Show 1 l Short of th tb Day av ill I i i- i MONTEZUMA'S MINES AN AZTEC TALE j 4 Continued from yesterday a t I 4 Marvel I cried by the gods cods Its It's a white man Marvel el you will VIII re- re I r was one of or our party When the man was within thirty yards of ot us ushe r- r he ne stopped short He wore no hat and he was naked to the waist And on onIs his Is breast there was a n. great red rd scar the the sign of or a cross Ills His hair was as long long- and matted and It trained framed his long hanky face ace like a tuft of or dry sea grassIan grass Marvel Ian being a man of or most disgusting manners and bravos of or spirit was tho tim first to break the lie silence that thal ensued Ily fly Rip nip he yell yelled d. d How you The fellow did not hear him or else ho he was loth to answer for pointing pointing- to the mountain v now burned like a a. pillow of flame fiame In the fading sunlight ht he spoke I Fools You seek icek tho the min of or Montezuma Tul Take o warning and flee else lyou would bo ho the cursed of ot tho gods us am I I. I And he pointed t to the scar on his breast These were strange words to come from the lips of a 11 human being and WC ive all nil put him down as a maniac of the first water vater 1 Demented said Raid I. I I 1 move that we shake his acquaintance But Marvel was for or In c Investigating t I Laugh he lie said laugh But I toll tell you 1 0 there I Is something behind all this ahls gentlemen What's hats the tho matter with those Indians back there They seem scent to walk valk about In a dream Damn me If thc they dont don't act like c the fabled tabled Lotus Eaters And this a apparition here with the sign siSTI of or a cross cros burnt on Its Us breast breast- t- t what's It mean I II I will a add d right here that there was not nol ono one In our party who was able to give a sane sans reply to any of or Marvels Mars questions and nail relaxing Into a mood moody silence lie he spoke not another word sord during the remainder of ot our Journey We VO J t pitched camp when It got gOl too dark dalk to with any safety ami making a 11 fir fire t soon Boon had hall a q supper on way vay After Acter the thc meal Marvel called me aside sl e. e Ills His face J J was CI very white and drawn and there was a n. strange look In his eye cye 1 Brent he sal said after wo had hail walked rome oma distance In silence I am not V 1 a tool fool colt neither am I a a. dreamer of dreams Listen In my youth I j was a 3 SI great geat at student of ancient history especially that of this country countr Mexico country Mexico I I loved It It I wa was terribly fascinating to me because of Its Us complex mysteries And consequently conse conse- he he stopped abruptly bit hit at the tho cn end of his cigar and fa faced cd mc me You have heard of or the mines of the tile Montezuma the last practically the last lait of or tho ho Aztec emperors II a Bos Bosh I said I II I. x Bosh he repeated That Is like But nul you ou I know know know-I I know Look yonder yon yon- der above o us around us We stand on Mount Oajaca a a. second Olympus the abode of or gods It Is the tha Mecca of or a dead race of or people Look afar where the moonlight iy II beginning to shine You silent I see sec a a- avast vast shadowy y land a dark forest which we have h come conic to explore Un Underneath a hundred feet below be be- low the tIle surface of the e earth rth there are numberless caverns cros The isthmus of Tehuantepec c Is full tull of or them The riches of or Montezuma arc ale burled bUrell there The They lie Me In the hollow of this mountain how v do I 1 know Legends traditions history his his- tOr and tory and the strange things I h have witnessed ve toda today Those are arc m my proofs What nat more do you ou want Lord man Lord what an all Eldorado Is within our reach Will Ill you pass It b by Undoubtedly this is one of or your theories Marvel el I said But what would you OU do I III i II Do I would probe the secret cret from tho thosa heathens back baek there I would s search the cr very ery bowels of oC this mountain But look Jook Look Jool What hat hat Is S that S S A light S S S n a flame of oC lire Urel firel I 1 turned In the direction pointed out and wl wide eyed ee ed and wondering wondering- saw what had attracted his attention Hovering Ho over 1 the summit of oC the mountain high above e us was a pillow of or flame It was square shaped and It glowed and simmered with a quivering motion Those back at the camp had also noticed It It and the next moment tile the they came rU rushing toward us to get Jet a better view For fully tully fifteen minutes did we wo s see e that lurid flame then It gradually faded and the away Intervening darkness rushed In and hid the mountain p peak ak from our sight We put it to a vote and decided that the strange light we hud had seen the lie result of or sulphurous fume fumea rising up lip out of the mountains mountain's crater was If It It had hall one And o a little later hater we oiled lolled oun el up in our blankets and one by one dropped oft olt to sleep sheep with the exception of oC Marvel lar whom I saw BaW last just before Megy overtook o me sitting crouched on his haunches over the few flickering embers ot of the camp fire When we awoke next morning Marvel was missing All AU that day dav and tho the following we sought for him We c went vent back baek to the village e an and to o our ur consternation conster conster- nation found it deserted We Wc poured the country for or miles about but to lo no avail a Marvel was lost 1011 An And lena tinie being Im precious with us at the close clos of or the second day a WR we continued our journey hear hearts s' s through tho the forest wilderness with ith sad Continued tomorrow |