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Wednesday, March 21, 1934 -- the Vernal Equinox

Our Heroes borrow the snowplowing tractor once again, and travel towards the site of the Moorish ruins. The party consists of:

• Major Delacy
• Bill Davis
• Captain Lotta
• Mick Fury
• Qua Lin
• Nora Cullin
• Ivan Ivanov

Snow lays deep on the ground, and more is falling heavily that morning. A pack of wolves confronts the group, but retreats upon seeing Lotta!

Deep in the Pyrenees, Our Heroes find the remnants of an ancient mine, worked by the Moors, the Romans, and no doubt by even older cultures. The party establishes a camp among the low ruins, and finds a shaft which allows a descent into the mine itself.

The first pair of Heroes to descend (Delacy and Davis) realize that the mine also has been worked in modern times -- perhaps not in the last thirty years, but clearly long after the Moors!

Delacy and David are attacked by Giant Catalonian Mine Spiders, quite nasty creatures! The rest of the party quickly slides down the ropes to assist in the fight. The spiders are soon vanquished, but not without dealing some damage to Our Heroes.

Continuing their exploration, the party finds the remains of the missing Longbow party -- several months dead. Among the remains are many gold and silver coins, ingots of electrum, a golden Moorish cup, some weapons (including a strange Ray Gun), and various pieces of Moorish and Roman jewelry. A "Martian" shortwave radio is also found.

More prowling the tunnels brings Our Heroes into contact with more spiders! Fortunately, un-surprising spiders are easily dealt with using Fury's bombs. An electrical generator, still running, is found! It is hooked up to some of the corroded circuits in the mine -- including some of the elevators. The generator seems to have been operating for several weeks.

Tired and wounded, the party returns to the surface (via a modern mine entrance, over the ridge from the ancient Moorish workings) and sets up camp near the ruins.

Thursday, March 22, 1934

During the night, the headlights of some trucks are seen moving among the mountains; and another truck passes near the mine about dawn.

The party breaks camp and moves their remaining supplies down the hill. Entering the mine, they find the body of a French military officer -- another Chasseur Alpini soldier -- who seems to have fallen down an elevator shaft at the end of a battle, a few weeks ago.

Further down in the mine, a series of side chambers contain a variety of treasures -- and the remains of four more Chasseurs Alpini, torn apart by some terrible force a few weeks ago! The treasures include a 50 pound gold cross, a number of pink crystals (10" long, 4" across -- Fury took at least 2), Saracen swords, cursed silver coins, a pair of Aztec scrolls, etc.

While most of the party is gathering booty, Ivanov is watching the passage outside the chambers of riches. He senses something approaching, and sounds the alarm. Rock men! Or at least, poorly-carved animated statues! They are approaching very, very slowly. Grenades don't stop them, bullets can't stop them! Fortunately, the mysterious Ray Gun pistol, in the hands of Bill Davis, stops them -- and the section of tunnel they are in -- quite thoroughly.

Past the first "booty chambers" is another, older chamber -- the tomb of a Medjai general, and his tomb guards, all mummified according to Egyptian practice*. Beside the stone sarcophagus is a small treasure chest; the guardian mummies are encased in iron booths.

Our Heroes dismantle the guardian mummies, crack open the sarcophagus and the treasure chest, and loot the room. A magical, jeweled Saracen sword, and a mysterious tome, are in the treasure chest, among other valuables -- the book is the 1000 year old Koran sought by Long Bow!

The party hauls the booty out of the mine, retrieves their camp equipage, and tramps over the snow to the tractor and sledge. They hope to return to town before sunset. 

* As understood by the scriptwriters.

onward To Belgium and Beyond!