"And I! And I!" exclaimed his companions, in whispers.
"And this fellow, Noddy Nixon, is to blame for it all!" went on theangry Mexican. "He gets us all to come out here. We follow the crazy_Americano_ who does nothing but grab bugs and toads. He is man to beafraid of! Yet we follow him, and all for what? To find he is lookingfor some old ruins. I will not stand it!"
"Clear out of here!" commanded Bilette. "If we stand here quarrelingmuch longer they'll wake up."
Under the guidance of their leader, the Mexicans made their way back tothe river bank. On the opposite shore they had left their horses andNoddy's automobile.
"What made you think they were after a mine, Noddy?" asked Bilette, whenthe party was well beyond earshot of the campers. "You must have made amistake."
"Supposing I did," whispered Noddy, in low tones to Vasco, "what goodwill it do to tell every one? I may have failed on this plan, but I haveanother, even better."
"Better not try it until you find if it will work," advised Bilette. "Mymen are in no mood to be fooled a second time."
Disappointed and dejected, the Mexicans recrossed the river and madetheir camp on the opposite shore from Professor Snodgrass and the boys.The Mexicans were still in a surly mood, and Vasco had to keep closewatch lest some one of them should harm Noddy.
Wet and cold, for if the days were hot the nights were chilly, the Nixongang reached their camp. One of the men lighted a fire and cooked somefrijoles and tortillas. The meal, simple as it was, made every one feelbetter.
Nixon and Pender, as soon as they had finished eating, drew off to oneside, leaving the Mexicans to talk among themselves.
"It looks as if we'd have trouble," said Noddy.
"It's all your fault," observed Pender.
"I'm not saying it isn't," put in Noddy. "But what's the use of cryingover spilled milk? The question is: What are we going to do about itnow?"
Pender was silent a few minutes. Then a thought seemed to come to himsuddenly.
"I have it!" he exclaimed.
"What?" asked Noddy.
Jack leaned over and whispered something in his friend's ear. Noddyhesitated a moment, and then gave a start.
"The very thing!" he exclaimed. "I wonder I didn't think of it before."
He hurried to where Vasco was sitting, near the camp-fire, smoking acigarette. To him he whispered what Pender had suggested.
"It's a risky thing to do," said the Mexican. "If it fails, we'llhave to leave the country. If it succeeds we'll be in danger of heavypunishment from the authorities. However, I'm ready to risk it if youare. Shall I tell the men?"
"Of course," replied Noddy. "I want to make it up to them for beingmistaken about the mine."
Thereupon Vasco called his friends to him, and, motioning for silence,said:
"Our friend Noddy," he explained, "has just told me something."
"About a gold mine?" asked one of the men, bitterly.
"It may prove to be a gold mine," said Vasco. "But it concerns one ofthose across the river," and he nodded toward the other campers.
"Did you notice one of the boys"--Bilette went on--"the fat one; thestout youth; the one they call Bob and sometimes Chunky?"
"_Si! Si!_" exclaimed the Mexicans.
"Well, his father is a rich banker."
"What of it?" asked one of the men. "His money is not in Mexico."
"But it can be brought to Mexico!" cried Vasco.
"How?"
"By kidnapping the boy and holding him for a large ransom. Will you doit?"
"We will!" yelled the men. "This will provide us with gold. We'll kidnapthe fat boy!"
CHAPTER XV.
CAUGHT BY AN ALLIGATOR.
"Easy! Easy!" cried Vasco Bilette. "Do you want them to hear you acrossthe river?"
Under his caution the men subsided.
"We must follow them and watch our chance," spoke Noddy. "We'll demand aheavy ransom."
"_Si! Si!_" agreed the Mexicans.
"That's how we get square, Jack," whispered Noddy to his chum.
"You bet, Noddy; and get money, too!" said Pender.
"We'll all have to have a share," put in Dalsett. "I'm not here for myhealth."
"Me either," remarked Bill Berry. "I need cash as much as any one."
"We'll share the ransom money," said Vasco. "Now turn in, every one ofyou."
Soon the camp became quiet, the only sounds heard being the movementsof animals in the forest, or, now and then, the splash of a fish in theriver.
The sun was scarcely above the horizon the next morning ere VascoBilette was astir. He took a position where he could watch the othercamp, and saw the professor and the boys get their breakfast and startoff.
"We'll give them about an hour's start," said Vasco to Noddy. "Then themen on horses will follow and you can come, about a mile behind, in theauto. At the first opportunity we'll capture this Bob Baker."
Meanwhile, Jerry and his companions were going along at a moderate pace.The weather was fine though hot, and the road fairly good. For perhapstwenty miles they puffed along, and then they came to another river.
"I hope this isn't any deeper than the other," said Jerry.
"I'll swim across," volunteered Ned.
His offer was accepted, and, stripping off his outer garments, heplunged into the water. Luckily, he found the stream was about asshallow as the first one the auto had forded. He reached the oppositebank and called over.
"Come on! Fetch my clothes with you; I'm not going to swim back."
Jerry started the machine down into the water. It went along all rightuntil about half way across. Then there came a sudden swirl beneath thesurface, a jar to the machine, and then the auto came to a stop.
"What's the matter?" cried Jerry. "Have we struck a snag?"
"Looks more like a snag had struck us," replied Bob, leaning over therear seat and looking down into the water. "Something has hold of one ofthe back wheels."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Jerry. "Do you suppose a fish would try to swallowan automobile, as the whale did Jonah?"
"Well, you can see for yourself," maintained Bob. "There's some kind ofa fish, or beast, or bird, down under the water, making quite a fuss.It's so muddy I can't make out what it is."
Jerry climbed over into the tonneau. Sure enough, there was somedisturbance going on. Every now and then the water would swirl and eddy,and the automobile would tremble as if trying to move against somepowerful force. Jerry had thrown out the gears as soon as he felt anobstruction.
Professor Snodgrass was closely observing the water.
"What do you think it is?" asked Jerry.
"It might be that it is an eddy of the water about a sink-hole, or itmay be, as Bob suggests, a big fish," replied the naturalist. "I neverknew there were fish in these waters big enough to stop an auto, though."
"It may be a whole school of fishes," said Bob.
Just then there came a more violent agitation of the water, and the autobegan to move backward slightly.
"Whatever it is, it seems bound to get us," Jerry remarked. "Wait untilI see if I can't beat the fish or whatever it is."
He turned on more power and threw in the first speed gear. The autoshivered and trembled, and then moved ahead slightly. But the big fish,or whatever it was, with powerful strokes of its tail began a backwardpull that neutralized the action of the automobile.
"I see what it is!" cried the professor.
"What?" asked Jerry.
"A big alligator! It has one wheel in its mouth and is trying to drag usback. Hand me a rifle!"
Jerry passed over a gun. The professor, who was a good shot, leaneddown over the back of the tonneau. He could just make out the ugly headof the 'gator beneath the surface. In quick succession he sent threebullets from the magazine rifle into its brain.
There was a last dying struggle of the beast, the waters swirled in awhirlpool under the lashing of the powerful tail, and then the littlewaves became red with blood and the alligator cea
sed struggling.
Once more Jerry threw the gear into place, and this time the machinewent forward and reached the opposite bank.
"I thought you were never coming," observed Ned, who was shivering inhis wet undergarments. "What did you stop for? To catch fish?"
"We stopped because we had to," replied Jerry, and he told Ned about thealligator.
"I thought you were shooting bullfrogs," observed the swimmer as he gotout some dry clothing. "Say, if we told the folks at home that a Mexicanalligator tried to chew up an automobile, I wonder what they'd say?"
"The beast must have been very hungry, or else have taken us for anenemy," remarked the professor. "I wish I could have saved him for aspecimen. But I suppose it would have been a bother to carry around."
"I think it would," agreed Jerry. "But now we are safe, I must see ifMr. Alligator damaged the machine any."
He looked at the wheels where the saurian had taken hold, but beyond themarks of the teeth of the beast on the spokes and rim, no harm had beendone.
"Are we ready to go on now?" asked the professor, when Ned had finisheddressing.
"I'd like to take a dip in the river," said Bob. "It's hot and dusty onthe road, and we may not get another chance."
"I think I'll go in, too," observed Jerry. "We are in no hurry. Will youcome along, professor?"
"No; I'll watch you," said the naturalist. He sat down on the bank whileJerry and Chunky prepared for a dip.
They splashed around in the water near shore and had a good bath. Bobwas swimming a little farther out than was Jerry.
"Better stay near shore," cautioned the professor. "No telling when somealligators may be along."
At that instant Bob gave a cry. He struggled in the water and gave aspring into the air.
"Something has stung me!" he cried.
Then he sank back, limp and unconscious, beneath the waves.
"Hurry!" cried the professor. "Get him out, Jerry, or he'll be drowned!"
But Jerry had hurried to the rescue even before the professor called.Reaching down under the water he picked up his companion's body, and,placing it over his shoulder, waded to shore with it. Bob was as limp asa rag.
"Is he killed?" asked Ned.
"I hope not," replied the professor. "Still, he had a narrow escape."
"Did something bite him?" asked Jerry.
The professor pointed to a small red mark on Bob's leg.
"He received an electric shock," said the naturalist.
"An electric shock?" echoed Ned.
"Yes; from the electric battery fish, or stinging ray, as they aresometimes called. They can give a severe shock, causing death under somecircumstances, it is said. But I guess it was a young one that stungBob. They are a fish," the professor went on to explain, "fitted bynature with a perfect electric battery. I wish I had caught one for aspecimen."
"I didn't think of it at the time this one stung me or I would havecaught it for you," said Bob, suddenly opening his eyes.
"Oh, you're better, are you?" asked Jerry.
"I'm all right," replied Bob. "It was quite a jar at first."
"I agree with you," put in the professor. "However, you got over itbetter than I expected you would. I think we had better get out of theneighborhood of this river. It seems unlucky."
In a little while Bob was sufficiently recovered to dress. Then, havingdelayed only to fill the water tank of the auto from the stream, thetravelers resumed their journey.
They chugged along until nightfall, and having reached no settlement,they camped in the open, and made an early start the next day. It wasabout noon when, having made a sudden turn of the road, they came to aplace where there was a parting of the ways.
"I wonder which we shall take?" asked Ned.
"Look! Look!" cried Bob, suddenly, pointing to something ahead.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE LAUGHING SERPENT.
"What is it?" asked Jerry, bringing the machine up with a sudden jerk.
"See! There is the laughing serpent!" exclaimed Bob.
"The laughing serpent?" inquired Ned. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you remember what the old Mexican said?" went on Bob. "Here isthe parting of the ways, and here is the image of the laughing serpent."
"Sure enough!" agreed the professor. "It's an image cut out of stone, inthe shape of a snake laughing. Wonderful! Wonderful!"
Right at the fork of the road and about fifteen feet from the automobilewas the strange design. It was rudely cut out of stone, a serpenttwining about a tree-trunk. There was nothing remarkable in the imageitself except for the quaint, laughing expression the sculptor hadmanaged to carve on the mouth of the reptile.
"I wonder how it came here?" asked Jerry, getting out of the car andgoing close for a better look.
"Probably a relic of the Aztec race," replied the professor. "They wereartists in their way. This must be the image the old Mexican mentioned.If it is I suppose we may as well follow his advice and take the road tothe left."
"The road to the buried city," put in Jerry. "We must be close to itnow."
"Isn't that something sticking in the mouth of the image?" asked Bob.
"It looks like a paper," said Ned. "I'll climb up and see what it is."
He scrambled up the stone tree-trunk, about which the image of thelaughing serpent was twined. Reaching up, he took from the mouth of thereptile a folded paper.
"What does it say?" called Jerry.
"It's written in some queer language; Spanish, I guess," replied Ned. "Ican't read it."
"Bring it here," said Professor Snodgrass. "Perhaps I can make it out."
The naturalist puzzled over the writing a few minutes. Then he exclaimed:
"It's from our old friend, the Mexican magician. He tells us to turn tothe left, which is the same advice he has given us before, and he addsthat we must beware of some sudden happening."
"I wonder what he means by that?" asked Jerry.
"Probably nothing," answered the professor. "But if something doeshappen, and he meets us after it, he'll be sure to say he warned us.It's a way those pretended wonder-workers have."
"How do you suppose the note was placed there?" inquired Bob. "We leftthe Mexican many miles behind."
"They are wonderful runners," answered the naturalist. "The magician maynot have placed it here himself, but he may have given it to a friend.Perhaps there was a relay of runners, such as used to exist among theancient Mexicans to carry royal messages. The old Mexican, who, somehowor other, discovered our object in this country, probably wanted toimpress us with his abilities in the mystifying line."
The travelers spent a few minutes examining the queer, carved serpent.There were no other evidences of the existence of man at hand, and,except for the two roads, there was nothing to be seen but an almostunbroken forest. It was a wild part of Mexico.
"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Jerry. "Go on or stay here?"
"Go on, by all means," said the professor. "Why, we may be only a littleway from the buried city! Just think of it! There will be wealth untoldfor us!"
"One thing puzzles me though," observed Bob.
"What is it, Chunky?" asked Ned.
"How are we going to know this buried city when we come to it?"
"How?" came from Jerry. "Why, I suppose there'll be a railroad station,with the name of the city on it. Or there may be trolley cars, so we canask the conductors if we are at the underground town. Don't you worryabout knowing the place when you get to it."
"But if it's underground, how are we going to find it?" persisted Bob."It isn't like a mine, for people who know the signs can tell where goldor silver is hidden under the ground. But a city is different."
"I confess that question has been a puzzle to me," admitted ProfessorSnodgrass. "The only thing to do is to keep on along this road until wecome to the place, or see some evidence that a buried city is in thevicinity."
"Forward, then!" cried Jerry, cranking up the auto.
&n
bsp; They all got into the car and, proceeding at a slow speed, for the pathwas uncertain, started down the road leading to the left.
But all this while Noddy Nixon and Vasco Bilette, at the head of theirtwo bands, had not been idle. Noddy kept his auto going, and Vasco andhis Mexicans trotted along on horseback, drawing nearer and nearer tothe travelers ahead of them.
It was about noon when the boys and the professor had started away fromthe image of the laughing serpent, and it was three hours later thatVasco and his men came up to it.
"Hello!" exclaimed the Mexican, staring at the carved stone. "I neversaw you before, but you're not remarkable for beauty. I wonder whatyou're here for?"
He had never been in this part of Mexico before, and it was like a newcountry to him.
"I wonder which way those chaps took?" asked Vasco, dismounting from hishorse. "It won't do for us to take the wrong trail."
"See!" exclaimed one of the Mexicans, pointing to where the tracks ofthe auto wheels could be seen, imprinted in the dust of the way leadingto the left. "See! That way they go!"
"Sure enough they did, Petro!" remarked Vasco. "You have sharp eyes.Well, we'll just wait here until Noddy comes up and sees how thingsare. I shouldn't wonder but what it would be time to close in on 'emto-night. I'm getting tired of waiting. I want some money."