The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-04-10
THE HIDDEN CITY.

THE HIDDEN CITY.
Ii was gala day in small town
upon the United States border near the
Mexican frontier.
There had been the usual amount of
horse racing and betting, and the
greatest attraction was not reached
until nearly night.
A huge balloon, gay in the national
coIors. strained at the ropes which held
il as il swayed in the rising wind.
Small, the aeronaut, was talking
with a group of young men, each one
eager to risk his life for the sake of
leaving terra firma for a short time.
"Td like TO please you all, | would
'pon my honor but it is impossible TO
take more than three. Harding, you
are noted for your steady nerves.
Young, you will be second. And,
Bolton, you may meet with an ad-
venture which will throw all previous
ones in the shade. What do you say??'
''That we will gladly make the trip
with you," answered Harding, as
spokesman for the three
As soon as they took their seat in
the car, the last rope was cut, and the
great baioon like huge carrier dove,
shot straight up for a few hundred feet,
wavered, swung motionless for an
instant, then crossed the Mexican line
and sailed slowly away over that my
sterious land.
LIT isn't going TO be a clear night
otter all. A moonlight balloon ride
is weird and grand, but We shall have
il dark, l fear" said Small pointing to
cloud bank near the horizon.
Al hope you have a telescope" " cried
Bolton, eargerly.
Small placed a magnificent field
glass i'm his hand, saying;
Now you can see your fill of Mexico.
If am not mistaken we shall cross il
obliquely and strike the western coast
if we can land there. If not, we may
take a bath i'm the broad Pacific. But
we'll not borrow trouble, for there is no
certainty of either. The wind is liable
TO sudden changes in this climate, and
may send Us back into the United
States i'm less than three hours.
Il hope not-not until we meet with
the adventure which you promised ME,
answered Bolton, who was busily scan-
ming the changing landscape beneath
them. How the water shines | be-
lieve our earth is a star to other planets
or a moon. Who knows? See the peo-
pie run 10 cover like frightened partrid-
ges? suppose they never saw bal
loon before"
They'll get used TO Them" said
Harding. "Whoever lives a hundred
years from now will think no more TO
travelling in air ships than we do of
going on the cars"
"Do you believe that ." asked Young.
II do, and think that the North Pole
problem will be solved in that very
way
II care more just now about discover
ing the hidden Aztec city folks are
talking about" unused Bolton. "Why
shouldn't We? We have passed 10y the
settlements, and now see how fast we
are nearing that range of mountains
! shall watch for it,"
The others laughed, but Bolton
watched mountain and valley as the
night shadows fell.
Before dark the lower hills were pas
sed, and tier on tier the magnificent
mountain region of Mexico spread out
before them.
The neon was somewhat obscured,
but they could determine that they
were passing over lofty mountains,
deep ravines and dense, shadowy for
eSts.
1t seemed as if the night would never
end. and Bolton had his glass in hand
at the first steeak of day.
Presently he uttered cry of in
credulous surprise
Take the glass, some of you and
look Tell me if | am growing crazy.
There just beyond that tall dome-like,
rocky mountain. What do you see?''
Il should call if city, with walls
of Furnished silver - calculated Hard
ing.
"White stone, no doubt, but the
genuine hidden city ~ cried Small
eXcitedly.
But precious little good it'll do us"
groaned Young. "We'll not be in this
vicinity long at the rate we're going"
Il don't know about that, " an swered
Small, with critical glance at the sky. |
''Do you see that black cloud? / thought
we shouldn't escape storm. Do yOu
feel these puffs of hot air Sure sign of
a coming tempest. Don't you see that |
the wind has nearly ceased When il |
blows again il viii come with a tor |
nadO and carry Us back faster than we
care to go, perhaps"
"Ies, it has stopped-and we are
directly over the cityr' cried Bolton,
moment later. ''See the people run
ming like frightened sheep. Can't |
you lower Us, Small? ''Yoa remember
the ancient Aztec belief in superstition.
They will surely take Us for gods of air.
Let's make them a CALI
Small silently pulled the cord, and
the balloon descended slowly and
maiestically.
'Holdr - breathed Young. Eve
have happened along on one of their
sacrificial days. can see the temple |
plainly-the horrible aItar-the dia-
belieal priests-yes, and the victim
See, il is a maiden As white as we are
Here, take the glass and see for your
selves. Look at that old william, his
knife IN his hand See the bound mai
den, and the people kneeling TO our
airshia- Boys, the AZtecs believed i'm
killing a beautifal maiden as a sacrifice
every year, until Quetzal should come
from the clouds to claim her as his
bride, then the custom was To be abol-
ished but he never come. Small. can
YOU drop this balloon, and hold it long
enough for Harding 10 take the girl
IIa =. s3.a 1T -, 1