Prevod
Pred stoletji, ko se je tolteška civilizacija razprostirala po Arizoni in morda po vsem Zahodu, so doline zasedala velika mesta — tista, katerih razvaline danes poznamo kot Mesto peči, Mesto kamnov in Mesto mrtvih. Ljudje so se ukvarjali z obrtmi in umetnostmi, ki so jih njihovi predniki poznali že pred gradnjo piramid v Egiptu. Montezuma je zasedel mehiški prestol in Azteki so bili podložno ljudstvo; Evropa je bila odkrila Ameriko in nanjo pozabila, v Ameriki pa je spomin na prihod Evropejcev živel le še v izročilu. Toda kakor drugi narodi so tudi Tolteki postali žrtev pretirane samozavesti, razkošja, razsipnosti in praznoverja, ki je hromilo duha. Na mejah njihove dežele so že prežala divja severna plemena, prepričana, da jo bodo kmalu osvojila, in včasih se je zdelo, da so se proti njim zarotile celo naravne sile.
Nekega dne so se vaščani vračali s polj, ko je vso pokrajino stresel potres. Hiše so se tresle, slišati je bilo bobnenje, ljudje so padali, ko so skušali priti na ulice, vodni zbiralniki pa so popokali in njihova vsebina se je razlila po razbeljenih tleh. Darovali so žrtev. Nato je sledil drugi sunek in v dar so izročili še eno človeško življenje. Ker so se tla še naprej vzpenjala in je potresni demon mrmral pod zemljo, je kralj duhovnikom izročil svojo hčer, da bi bilo njegovemu ljudstvu prizaneseno, čeprav si je mel roke in se tolkel po čelu, ko je gledal, kako jo vodijo proč, ter vedel, da bo čez eno uro njena kri tekla z oltarja.
Dekle je z odločnim korakom odšlo v votlino, kjer je stal oltar — v votlino v gorovju Superstition. Pokleknila je in zaprla oči, obredni duhovnik pa je izrekel molitev, stisnil nož iz žada in ji ga zasadil v srce. Zgrudila se je brez upiranja. In tedaj,
Izvirnik
Centuries ago, when Toltec civilization had extended over Arizona, and perhaps over the whole West, the valleys were occupied by large towns--the towns whose ruins are now known as the City of Ovens, City of Stones, and City of the Dead. The people worked at trades and arts that had been practised by their ancestors before the pyramids were built in Egypt. Montezuma had come to the throne of Mexico, and the Aztecs were a subject people; Europe had discovered America and forgotten it, and in America the arrival of Europeans was recalled only in traditions. But, like other nations, the Toltecs became a prey to self-confidence, to luxury, to wastefulness, and to deadening superstitions. Already the fierce tribes of the North were lurking on the confines of their country in a faith of speedy conquest, and at times it seemed as if the elements were against them.
The villagers were returning from the fields, one day, when the entire region was smitten by an earthquake. Houses trembled, rumblings were heard, people fell in trying to reach the streets, and reservoirs burst, wasting their contents on the fevered soil. A sacrifice was offered. Then came a second shock, and another mortal was offered in oblation. As the earth still heaved and the earthquake demon muttered underground, the king gave his daughter to the priests, that his people might be spared, though he wrung his hands and beat his brow as he saw her led away and knew that in an hour her blood would stream from the altar.
The girl walked firmly to the cave where the altar was erected--a cave in Superstition Mountains. She knelt and closed her eyes as the officiating-priest uttered a prayer, and, gripping his knife of jade stone, plunged it into her heart. She fell without a struggle. And now,
