Part 20 (1/2)
”This is the happiest moment of my life--if I am not dreaming! Frank, my dear boy, I never expected to see you again. How did you escape?”
”The eruption of the volcano broke the bandits up,” explained Frank; ”and, by the time they had recovered and were ready to come at us again, a band of natives, headed by Rodeo, Pacheco's brother, came down on them. A terrible battle ensued. The bandits were defeated, many of them slain, among the latter being the false Pacheco. And whom do you fancy the impostor proved to be, professor?”
”I haven't the least idea.”
”He was my villainous cousin, Carlos Merriwell.”
”And he is dead?”
”Yes.”
”That is a good thing. He will not trouble you any more.”
”No, I shall never be troubled by him again. With Rodeo and the natives was Jack Burk----”
”Jack Burk! The man is dead!”
”Not quite, professor,” declared a familiar voice, and Burk himself stepped forward. ”I am still quite lively for a dead man.”
”But--I saw you dead!” declared the astounded professor.
”You saw me nearly dead, but not quite. You remember I told you of a native who had found me in the hut, and how he had said it was not a fever that ailed me, but was a trouble brought on by drinking the water of the spring near the hut?”
”Yes, I remember.”
”And I told you the native hastily left me--left me to die alone, as I supposed.”
”I remember that.”
”He did not leave me to die, but went for an antidote. While you were away he returned and administered some of the antidote for the poison, bringing me around, although but a feeble spark of life fluttered in my bosom. Then he took me on his shoulders, and carried me from the hut to another place of shelter, where he brought me back to my full strength in a remarkably brief s.p.a.ce of time.”
”I understand why we did not find you,” said the professor.
”We followed the bandits,” Jack Burk continued. ”This native was Rodeo, the brother of the true Pacheco, and he is here.”
Rodeo stepped forward, bowing with the politeness of a Spanish don.
”Rodeo made me swear to aid him in hunting down the murderer of his brother. That was the pay he asked for saving my life. I gave the oath, and it was his whim that I should not reveal myself to you till the right time came. But when I saw the spy tracking you, saw him locate you, and saw him hasten to tell the bandits, I was forced to appear and give a warning.”
”We took you for a ghost.”
”I thought it possible you might, and I fancied that might cause you to give all the more heed to the warning.”
”Well, of all remarkable things that ever happened in my life, these events of the past few days take the lead,” declared Scotch. ”However, I have come through all dangers in safety, and I am happy, for Frank is alive and well.”
”But the Silver Palace is gone, with all its marvelous treasure,” said Frank.
”Thet's right, boy,” nodded Bushnell, gloomily. ”Ther palace has sunk inter ther earth, an' nary galoot ever gits ther benefit of all ther treasure it contained.”