The Secret of Casa Grande

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER XIV GHOSTLY FIGURES

  When Jo Ann and Florence had gone only a short distance, they noticed thetunnel curved so that they could not see Peggy's light.

  "Poor Peg's alone now--she can't even see our lights," said Florence. "Ialmost wish we hadn't left her back there."

  "If she'll stay right where we left her, she ought to be all right. Butthis is the darkest place I was ever in--spooky, too."

  They walked slowly, stopping every now and then to examine the sides andtop of the tunnel.

  Jo Ann suddenly pointed to the top. "Look up there! There's a crack."

  "Let's go back--that looks scary to me!" Florence exclaimed quickly. "Itmight cave in."

  "No, that small a crack couldn't be dangerous. Come on."

  Jo Ann started on again, and reluctantly Florence followed. In spite ofher seeming indifference to danger, Jo Ann was really examining the wallsand top more cautiously than ever.

  "Here's another crack!" she exclaimed a few minutes later. "Maybe there'sbeen an earthquake near here. They do have earthquakes down heresometimes, don't they?"

  "Yes, now and then--slight ones," Florence replied. "Don't you think we'dbetter go back? Poor Peg may be getting lonesome, and we told her wewouldn't be gone long."

  Jo Ann half smiled. "Maybe she is, but let's go a little farther. Surelywe'll come to the end of this tunnel soon."

  "There's no telling how long it is--it might be miles long. Let's goback."

  "In a minute. I see something ahead--something whitish. Maybe it's alittle opening and the moonlight's shining through." Jo Ann stopped andpointed directly ahead.

  "Oh, I do see it!" Florence exclaimed. "It does look white."

  Eagerly Jo Ann led the way onward, but not without watching for anythingthat might be dangerous. When they had gone a few yards farther, shesuddenly cried, "Why, it's a cave-in!"

  "You see--I told you we'd better go back. Come on." Florence turnedaround and started toward the entrance. When she had gone only a fewsteps she noticed that Jo Ann was not following her. Looking back, shesaw her leaning over, examining the pile of debris and fallen stones.

  "Look! The tunnel's almost blocked by this cave-in!" Jo Ann called."There's only a small opening left over here on one side."

  "Well, we can't go any farther, so let's get out before it caves in somemore," insisted Florence.

  "I don't believe there's any danger of that. Look at the dust on thesestones. They've been here for years and years. Maybe a cannon ballshattered this part of the tunnel in one of the wars."

  "Maybe so, but I'll feel better when we get away from here." A momentlater she cried out in alarm on seeing Jo Ann climb up toward the hole."Jo, you mustn't crawl in there!"

  "Why not? I want to see if this is the end of the tunnel. There isn't anydanger. These stones are solid. See, I've felt every one of them." Jo Annpushed first one stone, then another, to show that there was no danger oftheir slipping; then with her flashlight ahead of her she thrust her headand shoulders into the opening.

  To her disappointment she could see only a short distance. Eager to seeas far as possible, she wriggled carefully over the jagged stones,farther into the opening, and held her flashlight at arm's length.

  "Oh, this is nothing but a little cave-in!" she called back in a muffledtone. "The tunnel goes on a long way. There's no sign of the end of it.Let's crawl on through."

  "No indeed, I'm not going in that hole," Florence replied promptly. "Andyou'd better get out right a----"

  A muffled shriek from Jo Ann broke into her sentence. "Oh, I've droppedmy flashlight on the other side! Now I've--" she stopped to coughviolently--"I've got to crawl through--and get it."

  "Don't crawl clear through--you might not be able to get back!"Florence's voice was full of anxiety. "Let me hold your feet while youreach for the flashlight." Without waiting for an answer she grasped JoAnn's feet firmly.

  Slowly then Jo Ann wriggled still farther into the hole. The farther shecrawled, the nearer Florence was pulled to the opening. With a suddenjerk Jo Ann reached over to get her flashlight. In her effort she threwFlorence against the pile of debris and stirred up the fine dust, whichset both of them to coughing and struggling for air.

  "Hurry up--and--crawl--out," begged Florence between gasps.

  "Coming--this instant. Pull me--back. I--can't--make it--by myself."

  Florence laid down her flashlight and began pulling at Jo Ann's feet.

  "Pull harder," Jo Ann grunted.

  "I'm pulling--as hard as I can."

  "I haven't budged. Pull again--and I'll wiggle as hard as I can. Thesesharp stones hurt like fury."

  Once more Florence braced herself and pulled with all her strength. Thenext moment one of Jo Ann's oxfords slipped off, and Florence was sentsprawling backward on the floor. In the cloud of dust that arose,Florence caught a glimpse of Jo Ann's feet disappearing in the hole.

  But Jo Ann and Florence were not the only ones who were having theirtroubles. Peggy, too, was having her share. No sooner had the girls'lights disappeared than she began to get restless. Everything looked somuch more gloomy and alarming in the faint glow of one flashlight. Whenshe threw its rays directly in front, they penetrated the darkness only ashort distance and cast eerie shadows on the walls near by.

  "It's silly to get scared of the dark and shadows this way," she scoldedherself.

  With an effort she tried to concentrate on the persons who had builtthese tunnels. Patient people they must have been to cut these passagesthrough solid stone with their old crude tools. They were probably Indianworkmen, experienced in cutting stone. It must have taken them years andyears to make these.

  All at once it seemed to her that the shadow on her right took the formof a crouching Indian.

  "Here I am being silly again," she thought. "It's because I'm standingstill here that I'm nervous. It's lonesome as well as scary, stayingstill in a spooky place like this."

  Looking around for something to divert her mind, she noticed thequeer-shaped piece of metal in the niche and wondered what Florence haddone with the other one. "Perhaps she dropped it when the bats frightenedher," she thought.

  She cast the rays of her light over the floor till she finally found thepiece of metal, then placed it back in the niche with its mate. "Jo and Ican use one of these for a candle holder on the little table beside ourbed, and Florence can use the other," she decided.

  Not seeing anything else of interest, she grew more restless than ever."I wonder where this tunnel leads. I believe I'll walk down it a littleway. Florence and Jo probably won't be back for several minutes. There'sno sign of their lights yet. I won't go but a few steps. They might call,and I couldn't hear them."

  She walked slowly a short distance, looking carefully on all sides. Whenshe had gone about twelve feet she came to a narrow opening on her right.

  She stopped and peered into it as far as her light would permit. "Thisplace is certainly a network of passages," she thought. "I wonder whatthis narrow one's for."

  Her curiosity aroused, she turned into this new passage and kept straightahead for a little way. Then as she flashed her light about, she caught aglimpse of another opening, to her left. Glancing into this opening, shesaw at the farther end what appeared to be a door half ajar.

  Her eyes began to shine. "Surely I'll find something important behindthat door," she thought. "It'd be a rich joke on Jo and Florence if Ishould be the one to make some great discovery."

  With her heart thumping rapidly she walked down to the door, peeped in,then cautiously opened the door wider and stepped inside. To her greatdisappointment the room was absolutely bare.

  "Just my luck!" she groaned. "I thought surely I was going to findsomething interesting to show the girls."

  Disgusted, she hurried out of the room and back to the passage, thenturned quickly to her left and hastened on.

  "One more turn, and I'll be back in the main tunnel," she told
herself.

  When she had gone a short distance, she discovered that the passageapparently ended a few feet ahead.

  "Why, this isn't the way I came!" she cried in alarm. Her heart seemed toleap up into her throat, and her eyes dilated in horror. "Why, I'm lost!Lost!"

  The next moment she ordered herself sternly, "Don't lose your head! Goback and retrace your steps to that opening. You've taken the wrongturn--that's all."

  With a fresh grip on her emotions she wheeled about and walked to theopening from which she had just emerged.

  "Oh, here's where I made my mistake!" she exclaimed in relief. "I turnedto the left instead of the right. What a stupid I was!"

  She started on again and kept straight ahead till she reached theentrance to the main tunnel.

  As her light shone on the wall directly in front of her she suddenlyhalted in surprise. There, a little to her right, was a recess in thewall with a long, solid-looking panel in the back.

  "That's strange!" she thought. "I wonder what that panel's for."

  She flashed her light straight into the recess this time. In the circleof light a black metal ring stood out distinctly. Could thisqueer-looking panel be a door? If it were, then there was another roomhere only a few feet from her.

  Timidly she caught hold of the metal ring the next moment and pulled; toher disappointment, the panel did not move.

  "There must be a reason for this ring and this panel," she told herself."I'll try again, harder."

  Putting her shoulder against the panel, she pushed with all her strength.There was a sudden, loud, grating noise; then the door swung open withsuch force that she lost her balance and fell full length on the floor.

  Her first thought was about her flashlight. What a terrible plight shewould be in if it were broken! Trembling with anxiety, she pressed thebutton of her light. Out flashed its rays as brightly as ever. Halfcuriously, half timidly she stared into the lighted area.

  The next instant her eyes dilated in terror. What was thathorrible-looking creature directly in front of her!

  "O-o-oh!" she shrieked. "Jo! Jo!"

  After that one shriek her throat contracted with fright, and she lay asif paralyzed.

  That horrible thing was so near she could almost touch it. Was it man--orbeast--some prehistoric animal? She had never--not even in her wildestimagination--seen anything like this hideous monster. It stood in anupright position like a man and had long scrawny arms and legs, and hugefrightful claws which seemed to be reaching out to grab her. Its head washunched between its shoulders, and over the whole thing was a long,scraggly, hairlike covering.

  With eyes fastened on the creature Peggy waited breathlessly. If only thething would move or do something! Anything would be better than thissuspense. But still it stood--motionless. If only she could manage toslide or crawl out of the room! But that monster would be sure to followstealthily. Yet she must do something. She _must_ get out of this room.

  Forcing her eyes for a second from the monster, she glanced toward thedoor. The next instant she shuddered in fresh terror. There beside thedoor, almost at her feet, loomed another monster, taller and morehorrible than the first.

  Almost simultaneously there came a soft thudding sound from the tunnel.What could that be? Some other menace? It was getting nearer--nearer.

  Suddenly above the thudding sounded a high-pitched voice--Jo Ann's voice!Jo and Florence were running to her rescue! They had heard her scream.

  "You must get out of this room this instant and warn the girls of theirdanger," she commanded herself sternly.

  Carefully, slowly, almost without seeming to move, she backed feet firsttoward the door. To reach it she had to pass so close to this othertaller and more horrible creature that she would almost touch it. Sheheld her breath. Already she could feel the clutch of those clawlikehands.

  Steeling herself, she inched her body a little nearer. Out of the cornerof her eye she watched those threatening claws. Brown leathery claws theywere--dried--wrinkled--ghastly.

  All at once the reason for their ghastly appearance darted into hermind--the hideous creatures were _dead_!

  With a cry of relief she sprang to her feet and stumbled through thedoor. Just as she stepped into the tunnel, Jo Ann and Florence rushed up,panting.

  "Peg--what's--the matter?" Jo Ann cried, throwing her arms around Peggy."I was afraid something dreadful----"

  "What did happen, Peg?" urged Florence between gasps for breath as sheflashed her light full upon Peggy.

  Struggling to make her voice sound natural, Peggy replied slowly,"I--was--just scared. I'm--sorry--I frightened you."

  "What frightened you?" Jo Ann put in quickly. "You're white as a ghost."

  "That's what I've been seeing--ghosts! Ugh!" Peggy shivered.

  "This is no time for foolishness. What scared you?"

  "Peep through that door and see for yourself, then," Peggy replied.

  All curiosity, Jo Ann turned quickly toward the open door, Florence ather heels. The next moment both girls drew back with cries of fright.

  "Horrible!" ejaculated Florence.

  "Horrible!" echoed Jo Ann. "No wonder you were frightened, Peg," sheadded quickly. "They're only mummies, but if I hadn't read about them I'dhave been paralyzed. But what made you come up here after you said you'dstay where we left you?"

  "I got tired waiting for you--I thought you'd never come--so I decided toexplore this tunnel a little way. I got lost for a while; and then on myway back I found this door. It wouldn't open at first, so I pushedhard--and then I tumbled head foremost into that room. When I turned onmy light and saw those horrible creatures--well, I 'most died fromfright. I thought they were alive."

  "You poor child," comforted Florence. "We should never have left youalone."

  "What made you two stay so long?"

  "We went farther than we expected, and Jo got stuck in a hole."

  Peggy turned to Jo Ann. "You would do something like that! What kind of ahole was it?"

  "Just a little opening in a cave-in. I wanted to see what was on theother side. I dropped my flashlight over there and got stuck trying toget it."

  "I had to pull her out--I had a time doing it," Florence added.

  "That wasn't nearly as much trouble as I got into," said Peggy with agesture toward the door. "How'd those hideous things ever get in there?"

  "I don't know, I'm sure," replied Jo Ann. "I've read that they've beenfound in some parts of Mexico, and that they're different from theancient Egyptian mummies in that no preservatives were used. The air incertain parts of this country has such drying qualities in it thatcenturies ago people discovered that they could keep bodies perfectlywithout the use of preservatives."

  "Ugh! They don't look perfect to me," put in Peggy.

  Jo Ann stepped to the door, saying, "I'd like to examine those mummiesmore closely, but----"

  "That's the way we feel, don't we, Florence?" Peggy said with a halfsmile as she and Florence crowded into the doorway. "What is that whitishstuff on them?" she asked the next moment.

  "I imagine they were wrapped in a sort of shroud when they were put inthere," said Jo Ann, "but it's almost evaporated."

  "Why do you suppose they're standing straight up, Jo?" Peggy queriedcuriously. "I should think they'd be in coffins, or something."

  Jo Ann shook her head dubiously. "Some ancient custom, perhaps."

  "Didn't you start out to find the family skeleton, Jo?" asked Florence,with a twinkle in her eyes. "It seems to me Peggy found it, and all ofits ancestors, for you."

  Peggy shuddered. "It's a good thing I didn't know there were so manymummies in this room. Let's get away from here. I've seen enough of thesehorrible-looking things to last me a lifetime. You have, too, haven'tyou, Florence?"

  Florence nodded an emphatic assent and added, "Surely you've looked atthem long enough, Jo. Come on."

  Reluctantly Jo Ann turned to leave. "I'd like to go inside and look overthe room, but since you insist, I s'pose I'll have to go."r />
  Peggy took a few steps down the passage, calling back over her shoulder,"Shut the door, Jo. I found it closed, so we'd better leave it that way."

  "All right." Jo Ann caught hold of the ring and pulled on it, but thedoor would not budge.

  After pulling on it several more times without success she called out,"The door's stuck--I'll have to try pushing. Catch hold of the ring andpull, Peg, while I push, and, Florence, you shine your light in here so Ican see," she added as she stepped into the room.

  Bracing herself against the wall, she slipped her arm into the narrowspace behind the door and began pushing. With one wary glance at theghostly figures back of her, Peggy pulled vigorously on the ring.

  Suddenly the door gave a loud grating noise and swung so quickly thatPeggy lost her balance and fell back against the mummies. With aterrified shriek she sprang back.

  At the same instant Jo Ann felt something hard bump against her leg asshe tumbled back against the wall. Guessing what had happened to Peggy,she reached for her flashlight hanging to her belt. No sooner had sheflashed on the light than Peggy was by her side, shivering and pale withfright.

  "Ugh! I fell against those hideous mummies!" she exclaimed. "Let's getout of here this instant."

  "Something struck me, too," said Jo Ann, glancing down in the corner backof the door.

  There before her eyes lay several large candelabra.

  "Oh, look here, Peg!" she cried excitedly.

  "They're just old iron candlesticks," Peggy replied shortly. "Come on."

  Not heeding Peggy's words, Jo Ann reached down and picked up one of themand began examining it closely. "I believe this is gold--a goldencandelabrum!" she exclaimed admiringly. "Look at the lovely design on thebase--and aren't the branches beautifully shaped!"

  Just then Florence peered around the half-open door and called out,"What's happened to you two? Why don't you come on out?"

  "We've made a wonderful discovery," replied Jo Ann. "Come here and see."

  As soon as Florence came inside Jo Ann pointed triumphantly to thecandelabra. "They're gold--maybe solid gold!"

  After a moment's tribute of silence Florence remarked, "They'rebeautiful. I don't believe they're all gold; those darker ones areprobably silver and tarnished with age." She reached down and lifted oneof the duller-looking candelabra. "It certainly is heavy. Isn't thisdesign on the base exquisite?" As she placed it back on the floor sheadded, "I believe all these belong to the church."

  "Probably they were hidden here long ago during some war or revolutionand then forgotten," Jo Ann said thoughtfully. "Maybe the persons who putthem here were killed, and so----" She stopped abruptly, then beganagain, "I shouldn't wonder if there were more valuable things hidden downhere. I want to see, too, if there aren't steps leading up to the church.Come on."