CHAPTER XXVI.
It was a burning hot day, not a cloud decked the dark blue sky which clothed the heavens, the very water of the river, generally so cool and pleasant, was hot, and muggy, and unrefreshing. An unnatural stillness pervaded the air, and nature seemed to have been metamorphosed into stone. In their voyage up the dark river, the travellers had been amused and interested by the numerous and strange birds which were continually flying overhead. Lovely green woodpeckers, with scarlet heads and waistcoats, parrots of gaudy plumage and impudent ways, tiny parroquets, which sought to ape their superiors in size and cousins in species by many absurd movements, would continually enliven the raft party as they worked their way up stream. But on this occasion, all was still, even the birds being affected by the general oppressiveness.
After the attack by the Andes demons, it had been decided that the whole party should stick to the raft, which had been pushed off and started upon its journey, the morning following upon the events related in the last chapter. For ten days the party had been makingits way up the river, landing when possible on the banks at night to sleep and stretch the limbs of those composing it, which could not fail to become cramped in such a situation; and it was on the night of the tenth day that the spot where Sir Harry and Miriam Vane and James Outram lay sleeping, was at length reached, and here the party bivouacked.
It was with mixed feelings that Sir Francis and Lady Vane stood by the side of these graves for the first time, and looked down on the flower-decked canopy which grew above the last resting place of the old, old man, who through so many lonely years had watched and tended the spot where all that he loved most on earth, lay sleeping away her last great rest. So often had Harry and Topsie recounted their first meeting with the hermit, the wonderful tale which he had related to them, and the tragic end of their voyage to the great gold mine of Or, that both their uncle and aunt seemed as if they had gone through the whole experiences themselves, and were looking again on scenes already witnessed.
Thus they had bivouacked on this lonely spot, taking care not to trample or destroy the flowers that blazed upon it in their many and variegated hues, flowers planted and trained by the old man’s hand, to beautify the grave of his darling.
The oppressiveness had made itself first felt that night, and with such force that every one threw off the fur capas in which they had rolled themselves to sleep. If they hoped for relief with the morning they were disappointed, for it continued as bad as ever beneatha cloudless sky. The eagerness and excitement to see the cave of gold had, however, buoyed the party up, and they had embarked once more upon the raft full of the keenest expectation.
“Do you see yonder bend ahead, Uncle Francis?” suddenly exclaimed Harry, who had been looking ahead for some time.
“Certainly, my boy,” answered his uncle.
“Well, round that corner the river ends, and the cave will face us.”
This announcement aroused every one to the highest pitch of excitement. Over and over again Willie, and Mary, and Freddy had dreamt about this wonderful cave, and now actually they were nearing it, and in a few minutes would look upon it in all reality.
The raft flew through the water, urged forward by the eager Indians, who were quite as keen as the children to behold the cave wherein their young chief and Cuastral had both so nearly met a tragic fate. Soon the bend pointed out by Harry was reached, and the corner turned, and then they looked and beheld the scene of that dangerous adventure.
And Sir Francis and Lady Vane and their children, as they, too, gazed thereon, felt that Harry’s and Topsie’s description thereof had been in nowise over-coloured or overdrawn, for there stretched the long lake-like termination of the river they had been following, cased in by the huge precipices, which culminated in the giant cave or mine of Or.
“Oh, how glorious! How splendid!” burst out Freddy enthusiastically. “Just look, Mary and Willie;such a cave! Won’t we have fun exploring it and carrying away the gold! Do you know, Harry and Topsie,” he added a little mischievously, “I never quite believed the cave was so splendid as you described it to be, but now I ask your pardon for my incredulity.”
“Wait till you get inside, my man,” answered Harry loftily, as he rose from his recumbent attitude in the prow of the raft, which was pointing straight for the cave, “and you will see if I and Topsie are inventors or not. Dear old Mine, I little thought to see you so soon again.”
As he spoke the craft glided alongside the mouth of the great gold mine of Or, and in a moment the boy had sprung into the archway up to his knees in water. He was quickly followed by his sister and cousins, Aniwee, Piñone, Sir Francis, and Lady Vane, behind whom came Blancha carrying the baby Cacique, who, by-the-bye, made a capital traveller, being always in the best of tempers, and willing to be amused. In close attendance was Graviel, who followed his little charge about like a shadow, and then came Chorlo, Coquet, and all the other Indians, the raft having been made safe to the same giant creeper as had held all the previous ones.
The blue light shone at the far end, and splashing through the water went the long procession in orderly line, and as it came nearer to the light at the end, the stream grew shallower and shallower, until the water scarcely covered their feet.
But, when they reached that portion of the passage which opened to the right and left, Harry and Topsie,who were walking in the van of the party, suddenly uttered exclamations of surprise and halted, for the opening to the right was completely blocked up by huge detached rocks, which reached high above them, and entirely barred the way in that direction.
“Here’s a pretty go!” exclaimed the girl; “all chance of seeing that part of the cave is gone. This must have fallen since you were here, Piñone,” she continued, turning to the Indian Cacique.
“Even so,” he answered, in a voice of awe. “The Gualichu of evil has placed a giant barrier there, and within, the body of the Trauco queen is sleeping alone, and shut out from the presence of the man to save whose life she died.”
“It must have been an avalanche, or perhaps an earthquake, which has done this,” remarked Lady Vane, as she looked upwards, and noted the place whence the huge block of rock had been detached. “Not fifty Trauco queens would lift this, Piñone; and had it fallen when you were in there, your bones would have been quietly mouldering ere this.”
“Even so,” replied the Indian again, and in the same awe-struck voice.
“Well, come on down this way,” put in Harry. “The greater part of the gold is in this cave, and it was therein that dear old Uncle Harry died, and where Miriam Vane and her child and James Outram were killed by the Andes demons. I am glad this way is not choked up.”
“What if it should so become while we are in it?” exclaimed Lady Vane in a startled voice. “Is it wise,Francis, for us to linger here, do you think, with these evidences of demolition going on? I don’t want to appear an alarmist, dear, but such a possibility is possible, and I think we should be careful.”
“Quite right to be prudent, Ruby,” answered her husband, “but I don’t think there is any danger. All these rocks look solid enough. Let us, at least, go and look at the cave in which the big pool lies surrounded by gold. I must see that. To have come all this way and not see it would be absurd.”
So Lady Vane, who was quite as anxious as Sir Francis to look upon the scene, about which she had heard so much, put aside her fears and followed him.
The boys and girls had already preceded them, and when the rest entered the cave, they saw them standing on the shores of the lake, with their arms thrown round each other’s necks, gazing silently upon the wonderful scene before them; for even as Harry and Topsie had related, all round the lake stretched gold—gold, gold everywhere.
The sight of this vast store of wealth, lying silent, useless, and out of the ken of man, was a most wonderful spectacle, enough to strike the mind as something almost incredible. Yet there was the reality staring the explorers in the face—gold in vast abundance, untouched and unused. The Indians were quick to appreciate the situation, and soon the whole party of them were on their knees, filling their capas and ponchos with the precious metal. Even Sir Francis and Lady Vane seemed struck with the gold fever, for they, too, began collecting nuggets, an occupationin which the children soon joined them, Shag sitting on his haunches and looking gravely on, and wondering if everybody had gone mad, and why his beloved mistress was so busy picking up stones.
As he sat with wonder plainly depicted in his honest eyes, he suddenly seemed to lose his balance, falling violently forward on to his nose, where he lay sprawling and unable to rise. At the same time a curious sight might have been witnessed, of Indian forms heaving up and down, and waving to and fro, as they clutched at the ground and tried to hold on to it. Our white friends were all precipitated earthwards, presenting much the same appearance as the Indians, while the water in the passage leading from the lofty cave in which they were all assembled, could be heard lashing itself against the rocky walls that confined it. Immediately cries of terror began to resound throughout the cave, the Indians becoming distraught with fear; but their cries were soon drowned in a more overwhelming sound, that of crashing and falling rocks.
“Children, here; come here, quick!” cried Sir Francis, in a loud terrified voice; and with the promptitude of implicit obedience they staggered towards him. Even as they did so, a terrible crash almost deafened them, as a huge rock, detached from the opening above, came thundering down into the middle of the lake, casting aloft and around a perfect deluge of spray and water. Just along the passage another fearful crash followed the fall of this rock, making the whole cave tremble with the shock.
After this the heaving of the ground became still,whereupon Lady Vane gave quick, sharp orders to retreat at once from the cave, and Piñone and Aniwee joined her in giving a like order to the Indians. They were on the point of obeying, when another upheaving of the ground took place, precipitating every one face downwards once more, and adding to the wild terror which had seized upon the Indians. Again the waters lashed the walls in fury, once more the crashing of rocks resounded, and then a distant sullen roar became audible, like the booming of cannon far away. It approached nearer and nearer, there was a rushing, hissing sound, the shriek of a whirlwind on high, as through the aperture above the mountain torrent there came pouring down upon the terrified group, a cloud of stones, wood, snow, anddébrisof all sorts and kinds. Most of it fell into the lake where the detached rock had already fallen, but some of it struck the cowering Indians, and severely injured many of them, a stone striking Graviel with fearful force, and half stunning him.
“Let us get out of this accursed place,” cried Sir Francis vehemently. “Any risk is better than remaining here to be crushed to death. Come, children, come, Ruby, let us make a rush for the passage and gain the raft. Piñone, Aniwee, entreat your people to make an effort to follow us. If we remain here we shall be killed, or buried alive.”
As he spoke, he made for the passage leading from the cave, and Aniwee, possessing herself of the little Guardia, who was crying piteously, followed close behind him. But Lady Vane and the children, as theybrought up the rear, heard a deep groan escape Sir Francis as he came suddenly to a full stop before a huge jagged rock, which barred all forward progress, and prevented any exit that way.
“Good God!” burst from the baronet’s lips as he stared helplessly before him, “the worst has happened. We are buried alive!”