CHAPTER XVII. AZURMA AND THE NAZTECS.

Azurma, the beautiful murderess, had jumped upon the rocky slide with the firm conviction that she was going to her death.

She held her breath and closed her eyes during the fearful descent.

When she had passed through the flames and found herself comparatively uninjured, a sudden hope arose in her breast that she might come out all right yet.

This thought no sooner entered her mind than she struck the water with a splash and sank below its surface.

Down, down, the girl went, for many feet.

When she struggled to the surface again she was at least two hundred yards from the place where she had fallen in.

Blinded and half choked, she kept her head above the water, and in a few seconds she was beyond the limits of the roaring fire and smoke.

The girl did not offer to struggle in the least, but allowed the merciless current to carry her along at its will.

This was the wisest thing she could do, for it left her what strength she possessed to be used later on.

On she whirled, the current running so strong that she kept on top of the water without the least effort on her part.

In a few more seconds the falls will be reached.

Azurma hears the angry roar of the tide in her ears, and prepares herself for the worst.

She lifts her head for a single instant, and sees the foaming crest but a few yards distant.

The next minute, with a rush and a roar, she is carried over.

Contrary to her expectations, she is not dashed to a shapeless mass upon a bed of jagged rocks, but finds herself struggling in a lake of comparatively still water.

Azurma knew how to swim, and, after brushing her long tresses from her eyes, she drew a long breath and started for the shore, close at hand.

Faint and exhausted, she reached it, and sank upon the ground in a semi-unconscious condition.

She was aroused to her full senses presently by hearing the pattering made by some animal running toward her.

In an instant she sprang to her feet.

A cry of joy escaped her lips.

Coming toward her was Jupiter, the dog she had seen go over the falls with his master the day before.

The animal came directly to her feet and lay down, acting in a very strange manner. His head was covered plentifully with clotted blood, showing the girl that he was suffering from a severe wound.

Lying upon the ground, he looked her in the face and whined in a piteous manner.

“Poor dog,” said Azurma. “What has become of your master? Is he dead? If not, take me to him.”

She waved her hand for the dog to get up and lead the way.

He seemed to comprehend her meaning, but acted in a dazed sort of way.

Running away from her for about fifty yards, he suddenly turned and made a circle, and then rolled over and over upon the ground.

Instead of being frightened at these strange actions, Azurma became interested.

Instinct told her that something unusual ailed the dog.

She made up her mind to find out what it was, if possible.

Quickly making her way to his side, she talked to him in a soothing manner, and then proceeded to examine the wound on his head.

A moment’s inspection sufficed to show her that the animal’s skull had received a fracture, and that a part of the bone was depressed.

Something told her that if she could lift the piece of bone back to its place, Jupiter would be all right.

A needle-like instrument was pinned to the white, gauzy sash about her waist, and with this she endeavored to do the job.

Though she knew little or nothing about surgery, she was successful.

The dog howled piteously during the operation, but did not offer to prevent her from doing it.

When it was finished he rolled over on his side and appeared to fall into a deep sleep. The girl bathed the dog’s wound with her water-soaked garments, and then seated herself by his side to await developments.

It must have been an hour before the dog began to show signs of awakening, and as soon as he did, Azurma, who had heard Reginald Lacy call him by name, arose to her feet.

“Come, Jupiter; show me where your master is.”

The animal seemed to have fully recovered; he began springing about her feet, uttering his quick, sharp barks in a joyful manner.

Then, catching Azurma by the dress, he attempted to pull her along after him in the direction of the opening where the light came from.

“I’ll go with you willingly,” said the girl, catching on to the idea that Lacy was somewhere in that direction.

Away they went, the faithful dog leading, and ever and anon turning around to see if Azurma was still following.

In this manner they soon reached the identical place Lacy had entered several hours previously.

Azurma was very much puzzled at her surroundings. She, nor none of her people, had ever been in that portion of the underground country before, but she could plainly see the tracks made by Lacy, and concluded to follow as far as Jupiter chose to lead her.

Along through the lighted passage they went until they arrived at the point where Lacy had been pounced upon and captured by the Naztecs when in the act of hurling the bowlder down upon the defenseless form of his enemy.

Azurma’s quick eye told her that a struggle had taken place here, for she found the shred of a garment, evidently a piece of the shirt Lacy wore, while upon the ground was a clot of blood.

But as she could find no more of the latter, she rightly judged that it had come from the dog.

A strange light shone in the girl’s eyes as she surveyed her surroundings.

“Is it possible that the last words I addressed to the women of Hez will come true?” she asked herself. “I have escaped death, and am now in the limits of another country, where people must certainly live, for they were not animals who carried off the dog’s master and left the poor creature lying here for dead. I will go down there where it is so light; Jupiter seems anxious to go, and I will follow.”

Without any further hesitation she started down the descent, and at length stood in the cave in which Owens had been lying bound hand and foot.

But the place was deserted now, and Azurma followed the dog through the opening at the other side, and stepped into the single street of the strange, little city.

The scene that met the girl’s eyes was so entirely different to what she had anticipated that for a moment she was completely bewildered.

But not so with the dog.

He gave a single bark and dashed away with the speed of the wind toward the further end of the street, where a large number of people were congregated.

It was at this identical moment that the contest of strength between Reginald Lacy and Philander Owens was about to take place.

Jupiter reached the spot just as the enraged Owens was about to plunge the gleaming blade into his master’s heart.

With a mighty bound the animal sprang upon the would-be assassin and bore him to the ground.

Then, but for the interposition of a number of the Naztecs, he would have literally torn him to pieces.

As it was, Owens’ shoulder was so badly lacerated by the dog’s teeth that he had to be carried from the place in a semi-conscious condition.

Lacy staggered to the side of Jupiter and hugged him as a mother would her child.

The Naztecs gazed upon the scene with a look of wonderment in their eyes.

True, they had such things as dogs in their country, but none like the faithful animal who was now before them, and who had saved his master’s life!

At a signal from the king, or ruler, of the place, the crowd clapped their hands in a burst of applause, and then began singing a sort of chant.

At this moment Azurma, who had hitherto been unobserved, came upon them.

Reginald Lacy was one of the first to notice her, and when he did so he gave a start of surprise.

She had joined the Naztecs in singing the chant, and appeared to be perfectly acquainted with it.

The moment the king laid his eyes upon the newcomer, he made a sudden signal, and everybody, save Lacy and the girl herself, dropped upon their knees.

Azurma seemed as much astonished as Lacy at the proceedings, but she did not hesitate to shake hands with the man who had preceded her to the queer country.

“Do you know these people?” asked Lacy, quickly.

“No; I never saw nor heard of them before.”

“Do you understand their language?”

“I know the chant they were singing. It was learned to the people of Hez by Roderique de Amilo, the founder of the race.”

“Oh!” exclaimed the man, brightening up; “if that is the case, you can, most likely, make yourself understood to them. Are you acquainted with the language in which the chant is sung?”

“I am.”

“Then advance to that man over there and ask him who and what they are, and what they are going to do with us.”

He pointed to the king, who stood with bowed head, as he spoke.

Azurma at once obeyed, and when she began talking the king lifted his head and nodded in a pleased manner.

He replied to all the girls’ questions, who, in turn, translated the conversation to Lacy.

The substance of it was that the people were really called Naztecs, and that their race had been in existence for hundreds of years.

For the past century the population had gradually dwindled, from some unknown cause, and they now numbered scarcely seven hundred, all told.

Many, many years before, the king said, one of their beautiful maidens had disappeared, leaving word that she would surely come back, or else send some one in her place, who was as beautiful as her, in some future generation.

This had been recorded by the forefathers of the Naztecs, and, consequently, they were always on the lookout for the girl to turn up.

When they saw Azurma they took it for granted that she was the one sent in place of the lost maiden of ages before.

With this brief explanation we will proceed.

Azurma was cute enough to allow the Naztecs to believe that she was really the one they took her to be.

By so doing she came in possession of a power which she would not otherwise have had.

She had no difficulty in persuading the king to set Lacy and his dog free, and give them the privilege of going anywhere about the city.

She told his royal highness where she had come from, and he at once set forth his desire to visit Hez, if possible.

Whereupon Azurma set her people down as a bloodthirsty race, and offered to lead the Naztecs upon them at some future day, and exterminate them.

This seemed to satisfy the king, and he gave orders that hereafter Azurma should be treated as a princess.