It was a burning hot day, not a cloud decked the dark blue sky which
clothed the heavens, the very water of the river, generally so cool and
pleasant, was hot, and muggy, and unrefreshing. An unnatural stillness
pervaded the air, and nature seemed to have been metamorphosed into
stone. In their voyage up the dark river, the travellers had been amused
and interested by the numerous and strange birds which were continually
flying overhead. Lovely green woodpeckers, with scarlet heads and
waistcoats, parrots of gaudy plumage and impudent ways, tiny parroquets,
which sought to ape their superiors in size and cousins in species by
many absurd movements, would continually enliven the raft party as they
worked their way up stream. But on this occasion, all was still, even
the birds being affected by the general oppressiveness.
After the attack by the Andes demons, it had been decided that the whole
party should stick to the raft, which had been pushed off and started
upon its journey, the morning following upon the events related in the
last chapter. For ten days the party had been making its way up the
river, landing when possible on the banks at night to sleep and stretch
the limbs of those composing it, which could not fail to become cramped
in such a situation; and it was on the night of the tenth day that the
spot where Sir Harry and Miriam Vane and James Outram lay sleeping, was
at length reached, and here the party bivouacked.
It was with mixed feelings that Sir Francis and Lady Vane stood by the
side of these graves for the first time, and looked down on the
flower-decked canopy which grew above the last resting place of the old,
old man, who through so many lonely years had watched and tended the
spot where all that he loved most on earth, lay sleeping away her last
great rest. So often had Harry and Topsie recounted their first meeting
with the hermit, the wonderful tale which he had related to them, and
the tragic end of their voyage to the great gold mine of Or, that both
their uncle and aunt seemed as if they had gone through the whole
experiences themselves, and were looking again on scenes already
witnessed.
Thus they had bivouacked on this lonely spot, taking care not to trample
or destroy the flowers that blazed upon it in their many and variegated
hues, flowers planted and trained by the old man’s hand, to beautify the
grave of his darling.
The oppressiveness had made itself first felt that night, and with such
force that every one threw off the fur capas in which they had rolled
themselves to sleep. If they hoped for relief with the morning they were
disappointed, for it continued as bad as ever beneath a cloudless sky.
The eagerness and excitement to see the cave of gold had, however,
buoyed the party up, and they had embarked once more upon the raft full
of the keenest expectation.
“Do you see yonder bend ahead, Uncle Francis?” suddenly exclaimed Harry,
who had been looking ahead for some time.
“Certainly, my boy,” answered his uncle.
“Well, round that corner the river ends, and the cave will face us.”
This announcement aroused every one to the highest pitch of excitement.
Over and over again Willie, and Mary, and Freddy had dreamt about this
wonderful cave, and now actually they were nearing it, and in a few
minutes would look upon it in all reality.
The raft flew through the water, urged forward by the eager Indians, who
were quite as keen as the children to behold the cave wherein their
young chief and Cuastral had both so nearly met a tragic fate. Soon the
bend pointed out by Harry was reached, and the corner turned, and then
they looked and beheld the scene of that dangerous adventure.
And Sir Francis and Lady Vane and their children, as they, too, gazed
thereon, felt that Harry’s and Topsie’s description thereof had been in
nowise over-coloured or overdrawn, for there stretched the long
lake-like termination of the river they had been following, cased in by
the huge precipices, which culminated in the giant cave or mine of Or.
“Oh, how glorious! How splendid!” burst out Freddy enthusiastically.
“Just look, Mary and Willie; such a cave! Won’t we have fun exploring it
and carrying away the gold! Do you know, Harry and Topsie,” he added a
little mischievously, “I never quite believed the cave was so splendid
as you described it to be, but now I ask your pardon for my
incredulity.”
“Wait till you get inside, my man,” answered Harry loftily, as he rose
from his recumbent attitude in the prow of the raft, which was pointing
straight for the cave, “and you will see if I and Topsie are inventors
or not. Dear old Mine, I little thought to see you so soon again.”
As he spoke the craft glided alongside the mouth of the great gold mine
of Or, and in a moment the boy had sprung into the archway up to his
knees in water. He was quickly followed by his sister and cousins,
Aniwee, Piñone, Sir Francis, and Lady Vane, behind whom came Blancha
carrying the baby Cacique, who, by-the-bye, made a capital traveller,
being always in the best of tempers, and willing to be amused. In close
attendance was Graviel, who followed his little charge about like a
shadow, and then came Chorlo, Coquet, and all the other Indians, the
raft having been made safe to the same giant creeper as had held all the
previous ones.
The blue light shone at the far end, and splashing through the water
went the long procession in orderly line, and as it came nearer to the
light at the end, the stream grew shallower and shallower, until the
water scarcely covered their feet.
But, when they reached that portion of the passage which opened to the
right and left, Harry and Topsie, who were walking in the van of the
party, suddenly uttered exclamations of surprise and halted, for the
opening to the right was completely blocked up by huge detached rocks,
which reached high above them, and entirely barred the way in that
direction.
“Here’s a pretty go!” exclaimed the girl; “all chance of seeing that
part of the cave is gone. This must have fallen since you were here,
Piñone,” she continued, turning to the Indian Cacique.
“Even so,” he answered, in a voice of awe. “The Gualichu of evil has
placed a giant barrier there, and within, the body of the Trauco queen
is sleeping alone, and shut out from the presence of the man to save
whose life she died.”
“It must have been an avalanche, or perhaps an earthquake, which has
done this,” remarked Lady Vane, as she looked upwards, and noted the
place whence the huge block of rock had been detached. “Not fifty Trauco
queens would lift this, Piñone; and had it fallen when you were in
there, your bones would have been quietly mouldering ere this.”
“Even so,” replied the Indian again, and in the same awe-struck voice.
“Well, come on down this way,” put in Harry. “The greater part of the
gold is in this cave, and it was therein that dear old Uncle Harry died,
and where Miriam Vane and her child and James Outram were killed by the
Andes demons. I am glad this way is not choked up.”
“What if it should so become while we are in it?” exclaimed Lady Vane in
a startled voice. “Is it wise, Francis, for us to linger here, do you
think, with these evidences of demolition going on? I don’t want to
appear an alarmist, dear, but such a possibility is possible, and I
think we should be careful.”
“Quite right to be prudent, Ruby,” answered her husband, “but I don’t
think there is any danger. All these rocks look solid enough. Let us, at
least, go and look at the cave in which the big pool lies surrounded by
gold. I must see that. To have come all this way and not see it would be
absurd.”
So Lady Vane, who was quite as anxious as Sir Francis to look upon the
scene, about which she had heard so much, put aside her fears and
followed him.
The boys and girls had already preceded them, and when the rest entered
the cave, they saw them standing on the shores of the lake, with their
arms thrown round each other’s necks, gazing silently upon the wonderful
scene before them; for even as Harry and Topsie had related, all round
the lake stretched gold—gold, gold everywhere.
The sight of this vast store of wealth, lying silent, useless, and out
of the ken of man, was a most wonderful spectacle, enough to strike the
mind as something almost incredible. Yet there was the reality staring
the explorers in the face—gold in vast abundance, untouched and unused.
The Indians were quick to appreciate the situation, and soon the whole
party of them were on their knees, filling their capas and ponchos with
the precious metal. Even Sir Francis and Lady Vane seemed struck with
the gold fever, for they, too, began collecting nuggets, an occupation
in which the children soon joined them, Shag sitting on his haunches and
looking gravely on, and wondering if everybody had gone mad, and why his
beloved mistress was so busy picking up stones.
As he sat with wonder plainly depicted in his honest eyes, he suddenly
seemed to lose his balance, falling violently forward on to his nose,
where he lay sprawling and unable to rise. At the same time a curious
sight might have been witnessed, of Indian forms heaving up and down,
and waving to and fro, as they clutched at the ground and tried to hold
on to it. Our white friends were all precipitated earthwards, presenting
much the same appearance as the Indians, while the water in the passage
leading from the lofty cave in which they were all assembled, could be
heard lashing itself against the rocky walls that confined it.
Immediately cries of terror began to resound throughout the cave, the
Indians becoming distraught with fear; but their cries were soon drowned
in a more overwhelming sound, that of crashing and falling rocks.
“Children, here; come here, quick!” cried Sir Francis, in a loud
terrified voice; and with the promptitude of implicit obedience they
staggered towards him. Even as they did so, a terrible crash almost
deafened them, as a huge rock, detached from the opening above, came
thundering down into the middle of the lake, casting aloft and around a
perfect deluge of spray and water. Just along the passage another
fearful crash followed the fall of this rock, making the whole cave
tremble with the shock.
After this the heaving of the ground became still, whereupon Lady Vane
gave quick, sharp orders to retreat at once from the cave, and Piñone
and Aniwee joined her in giving a like order to the Indians. They were
on the point of obeying, when another upheaving of the ground took
place, precipitating every one face downwards once more, and adding to
the wild terror which had seized upon the Indians. Again the waters
lashed the walls in fury, once more the crashing of rocks resounded, and
then a distant sullen roar became audible, like the booming of cannon
far away. It approached nearer and nearer, there was a rushing, hissing
sound, the shriek of a whirlwind on high, as through the aperture above
the mountain torrent there came pouring down upon the terrified group, a
cloud of stones, wood, snow, and _débris_ of all sorts and kinds. Most
of it fell into the lake where the detached rock had already fallen, but
some of it struck the cowering Indians, and severely injured many of
them, a stone striking Graviel with fearful force, and half stunning
him.
“Let us get out of this accursed place,” cried Sir Francis vehemently.
“Any risk is better than remaining here to be crushed to death. Come,
children, come, Ruby, let us make a rush for the passage and gain the
raft. Piñone, Aniwee, entreat your people to make an effort to follow
us. If we remain here we shall be killed, or buried alive.”
As he spoke, he made for the passage leading from the cave, and Aniwee,
possessing herself of the little Guardia, who was crying piteously,
followed close behind him. But Lady Vane and the children, as they
brought up the rear, heard a deep groan escape Sir Francis as he came
suddenly to a full stop before a huge jagged rock, which barred all
forward progress, and prevented any exit that way.
“Good God!” burst from the baronet’s lips as he stared helplessly before
him, “the worst has happened. We are buried alive!”
[Illustration]
[Illustration]