n hundred
years ago King Menes, son of Cham reigned in Egypt, who albeit surnamed
Mizrain the Laggard, yet was the first king of the first dynasty of the
children of the sun.

When I saw the direction from whence the stone had come I feared that
disaster would overwhelm our town and unfortunately was I not mistaken.

At the bridge the stone gave the first manifestation of its unholy
heathen power when it balked, defying modern civilization and through
sorcery or in other unhallowed ways contrived to interfere with the
public electric traction service, paralyzing the traffic so effectively
that every street car in the town was stopped; not merely a few hours,
but for days.

Like that colossus of strength and wisdom, the elephant which refuses
to pass over a bridge until satisfied that this will uphold its weight,
the cunning stone did not budge another inch until the bridge had been
braced with many timbers.

As foreseen by me this uncanny rock was sent by the Idol of the
mountain, the "Sphinx of Aztlan," to cast a hoodoo, an evil spell over
the monument.

It caused dissension among the people and confused their minds into
rendering abnormal criticisms, making them indulge in eccentric
vagaries and speculations on the artistic and intrinsic value of the
monument. Some persons guessed at the value of the metal contained in
the statue, while others reckoned the cost of the horse or that of the
rider's accoutrements.

However, of thousands of admiring and delighted spectators none shared
an exactly like opinion except in this, that the statue bore no
individual resemblance; but that also was contradicted by a young lady
whom I heard exclaim: "Girls, surely that looks like Buckie O'Neill,
but in love and war men are not themselves!" "How do I know? Oh, mamma
said so!"

During the ceremony of unveiling the monument a dark, ragged storm
cloud hung over the Aztec mountain, fast overcasting the sky. Thousands
of people strained their eyes and held their breath in the glad
anticipation of seeing the features of their lamented friend,
Prescott's honored mayor, immortalized in bronze. When after moments of
anxious suspense the veil which draped the statue parted and fell to
earth, the sun's rays pierced the clouds, while deafening cheers rent
the air. I thought I heard a weird, faint cry, an echo from the
past--but cannons boomed, drums crashed as a military band rendered its
patriotic airs.

And we saw--not the familia