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 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 An Indian Legend and Story of 
 Southern California. 
 
 By 
 WILLIAM RUSSELL MOREHOUSE. 
 
 THE EDITOR PUBLISHING CO., 
 
 FRANKLIN, OHIO. 
 1903.
 
 COPYRIGHT BY 
 W. R. MOKKHOrSE.
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 TO MY FATHER.
 
 Preface to Legend. 
 
 America was discovered by the white man many 
 centuries ago. He also discovered many secrets of 
 the savage Indian unsealed many treasures known, 
 and defended by him. 
 
 Gleaning the past four hundred years, we find 
 the Saxon has accomplished many wonderful and al 
 most impossible tasks. Our histories tell of the com 
 ing of Columbus, of terrible wars with the savage 
 tribes, of the cruel destruction of the defenceless 
 homes of the Saxons in fact, many pages are needed 
 to chronicle the difficulties and the sufferings that 
 marked the beginnings of the history of America. 
 
 And so history, rich in narrative, is dear to the 
 intelligent student of to-day. History records man's 
 daily advancement and, dating back of his present 
 day, reveals to him the developments of his forefath 
 ers, tin til he finds himself one of the characters joined 
 to a nation to make its history. 
 
 Thousands of volumes record the course of past 
 events, yet much remains unwritten. Able writers 
 are spending years in recording recent events, while 
 but few are taking a day for preserving in writing the 
 remote past. If we could look back to the period of
 
 the Mouudbuilders, we likely sliould know also of the 
 time when the immense mastodon inhabited the land. 
 We are only guessing at the period of the mastodon, 
 and feebly trying to point out his chosen feeding 
 ground. We have been trying for years to solve the 
 mysteries of the Moundbuilder, and now our know 
 ledge rests solely upon nameless tombs of crumbling 
 skeletons. These testimonies are weak and uncertain 
 for the dead do not speak, nor do the relics enclosed 
 with them. 
 
 From these skeleton remains we must grant that 
 men at one time lived, and during their lives warred 
 with the bow and arrow hammered the flint with 
 hardened copper. Long before our great grandfath 
 ers had knowledge of a western hemisphere, a history 
 of a mountain peak was made by an Indian. And 
 although lie had little knowledge of how to preserve 
 this history in writing, only the useless lias been lost, 
 the priceless pearls being handed down from father 
 to son. 
 
 Many races have passed out of existence, but each 
 has left the arrow or the tool of copper, so that his 
 legendary history becomes a truth. Was this not 
 true of the Moundbuilder, and will it not be proven 
 true with the Cave-dweller? And does a true Cali 
 fornia n doubt that another century and the tepees of 
 Ramona's race shall be deserted as were those of their 
 ancestors? 
 
 We Saxons have grown careless and uninterested 
 in the Indian of the white hair and of more than one 
 hundred years. We are daily passing him by as a 
 beggar, as a nuisance ; and more, we do not pause to 
 listen to his legend, so soon to be numbered irrevoc-
 
 ably among the vast unwritten volumes. Let us each 
 stop in our rapid progress, and gather up all such 
 precious records. 
 
 The name Bonifacio Cabse calls to mind a police 
 man of the Loboba Indians, and an Indian village on 
 the Mission Reservation. Many times did I meet 
 Bonifacio Cabse, and each time with a handshake and 
 the greeting "me-oc'qua. " Through Bonifacio Cabse 
 I soon knew nearly every Indian on the Reservation, 
 and then as they passed me on their broncos enroute 
 to San Jacinito for supplies, or to the Agency for ad 
 vice, it was "me-oc'qua." 
 
 One day I asked Bonifacio to tell me all he had 
 told the Agent. At first he thought his religious 
 spirit would curse him for revealing the tragedy 
 which gave Tauquitz Legend its origin ; but this all 
 changed upon my offering him five silver dollars. The 
 money was too tempting for Bonifacio Cabse, and for 
 it he would disclose every secret bound up within his 
 worshiped legend. Let us unravel this.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 An Indian Legend and Story of Southern 
 California. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A STRANGE MEETING. 
 
 While one may safely class the following chapters 
 as "An Indian Story of Southern California," he may 
 as well term it "A Story of a Land without a 
 Boundary." 
 
 So far as the then inhabiting Indian could see, a 
 boundless land outstretched itself. To measure its 
 length and breadth was a task promising well to last 
 a lifetime. 
 
 As to-day, Southern California then had its 
 cragged mountains of granite, its expanse of level 
 mesas, its verdant valleys with an occasional small 
 river and lake. The seasons too were much as the 
 seasons now. Wet winters, followed by long, dry 
 and hot summers, and, in the course of a half century
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 2 
 
 a few years of many rainy months, and no less years 
 of many dry and rainless ones. 
 
 Four almost rainless years had now spent 
 themselves ; the once green and stately trees re 
 sembled naked giants, while in valley bottoms, once 
 rich with many varieties of flowers and grasses, a 
 barren waste threatened. 
 
 At the head of a now desolate valley in this land 
 is living a nameless tribe of Indians. They are of 
 some intelligence, having chosen a fearless man for 
 chieftain, a wise man for judge over disputes, and a 
 saintly man as director overall the good spirits. They 
 are looking unto a God for all their wants, and are 
 otherwise in line with men of the highest civilization. 
 Their trust is confided in the Acron or Oak Tree 
 which, although in tree form, represents to them 
 their Acron God. 
 
 The wealth of this nameless tribe is invested in 
 one great flock of sheep, which through a decision in 
 the Indian court, has passed into the control of the 
 judge's first son, Silveric Sinon. 
 
 When less than ten years of age Silveric Sinon 
 fully realized what it was to be the sole custodian of 
 the tribe's riches. He knew, too, that it was possible 
 to lose, through neglect, that which his father's de 
 cision had given him. Growing older, he became so 
 fearful of this consequence as to herd the sheep in 
 person. And so from the rising to the setting of the
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 3 
 
 sun he watched the great flock, and at night he slept 
 among them. Often he would silently contemplate 
 some parcel of land, covered as yet with scant dry 
 feed, and his thoughts would turn toward fertile val 
 leys far westward. 
 
 Early one summer morning Silveric started on a 
 long trip westward. Absent from home but three 
 suns, he returned weary and worn. Again, deter 
 mined upon securing a quantity of dried mutton and 
 grapes, he took with him his young brother Diego, 
 and was gone. 
 
 "Will the Gods of the Acron Tree watch over us 
 when so far from home?" boyishly asked young Di 
 ego ; and Silveric firmly replied, "Yes, brother, the 
 Gods of the Acroii Tree are always with me, for I 
 have riches attracting them." "And brother, are 
 there Indians living in this land? Father says there 
 are many, many bad Indians living in a cave high up 
 in the mountains. Are they as large and strong as 
 Pedro Palo?" "No brother, they are small in 
 stature." 
 
 "My poor sheep," murmured Silveric. "Poor 
 sheep," repeated Diego, picking a few dry stems of 
 grass and putting them into his mouth. 
 
 Before the sun set Silveric and Diego were look 
 ing over a land which promised an abundance of 
 feed. Overjoyed in this, Silveric began dancing, and 
 as he danced he lashed his sides with his open palms
 
 4 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 until the blood almost spurted forth. Diego stood 
 watching his brother until the latter cried out, "We 
 have found better land than our fathers!" Then he, 
 too, joined in the dance. 
 
 "Ah !" Silveric whispered, presently ceasing his 
 wild dancing and looking out toward the thicket : 
 "coyotes, brother," he said, soberly. 
 
 "Why cease to dance, brother?" asked Diego, 
 still dancing. 
 
 "Ah, I can no longer dance for joy, for the coy 
 otes endanger my riches and my sheep.' 1 
 
 "Can we not drive them into the mountains?" 
 asked Diego. 
 
 "No, no, there is just one thing to be done. You 
 hasten home and tell Pedro Palo to come. Have him 
 bring many, many arrows, and you, Diego, bring 
 father's swiftest hounds." 
 
 "And who is to bring the dried mutton and 
 grapes?" asked Diego, seriously. 
 
 "They are both with us in this land," replied 
 Silveric, "for see, yonder upon the mesa buds the 
 cactus fruit. Then too, should we need, we shall kill 
 a sheep." 
 
 "And then, too, Silveric," said Diego, happy in 
 the thought, "Pedro is a true shot and he can easily 
 hit a rabbit as it runs for the thicket, or a bird as it 
 flies by." 
 
 Diego started with the sun on his long tramp up the
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 5 
 
 valley. No sooner had he gone than Silveric ascended 
 a near-by foothill to look over the paradise he felt lay 
 all about him. For some time he sat there watching 
 the outstretched mesas. Soon he saw some moving 
 object. "It's poor Diego," he said, sorrowfully, 
 watching the slowly moving figure. "Diego is lost, 
 having gone down the valley when he should have 
 gone up." Silveric continued to follow the figure as 
 it moved in and out among the low bushes. "Diego 
 sees me," he whispered, crossing his hands upon his 
 breast and uttering a sacred "Amen!" to the Acron 
 God. He watched the figure slowly drawing nearer. 
 Then, wishing to surprise Diego he ran to hide him 
 self in a thicket of rose bushes. It seemed to Silveric 
 that even the day had passed, still he waited. "What ! 
 what! are my eyes false?" he questioned himself, 
 "for behold this who comes is not Diego. It is an 
 Indian maiden, and she is lost. Ah, she discovers 
 me," said Silveric, becoming alarmed. "She stoops 
 to examine my footprints. What if she should be a 
 member of the bad-spirited Indians? She will de 
 stroy my sheep. " Silveric crouched lower. 
 
 "Ah ! she speaks ! " and Silveric listened. "Has 
 my father been here? Maybe it is my lover's foot 
 prints," she said. 
 
 "She must be lost," Silveric decided. Then, 
 "She is beautiful, ' ' he thought, as he studied her from 
 his concealment, "and I should learn to love her as
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 fully as the one whose footprints warm her heart. " 
 
 Gripping tight his bow, and setting an arrow in 
 it, Silveric crept from his hiding place toward the 
 stranger, who, bitterly weeping, had hid her face in 
 her hands. Before her Silveric's bravery vanished ; 
 he now wished he were still hidden, but it was too 
 late. He had one thing left to do, and he resolved 
 to do it bravely. Bending down, he gathered up the 
 black silken hair, murmuring as he pressed it in his 
 hands, "How beautiful ! why should one so beauti 
 ful cry?" 
 
 In an instant the maiden was upon her feet. "I 
 am not an evil spirit," Silveric said tenderly. "I 
 should like to be your friend," he added, wanting for 
 better words of welcome. This seeming fairness 
 worked to his purpose, for the maiden asked, "You 
 mean to do me no harm?" and as she spoke the words 
 began again to cry. 
 
 "A friend will do you no harm," quickly replied 
 Silveric, stepping nearer. "Strange maiden, tell me 
 you name?" 
 
 "Ah, my young friend, I am an Indian goddess, 
 living by a sea in the far east, and the name given me 
 by the Gods of the beautiful sunset is 'Mystica. ' : 
 
 "Yes, and whose child are you?" 
 
 "I am the youngest daughter of Chief Algoo-at, 
 but " cutting short her reply, "what is your name, 
 and whose child are you?"
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 7 
 
 "Ah ! Mystica, you have such a beautiful name 
 I am ashamed of mine. I am Silveric Sinon, and I 
 live far up the valley," pointing with an arrow east 
 ward. 
 
 "And where did you find the name?" 
 
 "Ah! it is one given me by the planets, and it 
 means I have the cunning of the coyote. And I am 
 the first born son of Judge Sinon. And now Mystica, 
 come and sit with me on the brink of the spring. 
 Come, I want to tell you of my home." 
 
 For a moment timid Mystica stood unmoved, but 
 she at last yielded ; and so together they sat, talking 
 of their respective homes. 
 
 "That is the granite mountain yonder," said Sil 
 veric, pointing with an arrow to a cragged mountain 
 far eastward. "By it I live." 
 
 "Is it by the great sea?" asked Mystica, deeply 
 interested. 
 
 "What means a sea?" Silveric asked innocently, 
 having never heard the word. 
 
 "A sea is as many springs of water." 
 
 "Yes, Mystica, but I cannot reply, for I must ask 
 my father if lie has seen the sea in the west. So 
 strange it is to me, Mystica." 
 
 "What is strange?" asked the maiden. 
 
 "Oh, our meeting in this far land." 
 
 "Yes, and as strange with me;" and Mystica 
 arose, adding as she started away, "Silveric, you but
 
 8 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 care to fathom the secrets of my home and people." 
 
 "Not to rob you of them," replied the youth, and 
 added, "you are beautiful, Mystica.'' 
 
 "Many young men at home have told me so," 
 and Mystica brushed back a flow of silken hair that 
 had blown across her face. 
 
 "Why should you go? Why not stay just a lit 
 tle longer?" begged Silveric, a youth whose favor 
 was with any maiden of his own tribe, at the feet of 
 Mystica Algooat, to him almost a stranger. kk l will 
 be lonely without you," he cried, "so lonely I could 
 die. My brother Diego is now gone, and I am alone." 
 
 "Diego! and who is he?" asked Mystica, forget 
 ting that she wished to escape. "Is he perfect of 
 stature and beautiful of face?'' she added, much to 
 the surprise of Silveric. 
 
 "More beautiful than I. Diego has the beauty 
 of the Gods of the Setting Sun, while I have the 
 riches of the land." 
 
 "Riches in land," Mystica repeated with empha 
 sis, and then she laughed. "If it is riches in land, I 
 care little, for there is no riches in lands they are 
 boundless." 
 
 "No, no, Mystica, riches in great herds of sheep. ' 7 
 
 "Sheep! what means the word? If they are 
 lovers, I have youthful lovers more than five ; and 
 ee here "
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 9 
 
 But Silveric interrupting, asked : "And have 
 you a tepee of your own?" 
 
 "No, I have not yet chosen him who shall build 
 it," 
 
 "Then when shall you make this choice?" he 
 quickly asked. 
 
 "I now live alone in my father's tepee mother 
 is dead but this summer I shall make a choice," re 
 plied the girl. 
 
 "Then you have many to choose from?" 
 
 "Ah! Silveric, I have them all, they all love 
 me." 
 
 "I am learning, too," Silveric foolishly admitted. 
 "You become more and more beautiful, Mystica, as 
 you tarry with me," he said. 
 
 "I tarry here! No, no, Silveric, I must go." 
 But Silveric had called her back, promising to tell her 
 of the great numbers of his people. 
 
 "My father's people are countless, they are as 
 many as the leaves upon the trees, " said Mystica. 
 
 "Then your father must be a chieftain?" 
 
 "Yes, Silveric, he is the Chief Algooat ; and I 
 Mystica Algooat." 
 
 "I think Mystica is such a pretty name," said 
 the youth. 
 
 "Silveric, you are graceful of stature," Mystica 
 said; and quickly added, "but to tell you so was 
 silly. " Then she asked Silveric to show her the sheep.
 
 10 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Come with me to the mesa," he said, leading 
 the way southward through the willow thickets. 
 
 "Hold, Silveric, is a sheep a good or bad spirit, 
 or is it as the hound that bites or the bee that stings?" 
 
 "No, no, Mystica, my sheep are pets. See, yon 
 der rises the dust." 
 
 "Ah ! sheep are like a mighty wind, Silveric." 
 
 "No, no, my dear. Wait until nearer and I'll 
 call them to me." 
 
 "But drive them back," Mystica cried, as she 
 shrank from the foremost of the flock. "They're 
 sure to harm me " she sobbed, laying her arms upon 
 Silveric 's shoulder. 
 
 "Come, Mystica, why are you frightened? They 
 want to love you, that is all," he assured her. "As 
 the frogs croak in the springtime, my sheep bleat, 
 Mystica. Cheer up ! cheer up ! my sheep are here to 
 make friends with you. They know well of another 
 maiden who for moons has watched over them, and 
 close to my side." 
 
 "Then Silveric, you are now in love with another 
 maiden, and are fooling me. If this be so, take me 
 back to the spring that I may go far from you." 
 
 "Why hasten, Mystica?" 
 
 "Else the maiden come ; and then as you know 
 well she will grow jealous of me." 
 'But she is dead, Mystica." 
 
 "Truly so?" asked the girl.
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 11 
 
 "I have told you rightly," replied Silveric. 
 "Come, this sheep claims you as its friend for it 
 wants to lick your hand." 
 
 "It is looking for the other maiden, and does not 
 recognize me, for I must be strange to it. Ah ! sheep 
 trouble me, Silveric. Do let them go back to their 
 feeding and you tell me of pleasant things, for I am 
 tired." 
 
 "Truly, I shall, Mystica ; but first, aren't you 
 hungry?" 
 
 "I am, Silveric, for now a half moon I have lived 
 upon the cactus fruit." 
 
 Silveric led her to his camp in the willows. "The 
 dried flesh of sheep is new to me," said Mystica, hav 
 ing eaten the portion given her by Silveric. 
 
 "Then your people have not known of the 
 sheep?" 
 
 "No, they are new to us. We live upon dried 
 fish." 
 
 "What of the dried grape?" asked Silveric. 
 
 "Ah, dry grapes I love, for they are far sweeter 
 than the berries growing by the sea." 
 
 "Taste these," he said; and plucked from an 
 overhanging vine a well ripened bunch of green 
 grapes ; "these are living grapes." 
 
 Mystica looked first upon the grapes and then at 
 the giver. "Can I whisper a promise to you, Sil 
 veric?" she asked, having first tasted the sweet fruit.
 
 12 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Should you give my father a bunch of these sweet 
 grapes, he would permit you to love me." 
 
 Then beneath the grape vine and the overhang 
 ing willow Silveric told to the one he was fast learn 
 ing to love, the history of a people living beneath the 
 shadow of a high mountain peak. And by Mystica 
 another story was told, of a people living upon the 
 shore of a great sea. 
 
 "Do the evil spirits live in the foothills about 
 us?" Mystica questioned seriously. 
 
 "No, no, the evil spirits live high up in the 
 granite mountain," assured her companion. 
 
 "Behold! the day fast goes, Silveric, and I 
 must be away," said Mystica. 
 
 "You hasten where?" asked Silveric. 
 
 "In search of home," was the reply. 
 
 "Foolish to go now, for only a little way can 
 you go before dark night settles about you." 
 
 "Then Silvoric, lam to stay and tell Diego, your 
 brother, of my people." 
 
 "I purpose to hide you away until Diego is gone 
 far upon the mesa with the sheep. I have planned 
 it all, Mystica. I shall tell Diego I am going west 
 ward to look for better pasture, and instead I'll steal 
 away with you." 
 
 "But if I should hide away will not Diego's 
 hounds find me?" 
 
 "No fear of that, for it is always their duty to
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 13 
 
 watch the sheep upon the mesa. Hide yourself away 
 up along the trunk. of this giant willow. Take up 
 with you a sheep skin to shelter you against the cold 
 night wind. Spread the vines well before. Listen, 
 I hear voices. It is Diego and Pedro Palo, for I 
 recognize the bark of Diego's hounds. Quick!" 
 
 Mystica nimbly passed from limb to limb and 
 soon was far up from Silveric. "A good joke on Di 
 ego," he laughed, as he told Mystica how best to ar 
 range every branch. Only a moment passed before 
 a panting hound sprang in, then a second, and even 
 to the fourth. Soon Diego stumbled in wearily, then 
 Pedro Palo, carrying upon his shoulder a bow and a 
 sheep-skin roll of arrow r s. 
 
 "Silveric deserts his sheep," panted Diego to 
 Pedro Palo without a word to his brother. "The sheep 
 are unguarded. " 
 
 "Diego," coldly spoke Sil:lc, "you speak un 
 kindly, for which I shall punish you. Before the 
 sun's rising you lead the sheep far to the southern 
 mesas. Remember, Diego, this is to punish you. 
 Remember, the sheep are mine, and under my care." 
 
 "Spirits!" cried Pedro Palo, seeing the hounds 
 leap along the tree trunk. 
 
 "Ah!" exclaimed Diego, as he ran from under 
 the tree, "they smell an enemy." 
 
 "They smell themselves," coarsely mocked Sil 
 veric, hurling a limb at the foremost. "Diego is
 
 14 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 afraid of himself ; even an owl alighting in the tree 
 would frighten him." 
 
 Diego said nothing, but turned back to his camp, 
 and was soon fast asleep. Earlier in the evening Sil- 
 veric had crept away to watch over the flock till Di 
 ego should relieve him. Mystica, too, had fallen 
 asleep, but the bright moon shining through the trees 
 awakened her some time in the night. 
 
 "Spirits, Diego! spirits, Diego!" she heard a 
 voice exclaim suddenly, and her keen ears caught the 
 crackling of limbs as someone dashed away through 
 the thicket. 
 
 "Hush! it is but an owl," scolded Diego, sleep 
 ily. "The new moon disturbs Pedro. " And a little 
 later she heard him sneer to himself, "Cowardly Pe 
 dro!" She saw an owl fly between them and the 
 moon, and she heard Diego laugh and say, "Silveric 
 thinks I am afraid of myself, but he does not know." 
 As she listened intently, she heard a man's retreating 
 footsteps. Diego had snatched a small bag of dried 
 mutton and grapes and was running toward the south 
 ern mesa. 
 
 "I am alone," sighed Mystica, as the sounds died 
 away, "and worse than dead. There is no comfort 
 in the croaking of the frogs in the spring, nor in the 
 chirping of the crickets in the tree trunk. The night 
 frightens me." 
 
 There was a sudden whir above her head, and
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 15 
 
 she knew it was the whizzing of an arrow as it 
 glanced from bough to bough. She crouched down 
 in terror, in doubt as to the target. Then, just above 
 her head, a night owl flapped his wings, with the 
 agony of a wounded creature. Below her a clear 
 voice rang out. 
 
 "Pedro Palo would shoot tokillSilvericSinon?" 
 
 "Ah, no, Silveric," came from a distance, "I 
 but shot to kill an owl as it flew before the moon." 
 
 "It is well. But go, Pedro, for the coyotes 
 scamper toward the thicket at the break of day. ' ' 
 
 Far away the voice came back. "I go. " 
 
 Before the silence was complete again, Mystica 
 heard the clear tones of Silveric calling her to come 
 down. "Has he shot you with the arrow?" he asked, 
 breathlessly. "We have not a moment to waste," 
 he went on, measuring with his eye the height of the 
 moon. 
 
 After filling a sheepskin bag with dried mutton 
 and grapes, they slipped quietly past the spring and 
 on through the night. As they walked, Silveric 
 asked where the girl had been. 
 
 "In the west, searching for the hiding place of 
 the sun," she answered. 
 
 "And where did it set?" asked Silveric, remem 
 bering that his brother Diego was named after the 
 setting sun. 
 
 "From my home I could see it sink among the
 
 1 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 low hills," she said. "But I found that it set still 
 farther west, in the valleys. Then I came on to the 
 valleys, but even yet I have not found it. When you 
 saw me on the hill-top I was lost." 
 
 Far in the east the sun crept up into the heavens. 
 As it rose it reflected its burning flame squarely 
 against the hills to the westward. The groves of bare 
 cactus and the leafless bush in the valley below were 
 mirroring the same steady glare. The shadows of the 
 dawning had given way to the brightness of mid-day. 
 
 Presently Silveric stopped under the shade of a 
 live oak. "The sun burns to-day," he complained, 
 looking at her curiously. 
 
 "If the heat were my only trouble," she said 
 slowly, "I would be well content." 
 
 "Are you lonely, Mystica?" asked Silveric, "or 
 does my presence comfort you?" 
 
 There was no reply. 
 
 " Would you rather die out herein the moun 
 tains than live with my people?" he persisted, look 
 ing into her eyes. 
 
 "I want to live with you always, Silveric," 
 she sobbed, as he took her in his arms. "But let us 
 go to my home, and I promise you one-half of my 
 father's authority. Is not power greater to you than 
 wealth? Sheep live and sheep die > but my father's 
 authority lives on with the life of his people. If he 
 will not consent, do with me as you will."
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SILVERIC ENTRAPPED. 
 
 Suddenly a sound caught the girl's ear. She 
 listened a moment in doubt. A faint bark came out 
 of the distance, then another. 
 
 "My father's hounds !" cried Mystica. 
 
 Silveric sprang upon a boulder, from which he 
 could see the country in all directions. Fora moment 
 neither spoke. It was the girl who broke the silence. 
 
 "Hide!" she whispered, "hide!" 
 
 With a bound he reached a dense thicket of man- 
 zanito trees. It was a poor place, but there was no 
 time to lose. Already the hounds were racing down 
 the sloping hill-side. As they reached her the great 
 dogs sprang toward her with glad cries of recognition. 
 The next instant her father's arms were around her. 
 
 But even as the Indian escorts were dancing 
 about the group, the hounds scented their prey, and 
 neared the thicket. Silveric offered up a prayer to 
 the Acron Gods, and as he prayed, there came to him 
 a new sound, the barking of other hounds. With a 
 joyful cry he recognized the dogs. "They are mine,"
 
 18 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 he told himself exultingly, "mine, mine ; my Ri- 
 azer, my Papet, my Arnie!" 
 
 But they were not here. One of the others 
 sprang at him and fastened its sharp teeth in his 
 thigh. He tried to frighten it off, but his voice was 
 pitifully weak. Then, with a rush that bore all be 
 fore them, his faithful hounds were upon the onemy. 
 
 The fight was short. Outnumbered, cowed by 
 the savageness of the newcomers, and lacking their 
 fierceness, the two dogs were soon dead, fairly torn 
 to pieces. Silveric 's hounds were bleeding from 
 many wounds and crept to the friendly shelter of the 
 manzanito thicket. 
 
 Silveric sprang from his hiding place. "My 
 hounds have power, Mystica, as could shake the 
 granite mountains." He called each by name, and 
 it came running to him. With a word of encourage 
 ment, he made them attack the two escorts, and they 
 closed in upon the frightened men witli gnashing 
 teeth and low growls. As they fought^Chief Algooat, 
 Mystica's father, fitted an arrow to his bow. But 
 Silveric was watching, and grappled him on the in 
 stant. The chief was old and Silveric easily threw 
 him to the ground. 
 
 "Don't kill my father," cried Mystica, as she 
 saw Arnie, the third hound, catch him by the 
 shoulder. After a minute, Silveric called off the 
 beast. But he stood with folded arms while the
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 19 
 
 hounds killed the escorts, and not till it was all over 
 and the two Indians lay on the ground, mangled and 
 torn beyone recognition, did Silveric regret what he 
 had done. 
 
 It was late in the day before the sad scene of 
 the morning conflict was left behind. The hounds 
 remained with Silveric till he decided all danger past 
 and sent them back to guard the sheep. Chief Al- 
 gooat soon won his confidence by making many prom 
 ises, and the youth rapidly yielded to the cunning of 
 the old man. He little comprehended that he was 
 being spurred on into prolonged captivity by the 
 lashes of love, for all risks were now hidden in Mys- 
 tica Algooat and the promises of her father. And so 
 that evening the three sat warming themselves before 
 a little fire high up in the mountains. 
 
 U I suppose I am a foolish youth, my chief," 
 said Silveric, for the first time thinking of what lie 
 had given up to follow Mystica. 
 
 "Rather a wise youth," responded the old chief, 
 gravely, turning to Mystica and pointing to her beau 
 tiful hair. 
 
 "Am I wholly intoxicated with love for her?" 
 Silveric asked himself, "or am I crazed?" 
 
 Early the next morning Silveric proposed that he 
 start back, but the old chief persuaded him to continue. 
 
 "Why not see my people?" he asked, as they 
 drew within sight of a vast sea.
 
 20 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "I care little for the vengeance of your people, 
 it is true," Silveric answered, "for if I chose I could 
 call a legion of hounds to fight for me." 
 
 "True, "said the chief, soberly ; "I had forgotten 
 that you were a man of spirits." 
 
 "They obey me always; were I to call to them 
 now they would come and tear you to pieces. See !" 
 And he made a show of calling to them. 
 
 "No, no; do not call them," begged the chief, 
 in great terror. 
 
 Never before had Silveric seen the sun rising on 
 a great inland sea. The sight was inspiring, and a 
 new world was unfolded to him. 
 
 "Is not the sea beautiful?" asked Mystiea pres 
 ently, fearing his silence. 
 
 "It is, indeed," said Silveric, gazing admiringly 
 at the vast expanse of water, on which the sun shone 
 brightly. 
 
 "My daughter," interrupted the chief, "i 
 named after the beauties of the sea." 
 
 "Ah !" answered Silveric, turning to her as if he 
 had never noticed her closely before, "she, too, ie 
 beautiful." 
 
 "The Goddess of the Sunset is an appropriate 
 name," went on the chief, evidently bent on pleas 
 ing the younger man. 
 
 Silveric noticed the unusual graciousness, and 
 asked the reason.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 21 
 
 "The Indian, "explained Chief Algooat, "always 
 endeavors to please the spirits. ' ' 
 
 "Look!" interrupted Mystica, "behold the num 
 bers of my father's people ; see how they move yon 
 der along the seashore." 
 
 Silveric followed her gaze, and there was sur 
 prise in his voice when he spoke. 
 
 "As a flock of birds," he said, wonderingly. 
 
 They passed silently into the village. The chief 
 stopped once to quiet Silveric's conversation, but the 
 Indian only laughed at him, asking him why he 
 should fear the tribe, when he could summon help at 
 any time. 
 
 "But if they hear of your great power," pleaded 
 Mystica, "they will drown themselves in the sea." 
 
 So they stole on quietly till they reached the 
 chief's teepee, where Silveric was securely hidden. 
 Once alone, he laughed at the way in which he had 
 frightened the chief by pretending to possess the 
 strange power. 
 
 A wind had been blowing all day. Toward night 
 it had increased in violence till it became a sea gale, 
 rushing southward with terrific force. Silveric prayed 
 to the Acron (rod for more wind, and fell asleep at 
 last, weary with the long walk. 
 
 It was the middle of the night when he awoke. 
 A form was bending over him, and a moment later he 
 heard her whisper :
 
 22 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 ''Father's people are drowning themselves." 
 
 "But what can I do?" he asked, springing to his 
 feet in alarm. 
 
 "Save them, Silveric.' 1 
 
 "But I cannot," he cried, not thinking of what 
 the assertion meant. 
 
 "But you must," she protested. "They have 
 cut their naked limbs till the blood drips like water 
 into the sand. Father is powerless, for they have 
 discovered your presence. If you cannot save them, 
 you must escape into the mountains, that they may 
 be calmed when they know you are no longer here. 
 See, here are dried fish for you to eat, and here is 
 father's long bow and his roll of arrows. Go quickly, 
 that this storm that you have created may cease." 
 
 For a moment Silveric's heart was filled with 
 joy. Here was the chance to escape for which he 
 had been longing. Then he thought of Mystica, and 
 all that he had sacrificed for her, and he longed to 
 stay. But as he reasoned with himself the cries of 
 the crazed Indians came to him from a distance, and 
 the fear that they might swarm upon him made him 
 
 g- 
 
 A few steps from the sheltering teepee he heard 
 
 Mystica sobbing. He listened, and as the cry rose 
 and died away, he knew she was mourning for him. 
 He paused irresolute in the dark night. A flash of 
 lightning showed him the path to the mountains, and
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 23 
 
 with a prayer to the Acron Gods for their blessing 
 upon Mystica, he plunged toward the hills. 
 
 High up on the mountains Silveric heard faintly 
 the whining of terror-stricken beasts. As he paused 
 to listen a sudden fear overcame him and he began to 
 pray. "Oh, Acron Gods, " lie pleaded, "give Silveric 
 Sinon the power the Indians believe he has." As 
 the wind caught up his voice, he realized as never be 
 fore his helplessness among the beasts of the moun 
 tains. 
 
 He never knew how long that stormy night he 
 stumbled about over crags and cuts and close to wild 
 animals that prowled among the rocks. He only 
 knew, upon gaining his full senses, that he had 
 been wandering all night, for the great storm was 
 now nearly spent. He looked backward and caught 
 the glare of many flickering fires in the distance. He 
 paused but an instant and then plunged onward. 
 
 "While they lash themselves till the blood drips 
 to the sand," he told himself, "I am escaping." 
 
 Daylight broke at last, and he made out the one 
 granite peak that he had known so long and well. It 
 lay to the east of his home. A fierce determination 
 to go on and on came over him, and he ran with all 
 his might, heedless of where he went. 
 
 Suddenly his foot caught and he fell with a cry. 
 Down and down he fell to the lowest depths of the 
 canyon. When consciousness came back to him he
 
 24 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 found his ankle sprained. There was no water at 
 hand, and his leg pained him severely. He was ut 
 terly disheartened. 
 
 "For Mystica," he said scornfully, "I have dis 
 inherited my riches in sheep. Love is vanity." He 
 remembered how she had driven him out in the storm 
 and he sobbed as he thought of it. 
 
 About him was an endless reach of granite. 
 Granite ! Granite ! everywhere he looked was gran 
 ite. The torture on his swollen leg became almost 
 unbearable, and he rolled over on his face as one does 
 in death agony. 
 
 "I am a fool!" he told himself, bitterly. "A 
 fool!" And a little later: "But no! Fools die, I die." 
 
 He dozed off into a disturbed sleep presently, and 
 woke to hear a persistent drip, drip, drip of water. It 
 clicked in his ears like an unreality, and he listened, 
 only half believing it. But it was true. Rain in the 
 mountains must have swollen the creeks. So Silveric 
 breathed a prayer of thanks to his Acron God, and 
 dragged himself to the clear water which he drank 
 eagerly. 
 
 Contented with the presence of water, he lived 
 by the little creek for several days, eating dried fish. 
 After several days he decided to move on, and rose 
 to his feet with that intention. But his ankle still 
 pained him, and he sank back with a sob of despair, 
 wishing for life to end. One night he firmly set his
 
 MYST1CA ALGOOAT. 25 
 
 arrow in the ground, with the head upward that he 
 might fall upon it. But his courage oozed away, and 
 lie lay back and cried instead. 
 
 But the days of rest strengthened the ankle, and 
 after a time lie began to make his way down the 
 canyon, at times sliding over the steep granite ledges, 
 and always hoping for rescue. 
 
 One day he came upon a heap of whitened bones 
 and he asked himself if he were to be a pile of bones 
 in the promised paradise. Then he laughed bitterly. 
 
 "1 am a fool," Silveric told himself. "I have 
 permitted the liking for a strange goddess to drag me 
 here that I waste my bones in the Indian's future. 
 But no, it cannot be. I have found the hiding place 
 of the bad Indian, Felix, and these are the remains 
 of the Indians he has killed. " 
 
 Frightened at this discovery he glanced about 
 him, wondering if the enclosure into which he had 
 fallen had an escape. He soon decided it had none. 
 As he pondered, he grew more serious, for when 
 night came he felt Felix might fall upon him. Sil 
 veric realized his weakness, and time and time again 
 he acknowledged it to the Acron God, asking for a 
 power by which he might win favor with Felix should 
 he be discovered. 
 
 Night came and went, and still Silveric had not 
 seen Felix. He grew impatient as time passed, and 
 one day he searched the enclosure, finding a single
 
 26 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 heap of dry bones, which he at once decided were 
 those of Felix. Happy over this discovery, he sat 
 down to complete the eating of the remaining fish. 
 Roughly folded in the bottom of the little sack he 
 found a small piece of pure white fibre. On it were 
 these words : "Mystica Algooat has chosen thee to 
 build her tepee." It was signed in faultless hand 
 writing, "Goddess of the Sunset." 
 
 "Does Mystica mean me?" Silveric questioned. 
 "I fear not." Here-read it. "Ah, but it must be 
 so!" He examined the fibre more carefully and 
 found other words. These he deciphered to read, 
 "For ten long summers have I written this decision." 
 At this message Silveric hung his head for many min 
 utes. At last he said soberly, "Either I must go 
 back to the sea, or like a youth of little character flee 
 further into the mountains. Both I cannot do." So 
 after arguing with himself, he finally decided first 
 to go home and then to cross the mountains to re 
 claim Mystica. 
 
 Further back in a darkened corner of this stone 
 enclosure Silveric discovered many well-strung bows 
 and full rolls of arrows. In sheepskin bags he found 
 great quantities of dried meat and grapes and even 
 fermented grape juice. Proud as he was over his 
 discovery, he did not forget to promise his sacred 
 Acron God that he would be a better man. 
 
 It was broad day many moons later when Silveric
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 27 
 
 left the stoiie enclosure for the purpose of seeing 
 once more his old home. As he stood upon a bluff 
 overlooking his father's tepee, the shades of night 
 were just settling. Far to the westward, through the 
 shadows of evening, he outlined faintly above the 
 horizon great clouds of smoke, as if stirred by the 
 hoofs of many sheep. In silence he watched the 
 clouds float across the crimson sky. Moments passed 
 before he gave way and when he did he said soberly, 
 "I see what is to me a lost inheritance." 
 Then Silveric Sinon cried like a child.
 
 28 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A GREAT FEAST INAUGURATED. 
 
 Silveric looked up suddenly and beheld another 
 scene. His eyes told him it was a battle such as his 
 father had taught him was fought long years before 
 his birth. Young Silveric, fearing not death, only 
 laughed at the thought of being killed by an arrow. 
 And so a great longing for war came over Silveric, 
 and without thinking of the results, he ran swiftly 
 down the mountain side to his father's tepee. 
 
 ''Unknown Indians born out of the rocks in a 
 single day have come to destroy us," gasped faintly 
 an old woman to whom Silveric applied for informa 
 tion. 
 
 Puzzled by the expression, he ran on to his 
 father's tepee. It was deserted. Silveric's heart 
 was touched to the core ; so he only paused to refresli 
 himself by a drink of grape juice, and then ran for 
 ward to join the battle. 
 
 Night was fast mantling the fighting Indians as 
 he drew near them. Still, he could distinguish the 
 arrows rising and planting themselves in the low,
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 29 
 
 bushy thickets. Heedless of the many warning cries, 
 he plunged deep into the conflict. His good Acron 
 God had whispered to him to be brave, and he feared 
 his father might be overpowered at the front. His 
 courage rose high as he swept through his fellows, and 
 they seemed to recognize their leader. 
 
 The closing shades of night soon hid the fighters 
 
 on either side, and the conflict closed without a victor. 
 
 "Oh, my good son, Silveric!" the good judge 
 
 cried, as he threw his arms about the young man. 
 
 "You have saved your father in his old age." 
 
 "Yes, I have saved my father," Silveric repeated 
 dully, and fell to the ground, weakened by an arrow 
 in his side. 
 
 The Indians who examined him announced that 
 though Silveric had received a very painful wound it 
 would not necessarily be fatal. They were right, for 
 during the night, Silveric, strengthened by a sound 
 sleep, stirred himself to inquire the result of the 
 battle. 
 
 "Without a result," replied a stalwart es 
 cort of his father ; "the darkness has saved us from 
 defeat. Our chief has been slain and as we have no 
 leader we are about to give up to the enemy. ' ' An 
 early surrender was all for which the Indians could 
 hope. 
 
 With the moon's rising, Judge Sinon called fora 
 gathering of his most trusted followers. They were
 
 30 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 to plan as to the manner of acknowledging defeat. 
 The promise of this surrender weighed heavily upon 
 proud Silveric, and his plans alternated between two 
 courses of action. One was to kill himself and avoid 
 the disgrace of defeat ; the other was to tlee to the 
 stone enclosure high up in the mountains from which 
 point he could revenge the severe treatment to which 
 his father would be subjected in the hands of his 
 captors. 
 
 "I shall escape into the mountain," was his first 
 decision. He ran a little way and then stopped. "I 
 am a fool to be afraid," he reconsidered. "I shall 
 present myself as one possessing the power of calling 
 the hounds." And he turned toward the hills that 
 gleamed with many little fires. 
 
 ''Hold back, Chief Algooat's brave fighter," 
 came the words, as he drew within the light of the 
 first flickering fire. 
 
 "I hold back no ! " he said. U I have a message 
 my father sends to the enemy ; will you take it?" 
 
 "Bring it here." Silveric acquiesced. 
 
 "I shall ;'' and soon he stood facing a young In 
 dian woman. 
 
 "Who are you," Silveric asked, "that without 
 the power of the hounds dares interrupt me?" 
 
 "I interrupt anyone save the man of 'spirits, by 
 name Silveric Sinon." 
 
 "Yes, and who is this Silveric?"
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 31 
 
 "He herds the sheep far down the valley." 
 "I am more powerful than he, maiden. Come 
 with me." Silveric gripped the young Indian woman 
 by the wrist and led her down the hillside. "Now 
 tell me again, who is this Silveric?" 
 
 "He herds the sheep far down the valley," was 
 the reply, as before. 
 
 "What is your name, and whose child are you?" 
 he asked abruptly. 
 
 "Ah, young man, Silveric Sinon, of whom I 
 speak, once asked me the same question ; you are not 
 he?" Then she added quickly, "He isasgraceful of 
 stature as you." 
 
 "Yes, and who are you?" 
 
 "I am Mystica Algooat, the Goddess of tfie 
 Sunset." 
 
 "Is it possible?" Silveric gasped, pausing as if 
 to study out some decision. 
 
 "I owe Silveric Sinon my beauty, and without 
 him I die alone," added the young Indian woman, 
 arousing silent Silveric. 
 
 "Oh, good Acron Gods," he breathed in thanks. 
 Then he turned to the girl. "I am Silveric Sinon," 
 he told her. 
 
 "See, Silveric, for you be he, the dawn is break 
 ing; take this message to your father." Mystica un 
 folded a small sheet of pure white fibre. 
 
 "What does it mean?" Silveric asked suspi-
 
 32 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 
 
 ciously, doubting its value, and fearing that by this 
 means Mystica would escape him. 
 
 "It means peace between your father's people 
 and mine,'' she answered. "Be away, Silveric ; I 
 cannot wait longer than the breaking of the day." 
 
 So Silveric took the little sheet of fibre, and ran 
 to deliver the message. 
 
 "Peace! Ah, Chief Algooat says peace!" Sil 
 veric cried, as he stumbled in before his father. 
 
 "Chief Algooat says peace," repeated the old 
 man, "and who is he?" 
 
 "Chief of the Indians by the inland sea. His 
 people are as many as the rocks upon the hills, and 
 their arrows as the leaves upon the trees. To please 
 Mystica, Chief Algooat spares us defeat." 
 
 "I fear the terms are severe." 
 
 "No, father, for all are to live in peace, he to 
 become chieftain, and you to remain judge." 
 
 "You are mine! mine! mine!" Silveric told 
 Mystica, as he folded her in his arms and kissed her. 
 "Show me to your father, for he knows well of me." 
 
 "I shall, Silveric, and gladly. " 
 
 Presently he was ushered into the presence of 
 her father, "Is this the man with the power of 
 many hounds?" asked Chief Algooat, recognizing Sil 
 veric the moment he stepped within the light of the 
 fire. 
 
 "I am he," Silveric replied firmly, retaining an
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 33 
 
 authoritative poise. "Fortunately, you sent the 
 message just in time, Chief, for I was talking seri 
 ously of destroying you and your followers with a le 
 gion of hounds." 
 
 "To be certain, I sent Mystica with the message 
 of peace long ago," Chief Algooat replied, as though 
 fearful of Silveric's great power. 
 
 "Fortunately you did, for without those easy 
 terms I should not have spared you until morning 
 breaks. Come Chief Algooat," and Silveric led the 
 way to the camp of his father, the judge. Here lie 
 watched through the strange ceremonies by which the 
 chief and judge signed articles of peace. 
 
 Immediately on either side orders were given out 
 that not an arrow be set in the bow, nor the sign be 
 heard for battle. All were for consultation in the 
 open valley, and so the universal command brought 
 together the Indians of the valley and the Indians of 
 the sea. 
 
 With the shades of night falling, the Indian 
 court closed, fullest terms of peace being agreed 
 upon. A feast was in order, and the Indian women 
 were soon busily spreading out upon the sheepskins 
 great quantities of dried meat and grapes, while the 
 young men brought forth vessels of fermented grape 
 juice. 
 
 So successful had been the first night's reception, 
 and so plenteous and dainty the spread, that the In-
 
 34 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 diansof the sea, without a moment's consideration, beg 
 ged to be allowed to transfer all they possessed over 
 the mountains to what seemed to be a new Paradise. 
 
 By the next day the grape juice, of which each 
 had drunk freely, was having a marked effect. 
 Friendly indulgence was fast turning into drunken 
 revelry. The festive spread was now losing its 
 charm, and presently the planet dance was substi 
 tuted in its stead. Around Chief Algooat and Judge 
 Sinon the Indians danced wildly. To increase the 
 excitement, at times a single dancer, crazed by drink, 
 would jump in by the side of the chief or judge, and 
 to the delight of the others cut his naked body until 
 from the loss of blood he would faint. Like a slain 
 brute he was dragged away, but soon another dancer 
 would perform the same feat. When the night's 
 ceremonies were ended, Algooat was duly crowned 
 Chief, Sinon Judge, Mystica, (ioddess of the Sunset, 
 and Silveric heir to the tribe's riches in sheep. 
 
 Broad day broke upon the dancers, and one by 
 one they disbanded, each to search for some quiet, 
 shady spot where he might lie down and sleep. An 
 other nightfall, and the dancing and feasting were 
 resumed, the ties of friendship still kept hot in the 
 process of welding. At length the festivity drew 
 near its close. Industriously the Indians began the 
 task of tarrying over the mountains that which each 
 possessed.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 35 
 
 As the time passed Chief A'lgooat saw that the 
 vast enclosure about the village of the valley Indians 
 was far too small, and so one day in the Indian 
 Court he ordered it torn away. His words were : 
 "Spread out with your homes and inhabit the valley 
 from the rising of the sun in the east to its setting in 
 the west. " The size of the tribe of valley Indians 
 was soon so large that its former smallness was for 
 gotten, becoming, as it seemed, in a single moon, a 
 tribe with members as many as the grapes upon the 
 vines in the lowlands. 
 
 As the first days passed, all attention was given 
 to the tribe's early prosperity. Old and unsafe 
 tepees were taken down, and in their places new 
 ones of mud brick, with thatched roofs were erected. 
 The stagnant. pool of water out of which the Indians 
 had long drunk was condemned, and to supply the 
 wants of the people wholesome water resources were 
 developed. Everywhere was improvement. 
 
 In due time Silveric Sinon brought before his 
 father his claim to the tribe's riches in sheep. He 
 had learned that Diego had become the heir on the 
 grounds of his brother's supposed death. So Silveric 
 denounced Diego's claim, but he was loath to push 
 the matter because of the fact that Diego had divided 
 the inheritance with Theophilus Algooat, a brother 
 of Mystica. 
 
 Judge Sinon was sore at heart. Often in imagi-
 
 36 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 nation he had pictured the conflict in which Silveric 
 slew Diego. There was but one thing to do, how 
 ever, and in the secrecy of the court he gave a deci 
 sion awarding to Silveric the inheritance. Silveric 
 now hastened before the two men, quick to present 
 his claim. The instant Diego and Theophilus heard 
 of the decision they were angry. With vengeance in 
 their hearts, they ran to their homes, gathered up a 
 small bag of dried mutton and grapes, and fled to 
 gether to the mountains, to be alone with their plot- 
 tings. 
 
 Many suns rose and set before they returned. In 
 the meantime Mystica watched with Silveric as he 
 sat by his sheep. As the animals nibbled all about 
 them, Silveric told the girl of many things, and the 
 time came when they whispered tales of love. 
 
 After the friendship had given way to something 
 more, Silveric told Mystica of the stone enclosure high 
 up in the mountains. One day the eclipse of the sun 
 came to him as a sign, and he studied long the shad 
 ows to discover its meaning. His heart, he decided, 
 was shaded like unto the sun. "One shall be like 
 the other," he told himself, "for some disaster is 
 creeping upon me." So he became very grave, and 
 one day went so far as to ask Mystica to flee with him 
 to the stone enclosure to live there alone with him 
 unmolested. But the girl was far-seeing, and over 
 turned Silveric's plans with a firm reply.
 
 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 37 
 
 "No Silveric," she said, "the Goddess of the 
 Sunset does not want to disgrace herself by living in 
 a stone enclosure haunted by the spirit of a bad 
 man . ' ' 
 
 "A curt reply I have received,"' and Silveric 
 hung his head. 
 
 "All is for the best," Mystica said gently. Then 
 she asked him to tell her of more pleasant things. 
 
 "You are very strict with me, Mystica '' he re 
 plied, soberly, as though he were fast losing all hope 
 of having her by his side through his declining years. 
 
 "I do it for the best, Silverie," was all she would 
 say. 
 
 Now Silveric had won favor with her father, the 
 chief, by his frequent calls at the tepee. So as time 
 went on he was given a glad consent when he asked 
 to marry her. The threats of Diego and Theophilus 
 were almost forgotten. 
 
 But early one morning they returned. Secreting 
 themselves just before Chief Algooat's tepee, they 
 waited for Silveric, concluding rightly that he would 
 be coming to get Mystica to watch the sheep during 
 the day. They calculated well, for Silveric, true as 
 the sun-rise, came slowly over the trail leading to the 
 tepee. They heard the low hum of his favorite love 
 chants and they knew he was happy. He caught a 
 glimpse of the two young plotters as he came along, 
 but thinking they were youths playing some game he
 
 88 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 
 
 passed them by without a thought of danger. 
 
 Suddenly there was a loud cheer, and Theophilus 
 urged his hounds upon Silveric, who turned and fled 
 for the open door of Chief Algooat's tepee. But 
 the hounds were far too fleet of foot for poor Silveric 
 and were fast overtaking him. He gave a single call 
 for help, and in another instant Mystica came running 
 to his rescue. She heat away the hounds till they 
 cowed at her feet. The next instant Silveric spoke 
 angrily to Theophilus, telling him that should he ever 
 again attempt such a trick he would call upon Judge 
 Sinon for sentence. 
 
 The words set Mystica to pondering, ami know 
 ing that her lover meant them and realizing the pos 
 sible consequences, she reproved her brother sharply. 
 But he, being only a boy at heart, laughed at her 
 words of warning, and as soon as he h.id another 
 chance repeated the offense. For a second time Mys 
 tica reproved him, but he only laughed and ran 
 around the tepee. 
 
 Diego and Theophilus were soon fleeing across 
 the mountains toward tiie deserted village by the sea, 
 to there await till the excitement abated before ven 
 turing back. It was many moons later when they re 
 turned, to find the Indians happily conducting the 
 feast in honor of the plenteous rain. Here they were 
 gathered dancing, there chanting festival songs. Not
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 39 
 
 u few were drunk and in their intoxication groveling 
 in the dust. 
 
 When Diego and Thoophilus crept close to the 
 camp, the feast was at its highest pitch. The planet 
 dances were the order of the celebration, and in har 
 mony each dancer circled round and round upon a 
 great spread of sheepskin. 
 
 "See, there is Silveric dancing with my sister," 
 whispered Theophilus to Diego. "I'll trip him up if 
 you will wrestle with him, should lie demand it." 
 
 "I will," firmly replied Diego, straightening 
 himself as if to show Theophilus the muscles of his 
 legs. 
 
 Round and round circled the planet dancers, each 
 turn bringing the couple nearer and nearer. 
 
 "Now for his fall," Theophilus shouted, as he 
 braced himself close by the outer circle. 
 
 In a minute the chance came. Theophilus tripped 
 Silveric, felling him upon his back. But the warrior 
 was up in a second, and in another armed with a 
 large stone ax. 
 
 "Where is the tempter?'' he asked an Indian 
 gruffly. 
 
 "There," said one, pointing out Theophilus. 
 
 "You !" shouted Silveric, in great rage, striking 
 at him with his weapon. Diego had quickly turned 
 and fled, but Theophilus was more easily overtaken, 
 and in another moment Silveric had killed him.
 
 40 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 The awful crime was now done, and Diego, like 
 a boy fearful of the consequences of his act, ran to 
 his home. Mystica Algooat, wondering what had 
 happened, asked Silveric to join her in the final bow 
 before the planets. 
 
 "I have killed Theophilus," Silveric answered 
 coolly. 
 
 "Not my brother?'' she gasped. 
 
 "I did, for I thought he would be better dead 
 than alive." 
 
 "Oh, God of the Waters," wailed Mystica, run 
 ning hither and thither in search of her father. 
 "Theophilus is dead,'' she moaned again. And the 
 cry was taken up and drowned in a babel of tongues 
 by the Indian dancers. 
 
 Chief Alirooat tightened his lips when he heard 
 it. "Silveric must be instantly killed," he com 
 manded. 
 
 For the first time search for the slayer was be- 
 ii-un. It soon proved to be too late, for he was no 
 where to be seen. The Indians conceived the idea 
 that he had been spirited away to the mountains, and 
 of a truth he was fleeing far up into the towering 
 hills, murmuring as he ran, "I shall inhabit the stone 
 enclosure and become a bad man like Felix.'' 
 
 So he crept to the stone enclosure and hid him 
 self in a dark corner. Here lie lived for many moons. 
 
 Early one evening, months later, for the first
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 41 
 
 time since his flight, he stood looking down upon the 
 home from which he had been driven. The Indians 
 were prospering now, it seemed. The sheep were 
 feeding upon the green pastures, and this of itself 
 made his heart sore. 
 
 "I have been robbed of my riches," he told him 
 self, bitterly, "and even if I should get them back 
 they will be taken from me again. Nothing is left 
 now but revenge." And stamping his foot fiercely, 
 he turned his back upon the scene and was gone. 
 
 This time he went even further back into the 
 mountains to gather poisonous berries out of which 
 he might obtain a deadly extract. This he w r ould spill 
 in the springs, he determined, and the many Indians 
 drinking from them would be poisoned. 
 
 Only a fejw moons had passed before he stood 
 once more upon the bluff overlooking his home. Upon 
 one shoulder he was steadying a great stone vessel 
 containing the poisonous extract he had cunningly 
 made. For a long time he stood in silence, looking 
 down upon the spring as it oozed past the tepee of 
 Chief Algooat. He wished the chief to die, but he 
 dared nor poison the spring lest another, one dear to 
 him even yet, should drink from it. For Mystica 
 had always been true to Silveric, and even as he stood 
 there now he was ready to admit it. 
 
 "No," he said , "I cannot. Sooner would I drink 
 of it myself than allow it to poison Mystica Algooat. ' '
 
 42 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SILVERIC SINON THE TAUQUITZ OR EVIL SPIRIT. 
 
 Silveric was about to break the jar and spill the 
 extract upon the ground, but even as he was putting 
 his thought into action his eye caught sight of the 
 flock of sheep. The thought of these having been 
 robbed from him rekindled the passion within his 
 heart, and thirsting for revenge he crept down the 
 bluff toward the spring. For a moment he looked 
 into the clear water, but he could not poison it with 
 the knowledge that Mystica Algooat would drink from 
 it. Openly and to his Acron God, he renounced the 
 attempt he had made at her life, and stole back to 
 the bluff. Once more he looked toward the valley, 
 and once more his eye rested upon the flock of sheep. 
 For the third time revenge was in his heart, this time 
 too strong to be overcome. Down the valley, as he 
 well knew, were other springs and into these he de 
 termined to scatter the drops of poison he had pre 
 pared. He made haste to do this, and then stole 
 quietly back to the thicket, from which he watched 
 the Indians come with their jars to dip the poisoned 
 water.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 43 
 
 Once he felt a sharp pang of conscience. A 
 maiden whom he loved almost as dearly as he did 
 Mystica came to the spring, filled her jar, and walked 
 back over the hill to death. The knowledge that 
 he had poisoned her so affected Silveric that on the 
 spur of the moment he hurled the jar upon the ground 
 in horror, breaking it into a hundred pieces. 
 
 "I will kill myself," he swore, and turned and 
 ran into the mountains. 
 
 After a few moons of concealment, he ventured 
 back to his vantage point, from which he could see the 
 people whom he was attempting to exterminate. As 
 he glanced upon them for the first time, tears sprang 
 to his eyes. Only a few moved in and out among the 
 deserted tepees. Nearer at hand, with the sod yet 
 freshly turned, were scores of graves. 
 
 Frightened at the terrible success of his scheme, 
 Silveric crouched low till the sun set. A great dread 
 was upon him ; he wished to discover if his father or 
 any dear to him, had perished by his hand. "With 
 nightfall he ventured into the village. He went first 
 to the tepee of a maiden who had long been true to 
 him ; it lay white and deserted, with the gloom of 
 death all about. With a great sorrow gnawing at 
 his heart, he crept toward the newly made graves. 
 At last he found it, pitifully bare and gaunt. On 
 the white sheepskin were the words : "Blucheal Lai- 
 lea, whose breath was taken away by Tauquitz."
 
 44 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "By Tauquitz," repeated Silveric to himself. 
 "By Tauquitz; it means by an evil spirit of the 
 mountains." And the fear left him, and a sense of 
 his power and greatness took its place. He laughed 
 a little, and parted his lips as he promised the gran 
 ite mountains that he would campaign against the 
 Indians. Surely he was insane ; for he turned in the 
 darkness and ran headlong back to his stone enclo 
 sure, boasting of his prowess should another spirit rise 
 up to stay him. 
 
 A few more moons passed, and again he stood 
 looking upon the village. This time there was no 
 sorrow in his heart, but only gladness. As he watched 
 from the high bluff he clapped his hands gleefully 
 and cried aloud in his joy. For below him he could 
 see the Indians performing the M} r steries of Disease, 
 and he knew some dreaded scourge or plague was 
 upon them to help him exterminate the race. 
 
 The memory of Mystica Algooat was still frvsh 
 in his heart, and when night came he crept into the 
 village and searched among the new graves. He read 
 many epitaphs, but could find none telling of her 
 death. 
 
 "But all must die," he swore. "Before the 
 falling of the leaves all must have passed away. 
 Twenty moons more and not an Indian shall be alive. ' ' 
 And with this vow Silveric was gone. 
 
 The mission of Silveric Sinon in life may be
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 45 
 
 questioned. It is probable that the Indians, though 
 industrious, were constantly drinking of the grape 
 juice. The author is convinced that Silveric's course 
 in more ways than one, was a God-send to the tribe, 
 if only to keep them sober. The Tauquitz was chosen, 
 I believe, to perform noble deeds rather than to ful 
 fill the mission of a bad man. 
 
 Only through fear of total annihilation did Chief 
 Algooat refrain from uniting his followers and hunt- 
 out Tauquitz in his mountain home, destroying him, 
 and returning home to live sober, industrious lives. 
 
 Silveric lost all count of time, but it is probable 
 that many moons passed with Tauquitz still preying 
 upon the Indians. The frequent deaths spurred 
 Chief Algooat to action. He resolved to destroy 
 Tauquitz or^be himself destroyed. So one morning 
 he crept from tepee to tepee, whispering at each 
 door, "Arise, brave men; your chief says come." 
 And each time the answer came back, "Yes, chief, 
 do we go to fight Tauquitz?" From every tepee 
 came a stalwart warrior, and soon Chief Algooat felt 
 as one who had unlimited power ; for his fighters 
 were loyal, brave and strong, and, above all else, 
 thirsting for victory over Tauquitz. And that morn 
 ing at sunrise, the Indians performed mysterious 
 feats before the Acron Tree, testing themselves with 
 the question, "Have I the courage to fight against a 
 supreme being?"
 
 46 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Early the next day the Indians organized and 
 equipped themselves for the attack. On the very 
 point of departure, Mystica stepped to her father's 
 side and asked if he knew where to find the terrible 
 Tauquitz. For a moment Chief Algooat was per 
 plexed ; for neither he nor his followers had any idea 
 as to where the bad man might be discovered. Mys 
 tica was thinking of the stone enclosure high up in 
 the mountains, of which Silveric had told her ; but 
 she was loath to speak of it. Then another thought 
 came to her. 
 
 "Father," she said, "let me go for three moons, 
 and if the Gods of the Acron Tree bless me I shall 
 know the home of Tauquitz when I return." 
 
 "Go, Mystica, go," prayed her father. And ev 
 ery Indian took up the cry : "Go, go !" 
 
 "Yes, my daughter, go," commanded the chief, 
 when the cries had died out, "and may the Acron 
 Gods bless you and my warriors. Brothers, wait till 
 three moons have risen before you call at my tepee, 
 when you will find me rejoicing over Mystica 's 
 return, or weeping because I believe she has 
 been destroyed by Tauquitz." And although he 
 tried to speak hopefully, he had little thought 
 that his daughter would escape the slayer who 
 lived high up in the mountains. 
 
 That evening Diego Sinon came to the chief's 
 tepee. The youth was rapidly becoming a leader
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 47 
 
 among the younger warriors, and there were many 
 who predicted that he would become chieftain after 
 the death of Algooat. Mystica felt little pangs of 
 jealousy when Diego chanted love songs with the 
 other maidens, and once she had vowed to win Diego 
 for her own or die in the attempt. 
 
 On this evening she and the youth chanted many 
 love songs and told many tales, and when Diego at 
 last went home Mystica walked a little way with him. 
 "Diego loves me," she told herself, after he had 
 gone. "But Diego would marry a girl who is brave ; 
 so will I go into the mountains and prove to him my 
 great courage." 
 
 That night she swung in her hammock, trying to 
 refresh her memory as to the location of the stone 
 enclosure. All that Silveric had told her came back 
 presently, and well satisfied that she could find it she 
 fell asleep. The earliest morning hours, before the 
 sun had appeared in the east, she spent in humblest 
 supplication to the Acron Gods. Just at sunrise she 
 began the ascent of the bushy foothill skirting the 
 rear of her home. It was no little undertaking for a 
 maiden of twenty- three to set out, alone, on foot, to 
 search out a destroying demon. 
 
 An hour's wandering brought her face to face 
 with a somber granite mountain. Tired and discour 
 aged, she sat down to rest and recall the directions 
 Silveric had once given her. The trail, she remem-
 
 48 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 bered him saying, led along the bottom of the canyon 
 in a zigzag course. A little search showed her faint 
 footprints. Slowly pushing her way forward, she 
 came suddenly upon the bold inscription, carved upon 
 a great boulder : "An Indian passing further into the 
 mountains than this shall be pursued and killed." 
 
 Frightened as she was, she was sure the writing 
 was of a familiar hand, and she went close to study 
 it. u Ah, Silveric Sinon but fools me," she muttered 
 contemptuously, and pushed forward with renewed 
 courage, laughing as she walked. 
 
 The trail presently led upward over a high moun 
 tain ridge. Here she found another warning, similar 
 to the first. She did not heed it, but offered a 
 prayer to the Acron God and went on. 
 
 The sun dropped behind the hills to the west. 
 The shadows thickened all about her. Coyotes yelped 
 on every side. Her heart was throbbing painfully, 
 and presently she could see the trail no longer. She 
 was lost in the mountains. 
 
 "Silveric," she cried, "oh, Silveric Sinon!" 
 
 Suddenly her cries died out. Stalking from the 
 darkness was a silent figure. 
 
 "I am not Silveric," said a gruff voice, "but the 
 powerful Tauquitz." He gripped her wrist tightly. 
 Together they stumbled along in the darkness. Once 
 she fell, and her captor commanded her to walk more 
 carefully. "You but fall in fun," he said.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 49 
 
 On and on they pushed till the night was nearly 
 spent. Mystica was almost too tired to walk, and 
 fell frequently. At last, however, they came to a 
 stone enclosure, walled with granite. Into this they 
 went, and her captor said gruffly, "Stay here till the 
 morning breaks. To escape is impossible, and your 
 life will pay the forfeit if you attempt it. " 
 
 Badly frightened, Mystica lay for a long time 
 where she had fallen. She feared even to speak to 
 her captor, as he might become angry and kill her at 
 once. At last, thoroughly worn out, she fell asleep. 
 
 Day was breaking when she awoke. All about 
 her glistened the granite walls. Before her lay the 
 form of a sleeping man, with a great stone ax close 
 beside it, and several earthen vessels some distance 
 away. She could detect the odor of fermented grape 
 juice, and she decided that her captor was now intoxi 
 cated. Her first thought was to kill him with the ax 
 and then escape. But the words of an old saying 
 came to her, "Kill him who kills thee." Still, the 
 deed was too great a crime, and she let pass the right 
 moment, greatly through fear of superstition. 
 
 All through the forenoon Mystica waited for 
 Tauquitz to stir, but it was late in the afternoon be 
 fore he finally opeued his eyes. He looked at her 
 drowsily for a minute. 
 
 "How did you get here, you strange creature?" 
 he asked.
 
 50 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 4 'You brought me here," Mystica replied. 
 
 "You lie, and I can prove it. I am Tauquitz, 
 and Tauquitz brings none but the dead to his sacred 
 domain. You must die. " 
 
 He lifted the great stone ax, and Mystica was 
 sorely frightened. She looked at the man in dread, 
 not knowing what to do or say. 
 
 "Would you kill the Goddess of Sunset?" she 
 asked. 
 
 Tauquitz repeated the words. "The Goddess of 
 Sunset the Goddess of Sunset. Are you Mystica 
 Algooat, then?" 
 
 "I am none other," answered the girl ; and are 
 you not Tauquitz, who poisoned the spring and scat 
 tered disease among the Indians?" 
 
 The man laughed. "How dare such a frail 
 creature as you question me?" he asked. "But as 
 you are weak, I do not fear to answer. I am Tau 
 quitz, and I did poison the spring and scatter disease 
 among your father's people. But you why are you 
 wandering about, high up in the mountains?" 
 
 "I am searching for Silveric Sinon," answered 
 Mystica, simply. "Have you his bones secreted?" 
 
 "And what would you do with his bones?" 
 
 "I would worship them," she said. "And I 
 know he has passed this way, because I saw his hand 
 writing on the rocks. I could die for him, for he and 
 I have often watched the sheep together. ' '
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 51 
 
 "But Silveric killed your brother." 
 
 "My brother, Tauquitz, was to blame, for he 
 tripped Silveric." 
 
 "Ah, Goddess," said the man softly, "you have 
 made my stone heart tender. I know not what to do ; 
 it seems the spirit of Felix, the bad Indian, is within 
 me. I drink of the grape juice he made, and I long 
 to destroy the Indians. I was drunk when I poisoned 
 the spring. I " he stopped as he saw Mystica's 
 bright eyes upon him. 
 
 "Are you not Silveric Sinon?" she asked sud 
 denly. 
 
 "Question me not," he said, "for my heart 
 burns within me, and my decision is at fault." 
 
 With these words, Tauquitz began once more to 
 drink of the grape juice, and soon he was lying on 
 the floor in a drunken stupor. Mystica resolved to 
 make her escape, if it were possible, and crept toward 
 the entrance. Once outside, she ran swiftly down 
 the trail till once more she looked down upon her 
 father's own tepee.
 
 52 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE GREAT TAUQUITZ CAPTURED. 
 
 On the day of Mystica's departure into the 
 mountains, Roamka Lugo, the skilled workman of the 
 tribe, carved her name in the bark of the Sacred 
 Acron Tree. Judge Sinon, passing by at the time, 
 remarked that it was a dedication to her sacrifice. 
 
 The sun rose and set, and still she did not re 
 turn. At the appointed hour, the faithful men of 
 the tribe visited the tepee of the chief, where they 
 found him lying on a sheepskin mat and crying bit 
 terly. As the time passed revenge surged into the 
 heart of each Indian and was his only thought. Even 
 the youths of but a few summers were filled with the 
 desire to destroy Tauquitz. 
 
 There was but one hope left, that the beauty of 
 Mystica would win favor with the evil spirit. Rialtez 
 Luzon, to whom all mysteries were plain, was con 
 sulted, and answered with a smile, "Have no fear, 
 for even such a hard-hearted man as Tauquitz would 
 fall in love with the maiden. Her beauty shames the 
 flowers in the garden. ' '
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 53 
 
 Chief Algooat was now past his one hundredth 
 year, and a successor was chosen. His son, Theophi- 
 lus, would of course have been his choice had he been 
 alive. As it was, he turned to Diego, conferring 
 upon him the honor with the words, "To Diego Sinon 
 I give the chieftainship of this tribe upon my death. ' ' 
 
 All the next day he danced before the fire, and 
 all that night he tortured himself with piercing cac 
 tus thongs. He was now ready for the final test. 
 So that night, with wives, children and dogs, all the 
 Indians gathered on the fireground and the strange 
 ceremonies began. The rhythm of the weird Indian 
 music entered into the very heart of the chief and 
 filled him with courage. Till the hour of midnight 
 he swayed back and forth, and then, exhausted and 
 half intoxicated, He sank back into the dust, and saw 
 deep mysteries in the curling smoke of the fire. 
 Blood dripped from his bruised sides, his bones ached 
 from the restless hours of dancing ; yet the thought 
 of revenge killed all pain. 
 
 Suddenly a cry rang out upon the night air. 
 "Mystica Algooat has escaped from Tauquitz, and 
 comes bringing victory over the evil spirit. ' ' 
 
 Chief Algooat uttered a cry of joy, and every In 
 dian within hearing took it up, shouting till the hills 
 echoed and re-echoed with the sound. Dancing and 
 chanting took the place of mourning, and each pic 
 tured in his imagination a victory over Tauquitz and
 
 54 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 a prosperous and increasing tribe of Indians once 
 more. 
 
 Mystica was the idol of the hour. Beautiful, 
 tall in stature, with eyes that shone over prominent 
 cheek bones like glittering stones of black, w r ith hair 
 swaying and waving like skeins of purest silk, she 
 was indeed attractive. Nor was this all ; she had 
 the courage possessed by few other maidens of the 
 tribe. It was no wonder, then, that lovers besieged 
 her on every side. But it was Diego Sinon that she 
 greeted with a pleased smile, and it was not long till 
 he had her promise of marriage. Both believed it 
 would be well not to marry till the hunt for Tauquitz 
 was past, and the fulfillment of the commission given 
 her by the Gods of the Acron Tree was accomplished. 
 
 Sunset was the hour for Indian gatherings ; and 
 so it came about that as the sun sank from sight in 
 the west, the tribe was once more assembled on the 
 fireground. As Mystica stepped forward, a great si 
 lence fell. With many gestures and wavings of her 
 bare arms, she told of her wanderings. She whis- 
 pere:l, as if half afraid, of a little trail that led high 
 into the hills, and of the awful inscription carved 
 upon the rocks. She told of her capture and escape. 
 When she was done, all the Indians bowed down in 
 reverence before her. 
 
 That night she and Diego walked home together. 
 In the hammock before the tepee they sat side by
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 55 
 
 side, telling the old, old story of love, and planning 
 the future as men and women shall do alway. 
 
 Nine loyal fighters were chosen to capture Tau- 
 quitz, and at dawn the next morning they gathered 
 at the tepee of Chief Algooat to listen to the plans 
 of Mystica. Diego was present by invitation, and 
 was the only Indian thus honored. 
 
 At sunrise the little party ascended the brushy 
 mountain at the rear of the tepee. At noon they 
 were high up in the hills, lunching beside a stream of 
 cool water that plashed musically down the moun 
 tain side. But only Diego and Mystica think of its 
 music as lowers do. The others have deeper thoughts. 
 
 After some little discussion, it was decided that 
 Mystica should go ahead and see if the ground were 
 clear. So she stole on toward the home of the evil 
 spirit, and the rest waited in fear and hope for her 
 return. 
 
 Suddenly she came upon them with a little gasp 
 of delight. "I have seen Tauquitz," she said softly, 
 "and he lies by the side of a great jar of grape juice, 
 drunk. Now is our time !" and she led the party 
 over the stone wall down into the enclosure. 
 
 A pile of ghastly white bones frightened the In 
 dians. They knelt in prayer, afraid to go for\^ard. 
 Only Diego was unmoved. He studied the pile of 
 bones carefully, and soon saw that the sa orifices of 
 Tauquitz had been of both sexes.
 
 56 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Up! Up! "pleaded Mystica, and she led the 
 way, running ahead of them all. They followed close 
 upon her heels for a time, but soon fell behind. All 
 at once they heard voices and halted trembling. 
 
 "Warriors Diego !" suddenly rang out Mystica 's 
 voice in great fear. 
 
 The warriors hid behind a rock, where they could 
 see the evil spirit. 
 
 "Oh, good and great Tauquitz," pleaded Mystica, 
 "forgive me for betraying you ; I did it only for the 
 good of my people." 
 
 The drunken man staggered close to her. "And 
 who are your people?" he asked, with a hideous leer. 
 "Ah, Mystica, I know you, and though you are a 
 Goddess you have tried to betray me into the hands 
 of the Indians. But show me your people, and even 
 if they have arrows ready in their bows I shall de 
 stroy them. And you, who have betrayed me, God 
 dess though you be, must die." 
 
 A great sorrow came over Mystica. She feared 
 her people would never be free. 
 
 "Kill me, Tauquitz," she said simply. 
 
 Fora moment Tauquitz faltered. "Am I to kill, 
 while drunk, the maiden I once loved?" he asked, 
 sadly. "But it must be." 
 
 He picked up the ax and came close to her side. 
 Gripping it with both hands, he swung it back for 
 the death blow. Mystica stood like a statue.
 
 Mi STIC A ALGOOAT. 57 
 
 A sharp twang rang out suddenly, and Diego's 
 bow had sent an arrow hissing into the thick flesh of 
 Tauquitz's arm. The ax fell to the ground, but Tau- 
 quitz drew Mystica close to him, praying that he 
 might yet send her soul into the darkened future. 
 
 "Oh, Diego! "she cried, as Tauquitz roughly 
 drew, her to him. 
 
 Tauquitz heard the call for help, and released 
 the maiden. He walked slowly back into a dark 
 corner, and waited to see what result it might have. 
 Seeing nothing, he came forth again, prepared to deal 
 the fatal blow. But Diego was keenly alive to the 
 danger. 
 
 "Back, you evil spirit," he cried, "or I shall 
 send this arrow deep into your flesh." And he drew 
 taut the string on his bow, ready to drive the arrow. 
 
 Diego's stand so gave courage to the other war 
 riors that they now came forth from their hiding 
 places. They were ready to fall upon Tauquitz and 
 slay him at once. The reign of the evil spirit was 
 fast drawing to a close. 
 
 The sight of the drawn bows was too much for 
 Tauquitz, and he fell to the earth. So they bound 
 him hand and foot, and his days of evil doing were 
 days of the past. 
 
 Diego now turned to Mystica and kissed her. 
 "Honor," he said, "awaits you at home. Come, let us 
 be off."
 
 58 MYST1CA ALGOOAT. 
 
 And so, happy as two children, they went down 
 the side of the mountain. Tauquitz lay groaning at 
 the pain in his wounded arm, and cursing at the hap 
 piness of his brother. His reign had ended as sud 
 denly as it had begun.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 59 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE TRAIL. 
 
 "Kill me, Diego; I want to die," whispered 
 Tauquitz. "Put an arrow straight through my heart. 
 I would a thousand times prefer death to captivity. ' ' 
 
 Lost records tell of the long journey homeward, 
 of the arrival at the tepees of the tribe, and of many 
 other things. Suffice it to say, they reached home 
 after a tedious journey. 
 
 Chief Algooat was the first to hear them coming, 
 and he ran from his tepee to greet them. He spoke 
 to Mystica first, then to Diego, and lastly to his war 
 riors who had accompanied them. Tauquitz closed 
 his eyes tightly and refused to open them. 
 
 "Send for Judge Sinon," said the chief, "and 
 we will try the evil spirit at once." 
 
 Tauquitz was planning to defend himself ; he 
 knew he could win over his father, and it seemed 
 certain he would escape punishment. The Indians, 
 however, thought otherwise, and were already pre 
 paring for his death. 
 
 The setting sun that evening found a vast throng
 
 60 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 assembled for the Indian Court. Old Chief Algooat 
 was there, muttering in song, and plainly showing his 
 pleasure at the capture. The judge was also present, 
 thanking the Sacred Acron Tree for the power of de 
 stroying the evil spirit. 
 
 Judge Sinon now gave orders for the trial to be 
 gin. At once Indian music on tightly drawn sheep 
 skin instruments was heard, which slowly died out. 
 Then, like the moaning of the wind, came the voices 
 of those who surrounded the captor : 
 
 "Death! Give him death. He it is who poisoned 
 our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, our sisters. 
 Let his sentence be death." 
 
 "Bringforth the Evil Spirit," commanded Judge 
 Sinon. "Be prompt, for a speedy trinl is demanded 
 by all. Diego, my son, you may stand here close 
 behind me. And Chief Algooat, you will prostrate 
 yourself before the Sacred Acron Tree and pray that 
 my decision shall never condemn the tribe's advance 
 ment and increase." 
 
 Through all these preliminaries Tauquitz sat in 
 silence. On every side he could see scowling faces. 
 On every side death met his gaze. At times, even, 
 he could hear the chant, "Die, oh, Tauquitz! die by 
 the blaze of the fire !" Then, perhaps, the chorus 
 would die down to a whisper, as the old judge would 
 speak. Presently the great stone ax was brought 
 forth, and the judge turned to the captive, who lay
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 61 
 
 bound and helpless, on the ground. 
 
 "Tauquitz," he said, "I command you to an 
 swer whatsoever I may ask, and answer it truthfully 
 and with no delay. Disobey, and this ax shall crush 
 through thy skull. Come closer, Mystica, and you, 
 too, Diego. 
 
 "Tauquitz, for many moons ycru have been 
 troubling the tribe with your evil deeds. You have 
 poisoned the spring from which many brave warriors 
 and many good maidens drank. You have scattered 
 disease among us all, and vast numbers of the tribe 
 have died from this cause. Here, indeed, you see 
 whom of us are left, only a remnant of the once pow 
 erful and large tribe. Your sentence, Tauquitz, is a 
 severe one. You must perish in the fire." 
 
 Tauquitz lay perfectly still, never moving a 
 single muscle. 
 
 "Tauquitz," said the judge, "why do you re 
 main unmoved? Have you nothing to say?" 
 
 At last the captive moistened his lips and spoke. 
 "My story is a long one, Judge Sinon, and one in 
 which there is much sorrow." 
 
 The judge motioned him to go on. 
 
 "I thank you," said the captive, "for had you 
 not allowed me to speak, great grief would have come 
 to Mystica and Diego." 
 
 Diego leaped forward. "Lie, if you will," he 
 shouted, "but if you dare bring in the name of
 
 62 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Mystica Algooat, I shall pray to my father to condemn 
 you." 
 
 But the judge waved him back. 
 
 U I am here," began Tauquitz, "not bound and 
 held by the power of the Indian, but by the betraying 
 hand of a fair maiden. Believe me, or not, but I tell 
 you that this very moment my hands would be free, 
 the sheep that are to die with me would be held for fu 
 ture feasting, and the cries of i Die ! ' would be instead 
 'Long live the rescuer of the chief's daughter!' 
 were it not for her. For once, Judge Sinon, this 
 maiden was at my mercy. 
 
 "Less than half a moon ago I found her high in 
 the mountains, lost. I drove the wild animals from 
 her, that in a fe\v more minutes would have been 
 feasting on her flesh. Yes, I found her weeping, 
 unguarded and afraid. I fed her upon the grapes I 
 had gathered in the valley and upon the meat of the 
 sheep. Long ago, Judge, I told her a secret; I told 
 her of my secret home. And she betrayed me. 
 
 "If you condemn me, Judge Sinon, I shall wan 
 der in spirit among yonder mountains, groaning and 
 crying for vengeance. You may burn my body, but 
 death only brings me before the spirits. If you but 
 listen, and your ears be keen, you can this very mo 
 ment hear the spirits groan off yonder in the moun 
 tains. As true as you have the power to condemn 
 the flesh, yonder spirit has the power to condemn you
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 63 
 
 after death. Do you not believe me, oh great and 
 mighty Judge?" 
 
 But Judge Sinon slowly shook his head. "If 
 you have such power," he said, "why not break the 
 thongs that bind you hand and foot? If you can 
 make the mountains groan and crumble, why not es 
 cape?" 
 
 "You do not believe what I say?" 
 
 "No, Tauquitz, I do not." 
 
 "Then I shall no longer deny my birthright. 
 Judge, would you condemn your own son?" 
 
 "Who are you?" asked the old man, starting to 
 his feet. 
 
 "I am your son, Silveric Sinon, who months ago 
 fled to the mountains to escape the wrath of Chief 
 Algooat. See, here is a wound you must know. Do 
 you remember the day I drove back the Indians who 
 were born out of the rocks in a single day? Can you 
 forget your words, 'Oh, Silveric Sinon, my son, you 
 have saved your father in his old age?' " 
 
 "He lies," said Diego. 
 
 "Axman," commanded Judge Sinon, "search 
 the captive and see if upon his right side you find 
 arrow marks." 
 
 "Yes," spoke up a guardsman, "prove the words 
 he speaks are false/' 
 
 But the search only proved the truth. The old 
 judge recalled how a little before he had prayed that
 
 64 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 nothing should influence him to save the evil spirit, 
 and now 
 
 "In what battle," he asked sternly, "did you 
 receive that wound?" 
 
 "Ah, father, you remember it as well as I. Our 
 chief was killed, defeat was upon us, and all seemed 
 utterly lost, when a brave warrior saved the day. 
 And that warrior, Judge Sinon, was who?" 
 
 "Yes, it was you," said the old man, with tears 
 in his eyes. "But tell me, why did you flee to the 
 mountains?" 
 
 "To escape the wrath of Chief Algooat, who 
 cried aloud for my life." 
 
 "Enough," said the judge. "Axman, take 
 away Silveric. Why have you brought my own son, 
 that I should pronounce him guilty? I command 
 you, take him away." 
 
 Already the Indians were clamoring for a decision. 
 The judge was silent. Even when Chief Algooat 
 questioned him he only shook his head sadly. Again 
 and again they begged for his decision, and as often 
 he shook his head. At last, he said slowly : 
 
 "Never again shall the spirits of good judgment 
 visit this tribe, and for all time shall the Indian be 
 unwise and forsaken by the Acron Gods. Diego 
 shall lose his sheep and Mystica her beauty." 
 
 "What mean you?" questioned the chief. 
 
 But the judge only shook his head
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 65 
 
 A little way off an Indian shouted, "Burn him !" 
 And another and yet another took up the cry till the 
 whole air rang with the slogan. 
 
 "He must be burned," they shouted. "He 
 must burn even if the judge does not command it." 
 
 Chief Algooat turned to the judge. "You see 
 their thirst for vengeance," he said simply. "What 
 shall I say to them." 
 
 "Tell them to wait till the morrow for the decis 
 ion," begged Judge Sinon. "Tell them to wait till 
 the morrow." 
 
 So Chief Algooat spoke to the Indians, bidding 
 them await another day before carrying out the sen 
 tence. After he had done speaking to them, he 
 turned to the judge. 
 
 "Go to your tepee," he said, "and pray through 
 the night, that you may have strength upon the mor 
 row, should your son be proved guilty of poisoning 
 the spring. Thy decision must be for justice and 
 honor."
 
 66 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE DECISION. 
 
 Evening came oiice more, a calm evening in mid 
 summer, its silence unbroken by the fire dance or the 
 thrilling cry of the Indian guardsman. All the night 
 Mystica dreamed of the wrong she had done, and of 
 the lover she had lost. All that night Diego sighed 
 and prayed for her. All that night Judge Sinon 
 tossed about, fearful of the morrow. 
 
 Long before the coyotes upon the mesa had 
 ceased their barking, an erect figure stole silently 
 along. It was Mystica searching for her father. 
 
 "I shall ask council with him," she told herself, 
 "and perhaps he will plead for the freedom of Sil- 
 veric." She came to his tepee again, and softly 
 called to him. "I, thy daughter, Mystica, have come 
 to ask thee to free Silveric. The Acron Gods whis 
 per to me that I am to carry a message that will free 
 him. I shall go to the judge and say, 'Silveric shall 
 be freed.' " 
 
 "If the Gods have whispered this to you," 
 answered the chief, "it must be done. The power to
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 67 
 
 live among us I cannot grant him, for all the night it 
 has been running in my brain that he did poison the 
 spring ; but as for freedom, that is quite another 
 thing. Were he to go back to the mountains, no 
 harm could come to us." 
 
 "That is all I ask, father, and you will grant it, 
 will you not?" 
 
 "Go to the judge and tell him that he may order 
 Silveric back to his home in the mountains, to be 
 watched over by five guardsmen." 
 
 At the entrance to the judge's tepee, she paused, 
 half afraid. 
 
 Diego's hounds threatened her, but she only 
 laughed at them. 
 
 Then, very low and soft, she began the message, 
 standing just outside the tepee. So low did she 
 speak that the judge did not hear her at all ; only 
 one who had been lying awake, waiting for the voice. 
 
 In another minute Diego was out of the tepee 
 and held her hand tightly in his. 
 
 "And you still love me, Diego?" she asked, 
 wonder ingly. 
 
 "I do," said Diego softly. 
 
 "But come, I have good news to bear to your 
 father. Let us go to him at once." 
 
 And there, standing near the old man, she told 
 him the glad tidings. "My good Judge," she said, 
 leaning close to his ear, "my father sends me on
 
 68 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 this dark night to tell you that on the morrow you 
 may command Silveric to go back to his mountain 
 home, there to be guarded by five Indians. Freedom 
 and not death is his sentence." 
 
 "And father," interrupted Diego, "before the 
 next setting sun I shall begin to build a tepee for 
 Mystica and me." 
 
 "For Mystica?" said the judge. 
 
 And Diego repeated the words softly, "For 
 Mystica." 
 
 So the judge blessed the two, and gladly forgave 
 MyBtica for aiding in the capture of Silveric. Good 
 byes were said, and the three were soon separated 
 once more, each waiting for the morning to come. 
 
 Day broke presently, and the Indians began to 
 bestir themselves, still hopeful of the fire and feast. 
 Early they gathered on the fireground, Indians of all 
 the tepees, the chief, the judge, and the daughter 
 and son who were to unite the two families. Silveric 
 Sinon, still bound, was led forth by the guardsmen, 
 to be greeted by the cry of "Death !" once more. 
 
 The judge rose to greet the assembled tribe, and 
 a great silence fell over the Indians. Like eagles, the 
 eyes of many were fixed on the prey, gloating at their 
 capture. As the judge began to speak, the cry of 
 "Tauquitz must die !" rang out. 
 
 Judge Sinon began to plead with the assembled 
 people to allow Mystica Algooat and Diego to settle
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 69 
 
 the punishment of the captive. His sentences were 
 short and abrupt, but each carried force and influence. 
 To the captors, he urged, rightfully belonged the dis 
 position of the man before them. 
 
 Here Diego thre w himself before the people and 
 begged that they spare his brother and allow him to 
 go back to the mountains. When he had ended he 
 fell fainting to the ground. 
 
 All about was silence. Quickly taking advan 
 tage of this momentary stupor, Judge Sinon appointed 
 five trusty Indians to take the captive back to his 
 home in the mountains. Chief Algooat silently fitted 
 an arrow in his bow and sent it whizzing toward the 
 granite hill. "The decision," he said, "is fair ; let 
 my tribesmen appointed for the task follow the arrow 
 far up into the mountains. Do as our judge requests, 
 and peace, happiness and plenty shall be with us 
 always." 
 
 LOW T murmurings were now heard, but Chief Al 
 gooat quickly silenced them. With a last blessing 
 upon his father and a promise to watch over the 
 spirits of the Indians as one by one they passed away, 
 Silveric followed the five guardsmen. 
 
 Family by family, Indian by Indian, the 
 assembled group melted away, leaving the blazing 
 fire to die out for want of the sacrifice that had been 
 planned. 
 
 Because Mystica's captor had escaped death, she
 
 70 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 was forbidden by Indian custom to marry any other. 
 There was nothing to do but wait patiently for the 
 inevitable. 
 
 A great storm arose one day, with terrible flashes 
 of lightning and rumbling peals of thunder. Through 
 the tumult it seemed to Mystica she could hear Sil- 
 veric's voice calling to her that all would be well. 
 Greatly disturbed, she listened for any other sound, 
 but no word came to her ear. 
 
 At noonday a messenger came panting into 
 camp. 
 
 "Where is thy father?" he demanded excitedly. 
 "I have a dreadful story for his ears." 
 
 "Here," gasped the old chief, just within the 
 tepee. "What is it?" 
 
 Then the messenger, with many dramatic ges 
 tures, told of a powerful storm that Silveric had 
 caused to come upon the mountains ; told how the 
 whole mountain side had crumbled and given away 
 under the weight of ice and snow high up among the 
 peaks. The five guardsmen and Silveric had perished 
 together. 
 
 A few days later Diego Sinon, second son of the 
 judge, and Mystica Algooat, Goddess of the Sunset, 
 were united in marriage. 
 
 And so the legend closes. To this day the In 
 dians believe that Tauquitz rules the mountains ; and 
 a peak is even named in his honor. When the moun-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 71 
 
 tains roar with the rumble of thunder, it is thought 
 that Tauquitz is once more torturing the five guards 
 men. 
 
 These Indians will soon be forgotten, though, 
 like the Mound Builders, their work shall live after 
 them. The author prays that each true Calif or nian 
 may remember that through all their trials they 
 strove constantly for liberty, peace and happiness. 
 
 An hundred years and more have passed, and 
 this tribe of Indians has prospered. Today they call 
 themselves the Sabola Valley Indians ; and what 
 could be more appropriate, when it is known that 
 "Sabola" signifies "restful," and the whole idea 
 conveyed is that ,of Indians at rest.
 
 72 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Introduction to Part II. 
 
 California should be a proud state. Within her 
 boundaries is a vast area of fertile land. Her rivers 
 are picturesque streams emptying into the Pacific ; 
 her lakes lie still and beautiful ; her mountain ranges 
 tower high in grand and stately peaks ; her valleys 
 are the garden spots of the earth. The land is rich 
 with milk and honey. 
 
 It is no wonder, then, that California is the 
 state of the tourist. Far to the west the sands of a 
 beach attract ; far to the east the sand is that of a 
 desert. It is not alone the rose that appeals to the 
 traveler ; other charms have equal powers. 
 
 Comfort and strength also lie within her boun 
 daries. She is a healing physician, and for the tired 
 man there is rest and vigor in her winters. 
 
 Not only has California her Lake Tahoe, her 
 Yosemite Valley, her Santa Catalina Islands, her 
 Shasta Summits, but she has wonders of every kind ; 
 she has mysteries. And it is of one of the latter that 
 the author would write.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 7a 
 
 Like a child on its mother's bosom, Tauquitz, or 
 Devil's Peak, rests against the Jacinto Range of 
 mountains. Although not of startling height, there- 
 is something about it that merits admiration, that 
 makes one feel its friendliness, its stateliness, its 
 grandeur. When one speaks to it there comes from 
 far down in the heart of the peak a rumbling that 
 can be described only as a sound like the stamping of 
 many cattle. It seems to fairly throb with life.
 
 74 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Part Two. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SUMMER TIME IN CALIFORNIA. 
 
 As the summer wore on, the number of people 
 who flocked from our cities to our mountain resort 
 increased daily. Every excursion now brought mul 
 titudes. 
 
 It was the last excursion in July to which I had 
 been looking forward. Early in the afternoon of 
 that day I sat in the railroad waiting room, watching 
 the clock and reading a time-table. It still lacked 
 fifteen minutes of train time. 
 
 All at once I caught myself saying, "Surely, 
 Miss Phillips, you will not disappoint me." And 
 then, as I recalled where I was, I said to myself much 
 lower, "She will not be apt to do so." I took out 
 her letter and looked at the reassuring marginal note : 
 "Meet me at the San Jacinto depot, on the 3dst." I 
 put the letter back in my pocket and glanced at the 
 clock. The time was up. 
 
 I went out on the platform and looked up the 
 track expectantly. An express messenger told me
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 75 
 
 the train was past due, but just as he spoke the words 
 I heard a whistle in the south. In another minute 
 the panting engine, with its five coaches, was before 
 me. 
 
 Not content to wait for a sight of her till she 
 came out on the car platform, I hastily pushed 
 through the crowd into the train. She was not in 
 the first coach, nor in the second ; I was beginning 
 to fear she had disappointed me, after all. In the 
 third and fourth I saw nobody I knew, and it was 
 with some misgivings that I went into the last. 
 
 Then I saw her. She was beckoning to me and 
 smiling in welcome. It took only a moment to reach 
 her side, but I faltered like a school boy when I tried 
 to greet her. 
 
 I found she was not alone. Miss Gertrude Wells, 
 with her father and mother, had accompanied her. 
 I knew them all very well, having met them daring a 
 sojourn in San Francisco some little time before. 
 
 After we had exchanged greetings, we were 
 driven to the city, and a little later were at dinner 
 together. Mr. Wells was a jolly old gentleman and 
 already he was telling us of the plans he had laid and 
 of the adventures he should meet. 
 
 Darkness fell early in the valley, and the two 
 young ladies and I soon withdrew to a quiet corner of 
 the great veranda, where we passed a most pleasant 
 evening. We talked and laughed and joked as only
 
 76 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 young people can, and the time to say goodnight came 
 all too soon. The plans of the young ladies were 
 already laid. They had come to San Jacinto witli 
 the idea of taking an outing in the mountains. An 
 invitation to join them was given me, and when I 
 left them that night it was understood that I was to 
 join them in the mountains two days later. 
 
 As I walked home that night, the picture of 
 Gertrude Wells persisted in coming before me. I 
 knew she was attractive, even handsome ; there was 
 about her, too, a fascination difficult to explain. 
 Altogether, she was a girl any man would admire. 
 
 Yet I could not forget Miss Phillips ; 1 could not 
 forget the evenings I had passed in her company, nor 
 the triumph that came to me the day I won her. I 
 must be true to her under all circumstances. 
 
 Another matter was troubling me. Could I leave 
 my vast farming interests for a vacation in the 
 mountains? And this, too, in the busiest part of the 
 year? 
 
 But what is business when there is a keen pleas 
 ure to offset it? Not for all the farms in the world 
 would I forego the pleasure of that trip to the moun 
 tains.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 77 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 
 
 All that night Tauquitz Peak rumbled and 
 roared. I slept very little and awoke after a brief 
 nap at daylight to find my head ringing with the per 
 sistent noise of the mountain and my hair well 
 tousled. I lay back on my pillow, after ascertaining 
 that everything in the room was as I had left it the 
 night before, and recalled the events of the preced 
 ing evening. It was all indistinct and blurred ; my 
 head pained me with its terrible throbbing. A voice 
 from somewhere seemed to say, "A few months of 
 this sleeplessness and thou shalt return to dust. ' ' I 
 tried to reason it out, and I said angrily, out loud, 
 "No, this rumbling of a mysterious mountain shall 
 not rob me of my sleep." 
 
 As I lay there thinking, the clock struck sharply. 
 Seven o'clock ! Impossible ! With a single move I 
 was upon my feet before the timepiece. There, sure 
 enough, was the hand pointing to the V and its two 
 I guards. I turned to the mirror, and saw further 
 proof of my sleeplessness in my bloodshot eyes.
 
 78 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 
 
 All that morning, as I went about my chores, 
 the thought of the mysteries of Tauquitz Peak troub 
 led me. All day it was in my thoughts. I deter 
 mined to go to bed early that night, and endeavor to 
 obtain some sleep, if possible. I had just started for 
 my room with this purpose in my mind, when some 
 body called to me. 
 
 "William !" The voice had a familiar ring, yet 
 1 could not place it. 
 
 I turned to look at the speaker. Two pack bur 
 ros stood regarding me with mild wonder, while a 
 man astride a third grinned pleasantly. 
 
 "Have you forgotten me?" he asked. 
 
 Then it came to me. "You are Benjamin Phil 
 lips, Attorney-at-Law, of San Francisco, aren't you !" 
 I asked. 
 
 "You knew I was all the time," he said. 
 
 I tried to apologize. "It seems strange to think 
 of you driving burros for a living." 
 
 "Well, you see, it is this way," he began. "I 
 had to give up the study of law, as it proved too con 
 fining. My health has not been good of late and Dr. 
 Johnson, whom I presume you remember, advised me 
 to come to Southern California." 
 
 "For a long stay?" I asked. 
 
 "Well, nothing definite, unless you count the 
 time until I regain my usual sturdiness, definite."
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 79 
 
 I said nothing, waiting for him to explain fur 
 ther. 
 
 "Hasn't my sister, Porta, told you? Didn't 
 you meet her at the train?" He asked the question 
 in a surprised voice. 
 
 "Yes," I answered, "I did meet her at the train 
 last night, but she said nothing to me about you be 
 coming a burro expert. In fact, she did not mention 
 that you were on this side of San Francisco at all." 
 
 "Oh, well," he laughed, "it will be a good sur 
 prise anyhow. You see I ran across a bargain in 
 these animals while waiting for my train at River 
 side. A miner offered me the three, with his equip 
 ment, for fifty dollars, and I took him up. Now that 
 I am here, I intend to enjoy myself with you and the 
 girls in the mountains. I told Porta about it, but 
 she said to allow you to be surprised, as she was sure 
 she could depend on you, rain or shine. ' ' 
 
 I looked pleased. 
 
 "Did you ever try to persuade one of these bur 
 ros to do what you wished it to?" asked Benjamin, 
 abruptly changing the topic of conversation to what 
 most interested him. 
 
 "Many times," I said sadly. 
 
 "Well, I had my first experience the other day. " 
 And then he squatted down by the roadside and told 
 me of the obstinate brute he had tried to conquer. I 
 sympathized with him when he said it was as useless
 
 SO MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 to persuade a burro that the road was to follow as it 
 was to convince a murderer that he was an emblem 
 of purity. 
 
 "I suppose, Benjamin," I said presently, "that 
 you have no objection to remaining with me to 
 night?" 
 
 "None in the least," he answered heartily. "In 
 fact, I was looking for a camping place when I was 
 directed to you." 
 
 By the time Benjamin was in the house, with the 
 daily paper in his hands, it was past time for old 
 Tauquitz Peak to rumble. Yet I fancied I could hear 
 it, ever growing louder and louder. 1 thought at 
 first that it was merely imagination, yet it troubled 
 me. Thoughts of the coming vacation with the girls 
 alternated with forebodings as to the Peak. Thinking 
 thus deeply, I soon forgot all about my visitor. 
 
 Presently the supper was ready. "Benjamin," 
 . I called. 
 
 No answer. 
 
 'Benjamin," I repeated, "supper is ready." 
 iStill he did not respond. Thinking him about 
 to end some story he was reading, I hesitated, waiting 
 one minute, two, many. Alarmed at the silence, I 
 went into the room. It was empty. 
 
 Where had my visitor gone? Had I been duped 
 by some clever swindler into thinking I was enter- 
 tainin^'a friend? This thought came to my mind
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 81 
 
 almost instantly, and I ran to the barn. The burros 
 were still there. So back to the house I went, and 
 began to search for him. 
 
 All at once an idea came to me. I ran to the 
 cellar door, threw it wide open and called to him. 
 There, behind a cask in the foremost corner, I found 
 him cowed and trembling. 
 
 "Don't let me trouble you," I said jokingly, 
 "but what in thunder are you doing down here? That 
 noise is not wind " 
 
 "Then we are not having a cyclone?" he asked. 
 
 "Far from it," 1 replied. "Come upstairs, and 
 I will tell you about it. " 
 
 So we climbed the stairs. He had always lived 
 in a middle state where high winds were frequent 
 and dangerous, and hearing the rumbling had run for 
 shelter with the idea that a cyclone was about to pass 
 over us. 
 
 A little later, seated at the table, I told him of 
 the rumblings of Tauquitz. Its mysteries, I ex 
 plained, dealt with an old Indian legend. To me, I 
 said, there was something awful in the unknown dis 
 turbance deep in the bosom of the granite Peak. 
 For a whole year it had teased me ; it had moaned 
 through long nights ; it had sighed through long days. 
 
 Benjamin stopped me with a little gesture. "If 
 your honor pleases, I will dismiss the case and go 
 back to town." And he was in earnest, for without
 
 82 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 waiting even to apologize he had his hat in hand and 
 was swearing that lie w r ould stay in no haunted land. 
 To this day I can see him standing there in the open 
 door, looking fearfully to the east, where Tauquitz 
 Peak rumbled on. 
 
 Finally he turned to me. "How long has it been 
 that way?" 
 
 "Since long before the Spanish inhabited the 
 valley. The Indians will tell you that it has rumbled 
 since the Acron Gods created the world." 
 
 We fell to talking of other things, but his mind 
 was pre-occupied. After a time he asked if I had 
 a San Francisco daily paper, as he wished to look up 
 a trial of an enemy of his, who was then being tried 
 at the capital. I found a paper for him, and he sat 
 down to study it. 
 
 'Look here," he said suddenly; "how dare you 
 tell me Tauquitz is not a living peak.'' He thrust 
 the paper before me and read aloud: "'Tauquitz 
 Alive. Volcanic Masses Seen Dripping from Its 
 Crest. Columns of Smoke Curling High in the Air.' 
 
 For a moment I said nothing. He loooked up 
 at me to see what I might suggest ; then he went on 
 with the article, emphasizing every strong point. 
 Finally, for want of something better to say, I told 
 him California would yet be proud of this mountain. 
 Benjamin angrily pooh-hoohed the idea. I now denied 
 the report. It was false, I said ; just a newspaper
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 83 
 
 yarn. Some forest fires lighted by careless tourists, 
 had spread beyond their control and had deceived the 
 writer of the article. But all the time I was search 
 ing the other papers for some contradictory report. 
 
 So with talk and reading the evening wore on. 
 Bedtime came, and Benjamin asked to be shown to 
 his room. "Should I arouse the whole house before 
 morning," he said, "do not be surprised." 
 
 For a full half hour I sat awaiting developments. 
 But no sound save the steady rumbling of old Tau- 
 quitz Peak broke the silence. 
 
 The next morning I found Benjamin looking pale 
 and worried. When I asked him how he felt, he said 
 he had half a mind to leave the place at once. 
 
 "And why, pray?" I asked. 
 
 "Because," he answered soberly, "I had a vis 
 ion last night." I tried to laugh and joke about the 
 matter, but he did not respond. So I settled down 
 and asked him to tell me all about it. 
 
 "Just before morning," he began, "I had a vis 
 ion of a train of burros, with our party near them. 
 We were plodding along through brush and among 
 boulders that made the way well nigh impassible." 
 
 "Were we lost?" I asked. 
 
 "No, not so bad as that ; and perhaps, after all 
 it was only a foretaste of the good times we are to 
 have among the mountains. Come, lock up your 
 house, or turn the neighbors' children loose in it,
 
 84 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 and let us be off to the mountains this very day. 
 We will leave at one this afternoon." 
 
 I thought of what lay before us, and I am free 
 to confess I forgot everything. Still I had the good 
 sense to engage Mac, a close neighbor, to look after 
 the harvest, and at one o'clock that day we were off 
 for the hills, away from worry, on to happy abandon 
 of worldly cares. 
 
 We came to the toll-gate presently, a curious 
 structure guarded by an old Mexican. We learned 
 that he had collected toll here for thirty years, and 
 we paid him the "passo" (one dollar) demanded and 
 passed through. Evening found us well on our way, 
 in the Strawberry Valley, high up in the mountains. 
 
 At the Del Strawberry Hotel we turned over our 
 burros to the hotel keeper and started for the wash 
 room to clean up. As we entered the hotel, the girls 
 hailed us, with many comments on our dirty faces. 
 Benjamin admitted that we were a trifle shaded, and I 
 am sure we must have been. The long ride we had 
 taken was anything but clean. 
 
 We soon fell to discussing the promise of an 
 early trip back into the mountains. In the midst of 
 the conversatian Gertrude suddenly held up her hand. 
 
 "Hear that," she said. 
 
 "What?" asked Benjamin, paling a little. 
 
 "The rumbling of the mountains." 
 
 We listened a moment in silence. Clear and
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 85 
 
 distinct it came to us, a smothered rumble like the 
 stampeding of a great herd of cattle or the wild flight 
 of a bunch of horses. 
 
 "Do you know," said Mr. Wells, "I have con 
 vinced myself that the Indians had good cause for 
 believing that the spirits ruled that mountain peak. 
 But let's go in to supper now." 
 
 After the meal we gathered in a little group on 
 the wide veranda. A bright campfire lighted up the 
 oaks and pines near the building. And there with 
 all laughing and joking, I told them of Benjamin's 
 experience of the day before, when he had thought a 
 cyclone was near at hand. All laughed heartily, 
 and we went to our various rooms with smiles on our 
 faces. 
 
 We were up with the chattering jay birds the 
 next morning. From a burro renter we obtained five 
 additional burros, making eight altogether. Proud 
 of our well equipped outfit, we drove them down in 
 front of the hotel veranda, which was filled with those 
 who were waiting for breakfast. The animals brayed 
 continuously, and we attracted no little notice. The 
 fact that they were so small and that we were load 
 ing them so heavily seemed to attract as much atten 
 tion as the noise. For it really is wonderful what 
 strength the little beasts have. They may be loaded 
 until they are literally covered and still they plod on, 
 never in the least minding their burden.
 
 86 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 A good majority of the people on the veranda 
 had kodaks and cameras, and those who had none 
 scampered off to their rooms to secure them. I dare 
 say we presented an odd and picturesque sight. One 
 old lady came close and pleaded with us not to load 
 the burros too heavily. "Please don't break his 
 back," she said, as the burro packer placed another 
 bundle on the back of one of the animals. The man 
 sniffed contemptuously and went on with his work in 
 gleeful haste. 
 
 "You darling little things," she said presently. 
 "May God have mercy on your cruel master. " Then, 
 unable to stand the sight, she rushed around the 
 hotel in search of her husband. 
 
 It tickled Benjamin immensely. "Hear that," 
 he laughed. " 'Oh, the darling little things !' Why, 
 the stubborn brutes wouldn't budge an inch for such 
 a woman." 
 
 The woman came back, accompanied by her hus 
 band. "Don't put another thing on that burro's 
 back/' she said; "if you do, I shall have you 
 arrested for cruelty to animals. ' ' 
 
 "The president of some humane society, I sup 
 pose," snorted the packer. "Well, there ain't no 
 humane society that can show me points about pack 
 ing a burro." And he went on with his work with 
 stolid indifference. 
 
 He used an hundred feet of one-eighth inch rope,
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 87 
 
 wrapping down under the burro and then up over the 
 load, and so on until the burro looked a good deal 
 like a giant torpedo. 
 
 Click, click, and the kodaks had taken a fair 
 shot of a party with its outfit ready for a ten days' 
 outing in the mountains. 
 
 "Got in its ear, Harold?" asked a lady of her 
 husband who was trying to focus a 2-^x2^ lens upon the 
 burro. Then the second burro being put through the 
 same process of packing as the first, and we were off. 
 
 Click ! click ! even to this day I can hear the 
 click of an hundred kodaks as we were leaving the 
 
 O 
 
 Del Strawberry Hotel for the ascension of Tauquitz 
 Peak. 
 
 The two miles across Strawberry Valley was a 
 trip that I often think about. Through pastures 
 green and ablaze with many beautiful mountain 
 flowers, under the shade of giant pine, oak and fir 
 trees, over babbling brooks into whose transparent 
 waters the eyes glimpse darting mountain trout, 
 ah ! a paradise, is what the lover of nature would 
 call it. 
 
 Our burro train made good progress, and we 
 were soon at the foot of a little trail which wound 
 its way up the steep side of Tauquitz. 
 
 "I'd give forty-one cents and a cup of hot 
 coffee," said Benjamin, "if the squeaky voiced lady
 
 88 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 was here, just to see her dumpling little dears wiggle 
 up the steep trail." 
 
 A short rest and the start up was made, I keep 
 ing well to the rear. Trusting a burro to follow I 
 knew was not good law, and so fell back to that posi 
 tion. 
 
 Only a little way up the steep trail had I ridden 
 before it became necessary to dismount. The burros 
 were traveling so slow that to bring a quickening 
 inspiration to them I toiled on foot, swinging a great 
 oak club. Suspicious because of my dismounting, 
 first Porta, then Gertrude, and presently Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wells also dismounted. 
 
 "Give up the case if you want to. I shall appeal 
 to the higher courts and ride this burro to the top, 
 or down the side of this mountain to the bottom," 
 called Benjamin. 
 
 "The timid girls are afraid they will be tipped 
 overboard," I said. 
 
 "Benjamin is afraid, himself," answered Ger 
 trude, arousing a like opinion from the rest of the 
 party. So we trudged on, and up the steep moun 
 tain trail. 
 
 "I'm exhausted," despairingly gasped Mrs. 
 Wells, first to acknowledge it. 
 
 "I'm very tired, myself," remarked her husband. 
 
 "Miles to the summit,'' gasped Gertrude, point 
 ing with her cane far up the mountain side.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 89 
 
 The condition was general, for not one of the 
 party was hardened to mountain climbing. "Mount 
 the burros and ride again," was the universal resolu 
 tion, which was immediately adopted and unani 
 mously carried out. 
 
 While resting on a spur higher up we were 
 assailed by a princely bloodhound. At first it seemed 
 evident that he must be shot, so as to run no chances 
 of his attacking one of our party. Rapidly he drew 
 nearer and somehow within my heart I felt that I 
 knew the noble dog. "Brave Trailer ! " I coolly said ; 
 "Brave Trailer!" 
 
 The hound at my second address stopped short, 
 snuffing all about him. "Brave Trailer," I repeated, 
 now feeling certain. 
 
 Indifferent to my friendly welcome, he coolly 
 jogged up to me, sniffing of my person. "You noble 
 fellow," I said, laying a hand upon his head; and 
 then who but Brave Trailer, No. 345, Riverside Co., 
 and owned by Capt. Sheriff Johnson, should spring 
 toward my face that he might kiss me. 
 
 "Do you see any signs of men having lately been 
 over the trail?" I asked Benjamin. 
 
 "Fresh signs and from all appearances made 
 since the showers of yesterday," he replied. 
 
 "Then I must let Brave Trailer go, that he may 
 continue in his official capacity. Shall I?" I asked 
 Porta, just ahead of me.
 
 90 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Let the noble fellow go ! why no," she replied. 
 
 "Keep him for company," joined in Gertrude. 
 
 "Well, it is a sin to coax him from performing his 
 duty, but then we may need just his kind of assis 
 tance in watching against these same fellows ; so 
 here's to luck for Riverside County!" and I soon had 
 a strong picket rope about Brave Trailer's neck. 
 
 It was nearly noon before we reached the sum 
 mit. Before us and receding eastwardly was the 
 Tauquitz Valley, watered by many little brooklets, 
 green from many varieties of grasses and shrubs, lav 
 ished with beautiful mountain flowers, and shaded 
 by pines and fir trees. A second paradise, as Mrs. 
 Wells called it. It was surely a lovely spot, and truly 
 homelike, for cattle in great numbers were eagerly 
 feeding upon the summer's growth. 
 
 With hurrahs that re-echoed through the moun 
 tain, we announced our arrival at a deserted log 
 cabin supposed to have been the residence of the 
 noted "Jack Meeks. " 
 
 After unloading our burros and picketing them 
 within reach of water and grass, we made ourselves 
 ready for dinner. After the meal, Mrs. Wells pro 
 posed that the little party sot out to inspect the 
 mysteries of Tauquitz Peak. A half hour of steady 
 climbing over rocky surfaces and through brushy 
 patches brought us to the highest point. Here we 
 were surprised to find that by looking westward we
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 91 
 
 could see far over the Strawberry Valley and even 
 catch a glimpse of San Jacinto, back in the moun 
 tains. 
 
 "It resembles a painting, ' ' remarked Mrs. Wells ; 
 "a glittering basin fringed with a narrow border of 
 green trees, and a wider one with shady foothills." 
 Far toward the western horizon the sun was 
 reflecting its brightness upon the Pacific, making a 
 splendid view. It may have been a freak of the im 
 agination, but we could see the breaking waters as 
 they dashed themselves in a spray against the Pacific 
 shore, one hundred miles away. To the south, we 
 caught the beauty of a bird's-eye view of a mountain 
 chain, peak after peak, foothill after foothill. 
 
 To the east stretched the wastes of the Colorado 
 Desert, gradually receding from the base of Tauquitz 
 Peak, until the eye failed to trace the line where the 
 sky and the desert met. 
 
 But the scenery was forgotten as we looked deep 
 into the crater of the Tauquitz Peak. It was a deep 
 cavity in the top of the peak, with rough and ragged 
 edges. It was surely dangerous. One would not 
 descend into it for fear of being unable to climb 
 out again. 
 
 After two hours of sightseeing we walked lei 
 surely toward home. We passed through dense 
 thickets of manzanita, and under overhanging pine 
 boughs with the towering fir on one side, and gigan-
 
 92 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 tic emblem of loneliness, the cedar, on the other. 
 It was not yet dark, and the pine-crows were singing, 
 almost making one believe that even the tree boughs 
 blended with their voices to make the sweet music. 
 It was truly "a paradise del California," as Porta 
 said, and we gave three loud cheers for the beauties 
 about us. 
 
 Night soon closed in upon us ; the gray peaks 
 grew shadowy, and where the thickets and over-hang 
 ing tree-boughs swept the earth the darkness was -till 
 more dense. 
 
 The dawn brought with it sore disappointment. 
 Instead of a bright, clear morning all was shadowy 
 and gloomy, clouds having gathered about during the 
 night. '-But a fleecy cloud coating," said Benja 
 min hopefully. We argued through breakfast about 
 the weather, and after packing our two burros left 
 the sheltering cabin. 
 
 Benjamin and I were thinking of his dream. 
 And so, true to our plans he led the way, taking our 
 little party down and down, as lie guided himself by 
 a cow path zigzagging its way toward the desert. 
 
 "I am reminded of one prominent point in the 
 Alps," remarked Mrs. Wells, as we all came t<> an 
 abrupt stop upon a shelf-like ledge. "See," and 
 she called our attention to a gorgeous canyon 
 far below. It truly was magnificent, yea, inspiring; 
 for here was a perfect blending of color and form.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 93 
 
 Unexpectedly, Mr. Wells, who had said very little 
 all morning, questioned our whereabouts. 
 
 "Don't you think we shall get lost?" questioned 
 Porta. 
 
 "You little coward," scolded Benjamin, "any 
 one can follow this trail. ' ' 
 
 "Boys, I dislike this part of the mountain," said 
 Mrs. Wells, taking part with the other complaining 
 ones. 
 
 "State the case, Mrs. Wells," commanded Ben 
 jamin, as though he were in court examining a 
 witness. 
 
 "Well, for one thing it looks much as though 
 we were near the haunts of criminals." 
 
 "Nonsense ! Mrs. Wells, this is almost as lively 
 as Market Street in San Francisco." 
 
 "Yes, sixty years before the war of 1812," 
 replied Mrs. Wells, not to be outdone in the matter. 
 
 Tired and lame from the day's riding, our party 
 decided to camp in a little garden spot just before 
 us. Here under the canopy of a solitary oak, we 
 pitched the two tents. We surely had many things 
 to be thankful for. A storm raging all the afternoon 
 on the desert, had not risen to our height at all. 
 But by night things were taking a decided change for 
 the worse. The distant storm was showing signs of 
 rising with the oncoming darkness. 
 
 "I wish Mr. Wells would be a little funny,"
 
 94 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 said Benjamin to me, while we were testing the 
 strength of the guy-ropes. I know that if we could 
 just get him started " But here Mrs. Wells inter 
 rupted by asking if we should not do something to 
 thwart the fury of the storm. "Hold the tents over 
 you, and I guess all will come out right," replied 
 Benjamin, jokingly. But Mrs. Wells was not in a 
 joking mood, and turned away disgusted. Another 
 moment and a flash of lightning brightened the 
 heavens, causing Mrs. Wells to scream and dodge 
 into the tent. 
 
 "I'll stir the girls," said Benjamin, and he 
 called Porta and Gertrude from under their canvas 
 shelter. "See the heavens, girls, how they roll as 
 yeasty waves upon the sea!" But no sooner were 
 the words uttered than the whole mountain side was 
 lurid with a flash of lightning. Closely following the 
 flash came the heavy roar of thunder. 
 
 A little way down the slope the eight burros 
 were bunched, much as a swarm of bees on the honey 
 comb. "Catch their expression?" asked Benjamin, 
 pointing down toward them. They stood with ears 
 straightened before them, closely fortified, which has 
 given rise to the expression, "What destroys one 
 destroy all." 
 
 A light mist began to fall, driving Porta and 
 Gertrude back under their canvas shelter. Trailer, 
 who was faithfully watching us brace the tents, gave
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 95 
 
 a sniff at the damp, chilly wind, barked dolefully, 
 and scampered into the tent. 
 
 "There'll belittle pleasure for us until this storm 
 is over," I remarked, my voice unusually serious. 
 
 "I am not very sorry for you and me," Benja 
 min returned, "for we deserve it, but I must 
 acknowledge that it is a sin to have the girls and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wells out in this kind of a storm." 
 
 The storm came even earlier than we had 
 expected, driving Benjamin and me under shelter. 
 For an hour we lay in our tent ; then I went out to 
 see how the others were fareing. 
 
 With one ear against the cold, wet canvas of the 
 other tent I paused to listen. To my discomfort I 
 heard someone sighing, "Why did the boys bring us 
 away from the cabin?" and the consoling voice of 
 Mr. Wells, "We shall all be out of here tomorrow." 
 Without making my little visit known I stole quickly 
 back to tell Benjamin. He, to my great sur 
 prise, grew instantly angry. "I presume it is sister 
 Porta ; she is all the time trying to cry herself out of 
 trouble. Well, we are in fpr it, and so far as I 
 can see there is only thing left for us to do, to get up 
 some excitement, anything to drive away worry. ' ' 
 
 'Good!" I answered, promising to study out 
 something by the time the shower ceased. 
 
 It was fully an hour after this before the shower 
 ended, giving way to a light snow. The clouds broke
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 96 
 
 somewhat, affording us a dim ray of moonlight. 
 Barely able to keep silent, Benjamin and I and 
 Trailer sallied forth. Bringing from our store 
 room, which we had under a ledge of granite, one of 
 the oak-wood box pack saddles, and tossing it lightly 
 upon the tent of the four in our party, we sicked 
 Brave Trailer upon it. To my surprise, in a single 
 leap the dog was squarely upon the tent, growling 
 and floundering furiously. 
 
 "Oh! oh! Mr. Wells, shoot it," screamed his 
 wife. '-Shoot it!" 
 
 In another instant we had pulled Trailer away, 
 fearing that he might be shot by excited Mr. Wells. 
 We were greatly frightened, for as I remember the 
 incident we stole back to our tents in haste. The 
 joke had taken a more serious tone than we had 
 expected was possible. 
 
 "Bang! bang!" rang out two shots; and we 
 knew Mr. Wells had mustered sufficient courage to 
 offer defence against the attacking beast. The smoke 
 must have been suffocating in the tent as coughing 
 grew furious. We heard one of the girls in an under 
 tone plead with Mr. Wells to go out and see what had 
 become of the boys. 
 
 When the excitement had somewhat abated, we 
 hastened into the tent to joke about the serious fun. 
 
 It may as well be acknowledged here that we 
 received a cold welcome. We sought to interpret
 
 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 97 
 
 the joke as a means of cheer instead of fright. As I 
 remember, Porta told me I hadn't cheered her a bit. 
 "Good-night! may you girls dream of lions, and 
 Mr. Wells of pack saddles," was Benjamin's parting 
 thrust. I listened for a "good- night" in reply, but 
 none came. I, at least, went to my tent with a 
 guilty conscience. I had surely bruised my own 
 heart, and I was man enough to know I was wholly 
 to blame.
 
 98 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IN A SUMMER STORM. 
 
 A second and much heavier shower was soon 
 beating down upon our tents. All about us ran little 
 streams of water, showing the rainfall to have been 
 very heavy higher up the mountain. We watched 
 these little streams curiously. They would swell and 
 ebb, then overflow, covering almost the entire moun 
 tain side. We saw we had tented in a direct path for 
 a great volume of the waste water, and on account of 
 this we were obliged to place a heavy embankment 
 against the upper side of the tents. 
 
 Tired and weary, and half drenched by the rain, 
 we at last entered our tent, to get a little sleep. I 
 had been in dreamland for perhaps a half-hour when 
 Benjamin woke me. Before I could complain he 
 had whispered into my ear, "William, the waste 
 water has found access to our tent." 
 
 "What?" I asked drowsily. 
 
 "I'm floating like a log on a mill pond," he re 
 plied coolly. 
 
 "Then go out and stop the flow," I snapped, 
 turning to resume my napping. 
 
 "Did you sleep high and dry last night, Mr. Ben-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 99 
 
 jamin?" asked Gertrude, her face aglow with smiles. 
 
 "Yes, slept like a fish in a river," Benjamin 
 smiled. The mystery was soon out, for Porta had 
 burst into laughing. "Someone of you girls," said 
 Benjamin, positively, "broke the bank against our 
 tent. ' ' 
 
 "Not I," said Porta. 
 
 "Nor I," added Gertrude. 
 
 This surprised Benjamin so much that he stood 
 for a moment in deep study. 
 
 "How about it being Mr. Wells?" I suggested. 
 But Benjamin only laughed. 
 
 We had risen early. It had evidently snowed 
 heavily all the latter part of the night, for at least 
 two or three feet covered the ground. Everything 
 was so greatly changed that we felt ourselves strangers 
 in a strange land. 
 
 The snow continued to fall at intervals all the 
 forenoon, with no promise of stopping. We feared a 
 snowslide and transferred our tents higher up the 
 mountain to the shelter of a granite ledge. Early in 
 the afternoon a bitter cold wind blew from the north, 
 turning the snow into ice. 
 
 Porta Phillips predicted a snowslide, and her 
 prediction came true. Less than half a mile to our 
 right the very top, as it seemed, of a small sub-peak 
 slid off its base, skidding down the mountain side 
 with great speed, and producing a terrible crash.
 
 100 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "See! see!" exclaimed Gertrude, as large gran 
 ite bodies fell close in the wake of the first sliding 
 mass. In another second there came echo and re 
 echo, telling us that the mass had found its level in a 
 deep canyon far below. 
 
 "It'sdone with, thank God!" said Mrs. Wells, 
 soberly. 
 
 A half-hour passed quietly. It grew colder all 
 the time. A second slide, considerably smaller than 
 the first, soon started, and raced with great speed 
 down and down, until we saw it plunge into a deep 
 canyon fully a mile below. The frequency of these 
 sliding masses aroused us to the need of carefully ex 
 amining our protection against them, and Benjamin 
 and Mr. Wells and I ventured out into the snow. 
 It was lucky we made this inspection ; for we soon 
 found that the ledge above our tents was little better 
 than pinioned upon a crumbly granite base. 
 
 Without a moment's hesitation we hurried be 
 low, told our story, and were soon moving tents and 
 stores to a more substantial shelter farther to the 
 right. When Porta objected that this place was still 
 nearer to where the first slide started, Benjamin 
 laughed. "A golden rule you must learn, sis," he 
 said : "The better you treat your enemy the better 
 you are treated by him." 
 
 .Night was fast closing down upon us. The fad 
 ing of daylight seemed to increase the dangers. U A
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 101 
 
 fearful sight," I whispered into Benjamin's ear, re 
 alizing that we were in constant danger of being buried 
 beneath the snow. "A night to be feared," he 
 soberly replied, walking nervously out into the open 
 that he might get a better view of the sky. "The 
 clouds are becoming almost black," he said; and I 
 heard him mutter, "dreaded sleet!" 
 
 As we feared, about nine o'clock the storm be 
 gan. The sleet continued to fall for t\\ o hours, when 
 all grew still and cold. With this great calm, save a 
 light blowing north wind, the evening slowly stole 
 into the midnight hours. A little later things went 
 decidedly against us ; for a heavy rain came up be 
 hind a brisk north wind. 
 
 How the hours of that dreadful morning passed 
 I shrink from remembering. I am punished when I 
 harbor them in my mind . A moment seemed a min 
 ute, a minute an hour, and a few hours many weeks. 
 
 It was five o'clock, if I remember, before Ben 
 jamin and I had the courage to venture from under 
 the ledge that we might survey the stormy sky. 
 
 We found a blissful moon shining through an 
 opening in the clouds. This gave us hope. The 
 clouds, as we for a moment watched them, all seemed 
 to be hastening northward. At times they raced 
 along in a solid mass, then in broken waves. A brisk 
 south wind we knew must be blowing higher up, or 
 else the clouds would rot be scurrying away.
 
 302 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Grasping an opportune time I left Benjamin and 
 the shelter to locate the eight burros. I could not 
 find them. Startled by their absence, I ran back to 
 give an alarm. As I ran, my hearing faculties 
 instantly left me, and I realized in that moment 
 that I was stricken deaf. For only a moment 
 I paused to listen. All was strange and silent; 
 still I knew the wind whistled all about me, for it 
 beat against my face. I ran a few steps and again 
 stopped. Then and there I wanted to find the rea 
 son for the numbness of my ears. I could not tell, 
 and, puzzled, I airain started, running as fast as I 
 could through the snow. Another time I stopped, 
 this time feeling the ground trembling under my 
 feet. A slide was skidding down the mountain 
 somewhere close at hand. 
 
 I ran once more for the sheltering ledge, at last 
 reaching it and throwing myself against the tent. 
 Once under the shelter, my hearing faculties appar 
 ently relaxed, for a grinding crashing sound seemed 
 to gather volume as I lay where I had fallen. I 
 raised myself in the moment's excitement and looked 
 back. The moon was still lighting up the mountain 
 side. The slide, as I thought of it, had struck terror 
 to my heart. 
 
 A description of it, I cannot give. For a 
 moment I tried to ask myself reasonable questions 
 about it, but I could not give myself an answer.
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 103 
 
 It seemed as if many forms were engaging in a great 
 quarrel, and all the while racing downward to their 
 graves in the depths of some deep canyon. 
 
 I do not remember rising in that trying moment 
 and stumbling back farther under the ledge, but I 
 must have done so. Arms encircled my neck ; I did 
 not know whose. Indeed, I should never have known 
 had not Porta begun to cry, with her head resting on 
 my shoulder. 
 
 4 'I almost knew you went down with the slide," 
 she sobbed faintly. 
 
 "No Porta, not yet." 
 
 To add to the terror of the hour, Trailer began 
 to howl, having run out as far as he could from 
 under the ledge to signal the storm. 
 
 I had fully thought Benjamin a young man of 
 great courage. But the storm had tested him severely, 
 and he had weakened. He flung himself on the 
 ground with the words, "Give me bitter death." I 
 should surely have done likewise had not the words 
 of one precious to me stimulated me into being strong. 
 "Oh merciful God !" and I for the first time since the 
 storm hung my head, praying that God's strong arm 
 should be thrown about, our little party. My weak 
 voice I knew was inaudible in the midst of the 
 grinding, scraping sounds of the slide. Still I 
 prayed on. 
 
 "It's the old oak," Porta whispered, as some
 
 104 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 short, sharp crashing sound broke the continuous roar 
 of the slide. Why she had thought of the oak I 
 could not say, and I must have failed to acknowledge 
 I had heard her. I shall never forget how hard it 
 was in that perilous hour to divert my mind for a 
 moment from the storm and upon the one whose 
 feeble sobbings made my heart tender. 
 
 All the events for an hour after the slide are 
 gone from my memory. I found myself breaking up 
 the pack saddles that I might start a fire, which I did. 
 The little blaze gave an unusual brightness, stirring 
 anew our hope. 
 
 "Good news," Benjamin whispered, coming in 
 under the shelter. '-There is only here and there a 
 cloud in the sky, and the cold north wind has entirely 
 ceased, giving way to a stronger and warmer wind 
 blowing from the southwest." 
 
 Here and there under the little shelter we found 
 bits of broken brushwood, which were gathered and 
 piled close in about the fast burning saddles. We 
 could now comfortably warm ourselves, knowing that 
 when the two pack saddles were consumed we had 
 wood to replenish the fire. 
 
 Upon the first evidence of approaching day, 
 Benjamin set oh" through the snow. I knew just 
 where he was going, and likely of the burden upon 
 his mind, but said nothing. I did not care to arouse 
 any suspicion. I knew he was going to ascertain
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 105 
 
 whether or not the eight burros had gone down with 
 the slide. 
 
 He soon returned, telling me by a steady stare 
 the burros had been swept away. "Too bad," I 
 whispered back, cautioning him not to announce the 
 loss. 
 
 At last broad day came and we gladly saw the 
 clouds so long hovering about the peak break away 
 and float off across the desert, miles below us. For a 
 moment's time we stood watching them. They were 
 apparently rolling in broken masses, now and then 
 attacking each other, and playing hide-go-seek, as 
 Gertrude expressed it. 
 
 Time was dragging heavily, and each of us was 
 praying for cessation forever of mountain storms. 
 The rising sun shot its shimmering lines of light 
 against the mountain side. To a painter this morn 
 ing sunrise against a snow-mantled mount should 
 have been gorgeous, but to us it was as unappreciated 
 as though it were a blur. 
 
 Mr. Wells, still lying in a precarious condition, 
 at last faintly asked, "Where are we?" With these 
 few words he grew quiet. His anxious wife was 
 bending over him rubbing his cold hands and asking, 
 "Henry, dear, are you feeling bad?" "Yes, mother," 
 came the feeble reply. "The activities of the world 
 disturb me." 
 
 While we all stood about Mr. Wells, the morn-
 
 106 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 ing advanced. Each had likely decided within his 
 own heart the whereabouts of the eight burros, but 
 who should be first to announce the sad fate? 
 
 The giant oak tree of yesterday was gone. Its 
 old habitation was now a barren spot, like the Alpine 
 Ranges. 
 
 "Henry, dear," asked Mr. Wells' patient wife, 
 "do you feel able to move about?" 
 
 "Oh, mother, I can't say that I feel at all ; 
 to me this great change has been a blank. It's all 
 my fault, for I knew well last night I should keep 
 moving about or I would take a chill, and then and 
 then " Here there came an impediment in Mr. 
 Wells' speech, but he at last half whispered, "I'm a 
 fool." 
 
 "The pack saddles were too much for your brav 
 ery," Benjamin teased. But Mr. Wells was not in 
 a joking mood, as we soon saw. 
 
 "Here, here, Benjamin," I interrupted; but he 
 would give answer, "Indeed, Mr. Wells, it has 
 taken us all the morning to get the lead out of the 
 saddles." 
 
 "You fool !" said Mr. Wells disgustedly. 
 
 Benjamin now asked each of the party to arouse 
 an appetite, while he gave the food box an overhaul 
 ing. "Come now, children, it shall be the food you 
 eat that shall strengthen you for the furthering of our 
 trip in the mountains."
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 107 
 
 "No furthering with me," firmly replied Porta. 
 "Nor I," "Nor I ;" and I joined in with the chorus 
 myself, just to make it unanimous. 
 
 "Voted upon and unanimously carried, that we 
 hasten out of these mountains at a double quick," 
 Benjamin recited. 
 
 "Woman suffrage is what is ailing the voting, " 
 Gertrude remarked, bringing forth a good laugh from 
 all save Benjamin. 
 
 The warm sunshine was now fast melting the 
 snow. The small shrubs and oaks were shaking 
 themselves of their heavy burden. 
 
 Gentle reader, stay with the six worn-out souls 
 for a day. You may lose every cut of pain, and even 
 the thought of the trial that haunts them as fresh 
 memory recalls the horrors of the night in the storm ; 
 but stay ! Mr. Wells is now wholly unfit for travel, 
 the others of the party are so weary as to be indiffer 
 ent, and lastly, Brave Trailer, the princely blood 
 hound, is unable to speak out his thoughts. We are to 
 content ourselves with living through another day in 
 this wilderness of the mountains. 
 
 The closing lines of this chapter shall pay high 
 est tribute to Porta Phillips and Gertrude Wells as 
 great discoverers. Upon their going to the spring, 
 they discovered what at first sight was false, puzzling, 
 perplexing. They found a clean-swept granite stair 
 way ; a rude stairway, to be sure ; still in all its im-
 
 108 MYSTIC A ALGCOAT. 
 
 perfections it led artistically down to the brink of 
 the little spring. 
 
 Each of the party made haste to look at it. 
 "What a life nature is," remarked Mrs. Wells. 
 "What mechanical ideas it must have. First a foun 
 dation of purest granite upon which nature builds the 
 steps. Certainly mother nature has countless freaks. 
 Here are slabs of hardest granite ; it is a stairway 
 artistically hewn, architecturally lain, flat for steps, 
 edgewise for standards. ' ' 
 
 Immediately after dinner I went for the fourth 
 time to look at the stairway. It led up the mountain 
 side, going on, and on, up and up. To me it became 
 a deeply perplexing problem. I was unable to see 
 its use.
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 109 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A GREAT DISCOVERY. 
 
 To build the stairway had undoubtedly required 
 centuries of earnest toil. It was wonderful, I told 
 myself, studying it for a moment. Hewn slabs of 
 granite apparently ran up the mountain-side for a 
 mile. These were of uncommon size. Hastily 
 measuring them with my eye, I decided they were ap 
 proximately fifteen inches in length by four in width. 
 The standards holding up these steps were about five 
 inches in height. All this seemed to prove that the 
 people walking upon them were exceedingly small in 
 stature. 
 
 "A freak of nature," was the way Mrs. Wells 
 put it, and I laughed to myself. Yes, and truly a 
 difficult task for nature, if nature did the work. 
 
 I had seen enough for this, the [fifth time, and 
 turned back to the tents. Here I found our little 
 party discussing the mysteries just discovered. 
 
 "What a wonderful thing life is, anyway," 
 gasped good-natured Benjamin, bracing himself 
 against a granite ledge. 
 
 "Yes ; can it be that a link connecting our 
 selves with men of ages ago has just been found?"
 
 110 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 ejaculated Mr. Wells, seating himself close to Ben 
 jamin : "Men as ourselves, soul and body as Benja 
 min?" 
 
 Presently Benjamin's conversation drifted di 
 rectly upon the past and what might have prevailed 
 then. 
 
 "I am half convinced through this discovery that 
 these very mountains ages ago were peopled," said 
 Gertrude. 
 
 "Yes, and these people drank of the little spring, 
 and nourished their bodies upon the products of -this 
 little garden spot," added Porta. 
 
 The discussion waxed warmer and warmer, and 
 being of little interest to me, I quickly slipped away, 
 starting back to look at the little spring and the 
 stairway. The waters of the former were now a 
 muddy little pool. 
 
 Uneasy, I retraced my steps to the tents. Porta 
 and Gertrude were now singing "Climbing Up 'Em 
 Golden Stair. " The song broke the dead silence of 
 the lonely mountain-side and made me feel much like 
 stirring myself shouting, "Oh let the echoes never 
 die!" But after all, the music was not sufficient to 
 comfort me. I was still weighing in my mind what 
 promised an interesting study for the scholars of the 
 world. 
 
 "What means this stairway, and by whom was 
 it built?" I soberty asked myself over and over, as I
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. Ill 
 
 turned to look back toward the spring. "Perhaps it 
 is my eyes that are false;" and I pondered, feeling 
 much like returning to see if the stairway were really 
 there. 
 
 A lost people designed the magnificent stairway, 
 1 told myself. This raised other questions. Had 
 this mountain-side afforded ampin room for an intel 
 ligent and industrious race? Who are these people, 
 and where are they? Do they still live, or are they 
 an unrecorded nation of generations ago? 
 
 To the Saboba Indians I knew this mountain-peak 
 owed its name. But I felt that it could not have 
 been this tribe, and I became all the more entangled 
 in the meshes of the problem. It would be foolish for 
 you to seek to convince a Saboba of an industrious 
 race that once inhabited Tauquitz ; for the Indian 
 would spurn you from him, saying, if you understood 
 his mutterings, "Foolish white man; evil spirits can 
 not enjoy true industry." 
 
 Brave Trailer surely saw by my long-drawn face 
 that I was troubled, for he lapped my hand, with 
 ears cocked up as if to ask : "Can I not explain it, 
 master?" 
 
 All had come to me in the fancies of a dream. 
 I had fallen asleep very early in the afternoon. Ben 
 jamin had just awakened me for supper. 
 
 After eating I left word that I was after 
 wood, and stole away to look upon the stairway for
 
 112 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 the last time that night. I surely must have been 
 wholly oblivious to the surroundings, as I went for 
 ward with my head drooped upon my shoulders, for 
 a flashing across my eyes suddenly stopped me. I 
 turned about, and stooped to pick up what I had 
 trodden upon. It was stone, my first glance told 
 me, reddish brown in color. I stooped lower that I 
 might gather up the little fragments into my hand to 
 test them for their worth, but they crumbled into a 
 brownish dust. I passed on, keeping a sharp look upon 
 the ground before me. " 'A mountain of mystery,' 
 is a good title," I said; and I stopped to wind my 
 watch and learn the time of day. 
 
 After a time I came upon many little particles 
 of similar composition. These, I decided, were chips 
 of earthen vessels. With one broken bit clasped in 
 my hand, I turned about and hastened back to startle 
 the party with conclusive evidence of the workings 
 of men long since dead. 
 
 "Pleasure aside for a moment and to a little 
 business," I abruptly addressed the party. "Here 
 is the fruit of this day's gleaning." I exhibited the 
 little bit of burnt clay. "Be convinced or doubt, as 
 you will." I delivered the little particle to Ger 
 trude. I had seen and felt clay modeled by potters 
 as long ago as Testament times. 
 
 "How can it be possible?" Gertrude said, with
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 113 
 
 great emphasis, as she examined very closely the 
 bit of clay. 
 
 "You are always fooling us girls, Will," added 
 Porta, doubting that I had handed Gertrude anything 
 other than a pebble. 
 
 "I am not fooling this time; here is the burnt 
 clay. Now I wait quietly for your decision." 
 
 I did wait patiently, but as I did not receive 
 the decision, I asked a second time that they account 
 for the clay. 
 
 "Fairies," replied Porta smiling. "Yes, a good 
 night for fairies to do such a grand piece of work in 
 solid granite," added Mr. Wells. 
 
 "Come young folks, decide, as with me it is a 
 mystery." Mr. Wells emphasized the word "mys 
 tery," by a determined shake of his head. 
 
 "Yes, God, through his good providence, reveals 
 new things for men to study," exclaimed Mrs. 
 Wells. "Man hardly solves the mysteries about him 
 in the world before the Omnipotent brings forth from 
 the earth's bosom secrets." 
 
 "Yes, God is the supreme, "acknowledged Benja 
 min ; "still I cannot see why God should alarm such in 
 significant creatures t "with such perplexing problems. ' ' 
 
 "Men are all insignificant until they do some 
 thing to make them great," replied his sister Porta. 
 
 "Unless born with the title of duke or princess," 
 added Gertrude.
 
 114 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Something Benjamin doesn't know," muttered 
 Benjamin, his reply sounding much as though he had 
 muffled his voice far down in his throat. 
 
 The discussion drew to a close, as the evening 
 hours passed into those of the night. A brisk north 
 wind was soon swooping down from the mountain 
 peak, promising an exceedingly cold and clear night. 
 
 The next day dawned bright and warm. The 
 old mountain skirts still loomed up in the distance. 
 The glaring desert was the same trackless waste. A 
 few scattering clouds dotted the sky, silently recall 
 ing to our minds the horrors of the former storm. 
 
 After early breakfast we were off to the 
 spring, and to the granite stairway that led up the 
 mountain-side. The existence of such a stairway 
 seemed impossible. But it was there, and we looked 
 upon it, resolved to trace it on up the mountain. 
 
 "Fairy hunting," remarked jovial Porta, only to 
 bring forth a similar expression from Gertrude. 
 
 "Foolish, giddy girls, to my notion," soberly 
 replied Mr. Wells, his voice having a marked strain 
 of seriousness in it. 
 
 At one point far along the little stairway Brave 
 Trailer began to act strangely, running back to us 
 and taking refuge close behind Benjamin. He had a 
 right for his fear, as we soon saw. A few yards 
 further on we came before an opening in the ground,
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 115 
 
 out of which poured the most hideous roaring and 
 moaning sounds. 
 
 For the moment each was bereft of speech. As 
 I looked at the dazed party I could think of but one 
 comparison. We seemed as a forest of dead pine 
 trees ; speechless, lifeless, almost ghostlike. 
 
 For many moments we stood looking down into 
 the cave, listening all the while to notes of mournful 
 music. The strangeness of the cave soon wore away ; 
 and, tired from the climb, we thought it best to go 
 into camp, and then, in the afternoon, come back. 
 
 While Mrs. Wells, assisted by Porta and Ger 
 trude, prepared our dinner, and Mr. Wells gathered 
 wood and brought water from the spring, Benjamin 
 and I stole away. In the secrecy of a distant can 
 yon we planned that which we knew would 
 meet with disapproval from our party. Carefully 
 and thoughtfully we considered every point. All 
 pointed to one thing, Benjamin's peculiar dream 
 while he was in San Jacinto. 
 
 Why should we falter, now that the opportune 
 time had come? Why give up when we had with 
 stood the perils of the mountain storm? To go back 
 would be suicide, and we finally decided to push on. 
 Evidences all about us proved that men had once 
 inhabited the cave, and it was only reasonable to sup 
 pose that we could do the same. So we decided to
 
 116 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 go straightway that afternoon and explore all lying 
 within its sacred bounds. 
 
 Benjamin broke the startling decision to the 
 others of our party, and he did it successfully, for 
 which I most heartily thanked him. 
 
 As was to be expected, we were at first laughed 
 at, but when it was seen we w r ere in earnest, laughter 
 turned to seriousness. 
 
 "Reckless young men throwing promising lives 
 away," were the words Mrs. Wells used in her en 
 deavor to keep us from the undertaking. 
 
 "Foolish young men, thoughtless of danger," 
 added Mr. Wells. "Never mind, boys, experience 
 teaches dear lessons," murmured Porta, looking at her 
 brother with a sober face. 
 
 The expected bitter argument had arisen ; Ben 
 jamin and I were on the one side, Porta, Gertrude 
 and Mr. and Mrs. Wells on the other. We won, but 
 we had to promise most faithfully that we would be 
 in the cave no longer than the second day. Our 
 promise mended all rent affections, and now we had 
 the hearty best wishes of all. Hastily, we gathered 
 up a small sack of provisions, filled a large canteen 
 with water and started. 
 
 To this day tears come into my eyes as I recall 
 the sad faces that were there to bid us "God-speed." 
 
 If at any one time in my life I was afraid, it was 
 as I stood upon the brink of that mysterious cave,
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 117 
 
 looking down into it, then up into the face of Porta 
 Williams. For a moment I drew her to my side. I 
 wanted to cry like a child. Chancing my life with 
 the elements of the cave I knew well was chancing the 
 life of one dear to me. 
 
 "I'm surely coming out of this cave a living be 
 ing to honor and to bless you," 1 told Porta. Then I 
 tore myself away. "Goodbye, goodbye!" I turned 
 to place my foot upon the little stairs leading into 
 the darkened depths. I saw Benjamin just bidding 
 Gertrude a like farewell. 
 
 In another instant Porta, his sister, was resting 
 her head upon his shoulder, and he was kissing her a 
 brotherly goodbye. 
 
 Each knew well we were only men, with but one 
 life, and that tossed between life and death. 
 
 How I cherished the sad parting ! Yet I did it 
 against my best welfare, for it made me long for 
 someone to love. 
 
 Slowly and cautiously we descended into 
 the cave. For a time we paused to steady our nicker 
 ing candle-light. 
 
 Feebly we could hear from above two voices 
 praying earnestly to God to preserve our lives. A 
 moment we paused listening to these pleadings, then 
 pushed on. How long those pleadings went up be 
 fore the Throne of Grace I cannot say. Weakened 
 and now regretful over the start we had made, I
 
 118 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 smote my breast, crying, "Oh my God, comfort, 
 bless and strengthen two pure, loving girls." And 
 there in the dark cave we knelt down, each offer 
 ing up in turn a prayer that to this day I thank God 
 for fully answering.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 119 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED. 
 
 "We'll surely stir up a nest of hornets, if noth 
 ing else," Benjamin coolly remarked, lighting a 
 second candle. This he held before him, and we saw 
 a weird scene, one calculated to remain in the mem 
 ory throughout a lifetime. We were encompassed 
 in a passageway of pure granite. Ghostly figures 
 seemed wildly dancing upon the cold, clammy ground. 
 But even with all this to warn us, we ventured 
 deeper into the unexplored domain. 
 
 Before many moments Brave Trailer checked us, 
 his barkings frightening us into the profoundest si 
 lence. From that instant neither Benjamin nor I 
 spoke. Our eyes were upon the many ghost-like 
 figures as they danced against the wall, to the right, 
 the left, and above. We wanted to run back up 
 through the passage, but we knew the stairway was 
 narrow, and fearing a crush stood still and wondered 
 what was the best thing to do. 
 
 "Fools !" I said to Benjamin, shortly. 
 
 "Cowards," he replied, briefly. 
 
 Then again, just when we were about to continue 
 going deeper, Brave Trailer sprang forward, at the
 
 120 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 same time emitting such a roaring growl as to chill 
 the very blood within us. With great force I jerked 
 him back, but it was of little use ; for he only tugged 
 the harder at his rope. 
 
 Greatly frightened at this wild behavior of our 
 dog, we advanced with the candles well before us. 
 For a moment we saw nothing of an alarming nature, 
 and wondered why our dog should act so unruly. 
 
 "Push him off into the space below," said Ben 
 jamin, knowing that Trailer would then engage the 
 unknown being. 
 
 At first I blankly refused to consider the act, 
 but as soon as the seriousness of our position 
 dawned upon me I gladly consented offering my as 
 sistance. 
 
 "Grip your revolver, Benjamin, for it may come 
 to a fight for life." Then I gave Brave Trailer a 
 hard push, forcing him off the little landing. 
 
 A long moment of suspense followed, as we ner 
 vously waited upon the outcome of the act. "Benja 
 min," I softly whispered, trying to attract his atten 
 tion. 
 
 "What?" he soon whispered back. I turned to 
 him and saw that he all the while kept a sharp look 
 into the shadowed cavern below. 
 
 "Is it all ghostlike?" I asked. 
 
 "It's a man, a being like ourselves," he wins-
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 121 
 
 pered. Benjamin would not admit that it was prob 
 ably some ghostly object. 
 
 "We must fight, must stand our ground, or we'll 
 surely fall victims to a strange people." 
 
 "What?" asked Benjamin. 
 
 "A flight, with the builders of the stairway in 
 pursuit, would be to our disadvantage," I added, 
 quickly. "He who had built the stairway would know 
 every variation, even to the minutest crag protrud 
 ing from above, or jutting from the wall. To flee 
 means to stumble, to fall." 
 
 "Who is going to flee?" Benjamin asked. 
 "Not I." 
 
 Then he acknowledged that he had seen only a 
 shrunken corpse. 
 
 This excitement was quickly abated, and we, 
 ashamed of our great cowardice, asked the Almighty 
 God for a never-failing courage. 
 
 Trailer, a victor over the silent dead, we called 
 back. He wanted to spring up and kiss me, but 
 could not, there being in his mouth a long rib bone, 
 undoubtedly that of a man. 
 
 "Brave Trailer," I said soberly, reaching down 
 and taking the bone out of his mouth, "have you 
 committed murder?" But the noble dog only 
 thought I meant to commend him, whereas I meant 
 to scold severely. I stroked him, and once again 
 endeavored to explain the sin, but he sprang away.
 
 122 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 
 
 For just a few seconds longer, while clearing my 
 weakened faculties of the possibility of man, I watched 
 him, listening to his barkings. 
 
 "I guess he's right, Benjamin, for I now can 
 believe he has discovered a link connecting us with 
 lost man." 
 
 "Then bring the candles;" and Benjamin and I 
 hastened down to be with Brave Trailer. 
 
 The shrunken corpse, as we stood there looking 
 down upon it, sorely tried us. There in its dilapi 
 dated state, inclining backward, was the skeleton. 
 It was that of a boy, or if not, of a man of exceedingly 
 small stature. The thought of touching it gave 
 not only Benjamin, but myself, cause to shrink away. 
 
 A few moments' hesitation only shamed me, and 
 I roughly gripped the frail form in my hands to 
 examine it. 
 
 "Too bad," Benjamin murmured, as he felt of 
 it. "You poor boy, starving yourself here in this 
 cave for a century. Is it genuine?" he next asked, 
 while I was passing my hand over the uneven skull. 
 
 "Marvelous discovery!" was my reply. 
 
 "I have it, Benjamin," I said presently. "We 
 havediscoved a spirit that Indian tradition says lived 
 deep within the bosom of Tauquitz Peak." 
 
 "It may be so and it may not," was his 
 answer. 
 
 "Such proportions!" ejaculated Benjamin a
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 123 
 
 moment later, as he took hold of the arm bone, 
 apparently longer than that of the thigh. "Yes, and 
 see here ; its head is very large. And the shape, 
 too. is most unreasonable ; it comes to a point on the 
 top. Legendary history of the Indian says that the 
 spirits residing within Tauquitz Peak were exceed 
 ingly small of stature." Then he turned to Trailer. 
 "You thoughtless canine," he said. "It were better 
 far for us had you remained chained to your River 
 side kennel. See there, naughty fellow, you have 
 destroyed mayhap the last remnant of a pre-historic 
 race of men." 
 
 Passing on we carefully placed the little form 
 upon the landing, to carry it out with us on our 
 way back. But Benjamin suggested that Porta 
 and Gertrude might venture into the cave and be 
 greatly frightened. So he gently removed the little 
 stranger to a darkened corner along the stairway. 
 
 From this spot we made good progress, descend 
 ing unimpeded deep within the bosom of the moun 
 tain. All was promising, when to our discomfort 
 the little stairway branched, one branch taking a 
 downward trend to the left, the other a decided 
 upward trend and to the right. It was confusing, 
 we admitted, looking first up along one lead and 
 then down along the other. 
 
 Little knowing which one of the two would
 
 124 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 prove to our advantage we started on, following 
 out the one leading upward and to the right. 
 
 At last, being tired and somewhat weary, we 
 paused to rest. Here we sat in a silent tomb of stone, 
 little thinking we had reached the terminus of that 
 particular branch. This tomb was but fifteen feet 
 square. Bsivjamin, to prove it, raised the candle so 
 as to flash the full light against each side. Just 
 before us, upon the granite floor I saw corpse after 
 corpse ! 
 
 Not certain of this, and thinking it likely imag 
 ination, I sat watching the figures as if I fully expected 
 they would move to convince me. Benjamin, as 
 well as I, had seen them, I knew, but he said noth 
 ing. I continued to wait, hoping he would speak. 
 
 "Seven Indian Spirits, drowsy with sleep," 
 Benjamin did at last groan out, apparently counting 
 this number while he said it. 
 
 "Do they breathe?" I asked. 
 
 Benjamin stepped nearer them. "Cold in 
 death." 
 
 Just then I saw come over his face a ghostly 
 pale color. 
 
 "See, see, Benjamin," I said, calling his atten 
 tion to the wall which that moment drew my gaze 
 from the seven ghostly figures. 
 
 "They worship the sun," he said, his eyes
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 125 
 
 steadily fixed upward and upon a round ball of 
 stone. "Yes, they are sun worshippers." 
 
 While sitting there looking first on Benjamin 
 and then up at the Sun God, I fell into a reverie. 
 "You stone God," I said slowly, "made so powerful 
 by the trust of a great people." And next I pitied 
 the dead. "Oh, you poor wretches, you dumb sun 
 worshippers, you had better have lived just one day, 
 worshipping the true God, than centuries worship 
 ping that which is cold as stone." 
 
 Benjamin, too, was deep in study, for when I 
 broke from this reverie all was quiet, much as though 
 death had claimed even the living. 
 
 "Benjamin," I said, breaking the long silence, 
 "the art designed in these granite walls is magnifi 
 cent." 
 
 "Yes," he replied. Then all became quiet as 
 before. Why had these people died, leaving un 
 written a history of all that over which years of study 
 had made them masters? 
 
 "Yes, it is the work of art," I said to Benja 
 min again, recalling his attention to the walls, 
 inlaid as they were with little star-shaped figures. 
 
 "Ah, I see; it is a never-fading picture of our 
 solar system, " Benjamin laughed. 
 
 Intermingled with the little star figures were 
 two prominent round ones, probably the sun and the 
 moon. Everywhere about these two figures were
 
 126 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 correctly cut circles through which jutted in zigzag 
 lines deep carvings. All was sufficient to convince 
 each of us that the artist had sought to portray the 
 smiling sun or the sunrise. 
 
 A porous little shutter on one side of the tomb 
 at times permitted a dim ray of light to shimmer 
 through and aroused our curiosity. Over anxious in 
 investigating this, we roughly tore away the little 
 slide, soon to be permitted to look through a narrow 
 passageway upon an immense lake of flame. All 
 was beyond expression. We could not comprehend 
 what it all meant. From that moment our hopes 
 seemed to rise to some giddy height. 
 
 It was now long past the hour for lunch, so we 
 sat down to eat. We were soon to go in search 
 of a way by which we might reach the great 
 lake [of flame. While sitting there in that cold, 
 quiet cavern, the chills coursing up and down our 
 bodies, we ate our first meager lunch deep under 
 earth's cover. Close beside us, sitting back upon his 
 haunches, was Brave Trailer, one eye upon the seven 
 corpses before him, and the other upon our scant eat 
 ables. A moment's look into the noble dog's promi 
 nent face, and one easily decided he would willingly 
 give up his portion of the lunch for just a single toss 
 among these dead forms. 
 
 I was soon buried in thought, asking: "Who are 
 these people? Under what circumstances did they
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 127 
 
 perform this work of countless value? What man 
 ner of tools did they use in carving so artistically a 
 canopy of sky, decking it with its luminaries, the 
 sun, the moon and the other worlds? They are dead, 
 I acknowledged, and are now, as I think of them, a 
 peculiar people known only to their Creator. ' ' 
 
 "Surely dead," interrupted Benjamin, dryly, 
 overhearing my mutterings. 
 
 We next retraced our steps to the branching 
 stairway which we followed, going downward and 
 to the left. At length all changed again, this 
 stairway rebranching into seven others. Brave 
 Trailer would take any, as he manifested by his 
 tugging to forge ahead along the first one, but 
 which of the many would prove to our advantage, was 
 quite another question. 
 
 Even now, so far from the tomb encompassing 
 the seven skeletons,'! could not rid my mind of one 
 thought, which I expressed to Benjamin. "Just 
 think," I said, "had we lived in that distant day and 
 up to this day, and had seen this people working upon 
 their grand stairway, we would have learned from 
 this watching all that we are now to wonder about ! ' ' 
 
 "Foolishness !" sharply replied Benjamin. "If 
 that were so then you could clearly and correctly de 
 scribe the way and the quality of their tools, the 
 true resources upon which they depended. ' ' 
 
 I again overtaxed his patience by wishing I
 
 128 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 might see one of the builders still alive. Benjamin 
 cut me short. "You are but hoping for that which 
 you do not try to ferret out," he said, sharply. "You 
 must dig from your own thoughts, basing them solely 
 upon good judgment, just what was done and how it 
 came to be." 
 
 Following the first branching stairway we were 
 soon led up to an abrupt granite wall. Up this wall 
 zigzagged the stairway, at times reaching an angle 
 of about forty-five degrees.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 129 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AN UNDERGROUND SCHOOLROOM. 
 
 Hastily removing my coat, vest, hat and shoes, 
 and telling Benjamin that I was going to find the 
 terminus of the stairway leading so abruptly upward, 
 I was off. 
 
 At first, unaccustomed to the steep climb, I felt 
 much as would a painter swinging far out into space, 
 knowing as he swung suspended in the air that the 
 breaking of a single fibre holding his plank would 
 hurl him to sudden death upon the pavement far 
 below. 
 
 With each upward step, my bare feet set firmly 
 on the granite. Chilling sensations soon called to 
 mind the thought of treading on some serpent. 
 
 Benjamin was soon far below me, and I felt his 
 absence sorely. I was entirely alone, exploring the 
 unknown depths. 
 
 The upward trend of this stairway soon 
 ceased, giving way to a nearly flat surface, which 
 skirted the cave-wall ahead as far as I could see. 
 
 A little further along this flat surface was ab 
 ruptly cut oif by a granite wall rising high above me. 
 Circling backward was the little stairway, as it
 
 130 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 wended its way in true stair fashion still up and up. 
 
 The roughness of the rock was rapidly wearing 
 my bare feet, and I was now pushing forward under 
 great pain 
 
 I had not gone far before I found myself enter 
 ing a large room, which I scrutinized very closely to 
 ascertain if ghostlike skeletons were to be seen. I 
 found they were not, and was grateful for their ab 
 sence. 
 
 "Ah," I whispered low, "I have a good prospect 
 of soon lifting the veil, still further revealing the 
 consummate villainy of Tauquitz, the Indian's 
 Evil Spirit. 
 
 I started to go farther into the room, when I was 
 unexpectedly tripped, falling, and losing my candle. 
 For the next moment I realized very little, receiving 
 as I soon learned a dazing bump on my head. Half 
 regaining my senses, I sat pondering. Had I fallen 
 within the immediate grasp of ghosts that have 
 long haunted this darkened cell? If so, I was surely 
 to die, I thought. Immediately I began nervously 
 feeling all about me, and wondering where my candle 
 might be found. "I give up," I admitted aloud, 
 listening to the words and their echoes that I might 
 realize the true meaning of what it requires for one 
 to prepare for death. 
 
 In another moment I was scolding myself for 
 being a foolish young man. I was thinking of death
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 131 
 
 without first searching my pockets for a match. I 
 did search, and I found the fragment of a lone 
 match. It was only a single broken one, and I again 
 scolded myself for neglecting to make all preparations 
 for just such an emergency as had now arisen. 
 
 The situation, as I knew well, was of the most 
 critical nature. Solely upon this little fragment of 
 match was pinioned my future. 
 
 I took from an inner pocket all such papers as 
 would readily ignite from the smallest spark. 
 
 Among these, I knew well, must be letters 
 from Porta Phillips. I would burn them, I decided, 
 then again it seemed I could not. I must act, though, 
 and that quickly, and for a second time I took the 
 papers in my hand, and pressing them against my 
 bosom cried aloud, repeating the cry several times, 
 "Oh merciful God, I burn a promise before dying in 
 this dark cell. " Then I turned to the little fragment 
 of a match, fondling it and praying that divine help 
 might come, and with the prayer still on my lips I 
 scratched the sulphurous head of the match upon the 
 cold granite. 
 
 A glorious result was the reward of this deed 
 done with prayer on my lips, and for this I give a 
 hundred thankful omens to God. The little bits of 
 paper readily ignited, and with this light I was once 
 more hopeful of escaping. 
 
 I was upon my feet as soon as the papers burned
 
 132 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 up, and found the candle, instantly lighting it. The 
 great trial which I now believe to have been one of 
 the most trying in my life was past ; my chances of 
 escape were now good. As I soon saw, I had unfor 
 tunately tripped myself upon some implement. For 
 a moment it looked unreal, and then again as I watched 
 it seemed a link leading up to some greater discovery. 
 
 "Concise evidence," I whispered, as though I 
 were content with my first hasty decision. The next 
 minute I had fully looked over this implement. I 
 decided it was the long-lost link connecting the stone 
 worker of to-day with his brother of an unwritten 
 age. 
 
 The examination proved too deep and far reach 
 ing for me to give you even a hasty description. All 
 that I can say is that the copper out of which this 
 implement had been milled was so hard that I could 
 not cut even a hairline across it with the edge of 
 my knife. 
 
 Historical records are not faulty, I decided, as 
 though I had doubted them. Then in that quiet 
 tomb I studied, reciting at times over and over bits 
 of history wherein it is said copper was once hard 
 ened by ancient races. The art is lost, history 
 further records, and I wondered if it were possible 
 for such an insignificant soul as myself to discover 
 the lost processes. 
 
 Just before me was one single pile of granite
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 133 
 
 chips, but upon closely examining it I found it to be 
 built from many sectional parts of some designed 
 stairway. 
 
 I decided that I was in the class-room for stone 
 workers. In this class-room the sons prepared them 
 selves to step into the places of their skilled fathers. 
 
 The many broken and unevenly hewn pieces of 
 granite, as I handled them, became to me fullest 
 proof of the many years of practice required to be 
 come competent in this work. 
 
 I was next deeply impressed with the many low 
 stone blocks encircling me, and then with a much 
 larger block directly at my back. Around some 
 instructor must have circled many students, I at first 
 decided ; and then with the flitting of the imagination 
 I saw close about me those pupils. I paused, as I 
 looked upon them, to listen to their concerted ques 
 tionings. "Where has this giant come from?" one 
 would ask of the other in a feeble whisper ; and he 
 in turn would then whisper to me and bow his head. 
 And then from another pupil would come this ques 
 tion : "Did the guard permit you, a young creature, 
 to enter this, our domain?" These curious beings 
 had little stature as I conjured them up. They 
 were apparently comfortably seated upon benches 
 of stone less than ten inches high. 
 
 I was standing over a large chest soliloquizing 
 and telling myself that perhaps this was the breaking
 
 134 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 of a dawn that would give birth to a clearer idea of 
 the workings of lost generations of men. 
 
 One moment I was reaching down into this chest 
 to withdraw from it some strange tool. Another 
 moment I was withdrawing my hand fearful of dis 
 placing the implement. 
 
 The strangest tool and the one I cared most to 
 remove, was made of some metal resembling copper. 
 From all appearances it had undoubtedly been ham 
 mered and sharpened until it resembled a long, 
 bladed pick. Perhaps the most puzzling thing about 
 this tool was its edge, it being so nicked as to cause 
 one to believe it was used more for filing purposes 
 than for chiseling stone. 
 
 Thoughtlessly, in that trying moment, I failed 
 to examine these tools further, passing them by. 
 
 I was no sooner away from these tools than I was 
 searching my mind for knowledge. How did these 
 people work in a place of perpetual darkness? I 
 knew if they had done so they were not the descend 
 ants of the Mound-builders, or the Mound-builders 
 descendants of them. They were, then, an entirely 
 separate race susceptible of seeing in the darkness. 
 
 Against the wall and resting upon little granite 
 shelves, were many little square-shaped stone pots or 
 vessels, as one chooses to call them. These square 
 blocks of stone were scalloped out, making a stone pot 
 with a capacity equal to the tatom holes used in an
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 135 
 
 after day by the Indian for milling of the acron. 
 
 A blackish brown substance, evidently a liquid, 
 but now verging into a solid, sealed over the little 
 pots about half way to the top. This scum I easily 
 extracted, permitting the escape of an odor which 
 thoroughly convinced me of the liquid being none 
 other than crude oil taken from its natural reservoir. 
 
 Here I had positive proof of the use of crude 
 oil so far back as the stone age, and upon this I pon 
 dered, asking and re-asking myself many questions. 
 Where did these people secure this oil, and how 
 came they to be modern in its uses? In an instant I 
 saw myself rich. There was the probability of dis 
 covering oil wells richer than the best of to-day. 
 
 After all, I was a foolish boy, I admitted. I was 
 again hoping for vain things ; and with this thought 
 in mind I stepped to another stone vessel to see if it 
 was similar to the others, and I found it was. 
 
 Little could I realize that crude oil had supplied 
 a lost race. Truly it had been the race's advance 
 ment required it, they banishing the torch to take up 
 methods more modern. 
 
 It was by mere accident that the method by which 
 these oil pots perform their function was discovered. 
 Two minute holes had been drilled directly through 
 the bottom of them, through which, as is the case in 
 a fountain pen, a small flame was fed, drop by drop. 
 
 "A people long dead, carrying their arts with
 
 136 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 them, and known only to their Creator," I said 
 softly. 
 
 Recalling for the first time that my companion 
 was waiting upon me, I took out my watch and 
 learned to my surprise that it was five o'clock in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 I found Benjamin patiently waiting for me. 
 Brave Trailer was barking to signal he had not for 
 gotten me. Benjamin, as was to be expected, began 
 questioning me. I only remember this one answer I 
 gave him, which brought a strange look into his face 
 as I recited it. "We have the wealth of the Indies, 
 Benjamin. Gold, purest gold, cannot buy that which 
 is not for sale. God blesses us, Benjamin ; we have 
 a far better gift than the railroad king has in his run 
 ning express. Pen does not tell, and words from 
 feeble lips do not speak the history yet un 
 written, now revealed to me in a single hour." 
 
 Soon we were hastening along another stairway 
 in search of a route to the beautiful phosphorescent 
 lake. A little further along this stairway centered 
 with six others, some leading out to the right, others 
 to the left, before and behind us, octopus-like. For 
 a long while we stood at the center, undecided which 
 stairway we should follow. These waiting moments 
 were fast multiplying ; still we argued and offered 
 suggestions.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 197 
 
 At last we turned to follow the one leading 
 downward and to the left. In a few places it became 
 necessary to hold tight to what were Alpine-like 
 paths. Trailer was eager to guide us, but he would 
 go here or there. He was only a foolish dog as to 
 seeing beyond a moment's time.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 WITH THE MYSTERIES OF THE SPIRITED TAUQUITZ PEAK. 
 
 We believed that just beyond, glorious dawn 
 must lie. So we recklessly hastened through many 
 dark passages, to be once more in a bright cavern. 
 When the goal was reached, we found that the reward 
 was not of itself a mere trifle, but that it held out 
 still greater promises for that beyond. Just on before 
 us was an out-spreading lake, beautiful beyond com 
 parison. 
 
 You who read may think this a freak of the im 
 agination, but are you not abusing good reasoning in 
 this? With all patience be seated for a moment in 
 the ampitheater of an opera ; the lights are all extin 
 guished, and you sit there musing in utter darkness. 
 The curtain at last suddenly rises, revealing in all 
 the blending of beautiful colors a lake out-stretching 
 as far as the eye can reach. 
 
 See how it flashes, this flood of soft light ! How 
 pleasing this thing of beauty ! In another second all 
 grows dim, then reflows to the brightest ebb, and 
 each shift changes the aspect. Ah, behold another 
 and far different blending of colors ! Do they not
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 139 
 
 please the eye even more than a rainbow and become 
 more restful to the mind than the green valleys of 
 Vermont? Is not this harmonious array of colors so 
 long lost, regained to man? and this paragraph does 
 not half describe the scene before you. 
 
 Trailer at first hid himself, and then sprang for 
 ward as if to drag us on into the never-ending vista 
 in the distance. His doggish ambition was surely to 
 discover all in a single day, but how could we antici 
 pate so much? Our weary bodies were staggering, 
 and our eyelids had long since become weary from 
 the constant flare of the candles. 
 
 I looked at my watch for the time of day, and 
 although we were still one- quarter of a mile from the 
 lake, I saw that the hour was six. 
 
 Where were we to rest in this cave of stairways 
 leading to and fro? What should our dreams be 
 during a long night? "Ghostly fancies," Benjamin 
 ventured, when I repeated the thought aloud. 
 
 We soon ate a scanty supper, and in a short 
 time made ready for the few hours of promised sleep. 
 A little later I was awakened by a bright light re 
 flected against the granite walls. Brave Trailer, 
 alarmed even quicker than I, sprang upon his fours 
 and emitted one of his bloodthirsty growls, which he 
 quickly followed with a long roaring bark. 
 
 "That's the stuff, keep on stirring about," mut 
 tered Benjamin, half arousing himself. "Don't you
 
 140 MYST1CA ALGOOAT. 
 
 know it is sleeping hours?" he scolded, at the same 
 time covering his head. 
 
 "Brave Trailer is warning us of danger," I sober 
 ly responded ; at which Benjamin hastily sat up and 
 glanced all about him. "It is the lake of flames," he 
 announced. 
 
 "The lake is relighted by some new fuel," I 
 added, seeing all things stand out anew, and the red 
 dish colorings change in an instant to the whitest 
 hue. "What! what!" I cried, laying hold of Benja 
 min as though I sought his protection. For with the 
 changing of this last color there had come a deafen 
 ing rumble, the echoes closely following, breaking 
 the silence'of the tombs. 
 
 In another moment a rolling, bubbling and 
 sparkling ~jwave of phosphorescence coursed in over 
 the lake of white flames, dashing itself to pieces 
 against the granite shore. When this wave had spent 
 itself, and alUiad partially quieted down, a beautiful 
 foam arose, passing off in a vapor. Soon, to add to 
 all that had displayed itself so wonderfully, came a 
 score or more of beautiful rainbows, all perfectly 
 arched over the lake. 
 
 "The latest of our discoveries, the real rum 
 blings of this mysterious mountain peak," I whisper 
 ed, glad that there was even a possibility of my 
 being right. "A great lake made up entirely of a 
 liquid metal," was my decision, as the rainbows
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 141 
 
 multiplied, forming again into entirely new de 
 signs. 
 
 And so, with sleepy eyes, and with constitutions 
 praying for rest, we were solving or endeavoring to 
 solve, the mysteries of a rumbling that never jars. 
 
 Dark ghost corners were rapidly growing of less 
 consequence, our candle's light was becoming as in 
 significant as a straw ablaze amid a prairie fire. One 
 wave pursuing another coursed over this phosphores 
 cent lake, and with each breaking, little ripples shot 
 forth, displaying an hundred colors. Before a large 
 wave, and apparently preceding it, came the loud 
 rumblings as of distant thunder. 
 
 "It is but the raging of the Indian Spirit," 
 soberly whispered Benjamin, hearing a mighty wave 
 groan as it dashed into the granite shore line. 
 
 A great wave raced in upon the bosom of the 
 lake, displaying itself grandly. "Ah, behold the 
 hundreds of little ripples in the distance," said Ben 
 jamin, calling my attention in time to point out a 
 high wave that leaped from the bosom of the lake, 
 mounted high in the air, and then with a mighty 
 splash fell over backward upon its trail. 
 
 The great beauty of the lake made us grave. We 
 were now caring very little over the uncertainty of 
 our escape. We had become pupils in the study of 
 the many mysteries that were being unfolded. In 
 the study we were learning of a lake and of a people
 
 142 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 that likely inherited it. It is only because flesh is 
 weak that we praise ourselves in a hopeful moment. 
 
 "Fare-thee-well, noble and fathomless lake of 
 grandeur ; thou shalt be honored without limitation 
 by all history-loving people ; thou shalt be admired 
 by a cultured nation. This is true, they have long 
 waited for a revelation of thy mysterious hand." 
 And then we turned to resume our napping. 
 
 "A few hours more and we go up and out," 
 were Benjamin's first words upon awaking. 
 
 "Are you sure?" I asked, testing Benjamin. 
 
 "Indeed," he answered, "we shall go when we 
 have fully explored the very heart of this Tauquitz 
 Peak. We have yet to discover the reason for the 
 long rumbling of this peak." 
 
 The lake had again resumed its role, though it 
 was now an hour of the morning. The shades of del 
 icate green grew for a moment very bright, and then 
 changed to a most brilliant purple. In a moment 
 this brilliant red re-changed to other indescribable 
 hues. 
 
 A glance upward showed us a far more beautiful 
 aspect than the colorings of the lake with its great 
 length and breadth. Decking the ceiling everywhere 
 were white glassy clusters, likely ages in the process 
 of formation. Everywhere, it seemed, the same lit 
 tle clusters shone resplendent in their marvelous 
 whiteness. Like icicles under a trough they hung
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 148 
 
 suspended, reflecting a beauty that played fantasti 
 cally with a tantalizing evanescence. But in a mo 
 ment this indescribable beauty lost its charm for us, 
 we became frightened. Trailer, whom we had last 
 seen sleeping to his heart's content near by, was miss 
 ing. He had deserted us and we were left to care for 
 ourselves. Benjamin's shrill whistle echoed and re 
 echoed. We waited, but the dog did not come. 
 
 I soberly told Benjamin my idea of the desertion 
 of the dog. "It is quite possible Brave Trailer has 
 grown lonely for his kennel in the Riverside Jail, 
 and has upon his first thought of it hastened upward 
 and outward." 
 
 "I have had about enough of this, anyway," 
 Benjamin admitted. "This chasing after what was 
 long ago, is not to my liking." 
 
 "If you say go, Benjamin, we will endeavor to 
 make our exit from the cave." Benjamin did not re 
 ply at once, and I had ample time to turn over the 
 idea in my mind. I soon decided against my own 
 proposal, for I did not want to leave the cave with 
 all the promises of a something as yet unparalleled. 
 
 "I do say go, and I am serious in the matter," 
 he said finally. 
 
 "Yes, but you're too late ; I have since decided 
 I shall stay." 
 
 "Yes, there it is again," and Benjamin began
 
 144 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 scolding me for taking back my own words. "Why 
 not go?" he asked. 
 
 It took the next few moments to persuade Ben 
 jamin into staying some six hours more. Within this 
 time we were to explore the shores of this lake. 
 
 Hastily eating a scanty lunch, we started direct 
 ly down toward the lake of flames. In an instant, 
 when we least expected, some beast sprang toward 
 us, growling as might a lioness eager for some little 
 morsel with which to feed her kittens. "Oh, Trail 
 er," I exclaimed, afraid that this might not be he. 
 "You are fooling me, sir," I said, as I drew away 
 from him. "You would kiss me." While I hugged 
 him tight, I whispered in his ear, "You naughty 
 fellow, you have marred the pages of newly-made 
 history with the marks of a deserter's hand." 
 
 No doubt my words went deep into the dog's 
 heart, for he surely asked in his dog language, my 
 forgiveness. 
 
 He was hardly away from my tight grip and for 
 given, before he again sprang forward and away. 
 We quickly turned back from the lake to follow 
 him. 
 
 "Go slower," cautioned Benjamin, gripping me 
 by the arm and pulling me back. 
 
 "Why?" I said, greatly surprised at his action. 
 
 "Perhaps Brave Trailer is leading us into the 
 spirit chamber of Tauquitz, the one of evil."
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 145 
 
 "You Indian you, Benjamin," I said for it 
 is only an Indian who believes that to visit Tauquitz 
 while you live assures you of a visit to him after 
 death "you are a fool, Benjamin Phillips." I tore 
 myself away from him. "I'll go-but hold!" I had 
 strong reasons for shrinking back from that upon 
 which I had just looked. 
 
 "What? what?" inquired anxious Benjamin, 
 not seeing the laboratory wherein Tauquitz, if there 
 be such a person, experimented with his captives, 
 the Indians. "You mean more skeletons?" 
 
 "Yes, but quite different than heretofore. The 
 bones rise to great heights and have a weight in tons. " 
 
 I pushed ahead, then stopped. I had seen Brave 
 Trailer standing within a little cove scalloped out of 
 the granite wall, before a nickering light. Quite 
 likely, I thought, he was wondering why all should 
 be as it was far under the earth. 
 
 Close about us were skeletons of enormous size. 
 Were they real? What could they be the parts of? 
 We had not seen an animal whose bonework should 
 be of such proportions. 
 
 "Animal remains," Benjamin freely admitted, 
 pointing out to me large horns or tusks. 
 
 "See Benjamin, they have posts for their feet, 
 quite unlike those mentioned by Julius Ceesar, for 
 they were jointed. I'll venture to say they are re 
 mains of the extinct mastodon or mammoth." I
 
 146 MYSTICA ALGCOAT. 
 
 pointed to parts of the structure proving the theory. 
 
 But this strange little fire on beyond Brave 
 Trailer meant so much to us. In fact the skeletons 
 only testified to death and an unknown language, 
 while the little fire spoke for its living. 
 
 Fully believing someone had lately deserted the 
 little fire, we set Brave Trailer into following them 
 up by the scent. He obeyed and was soon sniffing 
 over the entire floor f the little cove. 
 
 U I cannot scent them, for they fly instead of 
 walk," he must have said, as he turned to me and 
 kissed my hand. 
 
 "Bloodhounds are not just the thing," Benja 
 min remarked, criticizing the dog and citing incidents 
 where they had failed in their purposes. 
 
 "Likely not, Benjamin," I admitted, for I was 
 thinking of a living remnant of these people. 
 
 A strange odor and curling smoke became quite 
 noticeable as we drew near the little fire. 
 
 "It is crude oil that supplies this fire," I said. 
 I fully believed the natural reservoir was just under 
 the granite wall. I rubbed one hand against the wall, 
 and when I withdrew it I saw it was well blackened a* 
 though covered with an oily seepage. "It's a fact, 
 Benjamin, merchantable oil has been supplying this 
 little parasite." 
 
 He pointed with disgust to the little flickering 
 flame. "Yes, indeed, it has wasted great wealth."
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 147 
 
 Then I knew Benjamin felt much like rushing in 
 upon the little flame and fanning it out. 
 
 "A new theory, Benjamin," I admitted, "and 
 I trust a feasible one. This oil spring has kept up 
 this little flame since its starting by a people now 
 long dead." All about this were veins running 
 through the granite wall, and having a peaty -like 
 appearance. 
 
 As we went, we stopped to procure a single tusk 
 of the mastodon. As far back as the Mammalian age 
 these bones had lain here, we decided. Benjamin be 
 gan to search for a tusk, but I found a good speci 
 men first. 
 
 "See here," I called, "the teeth alone attest 
 the origin. " I had Benjamin's attention. "The molar 
 tooth with its little nipple, or masta, assigns this 
 tooth to the great mastodon, as Mastodon Giganteus, 
 i. e.. "Giant Mastodon."
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 WHERE THE 8PIBIT8 RUMBLED. 
 
 Straight down to the shore of the phosphorescent 
 lake we hastened. As we drew close to the rushing, 
 splashing metal liquid, Benjamin reminded me that 
 as an old, hardened sailor sees in the great storm 
 only a plaything, we saw in the lake a thing of inter 
 est rather than of worry. 
 
 "It reminds me of an iron foundry,"! remarked, 
 stopping and looking into the writhing fluid. 
 
 "Yes, and a vast foundry at that," he replied. 
 
 The beauty of this lake continually charmed us 
 as, hastening along its shores, our eyes watched its 
 unruly behavior. 
 
 When our hopes for even a more beautiful 
 aspect than the grand display of blended coloring 
 were highest, a drama suddenly unfolded before us. 
 It was such a picture as the mind long retains. Back 
 from the lake shore, and reclining in open graves, lay 
 many sleeping the sleep of death. Hundreds, dare 
 one say? Yes, many hundreds, Benjamin would 
 have it. At first we felt it was a terrible, or 
 better, a sad dream. Exaggeration, oh imagination,
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 149 
 
 flee ! the dead are multiplying from hundreds to 
 thousands ! 
 
 "Oh, Bonifacio Cabse," I muttered. For in that 
 trying moment I thought of the Indian policeman 
 who for five silver dollars told me of the Tauquitz 
 Legend. 
 
 There came up with this flitting of my imagina 
 tion a well-bound volume. Upon its cover I read in 
 gilt letters, "Substantial History." And then as I 
 tried to read and re-read the title it occurred to me 
 that the Tauquitz Legend, once with me wholly fabu 
 lous, was true history. The Indian warriors, five in 
 number in history, had now become thousands. For 
 another moment, as I silently watched the reclining 
 forms, I wsa selecting the frame that so sturdily had 
 borne the living flesh of Mystica Algooat. Close 
 beside her I saw the stronger outlines and I called 
 them those of her lover, Diego Sinon. Then, even 
 nearer than these, and just before me, were the 
 frames of Chief Algooat and Judge Sinon. They, as 
 I thought of them, were still ruling their Indian dead, 
 not in flesh, but in spirit. There was the framework 
 beside them of the wise man Lalla, and he too, in 
 his skeleton form, was directing this sleeping through 
 unwritten centuries. 
 
 All these were my thoughts and my own 
 singling out of characters once so active in legendary 
 days. Aroused by the impatient Benjamin, I started
 
 150 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 on and passed through the skeleton group, experi 
 encing as never before the solemnity of the tomb. 
 We had paused, as I remember, to look back upon 
 the skeleton forms when we perceived a marked uni 
 formity in their positions. 
 
 "What means this?" asked curious Benjamin. 
 I saw him tracing with his finger a semi-circle. 
 
 "And the head bones are facing the darkened 
 wall," I said, with deep interest. "Why is the back 
 turned upon this lake of beauty? Sadness, Benja 
 min, must have been in their hearts." 
 
 Up against the cave wall a grinning head looked 
 down upon us. With a moment's study we knew its 
 purpose was sacred. In shape this idol head was 
 likely patterned after that of its designer. Only for 
 one thing, and this disfiguring it, we should have seen 
 here the grandest piece of stone art yet discovered. 
 This idol head, as we carefully made a study of it, 
 took on a new form, resembling some evil god. To 
 Benjamin I attribute this belief. He persists that 
 the idol head represented that of the evil Tauquitz. 
 Perhaps Bonifacio Cabse knew well the name of 
 this idol, for he always told that his father had taught 
 him, without a single omission, the Legend of Tau 
 quitz. Very possible it was too, that should Boni 
 facio Cabse know of his father's god still in stone, 
 he would worship it. 
 
 This idol head bore horns of wickedness and sup-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 151 
 
 ported ears of wonderful acute hearing. Here again 
 the Tauquitz Legend proves itself. Bonifacio 
 Oabse sincerely told me that Tauquitz, with his 
 mighty ears, heard him telling me for the five silver 
 dollars, the sacred revelation of his being. 
 
 But we were forced to pass this idol hastily, and 
 we did, trusting that whosoever our successors were 
 in the gathering of Indian history, they would become 
 so deeply interested as to go back to the Indian in 
 his day, and there pick up the string where we were 
 severing it. 
 
 We turned again to the fiery lake and then up 
 along its shore, bidding a sad adieu to those upon 
 whom we looked. 
 
 "What now?" whispered Benjamin, giving me 
 a sudden pull by the arm. 
 
 "What! what!" said I. 
 
 "Brave Trailer is in trouble." 
 
 Fortunately for us, the noble dog had just dis 
 covered a small spring of water colder than artesian 
 and as pure as a flowing brooklet. 
 
 How our voices in that moment responded to tha 
 joy pulsating in our hearts. Not only did it satisfy 
 a great thirst, but it as well determined whether 
 these people drank. They evidently did drink from 
 the spring. Why it had been necessary for them to 
 build the stairway down the mountain side for a half 
 mile to the spring there, is left for the reader to say.
 
 162 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Not very far along the immediate lake shore we 
 came up against a stone square, house shape. The 
 same Tauquitz Legend ! This stone house was likely 
 patterned after the one Tauquitz, the evil spirit, 
 called his prison cell. "But it is only conjecture," 
 said Benjamin, laying his hand against the corner, 
 4 *though it is surely hand-made, there being little 
 sign of nature's handiwork in it. Centuries in build 
 ing, I'll warrant.'' 
 
 Midway along a darkened side of this stone 
 square we saw, upon copper hinges, a stone door 
 standing ajar. Once inside this little room we 
 found it about nine feet wide and approximately ten 
 long, with an exceedingly low ceiling. On the 
 opposite side a passageway led down into some lower 
 depths. Here, still leaning against the wall, were 
 two skeleton forms. They were two sentinels, 
 for this is what we were soon calling them, be 
 lieving they were there guarding a secret room 
 below. Had we not been over-indulgent, we might 
 have easily bidden adieu to these unknown depths, 
 but we could not pass them by. Our curiosity was 
 aroused, and we were determined to please ourselves. 
 In tightly clinched bony fingers these sentinels still 
 retained their spear-shaped weapons. Benjamin 
 thoughtlessly laid hold of one of the weapons, and all 
 save a copper spear crumbled to dust. 
 
 "Holmes says," I began, "that both Greek and
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 153 
 
 Trojans knew the art of tempering copper so as to 
 make edged tools. This was about 1000 B. C. So, 
 Benjamin, have these skeletons held silent guard here 
 for forty centuries ; and do they withhold from us the 
 one process for the hardening of copper?" 
 
 "Greeks and Trojans may have tempered the 
 copper for them," he replied with a laugh. 
 
 Quietly, in the sombre depths of the darkness, 
 guided only by the flickerings of a single candle, 
 we stole down through the little passageway. 
 Once within a secret closet below, we came 
 upon great piles of raw copper, while hanging against 
 the walls were many curious looking copper tools. 
 Instantly we felt we had surely discerned the secret 
 that afforded the skilled worker the tools with which 
 to master the hard granite of the mountain. 
 
 "Wonderful work has been done with tools 
 invented and made in this closet," Benjamin whis 
 pered. 
 
 I could not refrain from sarcastically replying, 
 "Yes, hideous looking gods as well." 
 
 It was there in one corner of this secret closet, 
 and just before an immense pile of native copper ore, 
 that we probed into the depths of mysterious pro 
 cesses. For moments it seemed we should not be 
 able to understand what were the processes wrought 
 out in four telescoped crucibles. The largest crucible 
 of the four had evidently been drilled directly into
 
 164 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 the corner of the room and served the purpose of 
 shielding the three smaller ones, tapering down with 
 in it until the smallest would hold about one gallon, 
 liquid measure. 
 
 In between these crucibles was a crystallized 
 composition, greenish in color. To look long upon 
 its brightness brought tears into our eyes. The only 
 thing for us to do was to extricate the first covering, 
 which we did, exposing a darker green, evidently the 
 alloy given off by native copper while undergoing the 
 changing process. 
 
 Benjamin thoughtlessly reached down into the 
 crucible, took up into his palm a small portion, and 
 in this way began testing it by pulverizing it with his 
 thumb. To my great surprise, and to his sore dis 
 pleasure, he began to experience great pain, as though 
 the greenish crystals had all the properties of a very 
 strong acid. 
 
 Somewhat angered at his mistake, Benjamin 
 roughly jerked from off the wall a copper pick, and 
 with an angry voice avowed he would destroy the 
 crucible. I knew he meant it, when I saw him strike the 
 crucible a very hard blow. But it was of little use. 
 
 Uprooting the large crucible and removing it 
 from the corner, we were given access to the inner 
 three. We here made our great mistake. When we 
 had removed the outer crucible, leaving the three 
 inner ones unprotected by it, they crumbled away.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 155 
 
 It seemed strange to know that crucibles with 
 standing years of use should fall away in a moment. 
 "Now I'll finish it," said Benjamin, standing near 
 and still retaining the pick. I am safe in saying that 
 he did so, and that he did so well. Lifting up from 
 scattered fragments portions of the metal, we 
 lifted also many of the granules of this greenish sub 
 stance. Here we had the secret all truly confined in 
 the shapeless mass. 
 
 Into handkerchiefs a small quantity was tightly 
 tied. This we should present for analysis to some 
 expert assayer. 
 
 "Tantalize him," said Benjamin; from which I 
 inferred that he meant the composition would puzzle 
 the assayer. 
 
 He was surely right, for any expert able to name 
 the ingredients, and with a knowledge of using them, 
 would become a master in the hardening of copper. 
 Man, for many, many years has sought after the in 
 gredients enclosed in Benjamin's handkerchief, and 
 so the little sample became the more priceless. 
 
 We were forced to go, as we did not dare to stay 
 longer. Thus we were driven out, losing in our un 
 timely departure many rich historical records likely 
 awaiting us in other parts of this underground labora 
 tory. 
 
 "Let us hasten, and let the Indian ferret out a 
 better reason for the rumbling of his spirits," said
 
 156 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Benjamin, calling my attention to the short length of 
 our candle. 
 
 "What time is it?" he asked, growing anxious 
 over our escape ; "my watch has run down." 
 
 "Six-thirty," I replied. 
 
 "Not six-thirty p. m.,'' he repeated in astonish 
 ment. "Due to be out of here, then ! I'll bet a 
 horseshoe the girls have been at the mouth of this 
 cave a dozen times. I know sister Porta ; and then 
 Miss Wells " He stopped. 
 
 "Likely," I said, "seeing it's a dead go." 
 
 "Dead go with us,' 7 Benjamin replied, taking 
 the words other than I meant them. 
 
 "Pshaw! Benjamin, I know they'll not worry a 
 moment ; we're not likely to be more than a day 
 overdue, and what is that?" 
 
 "Yes, but they will worry," he insisted, with a 
 determined shake of his head. "My sister has the 
 grit, and I have no doubt she will coax Gertrude into 
 entering this cave with her." 
 
 Time passed rapidly as Benjamin and I sat look 
 ing upon the lake. Likely our thoughts were in har 
 mony, each upon the probability of the girls entering 
 to search us out. What if thev should undertake it 
 
 m 
 
 and then get lost within limitless bounds, I thought 
 as I watched the wild behavior of the seething lake 
 of flames. 
 
 "We'll hasten back," I wanted to sav, half ris-
 
 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 157 
 
 ing to my feet. But how dared I give up when I 
 knew we must be near the goal? I broke from my 
 brief reveries only to hear Benjamin earnestly ques 
 tioning himself . "Is it possible," he was saying, 
 "that any thing serious could befall the girls should 
 they " Here I lost his low words. 
 
 Ten minutes later the whole scene changed. The 
 lake, a seeming limitless sheet of flames, turned into 
 a tunnel shape a hundred yards ahead. The end 
 came unannounced. 
 
 While standing there, looking deep into the tun 
 nel-shaped mass of flames, from out it came a trail of 
 waves each splashing the metal in a spray. We had 
 now surely reached the very core of the mountain, 
 and knew well its secrets. 
 
 In the unknown distance this mysterious phe 
 nomenon had come in upon the lake. It was not to 
 us the Evil Spirit Tauquitz riding his sea horse, but 
 troubled waves of sea water sweeping across the lake 
 of metal flames. It is likely that its behavior bore 
 another significance for the Saboba Indian. Its on 
 ward rush was a prophecy of the torture he must un 
 dergo for the sins he had willfully committed. I won 
 dered if Mystica Algooat had been tossed about by 
 these fiery waves, and if her soul had landed safely 
 on a solid shore. 
 
 "Run back, or you will be washed in the lake," 
 cried Benjamin, alarmed at the rumbling and groan-
 
 158 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 ing volumes as they swelled and ebbed. I was surely 
 very stupid for I did not heed his cries. 
 
 "Reckless youth!" and Benjamin's scoldings 
 rained down upon me ; still it seemed I could not move. 
 
 Moments were passing, and I was feeling the 
 touch of the liquid metal as it splashed across my 
 body, stinging like fire. Why I was not swept 
 away I do not know. The rushing volumes were far 
 away, and only brought near by the brightness of 
 their breaking. 
 
 These groaning masses passed quite as quickly as 
 they came. The rumblings of the spirited mountain 
 peak were not caused by earthquake auxiliaries or a 
 mighty wind. All was the flowing of the cold waters 
 of the Pacific ocean in upon this lake of heated 
 metal. It may startle the Indian to hear this, and 
 he may disbelieve it, but it stands as the decision of 
 two having seen and experienced. 
 
 The many colorings dancing and reflecting from 
 one water crest to another were beyond the harmo 
 nious blending of Rosa Bonheur, with her skill and 
 wise choice of colors. Far back in the distance we 
 heard plainly the splashing of these same beautiful 
 waves as they dashed themselves into a spray against 
 the granite shore. Then, seemingly everywhere, 
 came the echoing and re-echoing, as of a rushing 
 stampede of cattle. Often the rumblings grew loud
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 159 
 
 and died away. The waves drew near, passed, van 
 ishing as quickly as they came. 
 
 Seeing all this, we turned backward, graciously 
 rewarded. For an hour we followed along the imme 
 diate shore of the lake without finding a stairway 
 leading us away from it. 
 
 Weary and worn from the excitement of the day 
 we decided to take an hour's rest, and then make the 
 final attempt to escape from this cave of many won 
 ders.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE SEARCH BEGUN. 
 
 On the day of our departure Porta Phillips and 
 Gertrude Wells came for the second time to look 
 down into that darkened cave. The sun was just set 
 ting, the heavens had already grown dim, and the 
 shadows against the mountain side had fast darkened. 
 
 "A lonely afternoon passes with the sun's set 
 ting, thank God," sighed Porta, as she looked at the 
 mountain over which the sun had just sunk. 
 
 "Yes indeed, very lonely," echoed Gertrude. 
 
 "Dear me, how forsaken, dark and dismal this 
 cave grows as the night settles upon it, Gertrude." 
 
 "Yes dear, and think how dark it is to Benjamin 
 and William. Let us go back to camp, Porta." No 
 sooner were the words spoken than Porta was off, 
 leading the way. 
 
 "Here, here, fretting so soon," teased Mr. 
 Wells, striving to cheer the young ladies. 
 
 "Yes, Henry, haven't the girls the privilege of 
 fretting?" interrupted Mrs. Wells. 
 
 "Limited privileges," Mr. Wells quickly re-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 161 
 
 sponded, adding before his wife could catch him up, 
 "Come, cheer up girls, cheer up. I can only think 
 the boys safe." 
 
 "There it is again, Henry; you might think a 
 chicken happy when afflicted with the croup." 
 
 "Women take a pessimistic view of everything. " 
 
 "Yes, anything suits men," said Mrs. Wells, 
 quite disgusted, as she called Porta and Gertrude in 
 to the tent. 
 
 The dawning of another day saw all signs of the 
 storm rapidly disappearing. The water was running 
 down the mountain side in gushing little streams. 
 
 The cold, wet canvas tents, so long under the 
 gloomy ledge, were taken down and set up in the open, 
 in the bright sunshine. The change was very marked, 
 for it brightened the spirits of the party. 
 
 The birds, that had been absent for several days, 
 were now flying up from the valleys to sing anew the 
 glory and the beauty of the mountain side. The vel 
 vet mosses, shining with freshest lustre, were such as 
 would make one think only of the jagged ledges upon 
 which they clung, wearing dressy suits of variegated 
 hues. 
 
 Mid-afternoon breathing in upon the little party 
 found it slowly ascending the mountain side. The 
 members of it were climbing up to the mysterious 
 cave, there to watch for us. Not an hour passed as
 
 162 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 they waited, without the inquiry, "Aren't the boys 
 tardy?" 
 
 "Nonsense !" would speak up some one, gener 
 ally Mr. Wells, who usually concluded with some 
 expression like this, "A six o'clock train will not 
 arrive before six o clock. Tuesday never gets in 
 ahead of Monday. Logical, isn't it?" looking rather 
 wise. 
 
 "Not always," replied Gertrude, nodding nega 
 tively. 
 
 With all these and many other questionings the 
 afternoon slowly tolled itself away. We had disap 
 pointed those watching by not coming forth from the 
 cave. Still for a few moments more, and up to the 
 hour when the shades of night were darkening the 
 mountain side, they watched and listened. It was 
 hard for them to think of giving up. The night was 
 growing chilly, and Mr. Wells, fearing an attack of 
 the rheumatism hastened back to the camp. "Don't 
 stay too late," he cautioned, "one cannot trust even 
 the cowardly coyotes. Better give up girls, for the 
 boys will not be out of the cave before tomorrow 
 night, and I'll set the hour at sundown, considering 
 you have figured just twenty-four hours too soon." 
 
 "Hush Henry ! you do like to tease," Mrs. Wells 
 scolded. 
 
 The two young ladies waited until it grew dark, 
 and only when they saw plainly that they must give
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 163 
 
 up the watch, did they go to the camp. They had 
 planned a secret which was to be unfolded early the 
 next morning. 
 
 "We've planned to go into the cave and meet 
 the boys, mother," said Gertrude at breakfast. 
 
 "Planning to capture big game," ejaculated her 
 father. 
 
 "We've as much grit as some of you faint 
 hearted men," declared Porta Phillips firmly. 
 
 Mr. Wells began heartily laughing. "You've 
 less grit than one needs to have while carrying out 
 such an undertaking; then, too, I'd venture the 
 same old forty- one cents that I've been betting away 
 for years, that the cave is brimful of lizards, toads 
 and even snakes." 
 
 "Hush now, Henry," said Mrs. Wells. 
 
 "A husband is abused, stoned and dragged to 
 death," murmured Mr. Wells, changing his seat away 
 from his wife. "Wife here, simply favors an under 
 taking which in my mind cannot end otherwise than 
 in disaster. Foolish, giddy girls anyway, go if you 
 will. I'll bet the same old forty-one cents against a 
 pair of Sunday suspenders that before many hours my 
 wife will be entering that cave to search for you 
 girls." 
 
 "Yes, quite possible, Mr. Wells, but there will 
 be little danger of your coming in search for me." 
 
 "Not in the least, wife." As to whether Mr.
 
 164 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Wells meant this as he said it, no one seemed to 
 know. 
 
 By sunrise the next morning things about camp 
 had taken on a decided air for business. All was 
 contrary to Mr. Wells' wishes. The two young ladies 
 greatly helped by Mrs. Wells' encouraging words, 
 were making all preparations for the undertaking. 
 The moment for the start up the mountain came soon. 
 Mr. Wells still held out against the scheme, denounc 
 ing it in many ways. "Go and be contrary," he said 
 in his farewell words. Turning to his wife, he added, 
 "If this turns out disastrously, remember you, my 
 wife, share alone the responsibility. A man is a fool 
 to let a woman run his end of the business. Al 
 mighty God, from this time henceforth I shall be the 
 master of my household. A wife like mine would 
 run even a fishing smack on the rocks, fog or no fog, 
 just run it there." Mr. Wells walked nervously 
 away toward the spring. He would go there to worry 
 further over the probability of Porta and Gertrude 
 getting lost. "W T omen folks have little business in 
 politics, in business, in law, or in anything else that 
 means life or death." 
 
 All the while Mr. Wells was sitting there abus 
 ing his conscience with his own words, the three wo 
 men were climbing the mountain side to the cave. 
 And likely at a time when Mr. Wells prayed for the 
 strength of a master, three as humble as he, just be-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 165 
 
 fore the cave, were praying for a success in the 
 rescue. 
 
 The parting came, Porta and Gertrude slowly 
 and cautiously going down into the sombre depths, 
 and Mrs. Wells turning back toward the little camp. 
 
 Once out of sight, Mrs. Wells realized what the 
 presence of Gertrude and Porta had been to her. For 
 a moment she hesitated, stopping on the open moun 
 tain side to study her hasty actions. "I have been 
 stubborn and have treated Henry wrongly," Mrs. 
 Wells acknowledged to herself. "Yes, for all I know 
 I may be sending my own dear child and Porta Phil 
 lips down to their graves. A stubborn will and a 
 broken-hearted husband ;'' and Mrs. Wells sat down 
 upon a near-by rock to cry. 
 
 Porta and Gertrude had only two candles to light 
 them on their way. One making the cave walls 
 ghostly, the second was lit. 
 
 Often as they followed the winding stairway 
 they stopped to catch a breath, one to send out a call, 
 hoping it would bring back an answer, but none came. 
 After a few moments' rest on a broad landing, they 
 slowly continued. Soon the single stairway branched, 
 one fork leading upward to the right, and the other 
 downward to the left. It was not until now, stand 
 ing there in the dim light of the two candles, looking 
 down upon this branching stairway, that they realized 
 the first fear of becoming lost.
 
 166 MYSTIC A ALGOOAT. 
 
 "You follow out one branch and I the other," 
 said Gertrude, breaking a long silence. 
 
 "No, no, we must not part, or we'll be sure to 
 get lost." 
 
 "Downward and to the left let us go first," said 
 Porta, leading the way. "It is very, very steep. 
 Hadn't we better call once more?" So Gertrude 
 called, only to a\vaken echoes, and re-echoes. "We 
 must be in a tomb," she went on ; "the boys have 
 surely perished." 
 
 Here a sense of timidity overpowered the once 
 strong courage, and together they started backward 
 and upward. As far up as where the stairway 
 branched they hastened without pausing for a second 
 time to question one another. 
 
 "We are going out, leaving the boys to die." 
 And Porta Phillips then and there said she would not 
 go a step further up the stairway. 
 
 They were soon following the branch of the stair 
 way that led upward, into a small room. It was 
 here, against a wall, that a dimly flickering light 
 shone through, greatly frightening them. In a 
 moment each stopped as if fearful of what she might 
 behold. It was several minutes before either dare tip 
 toe across the little room to peer through this little 
 lighted passage in the distance. When they did they 
 looked upon an endless lake of fire. Flames upon 
 flames, as waves upon the sea, were swelling and
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 167 
 
 breaking. Spray was ascending over the lake and 
 displaying its hundred colorings. 
 
 "Oh, how beautiful!'' whispered one. 
 
 "Inexpressible," whispered back the other. 
 
 "See," and Gertrude drew her companion 
 nearer her, "see, dear, the mighty waves are rolling 
 toward us, and oh, how strange they are as they toss 
 themselves and groan as if suffering great agony." 
 
 Amazed at all they saw, they continued watch 
 ing each swell upon the lake, and then when the 
 waves broke against the shore and the spray shot up 
 ward, they cried, "How beautiful!" 
 
 For many a moment they waited ; speech became 
 inaudible. At last they saw two dim forms walking 
 erect, and one upon its fours, pass slowly before them 
 along the immediate lake shore. 
 
 "It's my brother Benjamin, and William," said 
 Porta as the joyous tears coursed down her cheek. 
 With another hasty glance they were watching the 
 slowly moving figures passing off around the lake. 
 
 "Oh, do call them back, Gertrude ; my voice is 
 so weak; do call !" Gertrude called, but her voice, 
 like that of her companion, was weak, and then, too, 
 it seemed only to spend itself within the little room. 
 
 For an instant the three figures paused as if to 
 listen, but it could not have been so. One figure 
 motioned as if to throw something into the lake, and 
 then the three passed on. Gertrude, as frightened
 
 168 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 and as alarmed as Porta, called yet another time, 
 and again a moment later, with hope fast ebbing. 
 And when Porta awoke to call for her first time, the 
 angry waves upon the lake smothered her voice. 
 "They are gone," she whispered with a gasp. 
 
 A half hour passed as they watched the lake, 
 wondering if the figures would not soon pass back 
 along its shore. But they did not, and first one, then 
 the other, began weeping. 
 
 They hastened back to the branching stairway 
 determined to go down, down, deeper into the 
 unknown. All was promising, until the junction of 
 seven stairways lit up within the candle's rays. 
 
 "We may not overtake the boys very soon," 
 admitted Gertrude soberly, having first counted the 
 seven branching passages. 
 
 "Never mind, we must attempt it," and Porta 
 started along the fourth stairway, which led down 
 ward to the right. 
 
 "What ! what ! " she soon cried with fright, as she 
 threw herself back against Gertrude. "A vast sub- 
 mountain cavern opens before me,'' she whispered. 
 
 "What do you mean?" asked Gertrude, surprised. 
 
 "I mean that before us is the unknown. What 
 an underground empire, enveloped by the closest 
 secrecy ! ' ' Just then Gertrude caught her first 
 glimpse of the interior of the cavern they were enter 
 ing. "Yes, brother Benjamin always says dead men
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 169 
 
 tell no tales ; neither do dead Indians." 
 
 "Unbearable," cried the other, turning back. 
 Poised, with stolid glares, were many grinning 
 skeletons. 
 
 "Oh God ! does it mean that they were born only 
 to hold intact this silent dominion, or to prey upon 
 us?" and each gave utterance to a short prayer. 
 
 "All is unbearable! unbearable!" and Porta 
 and Gertrude turned to flee, but not far, for by them 
 were many beautiful sea shells artistically arranged 
 along the wall. 
 
 "I'll answer this voluntarily," said Porta, wholly 
 forgetting the skeletons. "Scientists say, as I am 
 told, that the Colorado Desert is but an old ocean, 
 bed." 
 
 "Yes, but how do they know this?" interrupted 
 Gertrude. 
 
 "By a study of the shells they have gathered up 
 on the dry sands." 
 
 "But what has the ocean to do with these peo 
 ple?" 
 
 "Understand, dear, they likely hunted and fish 
 ed upon it. From the ocean they have gathered 
 these shells." 
 
 "What has scientific study to do with hailing 
 the boys?" seriously argued Gertrude, wishing for 
 something better than a race of men to think about. 
 
 "Nothing whatever, yet we stand here and look
 
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 172 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "How ancient we might be," suggested Ger 
 trude ; to which her companion replied, "I trust not 
 so ancient as proud. Well, we are not stealing gold 
 from King Solomon's mines, anyway." 
 
 "Yes, dear, but are we not taking treasures from 
 a dead people? Let us replace them," said Porta lay 
 ing it back. 
 
 "No let's not." 
 
 Thus they argued, finally going from the cave, 
 carrying the box with them. 
 
 A little way along the stairway, they stopped to 
 look once more upon the little treasures. It was not 
 until here that it dawned upon them that their pro 
 ducts were likely the fruits of an underground dia 
 mond field. 
 
 Overjoyed at the find, and fearing someone 
 might rob them of the treasures, they turned about 
 and started rapidly up along the stairway. They 
 would first carry the treasures out of the cave, and 
 then come back again to meet the boys. 
 
 In a moment of excitement, while they were 
 hastening upward, the little box slipped from the 
 girl's grasp, falling upon the stone surface and break 
 ing into many little pieces. 
 
 "The frail thing," scolded Porta as if to shift 
 at least a small portion of the responsibility. 
 
 "A frailer thing, dear, I fear, is the finding of
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 173 
 
 all the little treasures. See, they sparkle so brilliant 
 ly. Genuine, I guess." 
 
 Porta and Gertrude stopped to gather them into 
 a handkerchief. 
 
 The time it took to gather up the little gems 
 told very markedly upon the fast burning candles, 
 there being less than four inches of unburned wax 
 left. 
 
 "A dreadful fear comes over me," said Porta, 
 soberly. 
 
 "Why now, dear, "were the soothing words of 
 her companion. 
 
 "The candles, see, they give us less than an hour 
 to make good our escape." 
 
 "I hadn't noticed the shortness of the candles," 
 said Gertrude, as she gripped up the little bit of wax 
 and started up along the stairway. 
 
 The mad rush made their breath come fast, and 
 the heart spurt as if to leap from its bounds. They 
 paused for a short rest and then hastened upward. A 
 glance to either side told them that they were pass 
 ing through many underground museums. 
 
 "What a heavy draft courses past me," exclaim 
 ed one, stopping to learn from whence it came and 
 where it was going. 
 
 "Oh, my God, does this mean Thy rescuing 
 hand," Gertrude prayed. 
 
 Greatly encouraged, they followed its upward
 
 174 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 coursing. "It is true," exclaimed Gertrude, clasp 
 ing her hands over her forehead and sobbing faintly. 
 "The comforting current of air must lead downward 
 and backward. It does, and we're sure to die," she 
 gasped, tnrning to see if Porta had all the while run 
 after her. 
 
 "Do you mean it, dear?" cried her companion, 
 as weak and as fully discouraged as she. 
 
 "Yes, we're to die in this tomb." 
 
 "Oh, Gertrude dear, I see a light." Porta poin 
 ted out a dimly burning light back upon the 
 stairway over which they had just passed. 
 
 "Oh, thank God, it is dear Mrs. Wells," 
 Porta cried aloud. The certainty of Mrs. Wells 'pres 
 ence drove away all thoughts of dying where she had 
 fallen. "Oh I'm so glad, for see, she comes nearer 
 and nearer." Just as she uttered these encouraging 
 words the little light she had seen flickered wildly, 
 died out, then flashed up, flickered again and in a 
 moment died out entirely. 
 
 Frightened in the sudden darkness Porta called 
 to Gertrude to extinguish quickly the little light so 
 dear to them. 
 
 "Bandits have discovered us, dear, and are pre 
 paring as Indians to crawl up nearer." 
 
 "No, no, don't say it, dear. Dear me, dear me," 
 and each lay back and began crying most bitterly.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 175 
 
 The very darkness about was adding to the horrors of 
 that trying moment. 
 
 "God, do save us," Porta was crying, wringing 
 her hands as if she experienced great pain from with 
 in. In another moment these horrors were even in 
 creased by the deafening growl of some beast. 
 
 "Here, Brave Trailer, be quiet," said a voice 
 in good English. 
 
 "Light up ahead, you cowards, ' ' called the voice, 
 "or we'll turn loose upon you." 
 
 "We'd better light the candle." "No, no." 
 
 Thus Porta and Gertrude argued. 
 
 "Light up, we're here for blood. Light up ; all 
 ghosts belong to us." 
 
 "Here, here, Benjamin!" said Porta, as she re 
 cognized the voice.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE FINAL STRUGGLE. 
 
 We had slept, as near as I could tell, about six 
 hours. Our awakening called to mind the lake of 
 fire. We were soon leaving it behind, taking with 
 us a few relics and an empty canteen. Why we were 
 carrying this canteen, we did not fully know. We 
 had clung to it and were prizing it as though it were 
 our only friend. We were now ready to go, and had 
 cast a single die, determining by it our chances of es 
 caping. The chances were there but they were very 
 few, while the ominous numbers presaging death were 
 many. No food, no water, in a little while no light ! 
 
 For a moment I tried to break away from the 
 thought of death by whistling some inspiring tune, 
 but I could not whistle, for my heart was not tuned 
 to music. I tried to speak instead but even the 
 words died in my throat. 
 
 The long silent stupor through which I had been 
 musing aroused Benjamin's curiosity, and he asked 
 if I didn't think it about time we were testing half- 
 fed muscles. "Yes," I said, still continuing my 
 musing. I was surely being tortured in thought by
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 177 
 
 those I had seen lying along the lake shore in their 
 open graves. In these moments I saw in my imagi 
 nation the framework once animated, and giving sta 
 bility to a Chief, a Judge, a Goddess of Sunset, or an 
 heir to all the tribe's riches in sheep. And then, as 
 in thought I gleaned the Tauquitz Legend, I was con 
 vinced that Silveric Sinon had an unquestioned love 
 for Mystica Algooat even at the time when the trials 
 of Indian Court were casting him down. 
 
 "Come, what do you mean by delay?" said Ben 
 jamin, as he caught me by the sleeve. I followed, 
 he leading the way, along the lake shore. On one 
 side were the shadowy walls we had seen the day be 
 fore, while on the other were the sparkling beauties 
 of the phosphorescent lake. 
 
 "What is the hour?" asked Benjamin, adding in 
 a much lower tone, "My watch continues to find the 
 pressure too low in here for it." I opened mine, and 
 paused, alarmed ; I looked upon the dial for moments, 
 the hour so startling me that I had failed to speak. 
 Greatly disheartened by the lateness, I felt like hurl 
 ing my watch into the lake. I paused, however, 
 wondering if I had read the hour aright. I believed 
 I had, and I acted hastily. The watch, although a 
 father's gift, I threw far into the lake. 
 
 "Foolish," scolded Benjamin, adding, "Why do 
 you destroy a keepsake?" 
 
 "Simply because it has become a burden."
 
 178 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Why so?" he asked quickly. 
 
 "If time doesn't lie, Benjamin, we're lost. We 
 have been traveling along this lakeshore for hours." 
 
 "I trust not," he coolly replied, asking that we 
 hasten. 
 
 In a little while we came to a place where the 
 shore line recurved, going back ward. This we knew 
 would only lead us deeper into the unexplored. "Go 
 back," said Benjamin, to which I replied, "No sir, 
 we had far better plunge into the unknown and un- 
 traversed regions ; there, that little place yonder 
 seems inviting. " I had no sooner said the word than 
 Benjamin started, entering the passage I had pointed 
 out. The precious candle light bore a single ray of 
 hope as we followed through the quiet passageway. 
 
 "Ah, feel that," said Benjamin, as he held his 
 hands well before the candle. 
 
 "What, a draft of air?" I asked. 
 
 "Yes, and so strong as to make the candle flicker 
 wildly, almost enough to fan it out," he added. 
 
 The draft, although a very strong one, was en 
 couraging, and I, remembering Brave Trailer, gave 
 him a heavy patting, as though I thought he should 
 have the praise for it. 
 
 Once far back in the darkened passageway, a 
 yearning for the beauties of the lake came over me. 
 The light had been so cherishing, and the life within 
 it had all the while suggested the very presence of
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 179 
 
 friends. We were now sorely tempted to go back to 
 it but each spurned the temptation, for we well knew 
 going back would be going back to die. 
 
 At times we were recklessly pushing upward, 
 Brave Trailer voluntarily leading the way, and then 
 at other times we were following him more cau 
 tiously. 
 
 "What !" exclaimed Benjamin, stopping short. 
 "Brave Trailer meets with some hindrance." I saw 
 Benjamin lift high the candle, so as to throw its rays 
 well before him. 
 
 "Skeleton forms, I presume," I whispered, little 
 thinking of the force of the expression when I said it. 
 
 "I fear not," said Benjamin, all the while slow 
 ly drawing close upon the whining dog. "Oh, you 
 foolish fellow," he scolded, for when we came upon 
 him he stood mounted upon a square block of stone 
 less than twenty inches in height. 
 
 After all, "skeleton forms" was the befitting 
 title, for just before us, almost under our feet, lay 
 several shrunken corpses. "Some more of your leg 
 end characters," remarked Benjamin, in a way that 
 made me feel he believed the Tauquitz Legend alto 
 gether false. I knew it was not, having seen so 
 much. Dear to me had become the Legend, and 
 while I again studied it over I believed its characters 
 had surely lived, performing the functions Benefa- 
 cio Oabse had told me they did.
 
 180 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Eight skeleton forms," announced Benjamin, 
 startling me from my study. 
 
 "Indeed, Benjamin," and when I looked down 
 upon them the thought came to me that we had 
 surely found the connecting link. 
 
 "What next?" he asked abruptly. 
 
 "Everything goes to prove these people ate from 
 this block of stone." 
 
 But Benjamin was stubborn and opposed my 
 theory, putting up in defense this question : "Why 
 not have these people playing games?" 
 
 "Possibly they were," I admitted, "but can 
 you account for this vessel?" I pointed out a curious 
 utensil upon the block of stone. 
 
 "I'll retract," he said, lifting up the vessel, ap 
 parently made from a large tusk of the mastodon or 
 mammoth. 
 
 Our curiosity once wrought up, we had forgotten 
 our desire to escape. Here were evidences which of 
 themselves answered the question so long puzzling 
 the searchers in the remote past. Benjamin asked 
 me, and I answered to the Indian : "Is food a necessity 
 in the future world? It is, if this be the Indian fu 
 ture kingdom." 
 
 Strewn about upon the flat stone surface were 
 charred berries, probably some close ally to the corn 
 or pea. Aside from these berries, small white chalk 
 lines told us of the fish bones, the residue of the peo-
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 181 
 
 pie's f eastings. This past man we were here study 
 ing had surely perfected himself in his manners while 
 eating his food. From all the evidence he ate only 
 with fine pincers, tong-shaped and not larger than 
 hair pincers. 
 
 The time wasted counted upon our candle's 
 length, and this frightened us. We almost ran after 
 Brave Trailer, who when we said "go," led us. Twice 
 to my knowledge we passed through little rooms 
 filled with many secrets yet unsifted, but the fate of 
 one lost in the wilderness spurred us forward and we 
 ran on and on. 
 
 "Too bad to pass them," I murmured to myself 
 as I hastened after Benjamin. 
 
 "Leave all gleaning until another time," he said 
 abruptly, turning about to see if I were closely 
 following. 
 
 After a time we paused for breath. Directly 
 before us, leaning against a granite wall, were many, 
 many strange implements. They were modern, as a 
 single glance told, and had likely been used for the 
 tilling of soil. Our verdict was that these people in 
 their day tilled the soil, planted and raised much of 
 the food upon which they existed. Surely they must 
 have raised the pea or bean upon the one little gar 
 den spot where we had first set our tents. But we 
 were now thinking too seriously of our rapidly burn 
 ing candle, and so we pushed upward, leaving in the
 
 182 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 darkness secrets deserving prolonged study. 
 
 After a half hour of furious rushing Benjamin 
 fell exhausted, muttering as he sought to rise again, 
 "Goon; keep pressing upward. " In a flash I real 
 ized what this all meant. He had fully given up all 
 expectations of escaping an early death in the cave. 
 I knew well the hours of constant worry had greatly 
 weakened his frail system, and that his rushing from 
 the lake upward so far was his final struggle. 
 
 **I cannot go, Benjamin," I said soberly, large 
 tears running down my face and falling upon his 
 prostrate body. "I cannot, no I cannot, Benjamin," 
 and I rubbed his forehead tenderly as if to cheer him. 
 I had not yet lost all hope. I patiently waited, lis 
 tening all the while to the silent voice of the tomb. 
 But the wear of those silent moments upon my mind 
 was telling, and I knew I must soon see an escape or 
 die there with Benjamin. The task of retracing our 
 wandering steps I knew was by far too great, and I 
 would not consider it. 
 
 "Oh, glory, glory, glory!" I could have shouted, 
 when like a flash I conceived a plan of escape. It was 
 so comforting I quickly told Benjamin, who raised 
 himself and cheered me with the words, "Well it's 
 possible." 
 
 "Come, Brave Trailer, let your blood-hound na 
 ture save us." Benjamin heard these tender words 
 and lifting himself up he petted the dog. Untying
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 183 
 
 my shoe and rubbing Brave Trailer's nose with it, I 
 said, "Go." 
 
 "It's so foolish," admitted Benjamin, half- 
 laughing. 
 
 "A regular trick," I admitted; still I knew it 
 was the only thing that might save us from death. 
 
 "Go," I said the second time, and then Brave 
 Trailer abruptly turned about and ran back down the 
 stairway with Benjamin and I closely following. 
 
 In a few moments we knew the candle would 
 burn out and we would be left in utter darkness. 
 Where we were to meet this darkness, and where 
 Brave Trailer was leading us, we had not yet paused 
 to question. And then, when all hope seemed gone 
 Brave Trailer suddenly turned again, this time to the 
 right and up a very steep 'pitch of stairway. When 
 it seemed we must give up from sheer exhaustion 
 this steep pitch gave way to a more level walk, and 
 we took new courage and pressed on. 
 
 The little fragment of a candle began flickering 
 in its final gasp for existence. At length the little 
 light it gave faded, flashed up, faded out again, and 
 then went out entirely. 
 
 Before either fully realized the ghostliness of the 
 darkness we caught sight of a dimly burning light 
 less than fifty feet above us. Brave Trailer, as quick 
 to see the light as we, gave out a blood- thirsty growl,
 
 184 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 which he in his customary manner closely followed 
 up with a long deafening bark. 
 
 "Be quiet," I scolded. 
 
 "Light up ahead, you cowards," shouted Benja 
 min, "or we'll turn loose on you. Light up; we're 
 a hundred strong and here for blood. Light up ; all 
 ghosts belong to us." 
 
 "Here, here, Benjamin, think first before you 
 speak further. Suppose they are stronger than we, 
 what mercy might we look for?" Benjamin paused 
 for a moment to listen, but no reply came. 
 
 "What can we expect, anyway," he asked, "con 
 sidering we're so far from civilization? There is but 
 one way out, and that is to misrepresent our strength. 
 I'll bluff them anyway," and he snapped me up in 
 the middle of another sentence. "Light up, ye 
 sneaking prowlers !" Just as Benjamin uttered this 
 last demand a second light was seen to flash up. 
 
 "You're getting down to business," Benjamin 
 added, firm and uoquivering. Not a sound came 
 back to combat his greeting. We waited and waited 
 and then at length we surged forward a few feet, 
 stopping to survey the figures outlined about the 
 light. 
 
 "My God," I heard Benjamin exclaim, suddenly. 
 Then I realized that it was Porta and Gertrude.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 It was certainly difficult to decide which of us 
 was the happiest over this unexpected meeting. 
 Joyous tears ran freely down our cheeks, as we 
 tenderly spoke to each other. 
 
 At one time I cut the greetings short and gave 
 Benjamin a chance to offer an apology for his rough 
 welcome, but he had forgotten he owed one. I would 
 have made it myself but for the fact that Porta and 
 Gertrude were too excited telling the trials they had 
 been passing through, to listen. When another 
 opportune time came I had forgotten it. 
 
 When the joy rising with this happy meeting 
 wore down a little, questions arose among them : 
 "Did we rescue Porta and Gertrude, or did they 
 rescue us?" 
 
 "Almost burned away," said some one, calling 
 attention to the short length of the two candles. 
 It was true, for in less than one-half hour we would 
 be in utter darkness. 
 
 "We'd better be up and going," said Benjamin, 
 taking up one of the little burning candles ; and with
 
 186 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 Brave Trailer leading, we followed the stairway lead 
 ing gradually downward. 
 
 Gertrude stopped to have this question fully 
 answered: "Isn't Benjamin leading us deeper into 
 this unknown depth?" 
 
 "I hope not," called back Benjamin, sharp and 
 clear, having overheard the question. 
 
 This stairway continued downward for about 
 twelve feet, and then it took a sharp turn upward. 
 At times the passageway through which it led grew 
 narrow and the draft so strong as to snuff out the 
 candles open to its broad sweep. We were now con 
 tinuing with but a single light. 
 
 After a time this one candle sputtered for a 
 moment, died away, then flashed up, and finally went 
 out entirely. From here we tried first to follow in 
 the dsrkness, but it was so blinding that we were 
 continually in great danger of falling. So we lighted 
 the last small piece of unburned wax, and started on. 
 "This means we're in pretty serious straits," says 
 Benjamin soberly and with a shake of his head, 
 which indicated a strong meaning back of the 
 expression. 
 
 Very soon, fortunately, the stairway gave way 
 to a somewhat level surface, over which we nearly 
 ran. But as this ended, the light went out. The 
 testing time had surely come. Benjamin, we sup 
 posed, would be first to announce it, but he did not,
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 187 
 
 remaining still and silent. The little candle he still 
 held was nickering wildly, and we saw he was watch 
 ing it as if it were a dying friend. In another 
 moment it gave a sputter, and all was dark. "Our 
 chances are not in vain, thank God," I heard Benja 
 min whisper, and then we knew he must have seen 
 something far more hopeful than we. 
 
 "What is it, brother?" asked his sister Porta. 
 
 "Oh thank God, sister, the last ray of the candle 
 was cast down upon the junction of seven stairways." 
 
 Each knew well the meaning of the junction of 
 seven stairways, and we offered thanks unto God for 
 the rescue. How comforting to know we were less 
 than a quarter of a mile from the cave opening, and 
 that that part of the stairway leading te it had no 
 steep patches in it. "Yes, yes," Gertrude whispered, 
 "how fortunate it is that we are on the stairway lead 
 ing out." 
 
 All about was blackest night, and we were real 
 izing anew what it meant to be enclosed in the tomb 
 of a long silenced people. Our minds surely acted 
 consecutively, for when Benjamin started leading 
 upward holding tight upon Brave Trailer's tail, his 
 sister Porta grasped him by the sleeve, and Gertrude 
 Porta 's sleeve, and lastly I, in due order, followed. 
 
 The few minutes upon the stairway were as 
 minutes of blindness, even as we knew it, a more
 
 188 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 confusing blindness than the blind man has to con 
 tend with. 
 
 Oh, how that struggle upward was testing each 
 of us, and how our hopes arose and died away ! 
 When hope within at times died down to the smallest 
 spark, I was prone to cry aloud, "Come messenger, 
 take, after this career is over, my hard-earned histor 
 ical records, forward them in all their imperfections 
 to accomplished publishers, and for the sake of the 
 life that bought them, send home a copy." And 
 then, as the silent moments told upon me, "Oh gran 
 ite walls, fall, crushing life from this feeble body, 
 as I am willing to die here, knowing I have done 
 my best." 
 
 Just how the others of our struggling party were 
 faring I could not tell. I knew that with Porta and 
 Gertrude it must have been very hard. The journey 
 upward and in that blinding darkness was oh ! so long. 
 The end, it seeemed, would never be reached ; still 
 we patiently struggled upward. At last there came 
 the balm. Benjamin began to cheer, and we who 
 followed knew he must have seen the land created 
 for man to live upon. 
 
 "Ah how glorious! hallelujah!" Porta made 
 the silent cave ring with a loud cheer. Just above 
 and into the shadowy heavens were hundreds of 
 twinkling stars. 
 
 "Thank God, it is the same old canopy," Ger-
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 189 
 
 trude cried, as I assisted her from the cave. 
 
 Once upon the open mountain side, we knelt in 
 a circle, bowing our heads and with words of sober 
 prayer offering praises before the Throne of Grace. 
 
 Even then, as we looked about us, the shadowy 
 boulders were become cave walls, the crushed limbs 
 of trees mastodon skeletons, and the smaller rocks 
 the skull of dead Mystica or Diego Sinon her lover. 
 
 Day was fast breaking in the east, the hillside 
 fading to a gray. 
 
 "What's that?" said Benjamin, pausing and 
 pointing far down the dim mountain-side to what ap 
 peared much like a heavy fog in the valley below. 
 
 "Oh, it's surely rained since we have been in 
 the cave," exclaimed his sister, having felt of the 
 ground and found it very damp. 
 
 "But those clouds I am referring to," added 
 Benjamin, answering his own question. "Yes it has 
 rained, and likely will rain again before the coming 
 day passes." 
 
 With the breaking of the early morn we were 
 hastening down the mountain side to proclaim our 
 escape to Mr. and Mrs. Wells. 
 
 "Where is the sack containing our relics, Ben 
 jamin?" I asked in a trembling voice, for I could not 
 see it about his person. 
 
 "Right here, safe and sound," said Benjamin, 
 as he reached up to lift the sack from his shoulder.
 
 190 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 But it was not there, and he paused as if to study. 
 "William, where, where have I left it? iSurely I have 
 not lost it." 
 
 "Benjamin, surely, for the sake of your own 
 fame and title, you have not lost it!" 
 
 "Lost, lost, let me see," Benjamin paused for 
 further study. "Oh someone give me the authority 
 to say no." 
 
 Just then I saw Benjamin weaken. "Tell me 
 then, Benjamin, where you left it, and I shall go back, 
 even to the lake, sooner than lose the evidence it con 
 tains. 
 
 "Why, Benjamin, have you so thoughtlessly 
 robbed history of an inestimable gem ; forgive me 
 that I say you have, but I must, in giving full ac 
 count of the loss." 
 
 Oh, how easy it would have been for me in 
 those trying moments to have flung myself down into 
 the cave to let Benjamin prove its existence. How 
 hard it would be now to convince the world of the 
 reality of the cave since the evidences were left be 
 hind, still buried with those of the remotest past. 
 
 We had one thing to comfort us, however. In a 
 few days we were coming back to go deeper into the 
 cave, and then with the light of a lantern recover 
 this parcel. 
 
 The landscape that morning, as the rising sun re 
 flected itself against the mountains, was grand ; be- 

 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 191 
 
 yond question it was as beautiful as we could hope 
 to look upon. Then, as seen early in the morning, 
 skirting the valley far below, was a tossing of clouds, 
 out of which an occasional peal of thunder rolled. 
 
 "That thunder is heavy," remarked Benjamin. 
 "See, the lightning brightens the clouds higher up." 
 Just then a second and louder peal of thunder sound 
 ed out. "Yes, and we'd better be getting out of here 
 before we get into another slide." 
 
 Porta and Gertrude must first relate their ex 
 periences to Mr. and Mrs. Wells. Entering the tent, 
 we found them excitedly reciting their story. Evi 
 dences were very plain that Mrs. Wells had been 
 crying, while in Mr. Wells' case the chances were 
 good for his having done likewise. 
 
 We were hardly comfortably seated, before Mr. 
 Wells turned to us, and without greeting, began jok 
 ing. He would call us Ben and Bill, the discoverers 
 of the north pole. Although not in the most pleas 
 ant mood, we were glad afterwards we took Mr. 
 Wells' joking in the proper spirit and managed to 
 joke back. 
 
 "Come, come, no more tales are to be told to 
 day," said Benjamin, "as it is necessary we get off 
 this mountain before another storm mixes us up." 
 
 "Conditions have been on the strike since yes 
 terday,'^ remarked jolly Mr. Wells. 
 
 "How so?" I asked.
 
 192 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 "Well, my wife here has been wishing she were 
 in the cave looking up the lizards and toads of forty 
 centuries back." 
 
 "There is not a lizard or a toad in the cave," 
 snapped Gertrude, taking the part of her mother. 
 
 And then, following Gertrude's abrupt answer, 
 rained in upon poor Mr. Wells his wife's curt reply, 
 "I didn't say I wished I were in the cave." 
 
 "See, see," and Benjamin and I were called to 
 look upon a dozen or more brilliant stones. 
 
 "Oh, the dear little things," said Mrs. Wells, 
 picking up one the size of a grain of wheat. "How 
 you shine," she added, turning it over. 
 
 "It's a genuine diamond," said Gertrude, fond 
 ling it. 
 
 "Diamond nit, just a gravel stone," remark 
 ed Mr. Wells, interrupting. "Nothing but a chine 
 bug." He called for one of the little stones that 
 he might name it rightly. "Mighty like diamonds, 
 after all," he acknowledged, sitting back and shak 
 ing his head as if he did not fully understand the 
 nature of the little gem. 
 
 "From the cave," ejaculated Porta, completely 
 surprising Benjamin and me, as we did not think it 
 possible that we had found productive diamond fields, 
 buried deep in North American soil. 
 
 "We've surely missed the cream of all," said 
 Benjamin, snapping his fingers in my face. "We've
 
 MYSTIOA ALGOOAT. 193 
 
 been fools enough to think of most everything except 
 diamonds." 
 
 "Boys haven't any use for diamonds anyway," 
 interrupted Mr. Wells. 
 
 "Come, come, we are going down this mountain, 
 and that before the storm gets here," called Benja 
 min, hastening out and beginning to release the guy 
 ropes. One secret vow each was asked to take before 
 leaving this spot, and this vow in substance constitu 
 ted a promise not to expose the presence of the cave. 
 
 It took some little time to break camp, but soon 
 we were away, Benjamin carrying upon his back the 
 tent canvas and a small roll of blankets, and I carry 
 ing blankets and many other little camp articles. As 
 to how the others made up their burdens I had not 
 noticed. 
 
 We were away none too soon, for the misty-look 
 ing fog was rapidly condensing into a light rain. 
 This became heavier as we drew nearer to the valley 
 below, driving us to the shelter of a giant oak. The 
 forepart of this dreary forenoon the rain continued to 
 fall incessantly ; not drenchingly, but steadily enough 
 to keep us under the sheltering oak tree. Here in 
 turn, as we waited, we told of the mysterious cave 
 and what it contained. 
 
 "Rich in a day," was the slow exclamation of 
 Mr. Wells, as I told of the oil spring. 
 
 "Ah, millionaires in a day," added Gertrude,
 
 194 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 hopeful of great wealth to be found in the diamond 
 fields. 
 
 Secrecy became the one watchword of our little 
 company of six, duly organized for the further de 
 velopment of an underground property. 
 
 The rain, after all, had proved a God- send, for 
 it had destroyed all our tracks leading to the cave. 
 It was helping to keep our secret, or, as Porta chose 
 to call it, "a secret known to God by six, and one," 
 this one, I presume, being Brave Trailer, our prince 
 ly bloodhound. 
 
 We had planned to notify immediately the land 
 lord of the Del Strawberry Hotel on our returning to 
 San Jacinto by another route ; also by this same mes 
 senger we would send a check, fully compensating 
 the burro keeper for the five burros we had lost in 
 the storm. 
 
 It was not until late in the afternoon that the 
 storm began rising up along the mountain side and 
 the rain gently ceased. 
 
 "What point are you calculating to reach?" 
 asked Mr. Wells of Benjamin and me, while we 
 were busily packing things for the furthering of the 
 journey. 
 
 "We are going as straight south as the instinct 
 of man will lead." 
 
 "Pretty definite," replied Mr. Wells, turning to
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 195 
 
 "Thomas Ranch, Mr. Wells," I added, helping 
 Benjamin out with his brief reply. 
 
 A half -hour's steady travelling carried us to a 
 high bluff looking down upon a typical Spanish Ran- 
 cho. 
 
 "It's surely an old Spanish Rancho in reality," 
 said Mr. Wells. 
 
 "Yes, the country is always real to city gentle 
 men, and, yes, it's often rich, sometimes worth more 
 than brick blocks and city lots. Here, Mr. Wells, is 
 a good sample of country wealth," and I pointed out 
 several large herds of cattle. 
 
 "Nigh several thousand," he said, trying to 
 act the part of a Texan while in sight of long 
 horned cattle. 
 
 "Nigh Calif ornian," remarked his wife, turning 
 to find her husband busily counting the scattered 
 herds upon his fingers. 
 
 "Out of fingers," he said at last. 
 
 As we drew nearer the ranch house, we could 
 hear the landlady speaking in Spanish to her several 
 vaqueros, presumably dictating the care of the herds 
 of cattle. Upon an old fashioned gate, and just be 
 fore this low ranch house was lettered in plain Eng 
 lish characters, "Should you chance this way, make 
 this your home." The words created a desire to meet 
 the kind-spirited author. Often times later in life 
 I have paused when entering the old fashioned style of
 
 196 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 gate, just to see if those words had ever been written 
 upon it. And then when I find it missing, I often 
 wonder if I am welcomed by the proprietor of the 
 house. 
 
 Just within the gate, some half-dozen dogs 
 sprang up from here and there in the yard, giving 
 their landlady full notice of the arrival of strangers. 
 Brave Trailer would in an instant have given battle 
 even against great numbers, had not severe scolding 
 cowed him. 
 
 Even before we could knock upon the rude door, 
 it opened, and standing in it was a large robust lady, 
 apparently of pure Spanish blood. "Can this rancho 
 do something to aid a stranger on his way?" this 
 Spanish lady asked in her broken English. "Yes," and 
 I nodded politely, soon explaining the assistance she 
 might afford us by serving us with a lunch, for which 
 we should recompense her doubly. 
 
 "You are to pay me, do you mean?" The Span 
 ish lady paused for my reply. 
 
 u Yes ma'am,'' I said. 
 
 "No sir, not I, free Californian ; many strangers 
 have I helped on their way. Not to a free Californian 
 can you pay for kindness." 
 
 Although we did not in any way wish to throw 
 too much burden on this Spanish lady, we were very 
 tired, and did after lunch ask to remain for the night.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 197 
 
 How very kind she seemed as she quickly said, "In 
 deed, strangers, my house is open to you." 
 
 "How far do you go to-day?" asked this same 
 lady, when she had served us with breakfast the 
 next morning. 
 
 "To San Jacinto," I replied. "We shall walk 
 unless we meet the stages in from Kenworthy. " 
 
 "Ah, rny dear strangers, the stage will not be 
 going your way until Saturday. But then, you need 
 not wait for it ; you shall have my stage, for I have 
 horses numbering hundreds." 
 
 Loudly Mrs. Thomas called, "Jose, Jose!" and 
 another Spanish boy whose name we could not call to 
 mind, and when they came she told them to make 
 ready the spring stage. A spring wagon, I would call 
 it ; and of an early pattern, for its short bed set 
 high above the wheels. 
 
 "Rather quaint," remarked Porta, smiling 
 when the three-seated spring wagon was driven 
 to the front gate. 
 
 "Here, friends, is your conveyance, and may 
 good luck go with you," were the last words of the 
 Spanish lady, whose kindness shall ever remain in 
 our memory. The many thanks we showered back 
 upon her have left an echo still ringing throughout 
 the hills surrounding the Thomas Rancho. 
 
 Our story is nearing its end. We were now driv 
 ing down the broad streets of San Jacinto. The time
 
 198 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 came for sending the stage back to the Thomas Ran- 
 cho, and as we graciously thanked the two Spanish 
 boys, we slipped in the pocket of each five dollars 
 in gold coin, saying as we did so, "We must pay 
 someone. ' ' The coins had hardly left our fingers be 
 fore they were returned with these words, in lame 
 English : "No sir, Mrs. Thomas will punish us should 
 we receive money for a kindness." 
 
 Early this same afternoon Mr. Wells, Benjamin 
 Phillips and myself hastened to my residence to see 
 Mac, whom I had commissioned to care for all my 
 interests. We found him, and it was : "How did you 
 enjoy the trip? What think ye of the mountains?" 
 
 "Ah, you smile, Mac ; tell us what makes you so 
 happy," I said. 
 
 "I was afraid you had perished in the storm," 
 he roplied soberly. 
 
 "What storm?" put in Benjamin innocently. 
 
 "Why I read of it last evening." In another in 
 stant Mac had procured the San Jacinto "Daily Reg 
 ister," and sure enough as he had told us, the head 
 lines read: "Six tourists perish in the mountains." 
 
 At first it seemed that it would be only a matter 
 of a few hours before the mysterious cave would be 
 discovered. But the longer we thought, the better 
 assurance we had of its still remaining undiscovered 
 by others. We had duly notified the landlord of the 
 Del Strawberry Hotel of our safe return to San Ja 
 cinto by another route.
 
 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 199 
 
 "Mac," I said slowly, addresssing the honest old 
 man a moment later, "I'm going to San Francisco, 
 and that Saturday, so if there is any business of great 
 importance mention it now." 
 
 "For how long?" he asked. 
 
 "Four weeks," I replied. 
 
 Then Mac began enumerating over on his fingers 
 a dozen or more things he thought needed immediate 
 attention. I went over his list very carefully, but 
 found none of any great importance, and I told honest 
 Mac to use his own judgment. This pleased him, and I 
 was glad I could go, knowing of the high spirits in 
 which I had left him. 
 
 "Well," he said, calling me back, "the old Ha 
 waiian wedding trip is going to materialize after two 
 years picket firing." 
 
 "Perhaps, Mac, it is," said Benjamin, smiling 
 across at me. 
 
 "Use your own judgment, Mac ; I'll be back in 
 four weeks, and should business matters get too 
 strong for you, address me in care of Henry Wells, 
 1001 Pine Street, San Francisco." 
 
 "Pine Street, Strawberry Valley?" Mac asked, 
 looking up at me from over his eye glasses. 
 
 "No sir, San Francisco, California," Benjamin 
 replied with great emphasis. 
 
 The months' trip to the Hawaiian Islands, as 
 had long been planned, was cut short by the fear that
 
 200 MYSTICA ALGOOAT. 
 
 I 
 
 our cave might be discovered ; so after a short sea 
 trip along the Californian coast we were back at the 
 Hotel Del Strawberry. Benjamin registered in a bold 
 hand two names, using the Mr. and Mrs., and as to 
 whether or not I did I will leave you to discover for 
 yourself should you ever pay the grand hotel a visit. 
 
 With us we had brought from San Francisco sev 
 eral mining engineers, to aid in further developing 
 our underground property. 
 
 Our secrets were still hidden the day we left the 
 Del Strawberry Hotel to scale Tauquitz Peak, and go 
 down its eastern slope to the mouth of the mysterious 
 cave. 
 
 The diamonds Porta and Gertrude gathered from 
 the cave are being worn by scientists who know the 
 world, both soil and air ; still these same scientists 
 examining their diamonds, little think of their being 
 the product of mysterious Tauquitz Peak, in southern 
 California. 
 
 Still we are delving among a people long since 
 dead. 
 
 THE END.
 
 *