The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-21

Old Priests Chant falls to bring Key
to fortune from Chia's ear. Francis
decides on exploration OF pit One Of
party falls to death Henry goes for
help.
In a moment Leeoneia and Torres
were beside him, gazing down into
a valley from an eyrie on a Cliff
Nearly circular was the valley,
full league in diameter, and 1t APP
peared to be mountsfn-walled and
clih-waIled for its entire cireum-
ference.
at is the Valley OF Lost Souls"
Torres uttered solemnly. Il have
heard Of it, but never did I be-
lieve."
$50 have I heard Of it and never
believed" Leoneia gasped-
And what of it? demanded
Francis. "We're not lost souls, but
good fesh-and-blOOd persons"
"But Francis, listen" Leoncia
said. "The tales have heard OF 1t
ever since I was a little girl all
agree that no person who evsS got
into it ever got out again"
Granting that that Is So"
HThen how did the tales come out?
If nobody ever came out again to
tell about it. how does it happen
that everybody outside knows
about it?''
'sI don't know" Leoncis admitted.
ct only tell you what have heard
Besides, I never believed But this
answers all the descriptions Of the
tales"
Nobody ever got out Torres
affirmed with the same solemn ut
terances.
"Then how do you know that
anybody got in?" Francis Per
sisted
"AlI the lost souls live here"
was the reply. THAT Is why we've
never seen them, because they
never got out tell you, MI
Francis Morgan. that I am no
creature without reason. have
been educated. have studied in
Europe, and / have done business
in your I'm New York. I know
science and philosophy, and yet 40
1 know that this is the valley, once
in, from which no one emergeA
well. we're not in yet, are we?
retorted Francis with . slight
manifestation Of impatience- And
we don't have to go in do We?
He crawled forward to the verge
Of the distant object his eye had
just picked out II that isn't
grass-thatched roof
And at that moment the soil
broke away under his hands In
a flash the whole soft slope on
which they rested broke away, and
all three were sliding and rolling
down the steep slope on which they
rested broke away, and all
three in the midst Of a miniature
avalanche Of soil, gravel and grass
tufts.
The two men picked themselves
up first in the thicket Of bushes
which had arrested them; but. be-
fore they could get to Leoncia, she
too was up and laughing.
Just as, you were saying, we
didn't have to go into the valley"
she gurgled at Francis. NOW will
you believer"
But Francis was busy. Reach
ing out his hand he caught and
stopped a familiar object bounding
down the steep slope after them.
1t was Torres helmet purloined
from the chamber Of mummies. and
to Torres he, tossed il.
Throw it away" Leoncia said.
tits the only protection against
the sun 1 possess" was his reply.
as. turning 1t over in his hands,
his eyes lighted upon an inscrip-
tion on the Inside. He showed it
to his COMPANIONS. reading it
aloud:
"Da EsSco.1
81 have heard" LeoRcia breathed.
And you (heard right" Torres
nodded. "Da Vasco was my direct
ancestor. Ny mother was a Da
nasco. He came over the Spanish
Main with Coftez.
Left to Perish.
HE mutini$d," LeOniCa took UP
tue tale. Il remember it we'll from
my Iather and from my Uncle AL
Iaro' With q dozen comrades he
sought the Maya treasure. They
led sea-trib9 OF Caribs, a hundred
strong' including their women "a
SUMMARIES. Mendoza, under Cor
tezs instructions, pursued, and his
report IN the arehives, so Uncle AL
faro told me, sHys that they were
driven into the Valley OF the Lost
Souls. where { hey were left to perish
miserably"
And he evidently tried to get out
by the way we've just come in"
Torres contipued, "and the Mayas
caught him and made a mummy Of
him."
He jammed the ancient helmet
down on his head. saying:
Low as the sun is in the after
noon sky, i'll bites my crown like
acid"
And famine bites at me like
acid, Francis confessed. lis the
valley inhabtted?"
CTO BE CONTIEUED rOMoRROE