CHAPTER VI. “ESTO PERPETUA.

Leo Malvern sprang to his feet, and seized the girl by the shoulders.

“Utter a single cry and I will kill you!” he exclaimed.

She seemed to understand him, for she did not make the least effort to cry out.

“Do you understand what I say?” he asked.

“I do!” was the reply, in fair English.

“Then arise to your feet and lead us from this place.”

“Will you protect me if I get into trouble?”

“I will--with my life!”

“Then be it so. Come!”

The torch which the girl had possessed was still smoldering upon the floor, and quickly stamping this out, she seized Leo by the arm, and directed the rest to catch hold of him for a guide.

Then she started swiftly across the cave and entered the mouth of a passage.

Along a dark, narrow passage they made their way, until a large, vaultlike chamber was reached.

Here the girl came to a halt, and, placing her hand upon the shoulder of Leo, said:

“I have brought you to the burial place of our people. You will be safe here, for there are hundreds of nooks and niches to conceal yourselves in. I will go back and endeavor to find your weapons for you.”

“But,” said Leo, “I promised to protect you if you got into trouble. How am I to do so if you leave us?”

“It matters not; come a few paces this way; I would say something that is for your ears alone.”

The boy allowed her to lead him a few yards from his companions.

Then the beautiful girl seized him by the hands, and exclaimed:

“Let me tell you what caused me to break the laws of Hez and lead you from the magic chamber. I saw your face pictured in a dream a few nights ago, and the dream led me to believe that I was looking upon the face of my future lord and master. It was so real, that when I saw you, when you bade me rise to my feet after pulling me down with the skeleton, that I could not refuse to aid you. I believe in dreams, do you not?”

“Well--er--sometimes,” replied Leo, completely staggered at the girl’s speech.

“I knew you did. Then listen: I swear to protect you and your friends as long as you remain in the land of Hez. Now, tell me your name, my future lord and master.”

“Leo Malvern.”

“’Tis well. I shall ever remember it. Mine is Azurma. I am a member of the royal family.”

The girl kissed his hand fervently and then left the spot, while Leo groped his way to the side of his companions, to whom he related what had occurred.

Prof. Easy then informed Philander Owens as to who he and his companions were, and why they had chosen to brave the dangers of the great swamp, after which all hands lapsed into silence.

Finally Dick broke it by exclaiming:

“I don’t see any use of our remaining in this dark place until that girl comes back. I, for one, am going back into the place called the magic chamber and light a torch and see what it is like in there.”

“Hold on!” exclaimed the professor. “Haven’t you already seen that it does not pay to be rash? Just have a little patience and sit down and wait.”

“I am sorry, but I can’t comply with your request,” returned the adventurous boy. “I am deeply interested in the cave where the dance of death took place. Come on; who is going with me?”

“Gosh hang it!” exclaimed Haypole; “I’ll go.”

“Better wait, Dick,” said Leo, who was anxious to be there when Azurma came back.

“Oh, that’s all right, old fellow. We won’t run into any danger. We’ll see you later.”

With these words, Dick and the Yankee felt their way along until they came to the passage leading from the vault.

Having once found it, they boldly entered and walked softly along.

They kept on for fully five minutes, and then it occurred to Dick that they ought to have entered the magic chamber by this time.

He produced a match from his pocket and struck it.

To his astonishment he found himself in a small, open square, with four passages branching off in different directions.

By the flickering light of the match in his companion’s hand the Yankee saw a torch lying upon the floor.

Stooping down, he picked it up and lighted it.

“Now, I guess we will be able ter find ther way,” said he.

“I guess so. Ah! what have we here?” exclaimed Dick, pointing to a smooth rock, upon which were several inscriptions.

Haypole held the torch nearer, and they saw a long column of names engraved upon the rock.

But they were Spanish, and they failed to make them out.

Beneath them was a hand with the index finger pointing to a passage at their right.

“This must be the way out, Martin,” said Dick. “Come on; we will follow this passage.”

“Good enough!” returned the Yankee, and they at once set out.

But they soon found that the passage went downward instead of on a level, as the one they had before traversed.

However, they did not turn back; the hand upon the rock pointed that way, and both were anxious to see what it meant.

Down they went for fully fifteen minutes, and then they observed a bright light ahead of them.

But it was not the light of day that they saw; it was a sort of pale, greenish tint.

In a few minutes they emerged into a vast chamber of a conical shape, which seemed to be lighted by electricity, though where the seat of the light was located they could not tell.

In the center of the conical-shaped cavern was a pool of crystal water, from which a sparkling fountain shot upward, sending a myriad of glistening drops scatteringly through space.

In the curious light that prevailed the fountain resembled a monster Roman candle, and the two who gazed upon the scene for the first time were entranced at the wonderful spectacle.

The pool of water rested in a natural basin of rock, and a slanting floor of white stone stretched out from its edges.

After gazing at the fountain for a while, Dick led the way to the edge of the pool.

Here, for the first time, he noticed a tablet of stone which leaned against a bowlder.

The boy gave a start and pointed to it, at the same time calling his companion’s attention.

Upon the tablet was engraved a hand, like the one they had seen at the point where the four passages met, and the index finger pointed directly into the pool of sparkling water.

Beneath the hand was the rough delineation of a rose in full bloom, and under all were the words:

“ESTO PERPETUA.”

Dick’s small acquaintance with Latin told him that _esto perpetua_ meant: “Let it be perpetual,” and he wondered what it could all mean.

While he was studying over the subject, a slight noise was heard in the direction they came from.

Instinctively he clutched the Yankee by the sleeve, and both dropped to the ground behind the bowlder against which the tablet rested.