properties, and in a short time all the pain will go away; but I fancy
you'll carry that scar to your grave."

CHAPTER XVII.

A HALT.

Jake professed to have but little care how long the scar might remain on
his face providing the wound healed, and they succeeded in escaping from
the Chan Santa Cruz Indians.

"Nothing that can happen to us during the journey to Merida would be
half as bad as to fall into their hands," he said with a shudder, "and
what surprises me most is that I should have thought they were peaceably
inclined."

"But that is exactly what they are until it comes to dealing with a
white man," Cummings replied. "You must remember all that the
people--the natives I mean--have suffered since America was discovered.
The barbarous treatment they received from the Spaniards is told from
father to son, and it is a portion of their religious training to work
all the injury possible to the whites. Read of what the invaders did to
satisfy their thirst for gold, and then you can no longer wonder why
these people, the only ones who have kept their city free from the
conqueror, are so implacable. Remember that Yucatan was once covered
with populous cities, the ruins of which show even at this late date how
magnificent they were, how splendid beyond comparison with the one we
have seen, and you ask yourselves why these Indians do not rise and
massacre all of the hated color that can be found."

"But you also came hoping to take away their treasure," Neal said,
smiling at Cummings' vehemence.

"That is true, therefore I have no word of blame when they attempt to
kill me; but, as a matter of course, I try to save my life even though I
am to them nothing more than a common robber. In my own eyes, however,
the case seems different. To procure such goods as I most desired, would
probably be, by the aid of Poyor, to solve that which scholars have
studied for so long in vain--the origin of the Aztecs and Toltecs, for I
believe the Chan Santa Cruz belong to the latter race, and keep fresh
all their histories and traditions."

"And now that you have failed it would be better to go home with us,"
Teddy said.

"This attempt has failed; but I shall try again and again until I
succeed, providing we get out of this scrape alive, which is by no means
certain, for we have a long and perilous journey before us."

"Which we are not likely to make unless Poyor comes back," Neal added
grimly. "It surely seems as if