Adventure Magazine Cover — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

746 volume—doubtless one of the underground brooks. At the other end was the exit, with a thin slab of slate that slid up and down to open and close it. In the tank floated a sealed earthen vessel. As the tank filled it rose, and when it reached a certain height the lever to which it was tethered raised the slate slab and let out the water in the tank. At the same time the rising water bore up another float that was held in place by two upright guides. This float was large enough to carry a stone weighing at least two hundred pounds. When the water was let out the weight of the descend- ing stone bore on a rude stone piston in a stone cylinder, and the water in the cylin- der was driven up through a set of stone piles like tiles to the top of the mound. Haskell stood dumfounded before this visible evidence of the mechanical ingenu- ity of the priests of a civilization so long dead that there even is no certain name that it may bear. “Come, sefior, there is no time to spare!” urged the old man, and Haskell turned reluctantly away. Across the chamber was a low doorway and another passage that ran less than three hundred feet due east, when it suddenly narrowed, the roof lowered and, on hands and knees, they proceeded a short distance to emerge in the center of a thicket. The light of the fire was very strong all about them, and now and then they could get glimpses of the besiegers behind them. Slowly and carefully they made their way from shadow to shadow until they came to an almost impenetrable growth among the trees. The old man took Juan’s henequen knife and began to hew the vines, the small branches and the entwining parasites. Has- kell marveled at the ease and certainty of stroke from every conceivable angle. Also, they were nearly noiseless, and though the three proceeded very slowly and the old man cut incessantly for an hour his arm seemed never to tire or his aim to waver. The moon was up, and where it filtered through the branches the light was of great help as they drew away from the red glow of the conflagration. At last they broke into a sort of glade, and across this was an old path which made the way easier. Some time after midnight they came to another group of ruins in the forest, the shapeless remains of three large buildings not raised on mounds, and, seeking a shelter among the Adventure dilapidated walls, the old man commanded Juan to light a fire, sat down, and drew from his girdle a cigar of excellent appearance. Haskell had been waiting for him to speak or offer some explanation for his strange appearance at the critical moment, but as he did not seem to be inclined to communi- cativeness, the American asked: “Will you accept my gratitude for your sorely needed help to-night, and will you tell me how it happened that you knew of our dilemma?”’ “There are many of us who would never have left the haciendas had they continued to be Ortegas. My older brother is by birth a cacique, and when a daughter of the Ortegas comes to the forest, asking shelter from the cruelty of a Calderon and seeking help for her friends, no cne among us would refuse her. I was sent to get you away through the passage of which only the caciques know, as they know of other things that the oppressors never have learned and never will learn.” “And it was Sefiorita Ortegas y Esca- lendon that sent you?” “She has forfeited her life in causing this man’s flignt from the hacienda, and her uncle struck her and planned to beat her strung up in the patio when he returned, so she persuaded my nephew to run away from the hacienda and bring her to us.” A queer, softened feeling seemed to smother Haskell’s heart and becloud his eyes. ‘““Are we on our way to where she is?” “Why should you ask us to show to a stranger the retreats which are our only hope cf life until the time when we are strong enough to rise and drive the oppres- sors from our lands?” Haskell saw the force of the argument and was silent a moment. “But the sefiorita?—she can not go back. What is to become of her?”’ ‘She is welcome to our poor houses in the forest as long as she lives.” A sudden resolution possessed the Ameri- can, but he did not speak of it. Instead, he asked: ‘‘ Where are we going now?” ‘We shall rest till daylight and then I will lead you to the coast and to a village I know of there. A fisherman with a boat can take you to Cozumel and you can go home to your own country and not come back to steal our forests. We will kill you and all you bring with you if you do!” COMICLMOClKKS. ECO