THE JOURNEY.
The boys and Jake had no preparations to make for the journey. The goods
they had brought from the coast was their only property, and could
readily be carried as during the tramp to this point.
On the contrary, Cummings found many things which it was necessary
should be done before departure. Whether successful in the attempt to
reach the marvelous city or not, he could hardly hope to return to the
hut where all his preparations had been made, and there was much to be
done.
After ascertaining that his guests were willing to accompany him he made
arrangements for their comfort during the night, and then, excusing
himself on the plea of work, was seen no more until the time for
departure had come.
Of the three castaways Neal was the only one who had any misgivings
regarding the proposed detour. It seemed to him as if he was in some way
abandoning his father by embarking in this enterprise, although how
anything more could be done to aid those who had taken refuge in the
boats was beyond his comprehension.
This much was clear in his mind, however: He had agreed to aid in the
attempt, and when Cummings awakened the little party he arose quickly,
firmly resolved to do everything in his power to reach the city which,
as yet, he was not thoroughly convinced existed.
It was still dark when the final preparations for the journey were
begun, and Cummings' impatience was so great that the sun had but just
shown himself above the horizon when the morning meal had been eaten,
and their host was urging them to make haste.
"We must be at the rendezvous not later than this afternoon in order to
avoid the chance of passing Poyor on the way," he said impatiently,
"therefore the sooner we start the better."
"We are ready," Jake replied, and, after setting the fowls loose,
Cummings led the way through the underbrush, finding a path where the
others would not have believed any existed.
As if to prevent the boys from losing their interest in the search for
the Silver City, their guide continued to add to the story he had
already told, and during the long march but little else was talked
about.
Jake who was as excited as a man well could be, for he had no doubt but
that they could find large quantities of treasure where there would be
no difficulties in the matter of carrying it away, plied Cummings with
questions whenever the conversation lagged, and Neal had but little
opportunity to speculate upon the fate of his father.
Not until late in the night, when to Neal and Teddy it seemed as if they
could go no further, did the party halt, and during the last hour of the
march the utmost silence was maintained.
"It is absolutely necessary to avoid detection in case any of the
Indians may be in the vicinity," Cummings had said, "and we must move as
stealthily as if we knew positively they were waiting for us."
From that time no one spoke. The guide crept on at a slow pace, his
every movement copied by the remainder of the party, and on arriving at
the rendezvous he motioned the others to lie down, whispering as they
gathered around him:
"We are near the canoe, and it only remains to watch for Poyor, who
should be here by morning. I'll stand guard while the others sleep."
There was no thought of putting up anything in the shape of a shelter,
and the boys stretched themselves on the ground in the midst of a thick
clump of vegetation, Teddy whispering to Neal:
"If it is necessary to take such precautions as these before we are near
the city, we may expect pretty rough times before arriving at the
place."
"That's a fact, and I begin to wish we hadn't started. There is no
positive assurance we shall get through in time to take the next steamer
for home, and even Cummings himself can't say whether any of us will
ever come back."
"Do you want to give up the job now?"
"I'd be ashamed to do that, for it would look as if we were afraid; but
I'm sorry we agreed to the plan;" and Teddy replied heartily:
"So am I."
Jake had nothing to say; but whether his silence was caused by a desire
to obey Cummings' instructions to avoid making a noise, or by misgivings
as to the wisdom of the venture, neither of the boys could guess.
Despite the anxiety of the younger members of the party they soon fell
asleep, owing to excessive fatigue, and did not arouse to consciousness
until Jake whispered as he shook them vigorously:
"It's time to start. The Indian has come, an' ain't half as bad a
lookin' man as I counted on seeing."
The boys sprang to their feet, finding themselves face to face with a
tall, half naked figure which, in the dim light, looked more like a
statue of bronze than a human being. He stood scrutinizing them keenly
for fully a minute, and then, as if satisfied with their appearance,
turned away to walk swiftly along the edge of the swamp until lost to
view in the darkness.
"Poyor has just arrived," Cummings said by way of explanation; "and
according to his belief it is well for us to start at once."
"Where has he gone?" Teddy asked.
"After the canoe; it is but a short distance from here."
"Don't you dare to cook breakfast?"
"Certainly not; the light of a fire would be worse, for us, than the
report of a gun. Until we arrive at the Silver City it will be a case of
eating cold food, and perhaps we may be obliged to wait even longer than
that before having anything very elaborate in the way of a meal."
"If we are only certain of coming back again where it is possible to do
as we please, I won't grumble about what we are obliged to eat," Neal
said, with a nervous laugh.
"Don't borrow trouble," Cummings replied quickly; but both the boys
noticed that he no longer spoke in the same confident tone as before the
journey was begun. "We shall surely get through without difficulty."
The conversation was interrupted by the approach of Poyor, who came down
the water-way in the canoe more like a ghost than a creature of flesh
and blood, and Jake, whose head had been turned in the other direction,
could not suppress a slight exclamation of surprise as the Indian
suddenly appeared by his side.
The canoe which had been brought thus silently was simply the trunk of a
tree hollowed out, and about fifteen feet in length. It yet rested
lightly on the water when the entire party and all the traps were on
board, and the boys noticed with no slight degree of astonishment, that
one stroke of the paddle was sufficient to send it sharply in either
direction.
"Now you have a chance to finish your nap," Cummings whispered as,
kneeling aft, he began to assist Poyor in propelling the craft.
"Don't you want us to help?" Teddy asked.
"No, there will be nothing you can do until we enter the Silver City."
Tired though the boys were it was literally impossible to close their
eyes in slumber now, and they remained very wide awake watching the
coming of a new day.
When the sun had risen they could get some slight idea of the country
through which they were passing; but of what might be a few yards
beyond no one could say.
The shores of this particular water-way through the swamp were flat,
covered with reeds and long grass, with here and there dense tangles of
trees and vines, and the channel was so narrow that only at rare
intervals could the paddles be used. The Indian and the white man pushed
the boat from one bend to another, oftentimes finding it difficult to
pass the sharp curves, and the boys confidently expected this labor
would be continued during the entire day, therefore their surprise was
great when, about an hour after sunrise, the little craft was forced
under a clump of overhanging foliage as if the journey was at an end.
"What is the matter?" Neal asked in a whisper, and Cummings replied in
the same cautious tone:
"Nothing. It would be in the highest degree dangerous to travel very far
now that it is light."
"How long are we to stay here?"
"Until the darkness comes again."
"Wouldn't it be safe to go on the bank where we can stretch our legs?"
"We must not leave the boat. It will be only for a few hours, and then
we shall have plenty of exercise paddling."
Immediately the canoe had been made fast under the mass of vines and
shrubbery Poyor stretched himself out in the bow as if the task of
remaining perfectly quiet during an entire day was a very agreeable one,
and Cummings followed his example.
Jake, who had been sitting amidships, moved toward his friends, and the
three spent an hour talking of what was now termed by all "a foolish
venture."
There was nothing left for it, however, but to continue on since they
were in the swamp, and after a time Neal said petulantly:
"Well make the best of it, and if an opportunity should occur to go to
Merida there must be no hesitation, whatever Cummings may say."
As if this resolution gave them renewed courage, the boys lay down in
the most comfortable position possible, after eating a light lunch, and
until nightfall no sound save that caused by heavy breathing could have
been heard from the boat.
Then, when darkness came again, Poyor, who had remained almost without
motion during the entire time of the halt, aroused himself, ate half a
dozen bananas, and took up the paddle.
The precautions against being discovered by those who might be on the
watch were now redoubled. Before rounding a bend the Indian waited in a
listening attitude to assure himself no one was moving in the immediate
vicinity, and when it became necessary to work the canoe along by aid of
the foliage the utmost care was exercised to prevent the branches from
rustling.
As the hours wore on and no attack was made Cummings appeared to be
highly elated, and Jake's gloomy forebodings were dispelled in the
thought of the treasure which they might be able to bring away.
Once, about midnight, when they halted a moment for Poyor to
reconnoiter, Neal whispered to the leader:
"How many nights of this kind of traveling is necessary before we reach
the city?"
"When we next halt it will be to leave the boat and continue the journey
on foot. It was the possible difficulties, not the distance, which
rendered the undertaking formidable."
The Indian returned, stepped into the canoe without speaking, and took
up the paddle as if to say there was nothing to prevent them from going
ahead.
From this time until faint streaks of light caused by the approach of
the sun could be seen in the sky there was no lengthy interruption to
the advance, and then as the boat was pulled out of the channel into a
sort of basin or break of the bank which led among the more dense
portions of the forests, Cummings said to Neal:
"In two hours you shall have a full view of the Silver City, and then
there can be no doubt as to the truth of what I have told you."