CHAPTER III
THE RELATION OF MIGUEL VASQUEZ
It may be well to recount how such a young lad as Ned had become sofamous.
Ned's father had been a consulting engineer with a fondness foraeronautics. When Mr. Napier died, a year before Ned's meeting withthe Major, it was discovered that he was making in his little shop asmall dirigible balloon to be used at an amusement park. Mr.Napier's death was sudden. Manufacturer's bills for the balloon bagand engine came due and Ned, young as he was, knew that he must paythem. Putting on all the dignity that his sixteen years wouldpermit he called on the manager of the amusement park.
"I hear your father is dead," said the manager. "I suppose we havelost the twenty-five per cent we advanced on the air ship."
"Why do you suppose that?"
"Because he had complete charge of the work and we have no one totake his place."
"I mean to do that myself," said Ned.
The manager smiled and shook his head. "No doubt you would try--youlook it--but we don't care to experiment."
"But you want the air ship, don't you? You've advertised it."
"Yes, it was ordered--through your father. Since he is dead andcannot contribute his services, our agreement is void."
"Very well," replied Ned. "Good day."
"Look here," interrupted the manager, "what do you mean to do?"
"I'm going out to sell an air ship."
"You mean our air ship?"
"You said the contract is void."
The manager laughed again, but not as jovially.
"You ought to get on," he exclaimed.
"I've got to get on, and I'm going to do it by being on the square."
"I guess you're right. What's your proposition?"
"Since you've thrown up the contract I'm going to sell the balloonat a profit. The price is now $3,000. And I want a contract asoperator for six weeks at $100 per week."
The manager stared at Ned and then exclaimed. "I'll do it. You arethe very youngster we want."
That was how Ned Napier came to finish the air ship his father hadplanned, and how it happened all that summer that the papers printednews stories and Sunday specials with pictures of his daringflights, and how Major Baldwin Honeywell and other happened to speakof him as the Ned Napier.
To return to the scene of Ned's meeting with the Major--
"My name is Ned Napier," the boy began as soon as his host'scordiality gave him a chance, "and I am the young man the newspaperswrote about."
"I certainly made no mistake in sending for you," exclaimed thesoldier. "But, before I say more I want you to realize that thisis, to me, a most important matter."
"You mean it is--"
"A solemn secret. I want secure your services in a desperate anddaring adventure that will mean a great deal to me--and a great dealto you."
"Certainly," was the boy's response. "I give you my pledge on that."
A look of relief came into the old soldier's face.
"If I furnished you the money," went on Major Honeywell suddenly,"could you produce in a short time a practical and manageableballoon?"
Before the boy could answer the old soldier continued: "I don't meanone of those affairs in which ascensions of an hour or so are made.I mean one in which you could travel for several days--perhaps aweek?"
"No," said Ned, "it can't be done. No one has yet remained in theair in a balloon over fifty-two hours."
Major Honeywell said nothing, but Ned could see that what he hadtold the Major had dashed some budding hope.
"That is," Ned hastened to explain, "you couldn't do it unless youperiodically renewed your supply of hydrogen. I really believe,"continued Ned, "that I ought to know more about what you areplanning to accomplish."
Again the white-mustached man was silent a few moments, and then hetold without reserve the great secret. He began with an account ofhimself. Until three years before he had been an officer in theUnited States cavalry, stationed in the southwest. Then thePresident had assigned him to ethnological work. His special workwas in the ruins of the Sedentary Pueblos. While scaling a cliff inthis work he fell and permanently injured his left knee.
Resigning from the army, he traveled for a year and then went tovisit an old friend, Senor Pedro Oje, whose immense sheep herds inSouthwestern Colorado had made their owner a millionaire.
While here, hearing of an ancient nearby pueblo, just south of theMesa Verde, Major Honeywell and his friend drove to the settlement.To Major Honeywell's surprise he found an old friend in Totontenac,the chief. As the two white men were about to leave, old Totontenacpresented to his soldier friend an ancient funeral urn.
Major Honeywell was almost paralyzed with astonishment when he sawthat the vessel was sealed and that it bore on its side, instead ofthe conventional Aztec design, this inscription in black: "MiguelVasquez, 1545."
"What was in it?" asked Ned quickly when the Major came to this partof his narrative.
"That man was undoubtedly a soldier who marched out of Mexico in1539 with Friar Marcos, the great explorer," went on MajorHoneywell, ignoring the question, "and when others gave up thesearch for the famed seven cities of Cibola and the wealth of theAztecs that every Spaniard believed rivaled the treasure of theIncas, this man kept on. Either by accident or design MiguelVasquez was left by the expedition and six years later he wrote oncowhide and concealed in that vase one of the most valuable historicrecords extant in America to-day--confirmation that there was a realbasis for the tales that lured the Spaniards to this region in questof treasure."
Stepping to a trunk Major Honeywell took from a compartment a tintube. From this he extracted a stiff sheet of parchment-likematerial.
"It's writing, isn't it?" exclaimed Ned.
"Yes, and Spanish. It is Miguel Vasquez's last will and testament,written over three hundred and fifty years ago. And here is atranslation of it. You may read it yourself. That is mysecret--and yours now!"
And these are the words that turned the current of Ned Napier'slife:
"A relation of Miguel Vasquez soldier of Spain made in the year 1546concerning the hidden city of Tune Cha. Coming out of Saint Michaelin the Province of Culican I journeyed with Captain Marco de Nica in1539. At Vacupa I departed from him and remained now six yearsamong those of this land. Three years I dwelt in the town of Acucoand heard often of the city of Tune Cha wherein is to be found theTemple of Turquoise than which none more beautiful is to be found,not even in Castile itself. Such I have seen with my own eyes. Itstandeth within a palace of five hundred rooms or more wherein areto be found priestly vessels of gold and silver. And this samepalace or City of Priests is compassed about by a massive wall. Andin the center of the palace standeth the Temple, facing the sunwhich is the sacred place of al Quivera, Arche and Guyas. And thewalls of this Temple are naught but precious Turquoise even to theheight of forty feet or more, and the pillars thereof are of goldand silver alternate. Knowledge of this hidden and beautiful cityhath not been reported unto Spain nor even unto Nueva Espana. FromAcuco it lieth thirty day's travel west of north and as I estimatein 36 degrees latitude in the mountains of Tune Cha. From the Riode Chuco it lieth west six days' travel. Nor may it be discoveredbut by those who have knowledge of it. Miguel Vasquez"
"What I had hoped to do," said Major Honeywell at last, "was to makethe most perfect balloon ever built and discover through you thishidden temple of turquoise treasure. You say you cannot do it."
Something he had never felt before shot through Ned's body. Hisface flushed and then grew pale under the spell that was on him.
"Major Honeywell," he said suddenly, "I don't know of a balloon thatcan be made to fly for a week. But if it is necessary to have oneto do what you wish I'll make it and I'll find Vasquez's TurquoiseTemple."