THE MEDICINE MAN'S SECRET.
It was with considerable difficulty that the two chums made forward
progress under such a handicap as confronted them. The medicine man knew
every foot of the passage he was following. Besides that, he had a
blazing torch, by means of which the route was made clear; whereas they
were traveling over new territory, and in almost pitch darkness.
Several times when the beacon ahead vanished completely they were
compelled to make use of the little electric light; but on such
occasions Donald made sure to keep its glow confined to the rocky floor
directly in front, so that no glancing ray might startle the mysterious
man they were pursuing.
As these lapses of illumination in front were undoubtedly caused by the
Witch Doctor turning some bend in the passage, the boys felt that they
were taking only a small amount of risk in thus using their own torch.
It saved them from numerous stumbles, and possibly a bad fall; because
the way was rough, with many outlying rocks to serve as traps for unwary
feet.
"We must be getting right into the heart of the mountain," whispered
Adrian, after they had been advancing in this manner for quite some
time.
"That's right," replied the other, with equal caution; "and still the
old fraud seems to be pushing ahead."
"Do you think this passage can lead through the pile of rocks, so that
if we kept on far enough we'd come out on the other side?" Adrian asked.
"Hardly that," his chum chuckled. "Pretty soon we'll find out just why
Pick-ne-quan-to comes in here every once in a while. It used to be only
so many times a year, they told me at the village, but now he has a talk
with the Great Spirit nearly every day."
"Yes, I heard that brave tell you so; and every time, some of them say
they can hear that heavenly music, and the heavy voice of the dread
Manitou, coming out from the heart of this Sacred Mountain. It's mighty
queer, Donald, what it can all mean."
"Well, let's hope that after all the trouble we've taken we are on the
brink of learning his secret," the ranchman's son observed.
"That doesn't mean anything about his treasure, though," put in Adrian.
"No, we made up our minds to have nothing to do with any deposit of
precious metal he might have found in here; because we don't want to
send ten thousand white prospectors rushing this way, to overturn
things, and really wipe the Zuni people out, in their craze for gold.
We'll listen, and look around, and then go away again as quietly as we
came."
While he did not know it, this remark on the part of Donald, and which
really reflected the sentiments of both lads, did them great credit. It
was not every boy who could look at things in such a humane light.
They had been greatly interested in the strange life of the Zunis, and
just the very thought of all this history, which extended far back
beyond the discovery of America by Columbus, being snuffed out in the
greedy rush of modern gold-crazy miners was repulsive to them.
"There, he's turned another bend, I reckon, Donald; and it's so pitch
dark here don't you think we'd better make use of the hand torch again?"
said Adrian, presently.
"Just as you say," replied the other; "but we must be careful about it,
because one flash of the ray would put him wise to the fact that there
was something going on back here that ought to be looked into. And I'd
hate to have that grim old chap trying some of his witchcraft on us."
"Huh! on my part I'd be more afraid of his letting loose a nest of
rattlesnakes to trap us, or some such awful game. When we get to that
bend ahead--" but Adrian did not finish his sentence, for just then a
strange sound broke forth upon their hearing that caused both boys to
stand there as though transfixed; while Donald shut off the little
illumination with a movement of his ready thumb.
It was music that greeted them, the sweetest music either of them could
ever remember of hearing in all their lives. Of course there instantly
flashed through their minds the recollection of all they had heard about
heavenly choirs singing, and celestial instruments playing, according to
the crude notions of the Zuni people.
Well, it seemed as though the reality far exceeded the many descriptions
which they had picked up from various sources; and both boys stood there
for several minutes, hardly breathing, so stunned had they been by this
outburst of wonderful melody.
Then all at once it burst upon the mind of Adrian that there was
something familiar about the music; just as though he may have heard it
before while asleep and dreaming.
He gripped his hands in an endeavor to remember where it could have
been; and trying to unravel the thread of memory.
"Ad!" came in a whisper, close to his ear; and he suddenly remembered
that he had a chum alongside, who must be thrilled just as much as he
was by these fairly ravishing strains.
"Yes, what is it, Donald?" he asked, reaching out so as to come in
contact with the arm of the other, which he immediately pressed
reassuringly.
"Sounds for all the world to me like a violin!" continued the other.
Then a great light suddenly burst upon Adrian, just as a clap of thunder
during a summer shower will startle one.
"It _is_ a violin, or as the boys call it out here, a fiddle!" he said,
quickly; "and I remember hearing that same tune played some years ago
when I was East. Yes, it's the same melody, and I'd know it among a
thousand. Listen to that, would you, Donald? Could anybody beat such
skill, and wonderful handling of the bow?"
"But Adrian, however in the wide world would such an old heathen as the
medicine man manage to master the fiddle, so as to play like that? I
never heard its equal in all my life!"
"No more you didn't," chuckled Adrian, "for you're listening now to the
drawing of a bow that has charmed millions of music lovers in all the
great cities of the wide world, I reckon."
"Oh! you mean--" started Donald, when the other took the words out of his
mouth.
"He's gone and got a talking machine in here, that's the truth of it
all, Donald, don't you see? When he was away on one of his secret trips,
trying to find out how the white people lived, he must have heard one of
these same music boxes sing and make speeches. It set him fairly wild,
for he may have a love for music in his soul, you know. So what does he
do but buy one, with a lot of records; and somehow get the whole
business carried into the heart of the Sacred Mountain."
"Yes, yes," added Donald, "and the music appeals so much to old
Pick-ne-quan-to that his visits are getting of daily occurrence now. No
wonder the Zunis say he is becoming so very familiar with the Great
Manitou, that he can't let a day pass without having an interview with
the Master. Oh! Ad, this is a rich joke on us now, ain't it?"
"Well, I don't see how you make that out," replied the other. "We came
in here to discover the source of that heavenly music, and the loud
thunder voice that nearly frightens the Indians to death; and looks like
we've done it. I think we've reason to feel satisfied. There, now the
violin has sobbed itself out, and perhaps we'll have a Caruso sending
his robust voice through all these underground passages next; or it may
be a Melba warbling like a bird in the forest. Ain't this the most
wonderful explanation of the mystery you ever could have dreamed of? And
to think that it never struck either of us once!"
"How could we guess it," said Donald; "when we didn't have the least
clue? But listen, he's started the machine to going again."
This time it was a song bird who filled the underground retreat with
music; and as the two spellbound lads, crouching there in the darkness,
continued to listen, soon they heard the loud, heavy voice of a
well-known statesman filling the chamber with the echoing eloquence of a
stump speech, which doubtless had done full duty in the last political
campaign, but was now thrilling any listening Zuni with the belief that
it was the sonorous voice of Manitou.
"Hadn't we better be getting out of this now?" asked Adrian, after they
had stayed to listen to several more wonderful reproductions of the
human voice and various musical instruments, among which was a military
band.
"Yes, we've had enough for our money," returned Donald. "Let the shrewd
old wizard have his concert out by himself; Billie will be getting
anxious about us, especially if the poor fellow hears a faint sound of
all that's been going on here."
"Perhaps he'll begin to fear that we've been taken up into the other
world by a host of angels, or something like that," chuckled Adrian, as
they started to once more cover the ground they had traversed before,
Donald using his hand torch now, as the danger of discovery seemed next
to nothing.
"Do you really think the medicine man meant them to believe that was the
voice of Manitou, when he brought this talking machine here?" questioned
Donald, after they had been walking for some time along the tortuous
passage, and must be drawing close to the exit at the ledge.
"No one knows, and perhaps no one ever will," came the reply, showing
that Adrian had been figuring on this matter himself, and arrived at a
conclusion. "He may have in the beginning just wanted to enjoy a feast
of civilized music by himself, without letting his people know that he
had departed that far from their customs; and then learning how they
believed him to be talking with the Great Spirit, why, he encouraged the
idea, you see. And all the while he's been getting more and more in love
with _real_ music as compared with the horrible racket the Zunis make
with their old tom-toms and wailing reed instruments. Perhaps the time
will come when that talking machine will be installed in a lodge in the
center of the village, to be listened to each fine night by every brave,
squaw and papoose in the settlement. Times are changing fast all over
the world, even with savage people; and I've heard men say that this
same talking machine is doing more to educate savages than all the
missionaries in the world."
"Perhaps that's so," remarked Donald; "but here we are at the ledge, and
let's hope we'll have little trouble in getting up where Billie is."
"Let's hope," urged his chum, "that the same Billie is awake, and
attending to his business; because we may need the help of his strong
arms before both of us climb the rope to the top."