"And nothing to sell to a museum," said Tuck. He shook his head.
"Look," said Sue in a hollow voice. She pointed just beyond the back wall. Something white showed in the brush. There wasn't any doubt as to what it was. Gary stepped over the crumbling wall and knelt beside the skeleton. The clothing was rotten with exposure, and there was nothing to indicate how long it had been there. One part was missing — the skull.
Sue was a little pale. "It's getting late," she said. "Maybe we'd better head back."
Tuck grinned. "Heck, it's not more than two o'clock, Susie. Gary and I were thinking of staying until after dark."
Gary looked up toward the canyon wall. Through the moving leaves of the scrub trees and the brush he could see a huge boulder with a whitish excresence atop it. Something drew him toward that boulder, and he walked about fifty yards before he stood in front of it looking up at the whitish object. It was a bleached skull. He climbed up beside it and picked it up. A cold feeling of fear shot through him. The back of the skull had evidently been shattered by something. A bullet from a heavy-caliber rifle…
The hollow eyeholes of the gruesome relic stared up at him as though in warning. Gary suddenly had an uneasy feeling that he was being watched. He looked quickly about. There was no sign of life. He wet his dry lips and slid down to the ground, still holding the skull. He walked through the shadowy grove of trees to the tumbled ruins. Sue's breath caught in her throat as she saw what Gary held in his hands.
Tuck was squatting by the headless skeleton. "Hey," he said over his shoulder. "I found a belt buckle. Initials J. B." He turned to look at them and his face blanched. "Where'd you get that?" he said hollowly.
"Up there on that boulder," said Gary.
It seemed unnaturally quiet just at that moment. An uneasy sort of a stillness had closed in on them.
Something rustled. The two boys darted glances at Sue. "I found a newspaper," she said in a very small voice. "A Tucson paper dated July 10, 1949."
"About twelve years ago," said Tuck. He looked at Gary and Gary knew well enough what he was thinking. Twelve years ago two men had been looking for The Lost Espectro. They had vanished and one of them had been found some weeks later with what appeared to be a bullet hole from a large-caliber rifle through the back of his skull. The other man had never been found. Gary looked down at the skull in his hands. Maybe he had been found at last.
"Come to think of it," said Tuck. "It is getting late."
Sue nodded vigorously.
Gary hefted the skull. No animal had hauled that skull from the body to place it high on that boulder facing toward the camp. It just wasn't natural. Maybe it had been placed as a warning. Whoever guarded the hidden secrets of the Espectros couldn't be everywhere at once to do his self-appointed duty. Maybe he left these little relics around to hold the fort while he was busy elsewhere.
A thick, dark cloud came between the sun and the mountains, and darkness seemed to fill the canyon like the settling veil of night. Without a word the three explorers turned to walk back toward the arrastres. Gary picked up his rifle. None of them spoke. The wind increased, moaning eerily through the canyon.
Lobo led the way, trotting easily, but even the big mastiff seemed a little nervous. It wasn't until they were threading the narrow, natural passageway that the dog stopped suddenly and looked back beyond the three of them. His hackles rose and he bared his strong, yellow teeth. A low, fierce growling came deep from his throat.
Tuck grabbed Sue by the arm and shoved her ahead. "Get out of the way," he said fiercely. He turned to stand beside Gary. Gary loaded his rifle. They could hear Sue's stumbling footsteps. Lobo growled again. "Go on, Tuck," said Gary quietly. "You'd better stick with Sue."
"What about you?"
"I've got the rifle and Lobo."
Tuck swallowed hard. "I'll stay," he said hoarsely.
"Go with Sue!" snapped Gary.
Tuck moved on. Lobo moved quietly back along the passageway, ears flat and head thrust forward. Gary wet his lips. It was almost like dusk in the canyon. He glanced up at the cloud. It was then that he saw a movement high above him. "Lobo!" he yelled. The dog darted back. Gary ran like a deer. A moment later a huge rock crashed in the narrow passageway, scattering shards far and wide. One of them struck Gary in the middle of the back. The sound of the crashing rock echoed through the canyon.
Gary tore through the clinging brush, heedless of the clutching thorns. He saw Tuck and Sue far ahead of him and an intense loneliness gripped him. He slipped and fell on the loose detritus, almost landing in a deep gully to one side. He scuttled back up the slope and plunged toward the open area to the east. He reached a flat area and turned to see Lobo standing on the detritus looking back into the inner canyon. He was growling again. "Come on, Lobo!" he cried. The big dog turned and trotted toward his master.
Gary looked up at the place the rock had fallen from. There was no sign of life up there; nothing to indicate that the rock had been pushed by human hands. An icy finger seemed to trace the length of his spine. If Gary had not seen the first movement of the falling rock he would certainly have been crushed by it.
He walked slowly down out of the wide mouth of the canyon. Far ahead of him were the figures of Tuck and Sue. It seemed as though every time he found a clue to the mystery of the Lost Espectro Mine, something interfered. Maybe it was true that there was a curse on the Lost Mine of the Espectros. The local Mexicans called it Oro Encantado, or Haunted Gold. Gary was beginning to believe they had just cause for their belief.
The first drops of rain struck them as they climbed into the jeep. In a few minutes the rain was sheeting down, and by the time Gary reached the main highway he had been forced to use low gear and four-wheel drive. The battered jeep groaned and lurched through the thickening adobe mud. Behind them the Espectros were sheathed in mist and rain, and thunder pealed and rolled through the hidden gorges.
Sue shivered. "I'm glad we got out of there when we did," she said.
Tuck peeled off his jacket and handed it to her. "Yeh," he said quietly. He looked at Gary. "What do you think Lobo was growling at?"
"Quien sabe?"
"I had a feeling all the time we were in there that we were being watched," said Tuck.
Gary nodded. He glanced toward the mountains. "There's something in there all right."
"Like what?" asked Sue.
"Gold," said Gary.
"And ghosts."
Something rattled in the bottom of the jeep. Sue gingerly picked up the bullet-shattered skull. "'Alas, poor Yorick'" she said. "'I knew him well.'"
"There she goes again," said Tuck. "I knew it!"
It was dark by the time they reached the Cole Ranch. Rain slanted down steadily and a cold wind drove across the soaked desert. The three of them took the relics into the little room next to Gary's bedroom. "I'll tell my father about what we found," said Gary. "He'll probably notify the sheriff about the skull."
"What do you think the sheriff will do?" asked Tuck.
Gary shrugged. "They never solved the death of the other man who was found with a hole through the back of his head. It isn't likely they'll find out any more about this one."
Tuck took his jacket from Sue. "Well, I've got to get back. You taking Sue home, Gary?"
"Yes."
Sue's braces glistened in the light as she smiled widely. Lots of girls in The Wells would have liked to ride in Gary Cole's jeep on a wet night even if the top did leak.
"It was my mother's idea," said Gary hastily.
"Yeh… that's what I figured," said Tuck.
Gary gave Sue a jacket and one of his mother's raincoats. As they walked out to the jeep they heard the roaring of the Honda, and Tuck Browne slithered along the road heading toward the highway, riding as though the Devil were treading on his coattails.