the head of the road giving access to the valley, and his mission was
accomplished. His first impulse was to go on and view the gateway, or
whatever it might be, at close quarters; but the inhabitants of the
valley were evidently jealous of the intrusion of strangers, as was
clear from the presence of the sentinel on the parapet; and giving the
matter a few moments' consideration, Dick came to the conclusion that,
before revealing his presence, it would be well to return to Earle and
report. He therefore faced about forthwith and, keeping under cover as
well as he could, retired in good order, pretty confident that, up to
that moment, he and his follower had not been seen.
The sun was just sinking behind the mountain ridges to the westward of
the mysterious city when Dick reached the camp. Earle, he found, had
not yet returned, but he arrived some ten minutes later, greatly
disgusted at his own want of success. He had searched the northern
cliffs for a distance of some twelve miles, it appeared, and nowhere had
found a spot where even a goat or a monkey might have passed up or down
them. But he had penetrated to within some eight or nine miles of the
city, and having viewed it at that distance and from a great height
through the lenses of his powerful glasses, was fully persuaded that,
let the name of the city be what it might, it was none other than that
which, crowned with the halo of legend and romance, had been spoken and
written of and sought for as "Manoa."
"It is a magnificent city, Dick," he exclaimed, enthusiastically; "a
city of palaces embowered in gardens; and the roofs of many of its
buildings are covered with gold. They _must_ be," he insisted, in reply
to Dick's incredulous shrug of the shoulders, "otherwise they would not
gleam so brilliantly in the sun as they do. And to-morrow night, please
God, we will rest our weary limbs in that same city, and perhaps, if
luck is with us, make the acquaintance of El Dorado himself, or at all
events, his successor."
CHAPTER TWELVE.
GUESTS--OR PRISONERS?
The camp was astir with the coming of dawn on the following morning; and
after an early breakfast the expedition started, under Dick's guidance,
for the gateway, which was reached shortly before noon. As the party
approached, the sentinel was seen pacing to and fro across the parapet,
as on the preceding afternoon; and that he was keeping a sharp look-out
was manifest, for the little band had scarcely emerged from the pine
wood in which Dick had halted for his mid-day meal on the preceding day,
when the man was seen to pause in his monotonous march to and fro and
gaze toward them under the shadow of his hand. Then, apparently
satisfied that the party were bound for the gateway, he was seen to move
a few paces and bend over, with his hand to his mouth, as though
shouting to someone below, after which he resumed his march as before,
occasionally eyeing the strangers as they approached.
Arrived at length at the gateway, it was seen that the structure
consisted of a wall, some thirty feet high, very solidly built of great
blocks of masonry dressed to a perfectly smooth face, and so accurately
jointed that, even at the distance of a few paces, the joints were
scarcely perceptible. The wall was built with a vertical face to a
height of some twenty feet, above which it swelled outward in the form
known as a "bull-nose," the upper surface of which sloped so steeply
upward as to render it unclimbable; so that, even if a man, or men,
should climb as far as the swell of the bull-nose by means of a pole or
ladder, the would-be intruders could get no farther. The wall was
semi-circular in plan, jutting out from the edge of the cliff for a
distance of some fifteen feet at either end and descending the face of
the cliff, diminishing as it went, until it died away to nothing, some
fifty feet below, rendering it an impossibility for anyone to pass round
either end of it. The middle of the wall was so constructed as to form
a watch-tower, some thirty feet square, with a flat roof, upon which it
appeared a sentinel was always posted; and it was in the base of the
watch-tower that the gateway, about ten feet wide, was pierced, the
opening being filled with a pair of wooden doors of exceedingly solid
construction.
As the party halted, the sentinel, who wore a burnished helmet and
corselet that flashed in the sun like gold and was the colour of gold,
leaned over the parapet and shouted to them what seemed to be an
inquiry; but the words, though quite distinctly pronounced, were utterly
unintelligible to all.
"Wants to know our business, I guess," remarked Earle. "Step forward,
Inaguy, and explain that we wish to pay our respects to his majesty, El
Dorado. Try him in all the dialects you happen to be acquainted with."
Inaguy accordingly stepped forward and did his best, but without avail;
the sentinel, though he listened attentively to all that was said, could
evidently make nothing of it, replying only with shakes of the head.
"It is the usual fate of the explorer who enters a new country,"
remarked Earle. "He is unable to understand or make himself understood.
But there is always the language of signs to fall back upon. Let me
see what I can do in that way."
Stepping forward and thus claiming the sentinel's attention, he pointed
first to himself, then to Dick, then, with a comprehensive wave of the
hand, to the Indian carriers, and finally to the door, motioning with
his hands as though opening it. This seemed to be intelligible to the
sentinel, for he nodded, and stepping aside a few paces, shouted a few
words to someone below in the interior of the tower. A few moments
later a second man appeared on the top of the tower and, approaching the
parapet, regarded the would-be visitors intently. The inspection
appeared to result satisfactorily, for a few moments later he
disappeared; a short interval of waiting ensued, then the gate swung
open, and he came fearlessly forward, while the gates swung to behind
him, and there was a sound of ponderous bars being shot into their
sockets.
Judging from the richness of his dress and the quiet dignity of his
manner, the man was probably an officer. He was apparently about thirty
years of age, some five feet ten inches in height, and was well-made
though perhaps a trifle slight in build. In complexion he was somewhat
sallow, but he was distinctly good-looking, with a somewhat Hebrew cast
of features, and with coal-black hair, eyebrows, beard and moustache,
the beard trimmed square, and the hair worn rather long, trimmed square
across the nape of the neck, with a short fringe trimmed square across
the forehead. His eyes were black and piercing, but there was a
straightforward honest look in them that instantly created a favourable
impression. He was attired in helmet and corselet, apparently of gold,
like those worn by the sentinel, but with the addition of a splendid
plume of long black feathers surmounting his helmet. Beneath his
corselet appeared a sort of skirt of fine chain mail reaching to just
below the knees, and his legs were protected by greaves made of the same
metal as the rest of his armour. His feet were encased in buskins, a
sash of black and yellow passed over his left shoulder and was knotted
upon his right hip, while at his left dangled a short sword encased in a
jewelled scabbard, supported by a jewelled belt or chain of broad links,
all made of the same gold-like metal. As he strode forward, his eyes
glancing questioningly from Earle to Dick and back again, he threw up
his open right hand, palm forward, and said a few words, which sounded
like a greeting, in a full but very pleasant tone of voice. Like the
speech of the sentinel, his words were quite unintelligible to those
addressed, but his action seemed easily interpretable as the sign of
peace, and Earle instantly imitated it.
"Thanks, old chap," the American replied, beaming amiably upon the
soldier; "it is good of you to say so; but I'm awfully sorry that I
can't understand you. The fact is, you know, that I and my friend
Cavendish"--he indicated Dick with a wave of his hand--"have come all
the way from New York expressly to discover your city--which I learn is
called Ulua--"
The officer instantly caught the name Ulua and repeated it, smilingly
pointing in the direction of the city.
"Yes," proceeded Earle, "that is so. I guess you get me all right. We
want to go in through that gate and make the acquaintance of your king,
El Dorado, or whatever his name may be. Do you get that?"
All this was accompanied by much gesture, but it did not seem to be very
illuminating to the officer, who merely repeated the word Ulua, pointing
again toward the city. Then, pointing to himself, he pronounced the
word "Adoni," following it up by pointing at Earle, and uttering a word
that sounded like "Hu."
"Yes, sirree, I get you all right," was Earle's reply as he gripped the
astonished man's right hand and shook it heartily, smiling in his eyes
as he did so. "Gee!" he exclaimed, turning to Dick, "we're getting on
like a house afire. He says his name is Adoni, and he asks who I am.
Isn't that right, old golden image?"
The "old golden image" looked a trifle nonplussed for a moment, but
presently repeated his last performance; upon which Earle remarked:
"Of course, I knew I wasn't mistaken. You sir," pointing, "are named
Adoni--" The officer nodded. "And I," he continued pointing to himself,
"am named Earle--_Earle_. You get that?"
"Adoni," replied the officer, pointing to himself, "Earle"--pointing to
the owner of the name.
"Right!" agreed Earle. "You are a quite intelligent guy, if I may be
permitted to say so. And this youngster's name is Dick--Dick. That's
easy enough to remember, isn't it?"
"Adoni," replied the officer, again pointing to himself. "Earle--Dick,"
pointing first to one and then the other.
"Sure!" exclaimed Earle, delighted with the progress which he considered
he was making. "I knew there must be a way of making you understand."
And he proceeded to explain all over again, and speaking very slowly,
with plenty of gesture, his desire that he and his party might be
allowed to pass through the gate and visit the city of Ulua. It was a
tedious and lengthy process, but apparently it was in the end attended
with a certain measure of success, for eventually the officer shouted an
order, the gate was thrown open, and, taking Dick and Earle each by an
arm, Adoni led the pair through. Inaguy and the other Indians, who had
grounded their burdens while the long colloquy was proceeding, hastened
to resume them and follow the white men, but before they could do so
their leaders were inside, and the gate was bolted and barred upon them.
Taken by surprise for the moment, Earle did not realise what was
happening until it was too late; but the instant that he did so he broke
free from Adoni's grasp and dashed up a flight of steps, which he saw a
little ahead of him, and which he rightly guessed led up to the parapet.
Arrived there he brushed aside the sentinel, who half-heartedly sought
to bar his way and, rushing to the parapet, ordered Inaguy and the rest
to remain where they were, and on no account to think of departing, for
he would certainly arrange, sooner or later, for their admission. Then
he calmly descended and surrendered himself to the astonished and
somewhat amused Adoni, who said a few words which sounded as though they
were intended to be reassuring.
Resuming the _role_ of guide, Adoni now conducted the pair into a room
in the rear portion of the tower, in which was a window opening,
unglazed, affording a delightful view of the valley and lake, with the
road leading thereto; and here they were turned over to another officer,
who by signs, indicated a request that the strangers should remove their
outer garments. Earle at first evinced a disposition to refuse this
request, but Dick was less fastidious, and stripped to the waist without
demur, whereupon the unnamed officer, who was evidently a physician of
sorts, after glancing admiringly at the young Englishman's stalwart
proportions and magnificent muscular development--to which he
particularly drew Adoni's attention--proceeded to tap Dick on the chest
and between the shoulders, listen to the action of his heart and lungs,
punch him in the ribs, and act generally as though he were examining the
lad on behalf of a life insurance company; finally expressing his
approval of the youngster's physical condition in a manner which there
was no possibility of mistaking.
Then Earle was again invited to subject himself to the same ordeal, and
this time he did so without demur, stripping off first his thin linen
jacket, and next the light woollen singlet which he was wearing as a
substitute for a shirt.
And now came a startling surprise. For the removal of Earle's singlet
revealed the curious lozenge-shaped jewel with its inset emerald, which
he had removed from the neck of the idol in the sculptured cave
discovered by Dick, and which the American had ever since worn round his
neck for safe keeping. No sooner did the eyes of the examining officer
glimpse the jewel than he uttered a strange cry, suggestive of the
utmost astonishment. He gazed upon it with awe-struck eyes, drew
cautiously near to inspect it more closely, half stretched forth a hand,
seemingly to touch it, and then, suddenly, saying something to Adoni
which seemed to suggest that a most wonderful and amazing thing had
happened, prostrated himself at Earle's feet, an example which Adoni
instantly followed.
"Now, what in the nation does this mean?" demanded Earle in a low voice
of Dick. "Why are these two guys kowtowing to me in this fashion? Gee!
They surely don't think that I'm some fancy god of theirs, come down
from Olympus to visit them, as a special mark of favour, do they?"
"Well, it looks very much like it, by the way that they are carrying
on," returned Dick. "I think that it might help matters a bit, both now
and in the future, if you were to play up to the idea and infuse a
general air of benevolent condescension into your intercourse with them.
I don't see that it could possibly do any harm. Do you?"
"Don't know," answered Earle. "It might if, later on, they were to come
to me and demand that I do some impossible thing for them. But, on the
other hand, I guess it would be up to me to refuse, if I chose. On the
whole, perhaps--and yet, I don't know--Yes, I guess I'll try it, and see
how it works."
Bending down, he lightly touched the two officers upon the shoulder and,
when they ventured to glance up at him, graciously signed to them to
rise, which they did, with every mark of the most profound reverence.
From that moment there was no further trouble. Without waiting for
permission from the examining officer, Earle calmly resumed his singlet
and coat, taking care now, however, to leave fully exposed the jewel, or
amulet, or whatever it was, that had produced such a wonderful effect;
and this done, he signed to Adoni to open the gate and admit Inaguy and
the rest of the Indians, which was instantly done. In the meantime,
while the Indians were with much deliberation gathering up their loads
and adjusting them upon their shoulders, in response to Earle's
reassuring call, Adoni and the other officer had withdrawn to a little
distance and were plunged into an earnest, anxious consultation, the
result of which was that, a few minutes later, a man, naked save for a
sort of breech cloth wrapped about his loins, started out from the guard
house and set off down the road leading to the city, as though running
for his life.
As the last of the Indians passed through the gateway, the massive
timber gates were closed and securely barred behind them, and Earle and
Dick stepped forward to place themselves at their head, intending to
resume their march toward Ulua. But Adoni, perceiving their intention,
at once intervened and, firmly yet with the utmost reverence of manner,
intimated by signs an earnest desire that the party would postpone their
departure. He did this by standing before them in the middle of the
road, with his arms outstretched as though to bar the way; then he
signed to the Indians to remove themselves to a wide plot of grass by
the side of the road and deposit their burden there; and finally
beckoned the two white men to accompany him into the guard house, where
he conducted them into a plainly but comfortably furnished room, and
signed to them a request to rest themselves upon a couple of couches
which he indicated, at the same time giving them to understand that a
meal would presently be served to them.
Earle, well pleased at the success which had attended his effort to
penetrate to the interior of the forbidden country, signified his
acquiescence by seating himself on one of the couches, whereupon Adoni,
equally well pleased, withdrew, with a profound bow, leaving the two
friends to themselves.
"Well," remarked Earle, rising from the couch and gazing with
satisfaction upon the glorious prospect of lake and valley revealed by
the window opening before which he placed himself, "we are inside the
gate, and that is something achieved, anyway. For, at first, I feared
that they were going to refuse us admission, and if they had done so I
guess we should have found it a pretty difficult matter to get in. But
our friend Adoni has evidently no authority to allow us to go on without
first referring to the boss, whoever he may be; and I guess that naked
runner was the bearer of a report and a request for further
instructions. Now of course our line of conduct will be to conform to
the manners and customs of the natives, so far as may be, and give no
trouble; for our only object in coming here is to see the country and
the people, and that can best be accomplished by keeping on good terms
with everybody; therefore we will just let them make all the
arrangements, and we will fall in with them. But I have great hopes
from the possession of this jewel, which evidently has some powerful
mystic significance in the eyes of these people. Adoni and the other
fellow appeared to recognise it at once, and there can be no question as
to the reverence with which they regard it. Judging from the behaviour
of those two, the thing ought to secure us a very favourable reception
at headquarters. I wish I knew the history of it."
"We shall perhaps learn that later on," returned Dick. "And I
anticipate that when we do, it will prove both curious and romantic.
The mere finding of it in that wonderful cavern was remarkable enough,
but the astonishment and delight of Adoni at recognising it were still
more remarkable, to my mind. To me, their behaviour was that of men
suddenly brought face to face with something that they had almost
despaired of ever seeing again."
"Yes, I guess you are right," agreed Earle. "Not that either of those
two could ever have actually seen the thing, for it must have lain
hidden in that cave for--well, a hundred years or more, I should say.
But be that as it may, it is evidently in their eyes an object of
extraordinary sanctity, and should--indeed, most probably does--confer
some very special privileges upon its possessor, of which I shall feel
justified in making the fullest use."
The pair were still chatting in a somewhat desultory fashion when two
men, evidently servants, entered the room, bearing a table already set
for a meal, and they were immediately followed by others who brought in
several smoking dishes of food, a jar of a light kind of wine, an
open-work metal tray heaped with small cakes, and a piled-up basket of
fruit, consisting of oranges, grapes, nectarines, and one or two other
kinds which neither Earle nor Dick was able to identify. The plates,
dishes, and drinking-cups were unmistakably of gold, but quite plain, as
were the dagger-like knives and a kind of skewer which was evidently
intended to serve as a fork. The food consisted of a stew, apparently
of kid's flesh, a roasted bird about the size of, and somewhat similar
in flavour to, a duck, roasted yams, ears of green maize, boiled, and a
dish of some kind of bean which both pronounced delicious; indeed the
meal as a whole was excellent, and was done full justice to by both
participants. The wine, too, if wine it was, was almost icy cold, and
of exceedingly agreeable though somewhat peculiar flavour, and was
apparently unfermented, for although both drank freely of it, it might
have been pure water, so far as its intoxicant effect was concerned. At
the conclusion of the meal Earle produced his pipe and, lighting up,
sallied forth with Dick, to see how the Indian bearers were faring; his
appearance, with smoke issuing from his mouth and nostrils, again so
profoundly impressing the beholders that they were once more impelled to
prostrate themselves as he passed by. The Indians, with characteristic
philosophy, had camped on the grass plot at the side of the guard house,
and had been as well cared for in their way as had their masters, and
were evidently quite satisfied with the state of affairs in general.
The afternoon was well advanced when, as Dick and Earle sat in the
embrasure of the window, looking out over the lake and valley, and
chatting together upon the sort of reception which they might expect
from the Uluans, they observed a light yellow cloud-like appearance
across the lake, on that side of it upon which the city was built, and
bringing their glasses to bear upon it, they perceived that it was dust,
in the midst of which could be perceived the forms of horsemen and the
glitter of accoutrements. After careful scrutiny, Earle pronounced the
troop to be about a hundred strong, and it appeared to be advancing at a
fairly rapid pace.
While the American kept his glasses bearing upon the cavalcade, Dick
permitted his gaze to search the nearer landscape; and it was while he
was thus engaged that he detected another and much smaller dust cloud,
almost immediately beneath the guard house, on the road which wound
round the south-eastern extremity of the lake toward that part of the
valley where the cliff road leading to the guard house began. Focussing
his glasses on this smaller dust cloud, he saw that it was caused by a
group of three horsemen who were riding as if for their lives. Judging
from the richness of their garb and the sumptuous trappings of their
horses, they were persons of considerable consequence, and Dick, who
always had an eye for detail, noticed that two of them, who rode a
horse's length in the rear of the third, carried each a capacious roll
or bundle of some sort strapped to the bow of his saddle. He directed
Earle's attention to the little group; and together they watched it
until it disappeared round a bend in the road.
"Coming here, I guess," pronounced Earle. And half an hour later his
surmise proved to be correct, for, still watching from the window, the
pair again sighted the trio of horsemen urging their animals at top
speed up the gentle slope of the cliff road toward the guard house.
A few minutes later the trio reined up their winded and sweat-lathered
steeds and dismounted at the door of the guard house, where they were
met and greeted with profound respect by Adoni; and while the leader,
accompanied by Adoni, entered the building, the other two busied
themselves unstrapping from their saddle bows the bundles which Dick had
noticed, and bearing which they presently followed their leader.