Frank Merriwell Down South

Zacatecas," said the dying man. "Across the blue chasm you can see its towers and turre

Poor fellow! His brain was turned and he was brought to his d

corner of the wretched adobe hut turned a

deranged-I am not deceived by an hallucination. With my eyes I have seen the wonderful Silver Palace-ye

n his face, but Frank Merriwell, deeply inte

n this wonderful

l palace stands like a dazzling dream. The bottom of the chasm is hidden by mists which assume fantastic forms, and whirl and sway and dash forward and backward, like battling armies. Indians fear the place; Mexicans hold it in s

or was listening with strong in

the ground, his back against the wall, his jaw dropped and his eyes bulging.

iny Gr

n exploring the country around the city of Mendoza, Mexico. They had come to Mexico after having numerou

hat he called the Silver Palace. They had found him almost dead in a hut at the edge of a sandy plain, suffering gr

up, stretching out his hands, gazing across the sunlit

That dome is of pure gold! Within those walls are treasures untold! There are great vaults of gold and silver ornaments, bars and ingots! There

back into Frank's arms, and w

man's pulse, listened for the be

be too late, but we'll try to giv

im back to consciousness, for we have not

ed the professor, as he forced a few drops of brandy between

rha

r a boy of more sense! Think-think

may

ow it

en, brofessor?" insinuated Hans, recoveri

rds, for the man on the bed of grass drew a lon

e once more," he whispered

as this Silver Palace is an absurd impossibility. The illness through wh

reproachfully. "I have proof! Yo

is excitement will cut your life short by mi

ut-it has destroyed many people. This morning, before you came, a peon found me here. He told me-he said the spring was poison. The water robs men of strength

observed Frank Merriwell.

ch lad; "you peen for

d Frank. "You say

"you say you haf der

You are my countrymen-you have been kind to me. Alwin Bushnell may never r

Alwin Bu

who was with me when

is he

He went for a

er bal

hat we reached the Silver Palace. Withou

uttered the

ely murmured, the miserable man on the

us across the gulf, with a few pieces of treasure. We struck against the side of the bluff-we were falling back into the abyss! Barely were we able to scramble out of the car and cling to the rocks. Then we saw the balloon rise a little, like a

asing to fumble beneath the straw. Once more P

rt trembling with excitement. Something seemed to tell him that

reath, but, at last, he was easier. He opened his eyes, and

everything. You shall be Jack Burk's heir. Think of it-heir to wealth enough to

sor and Hans, and both

e witn

le of the treasure with us. I was determined to find

f paper into Frank's hand, and the boy

t on the weak voice of the man on the bed of straw. "We reached Zacatecas, and then Bushnell went for

proof that you were

here!

ueer little figure of solid gold-a figure like

is some of the treasure we brought fr

asped the little image, an

t is genuine!" he

the treasures of the Aztecs were hidden, and they have remained. The country all around is full of fierce n

ot?" inter

ldly galloping horses, for they could hear hoof-beats

t bullet brought down one of the po