CHAPTER XXII
The Deadly Snake
Over their shoulders the youths glanced up the mountainside and totheir horror saw that the old man was right.
Far up the slope was a great mass of stones and earth, rolling down ina heavy cloud of dust. Every second saw the accumulation nearer andlarger. In but a brief time it would be upon the little group below.
"We must do something--without delay!" Dr. Rander's voice was cool andresolute. "The mules--they must be pushed out of the way!"
Acting on the instant, Bob and Joe and the old man worked like madmento drive the pack animals over to a flat shelf that was but a fewhundred feet away. Even this did not offer absolute safety, for themass of rocks and earth might change its course and plunge down on theshelf.
"We'll have to take a chance," Bob panted. "Most likely over herewe'll be out of the danger zone."
The flat stretch offered the only place of refuge. If the avalancheshould change its course, the adventurers and their pack animals wouldsurely be crushed.
There was a moment of fearful waiting, a brief period when the heartsof all stood still, and the huge mass of rocks roared past and on downthe mountain slope.
"Thank goodness!" breathed Dr. Rander. "A narrow escape if there everwas one."
Their eyes followed the plunging stone heap until, with a dull thud,it struck the bottom of the abyss, far below.
"If that had struck us we'd have been smashed to pulp," muttered Joewith a shudder.
"Think of something more pleasant," smiled Bob. "The treasure, forinstance."
That afternoon the three were struggling along the narrow path whensuddenly Bob caught sight of something up on a high shelf.
"Look," he said, pointing up to the flat stretch. "Inca ruins as sureas I'm born."
"You are right," Dr. Rander assured him. "That building is an ancienttemple, where the Incas worshiped the sun god."
"Sounds interesting," Joe said eagerly. "Why can't we go up there andexplore the place?"
"Can if you want to," the old man replied. "I have been up, but I willgo again with you. Wait until I tie the mules."
It was a difficult climb to the shelf. All were gasping for breathwhen they finally reached the ruins.
Those ruins the youths found interesting. The building was partiallyintact, being constructed of huge stone blocks cemented together withmud. It was shaped like a pyramid, the sides sloping up to form apoint at the top. The entire north end was in ruins, but the othersections looked as if they had been built but recently.
"Let's go inside," suggested Bob, looking at the dark opening thatonce no doubt was closed by a door.
The others agreed, and, led by Bob, entered the building. As thewindows were large and there was no covering over them, theadventurers could easily see about.
They were in a large room, over which was an unusually high ceiling.Several stone implements were scattered about; what they were doing ina temple, the boys could not guess.
"Perhaps this was meant for a storehouse or some other kind ofbuilding," thought Bob, but did not say so. He did not wish toconflict with Dr. Rander's opinion.
But aside from these few stone objects, there was nothing in thebuilding that was of particular interest. Whether the structure hadbeen deserted by the Incas, or whether someone had robbed it of itsformer contents, the youths did not know. Surely, if Dr. Rander wasright in his belief that he alone knew of this trail, no one had beenhere.
They explored the building eagerly in search of anything else thatmight have escaped their view before.
"Ouch!" cried Joe, slapping his leg. "What was that that bit me?"
"Oh, I should have told you," began the old man with a smile. "Thereare fleas here."
"What th----" Joe was perplexed. "Fleas? What do they live on? Thereisn't anything in these ruins----"
"That is out of my knowledge," Dr. Rander said. "I never have foundanything yet that they might eat. Unless it would be other fleas."
There was a general laugh.
"Whatever it is, it's enough to keep them alive," observed Bob,scratching his arm. "At least as long as we stay they'll be able tosecure a good living."
"Suppose we get out and don't stay any longer," was the suggestionmade by Joe Lewis. "There isn't anything here----"
"What's that?" cried Bob suddenly, interrupting his friend.
Bob had heard a peculiar noise that caused him to turn about.
Again it came, a hideous hiss that made them jump in alarm.
"Snake!" pronounced Dr. Rander, and an instant later a long slim bodyunwound itself and made slowly toward the three explorers.
"It's poisonous, all right," observed Bob, noting the peculiar shape ofthe reptile's head.
"And we haven't a gun!" moaned Joe ruefully. "What will we do?"
"You mean we haven't a rifle, but we have a gun." Bob produced hisrevolver, which he aimed carefully at the horrible staring eyes.
"I won't dare miss!" he thought, and then pulled the trigger.
The report of the pistol mingled with a sickening swishing noise asthe snake lashed about in its death struggle.
"You got him, all right." Joe felt a refreshing feeling of reliefcreep over him.
Bob nodded.
"Let's get out of here," he said in a determined voice. "There's notelling how many more of these creatures we may see if we don't."
"I should have brought the movie camera," laughed Joe, as theydescended the hill. "That would have made a peach of a picture."
"I'm glad you didn't," came from Dr. Rander. "Because the sight ofthose ruins might have inspired some scientists to come over thistrail. And the secret treasure cave might be known to them--if theycould open the hidden door."
Dr. Rander, however, had not protested to the youths' taking movies ofthe region they were passing through, even though there might bedanger of someone from the United States coming in search of otherruins and treasure hideouts.
"I could not say anything against your doing that," he had told them."Especially since you were engaged by the motion-picture house."
So they had exposed film whenever they thought it advisable and werewell pleased with the results so far. All told, they had alreadycranked off more than a thousand feet of film, and fully expected touse that much more.
"These scenes ought to be interesting, too," remarked Bob, untying theforemost mule. "I believe the Neuman Motion Picture Corporation willbe well satisfied with them."
"Let's hope so," Joe said. "The money we get from doing this is nosmall sum."
The next day they plunged into a region that was wilder and moredangerous to penetrate than any they had been in before. The ruggedAndes reached up on all sides of them, often forming narrow valleysthat were shut off from the rays of the sun.
"Sure is cold tonight," remarked Joe with a shiver.
They were camped beside a small spring that was fed by an undergroundstream. Darkness had fallen, and with it had come the chill of theAndean night.
Joe was resting peacefully beside the warm blaze of the campfire whensuddenly he caught sight of two small fiery lights coming slowly athim.