CHAPTER XXVII
THE TURQUOISE TEMPLE DISCOVERED
In another moment he had sprung forward and was quickly descendinginto the narrow, dark pit, with Alan close behind. A cave-likesmell and a rapidly, cooling air greeted them. They were soon inalmost complete darkness. When the walls had narrowed to but a fewfeet, a thin ribbon of blue sky was all that could be seen above.
The steps had come to an end. An ascending elevation began just infront of them. This they made out by the light of a match, whichflickered uncertainly in the bad air. Bats dashed against the wallsand every movement was followed by a cloud of dust.
"Do you feel anything?" suddenly exclaimed Alan. "Seems to me likea current of air on my feet."
Ned lit another match.
Before them they again made out an ascending slant such as they hadcome down. But the base of it was hollowed out in the form of asmall cave. As the light went out both boys stooped to look furtherinto this opening.
"Light!" they exclaimed almost together.
They were looking through a tunnel made, as they afterward found, inthe base of the filled-in portion of the chasm. Reptiles, bats anddust were forgotten now. Plunging forward on their hands and knees,the two boys advanced without difficulty to the distant mouth of thetunnel.
It ended abruptly in the face of the mesa cliff, one hundred feetabove the valley below. There was not the slightest ledge below itand the side of the mesa dropped so precipitately that access to thetunnel mouth from without seemed impossible. The possibility of aclimb to that entrance to reach the mesa above was out of thequestion.
The boys, panting for breath, lay on the floor of the tunnel withtheir heads just out of the opening.
"Some one has used this place, but how did they ever get up here?"asked Alan.
"I don't know and I don't care," said Ned with excitement. "But Ido know that this entrance is concealed. Why, you couldn't even seeit from below--it's so small. And it was made that way for apurpose. That must mean Cibola. Let's get busy."
There were one hundred and thirty-five steps to mount, and each wasabout a foot and a half high. When Ned and Alan were on top of themesa again they were out of breath and their clothes were white withdust. They were also choked, thirsty and hungry.
"Eat heartily," laughed Ned, when they began breakfast over again;"we are going to have a busy day, I hope."
"What is your theory?"
"That our treasure is right here if it is anywhere," exclaimed Ned.
Alan laughed. "The place is barren as a barn floor," he said; "Idon't see any very large palace or temple hereabouts."
"I don't either. That's why I'm going to look for it--and lookhard."
"And our gas slipping away at a lively rate!" interrupted Alanagain.
"Let it all go," said Ned. "We know how we can get down within ahundred feet of the ground, anyway. That's some consolation."'
"First we will make a circuit of the north end," continued Ned,after breakfast, "and if nothing comes of that--no unseen hollows ornew crevices--we'll try this sandy hollow, even if it is smooth as aplain."
The circuit of a fifty-acre area requires time and it was an hourbefore the boys had traversed the edge of the precipitous cliff. Atevery few yards they examined the face of the mesa for gaps or shelves,but there seemed hardly a resting place for a bird.
Tired and hot, the sun being now high above them, the youngaeronauts finally reached the north-eastern corner of the mesawithout finding a sign or suggestion of Indians, or even of animalremains.
Alan had thrown himself on the ground at this point for a rest, whenwith an exclamation Ned darted from his side. As Alan's eyesfollowed him he saw the cause of the exclamation. From where theystood--directly east from the ancient grove--they could see for thefirst time that the trees stood in a wide double semi-circle, and,directly in the center, perhaps fifteen feet in height, arose acolumn of masonry. It was snow white in color and glistened likeglass.
There was no question about it.
The fabled Temple of Turquoise, its deep blue glaze lost in thewhitening sun of three centuries, stood before them. Almostovercome with the emotion of success the two boys stood as iftransfixed. Then cautiously, as if afraid the wonderful pile mightdissolve itself into a dream, they moved forward.
In this protected corner of the mesa where the winds of ages hadgradually deposited a thin sandy soil, the hand of man had plantedtwo almost complete circles of trees. Therein, and generallyagreeing with the record of the long dead Vasquez, were the plainoutlines of a stone structure. At places, where the walls crossed,and at some of the corners, the masonry yet rose to the height of aman. And again, it fell into long irregular piles of jumbledblocks. Sifted sand filled each corner and crevice.
In the center of the ruins rose the turquoise column. From this,and in a line with the true east to where the boys stood, extendedan open approach. Almost reverently Ned and Alan advanced up thiswalk.
It was easily seen that the structure had contained a maze ofrooms--over three hundred, they afterwards discovered--and that thewhite column stood in a hollow square.
"It's white," almost whispered Alan.
"Yes," answered Ned; "it ought to be blue."
They were now at the foot of the column. Directly in front stood anopening or door. Bordering this was a framework of brick-likesquares or tiles, black, and ornamented with white figures.
"Just like pottery," said Alan, noticing the true geometrical designand the still cruder outlines of animals.
"Look," exclaimed Ned, pointing to the top of the door.
Here, the small tiles were replaced with a large square of blacktile, in the center of which shone a dull yellow radiating design.
"A symbol of the sun," explained Alan, "and of gold!" he addedexcitedly.
"Then it certainly is our secret city," said Ned.
As he said this he was busy with his knife, digging at theglistening white bits with which the column was coated. Finally onecame off. It fell into his hand and the back of it came into view.
The two boys broke out in an exclamation of delight. The protectedportion of the piece was a deep sky blue.
"The Turquoise Temple!" they both cried together. "Hurrah!"
When night came again Ned and Alan were almost too excited for restor sleep. Nor did they taste food again until the dust of the ruinswarned them temporarily to abandon their search. To walk into atreasure house that the daring adventurers of two races hadoverlooked for three hundred years was enough to turn the heads ofany two boys.
The "Doorway of the Sun" as Alan called it, led into a chamber aboutfifteen feet square. The walls of this were lined with smooth claysquares of black tile, undecorated. Eight feet above the floor,which was also of clay tile and half buried under sand, rose aceiling of arched stones. There was no opening in this, but stepson the outside of the temple and in the rear led to a chamber above,in the front of which, and also facing the sun, was another openingabout two feet from the floor. In front of this window was a stonebench or altar. The meaning of it the boys did not know. This roomwas barren of either decoration or utensil and it was half full ofthe debris of what had apparently been another arched stone roof.Only the front or eastern side of the structure was coated with theprecious turquoise; the other sides of the column were of plain,fairly well fitted, mortarless stone blocks.