CHAPTER XXIX
THE GOLDEN EAGLE OF THE AZTECS
In the morning the boys went at their task with renewed vigor.Inventory was first taken of the stores and provisions. There wasenough food for about six days, if used with care. Of water therewas a supply apparently for a little longer period. But the chokingdust of the "khiva" made bathing almost a necessity, and, used inthis way, even sparingly, the supply would not last over two days.
"No more baths until we go down into the valley," ordered Ned."Cleanliness would be a comfort, but we'll have to be uncomfortable."
Permanent camp was made in the cabin of the dirigible. In arrangingthis all the machinery, the engine, the blower, the dynamo, thereconverter and the aeroplanes, the rudder and the propeller wereunmounted, and the smaller articles made ready for storing in thetemple entrance. There were four casks of gasoline left unused. Asthese were being carried to the temple Ned suddenly exclaimed:
"Why not rig up the engine and dynamo and use an electric light downin our cave of Mystery."
"Good," answered Alan, "and while we are at it, why not hook up theballoonet blower with the engine and get fresh air?"
The stowing away of the machinery, the packing of the gas bag andthe setting up of the engine and dynamo and blower afforded plentyof work until noon; and then, while the trusty little engine waspumping volumes of good sweet air into the hot, almost suffocatingchamber below ground, the boys had luncheon.
Then began the real exhumation of the long buried articles in thesecret religious chamber of the almost forgotten race. Asrevelation succeeded revelation in the next two days the paralyzingwonder that first came to Ned and Alan was succeeded by the dullnessof fatigue. At intervals of not more than an hour they came aboveground for fresh air. The absence of water soon converted them intobronze-like human statues. They could feel that their lungs werebecoming clogged with the almost impalpable dust. But theypersevered. The prize was too rich to be abandoned because of merephysical discomfort.
By means of the wired drag rope the powerful incandescent light wascarried to all the chambers. And one after another, as the blowergave the boys air and helped sweep away the clouds of dust, theremains which had lain buried for over three centuries wereuncovered and brought above ground.
Of the pottery itself, vases, jars, and religious ceremonialutensils, perfect in shape and displaying ornamentation that wouldhave delighted Major Honeywell, the excavators could take littlenote. After removing the twelve gold hoops or bands from thesupporting columns and twenty similar silver rings from the secondrow of pillars, the boys penetrated the elevation in the center ofthe "khiva."
As the end of the blower pipe was directed against this squarecolumn, the sediment of centuries disappeared. Then the brilliantlypenetrating glare of the reflected electric light fell on theelevation and both boys burst out in an exclamation of amazement.
On what had been a ceremonial dais stood the treasure of the secretcity of Cibola--an image of the sacred Golden Eagle of the Aztecs.The revered bird of the Aztecs stood upright, its extended headpeering east. The body of this aboriginal work of art, crude inform, was of massive silver. And to it were attached overlappingplates of gold in the similitude of feathers. The unfolded wingswere also of gold. The head, beak and talons were of gold, and theeyes were two polished bits of quartz. The idol, for such no doubtit was, stood forty inches in height and weighed about three hundredpounds.
The base on which the precious eagle stood was completely coveredwith the deepest blue turquoise. At its foot and covering the daiswere the crumbled traces of many articles of cloth, feathers, bitsof wood and pottery, and the like, all, no doubt, fragments ofpriestly utensils of worship. The most ornate and best preserved ofthese was a large flat bowl covered on the inside with skillfullycut mother-of-pearl. This was still iridescently beautiful, and themore striking because its milk white exterior was unmarked bydecoration.
Each mummy, when hauled into the open air and examined, gave morepositive proof of the riches that had been collected in this sacredretreat. The funeral bowls placed at the feet of the bodies variedin form and material. Some of these were of plain black and whitepottery, others were coated with gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl.The bowls apparently had once contained food. In all there weretwo golden bowls, four of silver, one of pearl and one of pottery.
Each mummy was wound with as much care as was ever bestowed on theEgyptian royal dead. The woven wrappings were coated with pitch andbeneath them were colored cotton cloths, affording proof of a highcivilization. The richest treasures of the dead were thebreastplates and necklaces found on each. These astounded the younginvestigators.
These plates and beads had been strung on deer sinews, which, nothaving been protected by pitch, were now only lines of dust. But,lying on the breast of each there was invariably a "body scraper,"(as Major Honeywell afterwards termed them) of gold, silver ormother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl discs were the commonest neckdecoration. Of these the boys discovered four.
On three of the bodies were pierced pearl bead necklaces. On themost elaborately wrapped figure, that of a head priest or highchief, came the crowning discovery. This was a necklace of piercedamethysts. And on the breast of this figure was a flat plate ofgold with sixteen radiating points, each of these terminating in alarge luminous unpierced and polished amethyst.
About the waist of this shriveled figure were the remains of ajeweled belt. The foundation or back of this had dissolved intodust, but careful unwrapping of the cerements revealed the pricelessornamentation. This decoration was of alternating squares ofmother-of-pearl, in each of which glistened a perfect amethyst, andof matchless turquoise squares set with great pearls.