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.
“I ain’t got no home nor nuthin’,” he remarked. “One place is ez good ez another to me,--only I like to be among friends.”
“Stay with me, Plum, and welcome,” said Jack, cordially. “I can use you in my business, if you want to come in.”
“I am with yeou every time,” said Plum, and shook hands on it. As said before, he was without funds and more than glad that our hero was willing to assist him.
The night was spent at the dilapidated house without anything unusual happening, and early in the morning they got breakfast,--eating some birds Jack brought down with his pistol--and then went on their journey.
Noon found them on the main road, and an hour later they came across two of the members of Jack’s party.
“Well, I am glad to see you are alive,” said one of the men. “We had about given you up for lost.”
“I came pretty near being lost forever,” answered Jack, and once again had to tell his story. Then one of the men was despatched to bring up the rest of the party; and by nightfall all hands were together again.
“I shall certainly be more careful in the future,” declared Jack. “Such absent-mindedness does not pay.”
Fortunately some extra clothing had been brought along, and a suit was given to Plum, for which he was exceedingly thankful. That night Jack slept finely, and in the morning declared himself in the best of health.
Once again the party moved forward to the rocky bowl in the mountains holding the Devil’s Waters. By noon the summit of the ascent was gained and the party came to a halt. Then Jack went ahead accompanied only by Plum.
As soon as Jack reached a spot where he could look into the vast bowl he saw that something unusual had occurred. He was mystified and appalled and sat on his pony spellbound.
The roar and thunder of the mysterious boiling lake was gone. Not a sound broke the stillness of the mountainous scene. He looked down on a grass-covered valley, somewhat round, in size and having in its center a mound or “island,” upon which grew a lonely pimento tree. A branch of the tree, devoid of foliage, pointed like a great finger, to a cut in the great mountain bowl.
There was no mistaking such a landmark, and as Jack viewed it he gave a long low whistle.
“Well?” demanded Plum, questioningly.
“I am--am staggered, Plum.”
“Why?”
“This doesn’t look like a lake, does it?”
“Sure not, Jack.”
“Well, the last time I was here it was a boiling, writhing lake, and that mound you see yonder was an island in the middle.”
“Gosh all hemlock, Jack! Yeou don’t mean it!”
“I assuredly do.”
“There ain’t a drop o’ water around here neow!”
“I know it and that is what puzzles me.”
“Ain’t mistaken in the spot?”
“Not at all. Do you see that solitary pimento tree? Well, that was there, exactly as it is now.”
“Yeou said it would be, I remember that,” said Plum, scratching his head. “But this ain’t no lake.”
“It has been. See, the grass shows signs of having been covered with water mixed with mud.”
“That is so too, an’ neow I look at it, Jack, ther’s big holes in the ground here an’ there, where the water must have run off.”
For several minutes Jack and his friend surveyed the scene. Then our hero urged his pony down the somewhat steep side of the gigantic mountain bowl.
“Whar be yeou a going now?” asked Plum.
“To the mound in the middle of the valley, to see if I can find the treasure,” shouted back Jack.
“All right, I’m with yeou,” answered the Yankee lad, and followed down the slope.
It must be owned that Jack’s heart beat rather rapidly as he rode down into the little valley, hemmed in on all sides by the high walls of the Andes mountains.
He remembered well what the paper had said concerning the treasure, yet he did his best to steel himself against possible disappointment.
Plum Deemed to read his thoughts, for as he rode up he said:
“Jack, thet treasure might have been here years ago, but don’t be disapp’inted if it’s gone now. Them waters may have washed it away.”
“I am willing to take what comes, Plum,” was the answer. “But I want to know the exact truth--I hate to be kept in suspense.”
“Well, we’ll know afore long, I calkerlate,” returned the Yankee lad.
They had to pick their way with care to the “island,” as Jack insisted upon calling it. The bed of the valley was filled with holes and cuts, all of unknown depth. Here and there the flat rocks were split in twain in the most extraordinary fashion.
“There has been some great convulsion of nature here,” said Jack. “Maybe the earthquakes have something to do with the disappearance of the water.”
“If the water was here--an’ I believe what you say--it must have gone down in ’em holes and cuts,” said Plum. “But what made it spout up ag’in?”
“Some contraction of the hollows under the lake’s surface,” answered Jack. “Maybe a cave would get filled with water, then some rocks would fill the cave up, causing the water to spout out into the valley.”
“It must be thet--but it is certainly wonderful, Jack.”
At last the pair reached the side of the mound or “island,” Here they could gain a good idea of the big pimento tree with its stricken branch pointing to the distant hills. Around the pimento the rocks were strewn in all directions.
“If there was a cave here it is filled up,” said Jack.
“Pity we didn’t bring a spade along,” answered his companion.
Dismounting, they tied their ponies to the pimento and then began to look around the mound, which was several acres in extent. Rocks were cast up in all directions, as if by the force of a volcano.
A half hour had passed, and they had found nothing of value, when of a sudden Plum snatched up something and gave a yell:
“Gold! gold!”
“True enough,” answered Jack, when he had examined the piece. It was the size of his little finger and similarly formed.
“The treasure must be here!” went on the Yankee lad. “Come, let us look for it.”
“That is what we are doing already,” answered Jack, with something of a happy laugh. He, too, had spotted something yellow between the rocks, and now brought it forth, another piece of gold, twice the size of Plum’s find.
“Good for yeou!” shouted the Yankee boy. “The rocks must be full o’ gold!”
In feverish haste the search was continued, and soon Jack had at least a pound of gold to his credit, while Plum had nearly as much. Then, of a sudden, Jack stepped on some loose dirt and shot out of sight.
“Hi! what yeou doing?” yelled Plum, in alarm, as he retreated from the hole that had appeared.
“Help me out!” called up Jack. He had gone down about a dozen feet, to bring up in a bed of sand and small stones.
“Hurt any?” queried Plum anxiously.
“Not a bit, Plum.”
“Any gold down there?”
“I’ll see,” said Jack.
He hunted around the opening and soon discovered a passageway between two immense rocks. He lit a match and one look around made his eyes open wildly.
Gold was there, on all sides of the passageway--enough to make him rich for life!
“Plum, look here!” he yelled. “Gold--all you want of it!”
“Du tell!” roared the Yankee boy, and without stopping to think twice he dropped down to the bottom of the hole.
Another match was lit, and then some dry brushwood, and by the flickering light the two youths filled their pockets with the precious metal.
“We can load our ponies with gold,” said Jack. He was so delighted he could scarcely speak.
“That’s it--we’ll carry away all we can an’ then come back fer more,” answered the Yankee lad.
How to get to the top of the hole once more was a problem, but at last Jack climbed on Plum’s shoulders. He was then able to grasp a tree root, and by this means hauled himself upward.
“I’ll tell you what to do, Plum!” he called down. “You throw up the gold to me and I’ll load it on the ponies.”
“All right, Jack. But don’t forgit to pay me fer the job,” laughed Plum.
“Pay you? Why, Plum, a good share of this gold is yours!”
“Yes, but yeou knew about the treasure, I didn’t.”
“I don’t care. You can have a third anyway--and I’ll pay all expenses of this trip.”
“Thanks, Jack, yeou allers was a good feller.”
After that both boys worked away like Trojans for the best part of an hour. The gold was there and Plum flung up one piece after another, until the saddle bags on both ponies were overflowing.
“We’ve got a load!” cried Jack at last. “Any more down there?”
“Plenty,” was the answer.
“Well, let us take this to yonder hills and hide it. Then we can come back for more.”
“Why to the hills, Jack?”
“Because something tells me not to trust this spot too long, Plum. Remember the boiling lake.”
He assisted the Yankee lad to the top of the opening and then, mounted on their ponies, they made their way over the dry bottom of the lake to the rocky ridge beyond. Here they deposited the gold in a safe place, and then returned to the “island.”
“I’ll go down this time,” said Jack, and did so. A torch had been brought along, and sticking it in a crack of the rocks, the youth went to work with a will.
In less than half an hour the ponies were again loaded with gold. Jack had picked up almost the last piece in sight when he came to a sudden pause in his work.
What was that strange sound, and was it possible the earth beneath him was trembling? He leaped back to the center of the hole. Yes, the earth was surely quaking, and now some loose dirt came down on top of him.
“It is the earthquake!” he murmured, and at that moment came a loud cry from Plum.
“Jack! Jack! come up, as quick as yeou can! The water is squirting up through ’em holes, an’ the lake is filling up!”
The earthquake was indeed upon them, and as Plum threw down a rope to Jack the whole landscape seemed to rock to and fro, causing the Yankee lad to miss his footing and pitch headlong on our hero’s head.
“Oh, Jack, did I hurt you?” spluttered Plum, as he stood upright at the bottom of the hole.
Jack did not answer, for at that instant the earth shook again, sending them both on their backs. Then all became, for the instant, quiet.
“We must get away from this spot!” gasped Jack. “If we don’t, we’ll be buried alive!”
The rope had fallen at his feet. He picked it up. There was a noose at one end and this he whirled upward.
Twice he missed the object for which he aimed, but the third time the rope caught fast to a projecting rock.
“Now, Plum, up you go!” he said, and gave his companion a lift. Fear lent the Yankee lad strength and he went up hand over hand in rapid fashion. Jack followed, and in a moment more both stood on the surface of the island.
The sight that met their gaze was enough to make them shudder. On all sides the darkish-green water was spouting from the holes and cuts in the lake bed. Some of the columns arose to a height of a hundred feet, the water falling back into the basin with a tremendous report, and causing the drops to fly in all directions. At one point in the lake the water was already a foot or more deep.
“To the shore!” yelled Jack, and flew for a pony, while Plum did likewise. The animals were crazy with fear and could scarcely be controlled.
As they left the island there came another movement of the earthquake, followed by a crash behind them. They looked back, to see the lonely pimento tree fall into the very hole they had just left!
“Gosh! what a narrer escape!” gasped Plum.
“We are not out of it yet, Plum,” answered Jack. “Come, we must ride for all we are worth. Perhaps we had better throw away the gold.”
“No! no! Don’t do it!” screamed the Yankee lad. “We can make the shore if we hurry.”
Down they plunged side by side from the island and into the water that was now flowing in all directions around the mound. They made a bee line for the rocky ridge beyond.
“Look out for holes!” cried Jack, but even as he spoke his pony plunged downward, nearly causing our hero to take a header. But he clung fast, and, struggling up, the pony went forward as before.
It was a ride that can scarcely be described. Soon the water was up to the bodies of the ponies and then they were carried off their feet. They swam a short distance, and then, coming to a shallow spot, galloped on as before.
It was a wild ride, and dripping from foam and water the ponies kept on until once again they had to swim.
Then came a roar from the bottom of the lake, and steeds and riders were hurled high in the air, to fall again with a noise in the spume of the boiling lake.
“We--we air lost!” panted Plum. “Th--the wind is gone out o’ me!”
“Keep on, we have only a short distance further to go!” cried Jack.
The earth was shaking again and the water appeared to swing away from them toward the island.
Then it came on with a rush, carrying ponies and riders far up the rocky ridge. Then the water went back as before, boiling and foaming furiously, while a mist blotted out the immediate landscape.
“Come, don’t stop here!” yelled Jack, urging his pony forward. “To higher ground, before it is too late!”
Again they went on, but not for far. Another earthquake threw them flat and Plum rolled down under his pony. Then the quaking ceased; and that was the last of the earthquake. Arising, Jack helped his companion and found that the Yankee youth was uninjured. Both looked down the rocks toward the lake. The water was boiling and foaming as before, but gradually the surface of the lake grew calm. Then Jack gave another exclamation:
“The island! It is sinking from sight!”
It was true, the island was going down slowly but surely. In a few minutes it was but a mere speck on the surface, and then even this disappeared.
“Gone!” gasped Plum. “But we got the gold--or a good part o’ it!”
“Thank heaven that our lives were spared!” murmured Jack. “I never want to go through another such experience--not for all the gold in the world!”
A few words more and we will bring our tale to a close.
When they had rested, Jack and Plum rejoined the others of the party. The story of the hunt for gold was told, much to the amazement of the rest, and, later, the gold was taken down to the seacoast and placed with some reliable bankers. The boiling lake was inspected and found to be deeper than ever. Strange to say, the lake remained where it was for about two months, when it gradually disappeared, and that was the last seen of it. The ground around where the pimento island had been was greatly upheaved, and a long search in that vicinity failed to bring any more gold to light.
The treasure that had been found proved to be worth nearly thirty thousand dollars, one-third of which went to Plum and the rest to Jack. Out of his share our hero paid all the expenses of the trip and also rewarded handsomely all those who had accompanied him into the mountains.
With a portion of his money Jack continued to develop his nitrate fields and shipped vast quantities of the stuff to this country and elsewhere. He soon became immensely wealthy, and then settled down with his wife, Jenny, in Boston, where we will bid him farewell.
The End.