by James Otis
CHAPTER X.
A STRANGE STORY.
The meal, which was partaken of heartily by the weary travelers,consisted of eggs and fruit, with plenty of freshly cooked tortillas,and as Teddy remarked in a low tone when it was absolutely impossiblefor him to eat any more, "it went way ahead of turkeys roasted on astick."
After his guests had finished this very satisfactory repast, thestranger proposed that all adjourn to the banana avenue where he slunganother hammock that both the boys might lie down, gave Jake a cigar ofhome manufacture, lighted one himself, and, lying upon the ground in anattitude of absolute repose, said laughingly:
"Now if you wish to hear the story I promised to tell there is nothingto prevent."
"I would certainly like to know how it happens that you are living alonein this forest," Jake replied.
"Then I will begin in regular story-book style, for when it is ended Iintend to make a proposition. My name is Byron Cummings, and the lasthome I had previous to the building of this shanty, was in Baltimore,Maryland. Two years ago--it may have been longer, for one does not keepa very strict record of time in this country--I visited Merida on apleasure trip, and while there heard the story of the Silver City."
"Is that the name of a town, or do you mean that the precious metal isso plentiful there?" Teddy interrupted.
"I refer to a city built by the Chan Santa Cruz Indians which hasreceived this name because the ornamentation of the houses is of silver,and so profuse as to give it the appearance, at a distance, of being acollection of silver buildings. Don't laugh until you hear the wholestory," he added, as a smile of incredulity passed over Jake's face.
"Any one in Merida, and, in fact the English histories, will tell youthat this wonderful city is in the vast tract of marshy land situatedbetween here and Merida, known as the Black Swamp. It is a fact that nowhite man has ever seen it, since the only approach is across the swampon the south side, and the way so closely guarded that a person musthave special sources of information in order to get through thelabyrinth of narrow water courses on the banks of which are sentinelsready to salute the visitor with a shower of poisoned arrows.
"It cannot be reached from the east because of the rocks, a few samplesof which you probably saw on the sea coast. As you doubtless know, theIndians hereabout have never been conquered by the whites, and theinterior is as much an unknown land as it was at the time of theconquest.
"Certain of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians visit Merida at certain seasonsof the year, where they sell, or rather, exchange for goods, gold dustand massive golden ornaments, valuing the yellow treasure so lightly,and bringing such quantities that there can be no doubt they have accessto an enormous deposit. Silver they use as we do iron, and I myself haveseen one of these visitors wearing thick beaten bands of it as aprotection to his legs, probably because of the thorns."
"If they come into the towns I should think some venturesome fellowwould follow, to learn the secret of the city in the swamp," Jakesuggested, and it could plainly be seen that he was growing decidedlyinterested.
"That has often been tried; but, so far as I can learn, no one eversucceeded. Twice I tracked three villainous looking old fellows to thevery edge of the marsh, and both times they disappeared so silently andcompletely as to make it seem as if the earth had opened and swallowedthem. Then, learning of the many who had failed in the same attempt, Iformed a plan which must give me the victory, although it has requiredmuch time."
"What is it?" Jake asked breathlessly.
"I resolved to learn the language, and to that end came here with anIndian who knows the habits and customs of these people, he having dealtwith them for many years, and, what is more, has been within sight ofthe famous city. From him I have gained all the information necessary toenable me to penetrate the swamp, and now flatter myself that I canspeak the dialect of the Chan Santa Cruz tribe as perfectly as anative."
"Have you remained here two years doing nothing else but studying how toreach the village?" Neal asked.
"Very little beside that. We built the hut, planted these trees for alounging place, and now raise chickens and fruit enough to provide uswith food."
"Where is the man you speak of?"
"He went to Merida three days ago; but will return by the day afterto-morrow if no accident has befallen him."
"When are you going to make the attempt to get through the swamp?"
"Very soon if you accept my proposition."
"What have we to do with it?" Jake asked in surprise.
"I will explain. Old Poyor and myself are not strong enough numericallyto make the attempt alone, for in case the secret of our identity shouldbe discovered, nothing could save our lives. With you three as anaddition to the party, and two armed with good weapons, I would not beafraid to travel straight through the city. As a matter of fact the onlyreal danger is in approaching the place; but I have studied over thatportion of the business so long that I do not fear a failure if you canbe prevailed upon to join us."
"That is out of the question," Neal replied decidedly, speaking quickly,as if afraid Jake might agree to the scheme. "You know we must get backto our own country as soon as possible, for if father is alive he willsuffer great anxiety concerning us."
"You are right to make haste; but what if I tell you that by going withme no time will be lost?"
"How can that be possible?"
"Because if you were in Merida to-day you could not reach Progresso intime to take the steamer which left for the United States this morning.If you remain here two weeks more, there will then be ample opportunityto get passage on the next vessel which starts. I have a time table,and you can see by it that I am telling the truth."
As he ceased speaking Cummings arose, walked leisurely to the house, andreturned with the article in question, which he handed to Neal.
It was only necessary to glance at it in order to learn that hisstatement was a fact, and when Teddy was also convinced, the hostcontinued:
"According to the plan I have formed we should be back in less than tendays from the time we begin the journey, and if you agree to the schemeit should make us all wealthy."
"But you said the old Indian would not return for three days," Jakeinterrupted.
"Very true; but we shall not wait for him to come here. That which hewill bring is exactly what we want as an outfit, and we can meet him atthe only entrance to the swamp where, for more than three months, I havehad a boat hidden in readiness for the attempt."
Then Cummings gave a more detailed account of the wonderful city as hehad heard it in Merida and from Poyor, and so well did he tell the storythat in a short time his guests were in the highest state of excitement.
"Now the question is whether you will join me?" he said in conclusion."Having studied the matter so long I feel warranted in saying that itis not an unusually dangerous venture, and, if we are successful, theamount of wealth we can carry away must be enormous."
"It wouldn't take me long to decide," Jake replied promptly; "but seeingthat I am in Mr. Emery's employ I couldn't go contrary to his son'sorders. As a matter of fact I'm not bound in any way; but it seems to bethe only square thing to do."
"And what is your idea?" Cummings asked as he looked toward Teddy.
"Since we can't start for home immediately, I don't see why we shouldn'tspend the time in what will be the jolliest kind of an adventure whetherthere is any gold to be gained or not."
The young man then turned to Neal questioningly, and the latter saidhesitatingly:
"It isn't fair for Jake to make me decide. He should know better than Iwhether we ought to go with you. If it was possible for us to leave thecountry at once there could be no question, for we must return to theUnited States at the earliest opportunity."
"And since that cannot be done you have no objections to joining us inthe visit to the Silver City?"
"I don't know. You would not go until to-morrow, so we have a chance todiscuss the matter among ourselves."
"Very
true. I've some work to attend to, and while I am away you will beable to talk privately."
Then Cummings arose, went toward the house and when he disappeared fromview Neal said to Jake:
"Now tell me just what you think of going with him; I mean, what youthink father would say if we could consult him, not what we would liketo do."
"Well, if you put it in that way," and now Jake spoke as if weighingevery word, "I can't see why we shouldn't have a little fun, seein's howwe're bound to stay here longer than he allows is enough to go to thisSilver City an' back. It would be a mean kind of a man who'd object toour havin' enjoyment after all that's happened."
"Then you believe father would approve of our going with Mr. Cummings?"
Jake was not exactly prepared to say "yes," and at the same time he didnot wish to reply in the negative after his acquiescence in all the hosthad advanced as reasons why they should accompany him, and after a longpause Neal added:
"Of course I want to go, for it can't be possible that there is verymuch danger, and I make this proposition: We must sail on the nextsteamer, and if Mr. Cummings is willing we should desert him, no matterwhat may be the condition of affairs when it is time for us to start forthe coast, then we are warranted in accepting the proposition."
"That is what I call putting the matter in the proper light," Jakereplied with considerable emphasis. "On this basis no one can possiblyfind any fault, and we may as well tell him that we have decided to go."
"First explain that we must leave Yucatan on the next steamer whichstarts from Progresso."
"I'll do it, and if he is so certain that we shall be out of the SilverCity in that time there can be no reason for any fault-finding."
"I think Neal has arranged the business as it should be," Teddy saidapprovingly, and from that moment the castaways believed they werecommitted to the scheme.
Half an hour later, when Cummings returned to learn the result of theinterview, Jake explained upon what grounds the decision had beenarrived at, and he expressed himself as perfectly satisfied with thearrangement.
"If we can't get into the city during the coming week there is no usetrying," he said, "and I will undertake to see you on board the nextsteamer which sails. Now it only remains to decide upon the details, andat sunrise to-morrow we will begin what I have been preparing for,during the past two years."
Since the details consisted only in agreeing upon what amount of luggageshould be taken with them, but little time was spent in discussion, andas the boys retired on this night it was with the knowledge that whenthe sun rose again they would start for the Silver City which everytraveler in Yucatan admitted had an existence.
