The Big Secret
"Careful, now."
Dr. Rander was slowly and dangerously hanging from the heavy wire with
his hands, working his way steadily across the roaring rapids below.
If he were to fall, it would probably seal his doom, even though the
youths held one end of a stout rope that was tied securely around his
waist.
"Think he'll make it?" Bob looked on anxiously, half expecting to see
the old man let go and plunge into the seething water below.
Slowly but surely he swung across, holding on with a grip of steel. It
seemed remarkable that a person of his age could withstand the arduous
tasks connected with exploration. But no doubt he was hardened to an
eventful outdoor life of adventure.
"He's over," cried Joe happily. "Made it all right. Didn't even
threaten to let go. Now I wonder if we can do as well?"
The youths had yet to see.
Joe was next to swing across. He walked over to the cable and gazed
doubtfully first at the boiling stream below, then at Dr. Rander on
the opposite cliff.
"Go ahead," said Bob. "Might as well get it over."
"Yeah. But I wish it weren't necessary to do this. I suppose, though,
that I can do it if Dr. Rander can."
Joe sat down on the edge of the cliff, took hold of the heavy wire,
and slowly let himself down.
For a brief moment it seemed as if his arms would be torn from their
sockets, for, although he was not heavy, the strain was very great.
"I've got to make it!" he told himself, gritting his teeth. He refused
to think of what might happen if he were to plunge into the roaring
rapids below.
"Don't let go, whatever you do!" Bob, on the rock, was holding the
rope tightly, ready to pull his friend to safety if the latter should
be forced to release his grip.
Joe swung across with a certain determination that was luckily with
him in every emergency. He did not look below for fear of becoming
frightened.
At last, when he felt that he could stand no more of this torture,
the youth felt his foot touch rock, and he knew that he was safe.
"Hurrah!" cried Bob Holton, waving his arms in the air. "Now here I
come."
Bob would find the feat more difficult, since he was heavier than
either of the two who had crossed. But usually when he set his mind on
doing a thing he was able to do it.
But first he walked over to the mules, which had been tethered
securely by Dr. Rander, and got out a stronger rope, which he tied
around his waist and shoulders. A small weight he fixed at the other
end, and then moved back to the edge of the rock.
"Here. Catch this," he called, and threw the rope over to Joe on the
other side of the river.
When everything was in readiness he slowly lowered himself until he
could grasp the wire that stretched across the stream. Then, setting
his nerves for the trying task, he let his feet drop.
For one awful minute Bob's heart stood still. Then he got a grip on
himself and swung easily across to the other side.
"That was fine!" praised Dr. Rander. "You never flinched. Now let's
hurry up the mountain to the treasure."
"Do you suppose the mules will be safe over there?" queried Joe
anxiously. "We couldn't take any food with us across the river. If
anything should happen to them----"
"There is no danger," the old man assured him. "Probably no one has
been in this section for years and years."
Notwithstanding this, the young men were still worried. They realized
that they would be in a grave predicament if anything should befall
the provisions.
This anxiety gradually wore off, however, as they neared the treasure
cave.
"Hard climb, but nothing will stop us now," smiled Joe happily.
"You will be amazed when you look upon the wonders in the cave," Dr.
Rander told them. "It will exceed your wildest dream."
"How did they all get there?" inquired Bob.
"I do not know. They were placed there by some wealthy Inca--perhaps a
king--for safe keeping. It might have been that this was at the time
of the Spanish invasion, and that the owner was later killed by the
conquering troops. At any rate, the secret remained as such until I
accidentally found it."
"You sure were lucky," remarked Joe. "Perhaps it wouldn't have been
discovered at all if you hadn't located it."
At a point near the ledge, the mountain grew so steep as to make
climbing a very arduous task. A single misstep would have meant a
horrible plunge into the roaring rapids below.
At last they came to the top of the ledge, before the notch cut in the
mountainside.
"See that dark entrance?" asked Dr. Rander. "That is a tunnel that
leads to the cavern. Come."
The youths followed the old man into the opening, which was made light
by the latter's flashlight. The passage seemed to lead steadily
upward, probably into the peak of the mountain.
"Do you suppose this tunnel was constructed?" asked Joe, after five
minutes had passed.
"I believe so," Dr. Rander returned. "When we get farther on, you will
think so too."
Fifteen minutes of walking brought them to the end of the tunnel. From
all appearances there was nothing but natural rock before them.
"Watch," said Dr. Rander, moving over to the end of the cave.
He reached up and pressed a mysterious button. Then he stepped back
and waited.
Suddenly the youths gasped in awe, as they saw the huge stone wall
slowly swing inward. As it made an opening, a beam of natural light
flashed into the cave, making the use of a flashlight no longer
necessary.
"Huh! That's funny!" muttered Joe. "Must be an entrance to the outside
somewhere."
"If you can find it, it is more than I can do," laughed Dr. Rander.
The opening grew larger, and the light brighter. When the ponderous
stone wall had swung away to the utmost, Bob and Joe followed the old
man through the entrance.
As they did so their eyes opened wide and their jaws dropped at the
sight that lay before them. Ahead was a great stone room, fully fifty
feet square, in which were scores of objects carved from stone.
Statues of men, birds, llamas, pumas, and many other animals were all
about. Ears of corn, plows, chairs, pottery--all these and many more
objects were carved out of stone.
It was a wonderful collection, one that would delight the eye of any
archæologist. Bob and Joe inspected the various objects with interest,
knowing that Dr. Rust and his fellow scientists would give a great
deal to know of the existence of this place of wonder.
"All this is very interesting," remarked the old man. "But what we
really came after was treasure--if there is any."
"Yeah. Where is the place where you said it might be?" Bob was anxious
to look for something still more valuable than the stone objects.
"I will show you."
Dr. Rander stepped over to one corner of the large room, where was a
huge statue of a man, perhaps an Inca king.
"Now look closely," he said, when the youths had followed him.
The old man walked up to the statue and stood directly in front of it.
Then he waited.
At that moment something happened that caused Bob and Joe to gasp in
wonder. Slowly, surely, the statue sank into the floor until it
disappeared from sight. Directly below the resulting opening was a
ladder, which led down into another gigantic room.
"Well, of all things!" cried Joe in utter amazement. "That sure is a
secret if there ever was one."
"Let us go down." Dr. Rander was making his way down the ladder,
motioning for the youths to follow.
They did and soon found themselves in a huge cavern cut out of solid
rock. Here were more stone objects similar to the ones in the room
above them.
"This way," pointed out the old man, walking over to one side of the
cave.
"Wonder where the light comes from?" pondered Bob. "It's from the
outside, all right, but how does it get in?"
Dr. Rander bent over and pressed something in a crack in the floor,
straightening up a moment later.
Again the youths were filled with amazement. A huge stone block swung
away on unseen hinges, leaving an opening perhaps four feet in width.
"Now we must use flashlights," Dr. Rander said, stepping inside.
"There is no opening to the outside, apparently."
The beams of the electric torches revealed the fact that they were in
another cave.
"Over here," explained the old man, "is a sort of bin cut out of the
rock. It is covered with a stone that I cannot lift. But I feel sure
that all three of us can."
"Let's have a look at it," said Bob.
Together they heaved on the stone block with all their strength.
Before long they saw that their efforts were not in vain. The stone
was slowly slipping from the top of the bin. At length it fell to the
floor with a dull thud.
The explorers turned the beams of the flashlights into the opening,
looking about eagerly.
"Here's something," announced Joe, bringing out a small iron box.
"Open it," directed Dr. Rander.
Joe did--and then cried out in wonder as he saw its contents.