"Let me listen, too," said Jim Nestor, filling his pipe and stretchingout on the grass.
Then, in the silence of the early night, broken only by the crackle ofthe flames and the distantly heard hoot of owls or howl of foxes, thenaturalist told what he knew of a buried city of ancient Mexico.
"It was some years ago," he began, "that a friend of mine, a youngcollege professor, was traveling in Mexico. He visited all the bigplaces and then, getting tired of seeing the things that travelersusually see, he struck out into the wilds, accompanied only by an oldMexican guide.
"He traveled for nearly a week, getting farther and farther away fromcivilization, until one night he found himself on a big level plain, atthe extreme end of which there was a curiously shaped mountain.
"He proposed to his guide that they camp for the night and proceedto the mountain the next day. The guide assented, but he acted soqueerly that my friend wondered what the matter was. He questioned hiscompanion, but all he could get out of him was that the mountain wasconsidered a sort of unlucky place, and no one went there who couldavoid it.
"This made my friend all the more anxious to see what might be there,and he announced his intention of making the journey in the morning.He did so, but he had to go alone, for, during the night, his guidedeserted him."
"And what did he find at the mountain?" asked Bob. "A gold mine?"
"Not exactly," replied the professor.
"Maybe it was a silver lode," suggested Nestor. "There's plenty ofsilver in Mexico."
"It wasn't a silver mine, either," went on the professor. "All he foundwas a big hole in the side of the mountain. He went inside and walkedfor nearly a mile, his only light being a candle. Then he came to a wallof rock. He was about to turn back, when he noticed an opening in thewall. It was high up, but he built a platform of stones up and peeredthrough the opening."
"What did he see?" asked Jerry.
"The remains of an ancient, buried city," replied Professor Snodgrass."The mountain was nothing more than a big mound of earth, with anopening in the top, through which daylight entered. The shaft throughthe side led to the edge of the city. My friend gazed in on the remainsof a place thousands of years old. The buildings were mostly in ruins,but they showed they had once been of great size and beauty. There werewide streets with what had been fountains in them. There was not avestige of a living creature. It was as if some pestilence had fallen onthe place and the people had all left."
"Did he crawl through the hole in the wall and go into the desertedcity?" asked Nestor, with keen interest.
"He wanted to," answered the naturalist, "but he thought it would berisky, alone as he was. So he made a rough map of as much of the placeas he could see, including his route in traveling to the mountain.Then he retraced his steps, intending to organize a searching party ofscientists and examine the buried city."
"Did he do it?" came from Bob, who was listening eagerly.
"No. Unfortunately, he was taken ill with a fever as soon as he got backto civilization, and he died shortly afterward."
"Too bad," murmured Jerry. "It would have been a great thing to havegiven to the world news of such a place in Mexico. It's all lost now."
"Not all," said the professor, in a queer voice.
"Why not? Didn't you say your friend died?"
"Yes; but before he expired he told me the story and gave me the map."
"Where is it?" asked Nestor, sitting up and dropping his pipe in hisexcitement.
"There!" exclaimed the professor, extending a piece of paper, which hehad brought forth from his possessions.
Eagerly, they all bent forward to examine the map in the light of thecamp-fire. The drawing was crude enough, and showed that the buried citylay to the east of the chain of Sierra Madre Mountains, and about fivehundred miles to the north of the City of Mexico.
"There's the place," said the professor, pointing with his finger tothe buried city. "How I wish I could go there! It has always been mydesire to follow the footsteps of my unfortunate friend. Perhaps I mightdiscover the buried city. I could investigate it, make discoveries andwrite a book about it. That would be the height of my ambition. But I'mafraid I'll never be able to do it."
For a few minutes there was silence about the camp-fire, each onethinking of the mysterious city that was not so very many miles fromthem.
Suddenly Ned jumped to his feet and gave a yell.
"Whoop!" he cried. "I have it! It will be the very thing!"
CHAPTER III.
NEWS OF NODDY NIXON.
"What's the matter? Bit by a kissin' bug?" asked Nestor, as Ned wascapering about.
"Nope! I'm going to find that buried city," replied Ned.
"He's loony!" exclaimed the miner. "He's been sleepin' in the moonlight.That's a bad thing to do, Ned."
"I'm not crazy," spoke the boy. "I have a plan. If you don't want tolisten to it, all right," and he started for the cabin.
"What is it, tell us, will you?" came from the professor, who was inearnest about everything.
"I just thought we might make a trip to Mexico in the automobile, andhunt for that lost city," said Ned. "We could easily make the trip. Itwould be fun, even if we didn't find the place, and the gold mine is nowin good shape, so that we could leave, isn't it, Jim?"
"Oh, I can run the mine, all right," spoke Nestor. "If you boys want togo traipsin' off to Mexico, why, go ahead, as far as I'm concerned.Better ask your folks first, though. I reckon you an' the professorcould make the trip, easy enough, but I won't gamble on your finding theburied city, for I've heard such stories before, an' they don't veryoften come true."
"Dearly as I would like to make the trip in the automobile, and sure asI feel that we could do it, I think we had better sleep on the plan,"said Professor Snodgrass. "If you are of the same mind in the morning wewill consider it further."
"I'd like to go, first rate," came from Jerry.
"Same here," put in Bob.
That night each of the boys dreamed of walking about in some ancienttowns, where the buildings were of gold and silver, set with diamonds,and where the tramp of soldiers' feet resounded on the paved courtyardsof the palaces of the Montezumas.
"Waal," began Nestor, who was up early, making the coffee, when the boysturned out of their bunks, "air ye goin' to start for Mexico to-day, orwait till to-morrow?"
"Don't you think we could make the trip?" asked Jerry, seriously.
"Oh, you can make it, all right, but you'll have troubles. In the firstplace, Mexico ain't the United States, an' there's a queer lot ofpeople, mostly bad, down there. You'll have to be on the watch all thewhile, but if you're careful I guess you'll git along. But come on,now, help git breakfust."
Through the meal, though the boys talked little, it was evident theywere thinking of nothing but the trip to Mexico.
"I'm going to write home now and find if I can go," said Ned.
Jerry and Bob said they would do the same, and soon three letters wereready to be sent.
After their usual round of duties at the mine, which consisted in makingout reports, dealing out supplies, and checking up the loads of ore, theboys went to town in the auto to mail their letters. It was a pleasantday for the trip, and they made good time.
"It will be just fine if we can go," said Bob. "Think of it, we mayfind the buried city and discover the stores of gold hidden by theinhabitants."
"I guess all the gold the Mexicans ever had was gobbled up by theSpaniards," put in Jerry.
"But we may find a store of curios, relics and other things worth morethan gold," added Ned. "If we take the professor with us that's what hewould care about more than money. I do hope we can go."
"It's going to be harder to find than the lost gold mine was," saidJerry. "That map the professor has isn't much to go by."
"Oh, it will be fun hunting for the place," went on Bob. "We may findthe city before we know it."
In due time the boys reached town and mailed their letters. There wassome excitemen
t in the village over a robbery that had occurred, andthe sheriff was organizing a posse to go in search of a band of horsethieves.
"Don't you want to go 'long?" asked the official of the boys, whom heknew from having aided them in the battle at the mine against NoddyNixon and his friends some time before. "Come along in the choo-choowagon. I'll swear you in as special deputies."
"No, thanks, just the same," Jerry said. "We are pretty busy up at thediggings and can't spare the time."
"Like to have you," went on the sheriff, genially. "You could make goodtime in the gasolene gig after those hoss thieves."
But the boys declined. They had been through enough excitement insecuring the gold mine to last them for a while.
"We must stop at the store and get some bacon," said Ned. "Nestor toldme as we were coming away. There's none at the camp."
Bidding the sheriff good-by, and waiting until he had ridden off at thehead of his forces, the boys turned their auto toward the general store,located on the main street of Rockyford.
"Howdy, lads!" exclaimed the proprietor, as he came to the door to greetthem. "What is it to-day, gasolene or cylinder oil?"
"Bacon," replied Jerry.
"Got some prime," the merchant said. "Best that ever come off a pig. Howmuch do you want?"
"Twenty pounds will do this time," answered Jerry. "We may not be herelong, and we don't want to stock up too heavily."
"You ain't thinkin' of goin' back East, are ye?" exclaimed thestorekeeper.
"More likely to go South," put in Ned. "We were thinking of Mexico."
"You don't say so!" cried the vendor of bacon and other sundries. "Gotanother gold mine in sight down there?"
"No; but----" and then Ned subsided, at a warning punch in the side fromJerry, who was not anxious to have the half-formed plans made public.
"You was sayin'----" began the storekeeper, as if desirous of hearingmore.
"Oh, we may take a little vacation trip down into Mexico," said Jerry,in a careless tone. "We've been working pretty hard and we need a rest.But nothing has been decided yet."
"Mexico must be quite a nice place," went on the merchant.
"What makes you think so?" asked Bob.
"I heard of another automobilin' party that went there not long ago."
"Who was it?" spoke Jerry.
"Some chap named Dixon or Pixon or Sixon, I forget exactly what it was."
"Was it Nixon?" asked Jerry.
"That's it! Noddy Nixon, I remember now. He had a chap with him namedPerry or Ferry or Kerry or----"
"Bill Berry, maybe," suggested Bob.
"That was it! Berry. Queer what a poor memory I have for names. Andthere was another with him. Let's see, I have it; no, that wasn't it.Oh, yes, Hensett!"
"You mean Dalsett," put in Ned.
"That's it! Dalsett! And there was another named Jack Pender. There, Ibet I've got that right."
"You have," said Jerry. "You say they went to Mexico?"
"You see, it was this way," the storekeeper went on. "It was about threeweeks ago. They come up in a big automobile, like yours, an' boughta lot of stuff. I kind of hinted to find out where they was headedfor, an' all the satisfaction I got was that that there Nixon fellersays as how he guessed Mexico would be the best place for them, as theUnited States Government hadn't no control down there. Then one of theothers says Mexico would suit him. So I guess they went. Now, is thereanything else I can let you have?"
"Thanks, this will be all," replied Jerry, paying for the bacon.
The boys waited until they were some distance on the road before theyspoke about the news the storekeeper had told them.
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Noddy and his gang had gone toMexico," said Ned. "That's the safest place for them, after what theydid."
"I wish they weren't there, if we are to take a trip in that country,"put in Bob.
"It's a big place, I guess they won't bother us," came from Jerry.
But he was soon to find that Mexico was not big enough to keep Noddy andhis crowd from making much trouble and no little danger for him and hisfriends.
They arrived at camp early in the afternoon and told Nestor the newsthey had heard. He did not attach much importance to it, as he was busyover an order for new mining machinery.
There was plenty for the boys to do about camp, and soon they were sooccupied that they almost forgot there was such a place as Mexico.
CHAPTER IV.
OVER THE RIO GRANDE.
A week later, during which there had been busy days at the mining camp,the boys received answers to their letters. They came in the shape oftelegrams, for the lads had asked their parents to wire instead ofwaiting to write. Each one received permission to make the trip into theland of the Montezumas.
"Hurrah!" yelled Bob, making an ineffectual attempt to turn asomersault, and coming down all in a heap.
"What's the matter?" asked Nestor, coming out of the cabin. "Wasp stingye?"
"We can go to Mexico!" cried Ned, waving the telegram.
"Same thing," replied the miner. "Ye'll git bit by sand fleas,tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, horse-flies an' rattlesnakes, downthere. Better stay here."
"Is it as bad as that?" asked Bob.
"If it is I'll get the finest collection of bugs the college ever saw,"put in Professor Snodgrass.
"Well, it may not be quite as bad, but it's bad enough," qualifiedNestor. "But don't let me discourage you. Go ahead, this is a freecountry."
So it was arranged. The boys decided they would start in three days,taking the professor with them.
"And we'll find that buried city if it's there," put in Ned.
The next few days were busy ones. At Nestor's suggestion each one of theboys had a stout money-belt made, in which they could carry their cashstrapped about their waists. They were going into a wild country, theminer told them, where the rights of people were sometimes disregarded.
Then the auto was given a thorough overhauling, new tires were put onthe rear wheels, and a good supply of ammunition was packed up. Inaddition, many supplies were loaded into the machine, and ProfessorSnodgrass got an enlarged box made for his specimens, as well as two newbutterfly nets.
The boys invested in stout shoes and leggins, for they felt they mighthave to make some explorations in a wild country. A good camp cookingoutfit was taken along, and many articles that Nestor said would be ofservice during the trip.
"Your best way to go," said the miner, "will be to scoot along back intoNew Mexico for a ways, then take over into Texas, and strike the RioGrande below where the Conchas River flows into it. This will save youa lot of mountain climbing an' give you a better place to cross the RioGrande. At a place about ten miles below the Conchas there is a fineflat-boat ferriage. You can take the machine over on that."
The boys promised to follow this route. Final preparations were made,letters were written home, the auto was gone over for the tenth time byJerry, and having received five hundred dollars each from Nestor, astheir share in the mine receipts up to the time they left, they startedoff with a tooting of the auto horn.
"That's more money than I ever had at one time before," said Bob,patting his money-belt as he settled himself comfortably down in therear seat of the car, beside Professor Snodgrass.
"Money is no good," said the naturalist.
"No good?"
"No; I'd rather catch a pink and blue striped sand flea, which is therarest kind that exists, than have all the money in the world. If I canget one of them or even a purple muskrat, and find the buried city, thatwill be all I want on this earth."
"I certainly hope we find the buried city," spoke up Ned, who waslistening to the conversation, "but I wouldn't care much for a purplemuskrat."
"Well, every one to his taste," said the professor. "We may find both."
The journey, which was to prove a long one, full of surprises anddangers, was now fairly begun. The auto hummed along the road, makingfast time.
That night t
he adventurers spent in a little town in New Mexico. Theirarrival created no little excitement, as it was the first time an autohad been in that section. Such a crowd of miners and cowboys surroundedthe machine that Jerry, who was steering, had to shut off the power in ahurry to avoid running one man down.
"I thought maybe ye could jump th' critter over me jest like they docircus hosses," explained the one who had nearly been hit by the car.Jerry laughingly disclaimed any such powers of the machine.
Two days later found them in Texas, and, recalling Nestor's directionsabout crossing the Rio Grande, they kept on down the banks of thatmighty river until they passed the junction where the Conchas flows in.
So far the trip had been without accident. The machine ran well andthere was no trouble with the mechanism or the tires. Just at dusk, onenight, they came to a small settlement on the Rio Grande. They rodethrough the town until they came to a sort of house-boat on the edge ofthe stream. A sign over the entrance bore the words:
FERRY HERE.
"This is the place we're looking for, I guess," said Jerry. He drove themachine up to the entrance and brought it to a stop. A dark-featuredman, with a big scar down one side of his face, slouched to the door.
"Well?" he growled.
"We'd like to be ferried over to the other side," spoke Jerry.
"Come to-morrow," snarled the man. "We don't work after five o'clock."
"But we'd like very much to get over to-night," went on Jerry. "And ifit's any extra trouble we'd be willing to pay for it."
The Motor Boys in Mexico; Or, The Secret of the Buried City Page 2