CHAPTER III.

NEWS OF NODDY NIXON.

"What's the matter? Bit by a kissin' bug?" asked Nestor, as Ned was capering about.

"Nope! I'm going to find that buried city," replied Ned.

"He's loony!" exclaimed the miner. "He's been sleepin' in the moonlight. That's a bad thing to do, Ned."

"I'm not crazy," spoke the boy. "I have a plan. If you don't want to listen to it, all right," and he started for the cabin.

"What is it, tell us, will you?" came from the professor, who was in earnest about everything.

"I just thought we might make a trip to Mexico in the automobile, and hunt for that lost city," said Ned. "We could easily make the trip. It would be fun, even if we didn't find the place, and the gold mine is now in good shape, so that we could leave, isn't it, Jim?"

"Oh, I can run the mine, all right," spoke Nestor. "If you boys want to go traipsin' off to Mexico, why, go ahead, as far as I'm concerned. Better ask your folks first, though. I reckon you an' the professor could make the trip, easy enough, but I won't gamble on your finding the buried city, for I've heard such stories before, an' they don't very often come true."

"Dearly as I would like to make the trip in the automobile, and sure as I feel that we could do it, I think we had better sleep on the plan," said Professor Snodgrass. "If you are of the same mind in the morning we will consider it further."

"I'd like to go, first rate," came from Jerry.

"Same here," put in Bob.

That night each of the boys dreamed of walking about in some ancient towns, where the buildings were of gold and silver, set with diamonds, and where the tramp of soldiers' feet resounded on the paved courtyards of the palaces of the Montezumas.

"Waal," began Nestor, who was up early, making the coffee, when the boys turned out of their bunks, "air ye goin' to start for Mexico to-day, or wait till to-morrow?"

"Don't you think we could make the trip?" asked Jerry, seriously.

"Oh, you can make it, all right, but you'll have troubles. In the first place, Mexico ain't the United States, an' there's a queer lot of people, mostly bad, down there. You'll have to be on the watch all the while, but if you're careful I guess you'll git along. But come on, now, help git breakfust."

Through the meal, though the boys talked little, it was evident they were thinking of nothing but the trip to Mexico.

"I'm going to write home now and find if I can go," said Ned.

Jerry and Bob said they would do the same, and soon three letters were ready to be sent.

After their usual round of duties at the mine, which consisted in making out reports, dealing out supplies, and checking up the loads of ore, the boys went to town in the auto to mail their letters. It was a pleasant day for the trip, and they made good time.

"It will be just fine if we can go," said Bob. "Think of it, we may find the buried city and discover the stores of gold hidden by the inhabitants."

"I guess all the gold the Mexicans ever had was gobbled up by the Spaniards," put in Jerry.

"But we may find a store of curios, relics and other things worth more than gold," added Ned. "If we take the professor with us that's what he would care about more than money. I do hope we can go."

"It's going to be harder to find than the lost gold mine was," said Jerry. "That map the professor has isn't much to go by."

"Oh, it will be fun hunting for the place," went on Bob. "We may find the city before we know it."

In due time the boys reached town and mailed their letters. There was some excitement in the village over a robbery that had occurred, and the sheriff was organizing a posse to go in search of a band of horse thieves.

"Don't you want to go 'long?" asked the official of the boys, whom he knew from having aided them in the battle at the mine against Noddy Nixon and his friends some time before. "Come along in the choo-choo wagon. I'll swear you in as special deputies."

"No, thanks, just the same," Jerry said. "We are pretty busy up at the diggings and can't spare the time."

"Like to have you," went on the sheriff, genially. "You could make good time in the gasolene gig after those hoss thieves."

But the boys declined. They had been through enough excitement in securing the gold mine to last them for a while.

"We must stop at the store and get some bacon," said Ned. "Nestor told me as we were coming away. There's none at the camp."

Bidding the sheriff good-by, and waiting until he had ridden off at the head of his forces, the boys turned their auto toward the general store, located on the main street of Rockyford.

"Howdy, lads!" exclaimed the proprietor, as he came to the door to greet them. "What is it to-day, gasolene or cylinder oil?"

"Bacon," replied Jerry.

"Got some prime," the merchant said. "Best that ever come off a pig. How much do you want?"

"Twenty pounds will do this time," answered Jerry. "We may not be here long, and we don't want to stock up too heavily."

"You ain't thinkin' of goin' back East, are ye?" exclaimed the storekeeper.

"More likely to go South," put in Ned. "We were thinking of Mexico."

"You don't say so!" cried the vendor of bacon and other sundries. "Got another gold mine in sight down there?"

"No; but----" and then Ned subsided, at a warning punch in the side from Jerry, who was not anxious to have the half-formed plans made public.

"You was sayin'----" began the storekeeper, as if desirous of hearing more.

"Oh, we may take a little vacation trip down into Mexico," said Jerry, in a careless tone. "We've been working pretty hard and we need a rest. But nothing has been decided yet."

"Mexico must be quite a nice place," went on the merchant.

"What makes you think so?" asked Bob.

"I heard of another automobilin' party that went there not long ago."

"Who was it?" spoke Jerry.

"Some chap named Dixon or Pixon or Sixon, I forget exactly what it was."

"Was it Nixon?" asked Jerry.

"That's it! Noddy Nixon, I remember now. He had a chap with him named Perry or Ferry or Kerry or----"

"Bill Berry, maybe," suggested Bob.

"That was it! Berry. Queer what a poor memory I have for names. And there was another with him. Let's see, I have it; no, that wasn't it. Oh, yes, Hensett!"

"You mean Dalsett," put in Ned.

"That's it! Dalsett! And there was another named Jack Pender. There, I bet I've got that right."

"You have," said Jerry. "You say they went to Mexico?"

"You see, it was this way," the storekeeper went on. "It was about three weeks ago. They come up in a big automobile, like yours, an' bought a lot of stuff. I kind of hinted to find out where they was headed for, an' all the satisfaction I got was that that there Nixon feller says as how he guessed Mexico would be the best place for them, as the United States Government hadn't no control down there. Then one of the others says Mexico would suit him. So I guess they went. Now, is there anything else I can let you have?"

"Thanks, this will be all," replied Jerry, paying for the bacon.

The boys waited until they were some distance on the road before they spoke about the news the storekeeper had told them.

"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Noddy and his gang had gone to Mexico," said Ned. "That's the safest place for them, after what they did."

"I wish they weren't there, if we are to take a trip in that country," put in Bob.

"It's a big place, I guess they won't bother us," came from Jerry.

But he was soon to find that Mexico was not big enough to keep Noddy and his crowd from making much trouble and no little danger for him and his friends.

They arrived at camp early in the afternoon and told Nestor the news they had heard. He did not attach much importance to it, as he was busy over an order for new mining machinery.

There was plenty for the boys to do about camp, and soon they were so occupied that they almost forgot there was such a place as Mexico.