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Show THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 12, 1923. k MOTHER OF, GOLD SYNOPSIS. in laorlWn deewt rondezrou o art ancamped thro American, John Palmer, Puf HaUock end Don of the told Sihby. Pointer it mine; the ether young engineer whom Pointer met while taking e postgrad court et Cornell. Pointer behove he hat ducOv-en- d the tecret of the Mother of Gold , end it to tha it with the other. 'All ere noon to secrecy, at i Barry Allison, the fourth member of the party, whom they ere note awaiting. Palmer voIcm the fear e woman it detaining AUisaa. He teem thtyoieht they cannot hate any thought of women if their venture i to succeed, palmar it right. AUuon, in Chicago, ha not toon hit fiancaa for three year. He ha font to DenaviUe, e small Ohio town, to bid her farewell Ji to her Wotilake fid aunt at Weil, well ave to bold our horses and not get la ton big a burry. IH bet that Allison. When ha does oome. bell coma run- t thats length. "Tou have broken our first oath of tUeno. Talk to a woman! Great God! was there anything to colotsally stupid in all tba world!" " But you dont know a thing about It." broka in Allison. "Tou don't know her. aura. half an hour well know," replied Palmer. "Go smother out the fire, yon f allow don't let a bit of smoke show. We can't take any chances with friends ot tha lata Ur. Villa. Wa might not h abla to to their satisfaction. Theyd do what they could to put us out of trouble, eh?" - "Very likely, replied Silaby. "But, all Uaxlco just now Is enjoying quiet and sening, "la 4 curity.' I wish I could say so," grumbled Palmar. " I'll feel a lot safer when wo get Inside the crystal sphere Mary hat torn the valley of gold. Berry swear her to eternal secrecy, then tell her the legend of the Mother of Gold, the lode from which comes all the world's gold. He tell her of the trip he plans, tell her he is sure Palmer ha found the valley in Mexico. cover of the Sierra Madre. There you might hide. Here, it's plain shooting, with no place to go but up." All three now turned toward the camp alts, which waa below the rim of a flat draw; so chosen that their figures might sot be seen against tha sky line, settle by mile tha tiny dust cloud grow upon the great plain. . At langth-Silaspoke. 6ne man riding tfard, one pack doing its beef. Ill bet my clbthea that's Allison!" " Better late than i grumbled Palmer. " He's come close to losing his share In this treasure ship. Tou young men have got to . learn right here at tfi kickoff that team play the only thing thAt.goea.IX any of you as any doubt about this fortune hush best day so like a man, and go back and stay by IN STALLMENT UL Tin eftnreos. tHE pink dawn of th high Chihuahua plains, again saluted by tba quavering .call coyote. drew., spar t, th a .cur-- , ja taiaa for another pith leas day. The dead were altered by aahatof tha little camp-fl- r tha morning breeze. In the blanket cocoon of aleaping man aounda of Ufa appeared, stretch-Ingaccompanied by yawns and groans of humorous discontent. Silsby arose to his feet sad spread bis arms to the eurt am soma ank cient warrior of run worshiping Mv. foUowed with a whoop of youth and exultation. Old John Palmer sat on his bed roll pulllilg on bia boots, silent, aa was usual tb; . By Emerson Hough Wist do yon guess shout 1 Allison?" queried Pug Hailock with a smile Tba newcomer turned toward Palmer i "Wen, If I had to guess." said ha "I would aay hat we have gut to go a long Tou never saw such a girlT way south of here. When you study th " And I dont want to sea bar and dont ' whole ancient civilization ot this country want to know her! Well, she will tell the sou win find that their beadquartetrs lay next man who makes love to bar. My first far to the south, sot far from where th concern Is for your safety and that of all of City of Mexico Is .today. That's th Ana-hus-o ua I told yon teamwork was our only hope, plateau. The Toltecs held that before TeUT Why, of course aba will tell." the Aztecs came. That seems to have baas,' " And so I failed!" be added slowly, breaktheir promised land. Ona race after another and now hers comes our Saxon race! ing the heavy silence that fell. " IX ever I take any partners In with me again, theyre from tha north, like all those others. Ton going to be men wbo can bold their tongue ay 'you are superstitious, John. Bo am L" so far aa woman are concerned." He fumbled in bus pocket and drew out s "John! Why, John!" began Allison yet tiny news cutting. It told of th discovery again. " 111 go hack, If you aay so. I don't In Mexico, at a mentioned spot, of A vast want you to feel that way about me at all. Mode of gold so rich aa to run rflne pounds Coma now, you really know nothing, you of solid gold to th ton, and bna hundred only suspect something. Mary 'and I are, and fifty pounds of silver also not ounces, but pounds. In short, th twp lines or so just the same aa married. Don't you think she la oa this partnership as well aa I it the clipping stated that such waa tha am 7" richness of this new found mine that It I don't think anything of the sort!" exbade fair to causa a readjustment of th claimed Palmer. "Great heavens! this securrencies of the world! cret may be spread all over the world by "Well, said be, "I didnt put out that news payee If, did I?" I found that in a paper people you know how any gold etory flies, Tou can't etopjt once it, on my way here, before I crossed the line--starts, And it' aura to startl may be acme oce else haw found " Ive tried Madre d'Oro.Joho. Maybe We are too late. Imprest on you the bigness ot this whola thing. If we find the Madre Anyhow, the thing la nearly rips to break. v loose-tongu- It -- , a, ' Hal-loc- With him. "Another day of loafing," began Silsby aa he began his own mhrning duties ot the camp. "Allison ought to be fined. I don't sea whats wrong with him holding us hero for a waek." "Two more days, and then w start," comy mented John Palmer, quietly. "With or w without him, start Soma things can't wait As for tha reason of his not coming, that's easy enough, I tell you." " O, yes, I suppose to," rejoined Sllsby. ' " Well, he showed me the girl's picture once. Some looker. I'll admit She'a got a bead like th goddess on the dollar." Hum!" rejoined Palmer. He had better look at th dollar more and the head less. Bo far as this party is concerned, he can have just today and tomorrow for his chance. I always told ybu that. If there Is any troubla la this gams we are after, it will he because of tome mixup about a woman." . Well, John, they are more or less prevalent all over th world." Silsby began to slice the breakfast bacon, They werent prevalent in the councils of th Aztecs," rejoined Palmer. " They knew how to safeguard their little secret. Fact la, I believe It never would have gotten out at all If it hadn't been for a woman. At least that's th way It came to me. Been Pug Hailock looked up at him. hol&ng out on ua, John? Tou never said , anything about a woman, so far as we were concerned." WU, I have learned enough about women down to her and elsewhere to know the danger of trusting young people like your selves I'm superstitious There was never a chance taken of any kind In the old Azteo system. And here we are, held up when time is worth everything to us, while one of our party fiddles around with a girl two miles away. For a cent I d cut him out and start today. I haven't worked all the beet years ot my life to have this thing hang on anybody's whim. I'll tell you that. The others caught the note of decision In th older man's voice and fell silent. Allison waa knows and trusted by them all, and the two younger men were unwilling to discount his loyalty or discretion. They at breakfast rather moodily. "Well," ventured Silsby. after a while carefully feeling at a coat pocket where lay a certain letter of his own wait till we hear what Allison says. If he ever does come. Howll he find this place, anyhow?" I gave him directions," said Palmer, quietly. " If he can t find us hers by compass Ee doesn't belong in this country." "Well, me, I trust him all right. He'U explain, said Silsby. Tea? He'll say we ought to have seen her beautiful eyes." -7 Tut, tut!" rejoined Hailock. "How about your own mysterious lady down In there? Tou ought to see her hair, her eyes! When it comes to woman folks,-leas- t said soonest mended." John Palmer suddenly turned sway. With a certain feeling of division among them they completed their simple camp duties. After that nothing1 ramained to do except to alt la the sun and look out over th wide jpIaHa.Tlmer began to pace up and down nervously, a little apart, his Impatience growing. Prom time to tune he swept the horizon of tb east with narrowed t eyes, again with hia field glasses. At length bis posture stowed arrested attention. He stood for a long time at gaze before he spoils., "Boys," b said, "something Is moving over there, and I don't think It's cattle." H handed Sllsby th glasses, and the latter gave a long look also. Harrow dust cloud, he said, coming oa steady from th direction Allison aught to com, ah?" thou-aand -- ' "Tea . I ' ers, additional that this was my last bop. If I, didnt win, than ah must forget me, for I would never aoma back to bar again.,. Wall, then, after - aha got my wire telling bar that I was coming, tha took cut bar Jlttl crystal- sphere and want into her room And began to look into It. John, tb told me what ah saw!" "And what wan It?" Tit others turned to him eagerly. "Sh saw th real Madre dOro! Why, ' you condemn me for tolling bar tb secret ab knew tb secret already. "Sh described it to me. There was n vallty with Its sharp walls rising all around It. There, across tba eatira valley. ran n great dam or dyke of solid gold, with a UtU stream of water breaking over It in tb middle. There wa tba whole plo-tu-r aa tha old Book of Mines told it to m and you: If there wasnt anything in deep-lyin- g this, how could sh discover It independently and toQ it to ms after gazing Into her crystal sphere? "Of course, scientists would aay that I had that picture in my owd mind; that her mind and min war closely attuned; that what ah aaw in tb erystil was only what I bad seen in my mind. Thats vary pjetty? Tea, But' what I am saying to you, John Palmar, is this: tb girl you condemn had that secret of the Madre d'Oro before I ever, spoka a ward nboui H. How axplaia it if yon anal And dojtbt md ft ycju can when tali you that I impressed on her tha fact that all her happiness, and mlhe, and tha Uvea of all of ua, rested on her -secrecy. She's soared bot ail this as you and I are. Trust bar? I would trust bar with my Ufa. Even with youra." Again sdleno feq upon their little group, waifs, strangers, far out in that great desert of Chihuahua which time out of mind has been known as the Llano da loo Crlstianoe. "Build up th fire, fellows!" skid John Palmer suddenly. " Allisons hungry. Make acme coffee. Well aaddl up at one then. Well not break cur company." Before tha younger men turned away each went up to John Palmer and held out bis band. Then the four clasped hands la of their resolution! - -Their doubts, suspicions, recriminations bow set aside for a common purpose, the four partners in tha desert bivouac now feU to work together. When Allison hastily bad Snatched a bit of breakfast at the renewed fire he joined the others in catching up the hobbled stock and making the packs. It was speedy work, for these were accomplished mountain travelers. "How about these picks and shovels?" asked Allison of Palmer. " If any one finds those, wont they advertise us as prospectors?" " Well- put all that stuff on one mule," Then, If they ask us anyreplied Palmer. thing, well say we're freighting scone stuff." He busied himself at another pack, knocked d It open, and disclosed a half dozen kombrero of the Mexican pattern, as many guady e era pea.- -" If w wear these," he said, at a distance we would he taken for Mexicans. We may evade the villages, but there are always vmquercw and shepherds who might sea ns. Besides, I am especially afraid of some band of the old Those people have found that It's easier to murder than it la to work." "Well, w all knew th risk before wa went into this." replied Allison quietly. It Is UtU lees than miracle could aver get ua In or get us out." "Tea. W have got to Jake tb supernatural on trust," rejoined John Palmer. Tell me, John," Allison asked, smiling ns be looked straight into the gray eyes of the, old mountain man who had spent bit years In th waste places of bis country, " bow do yoi figure that wa four men can taka tb rdle of conqulstadores? Cortts hadn't vary many men, and be burned hia ships behind him: but they bad armor and bone and swords, whereas tb Aztecs wore cotton armor find fought on foot with 'bows and arrows. Today, tb rifle of any moso will shoot as bard as ours. Suppose wa find our, valley; bow would w profit by it? We are all fools on this errand, of court," rejoined John Palmer, " but I have never been such a fool aa tor try to read all tb future at onoet. All we can have to start with la a general plan and n readlneaa to pay th price of risk. If I hadn't thought over these chance do you suppose I would take on you three young fallows and go down Into thl country where they would cut a throat for a dime? Probably not. But we four might not be enough. Wo might need soma sort of allies, auxiliaries. If it aver came to any raal trouble. Tou have heard of th Taqul Indians, maybe?" "Tea. I have seen soma of them alive in the penitentiary nt Chihuahua, waiting to he shot. Tb Buraias brought them In." " Walk tb Taqula never have made peso with tb Mexicans. Tor a hundred years tb Mexicans have mad them prisoners and sent them down to tbe hemp fields In lower But no on Mexico, TucStan, Honduras. ever yet broke a Taqui's pride or changed bis enmity. . Wall, not far from tb place where I hava lived there's a valley full of thee Taqula sullen, silent, resentful now as they were before they war tent down there in slavery. X have been among those people Dont you suppose I know what they would do if they saw a ebanoa to make a little revolution of their own?" So? Tou have don a bit ot figuring on soma fightlni?" Naturally. Tou bar been asking me bow wa would get out of there if w had causa to run or fight. I know' that much cf the answer. I know tbst on man would not be enough: I 'waited additional lead I t, - tall-spire- "At It d'Oro It will change the history ot the United States! It will mean an extension a little bit." of her territories It will mean perhaps war for us. That's not all. It will mean the reSilsby again felt something crinkle as he construction of the economics of the entire laid his hand against his jacket pocket. How world. It will mean the readjustment of th long It seemed since he last had seen the girl currency of the entire world! There Isn't who wrote that letter! woman, or child anywhere on the Presently Hailock sprang to his fast and f earth's surface that won't be affected by waved his hat. w off. It " I see him, plain!" he called. once If Chance? pull Lord, how Arent there chances enough, without adding hee ridlngr to them? Bitter? Why. of course I feel They all sprang to the edge ot th swale, bitter about It signaling to the approaching rider, who ap"How much did you tell her?" he deparently spurred onward the harder. At last he came In. sprang from the saddle and manded at length, turning squarely toward threw his reins down, spproachlng, grimy, Allison. "How much? Why, only as much as I smiling, hard bitten, burned red by th sun. He caught the hands of each In his before told you before you ever started down here. be spoke. Only as much as she could have found for "John! he said at last to tha oldest herself In the Bureau of Mines hook where man. " Eight years enca I saw you! This 1 first ran across the story. Come now. I'm not going to stay along if you think I have certainly Is fin. Tou think we're on a good ' bet. eh?" been foolish about this. Shall I come, or F allows, Im sorry I kept you waiting. stay back?" The long suppressed wrath of John Palmer The three looked from one to the other. " It's hia first offense, said Hailock. He at length found vole. Tou kept u a week. Dont you see this sort of thing cant wait? cant offend again down In here." W are In danger every minute of our Uvea But Palmer would not Jest. "When the now and will be uptil w get out" two priests of th war clan took the third " Well, maybe we can do that la a year," candidate out In the mountains, either he said Allison, smiling In hit frank way, bis ' was found fit or he stayed In the mountaina He never went back. Now, you ask me, and white teeth making a dean' line against tha brown of his face. I tell you. We'll take you along with' pi "A year?" queried Palmer, ft may be because that Is th safest way. Beyond that, more or less than a year. Whys year?" what comes, comes; its too late now to help "Well. I hgv my own time limit, John: "Well, I hope that, as an American genTou see, he went on. answering th questleman who has given his Aztec word to th tioning gaze of John Palmer, " I told her priests," said Allison slowly, if I ever en--that Is, Mary that If I didnt coma hack danger you. you can treat me as though I Inside sf a year she could call It all off and were not an American, but aa an Aztec aa do aa she Uged. Mary you see, thats tha ' though we all were that." "girl In my aasa Bisk? Tea, I am risking '"Well, lat's1 get down to bedrock. Tou didn't tell her where you were going?" my Ufa" " No! " exclaimed Allison. " How could Palmer stood looking at him soberly. Tou didnt tea her anything? Tou didn't L when I didnt know myself? I didn't tell her anything which I learned from you or spill over anything of tha business we are ont Tou didnt talk to a tooeion, now? any on else. Oh. yea, aha knew I waa Allison suddenly flushed a ddeper red. going' to Old Mexico, gueesed that, I think; but this la a wide country, I dont know By Jove! I d.d. though, he admitted bks a man. "I didn't tell her any details, beeven now where you are headed, John. If cause I didn't know any. 'frhy. John, shas you want me to rid back, I can go Just aa fast as X cams" part of myself! He looked at bit com"No, you don't!" said Sllsby. "John panions. a sudden consternation at hia heart. doesn't mean that, really. He's Just wrought Why, I couldn't help telling her.Mohn," he said at length. Why, John!" up. W are sold,era four, and non of ue Palmer had hastened away and sunk upon must think that anything has happened to hia bed roll once more, hi face turned aside. change that. One sand storm back of, us, Have I don anything wrong. John?" and all, traces ara tost. A to what's ahead, "Too know you have, said John Palmer only John knows." this-thing- , -- ' . Thats why 2 took VO-list- s. loot ho coma in." we are located as gringos In hare, good night' These Mexicans don't love ua back. afilea. jrou boys on." Fair enough," milled AJUsoa. "X think yon will find w wilt maks good. But just one more thing. John, XT ask about If its true that tb valley' of tba Madre d'Oro Ilea within striking diets nee of tb old fighting ground of tb Spaniards la tbs Conquest., ' why do you come away up her, north six or seven hundred mUea, and undertake a horseback journey across tb antir republic of Mexico? Why dont W all Jump tb rattlers and rid up or down to where ws want to begin our work? "Touv a great bead, young man," answered John Palmer, grimly, Well, in tb first place. I wanted to sea bow you young man would wear whether you ware fit to have tbs full details at tb Madre d'Oro or not. Two or three months of saddle and .camp Ilfs will show that to m wall enough. In tb next place. If V bad traveled by rail we would have been seen and watched and . followed, without a chanoe of escape from It. I am hoping I can get through In this way by dodging all tb satUemanta. 2 know tb trails. Of course, in any caaa, th saenrity for Ilfs is poor, vary pear, yea,. But if w succeed! Allison nodded, tbs solemnity of tb on- dertaklng ohe more bnpraslngblm ol-- " 'amply Palmer went on.' ' " If we could find and utilize tb Madr dOro, of coon w would b tba richest men the world ever aaw. Bub there lit something bigger under all this. When Corn found Mexico b unsettled th International relations of all Europe. That put England aqd Spain at war for a generation. Now yon are asking what w would do If w found th Madge d'Oro. Why, man, that would mean war onoe more! It would mean the last revolution la Mexloo. It would mean that tha flag of our repubUo would move down across this republic. America then would handle tbe key to tba wealth ot all tb world. Tou talk to ma about th World War I have missed nil that happened down In here all these years. But J.hav read enough yoq teU me enough-a- nd already since I got out to know that tba world you and I one knew Is gone forever. Tbefes n vast debt hanging on the world which bas got to be paid. Suppose you and I ..could pay it suppose th United Slates could really be the benefactress ot tha world? What then, eh? Sounds rather large? Now listen! I have all this figured out more conclusively than you think. If w can get through and uncover tb Madr d'Oro itself w probably can do so without discovery. If there should be any fighting, I shall have local allies. Aa to the ultimata utilization of tba great veln--th- at Is a question for our country and our flag, 'That flag will follow us, as surely aa the flag of Spain followed Cortta W may be forgotten aa be la That, It seems to me, is on of tb least of our considerations." Ton talk In large terms, John Palmer," said Allison, gravely. "But what you say bas not the eoynd of a foolish mans words. Tou are no Idle man. Cast away all the ' Superstitious? Why, yea For myself, I feel mighty small about it. Maybe we are Just puppets In some great game." Palmer nodded, silent. But Allison waa not content. " Now I'll move to the previous question," Do I go with you, or do I stay Said he. back?" Th bucPalmer turned to th other. caneers always left It lo th vote of th company," said he. He smiled. " I know how the other boy feel. Tou will com along with ns." " That's the talk, you old desert owl!" exclaimed Silsby. " And I'll bet Allison guessed it clean. Tou want to go, hack into the hills somewhere, twoJtundred miles from the City of Old Mexico? Tou have located yie secret valley somewhere within sight of old 'Orizaba? Tou want to work where Cortes failed ? Allison turned toward Palmer suddenly. " Dont ask me how much I told Mary Westlake. I have told you how much. But I have not told you. that sh already knew a much about the' Madre d'Oro as I did myself. She told that to me Independently." What do you mean by that? demanded John Palmer, " Is this whole thing going to be In a news dispatch? " O. no; not so far aa I am conoerned, or as shes concerned." But wht do you mean about telling you something? Tpu have heard of th art of crystal gazing? The Scotch call ft scrying. Tou taka a crystal Sphere, perfectly dear, and you look and look Into it until you begin to aee things. Tou can see la th glass things like a dream things yon couldn't possibly have known about yourself. ,Next, to the second sight of the old Highlanders, thats th most mysterious thing in tha world. But there is no getting around th fact aa they actually sxirt- Well, now, Mary Westlake Isnt Just an ordinary girl, content with dancing and th movies Sh has always thought, experimented, investigated Ideas. Sh' took up crystal gazing. Using it for study, expert, meet, trying to see if she could explain It. Sh never did explain it; but aba told m on thing. TB lev it to yob to axplalu If you d,dnt fee! I could go away without to her. Wa have been ensaying good-bgaged off and on over five years. I didnt think it was fair to her or fair to myself to go w.thout seeing Mary first and tailing bar ."I . can.' -- "By a woman!" exclaimed Palmer, hit. terly. "Tea It waa soma woman wbo drove almost every prospector " wanderer out Into tb West when I was young. And another woman even here even down there r" Allison's eyes narrowed. "Why, yea then. We speak of Cortfs and' bis Mariana. He could never have eon-- ! quered Mexico without her any more ' Lewis and Clark could have crossed tb continent without th help t Sacajawaa, tb Indian glrL 1 will not deny it: U la as Sllsby said women seem rather prevalent all over tb world. Let those things rest you will know about my Ufa tb last eight yean whan w have got further forward with our journey. Dont ask me nova" i Allison stm looked at him, soberly. "John," said ba ami cnuqr? Are yon?" "Why, yea certainly," replied tb older man. " Every on la waiting for ua in my valley." He smiled grimly. "I am on of th .fair god. There la a primitive world down there which baa not changed much since the time of Cortts himself. When I bring you In' there when w bring other Americans, after ua well, they will only smile and say that another race baa com down th old road." Thqld road?" "Tea If you have read your history as yon ought to have don before you cam down her you would know what X mean. Aa I told you. ail the prehistoric conquie-tadoreof Mexloo hale coma from tb tar north, from soma myaterlou region ? you and I dont know anything about. Ton ask me where w are going. I think it la enough to tU you that w are beaded tot the Annhuao plateau, tb doorynrd of tb Madr dOro." Tou frighten me. John," said AUUon, I dont mean that you make In soberly. afraid o! th physical and personal dangers Have the mountains put madness in you, or is all of this true? If it werent true, what did that story in th old book mean? What did tb story of tb crystal sphere mean? John, I tU you I dont darstopto think Of these things or 111 get rattled! , If w have fallb," replied John Palmer, simply, "w can move mountains. And if any on of us lacks la faith wen, then let th rest d:. Even if w die other will follow us over the Old Road. When th world needs the Madr dOro th domra will b thrown open once more. ' '' " . . ' Copyrtrht: 19CS: by lawns To be continued. Xauch ) |