Beadle's Dime Novels No. 300: The Crested Serpent — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

. & ‘THE SACKED CHAMBER. ce as “We are in the Aztec chapel,’ said Marta. “Here my authority B-#reme, All those of Aztec blood bow their knees at my command. Marta is the High Priestess.” - Her voice was solemn and sad, and her old form as erect. as though the mantle of youth had dropped upon it. | One by.one lights from waxen tapers emitted their mild, ethereal rays, and a scene grand to contemplate lay before Paulas Ballejo. It was a chamber resembling in sbape a horse-shoe, with terrace upon terrace in the curve. It gleamed: and flashed like a concave mirror, and from the dome, hung, as icicles, loug, slender, crystallized stone, that sparkled as precious gems under the light of the waxen tapers. They stood upon a terrace formed of crystals, and below them, at least ten feet, in a circle, was a chamber, that glit- tered and glowed with ametbystine and sapphirine brilliancy, Hamfredo disappeared from view, and in a few minutes emerged upon the other side, on an altar formed of crystal- jized rock. There was an instantaneous flash of light, and the altar appeared eloquently radiant. Soon he returned, and ~ Marta disappeared from view, again to appear on the: altar robed in spotless white; and upon her silver locks rested a crown of gold. ‘ “ Paula Vallejo, descend into the chamber below. Thence you will go a daughter of the Aztecs.” The magic touch again opened a passage, and she stood alone in the cham- ber, and. above ber Marta, the high priestess of the fad- ing Aztecs. Before her, in an earthen bow}, burned a fire | that emitted a blue light, and a smoke arose’to the dome of. : the vaulted cavern. Aroand it Marta ‘wave wand of ser- pent shape, while from her lips escaped a. telligible tan cae guage, “ Kneel, Paula Vallejo !” Paula, pale as marble, and with compressed lips, knelt upon the flinty floor, and with awe she gazed toward Marta, ns old Mexican woman. | “You are in the chamber of the Crested Serpent of the Aztecs. Shudder not. Far north,in the ruins left by our people, its shape is carved upon their temples and their al- tars, and the crest is symbolical of the former power and — Strength of the race that has faded away as naists before the - i SOMO ks. com