The Lost City
Page 6
CHAPTER VI. A BRACE OF UNWELCOME VISITORS.
Instinctively the brothers drew nearer each other, as though for mutualprotection, each one letting hand drop to belt where a revolver washabitually carried, but which was lacking now, thanks to the great hastewith which they had taken wing at the approach of the tornado.
"What is it? What can it mean?" asked Bruno and Waldo, almost in thesame breath, as those fierce echoes died away in the distance.
Professor Featherwit made no immediate reply, but by the glow of yondercamp-fire he fumbled inside the magic locker, fetching forth firearms,then speaking in hushed tones:
"Wait. Listen for--I knew it!"
From the opposite quarter came what might easily have been an echo ofthat first wild screech, only louder, longer, more savage, if such athing be possible.
Prepared though they now were, neither brother could refrain fromshrinking and shuddering, so hideously that cry sounded in their ears.But their uncle spoke in cool, clear tones:
"There is nothing supernatural about that, my lads. A panther ormountain lion, I dare say, scenting the fumes of our cookery, and comingto claim a share."
"Then it isn't--Nothing spookish, uncle Phaeton?" ventured Waldo, inslightly unsteady tones.
The professor gave swift assurance upon that point, and, rallying asfew youngsters would have done under like circumstances, the brothersgrasped the weapons supplied their hands, waiting and watching for whatwas to come.
Once, twice, thrice those savage calls echoed far and wide, but witheach repetition losing a portion of their terrors; and knowing nowthat prowling beasts surely were drawing nigh the camp-fire, the flyingmachine was abandoned by the trio, all drawing closer to the fire, whichmight prove no slight protection against attack.
Then followed a period of utter silence, during which their eyes rovedrestlessly around, striving to sight the four-footed enemy ere an actualattack could be made.
Professor Featherwit was first to glimpse a pair of greenish eyes insilent motion, and, giving a low hiss of warning to his nephews, thatsame sound serving to check further progress on the part of the wildbeast, his short rifle came to a level, then emitted a peculiar sound.
Only the keenest of ears could have noted that, for only the fraction ofan instant later followed a sharp explosion, the darkness beyond beingbriefly lit up by a yellowish glare.
"That's enough,--beware its mate!" cried the professor, keenly alert forwhatever might ensue; but the words were barely across his lips when,with a vicious snarl, a furry shape came flying through the air,knocking Featherwit over as he instinctively ducked his head with armflying up as additional guard.
Both man and beast came very near falling into the fire itself, andthere ensued a wild, confused scramble, out of which the brotherssingled their enemy, Waldo opening fire with a revolver, at close range,each shot causing the lion to yell and snarl most ferociously.
A cat-like recovery, then the fatal leap might have followed, for theconfused professor was rising to his feet again, fairly in front of theenraged brute; but ere worse came, Waldo and Bruno were to the rescue,one firing as rapidly as possible, his brother driving a keen-bladedknife to the very hilt just back of that quivering forearm.
One mad wrestle, in which both lads were overthrown, then the gauntand muscular brute stretched its length in a shivering throe, dead evenwhile it strove to slay.
Just as the professor hurried to the front, beseeching his boys tokeep out of peril if they loved him; at which Waldo laughed outright,although never had he felt a warmer love for the same odd-speaking,queer-acting personage than right at that moment.
"I'm all right; how's it with you, sir? And--Bruno?"
"Without a scratch to remember it by," promptly asserted the elderbrother, likewise regaining his feet and taking hasty account of stock."No fault of his, though!" giving that carcass a kick as he spoke. "Mygracious! I caught just one glimpse of them, and I was ready to makeaffidavit that each fang would measure a foot, while his claws--"
"Would pass through an elephant and clinch on the other side," declaredWaldo, stooping far enough to lift one of those armed paws. "But, I say,Bruno, how awfully they have shrunk, since then!"
Whether so intended or not, this characteristic break caused a mutuallaugh, and, as there was neither sound nor sign of further dangerfrom like source, one and all satisfied their curiosity by minutelyinspecting the huge brute, stirring up the fire for that purpose.
"An ugly customer, indeed, if we had given him anything like a fairshow," gravely uttered the professor. "Only for your prompt assistance,my dear boys, what would have become of poor me?"
"We acted on our own account, as well, please remember, uncle. And evenso, after all you have done for us since--"
"What was it you shot at, uncle Phaeton?" interrupted Waldo, who wasconstitutionally averse to aught which savoured of sentiment. "Anotherone of these--little squirrels, was it?"
Snatching up a blazing brand, the lad moved off in that direction,whirling the torch around his head until it burst into clear flame, thenlowering it closer to a bloody heap of fur and powerful limbs, to give ashort ejaculation of wondering awe.
It was a headless body upon which he gazed, ragged fragments of skin anda few splinters of bone alone remaining to tell that a solid skull hadso recently been thereon.
Professor Phaeton gave another of his peculiar little chuckles, ashe drew near, then patted the compact little rifle with which he hadwrought such extraordinary work: a weapon of his own invention, as werethe dynamite-filled shells to match.
"Although I am rather puny myself, boys, with this neat littlecontrivance I could fairly well hold my own against man or beast," hemodestly averred.
"A modern David," gravely added Bruno, while Waldo chimed in with:
"What a dandy Jack the Giant-killer you would have been, uncle Phaeton,if you had only lived in the good old days! I wish--and yet I don't,either! Of course, it might have been jolly old sport right then, butnow,--where'd I be, to-day?"
"A day on which has happened a miracle far more marvellous than all thathas been set down in fairyland romance, my dear son," earnestly spokethe professor. "And when the astounding truth shall have been published,broadcast, throughout all Christendom, what praises--"
"How thoroughly we shall be branded liars, and falsificationers from'way up the crick'!" exploded the youngster, making a wry grimace andmoving on to view the headless lion from a different standpoint.
"He means well, uncle Phaeton," assured Bruno, in lowered tones. "Hewould not knowingly hurt your feelings, sir, but--may I speak out?"
"Why not?" quickly. "Surely I am not one to stand in awe of, lad?"
"One to be loved and reverenced, rather," with poorly hidden emotion;then rallying, to add, "But when one finds it impossible to realise allthat has happened this afternoon, when one feels afraid to even make aneffort at such belief, how can the boy be blamed for feeling that allothers would pronounce us mad or--wilful liars?"
Professor Phaeton saw the point, and made a wry grimace while roughingup his pompadour and brushing his closely trimmed beard with doubtfulhand. After all, was the whole truth to be ever spoken?
"Well, well, we can determine more clearly after fully weighing thesubject," he said, turning back towards the flying-machine. "And, afterall, what has happened to us thus far may not seem so utterly incredibleafter our explorations are completed."
"Of this region, do you mean, sir?"
"Of the Olympic mountains, and all their mountainous chain mayencompass,--yes," curtly spoke the man of hopes, stepping inside theaerostat to perfect his arrangements for the night.
Waldo took greater pleasure in viewing the mountain lion towards whosedestruction he had so liberally contributed, but when he spoke ofremoving the skin, Bruno objected.
"Why take so much trouble for nothing, Waldo? Even if we could stow thepelts away on board, they would make a far from agreeable burden. Andif what I fancy lies before us is to co
me true, the more lightly weare weighted, the more likely we are to come safely to--well, call itcivilisation, just for a change."
"Then you believe that uncle Phaeton is really in earnest aboutexploring this region, Bruno?"
"He most assuredly is. Did you ever know him to speak idly, or to beotherwise than in earnest, Waldo?"
"Well, of course uncle is all right, but--sometimes--"
A friendly palm slipped over those lips, cutting short the speech whichmight perchance have left a sting behind. And yet the worthy professorhad no more enthusiastic acolyte than this same reckless speakingyoungster, when the truth was all told.
Leaving the animals where they had fallen, for the time being, thebrothers passed over to where rested the aeromotor, finding theprofessor busily engaged in rigging up a series of fine wires,completely surrounding the flying-machine, save for one narrow,gate-like arrangement.
"Beginning to feel as though you could turn in for all night, eh, myboys?" came his cheery greeting.
"Well, somehow I do feel as though 'the sandman' had been makinghis rounds rather earlier than customary," dryly said Waldo, winkingrapidly. "I believe there must have been a bit more wind astir to-daythan common, although neither of you may have noticed the fact."
Professor Featherwit chuckled softly while at work, but neither he norBruno made reply in words. And then, his arrangements perfected savefor closing the circuit, which could only be done after all hands hadentered the air-ship, he spoke to the point:
"Come, boys. You've had a rough bit of experience this day, and theremay be still further trouble in store, here in this unknown land. Bettermake sure of a full night's rest, and thus have a reserve fund to drawupon in case of need."
There was plenty of sound common sense in this adjuration, and, onlytaking time to procure a can of fresh water from yonder stream, the twoyoungsters stepped within that charmed circle, permitting their uncle toclose the circuit, and then test the queer contrivance to make sure allwas working nicely.
A confused sound broke forth, resembling the faraway tooting of tinhorns, which blended inharmoniously with the ringing of nearer bells,all producing a noise which was warranted to arouse the heaviest sleeperfrom his soundest slumber.
"That will give fair warning in case any intruder drifts this way,"declared the professor, chucklingly, then sinking down and wrappinghimself up in a close-woven blanket, similar to those employed by theboys.
"Even a ghost, or a goblin, do you reckon, uncle Phaeton?"
"Should such attempt to intrude, yes. Go to sleep, you young rascal!"
But that proved to be far more readily spoken than lived up to. Not butthat the brothers were weary, jaded, and sore of muscle enough to makeeven the thought of slumber agreeable; but their recent experience hadbeen so thrilling, so nerve-straining, so far apart from the ordinaryroutine of life, that hours passed ere either lad could fairly losehimself in sleep.
Still, when unconsciousness did steal over their weary brains, it provedto be all the more complete, and after that neither Bruno nor Waldostirred hand or foot until, well after the dawn of a new day, ProfessorFeatherwit shook first one and then the other, crying shrilly:
"Turn out, youngsters! A new day, and plenty of work to be done!"