FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  
are there--my other brothers, my cousins, my relatives. They will all stand by me, and they will be ready to avenge Pacheco. The wrath of my people shall fall on the head of the impostor! You wonder why I warn you? I will explain. You are bound far in the mountains, and the false Pacheco will follow. If you are captured, he may turn back. I want him to follow you--I want you to lead him into the snare. That is why I am here, and that is why I have warned you, senors. It is done, and now I will go." He arose to his feet, heedless of Bushnell's command to "keep still," and strode toward the horses. They saw an extra animal was there, and, in a moment, he had flung himself on the creature's back. "_Buenos dias, senores._" A clatter of hoofs, the flutter of a poncho, and a crimson serape, and Rodeo's horse was galloping up the ravine that still led deeper into the mountains. Man and horse soon vanished from view. CHAPTER XI. THE AWAKENING VOLCANO. Two days later, shortly after sunset, the party camped far in the depths of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The words of Rodeo, the half-blood, had proved true, for they were pursued by the bandits, but, thanks to the skill of Bushnell, they had been able to give the desperadoes the slip. "By ther end of another day we oughter be able ter clap our peepers on ther Silver Palace," declared the Westerner. Professor Scotch was now as eager as any of them to see the wonderful palace, all his doubts having been dispelled by Bushnell's straightforward narrative of the discovery of the place by himself and Jack Burk. "I wonder what causes that column of smoke we saw rising amid the mountains to the westward to-day?" said Frank. Bushnell shook his head. "Thet thar has troubled me some," he admitted. "It seems ter be fair an' squar' in ther direction of ther Silver Palace." "Maype dose pandits peen aheadt uf us und purn der balace up," suggested Hans, with an air of very great wisdom. "I scarcely think they would be able to burn a building made of stone, gold, and silver," smiled Frank. "Wa'al, not much," said Bushnell. "Ther palace will be thar when we arrive. You needn't worry about thet." They were very tired, and, feeling secure in the depths of a narrow ravine, they soon slept, with the exception of Frank, who had the first watch. The moon came up over the mountain peaks, which stood out plainly in the clear light, every gorge and fissure be
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63  
64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bushnell

 
mountains
 

palace

 
Silver
 

Palace

 

ravine

 
depths
 

follow

 

Pacheco

 

direction


westward

 
rising
 

column

 

troubled

 

admitted

 

mountain

 

wonderful

 
Scotch
 

fissure

 

doubts


discovery

 

narrative

 

dispelled

 

straightforward

 

plainly

 
narrow
 
silver
 

smiled

 
building
 

Professor


feeling
 

secure

 

arrive

 

exception

 
aheadt
 

balace

 

suggested

 

scarcely

 
wisdom
 

pandits


heedless

 
command
 

warned

 

senors

 

strode

 
Buenos
 

senores

 
clatter
 

creature

 

horses