Old Gold Part 54

"No: if it were we should see clouds of smoke between us and the stars, and they're clear right down to the top of the mountain. Why, Brace, there must be a volcano here, and that's the reflection from the glowing lava. I've seen something like that in the Sandwich Islands."

"I'll go and tell my brother," said Brace. "No; perhaps he's asleep, and it would be awkward for him to get up here in the dark."

"And you couldn't get him up in time," said Lynton. "Look: it's dying out fast. There: it's gone now."

"Yes," said Brace, in a very low whisper. "How strange!"

"Sort of afterglow," muttered Briscoe; "only it's a long time after the sunset. Well, gentlemen, I'm for bed. The scene is over and the lights are out. What do you say?"

Brace said nothing, but he followed his companion into the cave and sleep came soon after--the sound, easy sleep enjoyed in the open air, for the night breeze played softly in at the open mouth of the cave, and there was nothing to disturb the party till the fire began to crackle soon after daybreak.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

THE STRANGE FIND.

Saving the canoe that they had seen, the events of the night were pretty well forgotten when a fresh start was made, for all were anxious to explore the great canon and make a wider acquaintance with the beauties that opened out as they trusted themselves once more to the gliding waters which bore them gently on, so slowly now that the powers of the flood-tide were evidently failing gradually.

"We shall have the current against us before long," said the captain decisively.

"I've been thinking so too," said the first mate; "see how calm the water's getting. It will be wrong then, for the wind is dead against us, what there is of it."

"You'd like to go right on up here, gentlemen, I suppose?"

"Certainly," said Sir Humphrey decisively, "till we are obliged to turn back. The scenery here is grand. Don't you think so, Mr Briscoe?"

"Beats grand," was the reply; "but, my word, if gold wasn't a dangerous word to name in these boats, I should like to land with a hammer and prospect a bit up among these rocks on either side. If they're not full of rich ore I don't know paying stuff when I see it."

"Let it rest," said Brace, in a half-whisper. "Don't let the men hear you talking about gold again. You remember what occurred before."

"Right. I won't mention the word; but if the Indians who live in these parts haven't found out and made use of the metal here, the same as the Mexicans and Peruvians did, they must be a queer sort of people.

Shouldn't wonder if we see some more of them to-day."

"Neither should I," said Brace, grasping his piece. "Look: that must be the canoe we saw yesterday evening. What are they doing?"

"Fishing," said the captain quickly. "Now then, gentlemen, let's be ready for emergencies, but make no sign, and maybe they'll be friendly instead of showing fight."

All eyes were directed at a canoe in which three Indians were busy fishing, while a fourth sat in the stern keeping the craft straight by dipping his paddle and giving it a swoop from time to time. They were some three hundred yards ahead, just off a pile of ma.s.sive rounded rocks which jutted out into the river, and evidently gliding with the current in the same direction as the two boats.

One thing was very evident: they were so intent upon their work that they did not look back, and hence were in perfect ignorance of the approach of the adventurers, while at the end of a couple of minutes they glided on in their frail canoes beyond the rocky promontory, which completely hid them from the view of those in the boats.

"Do you think we ought to follow them up, sir?" asked the captain.

"Yes," replied Sir Humphrey, "and keep our weapons out of sight as if we had come upon a peaceful errand."

"I'm afraid they won't understand us, sir," said the captain gruffly; "but we'll try."

The current was running very gently now, so that the approach of the boats to the promontory took time; but at last it was rounded, revealing to the occupants of the boats a scene as startling as it was strange.

There, a couple of hundred yards away, was the canoe they had followed, while at various distances farther on no less than six more small canoes were dotted about, their feather-crowned crews all busily employed fishing, while as the boats glided round the tree-covered rocks the nearest Indians struck up a soft minor-keyed chant which was taken up by the crews of the other canoes, the whole combining in a sweet low melody which floated over the smoothly-flowing river, fully explaining the sounds heard from the cavern-mouth overnight.

In all probability it was a fisher's song which the people imagined had some effect upon the fish they were trying to lure to their nets.

Strangely wild and mournful, it rose and fell, and gained at times in force as it seemed to echo from the right side of the canon, which here rose up like some gigantic wall hundreds of feet in height, barred with what appeared to be terraces, and honeycombed with open doors and windows, row above row, from the lowest, upon which in two places smouldered the remains of fires, right up to the sky-line, which, roughly regular, was carved into something resembling the crenellations of a gigantic castle, extending apparently hundreds upon hundreds of yards.

Brace had hardly swept the face of the strangely-worked range of cliff when the softly mournful chorus ceased, and as if moved by one impulse, on catching sight of the approaching boats, the Indians burst forth into a shrill piercing yell which echoed and re-echoed discordantly from the face of the rocks. The next moment every man had seized his paddle, and they were making the river foam and sparkle with the vigour of their strokes.

There was no mistaking the effect produced on the Indians by the appearance of the boats: it was the feeling of horror and dread, every man plunging his paddle deeply into the water and striving his utmost to force the canoes to their greatest speed, so that they might escape from the strange beings. In all probability they were seeing white men for the first time in their lives.

"What does that mean?" said Brace: "going to fetch help?"

"No," said Lynton; "because this must be where they live."

"Yes; there are their fires on the banks," added the captain.

"But they are mere savages," said Sir Humphrey, who ceased to watch the retreating Indians, to sweep the front of the towering cliffs with his gla.s.s. "This palace must have been the work of a more highly civilised race."

"And is it your opinion that they are at home, waiting to shoot?" asked Briscoe, stooping to pick up his gun.

"At home? No," cried Sir Humphrey: "those are the ruins of some extremely ancient rock city. Look, Brace. Use your gla.s.s. It is the work of centuries. I should say every place has been cut and carved out of the solid rock by some industrious race; but it is quite deserted now save by birds."

"Then we've made a find," said Briscoe excitedly. "I say, I wonder whether this is the great Golden City, captain?"

"No, sir," said the captain gruffly; "don't you see it's all stone?"

"Yes, but--look, Brace. Those places farther on look more regular-- there where the trees are growing out of the cracks and the creepers are hanging down like curtains. I can't make 'em out very well with the naked eye, but those windows seem to have carving sculpt about them, and underneath seems to be like a stone colonnade and terrace."

"And a great central doorway," said Brace eagerly. "Yes, you are right: the walls are covered with curious figures and ornamentations. It must be either a great temple or the Inca's palace."

"Inca?" said Briscoe. "Yes--why not? Yes; I suppose it would be an Inca, something of the same kind as the Peruvians. But, I say, look here: these must have been something of the same sort of race as the Peruvians."

"No doubt," said Sir Humphrey.

"And the Peruvians were out and outers for getting gold."

"Look here!" cried the captain, banging his hand down upon the edge of the boat: "if you say gold again, Mr Briscoe, you and me's going to have a regular row."

"Then I won't say it," said the American good-humouredly. "I promised you that I would hold myself in; but recollect what I said to you last night about these cliffs. I felt sure that they contained--ahem!"

"Shall we row close up to the bank where those fires are, sir?" said the captain, turning his back upon Briscoe.

"If you think there is no risk of any Indians lying in ambush among those rock-chambers," Sir Humphrey replied.

"I think the place is quite deserted, sir," replied the captain, "and that if there had been any Indians on sh.o.r.e they would have bolted when these chaps yelled."

"Yes; that's right enough," said Briscoe. "They're canoe-folk, and there's no sign of a single person anywhere along the landing-place.

You may depend upon it this is a good fishing-station, and they come up here to camp, and we've frightened them away. It's safe enough."