The Slave Sculptor — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

THE SLAVE SCULPTOR CHAPTER XIL THE SEIZURE AND THE CAVE PRISON. As the sun was slowly declining behind the western mountains, Maxtla went forth from the imperi palace, with a light heart and buoyant step. It had been three days since he was removed from the dungeon; in that time, he had recovered much of his wonted living wa yet was suffering from inhaling the noisome effluvia of that graye. Reaching the shore on the western border of the lake, it was quite dark, Tonatiuh sc approae iched, and silently beckoning him to Arriving at a conyenient spot, in a thick cluster of shrubs, Ton- atiuh requested her companion to remain concealed, while she went pg Ree. engin ea aaah pos Maztla could scarcely wait for the promi return, Hope and ° joy filled his heart to overflowing. Absorbed in the tho ht of once again b g her he loved, that he failed to detect a figure ae on the ground toward the cluster of bushes in which he was Soon the anxious lover espied the guide and her charge approach- ing. He sprang from the bush, bounded eagerly forward, and with & joyous exclamation, pressed to his heart the affectionate Mazina ** Maxtla ! O Maxtla! ” was her only greeting. Tonatiuh passed off into the darkness, leaving them alone. For a few moments the lovers were silent. Then Maxtla heard a soft tread near him, and, on looking around, he received a blow which laid him prostrate on the earth, Three bes Sn west of Tlacopan — a large city, situated at the . terminus of the western causeway —was a wild country where mountains, steep precipices, and deep ravines, formed the scene. Far down in one of these chasms was an o » that led to subterranean chambers into which we must transport the reader. The passage was small, and, to pass in, it was necessary to stoop lightly; but, having proceeded a few feet, the aperture was much larger, its craggy outlines, barely discernible in the dark shade, being illumined only hy rays of sunlight which penetrated through the conmiclbooks.conn