CHAPTER XVI
THE BIG IMAGE
Could the light of day have penetrated to that mysterious andancient underground city of gold our friends might have had someidea of its magnificence. As it was they could only view small partsof it at a time by the illumination of their electric torches. Buteven with them they saw that it was a most wonderful place.
"I don't believe there's another city like it in all the world,"spoke Tom in awed accents, "there never was, and never will beagain. Those Aztecs must have brought all their treasures of goldhere."
"Bless my cake box! that's so," agreed Mr. Damon.
"Let's take a look around," advised Ned, "and then we can decide onwhat will be best to take away."
"It won't take me long t' make up mah mind," spoke Eradicate. "I'sgoin' t' take all dem images I kin find."
"I was going to say we'd have plenty of time to look about and pickwhat we wanted," said Tom, "but I think perhaps we'd better hurry."
"Why?" asked Mr. Damon.
"There's no telling when Delazes and his gang may find this place,and even the Fogers may be nearer than we think. But I believe ourbest plan would be this: To take some gold now, and several of thestatues, go back to our balloon, and make some kind of big lamps, sowe can light this place up. Then, too, I think we'd better move theballoon into the old temple. It will be safer there. Then we cancome back here, pack up as much gold as we can carry, and be off. Idon't like to think of being underground when Delazes and the Fogersare on the surface. It might not be altogether safe for us."
"Bless my insurance policy!" cried the odd man. "Now YOU'RE givingme the cold shivers, Tom. But I believe you're right. We must lookahead a bit."
With all their electric flash lamps turned on, the four advancedfarther into the underground city of gold. As they went on they sawthe precious yellow metal on every side of them. It was usedlavishly, showing that to the ancients it was as common as iron orsteel is to-day. But they did not use the gold merely as commonmaterial in the construction of buildings or objects of use.Instead, the gold seemed to be brought into play to beautify thecity. An artistic scheme was carried out, and while it was true thatin many buildings common objects were made of gold, yet each one wasbeautiful in itself.
"What a wonderful place this must have been when it was lighted up,"spoke Tom.
"Do you think it was ever lighted up?" asked his chum.
"It must have been," declared the young inventor. "My idea is thatthis city was the home of the priests of the temple, and theirfriends. I don't believe the common people ever came here. Perhapsthe officers of the army, the rulers and the royal family wereadmitted, but not the ordinary people. That's why it's so farunderground, and so well guarded by the river."
"Probably the priests and others collected so much gold they didn'tknow what to do with it, and built this city to use it up, and, atthe same time have a safe place to store it. And they must have hadsome means of lighting the place, for they couldn't go about indarkness--they couldn't have seen the gold if they did. Yes, thismust have been wonderfully beautiful then. The priests probably camehere to study, or perhaps to carry out some of their rites. Ofcourse it's only guesswork, but it seems true to me."
"I believe you're right, Tom," said Mr. Damon.
As our friends walked about they saw that the city, while smallerthan they had at first supposed, was laid out with regular streets.Each one was straight, and at certain places in the stone pavementplates of gold were set, so that literally the streets were pavedwith gold. There were houses or buildings on each side of thestreets, and most of these were open at the doors or windows, forthere was no need of heat in that buried city.
All about were the golden images such as they had seen in theMexican's house, and like the one in far off Africa. Some of theimages were almost life size, and others were only an inch or twoinches in height. Not a house but had half a dozen or more invarious places, and there were also the images on golden pedestalsabout the streets.
"This must have been their chief god, or else a representation ofsome great personage to whom they paid the highest honor," said Mr.Damon. "Perhaps he was the reigning king or ruler, and he, himself,might have ordered the images made out of vanity, like some men ofto-day."
The boys agreed that this was a natural theory. As for Eradicate hewas busy collecting numbers of the small golden statues, andstuffing them in his pockets.
"Why don't you take bigger ones, and not so many of them?" askedTom.
"'Case as how I doan't want all mah eggs in one basket," replied thecolored man. "I kin carry mo' ob de little fellers," and hepersisted in this plan.
They found in some of the houses utensils of solid gold, but thereappeared to be no way of cooking food, and that was probably doneoutside, or in the great temple. In many houses were articlesevidently used in the sacrificial rites or in worship of strangegods. They did not stay to half examine the wonderful city of gold,for it would have taken several days. But on Tom's advice, they tookup a considerable quantity of the precious metal in the mostconvenient form to carry, including a number of the statues and artobjects and started back along the tunnel.
"We'll rig up some sort of lamps," Tom explained, "and come back tomake a thorough examination of this place. I think the scientificmen and historians will be glad to know about this city, and I'mgoing to make some notes about it."
They soon came again to the place of the underground river and foundno water there. Ned wanted to turn the stream back into the channelagain, but Tom said they might not be able to work the ancientmechanism, so they left the black knob as it was, and hurried on.They decided that the knob must have worked some counter-balance, orgreat weight that let down a gate and cut off the river from onechannel, to turn it into another.
When they emerged at the top of the steps, and came out at theopening which had been revealed by the rolling back of the greataltar, they saw there that counter weights, delicately balanced, hadmoved the big stone.
"We might close that opening," said Tom, "and then if any one SHOULDcome along and surprise us, they wouldn't know how to get to theunderground city." This was done, the altar rolling back over thestaircase.
"Now to get the balloon in the temple, make the lamps, and go back,"suggested Tom, and, storing the gold they had secured in a safeplace in the temple, they went back to move the airship.
This was an easy matter, and soon they had floated the big gas bagand car in through one of the immense doorways and so into the greatmiddle part of the temple where the big stone altar was located.
"Now we're prepared for emergencies," remarked Tom, as he looked upat the yawning hole in the dome-like roof. "If worst comes to worst,and we have to run, we can float right up here, out of the temple,and skip."
"Do you think anything is going to happen?" asked Mr. Damonanxiously.
"You never can tell," replied Tom. "Now to make some lamps. I thinkI'll use gas, as I've got plenty of the chemicals."
It took two days to construct them, and Tom ingeniously made themout of some empty tins that had contained meat and other foods. Thetins were converted into tanks, and from each one rose a short pieceof pipe that ended in a gas tip. On board the dirigible were plentyof tools and materials. Into the cans were put certain chemicalsthat generated a gas which, when lighted, gave a brilliant glow,almost like calcium carbide.
"Now, I guess we can see to make our way about," remarked Tom, onthe morning of the third day, when they prepared to go back to thecity of gold. "And we'll take plenty of lunch along, for we may stayuntil nearly night."
It did not take them long to roll back the altar, descend into thetunnel, and reach the underground city. The river channel was nowdry, even the small pools of water in the depressions havingevaporated.
The gas torches worked to perfection, and revealed the beauties andwonders of the city of gold to the astonished gaze of our friends.It was even richer in the precious metal than they had at firstsupposed.
"Before we
do any exploring, I think we'd better take some more goldback to the balloon," suggested Tom, "and I think I'll just move theballoon itself more out of sight, so that if any persons come along,and look into the temple, they won't see our airship without lookingfor it."
This was done, and a considerable quantity of the precious metal,including a number of the larger-sized statues, were stored in theballoon car.
"We can't take much more," Tom warned his friends, "or we'll beover-weighted."
"We've got enough now, to make us all rich," said Ned, contentedly.
"I want moah," spoke Eradicate with a grin.
They went back to the underground city and began to explore it witha view of taking back to civilization some word of its wonders andbeauties.
"Didn't Mr. Illingway, in his letters, say something about animmense golden statue here?" asked Ned, when they had almostcompleted a circuit of the underground place.
"So he did!" exclaimed Tom. "I'd almost forgotten. It must besomewhere in the centre of this place I should think. Let's have ahunt for it. We can't take it with us, but maybe we could get partof an arm or a leg to keep as a relic. Come on."
It was easy to reach the centre of the underground city, for it waslaid out on a regular plan. In a short time they were in sight ofthe central plaza and, even before they reached it the glare oftheir gas lamps showed them something glittering golden yellow. Itwas on a tall, golden pedestal.
"There it is!" cried Ned.
"Yes, there's the big golden image all right," agreed Tom, hurryingforward, and a moment later they stood before a most wonderfulstatue.
Tom Swift in the City of Gold; Or, Marvelous Adventures Underground Page 21
