The Motor Boys Over the Rockies; Or, A Mystery of the Air

by Clarence Young

  CHAPTER XXIV

  BUSHES OF DEATH

  They watched the strange lights for some time, as the luminous shaftsflickered up to the sky and died out. Then, when the last of them hadvanished, the adventurers went back to bed.

  In the morning various plans were talked over, but the one finallydecided on was this:

  The airship would be sent over the valley, traversing it alongits entire length, but sufficiently high so that the Indians downbelow--or, for that matter, their white captives--could not discern it.For the rescue party wanted to remain in seclusion.

  By means of powerful telescopes the valley would be carefullyinspected, and, if possible, a place would be picked out where theairship could land.

  "For we've got to go down sooner or later, if we expect to rescue thosepoor people," said Jerry. "We can't keep in the air all the while, andlower ropes to them so that they can climb up. That would answer forsailors, but not for old men and women. We will have to land, and if wepick out a secluded spot we may be able to descend without attractingthe attention of the Indians. Then we can plan further to make therescue."

  This was decided on, and they sailed slowly onward, Jerry and JimNestor and Mr. Bell taking turns at scanning the deep chasm through thetelescope. They saw that the valley was a fertile place, and that manyfields for crops were laid out, showing that the Indians or their whitecaptives were industrious. Small houses or huts could be observed,built in some sort of order, like a small village. All these were inthe centre of the valley through which ran a small stream, givingplenty of water. At either end of the big chasm there were wild anddesolate spots, and it could be seen that the sides of the place wereso steep and rugged that climbing them was out of the question. Yet theIndians had a path in and out, but they guarded the secret well, sinceonly one man in all those years had been able to discover it. Later itwas learned that the pass, by which Mr. Loftus escaped was not the onethe Indians used, and soon after he left it was located and closed bythe redmen, thus making it impossible for any other of the captives totake advantage of it.

  "Can you see any persons moving about in the valley?" asked Jerry, ashe handed the telescope to Jim Nestor.

  "I thought I could, the last time I looked," was the answer, "but I'mnot sure. I'll look again."

  He peered long and earnestly through the glass, and then uttered anexclamation.

  "There are some of the red beggars!" cried the mine superintendent."They are having a regular procession, and seem to be going in somesort of a church."

  "Probably they are going to worship the flying lizard," observed Mr.Bell. "Mr. Loftus said they hold services several times during the dayand night."

  "The flying lizard!" exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. "Let's descend atonce, and get some of those most valuable specimens! They are worthfive hundred dollars each."

  "And our lives wouldn't be worth five cents apiece," spoke SledgeHammer Tod quickly, "if we went down there among those savages now. Itwould be all up with us!"

  "Can you see any white persons?" inquired Mr. Bell anxiously, as Jerryfinished his observation through the telescope.

  "No," answered the lad. "It's hard to distinguish any figures at all,and I don't want to go lower, for fear they may sight us. I can't tellwhether those I see are Indians or whites. Can you, Jim?"

  "No. Very likely the white people are nearly like the redmen now, fromhaving lived among them so long."

  Over the whole length of the valley went the airship, but nothing morewas disclosed. There were no indications that the presence of the_Comet_ was observed, and, having gotten to the end of the big defile,the craft was sent back.

  It was decided that a place just inside, but at the lower end of thevalley, and near the spot where they had first landed after sightingthe chasm, would be the best place on which to descend. As they nearedit, on their return trip, a wall of fog shut it from view, but asits location had been carefully observed on the first trip, littleapprehension was felt.

  The adventurers returned to the place of their first camp in themountains, just outside the valley, and prepared to stay there untilit should be dark enough to make the descent into the abode of theprisoners.

  "If we could only drop some message to the poor captives," suggestedBob, "then they would know we were coming for them."

  "It wouldn't be safe," declared Jerry. "The Indians might get it anddecipher it. We'll have to take our chances at notifying them suddenly."

  After it grew dark the same mysterious lights were observed that hadpuzzled the travelers the first night. The adventurers decided to waituntil the flickering gleams died away before venturing on a descent.

  It was nearly three o'clock before this time came, and then Jerry,who had been on the watch, awakened the others. The airship was inreadiness for a quick and silent move. The restraining ropes werecast off, and it rose high in the air. Then, running the motor athalf-speed, to reduce the noise, Jerry guided the craft over thevalley. The searchlight was brought into play to locate the landingplace. There was a certain risk in this, but it could not be avoided,and it was hoped that the gleams from the big lantern would be takenfor the flashing of some of the Indians' own signal fires.

  Lower and lower sank the _Comet_, into the mysterious valley. Lowerand lower, until, with no alarm having been sounded by the Indians, itcame to rest in the secluded and wildly desolate spot that had beenpicked out that day. In the darkness it landed, and Ned opened the gasvalve so that there would be no necessity for fastening the ship to theearth.

  "Well, here we are," said Bob in a low voice, as he tried to penetratethe darkness. "And land sakes! how sleepy I am. I had a good rest, too,but it seems as if I'd been awake two nights."

  "I'm sleepy, too," admitted Jerry; while as for Ned, no sooner had hefinished helping Jerry make a landing than he tumbled into his bunk andwas snoring.

  "What's that funny smell?" asked Jim Nestor, sniffing the air. "Don'tyou notice it, Tod?"

  "I do notice something peculiar," replied the old miner. "But I'm toosleepy to care. I'm going to turn in."

  "I guess we'd all better do that," added Jerry, stifling a yawn. "Idon't know when I've been so sleepy. I s'pose it's on account of havingbeen up so much nights lately."

  Professor Snodgrass, who had been peering about in the darkness,sniffing vigorously on various sides of the airship, suddenly enteredthe cabin. The sight that met his eyes was a curious one. Stretchedout on the bunks were all the members of the party save himself.Everyone was either asleep or preparing to slumber. The bald-headedscientist once more breathed the peculiar odor on the night air, thenhe cried out:

  "Jerry! Ned! Bob! Wake up, everyone! Don't go to sleep!"

  "Why not?" asked Bob drowsily.

  "Because we have landed in a thicket of the bushes of death!"

  "The bushes of death?" asked Jerry, almost too sleepy to know what hewas saying. "What are they?"

  "Bushes that give off a peculiar odor," answered the scientist. "It isdeath to breathe it--death by a slow languor that begins with a sleep.No wonder the Indians avoid this end of the valley. It is death tosleep here! We must all keep awake until morning, and then move to someother location. Wake up, everyone!" and he began shaking the sleepersvigorously, for they all were stretched out, with closed eyes. Thebushes of death had already begun to exert an influence over them.