by James Otis
CHAPTER XVII.
A HALT.
Jake professed to have but little care how long the scar might remain onhis face providing the wound healed, and they succeeded in escaping fromthe Chan Santa Cruz Indians.
"Nothing that can happen to us during the journey to Merida would behalf as bad as to fall into their hands," he said with a shudder, "andwhat surprises me most is that I should have thought they were peaceablyinclined."
"But that is exactly what they are until it comes to dealing with awhite man," Cummings replied. "You must remember all that thepeople--the natives I mean--have suffered since America was discovered.The barbarous treatment they received from the Spaniards is told fromfather to son, and it is a portion of their religious training to workall the injury possible to the whites. Read of what the invaders did tosatisfy their thirst for gold, and then you can no longer wonder whythese people, the only ones who have kept their city free from theconqueror, are so implacable. Remember that Yucatan was once coveredwith populous cities, the ruins of which show even at this late date howmagnificent they were, how splendid beyond comparison with the one wehave seen, and you ask yourselves why these Indians do not rise andmassacre all of the hated color that can be found."
"But you also came hoping to take away their treasure," Neal said,smiling at Cummings' vehemence.
"That is true, therefore I have no word of blame when they attempt tokill me; but, as a matter of course, I try to save my life even though Iam to them nothing more than a common robber. In my own eyes, however,the case seems different. To procure such goods as I most desired, wouldprobably be, by the aid of Poyor, to solve that which scholars havestudied for so long in vain--the origin of the Aztecs and Toltecs, for Ibelieve the Chan Santa Cruz belong to the latter race, and keep freshall their histories and traditions."
"And now that you have failed it would be better to go home with us,"Teddy said.
"This attempt has failed; but I shall try again and again until Isucceed, providing we get out of this scrape alive, which is by no meanscertain, for we have a long and perilous journey before us."
"Which we are not likely to make unless Poyor comes back," Neal addedgrimly. "It surely seems as if he should be here by this time. I haven'theard the report of his rifle for a long while."
"Most likely we are too far away for the sound to reach us. We will waithalf an hour longer, and then I will go back to see if anything hashappened."
Cummings had hardly ceased speaking before the Indian appeared in theirmidst, having come so softly that no one heard him until he stood beforethem.
"It is not a good watch you keep," he said to Cummings, speaking inEnglish.
"We cannot guard against such an approach as yours. Where are theenemy?"
"I left them at the edge of the forest. Knowing how we are armed they donot dare to follow very close; but when the sun rises a hundred will beat our heels."
"Shall we go on now, or will you rest awhile?"
"I am ready. We have no time to lose."
Cummings rose to his feet, the others following his example, and theIndian started forward without delay.
"How far are we from the sea-shore?" Cummings asked as the march began.
"More miles than we shall travel for many days. By sunrise everysentinel will know we are here, and it will be impossible to breakthrough their lines."
"Then how are we to get home?" Teddy asked in alarm.
"He probably hopes to find some place where we can stay in hiding forawhile. In this section of the country there are many large caverns inwhich streams of water are invariably found, thus causing the beliefthat a subterranean river flows from the valley to the sea. If we stopat one of them until it is decided we have succeeded in escaping, youwill not be able to take the steamer as intended."
"But we may have to stay two or three weeks."
"Better that than to be captured," Cummings replied, and then herelapsed into silence.
During the next two hours the little party pressed steadily forward,making their way with difficulty through the tangled foliage, and thenNeal was forced to ask for another halt.
"I must rest awhile," he said. "My feet are sore, and it seemsimpossible to take another step."
Poyor halted, was about to seat himself, and then, as if suddenlyremembering something, he said:
"Wait here. I will soon be back."
The white members of the party were too tired even to talk. Throwingthemselves upon the ground they enjoyed the luxury of rest, and,convinced there was no danger to be apprehended from the enemy untildaylight, Neal and Teddy gave themselves up to the embrace of slumber.
An hour passed before the apparently tireless Poyor returned, and heawakened the sleepers by saying:
"I have found that for which I sought. Come with me, and repose untillabor will seem a pleasure."
"What is it? A cave?" Neal asked sleepily.
"More than that. An underground house where we can live in safety,unless the retreat should be discovered."
It was a great exertion to get into traveling trim; but all hands did itafter a time, and Poyor led the way, although he had probably been therebut once before, as if following a familiar path.
After about half an hour's rapid walking the Indian halted at an openingin the hillside hardly more than large enough for one to go through onhis hands and knees, and motioned for the others to enter.
Cummings led the way, and while he was doing so Teddy asked Poyor:
"Have you been here often before?"
"This is the first time."
"How could you see a small hole like that while it is so dark?"
"On the line of these caves the earth is always damp. When we haltedlast I could feel that we were on the underground water course, and itwas only necessary to follow it up. Here we shall find both food anddrink."
"I don't understand where the food comes in unless we are to live onbats," Neal said laughingly, as he in turn entered the aperture.
By the time Teddy was inside Cummings had lighted a branch of what ismistakenly called fat wood, and, using this for a torch, it was possibleto have a reasonably good view of the temporary home.
The boys found themselves standing in an enormous chamber, from whichled several galleries or smaller rooms, lined with the same soft whitestone seen in the buildings of the Silver City, and at the further endwas a narrow stream rising apparently from the solid rock, crossing thecavern to the opposite side where it disappeared.
To describe the beauty of this marble chamber fashioned by nature wouldbe impossible. Neal and Teddy had but just begun to realize itsmagnificence when they were startled by the whirring of wings and aclucking noise such as is made by a barn-yard fowl, and an instant laterPoyor had knocked over with a piece of rock what looked very much like achicken.
"It is a toh," Cummings said, as he took the prize from the Indian. "Atthe city from which we came so unceremoniously these birds are kept ashens, and their eggs are most delicious."
"But how did this one happen to be in here, I wonder?" Teddy muttered.
"The species are found nowhere else but in the caverns. Probably thereare several hundred here."
Before the torch had burned out the boys had time to examine the oddchicken. It was about as large as a bantam, had soft, silky plumage, anda tail composed of two feathers which were nothing more than stems up tothe very tips, where were tassel-like appendages.
"Now if the enemy does not track us here we can live pretty comfortablyfor a few days; but I hope we shan't be obliged to stay any longer.Poyor will destroy our trail as soon as it is light, and if they shouldcome I fancy we can tire them out, for one man can hold this placeagainst a hundred."
"I am going to drink my fill of that water," Jake said, as he groped hisway toward the rear of the chamber. "It seems as if I hadn't had all Ineeded since we started on this trip."
"Be careful," Cummings shouted quickly. "Don't venture near the streamuntil I get another torch."
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p; "Why not?"
"Because in some of these caverns alligators are found, and it is neversafe to drink from the running water without first making sure thatthere are no saurian guards about."
Cummings went to the entrance for more wood, and when he returned theIndian was with him.
"This will cure the wound on your face," the latter said to Jake as heheld out a branch covered with small, glossy green leaves. "Take off thecloth that I may see it."
While Jake obeyed, Cummings was kindling a fresh torch, and as the lightfell upon the engineer's cheek both the boys uttered exclamations ofsurprise.
It was certainly a terrible looking wound, the dried blood causing it toappear even larger than it really was; but Poyor set about dressing itwith the utmost indifference, perhaps because he thought Jake deservedit for having been so stubborn and criminally foolish.
The Indian chewed the leaves to a pulp, and then spread them thickly onthe wound, after which Cummings replaced the cloth, and Jake declaredthat the pain had subsided instantly.
"I must remember the name of that plant if it can be found in a driedstate at home," he said, "and there are many times when such a poulticewould come in mighty handy."
"He has only bound on leaves from a shrub called guaco; but you needn'ttry to remember the name, for they are efficacious only while green. Nowthat the surgeon's duties have been performed we will get some water,and then set about cooking breakfast. Poyor, bring in plenty of wood,and then try to find another toh."
At the swiftly running stream nothing resembling an alligator was seen,and the white members of the party enjoyed to the utmost copiousdraughts of the ice-cold liquid.
Meanwhile the Indian was rapidly obeying Cummings' orders. He built afire near the water, and by the light which the white stones reflectedin every direction, had but little difficulty in knocking over threemore of what Teddy persisted in calling "chickens."
Leaving the cave again he soon returned with a lot of clay which hepasted over the tohs without removing the feathers or intestines, andthus prepared one would have supposed they were nothing more than somany balls of mud.
These he put into the fire, piled the wood over and around them, andthen sat down to wait for the fruits of his labor.
The boys fell asleep before the fowls were cooked: but after a littlemore than an hour Cummings awakened them to get their share of thefeast.
The now thoroughly baked clay was broken open, and it was found that thefeathers and skin of the birds had adhered to the covering, leaving thewhite flesh temptingly exposed.
Among the small amount of stores there was salt sufficient for severaldays' consumption, therefore they were not without seasoning for themeat, and Jake, Neal and Teddy were quite positive they had never eatenanything half so delicious as this odd chicken baked in a most singularmanner.