"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 043 - The Mystery Of The Aztec Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

"Tatloc is greatly sought after but hard to find. He spends practically all his time at various ruins and has dug up some very interesting relics. It is strange, but he never bothers to deliver these himself either to government or private museums. He always sends them by messengers."

Frank said the boys were eager to locate Tatloc. "But evidently we'll have a hard time doing it," he said, smiling.

"I'm afraid so," said the professor, "because there are not only the well-known ruins but also many still to be unearthed."

"Thank you very much," said Joe. "I guess we'd better get started on our hunt."

Professor Rincon wished the boys luck. "If you find Seсor Tatloc, please give him my best regards and tell him I should like him to speak to some of my classes."

The three boys went back to their waiting taxi. Frank looked at his wrist-watch. "Too late to see any ruins today," he remarked with a sigh, "but tomorrow let's hire a car and go to the closest ruin, Teotihuacan."

"Isn't that the place where Mr Moore took a picture of his friend in costume?" Chet asked.

"Yes."

The Hardys and Chet spent the evening studying the various pictures they had brought and a list of all ruins which were accessible by car.

"If we don't have any luck, we'll try the less accessible ones later," Joe said.

Chet was particularly interested in the Teotihuacan ruins, originally the religious centre of the Toltecs and later invaded by the Aztecs.

"This Pyramid of the Sun sure looks high," he remarked. "You fellows aren't going to make me climb to the top of that to hunt for a clue to Seсor Tatloc, are you?"

The Hardys grinned, and Joe said, "I promise it'll take a few pounds off you. But then, I'm not sure you could get to the top without puffing to death."

"Listen, I have more extra wind in my lungs than anybody on the Bayport High football team," Chet declared.

"You're absolutely right," said Frank. "And that's why you're elected to climb to the top first and tell us if there's anything worth going up there to look at!"

Chet retaliated by picking up a pillow and heaving it at Frank's head.

"So you want to get into practice, eh?" Joe asked. "Okay, here goes!"

For a few minutes pillows flew back and forth until Frank advised the boys to stop before the pillows burst and spread their contents all over the room. Shortly afterwards, they went to bed.

Directly after breakfast on Monday morning the three friends went to a hire-car agency. They chose a convertible and headed for Teotihuacan.

As it neared noon, Chet smiled and smacked his lips. "Let's stop at the Grotto restaurant," he suggested.

Frank turned off the road and went to the famous restaurant in a mammoth cave. The Bayporters found it to be a unique eating place, and thought of the time when some ancient Indian tribe had lived there.

Chet was about to order a second tamale when Frank cautioned him, "Remember, we have a long climb ahead." Reluctantly, Chet changed his mind.

When the boys' car reached the area of the great four-sided pyramids with their hundreds of shallow steps, the three young visitors stared in wonder. The area was teeming with groups of diggers in various phases of uncovering further buried ruins.

"Wow!" Joe exclaimed. "We expected to find a ghost city - and instead it's crowded with archaeologists."

Chet looked up at the Pyramid of the Sun in awe. "Boy, this is a lot higher when you're nearby - it almost reaches the sun! And just to let you know I'm no sissy, I'm going part of the way to the top."