Night came slowly; the twittering of the birds and the chattering of the monkeys was hushed. Among the dense underbrush the darkness was intense, yet the Indian remained motionless in a listening att.i.tude.

Amid profound silence the moments pa.s.sed until to the boys it seemed as if it must have been midnight when c.u.mmings whispered:

"It is time. Poyor shall lead the way, and I will bring up the rear."

Walking in single file, and keeping firm hold of each other's garments lest they should be separated, the little party began the last stage of the journey.

The Indian went forward as if familiar with all the surroundings, and when half an hour had pa.s.sed he halted only long enough to point ahead where, through the foliage, could be seen the city, its buildings gleaming ghostly white in the starlight.

The decisive moment had arrived.

If they should be seen by a single person the alarm would be given, for the clothing as well as the skin of all the party, save Poyor, would proclaim the fact that these newcomers belonged to the hated race, and the end could not be long delayed.

a.s.suring himself that there was no one in sight, Poyor quickened his pace, leading the way toward a small building on the outskirts of the town, and ten minutes later, the strangers were inside the dwelling; but although successful in the undertaking, were virtually prisoners.

The house was very small as compared with the majority of those seen by the boys when they gazed from a distance, and had evidently been unoccupied a long while.

The one room which comprised the entire lower floor was dest.i.tute of anything in the way of furniture, and the sides, ceiling and floor were formed of the same soft-looking white stone which appeared to be the only building material in the city.

Poyor did not give his companions much time in which to inspect this portion of the building. With an impatient gesture to the boys who were gazing around them in evident disappointment, he led the way up a narrow flight of stairs to a sort of attic hardly more than six feet high, and with only two narrow slits in the wall to serve as windows.

Here five hammocks had been slung, and on one of them the Indian threw himself without a word of rejoicing or comment upon the ease and safety with which they had entered the city.

"Now what is to be done?" Neal asked as c.u.mmings started toward the stairway.

"I wish to bar the lower door, for it would be exceedingly inconvenient if we should have callers."

"It strikes me that there will be very little chance to get gold if we are to stay shut up here."

"That's just what has been puzzlin' me ever since I saw the place," Jake added. "We're not even in the city, only on the edge, and so far as seein' what's goin' on is concerned, the big tree in the swamp would have been a better place."

"You may find that we are too near the heart of the town," c.u.mmings replied with a grimace. "To-morrow, after Poyor has looked around some, we will decide on a plan. You had better go to sleep while there is a chance, for no one can say when we may be obliged to beat a hasty retreat."

The boys followed this advice for the simple reason that there was nothing else to be done. Teddy had looked through the narrow slit in the wall; but without being able to see anything of interest, and in this city which may have been, and probably was standing when Columbus discovered America, the three who had been literally thrown upon the coast of Yucatan lay down to sleep.

Owing to the strangeness of their surroundings, and the knowledge of the danger which threatened, no one gave himself up to very profound slumber.

The silence was so perfect as to be almost oppressive, until half an hour before sunrise, when a low strain of sweetest music arose on the air, gradually swelling in volume, and finally ending in a wild burst which caused Poyor to spring to his feet.

"What is the matter?" Teddy asked, and c.u.mmings replied carelessly:

"Nothing in particular. That music is the summons to prayer, and now is the time when the Indian can go through the streets with less danger of being discovered."

In another instant Jake and the boys were at the apertures which served as windows; but some time elapsed before they could see anything owing to the gloom. Then, as day dissipated the darkness, they distinguished throngs of white robed figures hurrying from every quarter toward some common point, which was probably the temple with its dome of silver.

It was an odd sight to see so many people moving rapidly, but without noise, while neither cart nor animal of any kind accompanied them. Here and there were men carrying burdens on their backs by aid of a strap pa.s.sed around the forehead, and many women and children literally loaded down with flowers.

"I don't see any great show of gold or silver," Teddy said, after gazing at the scene some time in silence. "No one appears to wear anything like jewelry."

"That may be because such metal is too common here," Jake replied. "What bothers me is to make out why c.u.mmings and the Indian are so afraid of being discovered. These people don't look as if they'd kill a fly unless he made a noise, an' that's what they seem to be scared of."

"Don't make a mistake," c.u.mmings whispered, as he overheard the last portion of the conversation. "If it was known that a white man had succeeded in entering the city our lives would be taken within the next hour."

"You may believe all that; but I'll hold to it that they're the most peaceable lot I ever saw, until somethin' comes up to prove the contrary," and Jake went toward the street door with Poyor, regardless of whether he was seen by the pa.s.sers-by or not until the Indian said sharply:

"Go back; I do not wish to die."

"If you're frightened of course I'll get out of the way," Jake replied half angrily; "but before we leave this town I'll show you how much reason there is for being afraid."

"And in ten minutes from that time you will cease to live," Poyor replied gravely, as he left the building, closing the door carefully behind him.

"It will be well to remember what he has said," c.u.mmings added sharply as he approached the engineer to bar the door. "These people are peaceable until the time comes when religion and all the traditions of their race tell that a long remembered wrong should be avenged, and then no cla.s.s can be more implacable. I would not show my face outside of this door for as much gold as can be found in Yucatan."

This remark silenced Jake, but he was by no means convinced of its truthfulness, as could be told by his whispered remark to Neal:

"They know we will have a chance to lug off a pile of money, an' to prevent us from wantin' too much, try to prove that we must stay out of sight so's they can get the cream of the bargain."

"Don't do anything foolish," Teddy replied earnestly. "c.u.mmings would not have asked us to come with him unless there had been good reason for wanting a.s.sistance, and it is not possible he has made any mistake regarding the nature of the people."

Jake had nothing more to say; but it could readily be seen that he believed his own ideas on the subject were correct, and at this moment something occurred which demanded his entire attention.

Poyor had but just left the building, and a crowd was gathering in front of the door, causing c.u.mmings to say with every sign of fear:

"We shall soon have a chance of learning what these people will do in event of finding a white man in the city, for it looks as if we were discovered."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE FESTIVAL.

It can well be imagined with what anxiety the party in the building looked through the narrow apertures at the crowd below.

Even Jake began to fancy he had made a mistake in regard to their peaceful dispositions, and Teddy noticed that he examined very carefully all the weapons.

Those on the outside were armed chiefly with bows and arrows; but a few carried a sort of spear with a tip which looked not unlike gla.s.s, and Neal whispered to c.u.mmings:

"If they have got nothing but arrows we ought to be able to hold a large number in check with our guns."

"Don't make the mistake of despising their weapons, for every one is covered with a poison so deadly that a single scratch would be more dangerous than a wound from a bullet."

"Do you think they have learned that we are here?"

"I can't explain in any other way the motive for the gathering; but none of them appear to be paying very much attention to the building."

As a matter of fact, although there were four to five hundred directly in front of the house, hardly one of them glanced toward the openings through which the little party were gazing; but the majority appeared to be having a most sociable time.