the days of my life-第77章

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ed　either　by　spite　or　the　hope　of　plunder；　and　some　of　its　occupants　were　killed。　Mexico；　even　in　those　days；　was　a　wonderful　city　of　almost　Parisian　appearance；　but　I　confess　that　what　interested　me　more　than　its　tramways　and　fine　modern　buildings　were　such　relics　of　old　Mexico　as　could　be　seen　in　the　museum　and　elsewhere；　and　the　mighty　volcano　of　Popocatepetl；　which　the　Aztecs　feared　and　worshipped；　towering　to　the　skies。　The　cathedral　also；　built　by　the　early　Spanish　conquerors；　is　a　remarkable　church；　though；　owing　to　the　rarity　of　the　air　at　that　height　above　sea…level；　I　should　not　remend　any　visitor　who　has　doubts　as　to　the　condition　of　his　heart　to　follow　our　example　and　climb　to　the　top　of　its　tower。
I　think　I　mentioned　that　the　original　cause　of　my　visit　to　Mexico　was　the　tale　of　a　certain　treasure　which　appealed　to　all　my　romantic　instincts。　This　was　the　story　so　far　as　I　can　recollect　it。
In　Mexico　Mr。　Jebb　knew　a　certain　Cuban　named　Don　Anselmo。　This　man；　who　was　a　geologist；　was　prying　about　on　the　farther　shore　of　Lake　Tezcuco；　when　a　Mexican　emerged　from　some　bushes　and　remarked　that　he　saw　that　Anselmo　knew　the　secret　which　he　thought　belonged　to　himself　alone。　Anselmo；　being　no　fool；　pumped　him；　and　out　came　the　story。　It　appears　than　an　aged　cacique　confided　to　the　Mexican　the　plans　and　inventory　of　that　portion　of　the　treasure　of　the　Aztecs　which　was　recaptured　from　the　Spaniards　in　the　disaster　of　the　Noche　triste。　This　inventory　set　out　a　list　of　eighteen　large　jars　of　gold；　either　in　the　form　of　ornaments　or　dust；　several　jars　full　of　precious　stones；　much　arms　and　armour；　also　of　gold；　and　lastly　a　great　golden　head　more　than　life…size；　being　a　portrait　of　the　Emperor　Montezuma。　The　plan　showed　where　and　how　all　this　wealth　had　been　disposed　of　in　a　pit　sixty　feet　deep；　at　the　bottom　of　which　was　a　great　rock　covered　with　Aztec　writing。　The　mouth　of　this　pit　was　on　the　land　where　Anselmo　was　pursuing　his　geological　researches；　and　marked　by　two　ancient　trees　planted　near　to　it　by　the　Aztecs　when　they　buried　the　treasure。
The　only　stipulation　made　by　the　old　cacique　when　he　revealed　the　secret；　which　came　straight　down　to　him　from　his　forefather　who　had　helped　Guatemoc　to　bury　the　treasure；　was　that　it　should　never　be　given　up　to　Government　or　to　any　Spaniard。
Needless　to　say；　the　Mexican　and　Don　Anselmo　entered　into　a　partnership。　Anselmo　tried　to　raise　funds　to　buy　the　property。　Failing　in　this；　he　got　the　leave　of　the　proprietor　to　prospect　for　sulphur；　and；　with　some　others；　began　to　dig　at　the　spot　indicated　on　the　plan。　All　went　well。　The　Mexican　kept　away　native　loungers　by　announcing　that　devils　dwelt　in　the　hole。　The　pit　was　cleared　out；　and　at　the　depth　of　sixty　feet　was　found　the　great　stone；　on　which　was　cut　an　owl；　the　crest　or　totem　mark　of　Guatemoc。　Unfortunately；　just　at　this　time　the　excavators　were　advised　that　the　property　had　been　sold　to　a　new　owner；　who　was　ing　to　inspect　it。　All　night　long　they　worked　furiously　at　the　stone；　which　at　last　they　destroyed　with　dynamite。　A　tunnel　was　revealed　beyond；　running　at　right　angles　into　the　side　of　the　hill；　till　some　steps　were　reached　that　mounted　upwards。　On　one　of　these　steps　lay　the　copper　head　of　a　spear。　At　the　top　of　them；　however；　was　a　very　solid　wall　of　some　hard　material　which　had　been　fused　by　heat。
The　excavators　retreated；　baffled　by　the　lack　of　time　and　this　imperable　wall。　They　filled　in　the　shaft；　hurling　down　it　the　boles　of　the　two　trees　that　Guatemoc　had　planted；　and　ran　before　the　new　owner　arrived；　announcing　that　they　had　found　no　sulphur。
Ultimately　Anselmo　approached　Mr。　Jebb；　who　was　known　to　have　influence　with　the　member；　or　ex…member；　of　the　Government　who　had　acquired　the　property。　From　him　Jebb　obtained　permission　to　dig　for　antiquities　on　his　estate。　I　remember　the　arrival　of　the　formal　letter　of　leave；　but　not　what　stipulations　were　made　as　to　the　disposal　of　any　articles　that　might　be　found。　Full　of　hope　that　it　would　fall　to　our　lot　to　discover　the　golden　head　of　Montezuma　and　the　jars　of　treasure　and　of　jewels；　with　the　help　of　Senor　Anselmo　we　were　making　our　preparations　once　more　to　clear　that　shaft　when　the　terrible　news　of　which　I　have　spoken　arrived。　After　its　receipt　I　had　no　heart　to　enter　upon　the　adventure。
A　year　or　so　later　Jebb　returned　to　Mexico　to　find；　I　think；　that　the　Mexican　concerned　was　dead　and　that　Anselmo　had　vanished；　none　knew　where。　It　was　suggested　that　he　had　been　murdered　by　Indians　who　knew　that　he　held　the　secret　of　their　ancient　wealth。　But　whether　this　was　so　or　not　I　cannot　say。
The　site　of　the　shaft　is；　I　suppose；　now　lost；　although　of　course　some　of　the　peons　that　assisted　in　the　clearing　of　the　pit　may　remember　its　whereabouts；　if　they　still　live。　I　understand；　however；　that　only　Anselmo　and　the　Mexican　actually　destroyed　the　covering　stone　engraved　with　an　owl　and　explored　the　passage　and　flight　of　steps　beyond。　The　peons　probably　thought　that　they　were　really　digging　for　sulphur　without　the　permission　of　the　proprietor　of　the　land。
The　story　as　it　stands　is；　I　admit；　like　most　such　stories；　rather　vague；　but　for　my　part　I　believe；　as　did　the　late　Mr。　Jebb；　that　Montezuma’s　treasure　or　a　large　part　of　it　remains　buried　in　this　place。　That　it　is　buried　somewhere　is　not　to　be　doubted；　for　the　Spaniards　never　recovered　what　was　lost　in　the　rout　of　the　Noche　triste。　Indeed；　my　impression　is；　although　I　cannot　verify　this　without　rereading　all　the　old　chroniclers；　that　they　put　many　Indians　to　the　torture；　including　Guatemoc　himself；　as　I　have　described　in　“Montezuma’s　Daughter；”　in　order　to　force　them　to　reveal　its　hiding…place。　However　this　may　be；　I　doubt　whether　the　golden　head　of　Montezuma　and　the　jewels　which　he　wore　will　ever　again　see　the　light　of　day。　The　Aztecs　buried　them　deeply；　having　time　at　their　disposal；　no　plough　or　surface　excavation　will　reveal　them；　and　the　place　of　their　sepulture　is　lost。　And　this　must　anyhow　be　pleasing　to　the　shade　of　the　heroic　Guatemoc。
By　a　little　stretch　of　the　imagination　one　might　almost　fancy　that　this　hoard　still　lies　under　the　protection　of　the　evil　Aztec　gods；　of　one　of　which　I　will　now　tell　the　story。
Shortly　before　I　went　to　Mexico；　in　the　course　of　some　drainage　works　which　were　then　being　begun　at　a　distance　from　the　city　—　I　think　the　place　was　called　Zumpango；　but　of　this　I　am　not　sure　—　a　peculiarly　hideous　idol　was　discovered。　It　was　grey　in　colour；　but；　if　I　remember　rightly；　more　or　less　blotched　with　pink；　and　its　head　was　sunk　almost　between　the　shoulders；　while　I　can　only　describe　the　face　as　devilish。　On　its　disinterment　it　is　a　fact　that　the　Indians　of　the　neighbourhood　identified　it　at　once；　by　the　tradition　which　had　descended　from　father　to　son　among　them；　as　a　slaughter…idol　of　the　Aztecs　which　had　been　buried　at　this　spot　to　save　it　from　destruction　by　the　Spaniards　in　the　time　of　Cortes；　and　there　remained　in　seclusion　until　the　year　1890。　Its　resurrection　is　said　to　have　occasioned　great　excitement　among　them。
One　of　the　old　chroniclers　—　I　think　it　is　Bernal　Diaz　—　describes　the　finding　of　the　Place　of　Sacrifice　over　which　this　idol　presided。　If　I　recollect　aright　he　says　that　they　saw　a　pole　from　the　top　of　which　the　idol　itself　had　been　removed；　and　that　the　said　pole　was　built　all　round　with　the　skulls　of　human　victims　whose　hearts　had　been　torn　out　as　an　offering　to　it。　In　short；　the　pedigree　of　the　thing　seems　to　be　well　authenticated。　As　Mrs。　Jebb　describes　in　the　Life　of　her　husband；　Jebb；　an　ardent　collector　of　curiosities；　was　very　anxious　to　obtain　this　blood…stained　relic；　which　he　offered　to　buy　at　no　mean　price。　The　finder；　however；　could　not　be　tempted　to　part　with　it；　and　there　the　matter　remained。　One　day；　however；　to　Jebb’s　great　astonishment；　the　idol　arrived　on　the　back　of　a　native；　unacpanied　by　any　note　or　word　of　explanation；　and　was　deposited　in　his　flat　in　the　city　of　Mexico；　where　he　found　it　on　his　return　home。　When　I　visited　him　very　shortly　afterwards　one　of　the　first　things　that　I　saw　in　the　house　was　this　ill…omened　effigy　of　Huitzilpotchli；　or　whatever　god　it　represented；　grinning　a　wele　across　the　patio。　Now　by　some　strange　chance　from　that　moment　forwar