A HALT.
Jake professed to have but little care how long the scar might remain on
his face providing the wound healed, and they succeeded in escaping from
the Chan Santa Cruz Indians.
"Nothing that can happen to us during the journey to Merida would be
half as bad as to fall into their hands," he said with a shudder, "and
what surprises me most is that I should have thought they were peaceably
inclined."
"But that is exactly what they are until it comes to dealing with a
white man," Cummings replied. "You must remember all that the
people--the natives I mean--have suffered since America was discovered.
The barbarous treatment they received from the Spaniards is told from
father to son, and it is a portion of their religious training to work
all the injury possible to the whites. Read of what the invaders did to
satisfy their thirst for gold, and then you can no longer wonder why
these people, the only ones who have kept their city free from the
conqueror, are so implacable. Remember that Yucatan was once covered
with populous cities, the ruins of which show even at this late date how
magnificent they were, how splendid beyond comparison with the one we
have seen, and you ask yourselves why these Indians do not rise and
massacre all of the hated color that can be found."
"But you also came hoping to take away their treasure," Neal said,
smiling at Cummings' vehemence.
"That is true, therefore I have no word of blame when they attempt to
kill me; but, as a matter of course, I try to save my life even though I
am to them nothing more than a common robber. In my own eyes, however,
the case seems different. To procure such goods as I most desired, would
probably be, by the aid of Poyor, to solve that which scholars have
studied for so long in vain--the origin of the Aztecs and Toltecs, for I
believe the Chan Santa Cruz belong to the latter race, and keep fresh
all their histories and traditions."
"And now that you have failed it would be better to go home with us,"
Teddy said.
"This attempt has failed; but I shall try again and again until I
succeed, providing we get out of this scrape alive, which is by no means
certain, for we have a long and perilous journey before us."
"Which we are not likely to make unless Poyor comes back," Neal added
grimly. "It surely seems as if he should be here by this time. I haven't
heard the report of his rifle for a long while."
"Most likely we are too far away for the sound to reach us. We will wait
half an hour longer, and then I will go back to see if anything has
happened."
Cummings had hardly ceased speaking before the Indian appeared in their
midst, having come so softly that no one heard him until he stood before
them.
"It is not a good watch you keep," he said to Cummings, speaking in
English.
"We cannot guard against such an approach as yours. Where are the
enemy?"
"I left them at the edge of the forest. Knowing how we are armed they do
not dare to follow very close; but when the sun rises a hundred will be
at our heels."
"Shall we go on now, or will you rest awhile?"
"I am ready. We have no time to lose."
Cummings rose to his feet, the others following his example, and the
Indian started forward without delay.
"How far are we from the sea-shore?" Cummings asked as the march began.
"More miles than we shall travel for many days. By sunrise every
sentinel will know we are here, and it will be impossible to break
through their lines."
"Then how are we to get home?" Teddy asked in alarm.
"He probably hopes to find some place where we can stay in hiding for
awhile. In this section of the country there are many large caverns in
which streams of water are invariably found, thus causing the belief
that a subterranean river flows from the valley to the sea. If we stop
at one of them until it is decided we have succeeded in escaping, you
will not be able to take the steamer as intended."
"But we may have to stay two or three weeks."
"Better that than to be captured," Cummings replied, and then he
relapsed into silence.
During the next two hours the little party pressed steadily forward,
making their way with difficulty through the tangled foliage, and then
Neal was forced to ask for another halt.
"I must rest awhile," he said. "My feet are sore, and it seems
impossible to take another step."
Poyor halted, was about to seat himself, and then, as if suddenly
remembering something, he said:
"Wait here. I will soon be back."
The white members of the party were too tired even to talk. Throwing
themselves upon the ground they enjoyed the luxury of rest, and,
convinced there was no danger to be apprehended from the enemy until
daylight, Neal and Teddy gave themselves up to the embrace of slumber.
An hour passed before the apparently tireless Poyor returned, and he
awakened the sleepers by saying:
"I have found that for which I sought. Come with me, and repose until
labor will seem a pleasure."
"What is it? A cave?" Neal asked sleepily.
"More than that. An underground house where we can live in safety,
unless the retreat should be discovered."
It was a great exertion to get into traveling trim; but all hands did it
after a time, and Poyor led the way, although he had probably been there
but once before, as if following a familiar path.
After about half an hour's rapid walking the Indian halted at an opening
in the hillside hardly more than large enough for one to go through on
his hands and knees, and motioned for the others to enter.
Cummings led the way, and while he was doing so Teddy asked Poyor:
"Have you been here often before?"
"This is the first time."
"How could you see a small hole like that while it is so dark?"
"On the line of these caves the earth is always damp. When we halted
last I could feel that we were on the underground water course, and it
was only necessary to follow it up. Here we shall find both food and
drink."
"I don't understand where the food comes in unless we are to live on
bats," Neal said laughingly, as he in turn entered the aperture.
By the time Teddy was inside Cummings had lighted a branch of what is
mistakenly called fat wood, and, using this for a torch, it was possible
to have a reasonably good view of the temporary home.
The boys found themselves standing in an enormous chamber, from which
led several galleries or smaller rooms, lined with the same soft white
stone seen in the buildings of the Silver City, and at the further end
was a narrow stream rising apparently from the solid rock, crossing the
cavern to the opposite side where it disappeared.
To describe the beauty of this marble chamber fashioned by nature would
be impossible. Neal and Teddy had but just begun to realize its
magnificence when they were startled by the whirring of wings and a
clucking noise such as is made by a barn-yard fowl, and an instant later
Poyor had knocked over with a piece of rock what looked very much like a
chicken.
"It is a toh," Cummings said, as he took the prize from the Indian. "At
the city from which we came so unceremoniously these birds are kept as
hens, and their eggs are most delicious."
"But how did this one happen to be in here, I wonder?" Teddy muttered.
"The species are found nowhere else but in the caverns. Probably there
are several hundred here."
Before the torch had burned out the boys had time to examine the odd
chicken. It was about as large as a bantam, had soft, silky plumage, and
a tail composed of two feathers which were nothing more than stems up to
the very tips, where were tassel-like appendages.
"Now if the enemy does not track us here we can live pretty comfortably
for a few days; but I hope we shan't be obliged to stay any longer.
Poyor will destroy our trail as soon as it is light, and if they should
come I fancy we can tire them out, for one man can hold this place
against a hundred."
"I am going to drink my fill of that water," Jake said, as he groped his
way toward the rear of the chamber. "It seems as if I hadn't had all I
needed since we started on this trip."
"Be careful," Cummings shouted quickly. "Don't venture near the stream
until I get another torch."
"Why not?"
"Because in some of these caverns alligators are found, and it is never
safe to drink from the running water without first making sure that
there are no saurian guards about."
Cummings went to the entrance for more wood, and when he returned the
Indian was with him.
"This will cure the wound on your face," the latter said to Jake as he
held out a branch covered with small, glossy green leaves. "Take off the
cloth that I may see it."
While Jake obeyed, Cummings was kindling a fresh torch, and as the light
fell upon the engineer's cheek both the boys uttered exclamations of
surprise.
It was certainly a terrible looking wound, the dried blood causing it to
appear even larger than it really was; but Poyor set about dressing it
with the utmost indifference, perhaps because he thought Jake deserved
it for having been so stubborn and criminally foolish.
The Indian chewed the leaves to a pulp, and then spread them thickly on
the wound, after which Cummings replaced the cloth, and Jake declared
that the pain had subsided instantly.
"I must remember the name of that plant if it can be found in a dried
state at home," he said, "and there are many times when such a poultice
would come in mighty handy."
"He has only bound on leaves from a shrub called guaco; but you needn't
try to remember the name, for they are efficacious only while green. Now
that the surgeon's duties have been performed we will get some water,
and then set about cooking breakfast. Poyor, bring in plenty of wood,
and then try to find another toh."
At the swiftly running stream nothing resembling an alligator was seen,
and the white members of the party enjoyed to the utmost copious
draughts of the ice-cold liquid.
Meanwhile the Indian was rapidly obeying Cummings' orders. He built a
fire near the water, and by the light which the white stones reflected
in every direction, had but little difficulty in knocking over three
more of what Teddy persisted in calling "chickens."
Leaving the cave again he soon returned with a lot of clay which he
pasted over the tohs without removing the feathers or intestines, and
thus prepared one would have supposed they were nothing more than so
many balls of mud.
These he put into the fire, piled the wood over and around them, and
then sat down to wait for the fruits of his labor.
The boys fell asleep before the fowls were cooked: but after a little
more than an hour Cummings awakened them to get their share of the
feast.
The now thoroughly baked clay was broken open, and it was found that the
feathers and skin of the birds had adhered to the covering, leaving the
white flesh temptingly exposed.
Among the small amount of stores there was salt sufficient for several
days' consumption, therefore they were not without seasoning for the
meat, and Jake, Neal and Teddy were quite positive they had never eaten
anything half so delicious as this odd chicken baked in a most singular
manner.