CHAPTER XXVII.

A STRANGE MESSAGE.

The days were full of anxiety for the professor, Jerry and Ned, who still remained in the ancient city after Bob had been kidnapped. Every night they went to bed, hoping some word would be received by morning, or that the missing one would return. Every morning they said to each other:

"Well, something will happen to-morrow."

But nothing happened, and, as day after day went by, they began to lose hope.

"We may as well leave here," said Ned.

"Not yet," Jerry replied. "I am sure we will have some word from Bob soon now."

In the meanwhile, they made trips in all directions from the ancient city. But there was no trace of the Mexicans. The country was uninhabited for twenty miles in every direction from the buried place, and farther than that the travelers did not venture.

"We must be here every night," said the professor. "Somehow, I feel that Bob will come back at night, or we will hear something from him after dark. So we do not want to be away then, for if he should come, or if he should send some word, we would not be here to receive it."

For that reason little was done toward hunting for the kidnapped boy. The travelers did not go so far but that they could get back by nightfall.

They explored the city thoroughly and the professor found many more rare and valuable relics. His specimen boxes were full to overflowing, but still he kept searching.

The boys occupied themselves by getting the meals and attending to the camp, for the naturalist bothered himself about nothing but his specimens. They still continued to reside in the old temple, which they found a comfortable place.

"I wonder what we'll do when our food gives out?" asked Ned one day when it was his turn to get the dinner.

"Why, haven't we got plenty for several weeks yet?" inquired Jerry.

"It don't look so to me," said Ned, glancing in the box where the canned stuff was kept.

"That's queer," remarked Jerry. "There aren't any tomatoes left. Did you cook any since yesterday?"

"You cooked yesterday," retorted Ned. "Were there any then?"

"Six cans," said Jerry. "Now there are none left. I wonder if the professor took any?"

"Any what?" asked the naturalist, coming into the temple just then.

"Tomatoes," replied Jerry, explaining what he and Ned had been talking about.

"No; I haven't touched a can," said the professor.

"Then some one has, and it isn't us," was Ned's opinion. "I wonder if there is any one in this temple but ourselves?"

"Now that you speak of it, I think there is," went on the naturalist. "The other night I was restless and could not sleep well. I was looking out of the door of our bedroom, into the main apartment, when I saw something white moving. At first I thought it was one of you boys, but I looked over on your cots and saw you both were sleeping. Then I thought it might be a white monkey, for I have heard there are such kinds, though I have never seen any. But when I looked a little closer I saw that it was a man wrapped in a long, white serape.

"I didn't give any alarm, for I was afraid of waking you boys. But I watched and saw the man go to our box and take out some cans of provisions. I meant to speak about it the next morning, but I forgot it."

"Who do you suppose it was?" asked Jerry.

"Probably some poor wandering Mexican," replied the professor. "He may have happened along, fallen into the passage leading to this old city and been half starved until he found our camp."

"We'll have to look out, though," said Ned. "We have hardly enough left for ourselves."

"Then we must keep watch to-night," decided the professor. "It will not do for us to starve, though we will share what we have with any one who is in distress."

And so, that night, they took turns in mounting guard. None of them saw anything out of the ordinary, though had they been able to witness a scene that took place in an obscure gallery of the temple they would have been surprised.

San Lucia and Murado were still hiding in the place, waiting their chance to get something of value from the travelers. The capture of Bob had upset the plans of the two aged brigands, and they were a little cautious about proceeding. But for several nights they had made raids on the improvised pantry Ned had constructed.

"Are we to go again to-night?" asked San Lucia, on the evening when Ned made the discovery that led to the posting of the guard.

"It remains to be seen," replied Murado. "If we have no better luck than last night it is of little use."

"No; tomatoes are a poor substitute for gold," agreed San Lucia. "I wonder if they have nothing but things to eat in those cans."

"Some of them must contain gold," replied Murado. "They do it to fool us, but we will get the best of them yet. We will carry off every can they have until we get those containing the treasure."

For the two Mexicans believed that the travelers had packed their gold in the tin cans, of which there was a number. And each night San Lucia and Murado had stolen a few, hoping that some of them contained gold. Each time, on opening the tins, they had been disappointed.

"I will go first to-night," said San Lucia. "I feel that I will be successful. Once we get the gold we can leave this place."

About midnight he crept as softly as a cat upon the travelers. But, to his surprise, he found Jerry on guard and armed. San Lucia sneaked back to the balcony and told Murado.

"They are becoming suspicious," said the latter. "We will have to wait a while. Perhaps they may be sleeping to-morrow night."

But the two aged brigands never got another chance to attempt to rob the boys and the professor. Why this was we shall soon see.

The next morning, on account of the watch that was kept, nothing was found disturbed.

"We fooled somebody that time," observed Ned.

After breakfast the professor announced that he was going to visit the house where he had, on a previous call, captured the gila monster.

"There was a cabinet there I overlooked," he said. "Do you boys want to come along?"

"There is nothing else to do," said Jerry. "How I wish we would hear something from Bob! I think we ought to go out on a search for him. It doesn't seem that he will ever come here, after all this time."

"I was thinking that myself," said the professor. "If we hear nothing by to-morrow we will leave this place."

The boys accompanied the naturalist to the ruined house. It seemed strange to be walking through the streets of a place that had been inhabited thousands of years ago. The city was a silent one, a veritable city of the dead, and the houses and buildings seemed like tombstones that had toppled over from age.

As Ned was walking about through the lower rooms of the house the professor had marked for exploration, he noticed a ring fastened to a square stone in the courtyard.

"I wonder what this is for?" he said.

"Looks as if it was meant to lift the stone up by," replied Jerry.

"Give us a hand," said Ned, "and we'll see what's here."

The two boys pulled and tugged, but could not budge the stone. The professor happened along and saw them.

"I'll show you how to do it," he said.

He took a long pole and thrust it through the ring. Then, using the pole as a lever, he easily raised the stone.

"Now let's see what we have unearthed," he remarked.

The stone had covered a small hole. In it was a little casket of lead, the lid of which was locked.

"We'll have to break it open," said Jerry.

"Get a stone," put in Ned.

Jerry brought a large one. One or two heavy blows and the lid of the box flew off. There was a sudden sparkle of light and several white objects fell to the ground.

"Diamonds!" cried the professor. "We have made a valuable discovery!"

The box seemed full of jewels. There were stones of many colors, but most of all were the white, sparkling ones.

"Maybe they're only glass," suggested Ned.

"No; they are diamonds, rubies, turquoise and other precious stones," replied the professor. "This was probably the jewel case of some Aztec millionaire."

They returned to their camp, carrying the jewels with them. As they entered the old building, Jerry, who was in the lead, started back.

"There's some one at our auto!" he exclaimed.

"Nonsense!" replied the professor. "The place is deserted."

But he changed his mind a moment later. As he entered the room he saw a girlish figure clinging to the side of the car. She seemed to be almost dead, and had only strength enough left to mutter:

"Bob; he want you! Vasco Bilette have him! Come quick!"

Then she fell over in a faint.