CHAPTER XVI
THE MAP ON THE GOLD
Naturally, when Tom pointed at the golden image, the eyes of all theMexicans in the room, as well as those of the friends of the younginventor, followed. For a moment there was silence and then the agedMexican, whom Eradicate had asked for corn meal, rapidly utteredsomething in Spanish.
"Yes! Yes!" chorused his companions, and they followed this up, bycrying aloud when he had said something else: "No! No!" Then therewas confused talking, seemingly directed at Tom, who, though he hadlowered his hand, continued to stare at the golden image.
"What in the world are they saying?" asked Ned, who only knew alittle Spanish.
"I can't get on to all of it," explained Tom above the confusion."Evidently they think we've come to take the image away from themand they are objecting."
"Offer to buy it then," suggested Ned.
"That's what I'm going to do," answered Tom, and once moreaddressing the aged Mexican, who seemed to be at the head of thehousehold, Tom offered to purchase the relic which meant so much tohim, agreeing to pay a large sum.
This seemed to create further confusion, and one of the women of thehousehold hastily took down the little statute and was carrying itinto an inner room, when Miguel Delazes came up. He looked into theopen doorway, glanced about the room which was illuminated byseveral rude oil lamps, saw the looks of wonder and surprise on thefaces of Tom and his companions, noted the excitement among theMexicans, and then he caught sight of the golden image which thewoman held.
"Ah!" exclaimed Delazes, and there was a world of meaning in histone. His small dark eyes glittered. They roved from the image toTom, and back to the little golden figure again. "Ah!" muttered thecontractor. "And so the senor has found that for what he wassearching? It IS gold after all, but such gold as never I have seenbefore. So, the senor hopes to get many relics like that for hismuseum? So, is it not? Ah, ha! But that is worth coming many milesto get!"
Tom realized that if he did not act quickly Delazes might have hissecret, and once it was known that Tom was seeking the buried cityof gold, the Mexicans could never be shaken off his trail. Hedecided on a bold step.
"Look here, Senor Delazes," said the young inventor. "I had no moreidea that golden image was here than you did. I would like to buyit, in fact I offered to, but they don't seem to want to sell it. Ifyou can purchase it for me I'll pay YOU a good price for it."
"And doubtless the senor would like many more," suggested Delazes,with an open sneer.
"Doubtless the senor would!" snapped Tom. "Look here, Delazes, I'mhere on business, to get all the relics I can--this kind or anyother that I may fancy. You can think we're after buried treasure ifyou want to--I'm not going to take the trouble to contradict you. Ihired you and your men for a certain purpose. But if you don't wantto stay and let me and my friends run things, the sooner you tell meso the better. But I don't want any more of your underhand remarks.Understand?"
For a moment Delazes stared at Tom with snapping eyes, as though hewould like to have attacked him. Then, knowing that Tom and hisfriends were well armed, and doubtless thinking that strategy wasbetter than open force he bowed, smiled in what he probably meantfor a friendly fashion, and said:
"The senor is pleased to joke. Very well, I shall believe what Ilike. Meanwhile, does Senor Swift commission me to buy the image forhim?"
Tom hesitated a moment. He feared he would be no match for theshrewd Mexican, and he wondered how much Delazes already knew. Thenhe decided on keeping up his end baldly, as that had seemed to havethe best effect.
"You can have a try at buying the image after I have failed," hesaid. "I'll try my hand first."
"Very well," assented the contractor. The talk had been in English,and none of the Mexicans gave any signs of having understood it. Tomrealized that he was playing a dangerous game, for naturally Delazeswould privately tell the Mexicans to put so high a price on thestatute as to prevent Tom from getting it and then the contractorwould make his own terms.
But Tom decided that this was the only course, and he followed it.
"We'll stay here in the village for to-night," he went on. "Delazes,you and your men can make yourselves comfortable with any friendsyou may find here. We'll set up our tent as usual, after we get somecorn meal for supper. I'll talk to them about the relic to-morrow.They seem to be afraid now."
"Very well," assented the contractor again, and then he saidsomething in Spanish to the aged Mexican. What it was Tom could notcatch, for Delazes spoke rapidly and seemed to use some colloquial,or slang phrases with which our hero was not familiar. The oldMexican assented by a nod, and then he brought out some corn mealwhich Eradicate took. The woman with the golden image had gone intoan inner room.
"Bless my pocketbook!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, when he, Tom, Ned andEradicate were busy setting up their tent near a campfire just onthe edge of the village. "This is most unexpected. What are yougoing to do, Tom?"
"I hardly know. I want to have a talk with whoever owns that image,to learn where they got it. One thing is sure, it proves that Mr.Illingway's information about the city of gold is correct."
"But it doesn't tell us where it is," said Ned.
"It must be somewhere around here," declared his chum. "Otherwisethe image wouldn't be here."
"Bless my gaiters, that's so!" exclaimed the odd man.
"Not necessarily," insisted Ned. "Why one of the images is away overin Africa, and this one may have been brought hundreds of miles fromthe underground city."
"I don't believe so," declared Tom. "We're somewhere in theneighborhood of the city, according to Mr. Illingway's map, I'msure. That would be true, image or no image. But when you take thelittle gold statue into consideration it makes me positive that I'mnear the end of the trail. I've just got to have a talk with thosepeople to learn where the statue came from."
"Look out for Delazes," warned Ned.
"I intend to. As soon as I can, I'm going to leave him and his menbehind and set off in the balloon. But first I want to get an ideaof where to head for. We must locate the plain on which stands theruined temple."
"It's getting exciting," remarked Ned. "I wish--"
"Supper am serbed in de dinin' cah!" interrupted Eradicate with alaugh, as he imitated a Pullman porter.
"That's the best thing you could wish for," put in Tom gaily. "Comeon, we'll have a good meal, a sleep, and then we'll be ready to playdetectives again to-morrow."
They all slept soundly that night, though Tom had some idea ofstaying awake to see if Delazes paid any secret visits to the housewhere the golden image was kept. But he realized that the Mexican,if he wanted to, could easily find means to outwit him, so the younginventor decided to get all the rest he could and trust to chance tohelp him out.
His first visit after breakfast was to the house of the agedMexican. The image was not in sight, though Tom and Ned and Mr.Damon looked eagerly around for it. There was a curious light in theeyes of the old man as Tom asked for the little statue of gold.Delazes was not in evidence. Tom had to conduct the conversation inSpanish, no particularly easy task for him, though he made out allright.
"Will you sell the image?" he asked.
"No sell," replied the Mexican quickly.
"Will you please let me look at it?"
The Mexican hesitated a moment, called a command to some one in thenext room, and, a moment later the old woman shuffled in, bearingthe wonderful golden image. Tom could not repress a little gasp ofdelight as he saw it at close range, for it was beautifully carvedout of solid, yellow gold.
The woman set it on a rude table, and the young inventor, Ned andMr. Damon drew near to look at the image more closely. It was thework of a master artist. The statue was about eight inches high, andshowed a man, dressed in flowing robes, seated crosslegged on a sortof raised pedestal. On the head was a crown, many pointed and theface beneath it showed calm dignity like that of a superior being.In one extended hand was a round ball, with lines on it to show theshape o
f the earth, though only the two American continentsappeared. In the other hand was what might be tables of stone, abook, or something to represent law-giving authority.
"How much?" asked Tom.
"No sell," was the monotonous answer.
"Five hundred dollars," offered our hero.
"No sell."
"One thousand dollars."
"No sell."
"Why is it so valuable to you?" Tom wanted to know.
"We have him for many years. Bad luck come if he go." Then theMexican went on to explain that the image had been in his family formany generations, and that once, when it had been taken by an enemy,death and poverty followed until the statue was recovered. He saidhe would never part with it.
"Where did it come from?" asked Tom, and he cared more about thisthan he did about buying the image.
"Far, far off," said the Mexican. "No man know. I no know--my fatherhe no know--his father's father no know. Too many years back--manyyears."
He motioned to the woman to take the statue away, and Tom and hisfriend realized that little more could be learned. The younginventor stretched out his hand with an involuntary motion, and theMexican understood. He spoke to the woman and she handed the imageto Tom. The Mexican had recognized his desire for a moment's closerinspection and had granted it.
"Jove! It's as heavy as lead!" exclaimed Tom. "And solid gold."
"Isn't it hollow up the middle?" asked Ned. "Look on the underside,Tom."
His chum did so. As he turned the image over to look at the base hehad all he could do not to utter a cry of surprise. For there,rudely scratched on the plain surface of the gold, was what wasunmistakably a map. And it was a map showing the location of theruined temple--the temple and the country surrounding it--theancient city of Poltec, and the map was plain enough so that Tomcould recognize part of the route over which they had traveled.
But, better than all, was a tiny arrow, something like the compassmark on modern maps. And this arrow pointed straight at the ruins ofthe temple, and the direction indicated was due west from thevillage where our travelers now were. Tom Swift had found out whathe wanted to know.
Without a word he handed back the image and then, trying not to lethis elation show in his face, he motioned to Ned and Mr. Damon tofollow him from the house.
"Bless my necktie!" exclaimed the odd man, when they were out ofhearing distance. "What's up, Tom."
"I know the way to the ruined temple. We'll start at once," and hetold them of the map on the image.
"Who do you suppose could have made it?" asked Ned.
"Probably whoever took the image from the city of gold. He wanted tofind his way back again, or show some one, but evidently none of therecent owners of the image understand about the map, if they knowit's there. The lines are quite faint, but it is perfectly plain."
"It's lucky I saw it. I don't have to try to buy the image now, norseek to learn where it came from. Anyhow, if they told me they'dtell Delazes, and he'd be hot after us. As it is I doubt if he canlearn now. Come, we'll get ready to hit the trail again."
And they did, to the no small wonder of the contractor and his men,who could not understand why Tom should start out without the image,or without having learned where it came from, for Delazes hadquestioned the old Mexican, and learned all that took place. But hedid not look on the base of the statue.
Due west went the cavalcade, and then a new complication arose. Tomdid not want to take the Mexicans any nearer to the plain of thetemple than possible, and he did not know how many miles it wasaway. So he decided on taking a longer balloon voyage than at firstcontemplated.
"We'll camp to-night at the best place we can find," he said toDelazes, "and then I'm going on in the balloon. You and your menwill stay in camp until we come back."
"Ha! And suppose the senors do not come back with the balloon?"
"Wait a reasonable time for us, and then you can do as you wish.I'll pay you to the end of the month and if you wait for us anylonger I have given instructions for the bank in Tampico to pay youand your men what is right."
"Good! And the senors are going into the unknown?"
"Yes, we don't know where we'll wind up. This hunting for relics isuncertain business. Make yourselves comfortable in camp, and wait."
"Waiting is weary business, Senor Swift. If we could come with you--"began Delazes, with an eager look in his eyes.
"Out of the question," spoke Tom shortly. "There isn't room in theballoon."
"Very well, senor," and with a snapping glance from his black eyesthe contractor walked away.
Tom Swift in the City of Gold; Or, Marvelous Adventures Underground Page 16
