CHAPTER XIX
THE UNDERGROUND RIVER
They gathered around the opening so unexpectedly disclosed to them,and stared down into the black depths. Beyond the first few steps ofthe flight that led to they knew not where, nothing could be seen.In his impatience Tom was about to go down.
"Bless my match box!" cried Mr. Damon. "What are you going to do,Tom, my boy?"
"Go down there, of course! What else? I want to get to theunderground city."
"Don't!" quickly advised the odd man. "You don't know what's there.It may be a trap, where the old Aztecs used to throw their victims.There may be worse things than bats there. You'll needtorches--lights--and you'd better wait until the air clears. It mayhave been centuries since that place was opened."
"I believe that's right," agreed Ned. "Whew; Smell it! It's as mustyas time!"
An unpleasant odor came up the tunnel entrance, and it was stiflingto stand too close. Tom lighted a match and threw it down. Almostinstantly the flame was snuffed out.
"We couldn't live down there a minute," said the young inventor."We've got to wait for it to clear. We'll go back to the balloon andget some electric flash lamps. I brought along a lot of 'em, withextra strong batteries. I thought we'd need some if we did find thecity of gold, and it looks as if we were almost there now."
Tom's plan was voted good so they hurried out of the temple, theirfeet echoing and re-echoing over the stone floor. The place, ruinedand desolate as it was, had no terrors for them now. In fact theywere glad of the very loneliness, and Tom and Ned actually lookedabout apprehensively as they emerged, fearing they might see a signof the Mexicans or the Fogers.
"Guess they can't pick up our trail," said Tom, when, he saw of whatNed was thinking.
"No, we've got the place to ourselves. I wonder how long it willtake for the air to get fresh?"
"Not so very long, I guess. There was a good draught. There must besome opening in the underground city by which the air is sucked in.They'd never have only one opening to it. But we don't need to lookfor the other. Come on, we'll get out the torches."
These electrical contrivances are familiar to all boys. A smallelectric lamp is set in the end of a hollow tube of tin, and aboutthe lamp is a reflector. Dry electrical batteries are put in the tintube, and by means of a push button the circuit is closed,illuminating the lamp, which gives a brilliant glow. Tom had aspecial kind of lamp, with tungsten filaments, which gave a verypowerful light, and with batteries designed to last a long time. Aclip on the spring controlling the push button made it so that thelamp could be made to give a steady glow. Thus they were wellprepared for exploring the tunnel.
It took some little time to get the flash lamps ready, and when theywere all charged and they had eaten, they went back to the openingto see if the air had cleared. Tom tested it by dropping a matchdown, and, to his delight it burned with a clear flame.
"It's all right!" he exclaimed. "The air is pure. Now to see wherewe will bring up. Come on, everybody."
"Jest one minute, Massa Tom," begged Eradicate, as the younginventor was about to descend the steps, which even the brightnessof his lamp did not disclose the end. "Is yo' gwine down dar, MassaTom?"
"Certainly, Rad."
"An' is yo'--'scuse me--but is yo' expectin' me fo' t' follow yo'?"
"Certainly, Rad."
"Den, all I's got t' say is dat yo' is 'spectin' too much. I ain'tgwine t' bury mahse'f alive not yit."
"But, Rad, this is where the gold images are. If you don't come downwith us you won't get any gold."
"Am dat so? No gold?" The colored man scratched his head. "Well, Ishore does want gold," he murmured. "I reckon I'd better trot along.But one thing mo', Massa Tom."
"What is it, Rad?"
"Was yo' all aimin' t' stay down thar any length ob time? 'Case ifyo' is yo' all'd better take along a snack ob suffin' t' eat. 'Casewhen I gits among gold I don't want t' come out very soon, an' wemight stay dar all day."
"Good advice, Rad," exclaimed Ned with a laugh. "I think we may gethungry. You go back and put us up a lunch. We'll wait for you."
"Bless my napkin ring! I think you're right!" exclaimed Mr. Damon,and Eradicate hurried back to the balloon to get some of thecondensed food.
He was soon back and then, with Tom in the lead, and with everyonecarrying an electric torch, with a spare one in reserve, and withtheir weapons in readiness the party descended the stone steps.
Their footfalls echoed solemnly as they went down--down into theunknown blackness. They kept their bright lights playing here andthere, but even these did not dispell the gloom. On every side wasstone--stone walls--stone steps. It was like going down into somevast stretch of catacombs.
"Say, will we ever get to the bottom?" asked Ned, when they hadcounted several hundred steps. "Maybe this goes down to the middleof the earth."
"Well, ef it do I'm gwine right along!" called Eradicate. "I's gwinet' hab one ob dem gold images or bust!"
"And I'm with you!" cried Tom. "We'll have to get to the bottomsooner or later."
Hardly had he spoken than he came to the last step, and sawstretching off before him a long tunnel, straight and level, linedon both sides, and bottom, with smooth stones that gleamed likemarble.
"Now we are really in the tunnel," declared Ned. "I wonder what's atthe end?"
"The city of gold, of course," answered Tom confidently.
Eagerly they hurried on. There was a slightly musty smell to theair, but it was fresher than might have been expected.
Suddenly Tom, who was in advance, uttered a cry. It sounded like oneof alarm, and Ned yelled:
"What's the matter?"
"Look here!" cried Tom. They hurried up to him, to find him standingbefore a sort of niche in the wall. And the niche was lined with ayellow metal that gleamed like gold, while in it was one of thegolden images, the second one they had seen, and the third theyheard about.
"We're on the trail! We're on the trail!" cried Tom.
"Heah! Let me hab dat!" cried Eradicate. "I may not git anudder,"and he reached up for the statue.
"Let it stay until we come back," suggested Mr. Damon.
"Somebody might take it," said the colored man.
"Who?" laughed Tom. "There's not a soul here but ourselves. But takeit, if you want it, Rad," and Eradicate did so, stuffing the image,which was only about four inches high, into his pocket.
Then they went on, and they saw several other images, though not ofgold. Several niches were lined with yellow metal, but whether itwas gold or not they could not tell. They did not want to stop, asthey were anxious to get to the underground city.
"Hark! What's that?" asked Tom, when they had gone about a milealong the tunnel. "Don't you hear something?"
"Sounds like a roaring," agreed Ned. "Maybe it's more of the bats."
"Doesn't sound like bats," declared Tom. "It's more like awaterfall. Come on."
They hurried forward, the strange sound increasing at every step,until it filled the tunnel with its menacing roar.
"That's strange," said Tom in worried tones. "I hope we don't cometo a waterfall."
Suddenly the tunnel made a turn, and as they went around the curvein the wall the sound smote on their ears with increased violence.Tom raced forward, focusing his electric lamp down on the stonecorridor. The next instant he cried out:
"A river! It's an underground river and we can't go any further!We're blocked!"
The others came to his side, and there, in the glare of their lamps,they saw rushing along, between two walls of stone, a dark streamwhich caused the roaring sound that had come to them. The tunnel wascut squarely in two by the stream, which was at least thirty feetwide, and how deep they could only guess. Swiftly it flowed on, itsroar filling the tunnel.
Tom Swift in the City of Gold; Or, Marvelous Adventures Underground Page 19