Don Palmer

“ Involuntarily, the three halted, alerted by the engineer’s tense attitude. Why, they wondered, did he act so furtively, as if engaged in a dishonest act?
The big safe door swung open. Rhodes reached in and drew out a long, cardboard box. Dipping in his hand, he lifted out a fistful of green emeralds.
Gloatingly, as a miser would gaze at his hoard of gold, he fondled the gems. The watchers saw him compare some of the larger emeralds with those taken from his leather pouch. ”

“ Carlos sneered at him. “Senor, you are very rich. I am very poor.”
Rhodes shoved back his chair, getting to his feet. “Don’t think you can blackmail me, Carlos!” he said sharply. “I’ve paid you too much now. What you do with Corning is nothing to me—nothing! I’m leaving this country.”
“Oh, no, Senor,” Carlos corrected softly. “Not until you pay. Money is no good. I will take the emeralds.”
“There are none. The mine has played out.”
“You take Carlos to be a stupid fool? Senor, my men have watched. You have mined many gems and you carry them with you. Give them to me now.” ”

“ As the cart jogged by, the Scouts hailed the driver. He understood no English, but Jack in halting Spanish succeeded in conveying the idea that they wanted to ride to the loading shed. The workman motioned for them to climb in.
The floor of the cart was padded with the thick fiber of old banana stalks. Jack and War sat in the back, swinging their legs over the edge. The vehicle bounced along, stopping at intervals to pick up bananas.
“You reckon he understood your Spanish, Jack?” War asked as the trip dragged on. “Maybe we’ll spend the afternoon bouncing along over this road.” ”

“ Mrs. Rhodes paid no attention to the Scouts. Even when War, in an attempt to be friendly, pointed out an unusual bird, she merely nodded.
Night came on. Banana groves and mango trees lost detail, merging into an indistinct shoreline. No longer could the Explorers see the thatched-roof huts as their craft raced along.
Everyone was relieved when at last the boat reached the wide Magdalena river, and ultimately Calamar.
“We’ll stay here tonight,” Mr. Livingston announced. “Tomorrow we’ll proceed by boat.”
As their craft made dock, the Scouts stiffly arose and gathered their luggage. ”

“ The Scouts could hear heated conversation in Spanish and Rhodes’ violent protests. But they were to no avail. The engineer was forced to dismount and set his mule free. Carlos then ordered him to start afoot ahead of him up the steep bisecting trail.
“Can you beat that!” Jack muttered. “Rhodes a captive! What do we do? Try to rescue him?”
“He’s not worth the trouble,” Ken said in disgust.
Mr. Livingston, however, had another opinion. “Evidently, Rhodes is being taken to the bandit village,” he said thoughtfully. “The one Willie and War spotted. This, I think, is our chance!” ”

“ Willie remarked thoughtfully. Turning to Jose, he inquired: “So went on to the mine? Not alone?”
“No, Senor, with a guide. Senora know trail well. Travel light. Shoot straight like a man. Good traveler.”
“I hope you’re mistaken about her going to the mine to join her husband,” Mr. Livingston said, frowning. “Rhodes shouldn’t be there. At least it was my understanding that Corning sent him packing when he took over.”
“Senora go to be with husband,” the guide repeated. “At emerald mine changes come fast. Today one engineer—tomorrow another.” ”

“ Long before they had finished, they saw Rhodes ride away from camp, carrying only the necessities of the trail.
After giving the engineer a little start, the Scouts followed. Burdened by camping equipment, they fell farther and farther back. As dusk approached, they began to feel uneasy lest they lose him entirely.
“I don’t like to make camp after dark,” Mr. Livingston said. “On the other hand, if Rhodes can press on, I guess we can too.”
Eager to make time, the Scouts did not halt to cook supper. Instead, they ate cold snacks as they jogged on over the uneven trail. ”

“ Rhodes questioned abruptly: “You’re still planning on your trip to the emerald mine?”
“That’s our intention, unless we hear from Appleby Corning.”
“You’ll find the trip most uncomfortable,” Mrs. Rhodes said, fanning herself with a green banana leaf. “There is no road. Only a trail. The temperature extremes—intense heat in the valleys, and freezing cold in the mountains, is most trying.”
“We don’t mind hardships,” Jack replied, amused by the woman’s attempt to discourage them. “We’re used to them.” ”

“ Ken suggested. “Naturally, he wouldn’t figure we’d do any searching there.”
“How can we?” Jack demanded. “Not with Mrs. Rhodes camped on the spot.”
“She can’t stay there forever. Maybe, if we watch our chance—”
“I don’t know,” Mr. Livingston demurred. “It’s a risky thing to do and not to my liking.”
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“We’re not dealing with honorable people,” Jack reminded him. “Shouldn’t we try to learn the truth about what happened here?”
“Go ahead,” Mr. Livingston reluctantly consented. “I can’t see, though, that we’re likely to come upon anything that will help us trace Corning.” ”

“ Rhodes gave in. “It’s useless though.”
Back in the Scout camp once more, the Explorers began to get ready for bed. War and Willie made a last check of their belongings to be certain that everything was in readiness for the early morning departure.
By nine o’clock, everyone had turned in for the night. Jack, however, could not get to sleep. He rolled and tossed, and finally arose and dressed.
Standing with his back to the tent, he studied the sky. The night was cold but clear. Stars winked overhead and a sliver of moon was rising above the jagged mountain peaks. ”

“ I always knew that guy was half crazy and this proves it! What does he figure you can do to get the mine on a paying basis? You an engineer, huh?”
“No, I’m a Boy Scout leader.”
The agent’s thin lips parted in a hard, mirthless smile. “You’ll be a big help!” he said sarcastically.
“Sure! You’ll never be able to stand the climate at the Last Chance. It’s a lot colder than Bogota. I advise you to climb back on a plane and return to the States.”
“We’re asking for information, not advice,” Mr. Livingston said pleasantly. “Do you know when Mr. Corning is likely to get here?” ”

“ Jack apologized. “I’ll leave. You needn’t worry, though, about any of the Scouts taking your emeralds.”
“No?” The engineer flashed an amused smile. “Son, if you’re here long enough, you may find their lure irresistible. Many a murder has been committed for an emerald—here at this mine too.”
“Appleby Corning being the latest victim?”
“Carlos has preyed upon this mine for years,” Rhodes replied, not answering Jack’s question directly. “He’s a bad actor.” ”

“ He felt Ken nudge him.
“Say something, you lug!” his chum urged.
“In behalf of my fellow Explorers—” Jack began, “I want to say that we’re most grateful.” He laughed and dropped the formality. “Oh, heck! We only did what every Scout is supposed to do—his duty. We didn’t want pay.”
“Of course, you didn’t, Jack,” responded the mayor. “Nevertheless, we feel that the Scouts performed a great service. Had it not been for your alertness, the automobile plant might have been destroyed. So take the check and spend it as you wish—a vacation trip or new furniture for your club room.” ”

“ Presently, the little cart, now two-quarters filled with banana bunches, bounced over a log bridge which spanned a ditch. Seeing the big loading shed and a railroad siding beyond, the Scouts leaped off their perch.
“Thanks for the ride,” Jack called to the cart driver. “Gracias, Senor.”
The workman responded with a friendly wave of his hand.
Wilted by the noonday heat, Jack and War walked toward the shed adjoining the railroad tracks. Through the open door they could see rows of green banana bunches stacked ready for shipment to the boat dock. ”

“ Three times in the past year he reportedly had made valuable hauls of emeralds which were being taken out of the mine for shipment.
Despite Jose’s fears, no more was heard that night from the bandit. The Scouts slept well, and as soon as the sun came up, were on their way.
For several hours they pushed on, keeping an alert watch for Carlos. At times, they imagined they heard a soft rustling of the foliage along the trail, but they saw no one. Jack had kept the bandit’s automatic as a souvenir, disregarding Jose’s advice to discard it. ”

“ Livingston. The Scout leader hesitated, then shook his head.
“I wish we could find that old mine, Jack. But time is running out on us. We must get back to camp and devote all our energy to finding Mr. Corning, if he still is alive.”
“How we going to do it?” Ken asked in despair. “Rhodes may have the answer, but he won’t help us. As you pointed out, Hap, it’s hopeless to undertake a search in this wild country unless one has a definite clue.”
“The clues, I’m afraid, never will be forthcoming. Our only one—those flashing signals—aren’t much to go on.” ”

“ I’m depending upon you to get these gems safely out, my dear. I’ll follow within a few days.”
“Those Scouts may suspect—”
“They can’t prove anything without Corning, and they’ll never find him.”
“How about the two that are accompanying me?” Mrs. Rhodes asked anxiously. “If they learn about these gems—”
“Don’t worry about those lads, my dear. They have no reason to believe that you’re carrying more than the one sample to be assayed. Handle the others in the usual way, and no one will suspect.”
“Carlos?”
“Give him no thought, my dear. He will not trouble you on the trail. I will see to that.” ”

“ Baronni straightened in his swivel chair. “Some company officials live there, but the office is closed most of the time,” he informed the Scout leader. “If you’re dead set on pulling out of here, you’d have a better chance of learning about your friend at Santa Marta.”
“Very well. How do we get there? Can you help us, or shall we make arrangements ourselves?”
53
Ferd Baronni gazed steadily at Mr. Livingston a moment. “I’ll make the arrangements, if you’re determined to go,” he said. “I got a friend who runs a sled boat between here and Calamar. When you get there you can take a boat.” ”

“ At least I think it is.”
“Nitro,” War echoed, looking scared.
“There’s enough to blow us all to Kingdom Come! We’re lucky we haven’t set it off with the careless way we’ve been digging.”
“Let’s get out of here fast!” War said, starting away.
“We can’t just go off and leave the stuff,” Jack protested. “It’s too dangerous.”
“There’s only one thing to do,” Ken advised. “Two of us will have to remain here on guard. The rest can go for the police.”
No one spoke for a moment. All the Explorers had a healthy respect for nitro-glycerin, a powerful explosive. ”

“ Rhodes laughed unpleasantly. “I suspected as much,” he said. “Every greenhorn that comes to Colombia falls for those romantic tales about lost mines. Corning was as big a sucker as anyone. But he never found the mine.”
“You’re sure?” Mr. Livingston questioned.
“Of course, I am. He fell heir to an old map when he took over here. But it was worthless. If the Spaniards ever mined in this area, the emeralds are pretty well gone, except in this pit we’re working now. Any day it will play out. Then the mine is finished and should be closed.” ”

“ Mr. Livingston objected. “Rhodes controls the natives here. His word is law.”
“Can’t we organize search parties?” Willie asked.
“In this jungle growth?” Jack caught him up. “It would be worse than looking for a needle in a haystack! Without a clue as to Carlos’ hide-out, we’d lose ourselves, and never find Corning.”
“That’s the way it looks to me,” Mr. Livingston admitted. “Another thing, I’m not fully convinced that my friend was seized by bandits. Our first job is to confirm that fact.”
“Rhodes won’t do anything to help us,” Ken said. “Where do we start?” ”

“ If we can get a clue, he may lead us to the hide-out.”
“With Rhodes laid up, the situation has changed!” Jack chuckled. “He won’t be sending us away today!”
“No, and we’ll have a chance to talk to Phillipe. Let’s do it now.”
The miner was not at his hut. However, they found him at the mine. No work was being done. Tons of rock and dirt had fallen into the pit, and must be moved before emeralds again could be mined. Disinterested, the men sat about, smoking and talking. From the general tone of the conversation, the Scouts gathered that no one grieved because of Rhodes’ accident. ”

“ We can follow our own prints, I reckon. But it will take an age.”
“In the end it probably will save time,” Jack declared, getting up from the mat of banana leaves. “If we miss our own trail, we still have the sun to guide us. It was at our back when we started this way.”
Determinedly, the Scouts returned the route they had come. Memory of small, almost unnoticed things, now aided them. Jack recalled a pile of dried banana plant leaves they had passed just after changing rows. War remembered seeing the rusty, broken blade of a discarded machete. ”

“ Jack returned. “The government never has been eager to make the mining area accessible. Emeralds are too easily stolen.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Livingston backed him up. “About the only equipment needed for emerald mining is a strong back, a pick axe and a crowbar. Laborers are kept under contract and during the period of their service, not permitted to leave the area. That’s to prevent theft of emeralds.” ”

“ Rhodes slammed the safe door shut and turned slowly to face the Scout. For just an instant, Jack was hopeful that the engineer meant to make a full revelation of the facts. Then, the man’s mood changed again.
“I’ve told you exactly what happened,” Rhodes said shortly. “Carlos raided the place and took Corning as hostage. There’s been no ransom demand, so I assume your friend is dead.”
“Mr. Livingston never will be satisfied unless we establish the truth.” ”

“ Ken asserted. “Wonder what’s happened to Willie and War?”
“It’s a long, hard trip to Bogota,” Mr. Livingston reminded him.
“Sure, I know,” Ken nodded. “They’ll do the best they can. But it’s hard waiting—especially with nothing to do.”
The day wore on with the Scouts becoming increasingly restless. They yearned for action. Anything, it seemed to Ken and Jack, would be better than to remain inactive, merely waiting.
“If we just had some idea where to search for Corning,” Jack fretted. “As it is—”
Hearing heavy footsteps, he did not finish what he had intended to say. Rhodes strode into camp. ”

“ Mr. Livingston continued to read: “Only visible habitation in mine area a group of huts above Emerald Valley. This may be bandit hide-out. Returning to Bogota.”
A map had been included with the hastily scrawled message. Studying it, Mr. Livingston and the Scouts estimated that the cluster of huts might be about seven miles from the mining camp in the more rugged area.
A portion of the way could be traveled by means of the narrow trail which gave access to the outside world. But to reach the hide-out, if such it was, would require a hard trek over a bisecting path in a densely overgrown area. ”