CHAPTER XXIX.
THE MEDICINE MAN'S SECRET.
It was with considerable difficulty that the two chums made forwardprogress under such a handicap as confronted them. The medicine man knewevery foot of the passage he was following. Besides that, he had ablazing torch, by means of which the route was made clear; whereas theywere traveling over new territory, and in almost pitch darkness.
Several times when the beacon ahead vanished completely they werecompelled to make use of the little electric light; but on suchoccasions Donald made sure to keep its glow confined to the rocky floordirectly in front, so that no glancing ray might startle the mysteriousman they were pursuing.
As these lapses of illumination in front were undoubtedly caused by theWitch Doctor turning some bend in the passage, the boys felt that theywere taking only a small amount of risk in thus using their own torch.
It saved them from numerous stumbles, and possibly a bad fall; becausethe way was rough, with many outlying rocks to serve as traps for unwaryfeet.
"We must be getting right into the heart of the mountain," whisperedAdrian, after they had been advancing in this manner for quite sometime.
"That's right," replied the other, with equal caution; "and still theold fraud seems to be pushing ahead."
"Do you think this passage can lead through the pile of rocks, so thatif we kept on far enough we'd come out on the other side?" Adrian asked.
"Hardly that," his chum chuckled. "Pretty soon we'll find out just whyPick-ne-quan-to comes in here every once in a while. It used to be onlyso many times a year, they told me at the village, but now he has a talkwith the Great Spirit nearly every day."
"Yes, I heard that brave tell you so; and every time, some of them saythey can hear that heavenly music, and the heavy voice of the dreadManitou, coming out from the heart of this Sacred Mountain. It's mightyqueer, Donald, what it can all mean."
"Well, let's hope that after all the trouble we've taken we are on thebrink of learning his secret," the ranchman's son observed.
"That doesn't mean anything about his treasure, though," put in Adrian.
"No, we made up our minds to have nothing to do with any deposit ofprecious metal he might have found in here; because we don't want tosend ten thousand white prospectors rushing this way, to overturnthings, and really wipe the Zuni people out, in their craze for gold.We'll listen, and look around, and then go away again as quietly as wecame."
While he did not know it, this remark on the part of Donald, and whichreally reflected the sentiments of both lads, did them great credit. Itwas not every boy who could look at things in such a humane light.
They had been greatly interested in the strange life of the Zunis, andjust the very thought of all this history, which extended far backbeyond the discovery of America by Columbus, being snuffed out in thegreedy rush of modern gold-crazy miners was repulsive to them.
"There, he's turned another bend, I reckon, Donald; and it's so pitchdark here don't you think we'd better make use of the hand torch again?"said Adrian, presently.
"Just as you say," replied the other; "but we must be careful about it,because one flash of the ray would put him wise to the fact that therewas something going on back here that ought to be looked into. And I'dhate to have that grim old chap trying some of his witchcraft on us."
"Huh! on my part I'd be more afraid of his letting loose a nest ofrattlesnakes to trap us, or some such awful game. When we get to thatbend ahead--" but Adrian did not finish his sentence, for just then astrange sound broke forth upon their hearing that caused both boys tostand there as though transfixed; while Donald shut off the littleillumination with a movement of his ready thumb.
It was music that greeted them, the sweetest music either of them couldever remember of hearing in all their lives. Of course there instantlyflashed through their minds the recollection of all they had heard aboutheavenly choirs singing, and celestial instruments playing, according tothe crude notions of the Zuni people.
Well, it seemed as though the reality far exceeded the many descriptionswhich they had picked up from various sources; and both boys stood therefor several minutes, hardly breathing, so stunned had they been by thisoutburst of wonderful melody.
Then all at once it burst upon the mind of Adrian that there wassomething familiar about the music; just as though he may have heard itbefore while asleep and dreaming.
He gripped his hands in an endeavor to remember where it could havebeen; and trying to unravel the thread of memory.
"Ad!" came in a whisper, close to his ear; and he suddenly rememberedthat he had a chum alongside, who must be thrilled just as much as hewas by these fairly ravishing strains.
"Yes, what is it, Donald?" he asked, reaching out so as to come incontact with the arm of the other, which he immediately pressedreassuringly.
"Sounds for all the world to me like a violin!" continued the other.
Then a great light suddenly burst upon Adrian, just as a clap of thunderduring a summer shower will startle one.
"It _is_ a violin, or as the boys call it out here, a fiddle!" he said,quickly; "and I remember hearing that same tune played some years agowhen I was East. Yes, it's the same melody, and I'd know it among athousand. Listen to that, would you, Donald? Could anybody beat suchskill, and wonderful handling of the bow?"
"But Adrian, however in the wide world would such an old heathen as themedicine man manage to master the fiddle, so as to play like that? Inever heard its equal in all my life!"
"No more you didn't," chuckled Adrian, "for you're listening now to thedrawing of a bow that has charmed millions of music lovers in all thegreat cities of the wide world, I reckon."
"Oh! you mean--" started Donald, when the other took the words out of hismouth.
"He's gone and got a talking machine in here, that's the truth of itall, Donald, don't you see? When he was away on one of his secret trips,trying to find out how the white people lived, he must have heard one ofthese same music boxes sing and make speeches. It set him fairly wild,for he may have a love for music in his soul, you know. So what does hedo but buy one, with a lot of records; and somehow get the wholebusiness carried into the heart of the Sacred Mountain."
"Yes, yes," added Donald, "and the music appeals so much to oldPick-ne-quan-to that his visits are getting of daily occurrence now. Nowonder the Zunis say he is becoming so very familiar with the GreatManitou, that he can't let a day pass without having an interview withthe Master. Oh! Ad, this is a rich joke on us now, ain't it?"
"Well, I don't see how you make that out," replied the other. "We camein here to discover the source of that heavenly music, and the loudthunder voice that nearly frightens the Indians to death; and looks likewe've done it. I think we've reason to feel satisfied. There, now theviolin has sobbed itself out, and perhaps we'll have a Caruso sendinghis robust voice through all these underground passages next; or it maybe a Melba warbling like a bird in the forest. Ain't this the mostwonderful explanation of the mystery you ever could have dreamed of? Andto think that it never struck either of us once!"
"How could we guess it," said Donald; "when we didn't have the leastclue? But listen, he's started the machine to going again."
This time it was a song bird who filled the underground retreat withmusic; and as the two spellbound lads, crouching there in the darkness,continued to listen, soon they heard the loud, heavy voice of awell-known statesman filling the chamber with the echoing eloquence of astump speech, which doubtless had done full duty in the last politicalcampaign, but was now thrilling any listening Zuni with the belief thatit was the sonorous voice of Manitou.
"Hadn't we better be getting out of this now?" asked Adrian, after theyhad stayed to listen to several more wonderful reproductions of thehuman voice and various musical instruments, among which was a militaryband.
"Yes, we've had enough for our money," returned Donald. "Let the shrewdold wizard have his concert out by himself; Billie will be gettinganxious about us, especially if
the poor fellow hears a faint sound ofall that's been going on here."
"Perhaps he'll begin to fear that we've been taken up into the otherworld by a host of angels, or something like that," chuckled Adrian, asthey started to once more cover the ground they had traversed before,Donald using his hand torch now, as the danger of discovery seemed nextto nothing.
"Do you really think the medicine man meant them to believe that was thevoice of Manitou, when he brought this talking machine here?" questionedDonald, after they had been walking for some time along the tortuouspassage, and must be drawing close to the exit at the ledge.
"No one knows, and perhaps no one ever will," came the reply, showingthat Adrian had been figuring on this matter himself, and arrived at aconclusion. "He may have in the beginning just wanted to enjoy a feastof civilized music by himself, without letting his people know that hehad departed that far from their customs; and then learning how theybelieved him to be talking with the Great Spirit, why, he encouraged theidea, you see. And all the while he's been getting more and more in lovewith _real_ music as compared with the horrible racket the Zunis makewith their old tom-toms and wailing reed instruments. Perhaps the timewill come when that talking machine will be installed in a lodge in thecenter of the village, to be listened to each fine night by every brave,squaw and papoose in the settlement. Times are changing fast all overthe world, even with savage people; and I've heard men say that thissame talking machine is doing more to educate savages than all themissionaries in the world."
"Perhaps that's so," remarked Donald; "but here we are at the ledge, andlet's hope we'll have little trouble in getting up where Billie is."
"Let's hope," urged his chum, "that the same Billie is awake, andattending to his business; because we may need the help of his strongarms before both of us climb the rope to the top."