Roy Norton

“ The great main entrance to the cavern in the mountain opened high and wide above us, and its portals were flanked with guard houses and sentry boxes exactly like those we had discovered on the other side of this great natural bore. The line we had seen through the jungle was a wonderful roadway built with such lavish care and fidelity, and with such excellent engineering that not even the jungle, nor storm, nor age, nor weather had ruined its splendid proportions. ”

“ I shouted loudly. And what did J. Dalrymple Wardrop do? He sat still, calm, voiceless, and phlegmatically watching the course of events as he was slowly lowered to the floor of the tunnel. We heard exclamations of astonishment in Italian, Spanish, and Maya; the sounds of men in flight, then returning to see what cataclysm had disturbed them.
I rushed through the opening to learn that I was in the back of the guard chamber, and had disturbed the doctor, Ixtual, and Juan in the midst of leather braiding and that the sun was still shining bravely and brightly outside. ”

“ Wardrop was still seated on the beam, the great counterpoise that by mechanical cunning had lifted tons of stone, and was still calmly smoking and patiently waiting.
“By Jove!” he said. “By Jove! Some machine this—what? To think that one man like me could move a mountain with it! Who’d have thought it? But what I’d like to know now is if I’ve got to hold this lever down all night, or if you fellows are going to get a pile of rocks that weigh as much as I do to keep it in place so I can get off my perch. My legs are deucedly cramped, you know, sitting here.” ”

“ With a sigh of disappointment Wardy fished a pipe from his pocket, filled it, lighted it, and flashed his lamp around for a final survey. His gaze fell upon a huge stone lever that projected outward into a space hollowed like an alcove. He gave a grunt of satisfaction, said there was a seat big enough to keep a man of his size from squatting on the floor, and, putting both hands upon it, swung himself upward and sat down. ”

“ It was as if the inner portals of the great tunnel had been abandoned without haste, perhaps because there came a time when it was no longer considered necessary to guard it.
“The reason for the great stone posts in the upper sides of the interior is plain now,” said Doctor Morgano. “They had a suspended bridge there that was broad and strong. The passage through which we passed at the sides was kept secret for emergency use. If an overpowering enemy sought to invade them, they could easily destroy the bridge across the chasm above. ”

“ Reassured by our replies he turned toward the little archæologist and went on: “Of you, Doctor Morgano, I need have no fear; for you have been accepted as a member of the highest council in my race and by our rites are now a brother of mine. But what of you, Beni Hassan Azdul? Do the men of your tribe ever break the laws of hospitality? Do they betray those who have trusted them?” ”

“ Wardy said. And indeed it looked as if we had done just that, and been disappointed anew. But then we turned to learn whither the other way led and once more traveled in a great natural chamber quite similar to the outer opening of the caverns which we first found. It narrowed as we advanced, but still it was like a comparatively broad street. Its floors were level and white. The lost vault of the roof came lower and lower until we reached a place where nature had been assisted by man to cleave it away ”