William Arden - The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow

“You Jupiter, no? I Natches. Friend. Yaquali friend. I escape.”

“We’ll decide if you’re a friend,” Chief Reynolds said ominously. “You attacked these boys?”

“Si. Mistake. I think they amigos of bad man Harris. I am wrong, tell other boys. They believe.”

“You’ve seen Bob and Pete?” Mr. Andrews cried. “Where are they? Tell us!”

Natches looked around in despair. “Evil one — Harris — take them. My brother Nanika, too. Already have little brother Vittorio prisoner. I escape.”

Chief Reynolds sighed. “You’d better start at the beginning and explain just what this is all about.”

“Just a minute, Chief,” Jupiter interrupted. “I bet they speak Spanish… Do you?” he asked, turning toward Natches.

The Indian nodded eagerly.

“Then tell us in Spanish,” Jupiter said. “Both Chief Reynolds and I can understand it.”

Natches started to tell his story again. But this time he could tell it much faster. They all listened closely, expressing considerable indignation over the treacherous Harris.

“You say he has four of your boys?” Jupiter asked. “Of course! I’ve been very dumb. He’s using Yaquali boys. It’s the answer to Magnus Verde’s riddle. And all the time we’ve been saying that his words were, ‘It’s in the eye of the sky where no one can find it’ ”

“Well, wasn’t that his message?” Chief Reynolds asked.

“No, sir, it wasn’t. His words were, ‘It’s in the eye of the sky where no man can find it.’ No man , you see. He meant that no man could find it, but a boy could!”

“A boy?” Chief Reynolds exclaimed.

“Exactly, sir. Indians are small, and in those days they were smaller. Magnus Verde’s band hid their Hoard where only a boy could get to it. Some cave with a very narrow opening.”

“You mean that Harris figured out the true meaning and went to the Yaquali village to get four boys who would be small enough to make the climb and get into the cave?”

“That’s right,” Jupiter said. “He knew they were expert climbers.”

“That means it’s up high somewhere,” the Chief analysed, shaking his head. “But I don’t know why that narrow opening would stop him. He could drill the entrance larger, or dynamite it.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jupiter said. “In the first place that might collapse the cave and bury the gold forever. In the second place Harris is trying to steal the Hoard. He couldn’t risk drilling or blasting right out in the open.”

Mr. Andrews interrupted. “Can’t we figure it out later? Right now the important thing is to rescue the boys. Do you know where Harris took them, Natches?”

Natches pointed along the road towards the higher mountains. “That way. On the road in truck.”

“That’s deep into the mountains,” Chief Reynolds said. “We could look for days. If we wait till morning we can get helicopters.”

“Morning could be too late!” Mr. Andrews cried.

“We can’t just blunder around, Mr. Andrews. That could endanger the boys’ lives more.”

Jupiter had been silent during the discussion. Suddenly he turned to Natches. “Mr. Natches, can you track them?”

“Track?” Natches said. “ Si , of course. I track easy.” Chief Reynolds cried, “Come on, then! I only hope we’re in time.”

Natches began to trot along the road in the moonlight. The others followed in silence.

Mr. Harris stood beside Bob and Pete in a desolate canyon deep in the moonlit mountains. Both boys had been securely tied with heavy ropes.

“Fools! I should have dealt with you at once. Well, won’t be long now.”

Sanders appeared quietly from the shadows.

“The Yaqualis are ready, boss.”

“Good,” Harris said. “That fat friend of these fools is undoubtedly raising a hue and cry right now. It isn’t wise to underestimate him. He’s a clever boy. We must work fast. Follow me, Sanders.”

Bob and Pete watched the two villains fade into the silver shadows of the box-like canyon. To their left, Nanika groaned weakly where he lay trussed hand and foot.

“What do we do now?” Pete asked.

“I hope Harris is right, and Jupe is looking for us.”

“Maybe he saw our signal.”

“We didn’t have much time to send it,” Bob said without too much hope. “And even if he saw it he’d go to the cabin. How will they ever find us in the dark?”

“I don’t know, but they’d better,” Pete said. “I’ve got a hunch we won’t be around by daylight!”

Before Bob could answer, Harris and Sanders reappeared. The fake vegetarian seemed pleased with himself. He nodded to Sanders, who bent down and untied Bob.

“Up with you,” Harris snapped at Bob. “Sanders, you’re sure you know what to do?”

“I know, boss.”

“Good. This should take no more than a few hours with the four boys working. Be alert, Sanders. We’ve almost got the Hoard.”

Harris pushed Bob before him, and together they vanished into the night up the canyon. Pete stared after them with an uneasy feeling. Why had Harris taken Bob with him?

Pete had a vague idea where they were. Although the deep box canyon had no name, it was at the base of the towering bulk of Indian Head Mountain, deep in the mountains at the edge of the Sandow Estate. The road and the truck were more than a mile away. How would anyone ever find them?

“Sanders?” Pete said. “Harris will leave you — ”

“You be quiet,” Sanders growled. “The boss knows what he’s doing.”

Pete lapsed into a defeated silence. The injured Nanika moved and struggled up to a sitting position. The broad, powerful Yaquali looked around wildly. Pete tried to smile reassuringly at Nanika, but he could say nothing. The Indian spoke no English. If Pete was to do anything, he would have to do it alone.

But what could he do? Sanders sat only a few feet away, holding a rifle and watching the two prisoners intently. Pete stared all around, looking desperately for some clue that would suggest a possible course of action.

Suddenly he blinked. He must be seeing things!

Shadowy. figures seemed to be rising up all around the small canyon. He shouted:

“Here I am! Help! We’re here!”

The figures all began to run towards him. Sanders jumped up, looked frantically at the men rushing towards him, and then dropped his rifle and ran into the darkness.

“Get that man!” Chief Reynolds cried.

Moments later Jupiter, Mr. Andrews and Worthington were crowding round Pete, trying to untie the ropes. Natches ran to Nanika and quickly untied his brother. Two of Chief Reynolds’s men came back with Sanders, who was still struggling to get away.

“Where’s Mr. Harris?” Jupiter asked Pete.

“He went up the canyon towards Indian Head Mountain,” Pete said, “and he’s got Bob with him!”

Mr. Andrews looked despairing. “He still has Bob?”

Chief Reynolds glared at the surly-looking Sanders. “Where is Harris, you? What’s he done with Bob and those Indian boys?”

“Why don’t you just find out, cop,” Sanders sneered.

“There’s another man, too,” Pete said. “A fellow named Carson.”

“Well, they won’t get away,” the Chief said. “They’re trapped. This is a box canyon! It’s all over.”

Sanders looked scornful. “Don’t think you got the boss beat yet, cop.”

“He can’t be far away,” said Pete. “He’s up the canyon, and it doesn’t go in too far, Chief.”

“He can’t get out any other way but through us,” Jupiter pointed out.

“Right,” Chief Reynolds agreed. “Okay, men, spread out and move up the canyon.”

The group spread out, their guns ready, and advanced alertly up the canyon towards Indian Head Mountain. The mountain towered pale and silvery in the moonlight.