"I hope this doesn't last very far," thought the youth. The roughness continued a quarter of a mile, when he came out on a beautiful gra.s.sy plain, at the rear of which he saw a thatched house and a small garden enclosure containing a score or more of chickens.

As he approached the house an old man came forth to meet him. He viewed Jack with astonishment, for visitors in that lonely spot were rare. "Where does the most n.o.ble senor come from?" he asked, bowing low.

"I came from the town far below here," answered Jack. "I have lost my way," and then as well as he was able he described the road he wished to find.

"The _Americano_ senor is a long distance from that road," said the native.

"Can you guide me to it?" questioned the youth, eagerly. "I will pay you well for your services."

At the mention of pay the native showed an increased interest. He was naturally a lazy fellow, but the promise of a Peruvian half dollar made him hustle to take Jack on his way. He too had a pony, and soon the pair set off, across the plateau and then through a sparingly grown forest, where some of the trees were of enormous height.

"What had made the air so smoky?" questioned Jack, as they rode along.

"Have there been heavy forest fires?"

"No forest fires, senor," the native answered. "The smoke comes from the bowels of the earth. The rocks have opened once more--we shall soon have an earthquake."

"You think so?" cried Jack. He had experienced several slight earthquakes while in that quarter of the globe, and, though they had done small harm, he dreaded the coming of another quake.

"Yes, senor."

"How soon?"

"Two, three days, it may be--or perhaps a week," answered the native.

After that they rode along in silence for fully half a mile, when they reached a trail running east and west.

"Is this the road the senor is looking for?" asked the native, bringing his pony to a halt.

"I believe it is," answered Jack. "But I must look around first to see if my party has pa.s.sed this way."

He surveyed the scene with care, but could find no trace of the others.

Had they come thus far, or had they turned back, in a hunt for him? Jack was in a quandary over what to do next. Night was again coming on, and he had no desire to remain alone again, after his many adventures of the past twenty-four hours.

"Where can we stop around here?" he asked.

"The senor wants his humble servant to remain with him over night?"

"Yes, unless some other house is handy, and others there."

"There is a house not far away, but it is empty."

"Then let us go to it. It will be better to remain there than to stay in the open."

They went up the trail a short distance, and then turned to the southward and took to a side road leading through a patch of high brushwood.

Crossing a tiny mountain torrent, they came in sight of a dilapidated house, one end of which was all but wrecked. To the surprise of both Jack and his guide, smoke was issuing from behind the structure.

"Somebody must be here after all," said the youth, as he rode forward.

"It must be a stranger, senor," was the native's reply.

Not to fall into the hands of enemies Jack advanced with caution. As he rounded the end of the dilapidated house, he saw a bright fire burning among some piled-up stones. In front of this fire a tall young man, dressed in rags, was crouching, cooking something in a battered pan. As Jack came closer the young man suddenly leaped to his feet, uttering a cry of alarm. Then he gave another cry, and dropping the pan with its contents to the ground, he rushed forward with wide-stretched arms yelling at the top of his voice.

"Jack! Jack! It is really my own Jack! Oh, how glad I am to see yeou!"

Chapter XXVIII

Back from the Dead

Jack literally fell from his horse. Was he dreaming or was this a ghost that confronted him? He gazed at the other fellow with eyes that almost popped from his head.

"Ain't yeou glad to see me?" came from the fellow in rags, and his voice took on a hurt tone. "Plum! Is it--is it really you?" faltered Jack.

"Sure ez yeou air born it's me," was the answer from Plum Plucky.

"But I thought you were dead--I was sure you were dead. Why, I--I buried your bones!"

"Not by a jugful yeou didn't bury my bones, Jack. I've got 'em all with me, although I allow they ain't much meat on 'em jest now," went on Plum, dolefully.

"But this--this staggers me! I was certain you were dead, and when I found a heap of bones which the vultures had picked clean I buried them for yours. This is the most wonderful thing I ever heard of. I can't understand it. Where have you been, and why didn't you let me hear from you?"

"I have been a prisoner of war," answered Plum. "Got caught in the mountains one day. Fust they was up fer shootin' me, but then they changed their minds and carted me off to some little town in the mountains. They fired me into a dungeon an' I took sick, an' would have died only a native gal up an' nussed me back to health. Then I give the gal some silver I had hidden away an' she showed me how to git away, an' I got. Then I got lost in the mountains, an' would have starved to death only I run down some sort o' a wild beast that had two legs broken in a fall over the rocks. I killed the beast--I reckon it was a puma--with some rocks, an' lived on the meat fer nigh on to a week. Then, after all kinds o' adventures in the mountains, I reached here, an' here I am, an' so happy to see yeou I don't know what to do."

As he finished tears stood in the honest eyes of the Yankee lad, and Jack was no less affected. They embraced, the native looking on in wonder, until the matter was explained to him.

"I know this road like a book, so ye won't need thet native no longer,"

said Plum. "But I'd like to have his nag. I'm dead tired o' hoofin' it."

"You shall have the pony--if he will sell," said Jack.

"Got any money to pay with? I ain't got a red cent."

Jack had some funds with him, and soon a bargain was closed with the native. Then the fellow went off, leaving the former chums to themselves.

The supper Plum had been cooking was spoilt, but another was presently prepared and both sat down to do justice to the repast. As they ate each told his story in detail, and Jack related his reason for coming back to that portion of the country.

"I'm glad to learn yeou made money on them nitrates," said Plum. "An' I am glad, too, thet you found yer gal true blue an' waitin' for ye, Jack. But about this treasure hunt,--well, I don't put much stock in it."

"I want to solve the mystery of that boiling lake, Plum. Even if I don't get the treasure it will be something to learn what makes that water shoot up as it does."

"Oh, I suppose so, but don't yeou take too many risks finding eout,"

returned the Yankee lad.

Plum said he had expected to remain at the deserted house all night and then push on for the seacoast. But now he had met Jack, and had a pony at his service, he was willing to go anywhere.