Mystery of the Mexican Treasure by Andy Adams

Author:Andy Adams [Adams, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781258205164
Publisher: Literary Licensing, LLC
Published: 1960-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI

Danger Below!

THIS time it was Biff who pulled Mike to a place of safety, returning the favor of half an hour earlier. The Tizoc of old was famous for his eagle eye, but whether he could have spied the two boys in the gathering dusk was still a question. The modern “Tizoc” most certainly did not see them, thanks to the speed with which Biff drew Mike into the last doorway along the steep street.

They waited, breathless, ready to dodge for other safety in case Tizoc came down the steps and invaded their chance shelter. Tizoc, armed with that crude but long-bladed knife, was far too dangerous for the boys to tackle, as they remembered from the fight that they had waged in the dark at Judge Arista’s. Here, there was still enough light to give Tizoc all the advantage.

But Tizoc did not come their way. When they looked again, the masked figure was gone from the top of the steps. Evidently, he had skirted the adobe wall to reach another street down to the village, if that happened to be his destination.

Biff and Mike took advantage of the break. They raced up the darkening steps, pausing long enough at the top to take a last look for Tizoc. There was no sign of him in the dusk, so they kept on up to the Hotel Pico. It was dark when they reached there, so suddenly had the sun dropped beyond the mountains. Below, El Cielo was a twinkle of lights as if welcoming Tizoc home.

Mr. Brewster was in the patio, going over the rough diagrams that Bortha had made and making calculations of his own. He listened as Biff and Mike excitedly related their recent adventures. The near-meeting with Tizoc particularly impressed him.

“I want Professor Bortha to hear about that,” Mr. Brewster declared. “He is over at the excavation watching for Tizoc to return there. Instead, Tizoc must have decided to throw a scare into the village.”

They were having a lavish dinner of mole de guajolote, an Aztec dish of turkey with a special piquant sauce, when Professor Bortha arrived and joined them at the table. When Mr. Brewster told him the news, Bortha’s usually firm-set face showed marked annoyance.

“This Tizoc seems to be avoiding me,” asserted the professor. “I was still on the train coming into Mexico City, the night he appeared at Judge Arista’s home. When I was dictating my notes here at the hotel, Tizoc was at the excavation, undermining Dr. La Vega’s cabin. Then when I go over there to look for him, he shows up in El Cielo.”

“He has certainly given you the run-around,” agreed Mr. Brewster. “But why?”

“You might better ask, ‘But who?’ He is probably someone who is afraid that I would recognize him if I met him face to face, mask or no mask.”

“And you think that would be-“

“Justin Kirby,” completed Bortha. “He’s made trouble for Dr. La Vega and myself from the very start. He was in Mexico City when the Tizoc costume was stolen there.

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