Produced by Chen Zheng Wei, sp1nd and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by TheInternet Archive)
Transcriber's note:All apparent mistakes in dialogue have been retained.Italic text has been marked with _underscores_, while underlined textis marked with +plus signs+.
THE INCA EMERALD
+By SAMUEL SCOVILLE, JR.+
THE BLUE PEARL BOY SCOUTS IN THE WILDERNESS THE INCA EMERALD MORE WILD FOLK THE RED DIAMOND
From the heart of the jungle sounded the deep, coughingroar of a jaguar]
THE INCA EMERALD
BY
SAMUEL SCOVILLE, Jr.
Author of "Boy Scouts in the Wilderness," "The Blue Pearl," etc.
ILLUSTRATED BY
CHARLES LIVINGSTON BULL
D. APPLETON-CENTURY COMPANY
INCORPORATED
NEW YORK LONDON
1936
Copyright, 1922, by The Century Co.
Copyright, 1922, by Samuel Scoville, Jr.
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
To
ALICE TRUMBULL SCOVILLE
My Kindest Critic
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I The Beginning 3
II A New World 29
III The Vampires 52
IV Death River 74
V Shipwreck 99
VI The Black Tiger 126
VII The Yellow Snake 153
VIII The Man-Eaters 177
IX The Pit 203
X Sky Bridge 227
XI The Lost City 250
XII Eldorado 275
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
From the heart of the jungle sounded the deep, coughing roar of a jaguar _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
"The bushmaster is the largest, rarest, and deadliest of South American serpents" 6
It showed itself as the great condor of the Andes, the second largest bird that flies 242
Hideous heads suddenly showed over the edge of the wall 264
CHAPTER I
THE BEGINNING
It was a bushmaster which started the Quest of the Emerald--and only apossible bushmaster at that. One May evening in Cornwall, Big JimDonegan, the lumber-king, sat in the misty moonlight with his slipperedfeet on the rail of the veranda of the great house in which he livedalone. He was puffing away at a corn-cob pipe as placidly as if he didnot have more millions than Cornwall has hills--which is sayingsomething, for Cornwall has twenty-seven of the latter. Along the gravelwalk, which wound its way for nearly half a mile to the entrance of theestate, came the sound of a dragging footstep. A moment later, from outof the shadows stepped a man over six feet in height, a little stooped,and who wore a shiny frock-coat surmounted by a somewhat battered silkhat. The stranger had a long, clean-shaven, lantern-jawed face. His nosejutted out like a huge beak, a magnificent, domineering nose, which,however, did not seem in accord with his abstracted blue eyes and hisprecise voice.
"What do you want?" snapped Big Jim, bringing his feet to the floor withalarming suddenness.
The stranger blinked at him mildly for a moment with a gaze that seemedto be cataloguing the speaker.
"This is Mr. James Donegan," he finally stated.
"How do you know?" demanded the lumber-king.
"You have all the characteristics of a magnate," returned the other,calmly, "energy, confidence, bad temper, worse manners, and--"
"Whoa!" shouted Big Jim, whose bark was worse than his bite and whoalways respected people who stood up to him. "Never mind any morestatistics. Who are you!"
"My name is Ditson," responded the other, sitting down withoutinvitation in the most comfortable chair in sight. "Professor AmandusDitson. I am connected with the Smithsonian National Museum."
"Well," returned Mr. Donegan, stiffening, "I don't intend to subscribeany money to the Smithsonian Museum or any other museum, so there's nouse of your asking me."
"I had no intention of asking you for anything," returned ProfessorDitson, severely. "I had understood that you were a collector of gems,and I came to place at your disposal certain information in regard tothe finest emeralds probably now in existence. I too am a collector," hewent on abstractedly.
"Humph!" grunted Big Jim. "What do you collect?" he inquired, regardinghis visitor shrewdly.
"Bushmasters," responded Professor Ditson, simply.
"Come again," returned Big Jim, much puzzled, "I don't quite get you.What are bushmasters?"
"The bushmaster," announced Professor Ditson, with more animation thanhe had yet shown, "is the largest, the rarest and the deadliest of SouthAmerican serpents. It attains a length of over twelve feet and has fangsan inch and a half long. You will hardly believe me," he went on,tapping Mr. Donegan's knee with a long, bony forefinger, "but there isnot a single living specimen in captivity at present, even in ourlargest cities."
The lumber-king regarded the scientist with undisguised astonishment.
"Professor Amandus Ditson," he announced solemnly, "so far as I'mconcerned, there can continue to be a lack of bushmasters not only inour great cities, but everywhere else. Snakes of any kind are absolutelynothing in my young life."
"The bushmaster is the largest, rarest, and deadliest ofSouth American serpents"]
"Tut! tut!" responded the professor, reprovingly. "I think that I couldconvince you that you are wrong in your unfortunate aversion toreptiles."
"No you couldn't," returned Big Jim, positively, "not if you were tolecture all the rest of the year."
"Well," responded Professor Ditson soothingly, "suppose we discuss yourhobby, which I understand is precious stones."
"Now you're talking," returned the other, enthusiastically, "I supposeI've about the finest collection of gems in this country, and in somelines perhaps the best on earth. Take pearls, for instance," he boasted."Why, Professor Ditson, some boys right here in Cornwall helped me getthe finest examples of pink and blue pearls that there are in anycollection. When it comes to emeralds, there are half a dozen collectorswho beat me out. What's all this dope you have about them, anyway?"
"Last year," replied the other, "I was in Peru at a time when they wererepairing one of the oldest cathedrals in that country. A nativeworkman, knowing that I was interested in rarities of all kinds, broughtme an old manuscript, which turned out to be a map and a description ofthe celebrated Lake of Eldorado."
"That's the name of one of those dream places," interrupted Mr. Donegan,impatiently. "I've no time to listen to dreams."
Professor Ditson was much incensed.
"Sir," he returned austerely, "I deal in facts, not in dreams. I havetraveled one thousand miles to see you, but if you can not speak morecivilly, I shall be compelled to terminate this interview and go to someone with better manners and more sense."
"Just what I was going to suggest," murmured Big Jim, taken aback, butmuch pleased by the professor's independence. "So long, however, asyou've beat me to it, go on. I'll hear you out anyway."
Professor Ditson stared at him sternly.
"For nearly four hundred years," he began at last, "there have beenlegends of a sacred lake somewhere in Bolivia or Peru. Once a year,before the Spanish conquest, the chief of the Incas, the dominant raceof Peru, covered with gold-dust, would be ferried out to the center ofthis lake. There he would throw into the lake the best emerald that hadbeen found in their mines durin
g the year and then leap in himself. Atthe same time the other members of the tribe would stand on the shoreswith their backs to the lake and throw into the water over theirshoulders emeralds and gold ornaments."
"Why on earth did they do that?" exclaimed the old collector.
"As an offering to the Spirit of the Lake," returned the professor. "TheSpaniards, when they heard the story, named the lake, Eldorado--The Lakeof the Golden Man. As the centuries went by, the location waslost--until I found it again."
There was a long pause, which was broken at last by the lumber-king.
"Have you any proof that this story of yours is true?" he inquiredsarcastically.
For answer, the scientist fished a dingy bag from his pocket and shookout on the table a circlet of soft, pale gold in which gleamed threegreen stones.
"I found this ten feet from the shore," he said simply.
The lumber-king gasped as he studied the stones with an expert eye.
"Professor Ditson," he admitted at last, "you're all right and I'm allwrong. That's South American gold. I know it by the color. African goldis the deepest, and South American the palest. Those stones areemeralds," he went on; "flawed ones, to be sure, but of the right color.The common emerald from the Ural Mountains is grass-green," lectured Mr.Donegan, fairly started on his hobby. "A few emeralds are gray-green.Those come from the old mines of the Pharaohs along the coast of the RedSea. They are found on mummies and in the ruins of Pompeii and along thebeach in front of Alexandria, where treasure-ships have been wrecked."
Professor Ditson yawned rudely.
"Once in a blue moon," went on the old collector, earnestly, "a realspring-green emerald with a velvety luster, like these stones, turns up.We call 'em 'treasure emeralds,'" he continued, while Professor Ditsonshifted uneasily in his chair. "Most of them are in Spanish collections,and they are supposed to be part of the loot that Cortez and Pizarrobrought back to Spain when they conquered Mexico and Peru. How large didthese old Peruvian emeralds run?" he inquired suddenly.
He had to repeat this question before Professor Ditson, who had beendozing lightly, roused himself.
"Ah yes, quite so, very interesting, I'm sure," responded thatscientist, confusedly. "As to the size of South American emeralds," hewent on, rubbing his eyes, "the Spanish record shows that Pizarro sentback to Spain several which were as large as pigeon eggs, and there is anative tradition that the last Inca threw into Eldorado an oval emeraldas large as a hen's egg."
Donegan's face flushed with excitement.
"Professor Ditson," he said at last, "I've got to have one of thoseemeralds. Come in," he went on, getting up suddenly, "and I'll show youmy collection."
Professor Ditson sat still.
"No, Mr. Donegan," he said, "it would be just a waste of time. To me,gems are just a lot of colored crystals."
The old lumber-king snorted.
"I suppose you prefer snakes," he said cuttingly.
Professor Ditson's face brightened at the word.
"There," he said enthusiastically, "is something worth while. I onlywish that I had you in my snake-room. I could show you live, uncagedspecimens which would interest you deeply."
"They sure would," returned Mr. Donegan, shivering slightly. "Well," hewent on, "every man to his own taste. What's your idea about thisemerald secret? Can we do business together?"
The professor's face assumed an air of what he fondly believed to begreat astuteness.
"I would suggest," he said, "that you fit out an expedition to theAmazon basin under my direction, to remain there until I collect one ormore perfect specimens of the bushmaster. Then I will guide the party toEldorado and assist them, as far as I can, to recover the sunkentreasure."
He came to a full stop.
"Well," queried the lumber-king, "what else?"
The professor looked at him in surprise. "I have nothing else tosuggest," he said.
"Suppose we get emeralds which may be worth hundreds of thousands ofdollars--what percentage will you claim?" persisted Mr. Donegan.
"I thought that I had made it plain," returned the professor,impatiently, "that I have no interest whatever in emeralds. If you willpay the expenses of the expedition and allow me to keep as my ownproperty any specimens of bushmasters obtained, it will be entirelysatisfactory to me. Of course," finished the scientist, generously, "ifwe catch several bushmasters, I should have no objections to your havingone."
"Heaven forbid!" returned the lumber-king. "Professor," he went on withgreat emphasis, "I am perfectly willing that you shall have absolutelyfor your own use and benefit any and all bushmasters, crocodiles,snakes, toads, tarantulas, and any other similar bric-a-brac which youmay find in South America. Moreover," he continued, "I'll fit out anexpedition right here from Cornwall that will do the business for bothof us. There's a good-for-nothin' old chap in this town named Jud Adamswho has been all over the North huntin' an' trappin' an' prospectin'. Inhis younger days he was a pearl-diver. Then there're two young fellowshere that went off last year with him for me and brought back the finestblue pearl in the world. I ain't got no manner of doubt but what allthree of 'em will jump at the chance to go after emeralds andbushmasters."
"Bushmasters and emeralds, please," corrected the professor.
"Just as you say," responded the lumber-king. "Now you come right in andI'll put you up for the night and we'll send over at once for the crowdthat I have in mind and get this expedition started right away."
"The sooner the better," responded the professor, heartily. "Any day,some collector may bring back a bushmaster and beat me out with theSmithsonian."
"I feel the same way," agreed the lumber-king. "I want Jim Donegan tohave the first crack at those Inca emeralds."
* * * * *
While all this talk about gold and emeralds and bushmasters was goingon in Big Jim's big house, over in a little house on the tiptop ofYelpin Hill, Jud Adams, the old trapper, was just sitting down to supperwith two of his best friends. One of these was Will Bright, amagnificently built boy of eighteen with copper-colored hair and darkblue eyes, and the other his chum, Joe Couteau, silent, lithe, and swartas his Indian ancestors. Jud himself was not much over five feet tall,with bushy gray hair and beard and steel-sharp eyes. These three, withFred Perkins, the runner, had won their way to Goreloi, the Island ofthe Bear, and brought back Jim Donegan's most prized gem, as alreadychronicled in "The Blue Pearl." They had learned to care for one anotheras only those can who have fought together against monsters of the sea,savage beasts, and more savage men. Joe and Will, moreover, had sharedother life-and-death adventures together, as told in "Boy Scouts in theWilderness," and, starting without clothes, food, or fire, had lived amonth in the heart of the woods, discovered the secret of Wizard Pond,and broken up Scar Dawson's gang of outlaws. Will never forgot that Joehad saved him from the carcajou, nor Joe that it was Will who gave himthe first chance of safety when the bloodhounds were hot on their heelsthrough the hidden passage from Wizard Pond. Each one of the four, ashis share of the blue pearl, and the sea-otter pelt brought back fromAkotan, had received fifteen thousand dollars. Fred had invested hismoney in his brother's business in Boston, left Cornwall, and bade fairto settle down into a successful business man. Will and Joe had both setaside from their share enough to take them through Yale. As for Jud, theday after he received his winnings in the game which the four had playedagainst danger and death, he had a short interview with his old friendMr. Donegan.
"All my life long," began Jud, "I've been makin' money; but so far, Ihaven't got a cent saved up. I know how to tame 'most any other kind ofwild animal, but money allers gets away from me. They do say, Jim," wenton the old man, "that you've got the knack of keepin' it. Probably youwouldn't be worth your salt out in the woods, but every man's gotsomethin' that he can do better 'n most. So you just take my share ofthe blue-pearl money an' put it into somethin' safe an' sound that'llbring me an income. You see, Jim," he went on confidentially, "I ain'tso yo
ung as I used to be."
"I should say you ain't!" exclaimed Big Jim, knowing how Jud hated to becalled old. "You're 'most a hundred now."
"I ain't! I ain't!" howled Jud, indignantly. "I ain't a day overfifty--or thereabouts."
"Well, well," said his friend, soothingly, "we won't quarrel over it.I'll take care of your money and see that you get all that's comin' toyou for the two or three years which you've got left"; and with mutualabuse and affection the two parted as good friends as ever.
To-night the old trapper and his guests had just finished supper whenthe telephone rang.
"Jud," came Mr. Donegan's voice over the wire, "what would you and Billand Joe think of another expedition--after emeralds this time?"
"We'd think well of it," returned Jud, promptly. "The kids are here atmy house now."
"Good work!" exclaimed the lumber-king. "All three of you come rightover. I've got a scientist here who's going to guide you to where theemeralds grow."
"You got a what?" queried Jud.
"A scientist!" shouted Big Jim, "a perfesser. One of those fellows whoknow all about everything except what's useful."
"We'll be right over," said Jud, hanging up the receiver and breakingthe news to his friends.
"Listens good," said Will, while Joe grunted approvingly.
"It's a pity old Jim ain't young and supple enough to go on these tripswith us himself," remarked Jud, complacently.
"He ten years younger than you," suggested Joe, slyly, who alwaysdelighted in teasing the old trapper about his age.
"Where do you get such stuff?" returned Jud, indignantly. "JimDonegan's old enough to be my father--or my brother, anyway," hefinished, staring sternly at his grinning guests.
"You're quite right, Jud," said Will, soothingly. "Let's go, though,before that scientist chap gets away."
"He no get away," remarked Joe, sorrowfully, who had listened to thetelephone conversation. "He go with us."
"I don't think much of that," said Jud, wagging his head solemnly. "Thelast perfesser I traveled with was while I was prospectin' down inArizona. He sold a cure for snakebites an' small-pox, an' one night helit out with all our cash an' we never did catch him."
Half an hour later found the whole party in Mr. Donegan's study, wherethey were introduced to Professor Ditson.
"What might you be a perfesser of?" inquired Jud, staring at him withunconcealed hostility.
The other stared back at him for a moment before he replied.
"I have specialized," he said at last, "in reptiles, mammals, andbirds, besides some research work in botany."
"Didn't leave out much, did you?" sneered Jud.
"Also," went on the professor, more quietly, "I learned early in lifesomething about politeness. You would find it an interesting study," hewent on, turning away.
"Now, now," broke in Mr. Donegan, as Jud swallowed hard, "if you fellowsare going treasure-hunting together, you mustn't begin by scrappin'."
"I, sir," returned Professor Ditson, austerely, "have no intention ofengaging in an altercation with any one. In the course ofcollecting-trips in the unsettled portions of all four continents, Ihave learned to live on good terms with vagabonds of all kinds, and Ican do it again if necessary."
"Exactly!" broke in Mr. Donegan, hurriedly, before Jud could speak;"that certainly shows a friendly spirit, and I am sure Jud feels thesame way."
"I do," returned the latter, puffingly, "just the same way. I got alongonce with a perfesser who was no darn good, and I guess I can again."
"Then," said Mr. Donegan, briskly, "let's get down to business.Professor Ditson, show us, please, the map and manuscript with which youlocated Lake Eldorado."
For reply, the gaunt scientist produced from a pocket a small coppercylinder, from which he drew a roll of yellowed parchment. Half of itwas covered with crabbed writing in the imperishable sepia ink which theold scriveners used. The other half was apparently blank. Thelumber-king screwed his face up wisely over the writing.
"H'm-m," he remarked at last. "It's some foreign language. Let one ofthese young fellers who're going to college try."
Will took one look at the paper.
"I pass," he said simply; while Joe shook his head without even looking.
"You're a fine lot of scholars!" scoffed Jud, as he received thescroll. "Listen now to Perfesser Adams of the University ofOut-of-Doors."
Then, to the astonishment of everybody, in his high-pitched voice hebegan to translate the labored lines, reading haltingly, like aschool-boy:
"I, Alvarado, companion of Pizarro, about to die at dawn, to my dear wife Oriana. I do repent me of my many sins. I am he who slew the Inca Atahualpa and many of his people, and who played away the Sun before sunrise. Now it comes that I too must die, nor of the wealth that I have won have I aught save the Secret of Eldorado. On a night of the full moon, I myself saw the Golden Man throw into the lake the great Emerald of the Incas and a wealth of gold and gems. This treasure-lake lies not far from Orcos in which was thrown the Chain. I have drawn a map in the way thou didst show me long years ago. Take it to the king. There be treasure enough there for all Spain; and through his justice, thou and our children shall have a share. Forgive me, Oriana, and forget me not.
Alvarado"
There was a silence when he had finished. It was as if the shadow ofthe tragedy of that wasted life and vain repentance had drifted down thecenturies and hung over the little company who had listened to thereading of the undelivered letter. The stillness was broken by Mr.Donegan.
"Where did you learn to read Spanish, you old rascal?" he inquired ofJud.
"Down among the Greasers in Mexico," chuckled the latter, delightedly.
"What does he mean by 'playing away the Sun' and the 'Chain'?" askedWill, of the scientist.
"When the treasures of the Incas were divided," explained ProfessorDitson, precisely, "Alvarado had for his share a golden image of the sunover ten feet in diameter. This he gambled away in a single night. TheChain," continued Professor Ditson, "surrounded the chief Inca'sresidence. It was made of gold, and was two hundred and thirty-threeyards long. It was being carried by two hundred Indians to Cuzco to formpart of the chief's ransom--a room filled with gold as high as he couldreach. When the gold came to his shoulder, he was killed. At the news ofhis death, the men who were bringing the Chain threw it into LakeOrcos."
"But--but," broke in the lumber-king, "where is the map? If you've gotit with you, let's have a look at it."
Without speaking, Professor Ditson reached over and took the match fromthe table. Lighting it, he held the flame for an instant close to theparchment. On the smooth surface before their eyes, suddenly appeared aseries of vivid green lines, which at last took the form of a rude map.
"What he learned from Oriana," explained Professor Ditson, "was how tomake and use invisible ink."
"Fellows," broke in Mr. Donegan, earnestly, "I believe that ProfessorDitson has found Eldorado, and I'm willing to go the limit to get one ofthe emeralds of the Incas. I'll finance the expedition if you'll all go.What do you say?"
"Aye," voted Will.
"Aye," grunted Joe.
"I assent," said Professor Ditson, with his usual preciseness.
Jud alone said nothing.
"How about it, Jud?" inquired Big Jim.
"Well," returned Jud, doubtfully, "who's goin' to lead this expedition?"
"Why, the professor here," returned the lumber-king, surprised. "He'sthe only one who knows the way."
"That's it," objected Jud. "It's likely to be a rough trip, an'treasure-huntin' is always dangerous. Has the perfesser enough pep tokeep up with us younger men?"
Professor Ditson smiled bleakly.
"I've been six times across South America, and once lived among theSouth American Indians for two years without seeing a white man," heremarked acidly. "Perhaps I can manage to keep up with an old man and
two boys who have never been in the country before. You shouldunderstand," he went on, regarding the old trapper sternly, "thatspecialization in scientific investigation does not necessarily connotelack of physical ability."
Jud gasped. "I don't know what he means," he returned angrily, "but he'swrong--specially that part about me bein' old."
"I feel it is my duty to warn you," interrupted Professor Ditson, "thatthis trip may involve a special danger outside of those usual to thetropics. When I was last in Peru," he went on, "I had in my employ a mannamed Slaughter. He was an expert woodsman, but sinister in characterand appearance and with great influence over the worst element among theIndians. One night I found him reading this manuscript, which he hadtaken from my tent while I was asleep. I persuaded him to give it up andleave my employ."
"How did you persuade him?" queried Jud, curiously.
"Automatically," responded Professor Ditson. "At least, I used a Colt'sautomatic," he explained. "His language, as he left, was deplorable,"continued the scientist, "and he declared, among other things, that Iwould have him to reckon with if I ever went again to Eldorado. I haveno doubt that through his Indian allies he will be advised of theexpedition when it reaches Peru and make trouble for us."
"What did he look like?" inquired Mr. Donegan.
"He was a giant," replied Professor Ditson, "and must have been overseven feet in height. His eyebrows made a straight line across hisforehead, and he had a scar from his right eye to the corner of hisjaw."
"Scar Dawson!" shouted Will.
"You don't mean the one who nearly burned you and Joe alive in thecabin?" said the lumber-king, incredulously.
"It must be," said Will. "No other man would have that scar and height.I'll say 'some danger' is right," he concluded, while Joe nodded hishead somberly.
"That settles it!" said Jud. "It's evident this expedition needs a goodman to keep these kids out of trouble. I'm on."