CHAPTER XIII
FOLLOWED
"Well, this is something like it!" exclaimed Ned as he sat in frontof the campfire, flourishing a sandwich in one hand, and in theother a tin cup of coffee.
"It sure is," agreed Tom. "But I say, old man, would you just assoon wave your coffee the other way? You're spilling it all overme."
"Excuse me!" laughed Ned. "I'll be more careful in the future. Mr.Damon will you have a little more of these fried beans--tortillas orfrijoles or whatever these Mexicans call 'em. They're not bad. Passyour plate, Mr. Damon."
"Bless my eyelashes!" exclaimed the odd man. "Water, please, quick!"and he clapped his hand over his mouth.
"What's the matter?" demanded Tom.
"Too much red pepper! I wish these Mexicans wouldn't put so much ofit in. Water!"
Mr. Damon hastily swallowed a cup of the liquid which Ned passed tohim.
"I spects dat was my fault," put in Eradicate, who did the cookingfor the three whites, while the Mexicans had their own. "I were justa little short ob some ob dem funny fried beans, an' I took somefrom ober dere," and the colored man nodded toward the Mexicancampfire. "Den I puts some red pepper in 'em, an' I done guesssomebody'd put some in afo' I done it."
"I should say they had!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, drinking more water."I don't see how those fellows stand it," and he looked to where theMexican ox drivers were eagerly devouring the highly-spiced food.
It was the second day of their trip into the interior, and they hadhalted for dinner near a little stream of good water that flowedover a grassy plain. So far their trip had been quite enjoyable. Theox teams were fresh and made good time, the drivers were capable andjolly, and there was plenty of food. Tom had brought along a supplyespecially for himself and his friends, for they did not relish thekind the Mexican drivers ate, though occasionally the gold-seekersindulged in some of the native dishes.
"This is lots of fun," Ned remarked again, when Mr. Damon had beensufficiently cooled off. "Don't you think so, Tom?"
"Indeed I do. I don't know how near we are to the place we'relooking for, nor even if we're going in the right direction, but Ilike this sort of life."
"How long Massa Tom, befo' dat gold--" began Eradicate.
"Hush!" interrupted the young inventor quickly, raising a hand ofcaution, and glancing toward the group of Mexicans. He hoped theyhad not heard the word the colored man so carelessly used, for ithad been the agreed policy to keep the nature of their search asecret. But at the mention of "gold" Miguel Delazes, the head oxdriver, looked up quickly, and sauntered over to where Tom and theothers were seated on the grass. This Delazes was a Mexican laborcontractor, and it was through him that Tom had hired the other menand the ox carts.
"Ah, senors!" exclaimed Delazes as he approached, "I fear you aregoing in the wrong direction to reach the gold mines. If I had knownat the start--"
"We're not looking for gold mines!" interrupted Tom quickly. He didnot like the greedy look in the eyes of Delazes, a look that flaredout at the mention of gold--a look that was crafty and full ofcunning.
"Not looking for gold mines!" the contractor repeated incredulously."Surely I heard some one say something about gold," and he looked atEradicate.
"Oh, you mustn't mind what Rad says," cried Tom laughing, and hedirected a look of caution at the colored man. "Rad is alwaystalking about gold; aren't you, Rad?"
"I 'spects I is, Massa Tom. I shore would laik t' find a gold mine,dat's what I would."
"I guess that's the case with all of us," put in Ned.
"Rad, get the things packed up," directed Tom quickly. "We've hadenough to eat and I want to make a good distance before we camp forthe night." He wanted to get the colored man busy so the Mexicanwould have no chance to further question him.
"Surely the senors are not going to start off again atonce--immediately!" protested Delazes. "We have not yet taken thesiesta--the noon-day sleep, and--"
"We're going to cut out the siestas on this trip," interposed Tom."We don't want to stay here too long. We want to find some goodruins that we can study, and the sooner we find them the better."
"Ah, then it is but to study--to photograph ruined cities and getrelics, that the senors came to Mexico?"
Once more that look of cunning came in the Mexican's eyes.
"That's about it," answered Tom shortly. He did not want toencourage too much familiarity on the part of the contractor. "So,no siestas if you please, Senor Delazes. We can all siesta to-night."
"Ah, you Americanos!" exclaimed the Mexican with a shrug of hisshoulders. He stroked his shiny black moustache. "You are ever so onthe alert! Always moving. Well, be it so, we will travel on--to theruined city--if we can find one," and he gave Tom a look that thelatter could not quite understand.
It was hot--very hot--but Tom noticed that about a mile farther on,the trail led into a thick jungle of trees, where it would be shady,and make the going more comfortable.
"We'll be all right when we get there," he said to the others.
It was not with very good grace that the Mexicans got their ox teamsready. They had not objected very much when, on the day before Tomhad insisted on starting off right after the mid-day meal, but nowwhen it seemed that it was going to be a settled policy to omit thesiesta, or noon sleep, there was some grumbling.
"They may make trouble for us, Tom," said in a low voice. "Maybeyou'd better give in to them."
"Not much!" exclaimed the young inventor. "If I do they'll want tosleep all the while, and we'll never get any where. We're going tokeep on. They won't kick after the first few times, and if they tryany funny business--well, we're well armed and they aren't," and helooked at his own rifle, and Ned's. Mr. Damon also carried one, andEradicate had a large revolver which he said he preferred to a gun.Each of our white friends also carried an automatic pistol andplenty of ammunition.
"I took care not to let the Mexicans have any guns," Tom went on."It isn't safe."
"I'll wager that they've got knives and revolvers tucked awaysomewhere in their clothes," spoke Ned.
"Bless my tackhammer!" cried Mr. Damon. "Why do you say suchblood-curdling things Ned? You make me shiver!"
In a little while they took up the trail again, the ox carts movingalong toward the comparatively cool woods. Our friends had a cart tothemselves, one fitted with padded seats, which somewhat made up forthe absence of springs, and Eradicate was their driver. Tom had madethis arrangement so they might talk among themselves without fear ofbeing overheard by the Mexicans. At first Senor Delazes hadsuggested that one of his own drivers pilot Tom's cart, saying:
"I know what the senors fear--that their language may be listenedto, but I assure you that this man understands no English, do you,Josef?" he asked the man in question, using the Spanish.
The man shook his head, but a quick look passed between him and hisemployer.
"Oh, I guess we'll let Rad drive," insisted Tom calmly, "it willremind him of his mule Boomerang that he left behind."
"As the senor will," Delazes had replied with a shrug of hisshoulders, and he turned away. So it was that Tom, Ned and Mr.Damon, in their own cart, piloted by the colored man, were in therear of the little cavalcade.
"Have you any idea where you are going, Tom?" asked Ned, after theyhad reached the shade, when it was not such a task to talk.
"Oh, I have a good general idea," replied the young inventor. "I'vestudied the map Mr. Illingway sent, and according to that the cityof--well, you know the place we're looking for--lies somewherebetween Tampico and Zacatecas, and which the plain of the ruinedtemple which used to be near the ancient city of Poltec, is about ahundred and fifty miles north of the city of Mexico. So I'm headingfor there, as near as I can tell. We ought to fetch it in about aweek at this rate."
"And what are we to do when we get there?" inquired Mr. Damon. "Ifwe keep on to that place where the images are to be found, with thisrascally crew of Mexicans, there won't be much gold for us." He hadspoken in low tones, though the n
earest Mexican cart was somedistance ahead.
"I don't intend to take them all the way with us," said Tom. "When Ithink we are somewhere near the temple plain I'm going to make theMexicans go into camp. Then we'll put the balloon together and wefour will go off in that. When we find what we're looking for we'llgo back, pick up the Mexicans, and make for the coast."
"If the head-hunters let us," put in Ned grimly.
"Bless my nail file! There you go again!" cried Mr. Damon."Positively, Ned, you get on my nerves."
"Yais, Massa Ned, an' _I_ jest wish yo' wouldn't mention dem headgen'men no mo'," added Eradicate. "I can't drive straight when Ihears yo' say dem words, an' goodness knows dese oxes is wusser t'drive dan my mule Boomerang."
"All right I'll keep still," agreed Ned, and then he and Tom,together with Mr. Damon, studied the map, trying to decide whetheror not they were on the proper trail.
They made a good distance that day, and went into camp that nightnear the foot of some low hills.
"It will be cooler traveling to-morrow," said Tom. "We will be uphigher, and though we'll have to go slower on account of the upgrade, it will be better for all of us."
They found the trail quite difficult the next day, as there wereseveral big hills to climb. It was toward evening, and they werelooking for a good place to camp for the night, when Delazes, whowas riding in the first cart, was observed to jump down and hastento the rear.
"I wonder what he wants?" spoke Tom, as he noted the approachingfigure.
"Probably he's going to suggest that we take a few days' vacation,"ventured Ned. "He doesn't like work."
"Senor," began Delazes addressing Tom, who called to Eradicate tobring his oxen to a halt, "are you aware that we are beingfollowed?"
"Followed? What do you mean?" cried the young inventor, lookingquickly around.
"Bless my watch chain!" gasped Mr. Damon. "Followed? By whom?" He,too, looked around, as did Ned, but the path behind them wasdeserted.
"When last we doubled on our own trail, to make the ascent of thebig hill a little easier," on the Mexican, "I saw, on the road belowus two ox carts, such as are hired out to prospectors or relicseekers like yourself. At first I thought nothing of it. That wasearly this morning. When we stopped for dinner, once more having todouble, I had another view of the trail, I saw the same two carts.And now, when we are about to camp, the same two carts are there."
He pointed below, for the caravan was on quite an elevation now, anddown on the faint trail, which was in plain view, for it wound upthe mountain like a corkscrew, were two ox carts, moving slowlyalong.
"They are the same ones," went on Delazes, "and they have beenfollowing us all day--perhaps longer--though this is the first Ihave noted them."
"Followed!" murmured Tom. "I wonder--" From his valise he took asmall but powerful telescope. In the fast-fading light he focused iton the two ox carts. The next moment he uttered an exclamation ofanger and dismay.
"Who is it?" asked Ned, though he was almost sure what the answerwould be.
"Andy Foger and his father!" cried Tom. "I might have known they'dfollow us--to learn--" and then he stopped, for Senor Delazes wasregarding him curiously.
Tom Swift in the City of Gold; Or, Marvelous Adventures Underground Page 13