Frank Merriwell in Mexico: The Search for the Silver Palace — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK MERRIWELL IN MEXICO, og My partner—the one who was with | believe me—you do not doubt! | tell you everything. | Burk’s heir. me when I found the palace.” ‘“Where is he now?”? “Heaven knows! He went for another | balloon, » “ Another balloon ?” Yes 5 it was with the aid of a balloon that we reached the Silver Palace. Without it we could not have crossed the | gulf.” ‘Absurd!’ muttered the professor Despite the fact that the word was. merely murmured, the miserable man on the bed of grass did not fail to catch it. Oh, I will convince even you!” he: tinuing to-fumble beneath ‘You shall see—you shall know! But. our balloon—we had no means of obtain-! _ ing a further supply of gas. It was barely | sufficient to take us across the gulf, with | a few pieces of treasure. We struck against the side of the blufi—we were falling back into the abyss! Barely were we able to scramble out of the car and cling to ~ the rocks. . alittle, like a bird freed of burden; but it suddenly collapsed, fluttered down- ward, and the mists leaped up -clutched it like a thousand exulting de- mons, dragging it down from our sight. We crawled up fromthe rocks, but it was a close call—a close call.”? | ~ He lay exhausted, his eyes closed, _ hand ceasing to fumble beneath the straw. Once more Professor Scotch gave. him a little of the brandy. | Frank Merriwell was more than ‘jnter- | ested he could feel his heart trembling with excitement. truth, and he was eager to hear more. For a long time the unfortunate lay gasping painfully for breath, but, at last, he was easier. saw Frank watching him steadily, with “an anxious expression. ‘Ah! he murmured, exultantly, ‘you i the straw. Bushnell went for another balloon. -knows friends who have money and. power, and he will get the balloon—if he e Then we saw the balloon rise ” and - his | Something seemed. to! tell him that this man was speaking the ‘in the Silver Palace. of the Aztecs were hidden, and there they -_ have remained. He opened his eyes, and. ‘in awe and prevent others from reaching 7 jit. They have kept the secret well, but 7 ] must. © You shall be Jack - Think of it—heir to wealth ~ |} enough to make you richer than Monte | Cristo! ! Witness—witness ‘that: I make _ ‘this boy my heir!’ = He turned to the professor and Hans, ia ‘and both bowed, the former saying: “We are witnesses.” | ‘*Good! We escaped with our ‘lives, _ but we brought little of the treasure with — us. I wasdetermined to find the way back © ‘there, and I made a map. See, here it is. He thrust a soiled and crumpled piece | | of paper into Frank’s hand, and the boy E ‘exclaimed, gasping for breath, and con-»saw. there were lines and writing on it. ‘“How we fourid our way out of the ‘mountains, how we endured the heat of ‘the desert I cannot tell,’? went on the “weak voice of the man on the bed of — ‘straw. lives.?? | were going to show us?’ ° “Tt is here! Look!” drew forth a queer little figure of solid gold—a figure like the pictures of Aztec gods, which Frank had seen. “This is proof! declared the man. ‘“We reached Zacatecas, and th: en He — ‘“But the proof—the proof ‘that you : From beneath the straw Jack Bark is some of the treasure we brought from: the palace. Bushnell took all the rest.’ The professor excitedly grasped the -- finally exclaimed. ‘“Of course it is genuine, ”” said the man on the bed of grass. There the treasures The country all around little image, and gazed searchingly at it. ” . “It is all nght—it is genuine!’ he. ‘*And there are more . is full of fierce natives, whe hold the palace : +? MICLOO® EO iS (C(O) A