Kitabı oku: «In the Wonderful Land of Hez: or, The Mystery of the Fountain of Youth», sayfa 5
CHAPTER XII.
AZURMA FINDS LEO
Reginald Lacy sank to the ground in a dejected manner when he found that the mouth of the passage was blocked.
“We can’t get out,” he said, hoarsely. “We may as well make up our minds that we have got to starve to death!”
“Brace up!” exclaimed Leo. “Never give up until you are sure that you are lost. It was only a short time ago that I was certain that I was rushing to my death. But I was saved, and that has taught me a lesson. I will not give up now until I feel the last breath leaving my body.”
The boy’s words seemed to imbue the man with a new hope.
He struggled to his feet again and patted his faithful dog on the head.
“If I only had something to eat,” he said, “there might be a chance. I am very hungry, and so is Jupiter.”
“Let us find something to eat.”
“Where?”
“Around here, somewhere. There might be living creatures about; we have not searched, you know.”
“That’s so; I never gave it a thought before. Lead on and take my rifle; maybe you will be able to shoot something.”
Leo took the weapon and saw that it was loaded with but four cartridges.
That was the only firearm between the two, Leo having lost his when he tumbled down the rocky decline in the Devil’s Kingdom.
“We have only got four shots to depend on,” said the boy, motioning Lacy to follow him; “but if I have occasion to use them I’ll make every one tell.”
His companion nodded, and the two started back toward the place they had come from.
In a few minutes they reached the shore and began looking about them for some signs of a creature that might do to eat.
A couple of hundred yards to the right was a group of rocks, which looked as though it might possibly contain the lair of a wild beast of some sort.
Toward this Leo directed his steps, Lacy following.
They searched about the place for over half an hour, but not a living thing could they come across.
Again they sat down, Lacy being very dejected.
The dog, who had been nosing about considerably, suddenly started off at a quick bound, at the same time uttering a short bark.
“He has struck the trail of something!” exclaimed Reginald Lacy, springing to his feet as quickly as his feeble condition would allow him.
“Let us follow him,” says Leo.
Away they went after Jupiter, in the hopes that he was about to start up some game.
They had no sooner entered a small passage between two clefts of rock than they were startled by hearing a wild scream.
“Great God!” exclaimed Lacy. “What is that?”
“It sounds to me like the cry of a female in distress,” replied his young companion, turning about and starting hurriedly in the direction the scream came from.
In a few seconds Leo came in sight of Azurma, with the horrible picuasus pursuing her.
Again a wild scream left the girl’s lips, and though the distance was rather great, the boy instantly concluded to risk a shot.
He knew full well if he missed the girl was lost, and that nerved him to do his best.
He placed his rifle to his shoulder, and, taking a quick aim, pulled the trigger.
Crack!
As the report rung out the picuasus fell, the bullet having pierced one of its eyes.
As brave as she was, Azurma had swooned, and as soon as he reached the spot, Leo set about to bring her to.
He soon accomplished this, and by the time Reginald Lacy reached the spot she was sitting up clasping her preserver by the hands and gazing into his eyes in a mute expression of joy.
“I have found you, O my future lord and master!” she said, and then she did not speak again for fully a minute.
Reginald Lacy stood staring at her like one in a dream. At length he spoke.
“How did you get here, miss?” he asked. “Can you lead us to a place where we can get something to eat?”
“Are you hungry?” said Azurma, rising to her feet and unslinging the bag from her shoulder. “If you are, eat.”
Lacy needed no second invitation.
He seized the food with a cry of joy and began devouring it ravenously.
“God bless you, my girl!” he exclaimed, hoarsely; “you have saved my life. But my dog must have something, too. I will call him, and share with him.”
He gave a long whistle, and in a few moments Jupiter came rushing from a pile of rocks with the speed of an antelope.
The scent he had taken had proved but a myth, after all, and the dog, like his master, being very hungry, soon forgot all about it.
He scarcely noticed the dead picuasus, but at once eagerly swallowed the food Lacy gave him.
“Now, Azurma,” said Leo, “can you take us back to the village?”
“I can, and will at once, O my – ”
“Hold on,” interrupted the boy. “Call me Leo; don’t use any more high-fangled titles – I don’t like it.”
“Be it as you say, then, Leo. Whenever you are ready, I will conduct you safely to your friends and mine.”
Then, acting on Azurma’s advice, he seized her by the hand and started with all speed for the stream, Lacy and the dog following close behind.
Once there, Leo turned to look for Reginald Lacy and the dog.
A startling scene met his gaze.
Lacy had ventured too far out and the current had carried him off his feet.
Jupiter had seized him by the collar and was endeavoring to swim ashore with him.
“Help!” exclaimed Lacy, doing his best to stem the tide.
“Let the dog swim ashore with the rope – that is your only hope!” exclaimed the boy, rushing into the water as far as he dared.
But this Jupiter could not be made to do. He was bent on saving the life of his master, but he was going to do it in his own way.
Further and further the man and dog were sucked from the shore, in spite of the superhuman efforts they made.
Leo was completely dismayed. The very ones who had saved his life were now going to their own death over the falls.
He had no rope to throw to them, and could but stand upon the bank and witness it.
Faster and faster the struggling man and dog were carried, and nearer and nearer they were whirled to the falls.
Azurma had turned her back upon the scene, but a strange fascination seemed to hold Leo’s eyes upon the doomed man and his faithful dog.
The next moment they went whirling over the cataract with a mighty rush.
CHAPTER XIII.
BALLOTING FOR HUSBANDS
Completely unnerved at the sight, Leo turned from the spot.
“Come, Azurma,” said he, “we will go back to the village.”
“Yes, Leo,” was the reply; “nothing could save the man and dog from death. Their lifeless bodies are floating in the pool at the foot of the falls by this time.”
For fear that another picuasus might show up, they hurriedly left the spot.
Azurma led the way back over the same route by which they had come, and in due time they arrived at the village, without further accidents.
The girl clasped Leo lovingly by the arm when they neared the palace, and Dick and Martin Haypole, who saw them coming, flung their caps in the air and uttered a cheer that brought out almost every soul in the village.
“Well, I’ll be everlasting ding-wizzened if ther boy isn’t alive an’ well as any of us! An’ ter think that he passed through both fire an’ water without gettin’ a scratch! ’Tain’t fer him to die in this country – that’s certain.”
And Dick! The boy could hardly express his joy at finding his cousin alive.
Queen Olive, who could not help hearing the commotion, came outside and nodded when she saw what caused it, as though she was well satisfied with Azurma’s success.
“I knew that if he was alive she would find him,” said she to Dick.
“All that I can say is that I am glad of it,” was the reply.
“Azurma is a very brave girl,” said Leo. “Had it not been for her I would never have found my way to this place again. I don’t know how I shall ever repay her.”
“Oh, that is easy,” returned Azurma; “promise to become my lord and master when the proper time arrives.”
The queen then spoke, informing Leo what the custom of Hez was, concluding with:
“I have just been visited by a committee of unmarried ladies, who demand that they shall have an opportunity of drawing lots for each of you. It is the custom, and we must adhere to it. I have appointed to-morrow morning for the drawing to take place. You will all remember this, and be at the palace an hour after sunrise.”
With these words she left our friends, taking Azurma with her.
The next morning, at the appointed time, Leo, Dick, Prof. Easy, Martin Haypole and Lucky made their way to the abode of the queen.
At least half a hundred girls and middle-aged women were there, and it was with great difficulty that our friends managed to squeeze their way in.
More than one pair of eyes cast a bewitching glance at them as they passed, and Lucky and the Yankee grinned in a wholesale manner.
Queen Olive was at the further end of the long hall through the center of the building, and Dick noticed that her face wore an anxious look.
When all had assembled and the utmost quiet reigned, she arose and addressed the audience in Spanish.
“Women of Hez,” said she, “we have assembled here this morning, according to our ancient custom, to choose five husbands. Our law is that no woman shall ever marry, unless her husband be a stranger from the outside world. That is the way our race was founded, and is the reason why we are so few in number. But the custom must be kept up. There are fifty-one of us here, and there are but five strangers. Forty-six must be disappointed. As Queen of Hez, I shall choose one of the five without going into the form of drawing lots.”
A slight murmur of disapproval arose from the assemblage as these words rang out.
Queen Olive evidently expected this, for, with flashing eyes, she exclaimed:
“Silence! I am the ruler of this land, and my word is law.”
Then motioning to Dick to step forward, she went on:
“This is the man I have chosen for my husband; he loves me and I love him.”
Nothing abashed, Dick took his place beside the beautiful creature.
But that the girls were anything but satisfied was plainly apparent. They thought that in a case of this kind the queen should place herself upon an equal footing with them, and take her chances.
But Queen Olive thought differently, and that settled it, for the time being, anyhow.
As soon as her majesty ceased speaking, Azurma pushed her way through the crowd and made an eloquent address, relating how she had saved Leo from a death of starvation, winding up with a strong argument that he should be given to her.
But the Hez beauties would not listen to this, and so Azurma’s appeal was ruled down.
At Queen Olive’s order, a small, square box was brought forth, which contained a number of small pieces of coal-like substance, and one small bit of crystal of the same size and weight.
Then every female present was securely blindfolded and directed to step forward, one at a time, and pick out one of the pieces.
The one who was fortunate enough to get hold of the bit of crystal was the one to have the husband.
In case that no one got hold of the crystal, the queen had the power to give him to whoever she saw fit.
Leo fervently desired that this might be the case, for he felt that if he was compelled to become engaged to any of the females present he would rather it would be Azurma, for the simple reason that she wanted him, and he owed her a debt of gratitude for coming to hunt him up.
When everything was in readiness, the women stepped forward to draw the pieces from the box.
It was quite interesting, and our friends watched the result with bated breath.
As fast as one selected, the bandage was removed from her eyes and she retired to the other end of the hall.
Azurma was the fifth one to draw, and when a black ballot was disclosed to her view, she uttered a cry of dismay, and staggered blindly from the spot.
The next to step forward was a girl as young and fully as beautiful as she.
As she lifted the ballot from the box a murmur went up from the assemblage.
She held the piece of crystal in her hand!
With an expression of triumph upon her beautiful face, she held out her arms and approached Leo.
But she never reached him. A figure bounded forward with the swiftness of an enraged panther; a blade flashed in the air, and the would-be bride fell to the stone floor, the blood spurting from a wound in her left side.
It was Azurma who had committed the deed, and with flashing eyes and heaving breast she drew herself to her full height.
“Thus I have broken the laws of Hez!” she exclaimed, in a dramatic tone. “Do with me what you will, O queen!”
It had all happened so quickly that our friends were utterly astounded, and before they could fully comprehend what had taken place, Azurma was seized and bound, and conducted from the building.
And the girl who had proven so unfortunate in picking out the crystal – she never spoke again. The blade had severed her heart in twain, and the beautiful Azurma was a murderess!
Leo turned sick at heart when he realized that he was the cause of the tragedy, and he leaned against the wall in a dazed condition.
“Remove the body!”
It was Queen Olive who spoke.
Her command was instantly obeyed, and then, as though nothing had happened, the ballots were shaken about in the box, and it was announced that it would be decided who should have Martin Haypole.
“Gosh!” exclaimed the Yankee; “I hope no one don’t git killed on my account! I’ll be satisfied with any of ther younger gals!”
This time nearly everyone had a chance at the box before the crystal was drawn, and then it resulted in favor of a buxom Hez maiden of fair appearance and uncertain age.
“Well, I rather guess you’ll do,” observed Haypole, as he shook hands with her, “though I’ll be ding-wizzened if I don’t wish it had been one of ther younger ones. Howsumever, beggars mustn’t be choosers, an’, though I ain’t exactly been a-beggin’ for a wife, I’ll take yer when ther times comes, an’ try an’ be satisfied.”
The next victim was the professor, and, with his face wreathed in smiles, he waited the result.
Almost the first one to draw was the fortunate one, and she being one of the beauties of the country, the professor nearly swallowed his false teeth, so broad was his smile of satisfaction.
“Golly!” said Lucky, when he was ordered to step forth for inspection; “I declar’ ter goodness, if dey ain’t treatin’ dis chile well in dis yer country! Furst dey make him all white, wif de excepshun of his face, which am a yaller color, an den dey present him wif a wife! Well, I’s’ll be satisfied wif any ob dem.”
In a few minutes it was all settled, and the winner of the prize, who was old enough to be the darky’s mother, seemed to be perfectly satisfied.
“Now,” said the queen, “all who have been chosen as husbands will leave, except the one who lost his bride at the hand of Azurma. Another ballot must be taken for him.”
Even Dick was forced to retire with the others, and that left Leo the only male in the crowd.
The more the young fellow thought over what had just occurred the stronger became his determination that he would allow the farce, as he considered it, to go no further.
The part he had already played had been quite enough for him, and he made up his mind that if Azurma could not have him, no one else should.
Just as the queen was getting the box ready, he stepped forward and exclaimed:
“Stop! I have had enough of this. I will allow no further drawing for me, as I have made up my mind not to marry at all!”
CHAPTER XIV.
AZURMA SUFFERS THE PENALTY OF HER CRIME
The next morning the swamp explorers were up bright and early.
They had been invited to be present at the execution of the murderess, Azurma, and though none of them were bloodthirsty enough to long for such sights, the novelty of the thing caused them to make up their minds to see it out.
That Leo was very much put out about the affair was certain. He considered that he was the direct cause of the whole trouble, and while the fair girl deserved punishment for her rash and bloody act, he made up his mind that a jury in any civilized portion of the world would hardly find her guilty of murder in the first degree. She might receive a sentence of imprisonment for life, and probably not as bad as that.
He concluded to speak to the queen about it, and got Dick to accompany him to the palace just before the procession was ready to start for the place of execution.
She granted him an audience readily enough, but would not listen to his appeal that she might be a little more lenient with Azurma.
“No,” said she, with a decided shake of her head; “she must die as I have ordered. I cannot; nor would not if I could, countermand my orders. We are ready to start now, tell the rest of your companions to fall in line, and be sure to go with us to see the vile murderess take her death ride into the Devil’s Kingdom!”
There was no getting over it, so our friends promptly fell into line with nearly the entire population of Hez.
Azurma was then brought forth by two men, and she cast a look of defiance at Queen Olive and the rest of the women.
The word was given, and the procession filed away, the swamp explorers keeping near the doomed girl, and marveling at the fortitude she possessed.
Torches were lighted, and they passed through the dark passage into the magic chamber.
Here Azurma turned her gaze upon Leo, and said:
“It was in this place that I first met you, my Leo. Then I thought you would be mine, but they robbed me of you. But I promise, that though they kill me, I will meet you in another world, and then we will be happy. This I swear!”
At this point the girl was hustled on, and deeply impressed by her words, Leo and his companions followed with the crowd.
In a short time the spot that overlooked the place dubbed the Devil’s Kingdom was reached, and the party came to a halt.
A shudder came over Azurma as she surveyed the horrible place below, but in an instant she had regained her composure and was as calm as ever.
The puffs of fire and smoke roared and hissed below them, and the stream which flowed through the place seemed to rush along with unusual speed.
“I am ready to suffer the penalty of my crime, O queen! It is sweet to die for those we love!”
It was the doomed girl that spoke, and as she turned her eyes upon the assemblage her face looked more beautiful than ever.
“If you have anything to say, out with it at once,” said the queen. “According to our ancient laws you must die, and our laws must not be broken.”
“I will say this much,” replied Azurma, advancing to the very edge of the steep, rocky slant: “The women of Hez have robbed me of the one I love, and now, as I stand upon the very brink of death, I set my curse upon all who took part in it. And, furthermore, I do swear that I will return from the undiscovered country into which I am now to be hurled, and heap destruction upon all Hez. This I promise you; and if I do leave this country to find a haven of rest in another more beautiful one – as I firmly believe I shall – I will do my best to get the people of that country to follow me to Hez and aid me in accomplishing my revenge.”
She paused for a moment and looked keenly around to see the effect of her words.
She was evidently satisfied, for a smile broke over her beautiful face.
Then, directing her gaze upon Leo, her lips parted.
“Farewell, my Leo; forget not what I said in the magic chamber.”
The next instant, to the astonishment of all hands, she turned and sprang over the verge of the awful place and went gliding toward the flame and smoke below!
She had cheated the executioners from throwing her into the Devil’s Kingdom by committing the deed herself.
Down – down the horrible descent she glided until the lurid flames hid her from view, and then, with a mighty splash, the beautiful murderess plunged into the rushing stream.
A shudder crept over everyone in the party, and one and all they turned their heads.
For fully a minute a deep silence reigned.
At length it was broken by Queen Olive.
“Come,” said she, in a strange, unnatural tone, “let’s go back.”
Everybody seemed to be willing, so they started at once.
As soon as they arrived at the village, our friends sought the seclusion of their own dwelling to talk over the startling events that had so recently occurred.
About an hour after darkness set in the younger population of Hez began moving toward the magic chamber, and among them were Dick, the professor, Haypole and Lucky.
Each of these escorted the fair one to whom he had been engaged, and the Yankee and the transformed darky presented an amusing spectacle as they made their way along in the procession.
Dick was more or less elated at being at the head of the line with the beautiful queen at his side, and for the time being he forgot all about Leo.
When they reached the magic chamber, he found it was lighted by a number of brightly burning torches, stuck in niches in the rocky walls.
Almost as soon as he and Queen Olive entered a strain of music struck up, he knew not from where, and he found his partner and himself leading a fantastic, weird march.
Back and forth, through the roomy cavern, they made their way, the boy doing as the queen directed him.
At length, after about ten minutes of this sort of thing, the music suddenly ceased and everybody came to a halt.
Then it again struck up, and the opening dance began.
It was very similar to the old-fashioned Virginia reel, and our friends had little or no difficulty in going through the figures.
Prof. Easy seemed to be in his seventh heaven.
He danced about like a wild man of the woods, and laughed like a child in possession of a new toy.
And Martin Haypole. He swung his long legs around regardless of any mischief he might do, and forgot all the cares and troubles of his life.
Lucky was probably the most nimble-footed male on the floor, and he soon laid all the rest in the shade.
When the first dance came to an end, Queen Olive informed Dick that a number of the girls would give the dance of death – the same that our friends had witnessed on their arrival in Hez.
This, she informed him, was always indulged in by those who were not fortunate enough to have a partner for life, or a chance of soon having one, at every occasion like this.
Now that they knew what was coming, the four were anxious to see it, and they took seats with those who were not to participate in it on the stone floor of the cavern.
It was but a repetition of what they had seen before, but it was entrancing, for all that.
The graceful, undulating movements of the gaudily bedecked creatures seemed to move as if by a strange mechanism, and when their skeleton partners dropped down from above, the scene was complete.
As before, when the thing wound up, a crowd of figures resembling animals rushed in and seized the girls, and the skeletons disappeared.
At the same instant the lights went out and all was in total darkness.
This was evidently not on the program, for the audience gave a cry of alarm, and a number hastened to light up the scene again. When they had done so it was found that both Dick and the queen had mysteriously disappeared.
