The Treasure of the Boiling Lake
It must be owned that Jack's heart beat rather rapidly as he rode down
into the little valley, hemmed in on all sides by the high walls of the
Andes mountains.
He remembered well what the paper had said concerning the treasure, yet he
did his best to steel himself against possible disappointment.
Plum Deemed to read his thoughts, for as he rode up he said:
"Jack, thet treasure might have been here years ago, but don't be
disapp'inted if it's gone now. Them waters may have washed it away."
"I am willing to take what comes, Plum," was the answer. "But I want to
know the exact truth--I hate to be kept in suspense."
"Well, we'll know afore long, I calkerlate," returned the Yankee lad.
They had to pick their way with care to the "island," as Jack insisted
upon calling it. The bed of the valley was filled with holes and cuts, all
of unknown depth. Here and there the flat rocks were split in twain in the
most extraordinary fashion.
"There has been some great convulsion of nature here," said Jack. "Maybe
the earthquakes have something to do with the disappearance of the water."
"If the water was here--an' I believe what you say--it must have gone down
in 'em holes and cuts," said Plum. "But what made it spout up ag'in?"
"Some contraction of the hollows under the lake's surface," answered Jack.
"Maybe a cave would get filled with water, then some rocks would fill the
cave up, causing the water to spout out into the valley."
"It must be thet--but it is certainly wonderful, Jack."
At last the pair reached the side of the mound or "island," Here they
could gain a good idea of the big pimento tree with its stricken branch
pointing to the distant hills. Around the pimento the rocks were strewn in
all directions.
"If there was a cave here it is filled up," said Jack.
"Pity we didn't bring a spade along," answered his companion.
Dismounting, they tied their ponies to the pimento and then began to look
around the mound, which was several acres in extent. Rocks were cast up in
all directions, as if by the force of a volcano.
A half hour had passed, and they had found nothing of value, when of a
sudden Plum snatched up something and gave a yell:
"Gold! gold!"
"True enough," answered Jack, when he had examined the piece. It was the
size of his little finger and similarly formed.
"The treasure must be here!" went on the Yankee lad. "Come, let us look
for it."
"That is what we are doing already," answered Jack, with something of a
happy laugh. He, too, had spotted something yellow between the rocks, and
now brought it forth, another piece of gold, twice the size of Plum's
find.
"Good for yeou!" shouted the Yankee boy. "The rocks must be full o' gold!"
In feverish haste the search was continued, and soon Jack had at least a
pound of gold to his credit, while Plum had nearly as much. Then, of a
sudden, Jack stepped on some loose dirt and shot out of sight.
"Hi! what yeou doing?" yelled Plum, in alarm, as he retreated from the
hole that had appeared.
"Help me out!" called up Jack. He had gone down about a dozen feet, to
bring up in a bed of sand and small stones.
"Hurt any?" queried Plum anxiously.
"Not a bit, Plum."
"Any gold down there?"
"I'll see," said Jack.
He hunted around the opening and soon discovered a passageway between two
immense rocks. He lit a match and one look around made his eyes open
wildly.
Gold was there, on all sides of the passageway--enough to make him rich
for life!
"Plum, look here!" he yelled. "Gold--all you want of it!"
"Du tell!" roared the Yankee boy, and without stopping to think twice he
dropped down to the bottom of the hole.
Another match was lit, and then some dry brushwood, and by the flickering
light the two youths filled their pockets with the precious metal.
"We can load our ponies with gold," said Jack. He was so delighted he
could scarcely speak.
"That's it--we'll carry away all we can an' then come back fer more,"
answered the Yankee lad.
How to get to the top of the hole once more was a problem, but at last
Jack climbed on Plum's shoulders. He was then able to grasp a tree root,
and by this means hauled himself upward.
"I'll tell you what to do, Plum!" he called down. "You throw up the gold
to me and I'll load it on the ponies."
"All right, Jack. But don't forgit to pay me fer the job," laughed Plum.
"Pay you? Why, Plum, a good share of this gold is yours!"
"Yes, but yeou knew about the treasure, I didn't."
"I don't care. You can have a third anyway--and I'll pay all expenses of
this trip."
"Thanks, Jack, yeou allers was a good feller."
After that both boys worked away like Trojans for the best part of an
hour. The gold was there and Plum flung up one piece after another, until
the saddle bags on both ponies were overflowing.
"We've got a load!" cried Jack at last. "Any more down there?"
"Plenty," was the answer.
"Well, let us take this to yonder hills and hide it. Then we can come back
for more."
"Why to the hills, Jack?"
"Because something tells me not to trust this spot too long, Plum.
Remember the boiling lake."
He assisted the Yankee lad to the top of the opening and then, mounted on
their ponies, they made their way over the dry bottom of the lake to the
rocky ridge beyond. Here they deposited the gold in a safe place, and then
returned to the "island."
"I'll go down this time," said Jack, and did so. A torch had been brought
along, and sticking it in a crack of the rocks, the youth went to work
with a will.
In less than half an hour the ponies were again loaded with gold. Jack had
picked up almost the last piece in sight when he came to a sudden pause in
his work.
What was that strange sound, and was it possible the earth beneath him was
trembling? He leaped back to the center of the hole. Yes, the earth was
surely quaking, and now some loose dirt came down on top of him.
"It is the earthquake!" he murmured, and at that moment came a loud cry
from Plum.
"Jack! Jack! come up, as quick as yeou can! The water is squirting up
through 'em holes, an' the lake is filling up!"