lost a throat pin there that I 
 hope to recover, for it has come down from my 
 grandmothers for centuries." 
 
 She had never before called him by his first 
 name. For fifteen years he had been known as 
 "Ben Saxon"; but his mother had always called 
 him "I go," and the old name from the lips of 
 Dalleszona thrilled him almost beyond control. 
 Still, some imperative business at the seventh 
 treasure compelled his presence there, and he had 
 felt required to say he could not take her to 
 Lastuna, and the beautiful eyes were full of dis- 
 appointment that was misery for him, as she 
 turned away. All day her look of pleading was 
 with him as he wended his way through the 
 underground mazes of the seventh treasure and 
 
 189 
 
Dalleszo7ia 
 
 worked out a peaceful settlement of mining 
 problems. 
 
 On his return he planned to see Dalleszona 
 and arrange for the trip to Lastuna, but before 
 he could look for her was told that she had gone 
 with Cantone to attend some chemical laboratory 
 experiments in Central American provinces. 
 
 Saxon knew his governmental methods and 
 success had been entirely satisfactory to the 
 Toltecs, Mexicans and Anhuacs, all of whom 
 had been, under his personal approval, called to 
 the right of franchise. But the campaign was 
 being waged along racial lines. "We want a 
 chancellor of our own blood" was the slogan of 
 Cantone and his followers. "Saxon is all right. 
 He has been loyal and wonderful in his devotion 
 to Toltec ideals, but he is a 'Gringo'." "Chal- 
 cedon has blood and brain to manage her own 
 alifairs." "Chalcedon for Chalcedonians" was 
 190 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 the magic word from the Rio Grande to the 
 Chagres River. 
 
 Cantone had manufactured an inflammable 
 film that spelled the sentence as it burned, and 
 these films had been dropped from airplanes at 
 every schoolhouse in the realm, till the fiery 
 creed had literally blazed from storm clouds and 
 flamed on velvet skies at night. 
 
 This thing had gone on for weeks before the 
 Saxon supporters had been able to match the 
 film; but, when they did, they filled the heavens 
 with fiery squadrons bearing an illuminated fiag 
 of the nation, inscribed: "Saxon has given us 
 peace and life. Follow him, and the world is 
 ours. What more do you want?" 
 
 The newness and stupendous possibilities of 
 
 the fascinating doctrine of a hving, growing 
 
 world life, pulsing with peaceful progress and 
 
 imperishable glory, set a new standard for pa- 
 
 191 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 triotic desire and heroic action and the Saxon 
 boosters were gaining in numbers and zeal every- 
 where. 
 
 In an attempt to check the tremiendous tide, 
 Cantone had made a personal visit to the former 
 Central American provinces, and Dalleszona haf' 
 gone with him. Cantone's followers did not 
 claim that she had spoken publicly in favor of his 
 candidacy, but the fact that she had appeared at 
 public gatherings with him was ground for 
 claiming she desired his election. Both sides 
 freely admitted Dalleszona could influence more 
 votes than any other person in the nation, and 
 could easily be elected chancellor herself if she 
 desired the place. 
 
 When the night of the closing rally came, 
 
 Iximaga was not physically able to be present, 
 
 but sent Dalleszona as his substitute. Saxon's 
 
 soul was heavy with doubt and his heart full of 
 
 192 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 misgivings. If Dalleszona should speak for Can- 
 tone, undoubtedly her heart and hand would go 
 to him in marriage. He could bear easily the 
 loss of the chancellorship, if he still had hope of 
 \\'inning Dalleszona; but, if both were lost, all 
 future years must be a barren desert, storm- 
 beaten, horror-blackened, desolate. 
 
 However, he ascended the platform with Can- 
 tone and Dalleszona, and spoke words of welcome 
 and congratulation to the assembled thousands, — 
 not a word for his own candidacy, platform nor 
 policies, but an irresistible appeal for the dignity 
 and purity of the franchise, and the necessity of 
 every voter, male and female, casting a con- 
 scientious ballot. 
 
 Just at the moment of closing his address, and 
 
 presenting Cantone, imperative summons came for 
 
 his immediate presence at the refinery at South- 
 
 rown, and when he returned, some hours later, 
 
 193 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 the great rally had passed into history, and, with- 
 out knowledge of that epoch marking session, he 
 sought the privacy of his own apartments. 
 
 Cantone made a powerful appeal for "Home 
 rule, home life and racial integrity." "We have 
 a matchless land, marvellous prosperity. We are 
 a great nation, doing great things. Let us be 
 content. Why should we be worried over trou- 
 bled conditions beyond the seas, or burden our- 
 selves with entanglements there? An all-wise 
 Creator has set the bounds of our habitation and 
 walled us in by protecting seas. The whole 
 world for business and profit, pleasure and travel, 
 but hands off the social and governmental policies 
 of the Old World. Chalcedon for Chalcedo- 
 nians." 
 
 Dalleszona had travelled eight hundred miles 
 that day over vibrant seas and swinging lands, 
 but, when Cantone ceased speaking and left the 
 194 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 platform, she stood before the expectant thou- 
 sands, the incarnation of mental and spiritual 
 power without a sign of physical weariness. 
 
 "Toltecs, Tezcucans, Anhuacs, fellow Ameri- 
 cans and brothers, all! The House of Iximaga 
 stands for universal brotherhood and world life. 
 During six milleniums of history the race of 
 human beings has plunged on, bathed in human 
 blood, blasted by racial prejudice, blighted by 
 selfishness, dwarfed by littleness and cursed by 
 war. The Toltecs have well-nigh eliminated 
 selfishness, abolished war, inaugurated permanent 
 peace. Come! Let us abandon little narrow- 
 ness, forgtt racial prejudice and inscribe upon the 
 very heavens above us universal tolerance and 
 world life. Ben Igo Saxon was born in the 
 I'nited States of America, but his ancestors are 
 pure blood, direct descendants of Japheth, full 
 
 195 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 brother to our mighty progenitor, the illustrious 
 Shem. 
 
 "I beg of you follow Saxon's rugged, flaming 
 pathway, — the hilltop road that meets the sky 
 and leads us boldly faring against the very roof 
 of things. Take this upward step. Vote for the 
 man with heart and conscience, brain and spirit, 
 large enough and pure enough, loyal enough and 
 wise enough to lead us into the new era, the 
 new order, of world life and eternal progression." 
 
 The next morning she sent a messenger for 
 Saxon. When he arrived, she said, "Ben Igo, can 
 you take me to-day to the Lastuna Ford of the 
 Hermosillo Road?" 
 
 "Yes, I can and will. I had arranged to go 
 with Cantone to witness a demonstration by him 
 of a new process, tempering gold as well as cop- 
 per by means of mineral paints extracted from 
 metal bearing ores. He assures me that he has 
 196 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 produced an acid which transmutes the primary 
 colors of the rainbow from nature's laboratories, 
 and can reproduce the ancient Tyrian and Vene- 
 tian dyes. He surely showed me mirrors of 
 transcendent clearness equal in reflecting power 
 to molten gold. I believe it to be the most in- 
 teresting and far-reaching discovery of modern 
 times; but your wishes have the right of way, 
 and we will sail immediately for Lastuna Hills." 
 
 They had not been in the air but a few minutes 
 when Saxon turned to Dalleszona and said : — 
 
 "Why do you call me 'Ben Igo,' and what did 
 you tell the voters last evening?" 
 
 "Why do you care to know?" 
 
 'Don't worry about the 'Why' please, for 
 really I must know." 
 
 Dalleszona laughed in a merry, happy way and 
 parried by asking what had called him to the 
 refinery. 
 
 197 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "No, you cannot sidetrack me by asking about 
 refineries. If you care to save human life, please 
 answer my question now." 
 
 "Suppose I don't. What will you do?" 
 
 "Well, I might do a lot of things. What I 
 ought to do is head this Mystery Maid for San 
 Diego and wreck her in the 'Harbor of the Sun'." 
 
 "Would that be a wise thing for a man to do 
 who is about to be chosen chancellor of the 
 greatest nation in the world?" 
 
 Saxon wondered what this new mood, half 
 serious, half playful, might mean ; but her face 
 was so radiantly beautiful and this upper air so 
 full of sweetness and charm that he only said, 
 "Perhaps what you said will elect the other 
 fellow." 
 
 "Why don't you ask Cantone about that? 
 Really I believe he will remember what I said 
 better than I do, and, besides, day after to- 
 198 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 morrow will be election day, and surely you can 
 wait that long for an answer." 
 
 "Very well. How about the other question? 
 I am more interested m that than about the 
 chancellorship." 
 
 "Careful! Attend to your flying. The motor 
 seems a bit weak. That fog bank will wreck us 
 if you don't watch out. What is the matter 
 with the De Haviland to-day, anyway? We are 
 not making over seventy miles an hour, and we 
 ought to make a hundred if we are to come back 
 by the lake and forum and arrive at home in time 
 for me to finish that picture I'm so hurried for." 
 
 "What picture is that? I did not know you 
 had opened a studio." 
 
 "The picture of the new chancellor. I prom- 
 ised myself to have it ready for his birthday next 
 Monday." 
 
 Monday would be Saxon's birthday, and he 
 199 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 happened to know it would be Cantone's birth- 
 day, too. 
 
 A glance at Dalleszona's smiling face told him 
 she, too, knew of the double birthday, and she 
 had purposely introduced the picture to puzzle 
 him. 
 
 "How do you know that I am going to bring 
 you back by the lake?" 
 
 "Because I'm not going to answer your first 
 question until we get back to the lake. Also 
 there is a famous fortune teller there for a week, 
 and I mean to have our fortunes told. You just 
 must take me there, and she can tell you about 
 the chancellorship." 
 
 "Do you promise to answer my question if I 
 bring you to the lake?" 
 
 The long lashes veiled the wondrous eyes that 
 would not meet his own as she said, "Yes, Ben 
 Igo, I will answer your question at the lake." 
 200 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 And somehow her manner of answering brought 
 great consolation to his heart, and the sweetness 
 of a mighty hope possessed his soul. 
 
 Probably coming events, sometimes near, some- 
 times far, are foreshadowed to the soul. Be that 
 as it may, the De Haviland had scarcely entered 
 the storm cloud, ere Saxon was sharply reminded 
 of Dalleszona's half-earnest, half-playful remark, 
 "That storm cloud will wreck us if you don't 
 watch"; for electrical currents such as he had 
 never before contended with were already pulling 
 with appalling and well-nigh resistless power. 
 
 One of the steel spring guy wires supporting 
 the extreme outer end of the top left wing gave 
 way, and, swinging backward, smote the wing 
 with startling crash. Saxon knew it might split 
 the wing and lead to accident in the strong, 
 elemental currents. But, li it should swing for- 
 ward and be caught in the propeller blades, 
 201 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 nothing short of a miracle could prevent the 
 machine from dropping swiftly to utter destruc- 
 tion. He could fasten the spring in a few mo- 
 ments, but was afraid to trust the steering wheel 
 to Dalleszona in the terrific force of the storm. 
 
 Then Saxon learned something of the courage 
 and daring of a great woman's spirit. 
 
 Taking a pair of pliers and stretcher, she 
 climbed up the hatchway and swiftly worked her 
 way to the farthest edge of the great wing, caught 
 the whirling spring, drew it tense, made it secure, 
 and returned in safety to Saxon's side. At the 
 same moment he felt the loss of power in the 
 engine. Something was interfering with the fuel 
 feed. Then he opened the feed line from the 
 emergency tank, and instantly realized with sick- 
 ened soul that it was empty. Someone had 
 tampered with the De Haviland, for he had filled 
 the emergency tank the evening before, but had 
 202 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 not used it on the trip to the refinery. Mean- 
 time the machine was dropping and pitching in a 
 frightful way, and soon must be entirely beyond 
 control. 
 
 Dalleszona lifted the trap door, slipped through 
 to the chassis, found a loosened union on the 
 gasoline line, connected it, and Saxon felt the 
 renewal of power as they shot out of the cloud 
 into sunlight at terrific speed in a nose spin to- 
 ward jagged cliffs. 
 
 In the confusion and darkness of the cloud 
 he had not noticed Dalleszona's action, and the 
 door, fastened by a spring catch from above, 
 prevented her return. But when the machine 
 was again under control, he turned, to find her 
 seat vacant: his brain seemed paralyzed, though 
 by instinct, perhaps, he guided the machine to 
 safe landing. As the Mystery Maid came to 
 
 203 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 anchor, everything went black, though his tense 
 grip still held the wheel. 
 
 When he recovered consciousness, Dalleszona's 
 white face was very close to his own, and she 
 held his hands in closest grasp as she laughingly 
 told him how she had connected the feed pipe, 
 then swung from the frame, until the chassis 
 trailed the chaparral, and, by some miracle, she 
 had been thrown, unhurt, into a heavy bunch of 
 pampas plumes. 
 
 Saxon gazed upon her radiant face speechless, 
 until a slow smile played upon the tender lips, 
 and she shyly said, "Ben Igo, will you take me 
 to the lake and forum as we return from Lastuna 
 Ford?" 
 
 The answer and look he gave her brought 
 scarlet flame to her face and neck ; but, springing 
 to her feet, she exclaimed, "We must be on our 
 
 204 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 way, Ben Igo, or we will have no time for that 
 fortune teller's vision." 
 
 One hundred miles in seventy minutes, and 
 the Mystery Maid anchored in safety beside 
 Lastuna's sparkling waters. 
 
 The glen where the tents had stood was just 
 the same ; but flood waters had pushed the 
 channel of the stream close to the lonely grave, 
 then thrown a boulder reef that made it safe 
 forevermore. 
 
 Around the turn of the jagged rocks, where 
 the bodies of the bandits had been buried, the 
 waters had swept everything clean to bedrock. 
 
 Long and carefully they searched the crevices 
 of the granite wall where the girls crouched 
 during the battle, and at last the throat pin was 
 found. It was a priceless emerald in setting of 
 beaten gold, wondrously engraved, and Dalles- 
 zona's joy was beyond measure. 
 205 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 "For eighteen hundred years," she said, "no 
 daughter of the House of Iximaga has come to 
 her wedding-day without this pin at her throat." 
 Then, with a world of mischief in her laughing 
 eyes, she added, "I may need it soon." And 
 Saxon dared not to ask her any other word lest 
 her answer crush his new-born hopes. 
 
 Just above the forum at the lake lies a broad 
 mesa that served as training base for the Toltec 
 aerial merchant marine. Here they left the 
 Mystery Maid and, descending broad marble 
 stairs to the water's edge, entered a small motor 
 launch, for the luncheon Dalleszona's own hands 
 had prepared. 
 
 Under Saxon's own personal supervision, the 
 temple, court and amphitheater had been fully 
 restored, and lay like a magnificent jewel in the 
 vale on the mountain's breast. 
 
 After a happy, never-to-be-forgotten hour on 
 206 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 the tideless lake, they passed from the Lotus 
 Bloom and waters of Lethe, through the great 
 temple and beyond its courts to a natural grotto 
 in the rear of the amphitheater. 
 
 In some ancient age the grotto had been en- 
 larged by human hands, and one wall, built of 
 various colored flints, had been fused by intense 
 heat, until the whole wall appeared to be fretted 
 with all manner of precious stones, and, dazzling 
 light falling upon it, one involuntarily thought 
 of that city whose foundations are garnished with 
 all manner of gems, whose Maker and Builder 
 is God. A rose-pink onjx partition had been 
 thrown almost across the grotto, dividing it into 
 two good-sized rooms, with an open corridor lead- 
 ing to the second room. In the first room, dimly 
 lighted, was an alcove, which afforded view of 
 exit from the trance room. Originally used as 
 a rest room for speakers in the forum, now it 
 207 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 was given over to the use of clairvoyants, fortune 
 tellers and all sorts of people gifted with any or 
 all occult forces. Here, now, Torclez, most 
 beautiful and brilliant woman of all Central 
 America, — professional destiny artist, — dealt in 
 past and futures, of all colors, brands and degrees 
 of excellence, and numbered among her votaries 
 not only peons and notables of Chalcedon, but 
 celebrities and millionaires from everywhere. 
 
 The range and register of Torclez's excursions 
 into either past or future seemed limitless. Des- 
 tinies of four and twelve cylinders, submarine and 
 airplane destinies of high voltage and persistent 
 amperes, ranging in price from a few pesos to 
 thousands, were disposed of, according to zeal, 
 enthusiasm and financial ability of the candidates 
 for occult wisdom and information. 
 
 Usually her parlors and reception rooms were 
 
 208 
 
The Charicellor 
 
 crowded with beauty and chivalry, but to-day's 
 rush was about over. 
 
 "Please be seated. Not long to wait. Only 
 one client ahead of you," said the attendant, and 
 Saxon and Dalleszona took cushioned seats in the 
 shadowy alcove. Saxon had little if any faith in 
 the so-called marvelous visions of this revealer 
 of secrets, and would much have preferred the 
 afternoon alone with Dalleszona. But she really 
 wished to test Torclez's powers, and Saxon 
 would have gone to Hades, if need be, to please 
 Dalleszona to-day. However, the time in the 
 alcove was not entirely without compensation, for 
 they had to converse in whispers, which compelled 
 them to sit close together, and the waiting period 
 seemed short. 
 
 Suddenly a shadow appeared on the corridor 
 wall, and a moment later Cantone, with elastic 
 
 209 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 step and smiling face, passed from the destiny 
 revealer's room. 
 
 "Pardon me, Ben Igo," said Dalleszona with 
 a smothered laugh, "now's your chance. I'll 
 excuse you for a moment if you wish to ask Can- 
 tone about my speech at the rally. I'm sure he 
 knows just what you desire to learn, and possibly 
 he could give some interesting data on the chan- 
 cellorship. But do be brief and don't leave me 
 here alone long." 
 
 "No, thank you. I greatly prefer to receive 
 information on that meeting first hand from you," 
 but deep in his soul he would have given much 
 to know just what the brilliant and charming 
 Torclez had told Cantone concerning the chan- 
 cellorship and to-morrow's elections. Also he 
 could not help wondering how much influence 
 this fair enchantress might have with voters in 
 the southern provinces. And, too, if she were 
 210 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 a friend of Dalleszona, possibly she really knew 
 some things that could be of great comfort to 
 Cantone. So he covered his anxiety by asking: 
 "What do you know about this Torclez? Have 
 you ever met her?" 
 
 "Yes, before I went to school at Hermosillo 
 she and I were good friends for a year at Oaxaca, 
 and I saw her again several times when I toured 
 the southern provinces \vith Cantone during the 
 campaign. She certainly is the most fascinating 
 and wonderful woman I have ever met, and 
 surely is possessed of some strange gift. You 
 know how matter-of-fact my father is, and even 
 he admits that Torclez possesses some strong, 
 unearthly power not accounted for by human 
 wisdom." 
 
 "Then you really believe there is something 
 in this soothsayer's, magician's claims?" 
 
 "Yes, I know there is, or used to be. For in 
 211 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 ancient times the Elohim of the Shemiites warned 
 their wise men, and indeed all classes, to not have 
 anything to do with wizards and necromancers, 
 and divine wisdom never warns against imaginary 
 nothings." 
 
 "Well, if there is divine prohibition against 
 them, why do you seek to play the game?" 
 
 "The prohibitions were never laid upon my 
 people, and may have been purely arbitrary or 
 of local value. Still, to tell the whole truth, 
 ]\Ir. Chancellor, I am not seeking any informa- 
 tion concerning the future, and will confess to 
 just a freak curiosity to see how much of the 
 past she can reveal. You know it is the pursuit 
 of the mysterious that furnishes most of the 
 thrills of life, from human standpoint." 
 
 Just then the attendent summoned them to the 
 sanctum sanctorum of the Nicaraguan enchant- 
 ress. 
 
 212 
 
The Chaficel/or 
 
 As Dalleszona's hand rested upon his arm, he 
 could feel her trembling, and somehow his heart 
 cried out for his mother's presence, and he 
 mentally resolved to call for her if opportunity 
 offered. 
 
 Perhaps in all the world, in all ages, human 
 eyes have never rested upon a more wonderful 
 setting than that which Saxon and Dallcszona 
 now looked upon. On a throne carved from 
 purest chalcedony, decorated with ribbon agate 
 and satin spar, half-sitting half-reclining, upon 
 silken cushions, Torclez awaited them. Imme- 
 diately in front of her was a table of burnished 
 gold, studded with priceless gems. Just across 
 the table was a dais of tiger eye, with arms and 
 back of alter-rail design chiseled from azurite and 
 bordered with golden sapphires and pigeon-blood 
 rubies. 
 
 To this seat Torcles beckoned them with jew- 
 213 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 elled hands, smiling face sweet as a praying angel 
 and eyes of lambent flame. 
 
 "Bless my soul! It is my school-girl chum, 
 Dalleszona. Sweetheart, how came you here? 
 This morning I saw you swinging from the 
 chassis of an airplane, hurled like a thunderbolt 
 of Thor from a storm cloud. How did you 
 escape, and what brings you here? I see, too, 
 that you have the wedding pin of the Iximagas 
 at your throat. Tell me, girl, what is on your 
 heart to-day? What blessing do you crave from 
 the spirit world ? Or may be you have sweet 
 secrets to share with me." 
 
 Blushing, laughing, Dallaszona answered: "I 
 wished my friend here to meet you, and together 
 we want you to take us to the lands of the unseen, 
 where we mortals may not go without a guide. 
 But, understand, we want only the past. No 
 
 214 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 dealings In futures. Time enough for that when 
 they are revealed by enrolling years." 
 
 They were seated close to the artificial parti- 
 tion of the grotto, facing what seemed a solid 
 wall of masonry a short distance beyond Torclez. 
 . "How fortunate you are, Dalleszona. To-day 
 of all days is the most favorable, for to-night 
 the Aztec moon fulls, and the people of all lands, 
 all realms beneath yon dome where God's own 
 hands hath hung the stars, will be sailing the 
 uncharted seas watching for beacon lights on the 
 shores of time. Your people on the other side, 
 knowing of your adventure m the clouds this 
 morning, will bring you messages of infinite joy." 
 
 Suddenly the lights dissolved into darkness. 
 The air became heavy with perfume from unseen 
 censors. A large disc on the opposite wall rolled 
 away, and obliquely across a jewelled corridor 
 from unseen source fell the pathway of a brighter 
 215 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 light than they had ever seen. At the same mo- 
 ment a sense of rhythm as of sandalled footsteps 
 pulsed upon the air. Every faculty of soul and 
 spirit was so responsive to the sense of tre- 
 mendous mystery, that instinctively Saxon took 
 Dalleszona's hand, and found her pulse only a 
 trifle above normal; but the blood was pounding 
 to her very finger tips, and her eyes widened with 
 infinite wonder and literally blazed with im- 
 mortal fire, and he realized he had been per- 
 mitted to look upon the very soul of this great 
 woman as she approached, undaunted, the border- 
 land of mighty spiritual scenes. 
 
 An instant later the intangible, immaterial, 
 but substantial forms of a man and woman 
 entered the path of light, and Saxon felt swept 
 from all moorings as he instantly recognized the 
 transfigured forms of Dalleszona's father and 
 mother. The spirit body was an absolute perfect 
 216 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 counterpart of their physical bodies as they must 
 have been in the zenith of fleshly power, ere the 
 corroding hand of time and age had touched 
 them. But more wonderful than form and 
 feature was the effect of the marvelous light 
 upon the spiritual forces. It was an X-ray of 
 mind and heart, conscience and will purpose and 
 aspiration. As the vision progressed, not only 
 the thoughts and deeds, but the motives and de- 
 sires of body, soul and spirit of this splendid 
 couple stood out in bold relief. Sw^iftly as thought 
 travels, Saxon was startled and ovenvhelmcd 
 with possible results if this strange revealing light 
 were brought into every-day affairs of mortals, 
 so that each might know the thoughts, motives 
 and desires of all, and all of each, and truly 
 he wondered if he would be willing to give the 
 world each day an X-ray of his own conscience, 
 — mental and moral processes. Would the race 
 217 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 reform, or become moral outcasts like the lepers 
 of olden time? Who could say. 
 
 As her parents passed from sight, two other 
 forms appeared, and Dalleszona whispered, "My 
 grandfather and mother." But in their case, all 
 that had been bad or looked in the way of evil 
 was blank, while all the good they had done or 
 desired to do and could not, by reason of 
 untoward surroundings or lack of ability, were 
 given fullest credit. But the young couple shud- 
 dered as they realized the frequency and length 
 of the blanks. 
 
 Swiftly the long procession passed, winding 
 down from the summit of far-off ages, climbing, 
 climbing, ever climbing to the sun bright realms 
 of a new heaven and new earth, wherein only 
 righteousness dwells. 
 
 Then Torclez spoke: "Dalleszona, you wished 
 to know something of your past. Behold now, 
 218 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 your ancestors for thirty generations, fifteen 
 hundred years. They are your past, and you are 
 what they have made. Will you pass the record 
 on, undefiled? Your thoughts of to-day will be 
 the flesh and blood of to-morrow." Transfixed 
 and awed, but with throbbing heart and swinging 
 brain, Dalleszona watched the long lines of an- 
 cestral spirits pass the revealing light until all 
 were gone and only silence possessed the corridor. 
 Saxon, too, was thrilled by the transcendent im- 
 mortal power of family life, as he beheld this 
 House of Iximaga through fifteen hundred years 
 of mortal time, — leaders in flush and power of 
 progress; leaders calm and steadfast in centuries 
 of defeat; leaders patient and brave through 
 suffering and sorrows untold ; leaders with un- 
 tainted blood pulsing through arteries and veins, 
 under stress of mighty temptation ; great men and 
 women, with heart, conscience and motive un- 
 219 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 defiled; unconquered and unconquerable, stand- 
 ing always and ever foursquare to the world, 
 struggling sublimely on to highest ideals. If this 
 was Dalleszona's past, what must her future be? 
 Was he worthy of the love, devotion and in- 
 spiration of this bloom and blessing of fifteen 
 hundred years? Could he make her happy? And 
 how about the blanks in his own life through the 
 process of years? 
 
 When Torclez turned to Saxon for instruc- 
 tion, he did not speak, but his eyes questioned 
 Dalleszona. Placing her restless but firm little 
 hand in his, she said, "Surely, Ben Igo, I would 
 see your people, especially your mother." When 
 his father and mother stepped into the corridor, 
 vigorous and splendid, as he knew them before 
 he laid their mortal bodies to rest in the broad 
 prairies of Kansas, fifteen years before, joy and 
 gladness filled his soul, and he thanked God the 
 220 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 blanks were so few, and the high resolves and 
 honest endeavors so many, and the upward long- 
 ings, too, were great. Then "backward, turn 
 backward, O time in your flight," across the 
 waste of centuries in Old Asia. Blood and 
 flame, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, on, 
 still on, till a mighty throng surged around three 
 cross trees upon a hill just outside the capital 
 city of the ancient Jebusites, while hills rocked 
 and blinding darkness fell across the midday sun, 
 and Saxon knew, once and forevermore that his 
 ancestors had witnessed the Crucifixion of the 
 ]VIan of Galilee. 
 
 The very air seemed dense and chill. Then 
 Torclez spoke: — ■ 
 
 "Ben Igo, friend of my friend, Dalleszona, — 
 you have not sought to know the future, but I 
 crave to reveal one day, just one day, in the 
 tremendous future so near at hand." 
 221 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 Again the light in the corridor glowed, but 
 now 'twas planet earth, cleft in twain through 
 the heart of the Mother Sea, which appeared as 
 a mighty scroll with millions and millions and 
 still more millions of human beings struggling in 
 a sea of blood that swelled to tumultuous flood, 
 but swiftly ebbed away while the mighty spirit 
 of brotherhood illumined the velvet sky, and 
 above the faces of wives and mothers and daugh- 
 ters and sweethearts the beautiful hand of 
 womanhood wrote these words "Faith — Hope — 
 Love," and the voice of kindred tribes, tongues, 
 nations and races swelled in thunderous diapason, 
 "Peace on earth, Good will to men." "We 
 must have a Business Manager to lead the na- 
 tions who will deal with honesty and truth, — a 
 Chancellor of World Life to lead us to the 
 Land of the Heart's Desire." 
 
 Passing from the grotto, their hearts throb- 
 222 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 bing with tumultuous mystery and unanswerable 
 questionings, hand in hand they climbed to the 
 topmost seats of the splendid amphitheater, to 
 watch the miracles of cloudlands wheel across the 
 sunbeamed spaces. Silently, swiftly, snow-white 
 cloud continents, piled heaven high, swung into 
 place south and east, as the low-descending sun's 
 fiery lances shot them through with phantom 
 glory. 
 
 When these billows of snow and flame rolled 
 in unbroken tides from the Mayan Gulf to the 
 jagged summits of the Cordilleras, and the 
 heavens above seemed transfused with rose and 
 gold, Saxon turned to Dalleszona, simply, but 
 earnestly : — 
 
 "Dalleszona, you must know I have loved and 
 do now love you with all my heart and soul. 
 Do you love me? Will you be my wife?" 
 
 His heart was satisfied with the light in her 
 223 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 eyes as she took his face between her hands, 
 drawing it close to her own, and said, in low, 
 sweet voice, "Ben Igo, my Ben Igo, for five years 
 I have loved you with an everlasting love. 
 Where you go I will go. Where you live I will 
 live. Your people shall be my people, your God 
 my God. Into your care and keeping I gladly 
 give all I am or may be in this world or the 
 next. I v.ill be your wife." 
 
 Lengthening shadows warned of approaching 
 night. The voiceless magic of the twilight hour 
 breathed its enchantment over an entirely new 
 world for these two happy hearts. With the 
 wonder of loving upon them and the mystery of 
 heaven about them, the bloom of life and fra- 
 grance of spirit surged through heart and brain 
 with passionate power. Lover and sweetheart 
 saw visions and dreamed dreams and whispered 
 airy nothings of eternal charm. The Aztec moon 
 224 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 rose full and free above the Mayan Gulf, with 
 the face of the Toltec Queen smiling, and in- 
 voluntarily Saxon thought of Highfinger, his 
 strange erratic friend, from whose leadings this 
 great blessing and perfect happiness had come to 
 him. 
 
 "Dalleszona, my Dalleszona, you have loved 
 me all these years. When did you first suspect 
 I loved you?" 
 
 "I never did suspect it. I knew, that night 
 we camped in the Valley of the Oleanders, when 
 we climibed above the laughing waters, and you 
 asked me to tell you somewhat of my people and 
 the manner of their coming. I also knew you 
 were battling with race prejudice, and that was 
 why the mirage the next morning meant so much 
 for me." 
 
 "And yet you never let me know by word or 
 
 225 
 
Dalleszo7ia 
 
 sign, through all the years, you naughty, naughty, 
 precious girl." 
 
 "Well, you see, it is this way. We Toltecs 
 have a legend from ancient days that, when the 
 world waa young, Faith, Hope and Love lived in 
 a temple all their own. To this temple mortals 
 came with their selfishness, greed, suspicion, envy, 
 jealousy, hate and revenge in their hearts; but, 
 remaining there for a time, these evil passions 
 began to atrophy, sicken and die one by one, — 
 not one could live beyond five years. No sane 
 woman would ever marry a man if she knew he 
 had these misery breeding germs in his spirit. 
 But the trouble is that men are so nice during 
 courtship days, the women think they are per- 
 fectly lovely, sweet angels. Short courtships and 
 long divorces seem to be close friends now-a-days. 
 But, if you can get a man to behave himself for 
 five years, he is a pretty safe investment as a 
 226 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 husband. We Toltecs do not propose to make a 
 failure of the greatest thing in life, nor enter the 
 next with tremendous handicap of a vagabond 
 husband. So for fifteen hundred years every 
 daughter of the House of Iximaga has been 
 courted at least five years before her wedding 
 day, and happiness has always come to them, 
 even through all the centuries when our power 
 and greatness was brought to desolation. During 
 courtship both lover and sweetheart live their 
 best, look their best, do their best to please the 
 other. This habit of doing one's best goes with 
 them into married life and brings great joy. So, 
 you see, Ben I go, no matter about that chan- 
 cellorship, or any other thing in all the world, 
 you and I are going to have everlasting happiness 
 for all the coming years, and that is greatest 
 wealth and highest power." 
 
 "But tell me, sweetheart, what do you think 
 227 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 of this vision of Torclez concerning the chan- 
 cellorship. Perhaps Cantone will be elected. You 
 know he looked very happy as he passed down 
 the corridor." 
 
 "Never you worry, my great and mighty 
 chancellor. Cantone won't come in a million 
 miles, nor votes either, of the chancellorship. 
 The House of Iximaga has been preserved for 
 such an hour as this. I believe Torclez's vision 
 absolutely. I spoke for you at the rally, and you 
 surely will be chosen chancellor to-morrow, and 
 Chalcedon will soon rule the world in peace and 
 love. It must be so because this cruel war has 
 destroyed the wealth it took a hundred years to 
 produce. We have the gold and silver stored in 
 God's own treasure vaults, to finance a bankrupt 
 world. Our petroleum reservoirs can furnish 
 fuel for airships, submarines and merchant fleets 
 of a globe. Within thirty days the ambassadors 
 228 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 of Europe and Asia will be knocking at our doors, 
 imploring our aid. Chalcedon can and shall lead 
 the nations on to undreamed heights of material 
 splendor and spiritual power. 
 
 "Come, Ben Igo, the happy hearts of Truxlan 
 will soon swell the vesper song. Already the 
 pilots of our merchant squadrons are dropping 
 through the purple twilight to hangars on the 
 mesa. Let us swing the Mystery Maid into 
 the mystic moonlight and drop through the 
 boundless spaces to Home Sweet Home." 
 
 So ended the perfect day. 
 
 Dalleszona's prophecy was correct. Only an 
 inspired womanhood can vision the reconstruction 
 of the nations and sense the divine forces that 
 shall regenerate the governments of a world. 
 The Womanhood Age is at hand, and the world's 
 best blessings must soon be realized. 
 
 Twenty days later five thousand airships were 
 229 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 straining at their moorings in Truxlan, — of latest 
 design, aluminum-double-hulled, vacuum cham- 
 bered, passenger-carrying transports, capable of 
 highest speed and practically immune from ac- 
 cident from falling. 
 
 The wedding day of Saxon and Dalleszona, 
 and the inauguration of Saxon as permanent 
 chancellor, was the occasion of this gathering 
 now. The rites were to be administered at the 
 Forum, and the fleet was to carry the thousands 
 there. But how may I describe the manner of 
 their going. No such sight had ever been wit- 
 nessed on this earth. It certainly was splendid 
 beyond description, as they rose with fluttering 
 banners and streaming pennants above Truxlan, 
 half a mile wide, terraced five thousand feet high, 
 their white hulls gleaming in the morning sun. 
 
 Like a mighty flood of waters in tremendous 
 cascades congealed against the sapphire skies, they 
 230 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 moved in stately grandeur toward the shadowy 
 heights of Castile Leon, where the happy thou- 
 sands filled the great amphitheater to overflowing. 
 Under the inspiring strains of Kavadema's 
 wedding march Saxon and Dalleszona entered 
 the Forum in full view of the admiring thou- 
 sands, and took the sweetly solemn vows that 
 joined their hearts and hands and interests for 
 life. 
 
 Immediately, with Dalleszona still at his side, 
 Saxon stepped to the platform where Iximaga 
 administered the chancellor's oath: "I pledge al- 
 legiance to God, to my country and our flag, 
 and the principles for which they stand, — Love, 
 Liberty and Humanity." Instantly a mighty 
 cheer rose from the happy thousands, then as 
 quickly ended, as the roar of motors and the rush 
 of a hundred airplanes, of war design and ancient 
 construction, circled above the mountain's brow 
 231 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 and dropped to the training field near by. In a 
 few minutes the visitors, numbering well above 
 a hundred, robed in Oriental costumes, descended 
 the marble steps under flag of truce, and stood 
 before the chancellor's platforn^. The ambassa- 
 dors of China and Hindustan, turbaned and 
 sandalled, bowed low before Iximaga, then 
 spoke : — 
 
 "Brothers and friends of the world's golden 
 age, we represent the nation of continents beyond 
 the seas. Our people have watched your progress 
 in Peace, and sensed your power in Love. We 
 have come to claim your guidance and wisdom, 
 and ask the leadership of your great chancellor 
 here, to inspire the business management of a 
 thousand millions of human beings just across the 
 Mother Sea. Weary of endless strife, we would 
 make with you a covenant of everlasting Peace, 
 
 232 
 
The Chancellor 
 
 a permanent League of Friendship for the na- 
 tions of a World Life." 
 
 Then up from the ambassadors and down from 
 the Chalcedonian hosts came the cry, exultant, 
 triumphant, overwhelming: — 
 
 "Universal Peace! Eternal Brotherhood! 
 Long live the Chancellor!" 
 
 As the voice of the mighty throng swelled in 
 tumultuous enthusiasm, the great heart of the 
 chancellor was filled with overmastering joy, and 
 his soul caught the strains of divinest music, as 
 of harp strings swept by the fluttering fingers of 
 the Eternal, because the minted millions of the 
 Seventh Treasure were already swiftly flowing in 
 streams of blessing for the whole world. All 
 nations, girded and sandalled, clothed in their 
 right minds, expectant stood, facing the Dawn 
 of Peace. 
 
 Best of all, illuminating the success of the pres- 
 233 
 
Dalleszona 
 
 ent, transforming and glorifying the hope of the 
 Future, was the immortal spirit of Dalleszona, 
 herald of the new age, the Womanhood Age, the 
 world's Golden Age, lifting, laughing, loving, 
 every kindred, tribe and tongue, beckoning on to 
 consummation of the Heart's Desire, — Eternal 
 Progression. 
 
 Vale. 
 
 234