“So we owe the trip to Captain Carter?” commented Jack.
“Quite the contrary. Captain Carter expected to control the expedition. He didn’t much like the idea of having me put in charge.”
“Then how did we get accepted?” Jack asked, puzzled.
“Mr. Monahan doesn’t entirely trust Captain Carter, I suspect. At any rate, in financing the trip, he specified that I was to be in charge. I insisted upon having you fellows along. I’ve already cleared with your parents, so if you’re game to tackle a really tough proposition, the expedition is set.”
“Just lead me to the Inca treasure!” added Willie, his eyes sparkling.
“It’s quite a responsibility,” said Jack soberly. “I hope we’ll be equal to it.”
“You will be. I have full confidence in every member of our little team, and told Mr. Monahan so.”
“The parchment translation should be helpful in tracing Burton’s route,” Ken remarked thoughtfully. “You were going to show it to us, Mr. Livingston.”
The Scout leader nodded and laid several sheets of folded yellow paper upon the table. He picked one at random, and after studying the fine writing, read aloud:
“‘One afternoon we had drawn near unto the blue mountains, and were struck by their strangely jagged peaks—a wild sierra, whose walls gleamed with quartz crystals, betokening the presence of gold.
“‘That evening we stood entranced at the glory of the sunset falling on the jeweled rocks, touching them into splendor until cascades of fire seemed to spring from rock to rock. It was a country of strange and unearthly beauty, but over all there seemed to brood a spirit of mystery, an omen of fear.’”
As if to whet their curiosity, Mr. Livingston deliberately broke off.
Forgetting the manuscript for a moment, he next brought forth from his pocket a bit of multi-colored rope. The cord was tied at intervals with tiny knots.
“Now this,” he explained, “is an ancient Inca _quipu_ or book.”
“Those knots were used by the Incas to record figures, weren’t they?” Ken recalled from his reading.
“Yes, Ken, for our purpose it has no practical value. The parchment translation however, might lead us to Burton Monahan. Particularly if we can find the old missionary who gave it to him originally.”
“Read some more,” urged Jack. “That stuff about ‘a spirit of mystery’ sort of intrigues me.”