HAPTER XXVI. DOWN AMONG THE DEAD.

Ixtli spoke with a degree of earnestness which left no room for doubt,
even if the young man's own keen sense of hearing had not given warning
but an instant later.

Ominous sounds came from the entrance, which had served them but so
brief a time gone by, and Bruno knew that, even if they had escaped
being seen while thus attempting to win such a gruesome refuge, the
possibility of their having elected just such a line of flight had
occurred to some of the redskins.

Gillespie heard the heavy doors open, then clang to again. He was fairly
confident that some of the Aztecs had entered, although as yet the utter
darkness hindered further recognition.

"What next, Ixtli?" he whispered, lips almost touching the face of his
young guide, as they stood close together in the mirk. "They can't take
me alive! Is it fight, or--"

"No fight yet," gently breathed the Aztec in turn. "Dey look, dat not
make sure find. Dey try see; we try not see all time. Dey come, we
go,--like dis!"

Catching a hand within his own clasp, Ixtli led Bruno away in that utter
darkness, seemingly well acquainted with the lay of the ground, although
it quickly became evident that there must be more than one direct
passage. Bruno felt convinced that there were other chambers turning at
right angles to their present course, though it might have bothered the
young man to give entirely satisfactory reasons for such belief.

Ixtli did not flee fast nor far, in that first spurt, pausing shortly
to turn face towards the rear, a low, musical chuckle coming through his
lips.

"Dey come look, got no eyes for see in dark," he explained, barely loud
enough for Bruno to catch his meaning. "We play fool dem all; dat be
fun; heap fun all time over!"

Ixtli was scarcely as precise of speech while under the influence of
excitement as when he had ample time in which to pick and choose his
words; but there was little room for mistaking his meaning, which, after
all, is fairly sufficient.

But this time the young brave was in error, for only a few moments later
both fugitives caught sight of a dim light in hurried motion far towards
the entrance to these underground crypts. That warned them of added
peril, and Ixtli's chuckle died abruptly away.

"They'll fetch us now," grimly muttered Bruno, shaking his fairly
athletic shoulders and fingering the knife at his belt as though making
preparations for an inevitable struggle. "All