The Motor Boys in Mexico; Or, The Secret of the Buried City

by Clarence Young

  At length they came to a place where creepers and vines were so closelygrown across the path that nothing short of hatchets could make a way.The boys got out the small axes kept for such emergencies, and, after anhour's work, made a passage.

  They started forward once more, and were going along at a pretty goodclip, the road having improved in spots.

  "I wonder when we'll get to that underground city?" said Ned, forperhaps the tenth time that day.

  He had no sooner spoken than the earth trembled under the auto. Themachine seemed to stand still. Then, with a sickening motion it plungedforward and downward.

  A big hole had opened in the road and let the car and its occupantsthrough the surface of the earth. The machine slid forward, revealing,near the top of a shaft, a brief glimpse of several ruined buildings.

  "It is the underground city!" exclaimed the professor.

  Then there came intense darkness.

  CHAPTER XIX.

  IN AN ANCIENT TEMPLE.

  The auto seemed to be bumping along downhill, for at the first evidenceof danger Jerry had shut off the power and applied the brake. But thedescent was too steep to have the bands hold.

  Down and down the adventurers went, through some underground passage, itwas evident.

  "Are we all here?" called Jerry, his voice sounding strange and muffledin the chamber to which they had come.

  "I'm here and all right, but I don't exactly know what has happened,"replied the professor.

  "The same with me," put in Ned, and Bob echoed his words.

  Just then the automobile came to a stop, having reached a level and runalong it for a short distance.

  "Well, we seem to have arrived," went on Jerry. "I wonder how much goodit is going to do us?"

  "Supposing we light the search-lamp and see what sort of a place we arein," suggested Professor Snodgrass. "It's so dark in here we might justas well be inside one of the pyramids of Egypt."

  The acetylene gas lamp on the front of the auto was lighted, and in itsbrilliant rays the travelers saw that they were in a large undergroundpassage. It was about twenty feet high, twice as broad and seemed to behewn out of solid rock.

  "This is what makes it so dark," observed the professor. "I knew itmust be something like this, for it was still daylight when we tumbledinto the hole and we haven't been five minutes down here. Run the autoforward, Jerry."

  The car puffed slowly along surely as strange a place as ever anautomobile was in. The boys looked eagerly ahead. They saw nothing butthe rocky sides and roof of the passage.

  "This doesn't look much like an underground city," objected Ned. "Ithink it's an abandoned railway tunnel."

  At that instant Jerry shut off the power and applied the brakes with ajerk.

  "What's the matter?" asked the professor.

  "There's some sort of a wall or obstruction ahead," was the answer, andJerry pointed to where, in the glare of the lamp, could be seen a wallthat closed up the passageway completely.

  "I guess this is the end," remarked Ned, ruefully.

  The naturalist got out of the car and ran forward. He seemed to beexamining the obstruction carefully. He struck it two or three blows.

  "Hurrah!" he cried. "Come on, boys, this is only a big wooden door! Wecan open it!"

  In an instant the three lads had joined him. They found that the passagewas closed by a big portal of planks, bolted together and swinging onimmense hinges. There was also a huge lock or fastening.

  "Can we open the door?" inquired Bob. "It looks as if it was meant tostay shut."

  "We'll soon see," answered Jerry.

  He ran back to the automobile and got a kit of tools. Then, while Nedheld up one of the small oil lamps that was taken off the dashboard ofthe car, Jerry tackled the lock. It was a massive affair, but time hadso rusted it that very little trouble was found in taking it apart sothat the door was free.

  "Everybody push, now!" called Jerry. "Those hinges are pretty rusty."

  They shoved with all their strength, but the door, though it gaveslightly, showing that no more locks held it, would not open. It hadprobably not been used for centuries.

  "Looks as if we'd have to stay here," said the professor.

  "Not a bit of it," spoke Jerry. "Wait a minute."

  He ran back to the auto, and soon the others heard him cranking it up.

  "Look out! Stand to one side!" he called.

  The auto came forward slowly. Jerry steered the front part of itcarefully against the massive door. Once he was close to the portal heturned on full power.

  There was a cracking and splintering of wood, and a squeaking as therusty hinges gave. Then, with the auto pushing against it, the massivedoor swung to one side. The machine had accomplished what the strengthof the boys and the professor could not.

  Slowly but surely the portal opened. Wider and wider it swung, untilthere burst on the astonished gaze of the travelers a flood of light.The sun was shining overhead, though fast declining in the west, butin the bright glare of the slanting beams there was revealed theunderground city.

  There it stood in all its ancient splendor, most of it, however, butmere ruins of what had been fine buildings. There were rows and rows ofhouses, stone palaces and what had been beautiful temples. Nearly all ofthe structures showed traces of elaborate carvings.

  But ruin was on every side. The roofs of houses, temples and palaces hadfallen in. Walls were crumbling and the streets were filled with debris.As the boys looked, some foxes scampered among the ruins, and shortlyafterward a jaguar slunk along, crawling into a hole in a temple wall.

  "Grand! Beautiful! Solemn!" exclaimed the professor, in raptures overthe discovery. "It is more than I dared to hope for. Think of it, boys!We have at last discovered the buried city of ancient Mexico. How thepeople back in civilization will open their eyes when they hear thisnews! My name and yours as well will be covered with glory. Oh, it ismarvelous!"

  "I guess it will be some time before the people back in Cresville hearof this," observed Jerry. "There doesn't seem to be any way of sending aletter from here. I don't see any telegraph station, and there's not amessenger boy in sight."

  "That's funny," said Ned. "You'd think a buried city, a dead one, so tospeak, would be just the place where a district messenger would like tocome to rest."

  "It's a lonesome place here," remarked Bob. "I hope we'll find some oneto talk to."

  "That's just the beauty of the place," said the professor. "What goodwould an ancient, ruined, buried city be if people were living in it? Ihope there isn't a soul here but ourselves."

  "I guess you'll get your desire, all right," remarked Jerry.

  The first surprise and wonder over, the travelers advanced a little wayinto the city and looked about them. They saw that the place, which wasseveral miles square, was down in a hollow, formed of high hills. Forthis reason the location of the city had remained so long a secret. Theyhad come upon it through one of the underground passages leading intothe town, and these, as they afterward learned, were the only means ofentering the place. There were four of these passages or tunnels, oneentering from each side of the city, north, south, east and west.

  But time and change had closed up the outer ends of the tunnels afterthe city had become deserted, and it remained for Professor Snodgrassand his party to tumble in on one.

  It was as if a city had been built inside an immense bowl and on thebottom of it. The sides of the bowl would represent the hills andmountains that girt the ancient town. Then, if four holes were made inthe sides of the vessel, close to the bottom, they would be like thefour entrances to the old city.

  "Supposing we take a ride through the town before dark," suggestedJerry. "We may meet some one."

  He started the machine, but after going a short distance it was foundthat it was impracticable to use the machine to any advantage. Thestreets were filled with debris and big stones from the ruined housesand fallen hills, and it needed constant twisting and turning to makethe journey.


  "Let's get out and walk," proposed Ned.

  "Then there's a good place to leave the machine," said Bob, pointing toa ruined temple on the left. "We can run it right inside, through thebig doors. It's a regular garage."

  The suggestion was voted a good one, and Jerry steered the auto intothe temple. The place had been magnificent in its day. Even now thewalls were covered with beautiful paintings, or the remains of them, andthe whole interior and exterior of the place was a mass of fine stonecarving.

  The roof had fallen away in several places, but there were spots whereenough remained to give shelter. The machine was run into a coveredcorner and then the travelers went outside.

  The professor uttered cries of delight at every step, as he discoveredsome new specimen or relic. They seemed to exist on every side.

  "Look out where you're stepping!" called the naturalist, suddenly, asJerry was about to set his foot down.

  "What's the matter--a snake?" asked the boy, jumping back.

  "No. But you nearly stepped on and ruined a petrified bug worththousands of dollars!"

  "Great Scott! I'll be careful after this," promised Jerry, as theprofessor picked up the specimen of a beetle and put it in his box.

  CHAPTER XX.

  MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS.

  The travelers strolled for some time longer, the professor finding whathe called rare relics at every turn.

  "This is like another gold mine," he said. "There are treasures untoldhere. I have no doubt we will find a store of diamonds and otherprecious stones before we are through."

  "I'd like to find a ham sandwich right now," observed Bob.

  "It wouldn't be Chunky if he wasn't hungry," laughed Ned. "But I admit Ifeel somewhat the same way myself."

  "Then we had better go back to the temple and get supper," advised Jerry.

  So back they went, but their progress was slow, because the professorwould insist on examining every bit of ruins he came to in order to seeif there were not specimens to be gathered or relics to be picked up.His green box was full to overflowing and all his pockets bulged, but hewas the happiest of naturalists.

  It was dark when they reached the ancient place of worship wherethe auto had been left, and at Jerry's suggestion Bob lighted thesearch-lamp and the other two lights on the machine. This made abrilliant circle of illumination in one place, but threw the rest of thetemple into a dense blackness.

  "I wouldn't want to be here all alone," remarked Bob, looking about andshuddering a bit.

  "Why, Chunky? Afraid of ghosts?" asked Ned.

  "What was that?" exclaimed Bob, suddenly, starting at a noise.

  "A bat," replied the naturalist. "The place is full of them. I must getsome for specimens."

  "I don't know but what I prefer ghosts to bats," said Bob. "I hope noneof them suck our blood while we're asleep."

  "No danger; I guess none of these are of the vampire variety," remarkedthe professor. "But now let's get supper."

  In spite of the strangeness of the surroundings, the travelers managedto make a good meal. The gasolene stove was set up and some cannedchicken prepared, with tortillas and frijoles.

  "We'll have to replenish our larder soon," remarked Jerry, looking intothe provision chest. "There's only a little stuff left."

  "We'll have to go hunting some day," said the professor. "We can'tstarve in this country. Game is too plentiful."

  "I wonder if the people who built this place didn't put some bedrooms init," said Bob, as, sitting on the floor of the temple, he began to nodfrom sleepiness.

  "Perhaps they did," put in Ned. "Let's take a look."

  He unfastened one of the oil lamps from the auto and started off on anexploring trip. A little to the left of the corner where the auto stoodhe came to a door. Though it worked hard on the rusted hinges he managedto push it open. He flashed the light inside.

  "Hurrah! Here are some beds or couches or something of the kind!" heshouted.

  The others came hurrying up. The room seemed to be a sort of restingplace for the priests of the ancient temple. Ranged about the side wallswere wooden frames on which were stretched skins and hides of animals,in a manner somewhat as the modern cot is made.

  "I wonder if they are strong enough to hold us," said Jerry.

  "Let Chunky try, he's the heaviest," suggested Ned.

  Accordingly, Bob stretched out on the ancient bed. It creaked a little,but showed no signs of collapsing in spite of the many years it hadbeen in the place.

  "This will be better than sleeping on a cold stone floor," remarked theprofessor. "Fetch in the blankets and we'll have a good night's rest."

  "Shall we post a guard?" asked Jerry.

  "I don't think it will be necessary," replied the naturalist. "I hardlybelieve there is any one in this old city but ourselves, and we canbarricade the door to keep out any stray animals."

  So, in a little while, the travelers were all slumbering. But theprofessor was wrong in his surmise that they were the only inhabitantsof the underground city. No sooner had a series of snores proclaimedthat every one was sleeping than from a dark recess on the opposite sideof the temple to that where the automobile stood there came a strangefigure, clad in white. If Bob had seen it he surely would have said itwas a ghost.

  "So you found my ancient city after all," whispered the figure. "Youknow now that the Mexican magician was telling the truth, and yourealize that you found the place sooner than you expected, and in astrange manner. But there will be more strange things happen before yougo from here, I promise you."

  "Are the _Americano_ dogs asleep?" sounded a whisper from the recesswhence came the aged Mexican, who had so strangely prophesied to theprofessor.

  "Yes, San Lucia, they are asleep," replied the first figure, as another,attired as he was, joined him. "But speak softly, for they have sharpears and wake easily."

  "Have they the gold with them?" asked San Lucia, who was also quite old."That is what we want, Murado. Have they the gold?"

  "All _Americanos_ have gold," replied Murado. "That is why I lured themon. All my plans were made to get them here that we might take theirgold."

  "And you succeeded wonderfully well, Murado. Tell me about it, forI have not had a chance to talk to you since you arrived in suchbreathless haste."

  "There is not much to tell," replied the other. "I heard of theirarrival in a short time after they reached Mexico. Then, in a secretway, I heard what they were searching for. Chance made it possible forme to somewhat startle them by pretending to know more than I did. I metthem on the road and told them of what they were in search and how tofind it."

  "That was easy, since you knew so well yourself," interrupted San Lucia."We have not been brigands for nothing, Murado. Well do I rememberthe day you and I came upon this buried city. And it has been ourheadquarters ever since."

  "As I said, it was easy to mystify them," went on Murado. "They traveledfast in their steam wagon, or whatever it is, but I knew severalshort cuts that enabled me to get ahead of them. I was hidden in thehollow stone image of the laughing serpent and saw, through the littleeye-holes, how they came up and took the paper I had written and putbetween the lips of the reptile. Oh, it all worked out as I had planned,and now we have them here where we want them."

  "And we will kill them and get their gold!" whispered San Lucia, feelingof a knife he wore in his belt. "But tell me, how did they happen tostumble on the right underground passage?"

  "They didn't happen to," replied Murado. "That was one point where Ifailed. But it is just as well. You see, I had so managed things that Iknew they would take the road to the left of the image. When I saw themdepart I called my horse and galloped off to the right. I wanted to takea short cut and get here ahead of them.

  "I succeeded. You were away; just when I needed your help, too. But Imanaged. I went out in the underground passage and waited for them.

  "That passage, you know, goes right under the road they were travelingon. Whoever built this ancient city must have wa
nted it to remainhidden, for the only way to get to it is by the tunnels. If, by chance,some one approached on the roads leading to the top of the mountains theancients had a plan to get rid of them."

  "How?" asked San Lucia.

  "At several places in the upper roadway there were false places. Thatis, they were traps. A portion of the road would be dug away, makinga shaft down to the tunnel. Then boards would be placed over the holeand a light covering of dirt sprinkled on the planks. Watchers werestationed below, and at the sound of an enemy on the boards above thesentinels would pull a lever. This would take away the supports of thefalse portion of the road, and it would crash down into the tunnel,carrying the enemy with it.

  "So I played the part of the watcher, and when I heard the _Americanos_riding over the trap I pulled the lever and down they crashed.

  "There, as I said, I made my only mistake. I expected the _Americanos_would be killed, but their steam cart is strong, and the fall did nothurt them. Besides, only one end of the trap gave way, and the other,holding fast, made an inclined road on which they descended into thetunnel. That is how they came here, and now we must to work if we are toget their gold."

  "And quickly, too," observed San Lucia, "for I learned that anotherparty is following this; they, too, have a steam wagon, and we may trapthem also."

  "I know the crowd of whom you speak," said Murado. "They are not farbehind. One is a youth called Nixy Nodnot, or some barbarous thing likeit. They will be surprised not to find their friends. But come, theysleep!"