Jack North's Treasure Hunt Part 29

"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 a.s.sist 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 gra.s.s-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 a.s.suredly 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 gra.s.s 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.

Chapter XXIX

The Treasure of the Boiling Lake

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.