CHAPTER XXIII. A FLIGHT UNDERGROUND.
That sudden appearance and flight of another man took Ixtli even moreby surprise than it did Bruno, for he never even suspected such apossibility, knowing Prince Hua so well. Still, the young brave wasswift to rally, swift to pursue, sending a menace of certain death incase the fleeing cur should not yield himself.
Just then Bruno had eyes and thoughts for the Sun Children alone,who quite naturally shrunk back in mingled surprise and alarm at hisunceremonious entrance. He forgot his disguise, forgot everything savethat before him stood the fair beings whom he had vowed to save at allhazards from what appeared to him worse by far than actual death.
Gillespie never knew just what words crossed his lips during those firstfew seconds, but he saw that the women, in place of eagerly acceptinghis aid, were visibly shrinking, apparently more alarmed than delightedwith the opportunity thus offered.
Doubtless this was caused mainly by that odd blending of Aztec andpaleface, the colour and garb of the one joined to the tongue of theother; but the result might have been even worse, had not Ixtli hastenedback to clear up more matters than one.
In spite of his utmost efforts, the second Indian had escaped with life,although he received a glancing wound from an arrow, as he plunged downtowards the lower level; and nothing seemed more certain than that analarm would right speedily spread throughout the town, if only for thepurpose of hurrying succour to the Lord Hua.
All this rolled in swift words over Ixtli's lips, his warning findingcompletion before either of the women could fairly interrupt the youngbrave. But then the one whom Ixtli termed Victo spoke rapidly in hismusical tongue, one strong white hand waving towards the now somewhatembarrassed Gillespie.
"He friend; come save you, like save Ixtli," the Aztec hurriedly madereply, with generous tact speaking so that Bruno could comprehend aswell as the women. "He good; all good! Paba bad; 'Tzin more bad; beworse bad if stay here, Victo--Glady."
Thus given the proper cue, Bruno took fresh courage and, in as fewwords as might be, explained his mission. He spoke the name of CooperEdgecombe, and for the first time that queenly woman showed signs ofweakness, staggering back with a faint, choking gasp, one hand claspedspasmodically above her madly throbbing heart, the other rising to hertemples as though in fear of coming insanity.
"He is well; he is safe and longing for his loved ones," Bruno swiftlyadded, producing the brief note which the exiled aeronaut had pressedinto his hand at almost the last moment. "He wrote you that--here it is,and--"
"Make hurry, quick!" sharply interposed Ixtli, as ominous sounds beganto arise without the Temple of the Sun God. "Dog git 'way, howl formore. Come here--kill like gods be glad."
With an evident effort Victo rallied, tones far from steady as shebegged both young men to save themselves without thought of them.
"I thank you; heaven alone knows how overjoyed I am to hear from my dearhusband,--my poor child's own father! And he is near, to--But go, go!Guide and protect him, Ixtli, for--Go, I implore you, sir!"
"But how--we haven't arranged how you are to be rescued, and I mustunderstand--"
"Later, then; another time, through Ixtli," interrupted Mrs. Edgecombe,since there could no longer be a doubt as to her identity. "If foundhere 'twill be our ruin as well as your own. Go, and at once I fear thatLord Hua may--"
"He 'live yet," pronounced Ixtli, rising from a hasty examination o fthe fallen chieftain. "Dat bad; much more worse bad! He dog; all overdog!"
"And I greatly fear he must have recognised you as one of a foreignrace, in spite of your disguise," added the elder woman, trouble in herface even as it showed in her voice. "He will be wild for revenge, and Ifear--Go, and directly, Ixtli!"
Bruno Gillespie was only too well assured that this latest fear hadfoundation on truth. Swiftly though he had wielded the awkward (tohim) hand-wood, Huatzin had sufficient time to sight his assailant, andalmost certainly had divined at least a portion of the truth.
Doubtless it would have been the more prudent course to repeat that blowwith greater precision; but Bruno could not bring himself to do justthat, even though the ugly cries were growing in volume on the groundlevel; and he felt that capture would be but the initial step to death,in all likelihood upon the great stone of sacrifice.
Imminent though their peril surely was, Bruno could not betake himselfto flight without at least partially performing the duty for which hehad volunteered; and so he took time to hurriedly utter:
"Watch from the top of the tower for the air-ship, and be ready to leaveat any moment, I implore you--both!"
For even now his admiring gaze could with difficulty be torn away fromyonder younger, even more lovely, visage; although as yet the maiden hadspoken no word, even shrinking away from this strangely speaking Aztecas though in affright.
"Come, brother, or too late," urged Ixtli, almost sternly. "Save you, orGlass-eyes call Ixtli dog-liar. Come; must run, no fight; too big manyfor that."
And so it seemed, when the young men rushed away from the lightedinterior and gained the uncovered space beyond. Loud cries came soaringthrough the night from different directions, and dim, phantom-likeshapes could be glimpsed in hurrying confusion.
Apparently the majority only knew that trouble of some descriptionwas brewing, and that the centre of interest was either in or near theTemple of the Sun God; yet that was more than sufficient to place thewhite intruder in great peril, despite the elaborate disguise he wore.
Then with awful abruptness there came a sound which could only belikened to rolling thunder by one uninitiated, but which caused Ixtli toshrink and almost cower, ere gasping:
"The great war-drum! Now MUST go! Sacrifice if caught; come, whitebrother! See, dat more bad now!"
Those mighty throbs rolled and reverberated from the hills, filling thenight air with waves of thunder, none the less awe-inspiring now thattheir true import was realised.
The entire population was aroused, and each building seemed to castforth an armed host, while, as through some magic touch, a circle offires sprung up on all sides, beginning to illumine both valley andbarrier.
Bruno stood like one appalled, really fascinated by this transformationscene for which he had been so poorly prepared; but Ixtli bettercomprehended their situation, and gripping an arm he muttered, hastily:
"Come, brother; stop more, make too late. Must hide, now. Dat stop goback way came. Come!"
Bruno roused himself with an effort, then yielded to the Aztec'sguidance, crouching low as the brief bit of clear moonlight had to betraversed.
Instead of making for the steps which, as customary, reached fromterrace to terrace at each corner, Ixtli crept to the centre, where thetemple-side was cast into deepest shadow, then lowered himself by hisarms, to drop silently to the broad path below.
A whispered word urged Bruno to imitate this action, and those friendlyhands caught and steadied Gillespie as he took the drop. And so, oneafter another, the mighty steps were passed, both young men reaching theground at the same instant, having succeeded in leaving the Temple ofthe Sun God without being glimpsed by an Indian of all those whom thesonorous drum-throbs had brought forth In arms.
"Whither now?" asked Bruno, in guarded tones, as he looked forthfrom shadow into moonlight, seeing scores upon scores of armed shapesflitting to and fro, all looking for the enemy, yet none able toprecisely locate the trouble.
Just then a savage yell broke from the top of the temple, followed by afew fierce-sounding sentences, which Ixtli declared came from the LordHua, then adding:
"He say kill if catch, but dat--no! Come, white brother. Ixtli show howplay fool dat dog; yes!"
"All right, my hearty. Is it a break for the hills? I reckon I can breakthrough. If not--well, I'll leave some marks behind me, anyway!"
"No, no, dat bad! Can't go to hills; must hide," positively declared theyoung Aztec. "Come, now. Me show good place; all dead but we."
Evidently trusting to pass undetected where so man
y others were rushingback and forth in seeming confusion, Ixtli broke away from the shadow ofthe temple, closely followed by Gillespie, heading as directly as mightbe for the strange refuge which he now had in mind.
That proved to be a low, unpretending structure which was of no greatextent, so far as Bruno's hasty look could ascertain. Still, that wasnot the time for doubting the wisdom of his guide, nor a moment inwhich to discuss either methods or means; and as Ixtli passed through amassive entrance, the paleface followed, giving a little shiver as thebarrier swung to behind them.
"What sort of a place is it, anyway, Ixtli?" he demanded, but the Aztecwas too hurried for words, just then, save enough to warn his companionin peril that they must descend deeper into the earth.
It was more of a scramble than a deliberate descent, for the gloom wascomplete, and Bruno had no time in which to feel for steps or stairs.Only for the aiding touch of his guide, he must have taken more than oneawkward tumble ere that lower level was attained.
Then a breathing-spell was granted him, and, while Ixtli bent ear inlistening to discover if pursuit was being made, Bruno drew a matchfrom the liberal supply he had taken the precaution to fetch along,and, striking it, held aloft the tiny torch to view their presentsurroundings.
Only to give an involuntary start and cry as he caught indistinctglimpses of fleshless bones and grinning skulls, those grim relics ofmortality showing upon every side as his wild eyes roved around.
Then a hand struck down the match, and a swift voice breathed:
"Dey come dis way. See us hide--come hunt, now, to kill!"
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