7

THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP 23

THE TRAGEDY OF THE WHITE TANKS 43

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT 55

THE STRANGE POWDER OF THE JOU JOU PRIESTS 75

AN AZTEC MUMMY 78

A LESSON IN CHEMISTRY 90

AN INTERESTING GHOST 102

THE MOUND OF ETERNAL SILENCE 116

THE STORY OF A BAD INDIAN 127

A QUEER COINCIDENCE 135

THE STORY OF AN INSANE SAILOR 152

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE 173

THE VOODOO IDOL 194

AN ARIZONA EPISODE 205

ONE TOUCH OF NATURE 218

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

OFTEN AT NIGHT HE SPOKE WITH FIERY ELOQUENCE _Frontispiece._

THE CASTLE IS BUILT ON A LEDGE ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN 7

THE SMOKE CONTINUALLY OOZED FROM ALL PARTS OF HIS BODY 106

THE MOUND OF ETERNAL SILENCE 118

JUDSON'S MAP 119

TIXINOPA 127

MALITA 130

A SILVER COIN * * * ONE EDGE HAD BEEN FLATTENED AND A
HOLE PIERCED IN IT 152

THE GREAT DOG * * * RESTING HIS HEAD ON THE COWBOY'S
KNEE 218

[Illustration: THE CASTLE IS BUILT ON A LEDGE ON THE SIDE OF A
MOUNTAIN.]

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE.

"No," said the curiosity dealer, "that mummy is not for sale. I had too
big a job to get it."

"Tell me about it," I asked.

The curiosity dealer carefully closed and locked the case, and then
meditatively rolled a cigarette.

"Well, it was this way: you see I was out after snakes and other natural
history specimens. I had a special order from a chap in New York for
three hundred snakes--he wanted some big rattlers. I think I sent him
some that pleased him; anyhow he paid for them all right. I had a
customer who wanted a rattlesnake with a very big