The Peril Finders

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  A PIECE OF SKIN.

  It was late that same evening when the occupants of the shanty sat aboutthe rough board table. The stranger had been laid in his lastresting-place, Mr Bourne had read the service over him, and theAmerican neighbour, who had been present, had stayed to partake of theevening meal.

  This latter had passed over almost in silence, all waiting then for thecommunication the doctor was to make; but he sat still, thoughtful andsilent, till Griggs, after fidgeting a little in his chair, said--

  "I can't help feeling a bit sorry, doctor, for bringing the poor fellowover to you. I never meant him to stay."

  "You need no excuses, Griggs," said the doctor, rousing himself from hismusing fit. "It was an act of Christian charity, and I am glad that wewere able to share it with you."

  "That's right, and nicely spoken of you, doctor," said the American;"but I wish we had been able to help the poor fellow sooner. Here, I'mburning to know how he got into such a state. I s'pose he told you?"

  "He told me a great deal," replied the doctor, "but the time was short,his words hurried, and what he said has set me considering as to howmuch is simple fact and how much the imagination of a diseased brain."

  "Hah!" exclaimed the American. "Then the best way will be for you totell us too, and then maybe we shall be able to help you sort it out,and untangle the real thread from the touzly yarn."

  "Exactly," said the doctor. "Well, it seems that he was one of a dozenadventurous prospectors whose brains had been excited by one of the oldlegends respecting the discovery of gold by the old mission fathers inone of the deserts between here and Arizona. They banked their fundstogether, purchased necessaries and provisions, and started with a muleteam and a large water-barrel furnished with pole and axles so that itshould act as its own wheels, revolving and bearing its own weight--acontrivance, the poor fellow said, that answered capitally in the sandyplains, but only proved a hindrance in the rocky ground."

  "Not a bad idea," said Griggs, "if it had been all plain, for, as Iunderstand, it's want of water that has upset every expedition out thatway."

  "When all was ready they started, well armed, as I understood him,making for the south and west. They had certain plans which they hadobtained from explorers, and went out in full hope of discovering notonly a new land of gold, but a city said to exist in the middle of oneof the deserts, a ruin now, but containing fabulous wealth amassed bythe emperor, cacique, or whatever he was called, and fostered by the oldmission fathers, who had made the city their home."

  "Hah!" cried Griggs. "This makes one's mouth water. Go on, doctor."

  The latter looked at him seriously, and then continued--

  "All this sounded very clear and reasonable, but after a time there wasso much of the marvellous in the poor fellow's descriptions that I couldnot help feeling that we were getting into the dreamland of anenthusiast."

  "Let us hear, Lee," said Wilton.

  "To be sure," cried Griggs.

  "I say that," said the doctor, "because, as I seemed to gather, theadventurers had not been above a month upon their expedition beforemisfortunes began to assail them, and he talked for long enough aboutgetting amongst Indians who seemed to be always on the watch to hindertheir advance."

  "Yes," said Mr Bourne thoughtfully, "I have read that the Indian tribeshave had handed down to them by tradition the existence of great sacredtreasures which they are bound to protect, and which would have beendiscovered long enough ago but for their watchfulness."

  "Never mind the Injuns," said Griggs. "You're sure to meet them if yougo south, and, treasure or no treasure, they are always on the kill androb system."

  "I wish they wouldn't talk so much, but let father go on," whisperedChris.

  "They had fights desperate and many with these people," continued thedoctor, "but they pushed on, to find as they plunged further into thedesert that there were worse enemies to encounter."

  "Oh, that's nonsense," cried Griggs; "he must have been off his head abit there. It's the regular old cock-and-bull story about dragonsguarding the treasure. I know those sort of things--magic and gammon."

  "No," said the doctor, smiling; "the enemies he meant were drought,heat, and fever, all of which helped to slay his brother adventurers.Some perished at the hands of the Indians, but more from exhaustion anddisease, so that at last, after going through the most terribleprivations, he found himself the sole survivor."

  "That's bad," said Griggs, "and bad at that. But, I say, how long didthis take?"

  "I don't know, and he could not explain. Time seemed to be quite out ofhis calculations. It must have taken years, for he said that he was ayoung and vigorous man when he started."

  "But look here," said Griggs, "Murrica's a big place, and I s'pose hejoined Mexico on to it in his travels; but you could get over a deal ofground in years. How far away was it from here?"

  "Distances seemed with him to be alike," continued the doctor. "Much ofwhat he said in this respect seems to me to be all imagination, for hetalked of the vast unknown land that he and his companions hadpenetrated, and in which they passed away, leaving him alone."

  "Poor chap, to find out that the gold story was all a hatch-up, and thathe had given up the best years of his life in a great hunt after ayellow nothing. Well, go on, doctor."

  "There is not much more to tell you," was the reply.

  "Then I'm right," said Griggs; "he went through all that to findnothing."

  The doctor was silent for a short space, before he continued.

  "No," he said; "you are wrong, according to the poor old adventurer'saccount, and here comes the strange part of his story. He said that hebelieved he went raving mad after being forced to cover the remains ofhis last companion with pieces of rock, and for a long time he couldthink of nothing but getting back to civilisation; but the more he triedthe more he seemed to be led deeper and deeper into the great hot,sandy, stony wilderness. It was as if something from which he could notescape kept on driving him to continue the search upon which he hadstarted, till one day he came upon a wider and more level plain of saltand sand, while in the distance, far down upon the horizon, he could seea clump of mountains, towards which he made his way, toiling on dayafter day, week after week, as it seemed to him, and the range seemed tobe always receding with tantalising regularity, while he was parchingwith thirst and the tops were covered with snow.

  "At last, though, when he had been compelled to lie down and rest everyfew steps from exhaustion, and after months of toil, he reached the footof the mountains."

  "Poor fellow!" said Griggs. "They must have been a long way off, and nomistake. In dreamland, I'm afraid."

  "And I too," said the doctor. "This part of his narrative is verysuggestive of a fever dream; but he spoke calmly, and as if he believedevery word to be true. There was a simple earnestness, too, in the wayin which he told me of how, dried-up as he was, he revelled in theice-cold water that trickled down from the mountain-peaks in streamafter stream which only meandered for a few hundred yards before everydrop was soaked up in the burning sand."

  "That's the worst of the salt plains southward," said Griggs quietly.

  "I suppose so," said the doctor, "and this sounded very simple andtruthful, but it seemed to me that here fiction was a good deal mingledwith fact. He went on to say that these were the mountains of which heand his friends had been in search, for he was not long in discoveringnow that those hills were composed of the richest gold ore, while in acentral tableland some two thousand feet up stood the remains of thecity of which he had been in search.

  "This proved to be completely ruined, one mass of crumbling stone wall;but every here and there he discovered proofs that the old inhabitantshad utilised the rich metal contained in the hills by which they weresurrounded. The place had evidently been destroyed in some catastrophe,in all probability by the attack of an enemy, for not a trace savecharred beams remained of the woodwork that must have been plent
ifullyused, and in many parts he found the scattered and gnawed bones of theslain."

  "I should like to explore that place, doctor and neighbours all," saidGriggs, "but I'm afraid that the nation of people who built that citybelonged to the imagination."

  "That was my own idea," said the doctor gravely, "especially when thepoor fellow told me that he made his home there for years, takingpossession of a little temple-like place, covering the roof in withcedar-boughs to keep off the sun, and living upon what he could secureby means of his gun."

  "And always getting a fresh supply of powder and shot from Noo York bymail, eh, neighbours?"

  "The narrative is most improbable," continued the doctor, "but it doescontain elements open to belief."

  "But if he had discovered such treasure as that," said Wilton, "whydidn't he get back to civilisation, so as to profit by it?"

  "To be sure," said Bourne. "But what about the Indians who ought tohave been there to watch over the gold?"

  "He did not mention them," replied the doctor; "but his reason for notreturning was that the poor fellow felt that he dared not attempt to gothrough the same horrors that he had encountered on his way out. He hadfriends with him then, but now he was alone, weak, and wanting inspirit. In fact, much as he longed to get back to civilisation, hedared not attempt the journey, but kept on putting it off for years."

  "For years, eh?" said Griggs derisively.

  "Yes, for years, in the hope of some travellers or prospectorsaccidentally discovering the place. At last, though, he seems to havewakened up to the fact that if ever he was to see civilisation again itmust be by some effort of his own, and so he made the venture, to sufferterribly, and finally crawl here to die, as we have seen."

  "But he told his story," said Griggs, "and I don't know, doctor, but ithalf seems to me as if you believe in the poor old lunatic."

  "I told you in the beginning that I was somewhat disposed to credit hishistory."

  "Oh, come, Lee," cried Wilton.

  "My dear Lee," cried Bourne. "Why, this legend of treasure cities andgolden mountains is as old as the hills."

  "Yes, I know. I have heard it and read it time after time."

  "And don't know any better now, doctor," cried Griggs. "Oh, come, Isay, what is there in this story that makes you more ready to believe itthan any of the others?"

  "The simple fact that I have seen and talked with the historian--one whowas ready to give me some tangible idea of the truth of his narration."

  "Tangible?" cried Bourne.

  "Yes; tangible."

  "Why, he had got no specimens with him, had he?"

  The doctor made no direct reply to the American's question, but went onto tell that his patient had concluded his short history by thanking himfor his patient kindness.

  "`My life has been a failure, doctor,' he said; `you can make yours agreat success. Mine was used up in discovering the great treasure. Itwas the work of years and years. You can go straight to the place bythe bearings I have marked down for you as I came back. There, I giveyou that for which I have died, glad to be at rest. It is yours, andyours alone.'

  "I tried to draw his attention to another subject," continued thedoctor, but he smiled.

  "`You think I am only a madman,' he said sadly. `In your place I shouldhave thought the same. You believe that the treasure is only in myweary brain. I am clearer now, and I can see by the way you look at me;but it is true. Take the skin belt from round my waist. It is yours.In it you will find what I brought from the hills. There are a fewounces, but where I broke the pieces off with a lump of stone--halfgold--there were tons upon tons.'

  "I was not aware that he was wearing anything beneath his rags of skin,but when to satisfy him I cut through and drew away his pouch-like belt,I could feel inside it pieces of something hard."

  "Gold!" cried Griggs excitedly, and the boys' eyes shone withexcitement.

  "I don't know," said the doctor quietly.

  "What, didn't you look?" cried Wilton.

  "No; the exertion he made in trying to lift himself so that I could drawaway the belt was too much for him, and every thought went to the effortto revive him from his swoon; but it was all in vain, the poor fellowcame to sufficiently to show that he was conscious, and caught my handin his to draw it towards where the belt lay. He pressed my fingersround it, and then lay gazing at me wildly as I bathed his face, till Iawoke to the feet that I was trying to revive the dead."

  There was silence then for a few moments before Wilton spoke the wordsthat the two boys were eager to utter.

  "I'm afraid it's all the poor fellow's dream," he said. And then, "Ihave no hunger or thirst for gold, but I must confess to a feeling ofexcitement and desire to know what is in the belt."

  "Open it then, and let's all see," said the doctor, and he drew whatlooked like the well-rubbed and stained skin of a serpent about fourfeet long from his jacket pocket, and laid it upon the table.

  "Skin of a rattler--a copperhead, I should say," cried Griggs. "Well,not a bad idea for a cash belt. There's something hard in it anyhow,"he continued, as the doctor let the end drop. "But I say, look here:don't open it for a few moments, because I don't want for us to bedisappointed."

  "I don't think we shall be," said Bourne. "It is quite possible that inhis wanderings the poor fellow found gold, even if he magnified hisfindings in his imagination."

  "That's right, parson," cried Griggs, "but you don't see my point. WhatI meant about being disappointed was this--supposing this long shot-beltsort of thing does hold so many nuggets of gold, what then?"

  "What then?" cried Wilton. "Why, it is gold."

  "To be sure; but what about finding the tons, doctor?"

  "By the bearings the poor fellow mentioned," replied Chris's father.

  "Right again, sir," continued the American; "but the bearings--where arethey?"

  Every one looked hard at the speaker in silence.

  "I don't want to chuck cold water on what may mean a fortune for you,doctor,--but look here: I'm not a sailor, but I do know that when you goto find anything by the bearings you have a sort of map or chart withcompass points on it, and arrows and dots and marks to guide you in theway you are to go. What about them? Had he a pocket-book anywhere?"

  "Nothing of the kind," replied the doctor, "and I was surprised to findhis belt."

  "Then the poor chap died a bit too soon, and he's taken his secret withhim, I should say."

  "It seems so," said the doctor. "I had forgotten all that," and theboys drew a deep breath as they suffered each a sharp pang ofdisappointment.

  "Well, I thought it just as well to speak out, doctor," said Griggs.

  "I wish you hadn't, sir," cried Wilton angrily. "You seem to havecrushed out our hopes."

  "Better to know the truth and the worst at once, my dear Wilton," saidBourne.

  "Oh, I don't know that," replied Wilton. "The idea of discovering tonsof gold does stir one a bit."

  "Hah!" sighed Chris, who was indulging in a golden dream, and he kickedout one leg under the table, involuntarily catching Ned on the side ofthe ankle in a way which made him utter a yell.

  "Here, don't shout like that, young squire, because you're a bitdisappointed," cried Griggs; and without waiting for an explanation, hecontinued, "Well, doctor, I vote that the belt be opened. P'r'aps,after all, these inside are only bits of glittering stuff such as somepeople think is gold, but which is only iron and sulphur. Anyhow, let'slook."

  "Open it, Wilton," said the doctor, and the former sat with his elbowson the table holding the snakeskin belt with his hands near the ends, sothat they hung down over the fingers, softly lissome, while the hornymiddle sank in a curve.

  "Let's have it, squire," cried Griggs. "Go on ahead. You look as ifyou were making a plan for a suspension bridge over our creek when it'sfull of water."

  "The skin seems to have been slipped off the snake by turning it overfrom the mouth," said Wilton, whose voice now sounded rather hoar
se."Those ends are wonderfully soft too, as if the skin had been welltanned."

  "Not it," said Griggs; "say it was only dried in the sun, and thenrubbed soft. There, let's see what is in it. Hold it up by the tail,and the nuggets'll all fall out."

  Wilton did as he was told, but the nuggets--if there were any--did notfall out, for the neck of the snake had been strained and dragged outtill it was thin like the tail part, and had doubtless shrunk to itspresent proportions after the stones or metal had been carefully placedinside. The consequence was that Wilton shook and shook in vain.

  "I should take out my knife, open it, and slit the skin right up, if itwas my job," said Griggs indifferently.

  "No, no; it would be a pity," cried Bourne.

  "I could do it," cried Chris--"if I might."

  "Try, then," said Wilton, who hastily threw the long skin down, hishands being wet with excitement, which showed in a deck upon hisforehead.

  Chris eagerly snatched up the belt from where it lay, and then droppedit, startled by the warning uttered loudly by Griggs.

  "Take care!" he cried. "That's a rattler's skin, with the headcomplete. P'r'aps there's both poison-fangs in the skull still."

  "Ugh!" cried Chris.

  "There, pick it up again, young un," cried Griggs, laughing. "There'snothing there but skin. The poison-fangs went along with the flesh andbones."

  "Of course," said Chris shortly. "How stupid! Here, catch hold of thetail, Ned."

  The next moment the round belt was stretched out between them, andChris's hand as he passed it along the middle felt within it so manyhard round pieces of something about as large as marbles. Whileconfining his attention to the one nearest the head, he worked it alongto the mouth, and let it fall with a sharp rap upon the table, to lieshining dully in the light shed by the hanging spirit-lamp.

  "Quartz with gold in it, and no mistake," cried Griggs eagerly.

  "Gold, with some specks of quartz in it," cried the doctor, raising theheavy roughly-rounded and hammered fragment nearer the lamp.

  "Yes, three-quarters gold," said Wilton, while after taking it in hisfingers and handling it for a few minutes, Bourne laid it down with asigh.

  "Let's have some more, Squire Christopher," cried Griggs; but the wordswere hardly out of his lips before there was again a sharp rap on thetable, and then another and another, the boy continuing till a dozen ofthe dull frosted-looking specimens lay upon the boards, shining with asoft dull glow.

  "Excessively rich ore," said the doctor, breaking the silence, after theparty had been busily turning over the pieces.

  "And no doubt about it, doctor," cried Griggs. "Well, that's yours,anyhow."

  "No," said the doctor quickly. "You brought the poor fellow here."

  "Right, but you doctored him and made him able to speak. 'Sides, hegave it to you, and it's yours. What's more, he gave you the hillswhere the tons of it lie--somewhere."

  "Yes, somewhere," said the doctor; "but where is that?"

  "Where the poor old chap came from. He ought to have given you the mapwith all its bearings marked down. Are you sure that he hadn't got itin his pocket?"

  "Certain," replied the doctor, "for he had no pockets."

  "Well, sewed up then in his jacket?"

  "I carefully examined that so as to get some information about him."

  "Of course," said Griggs. "Nothing more inside the sarpent, is there,Squire Chris?"

  "No," replied the boy, after running his hand along the soft skin untilit touched Ned's. "It's all stuffed full of something of this last partto keep the gold from getting any further."

  "Yes, that's it," said Ned; "so as to keep the gold in the middle, andleave the ends soft to tie together."

  "It doesn't quite feel like that," said Chris thoughtfully. "If thathad been meant, why wasn't there a sort of soft roll of something at thehead end? I say, father, there is something like a roll."

  "Draw it out then, my boy," was the reply.

  "It won't come," said Chris. "We shall have to slit the skin here."

  "Nay, skin it out as if it were a bit of the rattler's body left in.Pull the mouth open over the neck. No, no; not like that. Draw it opena bit. That's the way. Now you'll do it, my lad."

  Chris jumped at the American's hints, and acting upon them, found thatthe task was comparatively easy, and in a few minutes a little roll ofsoft cream-coloured leather, about an inch in diameter and eight or ninelong, carefully wound round with what looked like fine twine, but provedto be a remarkably fine kind of animal integument, lay upon the table.

  "Leather of some kind--I mean, soft skin," said Griggs, bending over thelittle roll as it lay before them. "Say, doctor, I'm beginning to thinkyou've got the bearings after all. You must use your knife this time."

  "Yes," said the doctor, taking out a many-bladed knife, and then pausingto pass the object round before going farther.

  But the roll was returned to him quickly in the impatience felt by allto see whether it should prove to be a scroll containing valuableinformation, and the doctor inserted the point of his knife beneath thethin twine-like bond. There was a sharp sound as it was divided, andupon being unwound there before the party lay the edge of a roll of verythin, carefully smoothed, yellowish skin, looking like badly-preparedvellum, only feeling far more soft.

  "A map, or writing," said Wilton hoarsely.

  "A map, I'm sure," said Bourne.

  "That's about it, sir," cried Griggs. "Say, neighbour, you've made afind, and the old man wasn't so mad as he looked."

  "So it seems," said the doctor, rather breathless in spite of his calmself-contained nature, accustomed to crises.

  "Are we on the brink of a great discovery?" said Wilton. "If so, howdoes the matter stand?"

  "It's the doctor's find," cried Griggs, and the two boys began tobreathe audibly as they rested their chins in their hands and seemed todevour the little leather scroll.

  "No; you brought the poor fellow here."

  "Tchah! What's the good of fighting about what we haven't got?" saidGriggs, laughing. "What do you say to whacks?"

  "What!" cried Bourne.

  "Share and share alike all round, when there's anything to share."

  "To be sure," said Wilton.

  "And I say that the youngsters come into the swim; only look here, youngsquires, if there's nothing you get nought."

  "Agreed," cried the boys, in a breath.

  "Agreed all," cried Griggs merrily. "Now then, doctor, open the rolland let's see; but before you begin, who'll buy my share for tencents?--What, all silent? No buyers? Tchah! There's speculation! Iwon't sell it now. Read away, doctor, and let's hear--or see."