Beadle's Dime Library, No. 261 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Black Sam, the Prairie Thunderbolt. — ee + + might shine with equal advantage to either arty. Moniéexhnda himself retired a little to the rear and awaited the issue with no small anxiety. : The duel commenced with a clever skirmish on either side. Both handled their weapons with masterly skill, and it was soon apparent that they were a perfect match at sword-play, The Spaniard excelled in rapidity of motion, His sword flashed here, there, sideways and across till it gleamed like a meteor in the torch- light. Such marvelous play would have utter- ly bewildered a less experienced hand than oore, The lieutenant, however, was thoroughly “‘up” in the fine points of the science. The lightning-like passes of the Spaniard were met at every point with a coolness and skill that be- gan to exasperate Balboaz. He knew that he could not long keep up the rapid and exhausting play with which he be- gan. In fact he bad committed the frequent mistake of putting in all bis strength at the start. He had no reserve force to fall back upon. Moore so far had acted altogether on the de- fensive. He had never really intended that the bandit should fall by bis hand. To wound or disable him so as to make him an easy pris- oner was bis utmost aim, Even this he would avoid if his object could be accomplished other- wise, This moderation on the part of our hero only exasperated the Spaniard the more, He fancied the heutenant was trying to wear him out that he might give the coup-de-gra e with the less difficulty. He resolved to make his last and greatest eff ort, and after a series of lightning- like feints, made a furious lunge over the lieu- tenant’s guard, Richard Moore could only avoid the deadly lunge at bis breast by stepping backward. As he did so, he ran his Swlrd blane along that of his adversary, till it clinked in the hilt. This was the opportunity he bad long souglit, and exerting all his force, he tried to disarm the Spaniard, But Balboaz’s grip was of iron. It proved stronger than the lieutenant’s sword, for the latter broke half-way to the hilt under the im- meénse strain. Richurd Moore stood, holding the useless fragment, and could scarcely realize that he was weapon and at the mercy of Balbosz. Then the treacherous nature of the Spaniard displayed itself in unvarnished colors. Uctering a loud laugh, he sprung forward, and the next instant would bave run his sword through the lieutenant’s body. Springing forward, he came directly beneath the outstretched arm and the buge stone bam- amer of the giant statue, , Then occurred a catastrophe so sudden and astounding as to utterly confound the be- holders. A pistol-shot ee out and down came the stone bammer held by the outstretched arm of the statue, with irresistible force upon the head of Balboaz. The Spaniard fell as if struck by a thunder- bolt With the fall of the giant statue’s arm, a part of the wall to the rear of the image sunk with a loud crash, seemingly into the rocky floor of the temple. Toward the square opening thus revealed, Balboaz fell, his nead striking just within the stone threshold, Moore stared, first at the motionless body, then at the huge, mysterious figure in stone that looked straight forward with its great shining 2 | yes. He was in a state of bewilderment impossible to describe. Still there was the giant arm clutching the stone hammer, now hanging motionless by the -statue’s side, instead of stretching out horizon- tally; and there before bim lay the inanimate form of the Spaniard in the dark opening which possibly led to still more mysterious wonders. Sam in his excitement had erouoes the torch and the party would soon bave been left in darkness had not Montezuma, runnit.g forward, hastily snatched it up. ; The Indian alone manifested no astonishment at what to the two scouts seemed @ miracle, _ ** What is the meaning of all this?’ asked the lieutenant as Montezuma approached, “Is this Aladdin’s cave or w bat?” ‘You are just being initiated into the secrets of the Aztec priesthood,” answered the Indian with a smile. ‘‘But what caused the hammer to fall and ‘strike Balboaz just as he came beneath it?” “That is easily explained, You see that girdle surrounding the image of the Sun-God?” The lieutenant nodded as he cast his eye on the girdle, confining the richly-carved tunic, the whole of which was stu’ded with precious -stones of every shape and color. “Right in the center where the girdle appears to join,” resumed the Indian, “‘ you see a round, ‘flat stone of emerald hue. Now it is slightly Shattered.” : ‘*Ha! I begin to see,” said Moore, ‘‘ You —— ed fired the pistol, and that was the point aimed at. A good shot,” ‘*f fancy it was, since it destroyed our fierce enemy without even touching him. By strik- ing that emerald with violence a spring is set free within the statue, which lets fall with great force both tbe strong arm of the Sun- God and the door to the treasure-chamber.” “The treasure-chamber!” exclaimed Moore. “ Yes—do you wish to see it? It is the long- buried treasuré of the Aztec kings. Yon poor fool,” pointing to Balboaz, *‘ thought to wrest it from me with his fiendish tortures. He has reached the threshold to boundless wealth, but he has reached it only to die.” “And does that dismal-looking cell really contain the wealth you name?” ‘*T have said so, and Montezuma never lies.” Sam also pressed forward on hearing this astonishing revelation, The Indian, advancing, let the light from his torch shine into the gloomy -looking’ chamber. lt was a small, square shaped apartment, and filled almost to the ceiling with bars on bars of silver and gold. In one corner were piled up half a dozen stone chests, These, on examina- tion, proved to be filled with antique vessels of curious and beautiful patterns—all wrought with marvelous skill from the precious metals. The lieutenant learned from Montezuma that these vessels had been used by the ancient prise in their feasts and sacrifices to the rods. As for the two scouts, on beholding this enormous wealth laid out before them, they scarcely knew whether to believe they were in dreamland, or in an out-of-the-way cavern in the Sierra Madre mountains. One seemed about as credible as the other. Sam became almost wild with excitement and throwing up his cap, gave three loud hurrahs, “What are you sbouting at?” said Moore, smiling. ‘* Tbe treasure is not yours!” “s Who sed it was?” said Sam indignantly. ‘Wink I'se cravin’ arter de yeller dross? LT’se seen it! Dat’s what I’se shoutin’ fur. L’se seen wid my own eyes one hundred millyuns ob gold an’ silver, Ain’t dat enuf to make any man shout?” ‘*Granted. But it’s hardly a hundred mil- lions, Sam,” laughed the lieutenant, But something else had drawn Sam’s atten- tion, for he suddenly bent down over the dead bandit’s body and commenced searching his pockets. ** What’s up now?” asked Moore, - ‘‘ This,” said Sam, pulling forth and holding up to view a brass button with a dent in the side, ‘Il ged I war boun’ to hab it, an’ L’se got it.” ’ CHAPTER XXXIX, VICTORY, ° AFTER the first glow of surprise on beholding the long-hidden treasure, Richard Moore’s thoughts turned to a more powerful magnet even than gold, He remembered with a pang of anxious solici- tude that all this time Birdie Lester.was shut. OP alone and defenseless in the gloomy stone chamber, : ; How had she borne the dreary solitude, and the awful suspense of uncertainty as to the issue of the conflict going on over her head? And that conflict—even he was ignorant whether or no his friends had conquered. \ All other plans must be dismissed till he could satisfy himself on these points. He made known his anxiety to the Indian, and his desire toreturn at once to release Birdie Lester and learn the fate of his friends. ‘You need not be uneasy as to the latter,” said Montezuma, ‘‘The bandits made no long struggle after their leader’s disappearance.” * But still they will be anxious concerning ‘Very likely. And as there is nothing to keep us h longer we may as well return. But before doing so we had better dispose of this,” concludtd the Indian, touching the dead body of Balboaz with his foot. ‘“How? Shall we bury it?” ‘“* Yes—why not? And as the most appropri- ate tomb we might drop him into the ‘ Bottom- less Pool.’” ‘* But,” said Moore, ‘the other officers and men must first see the body as a proof that ho is really dead,” ‘True! I had not thought of that. We will leave him at the feet of the Sun-God. Only we must draw forth the body a little that we may close the door to the treasure-chamber.” They did so. Montezuma then pressed with all his foree on an oblong stone, connecting the back of the statue and the wall, and restored the door of the tre»sure-chamber, and the giant arm with its stone hammer, to their for- mer position, ‘*T shall take care hereafter,” said Moore jo- cosely, ‘‘how I venture beneath that deadly hammer.’ “Tt is only deadly,” said Montezuma, ‘to him who tries to enter the secret chamber in an irregular manner.” bile Richard Meore and the Indian were Jieutenant, lay unresisting on his bosom, * Ls 23 . talking Sam had been examining the stream of water that ran along the opposite wall and the opening into which it bad disappeared. ‘* Jes’ come bere,” he said, as he bent down by the side of the stream, ‘‘If I basn’t lost my eyesight, hyar am de track ob a moccasin, shoab.” The other two hastened up at this remarkable announcement, Montezuma cast one glance at the faint int print, then a broad smile spread over his calm features, “This is my own footprint. See,” he said, planting his toot in the track, *‘ it fits exactly.” Sam rose, looking decidedly sheepish, “A fool for my pains, shoab. But, I say you ——_————— —.. oe ee. mus’ ’a’ passed through dat a’r-bhole when you stepped dere,” “IT did. It was through that opening I made my way out when I escaped to bring the soldiers to your aid,” ‘How! does that lead to the valiey below us?” asked Moore, “Tt leads to a peint in the face of the cliff where the stream, falling perpendicularly, forms the waterfall you saw last night, From that point, and there only, a dextrous climber can reach the foot of the cliff, aided by the thick growth of vines and bushes.” ‘Is it possible you descended there? Why it is right over the little nook where the guard was stationed,” ° ‘*] knew that, and veered to one side con- siderably before touching ground,” “You have gone through more toil and peril than even | had guessed. How can we ever re- pay you?” The words were spoken with true feeling. Montezuma, touched, replied: ‘Nonsense! Have you not saved my life twice, and released me from borrible torture? My debt to you would cancel my poor services ten times over.” ; ‘* Well, we will leave the subject. But how are we to get out of here—the same way we came?” ‘‘No, there is one much more convenient—a secret passage which has not been used fore centuries leads from this hall.to the very rgpms you bave occupied for the last few days,” ‘Why oot-bhave used it before?” ‘*‘ Because the fastenings are sO arranged as only: to admit of passage in one direction. Then, by not going the way of the pool, I could not have impressed the bandits with the idea that I was a ghost.” | ‘That was a decided help to us,” laughed the Renkangnt, ‘*So you played the trick pur- posely? “Yes, The conversation of the men on guard wngaeeee the idea,” ! ilence now fell between the trio, Moute- zuma, conducting them about half-way back to the pool, opened another door, which was cley- erly concealed behind one of the statues, This opened into a dark passageway, which led them almost in a straight line for some roads. we Montezuma, who held the torch, came at last to a stop, when a closely-barred door checked their progress, He: flung back with sdme difficulty two huge, rusty stone bolts, which, unlike all the other doors they bad seen, were not hidden, ‘ He,then tried to pull the door open, The thick stone, through a century of disuse, Tre Teale applied all b e@ Indian applied all his immense strength but — sce budge h. rs me emme help,” said Sam, taking a stron grip on one of the projecting bolts, - of Both . men were uncommonly strong, and ee their united efforts something must yield. ; Something did yield, namely, the door, kurl- ing both men backward, and with it came a thundering crash from the opposite side, as though a wagon-load of crockery had fallen on the stone floor. “df ovte ** What in de name ob Jerusalem am dat?” cried Sam. . ‘We have struck the closet in which I had i vessels of food and water,” said the In- n, . ‘‘Am dat so? T’ank Heben we has nearly emptied ’em. It would ’a’ been a pity to ’a’ wasted all dem good wittles,”” Something else was “heard which excited Moore more than the crash of pottery, A woman’s scream had echoed from the outer ° apartment after the tremendous racket made by the breaking crockery, ‘Richard Moore halted not for bis companion but kicking loose two of the shelves that ba hidden the now open door, be dashed through the closet into the room beyond As bis heavy boots echoed on the stone floor . another scream sounded on his ears, whic hastened his steps, ' ead He saw a light gleaming from the outer room. He was, perhaps, not two seconds in opening the door and clasping a woman's form —the form of Birdie Lester—to bis heart. ‘‘ Oh, how you frightened me,” whispered the © agitated girl, who, in her joy at recognizing the -® NIGDOOKS - =< a, » A * <4) ae * ‘cen * i / —T - ‘ > - (eo)