the golden fleece-第3章

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〃Which　will　be；　perhaps；　when　you　are　ready　for　your　dowry；〃　observed　the　professor；　genially。

〃A　spell　was　put　upon　the　spot；〃　Miriam　went　on；　with　a　certain　imaginative　seriousness；　for　she　loved　romance　and　mystery　so　well；　and　was　of　a　temperament　so　poetical；　that　the　wildest　fairy…tales　had　a　sort　of　reality　for　her。　　〃No　one　can　find　the　treasure　while　the　spell　remains。　　But　Kamaiakan　understands　the　spell；　and　the　conjuration　which　dissolves　it；　and　when　he　dissolves　it；　the　treasure　will　be　found。〃

〃And；　between　ourselves；〃　added　the　general；　〃Kamaiakan　is　himself　the　priestly　relative　by　whom　the　spell　was　wrought。　　He　bears　an　enchanted　life；　which　cannot　cease　until　he　has　restored　the　jewels　to　Miriam's　hands。〃

〃There　might　be　something　in　it；　you　know；〃　said　Meschines；　after　a　pause。　　〃The　treasures　of　Montezuma　have　never　been　found。　　Is　there　no　old　chart　or　writing；　in　your　collection　of　curiosities　and　relics；　that　might　throw　light　on　it？〃

〃The　scriptures　of　Anahuac　were　of　the　hieroglyphic　type；picture…writing；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃No；　I　fear　there　is　nothing　to　the　purpose；　and　if　there　were；　I　shouldn't　know　how　to　decipher　it。〃

〃But；　papa；　the　tunic！〃　exclaimed　Miriam。

〃Oh！　has　the　tunic　anything　to　do　with　it？〃

〃Is　that　the　queer　woollen　garment　with　the　gold　embroidery？〃　inquired　the　professor；　becoming　more　interested。　　〃I　took　a　fancy　to　that；　you　remember。　　Has　it　a　story？〃

〃Well；　it　is　a　kind　of　an　anomaly；　I　believe；〃　the　general　answered；　looking　up　at　his　daughter　with　a　smile。　　〃The　Aztecs；　you　are　aware；　dressed　chiefly　in　cotton。　　Even　their　defensive　armor　was　of　cotton；　thickly　quilted。　　Their　ornaments　were　feathers；　and　embroidery　of　gold　and　precious　stones。　　But　wool；　for　some　reason；　they　didn't　wear；　and　yet　this　garment；　as　you　can　see　for　yourself；　is　pure　wool；　and　that　it　is　also　pure　Aztecan　is　beyond　question。〃

〃Admitting　that；　what　clue　does　it　give　to　the　treasure？〃

〃You　must　ask　Kamaiakan；〃　said　Miriam：　〃only；　he　wouldn't　tell　you。〃

〃Possibly；〃　the　professor　suggested；　〃the　place　where　the　treasure　is　hidden　is　the　place　whence　the　water　is　to　flow　out；　and　the　water　is　the　treasure。〃

〃Seriously；　do　you　suppose　that　such　a　phenomenon　as　the　return　of　an　inland　sea　is　physically　practicable？〃　asked　Trednoke。

〃No　phenomenon；　in　this　part　of　the　world；　would　surprise　me；〃　returned　Meschines。　　〃The　Colorado　might　break　its　barriers；　or　it　is　conceivable　that　some　huge　stream；　taking　its　rise　in　the　heights　hundreds　of　miles　north　and　east　of　us；　may　be　flowing　through　subterranean　passages　into　the　sea；　emerging　from　the　sea…bottom　hundreds　of　miles　to　the　westward。　　Now；　if　a　rattling　good　earthquake　were　to　happen　along；　you　might　awake　in　the　morning　to　find　yourself　on　an　island；　or　even　under　water。〃

〃A　moderate　Mediterranean　would　satisfy　me；〃　the　general　said。　　〃I　wouldn't　exchange　the　certainty　of　it　for　the　treasures　of　Montezuma。〃

〃The　thirst　for　gold　and　for　water　are　synonymous　in　your　case？〃

〃Give　this　section　a　moist　climate；　and　I　needn't　tell　you　that　the　Great　American　Desert　would　literally　blossom　as　the　rose。　　Even　as　it　is；　I　expect　a　great　deal　of　it　will　be　redeemed　by　scientific　irrigation。　　The　soil　only　needs　water　to　become　inexhaustibly　productive。　　Our　desert；　as　you　know；　is　not　sand；　like　parts　of　the　Sahara；　it　has　all　the　ingredients　that　go　to　nourish　plants；　only　their　present　powdery　condition　makes　them　unavailable。　　Now；　I　can；　to…day；　buy　a　hundred　square　miles　of　desert　for　a　few　dollars。　　You　see　the　point；　don't　you？〃

〃And　all　you　want　is　expert　opinion　as　to　the　likelihood　of　finding　water？〃

〃The　man　who　solves　that　question　for　me　in　the　affirmative　is　welcome　to　half　my　share　of　the　results　that　would　ensue　from　it。〃

〃Why　don't　you　engage　some　expert　to　investigate？〃

〃One　can't　always　trust　an　expert。　　I　don't　mean　as　to　his　expertness　only；　but　as　to　his　good　faith。　　He　might　prefer　to　sell　the　idea　to　somebody　who　could　pay　cash；　which　I　cannot。〃

〃Why；　you　seem　to　have　given　this　thing　a　good　deal　of　thought；　Trednoke。〃

〃Well；　yes：　it　has　been　my　hobby　for　a　year　past；　and　I　have　made　some　investigations　myself。　　But　this　is　the　first　time　I　have　spoken　of　it　to　any　one。〃

〃I　understand。　　And　what　of　the　investigations？〃

〃I　can　say　that　I　found　enough　to　interest　me。　　I'll　tell　you　about　it　some　time。　　I　should　be　glad　to　leave　Miriam　something　to　make　her　independent。〃

〃I　should　say　that　her　Creator　had　already　done　that！〃　said　Meschines。　　〃By　the　way；　I　know　a　young　fellowif　he　were　only　herewho　is　just　the　man　you　want；　and　can　be　trusted。　　He's　a　civil　engineer；　Harvey　Freeman：　the　Lord　only　knows　in　what　part　of　the　world　he　is　at　this　speaking。　　He　has　made　a　special　study　of　these　subterranean　matters。〃

〃Don't　you　remember；　papa；　Coleridge's　poem　of　Kubla　Khan？

　　　　　〃Where　Alph；　the　sacred　river；　ran　　　　　　Through　caverns　measureless　to　man　　　　　　　　　　　Down　to　a　sunless　sea！〃


〃Our　sacred　river；　when　we　find　it；　shall　be　named　Miriam。〃

〃It　ought　to　be　Kamaiakan；〃　she　rejoined；　〃for；　if　anybody　finds　it；　it　will　be　he。〃

〃I　think　I　hear　the　wings　of　the　angel　of　whom　we　have　been　speaking；〃　said　the　general。　　〃Yes；　here　he　is；　and　he　has　got　the　letters。　　Let　us　see！　　One　for　you　Meschines。　　And　this；　I　see；　is　from　our　friend　Miss　Parsloe；　postmarked　Santa　Barbara。　　Why；　she'll　be　here　to…morrow；　at　that　rate。〃

〃Here's　a　queer　coincidence！〃　exclaimed　the　professor；　who　had　meanwhile　opened　his　envelope　and　glanced　through　the　contents。　〃The　very　man　I　was　speaking　of；　Harvey　Freeman！　　Says　he　is　in　this　neighborhood；　has　heard　I'm　here；　and　is　coming　down　to　pay　me　a　visit。　　Methinks　I　hear　the　rolling　of　the　sacred　river！〃

〃But　you　won't　mention　it　to　him；　until〃

〃Bless　me！　　Of　course　not。　　I'll　bring　him　over　here；　in　the　course　of　human　events；　and　you　can　take　a　look　at　him；　and　act　on　your　own　intuitions。　　I　won't　say　on　Princess　Miriam's；　for　Harvey　is　a　very　fine…　looking　fellow；　and　her　intuitions　might　get　confused。〃

〃A　civil　engineer！〃　said　Miriam；　with　an　intonation　worthy　of　the　daughter　of　a　West…Pointer　and　the　descendant　of　an　Aztec　prince。

Kamaiakan　（who　spoke　only　Spanish）　had　been　gathering　up　some　cushions　that　had　fallen　out　of　the　hammock。　　Having　replaced　them；　and　cast　a　quick　glance　at　Meschines；　he　withdrew。



CHAPTER　II。

The　Southern　Pacific　Railway　passes；　today；　not　far　from　the　site　of　General　Trednoke's　ranch。　　But　the　events　now　to　be　narrated　occurred　some　years　before　the　era　of　transcontinental　railroads：　they　were　in　the　air；　but　not　yet　bolted　down　to　the　earth。　　The　general；　therefore；　was　a　pioneer；　and　was　by　no　means　overrun　with　friends　from　the　East　in　search　of　an　agreeable　winter　climate。　　The　easiest　way　to　reach　himif　you　were　not　pressed　for　time　was　round　the　cape　which　forms　the　southernmost　point　of　South　America　and　sticks　its　sharp　snout　inquiringly　into　the　Antarctic　solitudes；　as　if　it　scented　something　questionable　there。　　The　speediest　route；　though　open　to　strange　discomforts；　was　by　way　of　the　Isthmus；　and　then　there　were　always　the　saddle；　the　wagon；　and　the　stage；　with　the　accompaniments　of　road…　agents；　tornadoes；　deserts；　and　starvation。

Miss　Grace　Parsloe　came　via　the　Isthmus；　and　the　latter　part　of　her　journey　had　been　alleviated　by　the　society　of　a　young　gentleman　from　New　York；　Freeman　by　name。　　There　were　other　passengers　on　the　vessel；　but　these　two　discovered　sympathies　of　origin　and　education　which　made　companionship　natural。　　They　sat　together　at　table；　leaned　side　by　side　over　the　taffrail；　discussed　their　fellow…travellers；　and　investigated　each　other。　　As　he　lolled　on　the　bench　with　folded　arms　and　straw　hat　tilted　back　from　his　forehead　she；　glancing　side…　long；　as　her　manner　was；　saw　a　sunburnt　aquiline　nose；　a　moustache　of　a　lighter　brown　than　the　visage　which　it　decorated；　a　lean；　strong　jaw；　and　a　muscular　neck。　　His　forehead；　square　and　impending；　was　as　white　as　ivory　in　comparison　with　the　face　below；　his　hair；　in　accordance　with　the　fashion　introduced　by　the　late　war；　was　cropped　close。　　But　what　especially　moved　Miss　Grace　were　those　long