XXII.
A VOICE FROM CENTURIES PAST.
Buchan was ready to throw the lever of his engine and roll out ofTucson, when a messenger handed him a packet bearing the postmark ofPeru. The missive showed signs of age, and, having traveled much, hadreached its destination at last. He tossed it into his tool box and anhour later when speeding over the scorched deserts of Arizona, heopened the packet. The letter was dated at Truxillo and read:
"Dear Don Juan--I have been ill for many months, and I feel that my end is drawing nigh, but before I go I want to do something for you. I have heard how Don Rodrigo so justly met his end, and with this knowledge I die easier. You are young and strong, with a long life of usefulness ahead, and I feel that in entrusting to you a family secret, I am only doing that which I would have done had Felicita lived. She was the last of our house and the heritage of our family belonged to her. As it is, I make you my heir to the valuable papers handed down to me from my ancestors. May they prove to you a blessing. Would that I had more to give you. May the blessings of the Virgin ever rest upon you.
"Julian."
Accompanying the letter was a parchment scroll, dated Lima, 1752. Itread:
"I, Jean Maldonado, do write of my extraordinary adventures in NuevaEspanola, wherein I was duly appointed the Commander of an expeditionto the land of Quivera, in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola, inthe service of his excellency, the viceroy of Santa Fe. A barbariantold us he would lead us unto a land to the far north, where shopsblazed with jewels and common cooking vessels were made of gold; thatthe metal was so common as to be of no value. The king of this citytook his noonday meals beneath a golden canopy, hung with tinklingsilver bells. There was a sea upon which this king rode in a canoe,which would carry twenty horses. Upon its prow was an idol of beatengold. The canoe was fitted with sumptuous cushions, upon which themonarch took his siestas, to the music made by dancing maidens withbells and castanets. Fish as large as horses abounded, and sweet fruitbigger than a soldier's helmet grew upon the trees. The monarch whoruled over this land was long-bearded, white-haired, and wore robes ofbright-hued, rich stuffs, and slept in a garden where trees were hungwith a thousand bells, which made exquisite music when shaken by thewind. And this king worshipped the golden image of a woman, the Queenof Heaven, and ate from gold and silver bowls, of which the dais hesat upon was made. He spoke with vast assurance and said he wouldconduct us thither whenever we should follow.
"We journeyed northward many leagues over mountains and came to a widevalley watered by a stream. Farther on were high mountains and wenamed them Sangre de Christo and marked three mountains 'SpanishPeaks' on our map, that we might not miss our way. One day a pioussoldier saw the barbarian with his face in a pool of water, talkingwith the devil. After that we were suspicious. After many days'journey we found the city, but alas, it was mud huts, and the onlymetal was a copper plate around the old chief's neck and by which hesat great store. There were no golden vessels, no image of the Virgin,no golden dais and no silver bells.
"The wicked barbarian then said he had led us into the desert to die.Our soldiers were wroth and I ordered him hanged on a considerabletree, to let him know there was a God in heaven and a King in Spain.
"We turned our steps backward after we had set up a cross, andjourneyed into the valley. Now there were many oxen come into thevalley of the figure and color of our bulls, but their horns were notso great. They had a great bunch upon their fore shoulders and morehair upon their fore parts than on their hind parts. They had ahorse's mane upon their backbone and much hair from the kneesdownward. They had great tufts of hair hanging from their foreheadsand it seemeth that they had beards, because of the great store ofhair at their chins and throats. In some respects they resembled alion, and in some others the camel. They pushed with their horns, andthey overtook and killed horses. Finally, it was a foul and fiercebeast of countenance.
"We have stayed close to the mountains where we could flee to therocks if they pursued us. We were crossing the mountain, when we cameupon a spring near unto a huge cliff that sat on the edge like aplatter. We camped here many days until the bulls left the valley.Some distance from the rock like a platter, Casteanda found gold in awhite rock, which we did beat up and saved much pure gold. Casteandajourneyed to Santa Fe and returned with more donkeys, and we loadedupon them much unbeaten rock. We all then journeyed back to Santa Fe,for the barbarians were angry at our intrusion and we went in haste,leaving more gold in the white rock than would load a ship's boat. Icut in the rock, high up, the words:
"'Jean Maldonado. "'Commander of an Expedition, reached this place, 1750.'
"All this, so that the subjects of Spain might know this countrybelonged to His Majesty.
"We journeyed back to Santa Fe after many days of hardships and wefound a new Viceroy had been appointed and he demanded our gold. Thiswe were loath to give up, and after selling it to a trader for thecoin of the realm, we started across the country for New Orleans,knowing well not to go south for the new Viceroy would pursue us andtake the gold.
"We journeyed along the banks of a considerable river by night and hidourselves by day. We saw many thousands of ferocious bulls grazing,and when they ran the noise was like thunder and it made us afraid. Wecrossed many rivers and finally came to a country of wooded hillswhere the Barbarians were thick and ferocious.
"The Barbarians pursued us and we hid our gold and records in a caveand rolled a stone over the hole and fled. They killed nearly all ofour expedition and our mules. Baptiste was sorely wounded in thebreast with an arrow and notwithstanding we bled him copiously, hedied.
"The treatment given us by the Barbarians irritated us exceedingly andwe fell upon them with swords when they were not in great numbers.
"We came to a river whose waters were red, like unto the color of thetiles on the houses of Seville, and after journeying along its banksfor many nights, we came unto the River of the Holy Ghost, whichDeSoto discovered and here we found safety.
"While all these things were new in my mind I made another map inorder that I might take another expedition to the mine when theViceroy grew rich from the spoils of office and would trouble us nomore. But he did write unto the people of Spain that I would be hangedupon my return to Santa Fe, therefore I desisted in returning. Beingextremely irritated at his conduct I sought my fortune in Peru, untilsuch time when he should be called to heaven, which call even now, inmy old age, has not yet been made, over which misfortune I have sorelygrieved."
Accompanying this document was a map with the Sangre de Christo range,the Spanish Peaks, the River, Valley and flat cliff on edge, plainlymarked. The distance from Santa Fe and the mountain passes was clearlyindicated.
A month later Buchan was transferred on a run out of Santa Fe wherethe hand of Fate and Chance again took part. He received a letter fromMr. Robinson who had joined a surveying party and had fallen ill atSaguache. The letter implored him to come, if he ever expected to seehim alive. True to his old time friendship, he lost no time inreaching his bedside. Mr. Robinson lingered a few weeks and died. Thiswas more sad news for Hattie in her far-away home, amid the SantaLucia mountains. She alone remained of the happy family who had goneto Arequipa with fond hopes for the future beneath those sunny skies.
I, the writer, had been with Carson a few days before prospecting inthe Sangre de Christo mountains, when by chance we rested at thespring beside the peculiar shaped cliff. I noticed that Carson wasinterested in the surroundings, but I thought nothing of it at thetime. The formation of the cliff appealed to my fancy, and I chancedto mention it to Buchan one day when he became excited and asked to beshown its whereabouts.
Together with Carson we visited the spot. Being an old prospector, Isoon discovered formations that looked like pay ore. My years ofexperience in these mountains had taught me that a man might work alifetime and gain nothing, and again from the outcroppings of a
stoneat grass roots he might develop a mine worth a million dollars.
Carson and Buchan were sanguine over our prospects, too much so, Ithought, for men who had no experience in mining.
I located the claim so as to include the cliff and spring and when Imade out the registration papers, I said: "Gentlemen, what shall wecall the mine?"
"Name it the Maldonado," said Carson.
"What!" exclaimed Buchan, turning an ashen paleness.
"The Major Domo," replied Carson, looking somewhat abashed.
"Name it the Aberdeen," said Buchan. "I like to hear that name spoken,it was my old home in Scotland."
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