THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO
Or
The Secret of the Buried City
by
CLARENCE YOUNG
Author of"The Racer Boys Series" and "The Jack Ranger Series."
New YorkCupples & Leon Co.
* * * * * * *
BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG
=THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES= (_Trade Mark, Reg. U. S. Pat. Of._)
12mo. Illustrated Price per volume, 60 cents, postpaid
THE MOTOR BOYS Or Chums Through Thick and Thin
THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND Or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune
THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO Or The Secret of the Buried City
THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS Or The Hermit of Lost Lake
THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT Or The Stirring Cruise of the Dartaway
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC Or The Mystery of the Lighthouse
THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS Or Lost in a Floating Forest
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC Or The Young Derelict Hunters
THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS Or A Trip for Fame and Fortune
=THE JACK RANGER SERIES=
12mo. Finely Illustrated Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid
JACK RANGER'S SCHOOLDAYS Or The Rivals of Washington Hall
JACK RANGER'S WESTERN TRIP Or From Boarding School to Ranch and Range
JACK RANGER'S SCHOOL VICTORIES Or Track, Gridiron and Diamond
JACK RANGER'S OCEAN CRUISE Or The Wreck of the Polly Ann
JACK RANGER'S GUN CLUB Or From Schoolroom to Camp and Trail
* * * * * * *
Copyright, 1906, byCupples & Leon Company
THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE 1 II. THE PROFESSOR'S STORY 9 III. NEWS OF NODDY NIXON 17 IV. OVER THE RIO GRANDE 24 V. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT 32 VI. INTO THE WILDERNESS 41 VII. A FIERCE FIGHT 50 VIII. THE OLD MEXICAN 58 IX. A VIEW OF THE ENEMY 66 X. SOME TRICKS IN MAGIC 74 XI. NODDY NIXON'S PLOT 82 XII. NODDY SCHEMES WITH MEXICANS 90 XIII. ON THE TRAIL 98 XIV. THE ANGRY MEXICANS 105 XV. CAUGHT BY AN ALLIGATOR 112 XVI. THE LAUGHING SERPENT 120 XVII. AN INTERRUPTED KIDNAPPING 127 XVIII. THE UNDERGROUND CITY 133 XIX. IN AN ANCIENT TEMPLE 141 XX. MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS 148 XXI. NODDY HAS A TUMBLE 156 XXII. FACE TO FACE 163 XXIII. BOB IS KIDNAPPED 171 XXIV. BOB TRIES TO FLEE 179 XXV. AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND 187 XXVI. THE ESCAPE OF MAXIMINA 195 XXVII. A STRANGE MESSAGE 204 XXVIII. TO THE RESCUE 212 XXIX. THE FIGHT 220 XXX. HOMEWARD BOUND 229
PREFACE.
_Dear Boys_:
At last I am able to give you the third volume of "The Motor BoysSeries," a line of books relating the doings of several wide-awake ladson wheels, in and around their homes and in foreign lands.
The first volume of this series, called "The Motor Boys," told how Ned,Bob and Jerry became the proud possessors of motor-cycles, and wonseveral races of importance, including one which gave to them, somethingthat they desired with all their hearts, a big automobile touring car.
Having obtained the automobile, the lads were not content until theyarranged for a long trip to the great West, as told in "The Motor BoysOverland." On the way they fell in with an old miner, who held thesecret concerning the location of a lost gold mine, and it was for thismine that they headed, beating out some rivals who were also theirbitter enemies.
While at the mine the boys, through a learned professor, learned of aburied city in Mexico, said to contain treasures of vast importance.Their curiosity was fired, and they arranged to go to Mexico in theirtouring car, and the present volume tells how this trip was accomplished.
Being something of an automobile enthusiast myself, it has pleased megreatly to write this story, and I hope the boys will like "The MotorBoys in Mexico" fully as well as they appeared to enjoy "The Motor Boys"and "The Motor Boys Overland."
CLARENCE YOUNG.
_May 28, 1906._
THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO.
CHAPTER I.
THE PROFESSOR IN TROUBLE.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
It was the sound of a big revolver being fired rapidly.
"Hi, there! Who you shootin' at?" yelled a voice.
Miners ran from rude shacks and huts to see what the trouble was. Downthe valley, in front of a log cabin, there was a cloud of smoke.
"Who's killed? What's the matter? Is it a fight?" were questions the menasked rapidly of each other. Down by the cabin whence the shots sounded,and where the white vapor was rolling away, a Chinaman was observeddancing about on one foot, holding the other in his hands.
"What is it?" asked a tall, bronzed youth, coming from his cabin nearthe shaft of a mine on top of a small hill. "Cowboys shooting the townup?"
"I guess it's only a case of a Chinaman fooling with a gun,Jerry. Shall I run down and take a look?" asked a fat, jolly,good-natured-looking lad.
"Might as well, Chunky," said the other. "Then come back and tell Nedand me. My, but it's warm!"
The stout youth, whom his companion had called Chunky, in reference tohis stoutness, hurried down toward the cabin, about which a number ofthe miners were gathering. In a little while he returned.
"That was it," he said. "Dan Beard's Chinese cook got hold of a revolverand wanted to see how it worked. He found out."
"Is he much hurt?" asked a third youth, who had joined the one addressedas Jerry, in the cabin door.
"One bullet hit his big toe, but he's more scared than injured. Heyelled as if he was killed, Ned."
"Well, if that's all the excitement, I'm going in and finish the letterI was writing to the folks at home," remarked Jerry. The other ladsentered the cabin with him, and soon all three were busy writing orreading notes, for one mail had come in and another was shortly to leavethe mining camp.
It was a bright day, early in November, though the air was as hot as ifit was mid-summer, for the valley, which contained the gold diggings,was located in the southern part of Arizona, and the sun fairly burnedas it blazed down.
The three boys, who had gone back into their cabin when the excitementfollowing the accidental shooting of the Chinaman had died away, wereJerry Hopkins, Bob Baker and Ned Slade. Bob was the son of Andrew Baker,a wealthy banker; Ned's father was a well-to-do merchant, and Jerry wasthe son of a widow, Julia Hopkins. All of the boys lived in Cresville,Mass., a town not far from Boston.
The three boys had been chums through thick and thin for as many yearsas they could remember. A strange combination of circumstances hadbrought them to Arizona, where, in company with Jim Nestor, an oldwestern miner, they had discovered a rich gold mine that had been lostfor many years.
"There, my letter's finished," announced Jerry, about half an hour afterthe incident of the shooting.
"I had mine done an hour ago," said Ned.
"Let's run into town in the auto and mail them. We need some supplies,anyhow," suggested Bob.
"All right," assented the others.
The three boys went to the shed where their touring car, a big, red
machine in which they had come West, was stored. Ned cranked up, andwith a rattle, rumble and bang of the exhaust, the car started off,carrying the three lads to Rockyford, a town about ten miles from thegold diggings.
"I wonder if we'll ever see Noddy Nixon or Jack Pender again?" askedBob, when the auto had covered about three miles.
"And you might as well say Bill Berry and Tom Dalsett," put in Jerry."They all got away together. I don't believe in looking on the dark sideof things, but I'm afraid we'll have trouble yet with that quartette."
"They certainly got away in great shape," said Bob. "I'll give Noddycredit for that, if he is a mean bully."
Noddy Nixon was an old enemy of the three chums. As has been told inthe story of "The Motor Boys," the first book of this series, Jerry,Ned and Bob, when at home in Massachusetts, had motor-cycles and usedto go on long trips together, on several of which they met Noddy Nixon,Jack Pender and Bill Berry, a town ne'er-do-well, with no very pleasantresults. The boys had been able to secure their motor-cycles throughwinning prizes at a bicycle race, in which Noddy was beaten. This madehim more than ever an enemy of the Motor Boys.
The latter, after having many adventures on their small machines,entered a motor-cycle race. In this they were again successful,defeating some crack riders, and the prize this time was a big, redtouring automobile, the same they were now using.
Once they had an auto they decided on a trip across the continent, andtheir doings on that journey are recorded in the second book of thisseries, entitled "The Motor Boys Overland."
It was while out riding in their auto in Cresville one evening that theycame across a wounded miner in a hut. He turned out to be Jim Nestor,who knew the secret of a lost mine in Arizona. While sick in the hut,Nestor was robbed of some gold he carried in a belt. Jack Pender was thethief, and got away, although the Motor Boys chased him.
With Nestor as a guide, the boys set out to find the lost mine. On theway they had many adventures with wild cowboys and stampeded cattle,while once the auto caught fire.
They made the acquaintance, on the prairies, of Professor UriahSnodgrass, a collector of bugs, stones and all sorts of material forcollege museums, for he was a naturalist. They succeeded in rescuingthe professor from a mob of cowboys, who, under the impression that thenaturalist had stolen one of their horses, were about to hang him. Theprofessor went with the boys and Nestor to the mine, and was still withthem.
The gold claim was not easily won. Noddy Nixon, Pender, Berry and onePud Stoneham, a gambler, aided by Tom Dalsett, who used to work forNestor, attacked the Motor Boys and their friends and tried to get themine away from them.
However, Jerry and his friends won out, the sheriff arrested Stonehamfor several crimes committed, and the others fled in Noddy's auto, whichhe had stolen from his father, for Noddy had left home because it wasdiscovered that he had robbed the Cresville iron mill of one thousanddollars, which crime Jerry and his two chums had discovered and fastenedon the bully.
So it was no small wonder, after all the trouble Noddy and his gang hadcaused, that Jerry felt he and his friends might hear more of theirunpleasant acquaintances. Noddy, Jerry knew, was not one to give up anobject easily.
In due time town was reached, the letters were mailed, and the suppliespurchased. Then the auto was headed back toward camp. About five milesfrom the gold diggings, Ned, who sat on the front seat with Bob, who wassteering, called out:
"Hark! Don't you hear some one shouting?"
Bob shut off the power and, in the silence which ensued, the boys hearda faint call.
"Help! Help! Help!"
"It's over to the left," said Ned.
"No; it's to the right, up on top of that hill," announced Jerry.
They all listened intently, and it was evident that Jerry was correct.The cries could be heard a little more plainly now.
"Help! Hurry up and help!" called the voice. "I'm down in a hole!"
The boys jumped from the auto and ran to the top of the hill. At thesummit they found an abandoned mine shaft. Leaning over this they heardgroans issuing from it, and more cries for aid.
"Who's there?" asked Jerry.
"Professor Uriah Snodgrass, A. M., Ph.D., F. R. G. S., B. A. and A. B.H."
"Our old friend, the professor!" exclaimed Ned. "How did you ever getthere?" he called down the shaft.
"Never mind how I got here, my dear young friend," expostulated theprofessor, "but please be so kind as to help me out. I came down aladder, but the wood was rotten, and when I tried to climb out, therungs broke. Have you a rope?"
"Run back to the machine and get one," said Jerry to Bob. "We'll have topull him up, just as we did the day he fell over the cliff."
In a few minutes Bob came back with the rope. A noose was made in oneend and this was lowered to the professor.
"Put it around your chest, under your arms, and we will haul you up,"said Jerry.
"I can't!" cried the professor.
"Why not?"
"Can't use my hands."
"Are your arms broken?" asked the boy, afraid lest his friend had metwith an injury.
"No, my dear young friend, my arms are not broken. I am not hurt at all."
"Then, why can't you put the rope under your arms?"
"Because I have a very rare specimen of a big, red lizard in one hand,and a strange kind of a bat in the other. They are both alive, and ifI let them go to fix the rope they'll get away, and they're worth fivehundred dollars each. I'd rather stay here all my life than lose thesespecimens."
"How will we ever get him up?" asked Bob.
CHAPTER II.
THE PROFESSOR'S STORY.
For a little while it did seem like a hard proposition. The professorcould not, or rather would not, aid himself. Once the rope was aroundhim it would be an easy matter for the boys to haul him out of the hole.
"If we could lasso him it would be the proper thing," said Bob.
"I have it!" exclaimed Ned.
He began pulling up the rope from where it dangled down into theabandoned shaft.
"What are you going to do?" asked Jerry.
"I'll show you," replied Ned, adjusting the rope around his chest, underhis arms. "Now if you two will lower me into the hole I'll fasten thiscable on the professor and you can haul him up. Then you can yank meout, and it will be killing two birds with one stone."
"More like hanging two people with one rope," laughed Bob.
But Ned's plan was voted a good one. Jerry and Bob lowered him carefullydown the shaft, until the slacking of the rope told that he was at thebottom. In a little while they heard a shout:
"Haul away!"
It was quite a pull for the two boys, for, though the professor was asmall man, he was no lightweight. Hand over hand the cable was hauleduntil, at last, the shining bald head of the naturalist was observedemerging from the black hole of the abandoned mine.
"Easy, easy, boys!" he cautioned, as soon as his chin was above thesurface. "I've got two rare specimens with me, and I don't want themharmed."
When Jerry and Bob had pulled Professor Snodgrass up as far as possible,by means of the rope, the naturalist rested his elbows on the edge ofthe shaft and wiggled the rest of the way out by his own efforts. Inone hand was a big lizard, struggling to escape, and in the other was alarge bat, flapping its uncanny wings.
"Ah, I have you safe, my beauties!" exclaimed the collector. "You can'tget away from me now!" He placed the reptile and bat in his greenspecimen-box, which was on the ground a short distance away, his facebeaming with pride over his achievement, though in queer contrast to hisdisordered appearance, for he had fallen in the mud of the mine, hisclothes were all dirt, his hat was gone and he looked as ruffled as awet hen.
"Much obliged to you, boys," he said, coming over to Bob and Jerry."I might have stayed there forever if you hadn't come along. Seems asthough I am always getting into trouble. Do you remember the day I fellover the cliff with Broswick and Nestor, and you pulled us up with theauto?"
> "I would say we did," replied Jerry. "But now we must pull Ned up."
Once more the rope was lowered down the shaft and in a few minutes Nedwas hauled up safely.
"It's almost as deep as our mine shaft," he said, as he brushed the dirtfrom his clothes, "but I didn't see any gold there, for it's as dark asa pocket. How did you come to go down, professor?"
"I suspected I might get some specimens in such a place," repliedthe naturalist, "so I just went down, and I had excellent luck, mostexcellent!"
"It's a good thing you think so," put in Jerry. "Most people would callit bad to get caught at the bottom of a mine shaft."
"Oh, it wasn't so bad," went on the professor, casting his eyes overthe ground in search of any stray specimens of snakes or bugs. "I hadmy candle with me until I lost it, just after I caught the lizard andbat. I could have come up all right if the ladder hadn't broken. It wasquite a hole, for a fact. It reminds me of another big hole I once heardabout."
"What hole is that?" asked Ned.
"Oh, that's quite a story, all about mysteries, buried cities and allthat."
"Tell us about it," suggested Jerry.
"To-night, maybe," answered the naturalist. "I want to get back to campnow and attend to my specimens."
The boys and the professor, the latter carrying his box of curiosities,were soon in the auto and speeding back to the gold mine.
That night, sitting around the camp-fire, which blazed cheerfully, theboys asked Professor Snodgrass to tell them the story he had hinted atwhen they hauled him from the mine shaft.