CHAPTERXVI。
CANITBETRUE?
Thatannouncementcamewithalltheforceofaboltfromtheblue,andeventheprofessordroppedhisglasseswithagaspofamazement,whileBrunowouldhaveleapedtohisfeet,onlyforthehastygrabwhichhisbrothermadeatthetailofhiscoat。
\"White——where?Surelyitcannotbethat——Edgecombe——\"
\"Augh,takeatumble,boy!\"ejaculatedWaldo,givingajerkthatrenderedcompliancenearlyliteral,thoughscarcelyfullofgrace。\"Wanttohavethewholegangmakeahowlingbreakthisway?Wantto——They’rewhiteallright,though!\"
\"Where?Whichdirection?Pointthemout,and——Ifailtoseeanythingwhichwouldbearoutyour——\"
Theprofessorwassweepingyonderfieldwithhisglass,searchingfortheprimalcauseofthatlatestexcitement,butwithoutsuccess。Nosignofawhiteface,maleorfemale,rewardedhisefforts,andheturnedaninquiringgazeupontheyoungster。
Waldowaspeeringfrombeneaththeshadeofhishand,butnowdrewbackwithalongbreath,toslowlyshakehishead。
\"They’vegonenow,butIdidseethem,andtheywerewhite,justaswhiteas——asanything!\"
Brunofrownedabitatthatunsatisfactoryconclusion,buttheprofessorwasofmoreequabletemper,forawonder。Hesmilinglyshookhishead,whilegazingkindly,thenspoke:
\"Imyselfmighthavemadethesameerror,Waldo,butyousurelywereinerror,foronce。\"
\"What!YoumeanIneversawthosewhitewomen,unclePhaeton?\"
\"No,no,Iamnotsoseriouslyfaultingyoureyesight,mydearboy,\"cametheswiftassurance。\"Buteventhebestofusareopentoerrors,andtherewereinoldentimesnotafewAztecswithfairskins;notexactlywhite,yetcomparativelyfairwhentheirracewasconsidered。And,nodoubt,Waldo,yousawjustsuchanotherabitago。\"
Buttheyoungsterwasnotsoeasilyshakeninhisownopinion。
\"Therewereacoupleof’em,notjustsuchanother,uncle。Andtheywerewhite,——purewhiteasevertheLordmadeawoman!
And——why,didn’tIseetheirhair,longandfloatingloose?Andwasn’tthatyellowas——asgold,orthesunshineitself?\"
\"Yellowhair?\"
\"Yes,indeedy!Yellowhair,whiteskins,——faces,anyway。
Blondes,thecoupleof’em;andtothatI’llmakemydavy!\"
Andsotheyoungstermaintainedwithevenmorethanusualsturdiness,whenquestionedmoreclosely,pointingouttheveryspotuponwhichthestrangebeingswerestanding,thetopofalarge,tallbuilding,clearlyoneoftheseriesoftemples。
Invainthefield-glasswasfixeduponthatparticularpoint。
Thepartlyroofedazoteawaswhollydevoidofhumanlife,andthoughwatchwasmaintainedinthatdirectionformanyminutesthereafter,byoneorotheroftheair-voyagers,naughtwasseentoconfirmtheassertionmadebytheyoungerGillespie。
Forthemomentthatfactorfancydominatedallotherinterests,for,grantingthatWaldohadnotbeenmisledbyanaturallyfairIndianface,therewasroomforatrulystartlinginference。
\"Coulditactuallybethey?\"mutteredBruno,facepaleandeyesglitteringwithintenseinterest。\"Couldtheyhaveescapedwithlifefromtheballoon,andbeenhereeversince?\"
\"Youmean——\"
\"ThewifeandchildofCooperEdgecombe,——yes!Whoelsecouldtheybe,unless——I’dgiveaprettypennyforonefairsquintatthem,rightnow!Iftherewasonlysomemethodof——Itwouldhardlydotoventuredownyonder,unclePhaeton?\"
Theprofessorgaveasterngestureofdenial,frowningasthoughheanticipatedanactualbreakforyondertown,inspiteoftheoddsagainstthem。
\"Thatwouldbemadness,Bruno!Worsethanmadness,byfar!Lookatyonderwarriors,allthoroughlyarmed,andeagertodrinkbloodasevertheywereincenturiesgoneby!Theyarehundreds,ifnotthousands,whilewearebutthree!Madness,myboy!\"
\"Four,withMr。Edgecombe,uncle。\"
\"Andthatmeansacompletehostsolongaswearebackedupbytheair-ship,\"declaredWaldo,inhisturn。\"Thosefellows!\"
withasniffoftrueboyishscornforaughtthatwasnotfullyuptodate。\"Whatcouldtheydo,ifweweretoopenfireonthemjustonce?\"
\"Proveourequals,manforman,armedastheyassuredlyare,\"
justasvigorouslyaffirmedtheprofessor,inclinedrathertomagnifythandiminishtheimportanceofthese,hissorecentlydiscoveredpeople。\"YouforgethowtheAztecansfoughtCortezandhismailedhosts。Yettheseareoneandidentical,sofarasvalourandtrainingandbloodcango。\"
\"Huh!Scaredofaruntyhorsesobadlythattheyprayedto’emastheydidtotheirowngods!\"sniffedWaldo,betrayingaloreforwhichhedidnotordinarilyreceivefaircredit。\"Why,unclePhaeton,letyoujustslamoneo’thosedynamiteshellsinsideachief——\"
\"Nay,Waldo,mustIrepeat,wearenothereforthepurposeofconquest,unlessbypurelyamicablemethods。Theremustbenofighting,fororagainst。Savagesthoughmostpeoplewouldbeinclinedtopronounceyonderrace,theyarehuman,withsoulsand——\"
\"ButIalwaysthoughttheywereheathens,unclePhaeton?\"
Theprofessorsubsidedatthat,givingoverasworsethanuselesstheattempttoenlightentheirrepressibleyoungster,atleastforthetimebeing。
Silenceruledforsomelittletime,duringwhicheachoneofthetriokeptkeenwatchoverthevalley,thefield-glasschanginghandsatintervalsinordertoputalluponanequalfooting。
Onethingwasclearenoughuntoall:theIndianshadbeengreatlywroughtupbythebriefappearanceofsomequeerlyshapedmonsteroftheair,andwhileagoodlynumberoftheirbestwarriorshadhastenedoutofthevalleyandupthedifficultpasses,inhopesoflearningmore,stillotherswereastir,weaponsinhand,evidentlydeterminedtodefendtheirlivesortheirpropertyfromanyassault,shouldsuchbemade,whetherbyknownorforeignadversaries。
Thisbusystirandbustle,combinedwiththenovelarchitectureandsomanyvaryingpointsofinterest,wouldhavebeenamentalandvisualfeastforthetrioofair-voyagers,onlyforthatonedoubt:werewhitecaptivesactuallyinyondertemple?And,ifwhite,weretheythelong-lostrelativesoftheaeronaut,CooperEdgecombe?
QuitenaturallytheinterestdisplayedbytheIndianscentredinthequarteroftheheavenswherethatair-demonhadbeensighted,henceourfriendssawverylittlecauseforapprehensionontheirownparts。
Thustheyweregivenabetteropportunityforthinkingofandthendiscussingthenewmarvel。
AgaindidWaldovowthathiseyeshadnotbefooledhim。Againhepositivelyassertedthathehadseentwowhitewomen,wearingblondehairinloosewavesfaradowntheirbacks。AndonceagainBruno,inhalf-awedtones,wonderedwhetherornotheywerethemotherandchildborneawayuponthewingsofamightystorm,fifteenlongyearsgoneby。
\"Itispossible,thoughscarcelycredible,\"admittedunclePhaeton,ingravetones,ashewrinkledhisbrowsafterhispeculiarfashionwhenillateaseinhismind。\"Edgecombelivedthroughjustsuchanotherexperience;though,tobesure,hewasamanofironconstitution,whiletheywerefarmoredelicate,asamatterofcourse。\"
\"Still,itmayhavehappenedso?\"persistedBruno,takingastronginterestinthematter。\"Youwouldnotcallittoofar-fetched,uncle?\"
\"No。Itmayhavehappened。Iwouldrathercallitmarvellous,yetstillpossible。Andifso——\"
\"Thereisbutasingleanswertothatsupposition,uncle;theymustberescuedfromcaptivity!\"forciblydeclaredBruno。
\"That’sright,\"confirmedWaldo。\"Ofcourseallwomenandgirls——Imeanotherpeople’skin——areatremendoussightofbotherandworry,andallthat;butwe’rewhite,andsoarethey。\"
\"Wemustrescuethem;there’snothingelsetodo,\"againemphasisedtheelderGillespie。
\"Thatisnodoubtthepropercaper,speakingfromyourboyishpointofview,mygenerous-heartednephews;but——justhow?\"drylyqueriedtheprofessor。\"Haveyouarrangedallthat,aswell,Bruno?\"
\"Yousurelywouldnotabandonthem,unclePhaeton?\"askedtheyoungman,somethingabashedbythatveiledreproof。\"Tosuchahorriblefate,too?\"
\"Afatewhichtheymusthaveenduredforfifteenyears,providedyourtheoryiscorrect,Bruno,\"withafleetingsmile。\"Don’tmistakeme,lads。Iamreadyandwillingtodoallthatamanofmypowersmay,providedIseejustandsufficientcausefortakingdecisiveaction。Thatisyetlacking。Wearenotcertainthattherearewhitewomenyonder。Or,ifwhitewomen,thattheyarecaptives。Or,ifcaptives,thattheywouldthankusforaidingthemtoescape。\"
\"Why,unclePhaeton!ThinkofMr。Edgecombe,andhow——\"
\"Iamthinkingofhim,andIwishtothinkyetalittlelonger,\"
quietlyspoketheprofessor。\"keepalookout,lads,andifyouseeaughtofWaldo’sfairwomen,praynotifyme。\"
Forthebetterpartofanhourcomparativesilencereigned,theboysfeastingeyesuponyonderspectacle,theiruncledeeplyinreverie;butthenherousedup,hisfinaldecisionarrivedat。
\"Iwilldoit!\"werehisfirstwords。\"Yes,Iwilldoit!\"
\"Dowhat,unclePhaeton?\"askedWaldo,withpoorlysuppressedeagerness,asheturnedtowardshisrelative。
\"GoafterCooperEdgecombe,——bringinghimhereinorderthathemay,soonerorlater,solvethisperplexingenigma。Come,boys,wemayaswellstartbacktowardstheaerostat。\"
Butbothyoungstersobjectedinadecidedmanner,Waldosaying:
\"No,no,unclePhaeton!Whyshouldwegoalong?You’llbecomingrightback,andwillbelesscrowdedintheshipifwedon’tgo。\"
\"Andwecanbetterwaitrighthere;don’tyousee,uncle?\"
\"TokeeptheLostCitysafelyfound,don’tyouknow?Whatifitshouldtakeasuddennotiontoloseitselfagain?\"addedWaldo,innocently。
CHAPTERXVII。
ANENIGMAFORTHEBROTHERS。
Inplaceoftheindulgentsmileforwhichhewasplaying,Waldoreceivedafrown,anddirectlythereaftertheprofessorspokeintoneswhichcouldbynopossibilitybemistaken。
\"Comewithme,bothofyou。Iamgoingbacktotheaerostat,andIdarenotleaveyouboysbehind。Come!\"
KindofheartandgenerallycomplaisantthoughunclePhaetonwas,neitherBrunonorWaldocaredtocrosshiswillwhenmadeknowninsuchtones,andwithoutfurtherremonstrancetheyfollowedhislead,slippingawayfromthesnuglittleobservatorywithoutdrawingattentiontothemselvesfromanyofyonderbusyhorde。
Notuntilthetriowasfairlywithinthegulchdidtheprofessorspeakagain,andthenbutabriefsentenceortwo。
\"Givemetimetoweighthematter,lads。PossiblyImayagree,butdon’ttrytohurrymycoolerjudgment,please。\"
Waldogavehisbrotheraneagernudgeatthis,gesturesandgrimacesbeingmadetosupplythelackofwords。Butwhen,thebettertoexpresshisconfidencethatallwascomingtheirway,theyoungsterattemptedacaperofdelight,hisfootslippedfromaleaf-hiddenstone,andhetookanawkwardtumbleatfulllength。
\"Nevertouchedme!\"hecried,scramblingtohisfeetereahandcouldcometohisaid。\"WhosaysIdon’tknowhowtostandonbothendsatthesametime?\"
Barringthislittlecaper,naughttookplaceontheirwaytotheair-ship;andoncethere,theprofessorheavedamightysigh,wipinghisheatedfaceasonemightwhohasjustwonaworthyrace。Buthebetrayednoespecialhasteinsettingtheflying-machineafloatandWaldofinallyventured:
\"Canwehelpyouoff,unclePhaeton?\"
Buthewasassuredthereexistednonecessityforsuchgreathaste。
\"Infact,itmightbedangeroustostartwhilesomanyoftheAztecsareuponthelookout,\"cametheunexpectedaddition。\"I
believeitwouldbevastlybetternottoleavehereuntilshortlybeforedawn,to-morrow。\"
Ittookbutafewwordsfurthertoconvincethebrothersthatthisideawaswisest,andwhiletheyoungfellowsfeltsorrytohavetheirviewcutsoshort,neitherventuredtoactuallyrebel。
Afterall,thedaywaswell-nighspent,and,besidespreparingtheireveningmeal,itwasessentialthattheirplansfortheimmediatefutureshouldbeshapedasthoroughlyaspossible。
ProfessorFeatherwithadresolvedtofetchCooperEdgecombetothesceneofinterest,inordertogivehimatleastafairchancetosolvetheenigmawhichwasperplexingthemall。Evenso,hefeltthatnosmalldegreeofphysicaldangerwouldattendthatpresence,particularlyifitshouldreallyprove,astheycouldbutsuspect,thatbothwifeanddaughteroftheinvoluntaryexilewereyonder,amongtheAztecans。
Muchofthistheprofessormadeknowntohisnephewsduringthatevening,thetriothoroughlydiscussingthematterinallitsbearings,butbeforetheair-shipwaspreparedforthenight’srest,unclePhaetonmadetheyoungstershappybyconsentingtotheirremainingbehindasguardianstotheLostCity,whilehewentinquestoftheballoonist。
\"Butbeareverinmindtheconditions,lads,\"washisearnestconclusion。\"Iplaceyouuponyourhonourtotakeallpossibleprecautionsagainstbeingdiscovered,orevenrunningtheleastunnecessaryriskduringmyabsence。\"
\"Don’tletthatbotheryou,unclePhaeton,\"Waldohastenedtogiveassurance。\"We’llbewiseaspigeons,andcautiousasanyoldsnakeyouevercaughtupatree;eh,Bruno,oldman?\"
\"Wepromiseallyouask,uncle,butdoesthatmeanwemuststayrighthere,withoutevenstealingaweentypeepattheLostCity?\"
ProfessorFeatherwitfeltsorelytemptedtosayyes,butthen,knowingboyishnature(althoughBrunohadjustpassedhismajority,whileWaldowas\"turnedseventeen\")sowell,hefearedtodrawthereinstootightlylesttheygivewayentirely。
\"No;Idonotexpectquitethatmuch,mylads;butIdocountonyourtakingnounnecessaryrisks,andincaseofdiscoverythatyourathertrusttoflight,andmyfindingyoulateron,thantoactuallyfighting。\"
Soitwasdecided,andatafairlyearlyhourthetriolaydowntosleep。Althoughsounusuallyexcitedbythemarvellousdiscoveriesofthedayjustspent,theiropen-airlifetendedtocalmtheirbrains,and,farsoonerthanmighthavebeenexpected,sleepcreptoverthem,oneandall,lastinguntilnearlydawn。
Perhapsitwasjustaswellthatthewakeningwasnotmoreearly,fortheprofessorwasbeginningtoregrethisweaknessofthepastevening,andhadtherebeenmoretimefordrawinglugubriouspicturesofprobablemishaps,hemightevenyethaveinsistedontakingtheyoungsterswithhim。
KnowingthatitwasrathermorethanprobablesomeoftheIndianswouldbestationeduponthehillstowatchforthequeerlyshapedair-demon,theprofessorfeltobligedtolosenofurthertime,andsotheseparationwaseffected,justastheeasternskywasbeginningtoshowstreaksandveinsofanewday。
\"Touchandgo!\"criedWaldo,withavastinhalationashewatchedtheaeromotorsailawaywiththeswiftnessofabirdonwing。
\"AndforaweentybitIreckoned’twasyouandmeaspartofthego,too!\"
Incompanytheladsenjoyedamoreleisurelymealthantheirrelativehaddaredwaitfor,knowingthat,attheveryleast,theywouldhavethewholeofthatdaytothemselves,sofarasunclePhaetonwasconcerned。Asamatterofcourse,hewouldnotattempttoreturnexceptundercoverofnight,orintheearlydawnofanotherday。
Allthathadbeenthoroughlydiscussedandprovidedfortheeveningbefore,andwasbarelytoucheduponbythebrothersnow。
TheirfirstandmostnaturalthoughtwasofyonderLostCity,withitsinhabitants,red,white,andyellow,asWaldoputit;
butbeingstillundertheforebodingfearsoftheprofessor,theyfinallyagreedtoremainwhereheleftthemuntilafterthesuncrosseditsmeridian。
Itwasaratherearlymealwhichthebrothersprepared,ifthewholetruthmustbetold;andthelastfragmentswereboltedratherthanchewed,feetkeepingtimewithjaws,astheyhastenedtowardstheobservatory。
Therewasprettymuchthesamesortofviewasonthedaybefore,themaindifferencebeingthatmanyoftheIndianswerelabouringinthefields,insteadofwatchingfortheair-demon。
Usingtheglassbyturns,theladskepteagerwatchforthewhitewomenwhomWaldostubbornlypersistedwerewithinthetown;buthourafterhourpassedwithoutthedesiredreward,andBrunobegantodoubtwhethertherewasanysuchvisiontobewon。
\"Thesunwasinyoureyes,andyouletmadfancyrunawaywithyourbetterjudgment,boy,\"hedecided,atlength。\"Ifnot,why——whatnow?\"
ForWaldogavealow,eagerexclamation,grippingthefield-glassasthoughhewouldcrushinthereinforcedleathercase。Afewmomentsthus,thenhelaughedinalmostfierceglee,thrustingtheglasstowardshisbrother,speakingexcitedly:
\"Acrazyfoollunatic,amI?Well,now,youjusttakeasquintattheoldhouseforyourselfandseeif——bitingyou,now,isit?\"
ForBrunoshowedevenmoreintenseinterestashecaughttherightline,theretakingnoteof——yes,theysurelywerewhitewomen!Faces,hair,allwenttoproclaimthatfact。Andmorethanthat,even。
\"Fair——lovelyasapainter’sdream!\"almostpainfullybreathedtheelderGillespie。\"Ineversawsuchalovely——\"
\"Injunsquaw,ofcourse。Coupleof’em。Nobodybutafoolwouldeverthinkdifferent。Theideaoffindingwhitewomen——\"
\"Theyareladies,Waldo!Ineversawsuch——andIfeelthattheymustbetheoneslostbypoorEdgecombewhenthatstorm——\"
\"That’sallrightenough,oldfellow,\"interruptedWaldo,claimingtheglassoncemore。\"Noneedofyourplayingtheporkeronlegs,though,asIsee。Giveanotherfellowachancetosquint。Butaren’ttheyregularjo-dandies,though,forafact?\"
Thetwowomeninquestion,cladinflowingrobesofwhite,lituphereandtherebyadashofcolour,wereslowlypacingtoandfrouponthetemplewherefirstdiscoveredbythekeen-eyedyoungster。Thankstotheexcellentglass,itwaspossibletoviewthemclearlyinspiteofthedistance,andtherecouldbenodisputeuponthatonepoint:bothmotheranddaughter(grantingthatsuchwastheirrelationship)weremorethanordinarilyfairandcomelyofbothfaceandperson。
Forthebetterpartofanhourthatslowpromenadelasted,anduntilthewomenfinallypassedbeyondtheirrangeofvision,thebrotherstookeagerandcopiousnotes。Then,inspiteofthefactthatscoresofotherfiguresstillcamewithintheirfieldofvision,curiositylagged。
\"It’slikewatchingastreetmedicineshow,afterhearingPattiorseeingIrving,\"mutteredBruno,drawingbackandstretchinghisweariedlimbsbeyondpossiblediscovery。
\"OrtheABCclassplayingtwo-old-cat,afteraleaguegameofextrainnings;rightyouare,myhearty!\"coincidedWaldo,feelingprettymuchthesameway,\"onlywithadifference。\"
Shortlyafterthis,Brunosuggestedaretreattotherendezvous,andforawonderhisbrotheragreedwithoutamendment。
Thebrotherspasseddowntothegulch,whichformedtheeasiestroutetotheirrefuge,sayingverylittle,andthatinloweredtones。Theconfirmationsorecentlywonservedtostirtheirheartsdeeply,andneitherboycouldasyetseeawayoutofthelabyrinththatdiscoverymostassuredlyopenedupbeforethem。
\"Ofcoursewecan’tleavethemtheretodragonsuchawretchedexistence,\"declaredBruno。\"Wecouldn’tdothat,eventhoughwelearnedtheyheldnorelationshiptoMr。Edgecombe。But——how?\"
\"Ireckonit’s——what?\"abruptlyspokeWaldo,grippinganarmandstoppingshortforafewseconds,butthenimpulsivelyspringingonwardagainaswildsoundsarosefromnogreatdistance。
Ascoreofsecondslatertheycaughtsightofahugegrizzlybearintheactoffallinguponaslenderstripling,whosebronzehueassurelyproclaimedoneoftheAztecchildrenfromyonderLostCity。
Whatwastobedone?Disobeytheiruncle,orleavethisladtoperish?
CHAPTERXVIII。
SOMETHINGLIKEAWHITEELEPHANT。
Onlyalad,slight-limbedandslenderlyframedtotheeye,yetforallthatgiftedwithagallantheart,elsehesurelymusthavebeencowedtoterrorbythehugebulkofsuchadireadversaryatclosequarters。
Insteadoftryingtofindsafetyinheadlongflight,theIndianstoodatbay,withbothhandsfirmlygrippingtheshaftofhiscopper-bladedspear,atfartooclosequartersforemployingbowandarrows,whilethecopperknifeinhissashwasheldinreserveforstillcloserwork。
Snarling,growling,displayingitsgreatteethwhileclumsilywavingenormouspawswhichboretalonsofmorethanafinger-length,thebearwasbalanceduponitshindquarters,evidentlyjustreadytolurchforwardwithstrikingpawsandgnashingteeth。
Itsenormousweightwouldprovemorethansufficienttoendthecontestereitfairlybegan,whileaslightstrokefromthosetalonedpawswouldbothslayandmutilate。
NoonewasbetterawareofallthisthantheIndianladhimself,yethetooktheinitiative,swiftlydartinghisspearforward,lendingtoitskeenpointallthepowerofbotharmsandbody。A
suicidalactitcertainlyappeared,yetonewhichcouldscarcelymakehispositionmoreperilous。
Anawfulroarburstfrombruinashefeltthatthrust,thebladesinkingdeepandbitingshrewdly;butthenheplungedforward,strikingsavagelyashedropped。
TheIndianstrovetoleapbackwardaninstantafterdeliveringhisstroke,butstillclungtothespear-shaft。Thishamperedhisactiontoacertaindegree,yetinallprobabilitythatstoutashenshaftpreservedhislife,whichthatwoundwouldotherwisehaveforfeited。
Thestrokebutbrushedashoulder,nordidaclawtakefaireffect,yetthestriplingwasfelledtoearthasthoughsmittenbyathunderbolt。
Allthisbeforethebrotherscouldsolvetheenigmathusofferedthemsounexpectedly;butthatfall,andtheawfulragedisplayedbythewoundedgrizzlyashebrieflyrearederecttogrindasunderthespearshaft,decidedthewhitelads,and,temporarilyforgettinghowdangerouslynighwereyonderAztecanhosts,bothBrunoandWaldoopenedfirewiththeirWinchesterrifles,sendingshotaftershotinswiftsuccessionintothebulkybrute,fairlybeatinghimbackwardundertheirstormoflead。
Victorycamerightspeedily,butitsfinalewasthrilling,ifnotfatal,thehugebeasttopplingforwardtodropheavilyupontheyoungsavage,justashewasrecoveringsufficientlyfromshockandsurprisetobeginastruggleforhisfooting。
Firinganothercoupleofshotswhilerifle-muzzlealmosttouchedanear,thebrothersquicklyturnedattentiontowardsthefallenIndian,morethanhalfbelievinghimacorpse,crushedoutofshapeupontheunderlyingrocksbythatenormouscarcass。
Fortunatelyforallconcerned,theyoungAztecwaslyinginanaturaldepressionbetweentwofirmrocks,andwhilehisextricationprovedtobeamatterofbothtimeanddifficulty,sayingnothingofmainstrength,successfinallyrewardedtheeffortsofouryoungSamaritans。
Thegrizzlywasstone-dead。TheIndianseemedbutatriflebetter,thoughthatcamethroughcompressionratherthananyactualwoundsfromtoothortalon。Andthebrothersthemselveswerefairlydismayed。
Notuntilthatrescuewasfinallyaccomplisheddideitherladgivethoughttowhatmightfollow;butnowtheydrewbackabit,interchanginglooksofpuzzleddoubtandworry。
\"Rightinit,uptoournecks,oldman!Andwecan’tverywellkillthecritter,canwe?\"
\"Ofcoursenot;butitmaycauseussoretroubleif——\"
JustthentheyoungAztecralliedsufficientlytomove,drawingastepnearerthebrothers,righthandcomingoutingreeting,whileleftpalmwaspressedcloseabovehisheart。And——stillgreatermarvel!
\"Muchobliged——me,you,brother!\"
Ifyonderbleedinggrizzlyhadrisenerectandmadejustsuchasalutationasthis,itcouldscarcelyhavecausedgreatersurprisetoeitherBrunoorWaldo,lookinguponthisbeing,astheyquitenaturallydid,inthelightofagenuine\"heathen,\"
henceincapableofspeakinganyknowntongue,muchlessthegloriousAmericanese。
True,therewasacertainoddaccent,acuriousdwellinguponeachsyllable,butthewordsthemselvesweredistinctlypronouncedandbeyondmisapprehension。
\"Why,ItookyouforahowlingInjun!\"fairlyexplodedWaldo,thensteppingforwardtoclasptheprofferedmember,givingitaregular\"pump-handleshake\"bywayofemphasis。\"Andhereyouare,slingingthepureUnitedStatesaroundjustasthoughitdidn’tcostacent,andyouheldamortgageonthewholedictionary!Why,Ican’t——well,well,now!\"
Foronceinawaytheglib-tonguedladwasatalossjustwhattosayandhowtosayit。For,afterall,thissurelywasaredskin,andtheprofessorhadexplicitlywarnedthemagainst——oh,dear!
Wasitalladizzydream?FortheAztecdrewback,speakingrapidlyinanunknowntongue,thensinkingtoearthlikeoneoverpoweredbysuddenphysicalweakness。
BrunoGillespie,too,wasrecallinghisuncle’searnestcautions,andnowtookpromptaction。HequicklysecuredtheweaponswhichhadbeenscatteredastheIndianfellbeforethegrizzly’spaw,thenthebrothersdrewalittleaparttoconsulttogether。
\"What’llwedoaboutit?\"whisperinglydemandedWaldo,keepingawaryeyeuponyonderredskin。\"Youtell,forblamedifIknowhow!\"
\"Wedaren’tlethimgofree,elsehemightfetchthewholetribeuponourtrack,\"saidBruno,inthesamelowtones,nowhitlesssorelyperplexedastotheirwisestcourse。
\"No,andyetwecan’tverywellkillhim,either!Ifwehadn’tcomealongjustaswedid,orif——buthe’saman,afterall!WhocouldstandbyandseethatuglybrutemakeamealoffevenanInjun?\"
Brunocastanuneasylookaround,atthesametimedeftlyrefillingthepartlyexhaustedmagazineofhisWinchester。
\"Loadup,Waldo。Burningpowderreachesmightyfar,evenhereinthehills;andwhoknows,——thewholetribemaycomehelter-skelterthisway,toseewhathasbrokenloose!Andwecan’tfight’emall!\"
\"Notunlesswejusthaveto,\"agreedtheyoungerGillespie,placingafewshellswheretheywouldbehandiestincaseofanotheremergency。\"Butwhat’stheuseofrunning,ifwe’retoleavethisfellowbehindtoblazeourtrail?Ifheisourenemy——\"
\"Noen’my;Ixtlifriend,——heart-brother,\"eagerlyvowedtheyoungAztec,onceagainstartlingtheladsbyhisstrangecommandofaforeigntongue。
Herosetohisfeet,thoughplainlysufferinginsomeslightdegreefromthatbriefcollisionwiththehugebeast,andsmilingfranklyintofirstoneface,thentheother,tookBruno’shand,toucheditwithhislips,thenbowedhisheadandplacedthewhiterpalmuponhisnowuncoveredcrown。
InlikemannerhesalutedWaldo,afterwhichhedrewbackabit,stillsmilinggenially,toadd,inslowlyspokenwords:
\"YousaveIxtli。Bearkill——no;youkill——yes!Ixtliglad。SunChildrengreat——bigheartfulloflove。So——Ixtlineverdohurt,neverdowrong;dieforwhitebrother——so!\"
Morethroughgesticulationthanbyspeech,theyoungIndianbravemadehissentimentsclearlyunderstood,andiftheycouldhaveplacedfulldependenceinthatpledge,thebrotherswouldhavefeltvastlyrelievedinmind。
Buttheyonlytooclearlyrecallednumerousinstancesofcunningill-faith,and,indespiteofall,theycouldnotwellavoidthinkingthatthiswasreallysomethinglikeawhiteelephantthrownupontheirhands。
\"Allright。Playweswallowitall,butkeepyourbesteyepeeled,oldman,\"guardedlywhisperedWaldo。\"Fetchhimalong,yesorno,foritmaybegrowingworsethandangerousrighthere,aftersomuchshooting。\"
\"Youmeanforusto——\"
\"Takethefellowalong,andkeephimwithus,untilunclePhaetoncomesbacktofinallydecideuponhiscase,\"promptlyexplainedWaldo。\"Ofcourseweoughtto’velethimdie;ought,butdidn’t!
Wecouldn’tthen,wouldn’tnow,ifitwasalltodoover。Sowatchhimsocloselythathecan’tplaytricksevenifhewishes。\"
Therewasnothingbettertopropose,andthoughthejobpromisedtobeanawkwardonetomanage,Ixtlihimselfrendereditmoreeasy。
Pastalldoubthecouldunderstand,aswellasspeak,theEnglishlanguage,forhetookastepinevidentsubmission,speakinggently:
\"Ixtliready;heart-brothersaywherego,now。\"
Againthebrothersfeltstartledbythatquaintlycorrectaccent,andalmostinvoluntarilyBrunospokeinturn:
\"YoucantalkEnglish?Whendidyoulearn?Andfromwhom?\"
AstillbrightersmileirradiatedtheAztec’sface,andturninghiseyestowardsthesecludedvalley,hebowedhisheadasthoughindeepreverence,thensoftly,lovingly,almostadoringly,responded:
\"SHEtellmehow。Victo,——Glady,too。Ixtliknowlittle,notmuch;hisheartfeelbigforSunChildren,alltime。SoYOU,too,forkillbear,——likedat!\"
Brunoturnedabitpalerthanusual,catchinghisbreathsharply,asherepeatedthosenames:
\"Victo,——Glady,——Wasn’titbythosenames,Victoria,Gladys,thatMr。Edgecombecalledhislostones,Waldo?\"
\"Ican’tremember;butgetamoveon,oldman。Thesoonerwe’rebackwhereunclePhaetonleftus,wherewecanseeabitmoreofwhatmaybecoming,thesafermypreciousscalpwillfeel。ThisInjun——\"
\"Noscalp,\"quicklyinterposedtheAztec,withadeprecatorygesturetomatchhiswords。\"YousaveIxtli。Ixtlisaynohurtwhitebrothers。Datso,——datsurefortruth!\"
Onlypartiallysatisfiedbythisearnestdisclaimerofevilintentions,WaldogrippedanarmandhurriedtheAztecalong,leavingthebearwhereithadfallen,intentsolelyuponreachingacomparativelysafeoutlookereworsecouldfollowupontheheelsoftheirlatestadventure。
AndBrunobroughtuptherearasguard,eyesandrifleready。
CHAPTERXIX。
THECHILDRENOFTHESUNGOD。
Nodifficultywhateverwasexperiencedinreachingthatretreat,andmilderprisonerneverknewaguardthanIxtliprovedhimselftobe,silentlyyieldingtoeachimpulselenthisarmbyWaldo,smilingwhen,assometimeshappened,hewasbroughtmorenearlyfacetofacewiththatarmedrear-guard。
NorweretheGillespiebrothersworriedbysound,sign,ortokenofmoreserioustroublefromothersofthatstrangelysurvivingrace。Anditwasnotlongafterreachingtherendezvousfromwhichtheprofessorhadsailedintheearlydawn,thattheyoungstersagreedtheechoesoftheirWinchesterscouldnothavereachedtheearsoftheLostCityinhabitants。
\"That’splentygoodluckforonesoup-bunch,\"quothWaldo,yetaddingadubiousshakeoftheheadashegazedupontheirbronzedcompanion。\"Andifitwasn’tforthisgentlemaninmasqueradecostume——\"
\"Ixtlifriend。Ixtlifeellikeheart-brother,\"cameinlow,mellowaccentsfromthosesmilinglips。
Therecertainlywasnaughtofguileorofevilcrafttobereadineithereyesorvisage,justthen;butthebrotherscouldnotfeelentirelyatease,evenyet。Howmanytimeshadwarriorsofhiscolourplayedacunningpart,onlytoendallbyblowoftomahawk,thrustofknife,orboltfromthebendedbow?
AtabarelyperceptiblesignfromBruno,hisbrotherdrewapart,leavingtheir\"whiteelephant\"byhimself,yetnonethelessunderavigilantguard。
\"Heseemsallright,inhisway,\"mutteredtheelderGillespie,\"buthowfaroughtwetotrusthim,afterwhatwepromisedunclePhaeton?\"
\"Notquiteasfaraswecanseehim,anyway。Still,afellowcan’tfindthestomachtobowlhimoverlikeahare,——withoutaweentybitofexcuse,atleast。\"
\"That’sit!Ifhe’dtrytobolt,orwouldevenjumpononeofus,itwouldcomefarmoreeasy。Lookathimsmile,now!AndI
hatetothinkofclappingsuchabright-seemingladinbonds!\"
\"Timeenoughforallthatwhenheshowsuscause,\"quicklydecidedWaldo,withavigorousnodofhiscurlypow。\"Pityifacoupleofuscan’tkeephimoutofmischiefwithoutgoingthatfar。AndwewanttopumpthekiddrybeforeunclePhaetongetsback;understand?\"
Brunogaveaslightstartatthesewords,buthiseye-glowandface-flushborewitnessthattheideathussuggestedhadnotbeenunthoughtofinhisowncase。
\"Thenyoureallythink——\"
\"Thatthere’smorewaysthanoneofskinningacat,\"oracularlyobservedWaldo。\"Withoutshowingittoomightyplainly,oneortheotherofuscanalwaysbereadyandpreparedtodumptheladdy-buck,incasehetriestocomeanyofhisdidoes。And,atthesametime,wecanbehugginguptohimjustassweetlyasthoughweknewhewasonthedeadlevel。Understand?\"
Possiblytheprogrammemighthavebeenalittlemoreelegantlyexpressed,butWaldo,asarule,caredmoreforsubstancethanform,andhisspeechpossessedonemerit,thatofperspicuity。
Havingreachedthisfairunderstanding,thebrothersdroppedtheiraside,andmovednearertheyoungAztec。
Ixtligazedkeenlyintofirstoneface,thentheother,plainlyenoughendeavouringtoreadthetruthasmightbeexpressedtherein,asrelatedtohimself。Whathesawmusthaveprovedfairlysatisfactory,sincehegaveanotherbrightsmile,thenspokeinreallymusicaltones:
\"Good,——brother,now!Thatmoregood,too!\"
Inspiteofthesuspicions,whichseeminbornwherepeopleoftheredraceareconcerned,bothBrunoandWaldofeltmoreandmoredrawntowardsthisremarkablespecimenofastillmoreremarkabletribe;andnotmanymoreminuteshadspedbyeretheyoungercouplewerechattingtogetherinamicablefashion,althoughfindingsomelittledifficultyinIxtli’sratherlimitedvocabulary。
Notalittletohiselderbrother’simpatience,Waldoapparentlytookadeeperinterestintherecentadventurethaninthesubjectwhichclaimedhisownbusiestthoughts,buthehardlycaredtocrowdtheyoungster,lesthemakemattersevenworse。
Aidedbythesortoffreemasonrywhichnaturallyexistsbetweenladsofanadventurousnature,WaldoreadilysucceededinpickingupconsiderableinformationfromtheAztec,evenbeforebroachingthatall-importantmatter。
IxtliwastheonlysonofafamedwarriorandchieftainoftheAztecanclans,bynameAztotl,ortheRedHeron。He,incommonwithsomanyofhispeople,hadwitnessedtheapproachandabruptdepartureofthestrangebirdintheair,andhadhastenedforthinquestofthemonster。
Hefailedtoseeaughtmoreofthestrangecreature,but,dislikingtoreturnhomewithoutsomethingtoshowforthetrip,remainedoutovernight,thenchancedtofairlystumbleintothewayofamightygrizzly。
Therewereafewmomentsduringwhichhemightpossiblyhaveescapedthroughheadlongflight,buthewastooproudforthat,andbutforthetimelyarrivalandpromptactiononthepartofhiswhitebrotherswouldalmostcertainlyhavepaidthepenaltywithhislife。
Thenfollowedmorethanksandbrokenexpressionsofgratitude,allofwhichWaldomagnanimouslywavedasideaswhollyunnecessary。
\"Don’tworkupasweatforalittlethinglikethat,oldman。OfcoursewesawyouwereanInjunand——ahem!Imean,howintimedidyouhappentocatchholdofourlingosomightypat,laddy-buck?\"
\"Mybrothermeanstoaskwhotaughtyoutospeakaswedo,Ixtli?\"amendedBruno,catchingatthewished-foropportunitynowitoffered。
\"Andwhowasthatnicelittlegalwiththeyellowhair?Isshe——whatdidyoucallher?Gladys——AndtherestofitEdgecombe?\"
Waldowaseagerenoughnowthattheicewasfairlybroken,buthisveryvolubilityservedtocomplicatemattersratherthantohastenthedesiredinformation。
IxtliapparentlythoughtinEnglishprettymuchashespokeit,——slowly,andwithcare。Whenhurried,hisbrainandtonguenaturallyfellbackuponhisnativelanguage。
Soundsissuedthroughhislips,but,despitealltheiranimation,theseprovedtobebutemptysoundstotheeagerbrothers。And,diviningthetruth,Brunocheckedhisbrother,himselfactingasquestioner,prettysoonstrikingtherightchord,afterwhichIxtlifaredverywell。
Still,thankstohisdifficultyinfindingtherightwordswithwhichtoexpresshisfullmeaning,ittookbothtimeandpatienceforevenBrunotolearnallhedesired;andevenifsuchacoursewouldbedesirable,lackofspaceforbidsgivingaliteralrecordofquestionsandanswers,sincethegeneralresultofthatcross-examinationmaybeputsomuchmorecompactlybeforethegenerousreader。
ThefirstpointmadeclearwasthattheyoungAztecowedhisimperfectknowledgeoftheEnglishlanguagetocertainChildrenoftheSun,whomhenamedasifchristenedVictoandGlady。Withthisasstarting-point,therestformedamerequestionoftimeandperseverance。
Growinginanimationasheproceeded,Ixtlitoldofthecomingtotheircityofthosegloriouschildren;ridinguponthewingsofanawfulstorm,yetissuingunharmed,unawed,brightofface,asthemightyorbthesonsofAnahuacworshipped。
Hetoldhowanenviousfewheldtothecontrary:thatthesefair-skinshadcomeasevilemissariesfromthestillmoreevilMictlanteuctli,mightyLordofDeath-land,whohadladenthemwithpestilenceandbrain-sorrowandeye-darkness,withorderstodevastatethis,thelastfaircityoftheancientrace。
Withlow,sternlysuppressedtones,theyoungwarriorwentontotellofwhatfollowed:ofthewickedattemptmadebythosemalcontentstopunishthebearersofdeathandmisery;then,hisvoicerisingandgrowingmoreclear,hetoldhow,fromaclearing-sky,therecameasingleshaftflungbythemightyhandofthegreatgod,Quetzalcoatl,beforewhichtheimpiousdogwentdownineverlastingdeath。
\"Struckbylightning,eh?\"interpretedWaldo,whoseemedbornwithouttheinfluenceofpoetry。\"Servedhimmightyright,too!\"
Bowingsubmissively,althoughitcouldbeseenhescarcelycomprehendedjustwhatthosebluntwordsweremeanttoconvey,Ixtlispokeon,seeminglywithperfectwillingness,solongastheadored\"SunChildren\"formedthesubject-matter。
Fromhislabouredstatement,Brunogatheredthatthesuddendeathofonewhohaddaredtoliftanarmedhandagainstthewomansomysteriouslyplacedthereintheirverymidstawedalloppositiontothegeneralbeliefinthedivineoriginofmotherandchild;
anderelongVictowasinstalledasasortofhighpriestessofthetemplemoreespeciallydevotedtotheSunGod。
Thatwaslongago,andwhenIxtliwasbutachild。Ashegrewolder,andhisfather,RedHeron,wasappointedaschiefofguardstotheSunChildren,Victotookmorenoticeofthelad,andendedinteachinghimboththeEnglishtongueanditsChristiancreed,sofaraslayinhispowertocomprehend。
ThencamelesspleasinginformationconcerningtheChildrenoftheSun,whichwentfartoprovethatthedeathofoneevil-mindeddoghadnotentirelypurgedtheLostCity,anditwaswithharshertonesandfrowningbrowsthatIxtlispokeoftheheadpriest,orpaba,Tlacopatheevil-minded,whohadbuiltupapowerfulanddangeroussentimentagainstbothVictoandGlady,evengoingsofarastodeclarebeforetheholystoneofsacrificethattheMotherofGodsdemandedthesefalselytitledChildrenoftheSun。
\"Thefair-facedGodmustcomesoon,ortoolate!\"sighedtheAztec,bowinghisheadinjoinedpalmsthebettertoconcealhisevidentgrief。\"Hehaspromisedtocome,buthurry!Theydie——theydie!\"
Thiswashardlyanacceptablestopping-point,butquestioningwasoflittleavailjustthen。Satisfiedofsomuch,thebrothersdrewapartashortdistance,yetkeepingwheretheycouldguardtheirmoreorlessdangerouscharge,conversinginlowtonesovertheinformationsofargleanedfromtheAztec’stalk。
\"Well,we’llholdatightgriponhim,anyway,untilunclePhaetongetsback,\"finallydecidedWaldo,speakingforhisbrotheraswell。
CHAPTERXX。
THEPROFESSORANDTHEAZTEC。
Fortunatelyforallconcerned,thereprovedtobenoseriousdifficultyattachedtothatsameholding。Sofarasoutwardsemblancewent,Ixtliwasverywellcontentwithbothpresentquartersandpresentcompanionship。
Helikewiseenjoyedthesupperthat,aidedbyasmallfirekindledinadepressionsolowthatthelightcouldbynomeansattractanyunfriendlyeye,Brunopreparedforthemall。Andjustpriortotakinghisfirsttaste,theyoungwarriorbowedhisheadtomurmurafewsentenceswhich,pastalldoubt,hadfirstcometohismindthroughthewonderfulVicto:asimplelittleblessing,whichcertainlydidnotaddtothedislikeoruneasinesswithwhichthebrothersregardedtheirguest。
\"He’swhite,evenifheisred!\"confidentiallydeclaredWaldo,athisfirstopportunity。\"Moredangerofourspoilinghimthanhisdoingusdirt;andthat’sanhonestfactforaquarter,oldman!\"
Brunofeltprettymuchthesame,yethisaddedyearsgavehimgreaterdiscretion,and,inspiteofthatgrowingliking,hekeptafairlykeenwatchandwardovertheAztec。
Aftersuppertherecamefurtherquestioningandanswers,Waldoasaruleplayinginquisitor,eagertolearnmoreanentthestrangeexistencewhichthesepeoplemustlive,socompletelyhemmedinfromalltherestoftheworldastheysurelywereinyondervalley。
Withoutatallbetrayingtheexile,Gillespiespokeofthelakeanditsmightywhirlpool,thenlearnedthattheIndiansreallymadesemi-annualtripsthitherforthepurposeoflayinginasupplyofdriedfishforthewinter’sconsumption。
Asthenightwaned,preparationsweremadeforsleeping,althoughitwasagreedbetweenthebrothersthatoneortheothershouldstandguardinregularorder。
\"NotthatIreallybelievethefellowwouldplayusdirt,evenwitheverychancelaidopen,\"Waldoadmitted。\"Still,it’swhatunclePhaetonwouldadvise,andwecan’twelldolessthanfollowhiswill,Bruno。\"
\"Sincewebrokeitsocompletelybytacklingthegrizzly,\"withabrieflaugh。
\"That’sallright,too。Ofcoursewe’doughtto’veskulkedawaylikeacoupleofegg-suckingcurs,butwedidn’t,andI’mmightilygladofit,too。ForIxtli——whatanamethatistogotobedwitheverynight,though!——forIxtliisjustaboutaswhiteastheymake’em,nowadays;youhearmeblowmybazoo?\"
Andsothelongnightworeitslengthalong,thebrotherstakingturnsatkeepingwatchandward,buttheAztecslumberingpeacefullythroughall,lookingtheleastdangerousofallpossiblecaptives。AndafterthislighteventhecautiousBrunobegantoregardhimerethefirststrokeofcomingdawncouldbeseenabovetheeasternhills。
Notbeingpositivejustwheretheair-shipwouldputinanappearance,sinceProfessorFeatherwithad,perforce,leftthatquestionopen,tobedecidedbycircumstancesoverwhichhemighthavenocontrol,eachguardinturndevotedconsiderableattentiontotheupperregions,hopingtoglimpsetheaerostat,andholdingmatchesinreadinesstoraiseaflarebywayofalightingsignal。ButitwasnotuntiltheearlydawnthatBrunocaughtsightoftheair-ship,justskimmingthetree-tops,thebettertoescapeobservationbyanyIndianlookout。
Afterthattherestcameeasilyenough。Acoupleofblazingmatchesheldaloftprovedsufficientcuetotheprofessor,andsoonthereaftertheflying-machinewassafelybroughttoland,sogentlythattheslumbersoftheyoungAztecwereundisturbed。
Brunogaveahastywordofwarningandexplanationcombined,evenbeforeheextendedawelcominghandtowardsMr。Edgecombe,whocertainlyappearedallthebetterforhisencounterwithpeopleofhisownrace。
ProfessorFeatherwittookakeen,eagerlookattheslumberingredskin,thendrewsilentlyback,towhisperinBruno’sear:
\"Guardwellyourtongue,lad。Ihavetoldhimnothing,asyet,andwemustconsulttogetherbeforebreakingthenews。Fornowwehavehadnorest,soIbelievewewouldbetterliedownforanhourortwo。\"
Mr。Edgecombeappearedtobeperfectlywillingtodothis,andsoontheweariedmenwerewrappedinblanketsandsleepingpeacefully。
Longbeforetheirlidsunclosed,Brunohadanappetisingmealinreadiness,althoughtheothershadbrokenfastlongbefore,andIxtli,hishandstightlyclaspedbehindhisback,asachildiswonttoresisttemptation,wasinspectingtheair-shipinawedsilence。