CHAPTER XVII. AZURMA AND THE NAZTECS.
Azurma, the beautiful murderess, had jumped upon the rocky slide withthe firm conviction that she was going to her death.
She held her breath and closed her eyes during the fearful descent.
When she had passed through the flames and found herself comparativelyuninjured, a sudden hope arose in her breast that she might come outall right yet.
This thought no sooner entered her mind than she struck the water witha splash and sank below its surface.
Down, down, the girl went, for many feet.
When she struggled to the surface again she was at least two hundredyards from the place where she had fallen in.
Blinded and half choked, she kept her head above the water, and in afew seconds she was beyond the limits of the roaring fire and smoke.
The girl did not offer to struggle in the least, but allowed themerciless current to carry her along at its will.
This was the wisest thing she could do, for it left her what strengthshe possessed to be used later on.
On she whirled, the current running so strong that she kept on top ofthe water without the least effort on her part.
In a few more seconds the falls will be reached.
Azurma hears the angry roar of the tide in her ears, and preparesherself for the worst.
She lifts her head for a single instant, and sees the foaming crest buta few yards distant.
The next minute, with a rush and a roar, she is carried over.
Contrary to her expectations, she is not dashed to a shapeless massupon a bed of jagged rocks, but finds herself struggling in a lake ofcomparatively still water.
Azurma knew how to swim, and, after brushing her long tresses from hereyes, she drew a long breath and started for the shore, close at hand.
Faint and exhausted, she reached it, and sank upon the ground in asemi-unconscious condition.
She was aroused to her full senses presently by hearing the patteringmade by some animal running toward her.
In an instant she sprang to her feet.
A cry of joy escaped her lips.
Coming toward her was Jupiter, the dog she had seen go over the fallswith his master the day before.
The animal came directly to her feet and lay down, acting in a verystrange manner. His head was covered plentifully with clotted blood,showing the girl that he was suffering from a severe wound.
Lying upon the ground, he looked her in the face and whined in apiteous manner.
“Poor dog,” said Azurma. “What has become of your master? Is he dead?If not, take me to him.”
She waved her hand for the dog to get up and lead the way.
He seemed to comprehend her meaning, but acted in a dazed sort of way.
Running away from her for about fifty yards, he suddenly turned andmade a circle, and then rolled over and over upon the ground.
Instead of being frightened at these strange actions, Azurma becameinterested.
Instinct told her that something unusual ailed the dog.
She made up her mind to find out what it was, if possible.
Quickly making her way to his side, she talked to him in a soothingmanner, and then proceeded to examine the wound on his head.
A moment’s inspection sufficed to show her that the animal’s skull hadreceived a fracture, and that a part of the bone was depressed.
Something told her that if she could lift the piece of bone back to itsplace, Jupiter would be all right.
A needle-like instrument was pinned to the white, gauzy sash about herwaist, and with this she endeavored to do the job.
Though she knew little or nothing about surgery, she was successful.
The dog howled piteously during the operation, but did not offer toprevent her from doing it.
When it was finished he rolled over on his side and appeared tofall into a deep sleep. The girl bathed the dog’s wound with herwater-soaked garments, and then seated herself by his side to awaitdevelopments.
It must have been an hour before the dog began to show signs ofawakening, and as soon as he did, Azurma, who had heard Reginald Lacycall him by name, arose to her feet.
“Come, Jupiter; show me where your master is.”
The animal seemed to have fully recovered; he began springing about herfeet, uttering his quick, sharp barks in a joyful manner.
Then, catching Azurma by the dress, he attempted to pull her alongafter him in the direction of the opening where the light came from.
“I’ll go with you willingly,” said the girl, catching on to the ideathat Lacy was somewhere in that direction.
Away they went, the faithful dog leading, and ever and anon turningaround to see if Azurma was still following.
In this manner they soon reached the identical place Lacy had enteredseveral hours previously.
Azurma was very much puzzled at her surroundings. She, nor none ofher people, had ever been in that portion of the underground countrybefore, but she could plainly see the tracks made by Lacy, andconcluded to follow as far as Jupiter chose to lead her.
Along through the lighted passage they went until they arrived at thepoint where Lacy had been pounced upon and captured by the Naztecs whenin the act of hurling the bowlder down upon the defenseless form of hisenemy.
Azurma’s quick eye told her that a struggle had taken place here, forshe found the shred of a garment, evidently a piece of the shirt Lacywore, while upon the ground was a clot of blood.
But as she could find no more of the latter, she rightly judged that ithad come from the dog.
A strange light shone in the girl’s eyes as she surveyed hersurroundings.
“Is it possible that the last words I addressed to the women of Hezwill come true?” she asked herself. “I have escaped death, and am nowin the limits of another country, where people must certainly live, forthey were not animals who carried off the dog’s master and left thepoor creature lying here for dead. I will go down there where it is solight; Jupiter seems anxious to go, and I will follow.”
Without any further hesitation she started down the descent, and atlength stood in the cave in which Owens had been lying bound hand andfoot.
But the place was deserted now, and Azurma followed the dog through theopening at the other side, and stepped into the single street of thestrange, little city.
The scene that met the girl’s eyes was so entirely different to whatshe had anticipated that for a moment she was completely bewildered.
But not so with the dog.
He gave a single bark and dashed away with the speed of the wind towardthe further end of the street, where a large number of people werecongregated.
It was at this identical moment that the contest of strength betweenReginald Lacy and Philander Owens was about to take place.
Jupiter reached the spot just as the enraged Owens was about to plungethe gleaming blade into his master’s heart.
With a mighty bound the animal sprang upon the would-be assassin andbore him to the ground.
Then, but for the interposition of a number of the Naztecs, he wouldhave literally torn him to pieces.
As it was, Owens’ shoulder was so badly lacerated by the dog’s teeththat he had to be carried from the place in a semi-conscious condition.
Lacy staggered to the side of Jupiter and hugged him as a mother wouldher child.
The Naztecs gazed upon the scene with a look of wonderment in theireyes.
True, they had such things as dogs in their country, but none like thefaithful animal who was now before them, and who had saved his master’slife!
At a signal from the king, or ruler, of the place, the crowd clappedtheir hands in a burst of applause, and then began singing a sort ofchant.
At this moment Azurma, who had hitherto been unobserved, came upon them.
Reginald Lacy was one of the first to notice her, and when he did so hegave a start of surprise.
She had joined the Naztecs in singing the chant, and appeared to
beperfectly acquainted with it.
The moment the king laid his eyes upon the newcomer, he made a suddensignal, and everybody, save Lacy and the girl herself, dropped upontheir knees.
Azurma seemed as much astonished as Lacy at the proceedings, but shedid not hesitate to shake hands with the man who had preceded her tothe queer country.
“Do you know these people?” asked Lacy, quickly.
“No; I never saw nor heard of them before.”
“Do you understand their language?”
“I know the chant they were singing. It was learned to the people ofHez by Roderique de Amilo, the founder of the race.”
“Oh!” exclaimed the man, brightening up; “if that is the case, you can,most likely, make yourself understood to them. Are you acquainted withthe language in which the chant is sung?”
“I am.”
“Then advance to that man over there and ask him who and what they are,and what they are going to do with us.”
He pointed to the king, who stood with bowed head, as he spoke.
Azurma at once obeyed, and when she began talking the king lifted hishead and nodded in a pleased manner.
He replied to all the girls’ questions, who, in turn, translated theconversation to Lacy.
The substance of it was that the people were really called Naztecs, andthat their race had been in existence for hundreds of years.
For the past century the population had gradually dwindled, from someunknown cause, and they now numbered scarcely seven hundred, all told.
Many, many years before, the king said, one of their beautiful maidenshad disappeared, leaving word that she would surely come back, or elsesend some one in her place, who was as beautiful as her, in some futuregeneration.
This had been recorded by the forefathers of the Naztecs, and,consequently, they were always on the lookout for the girl to turn up.
When they saw Azurma they took it for granted that she was the one sentin place of the lost maiden of ages before.
With this brief explanation we will proceed.
Azurma was cute enough to allow the Naztecs to believe that she wasreally the one they took her to be.
By so doing she came in possession of a power which she would nototherwise have had.
She had no difficulty in persuading the king to set Lacy and his dogfree, and give them the privilege of going anywhere about the city.
She told his royal highness where she had come from, and he at once setforth his desire to visit Hez, if possible.
Whereupon Azurma set her people down as a bloodthirsty race, andoffered to lead the Naztecs upon them at some future day, andexterminate them.
This seemed to satisfy the king, and he gave orders that hereafterAzurma should be treated as a princess.