CHAPTER XXV. WALDO GOES FISHING.
It was with stronger forebodings than he dared acknowledge even tohimself, that Professor Featherwit watched the two young men out ofsight in the early gloom, and scarcely had his nephew passed beyondhearing than uncle Phaeton would gladly have recalled Bruno.
Waldo made light of all fears, prophesying complete success, and evengoing so far as to predict Bruno's return accompanied by the Children ofthe Sun; enthusiastic words which set the exile to trembling with excessof joy and anticipation.
What, then, was the blank dismay of all when, floating through thenight, came the hollow throbbing of yonder mighty war-drum, fetchingeach person to his feet and holding him spellbound for the first fewseconds.
Cooper Edgecombe turned sick at heart, even while ignorant as to themethod of sending forth that alarm, his hollow groan being the firstsound to follow the simultaneous exclamation which burst from threepairs of lips as the surprise came. And but a breath later Waldo brokeforth with the excited query:
"What is it? What's broken loose now? Surely--thunder?"
Only Professor Phaeton at once recognised the sound, throughdescription, and each one of those swiftly succeeding strokes seemedfalling upon his heart, bidding him mourn for his beloved nephew, uponwhom his aged eyes had surely looked their last in this life!
Yet it was the professor who took prompt action, speaking sharply as hedarted across to where the air-ship rested:
"Come; get aboard, and let us do what lies in our power. It was criminalto send the poor lad into the jaws of death, but now--hasten, there maybe a chance, even yet!"
The call was still hot upon his lips when his two companions entered theaerostat, gripping tight the hand-rail as Professor Featherwit sent thevessel afloat with reckless haste. As by a miracle they escaped disasterthrough rushing into a bushy treetop, and that fact served to steady theaeronaut's nerves.
"On guard, uncle Phaeton!" cried Waldo, making a lucky snatch at hiscap, which one of the stiff boughs brushed off his head.
"Ay, ay, lad," responded the man at the guiding-gear, as the air-shipshot onward and upward, now heading, as directly as was practicable, forthe Lost City of the Aztecs. "That was the very lesson I needed. I amsteady of nerve, now, and will show no lack,--heaven grant that we maynot be for ever too late, though!"
"What do you reckon could have kicked up such a bobbery, uncle? Andwhat--ugh!" as the wardrum's throbbings again swelled forth in grimalarm. "What in time is that, anyway?"
As briefly as might be, the professor explained, and almost for thefirst time Waldo felt a thrill of dread.
"If they've got Bruno, what will they do with him?"
That very dread was worrying uncle Phaeton, and already through hisbusy brain were flashing horrid pictures of punishment and sacrifice,of hideous scenes of torture, wherein the eldest son of his dead sisterplayed a prominent role, perforce.
He dared not trust his tongue to make answer, just then, and sent theaeromotor onward at top speed, leaning far forward to win the earliestglimpse of--what?
He caught sight of blazing beacons fairly encircling the Lost City,forming a cordon through which no stranger could hope to pass unseen. Hebeheld hundreds of armed shapes rushing to and fro, plainly looking forsome intruder or other enemy, yet almost as certainly failing as yet tomake the longed-for discovery.
Not until that moment had uncle Phaeton dared indulge in even the shadowof a hope. The awful alarm seemed proof conclusive that poor Bruno hadbeen taken, through the treachery of Ixtli.
Naturally enough, that was his first belief, but now, as the air-shipslackened pace to circle more deliberately above the valley, all eyeson the eager watch for either Bruno or something to hint at his fate,Professor Featherwit lost a portion of that conviction.
If Bruno had indeed fallen victim to misplaced confidence, and hadbeen craftily lured into this den of ravening wild beasts, why all thisconfusion and mad skurry? Why had not the traitor first made sure of hisvictim? Why such a general alarm?
Although such haste in getting afloat had been made, some little timehad been thus consumed, and, before the aerostat was fairly above theLost City, Bruno and Ixtli had dropped by stages down the shadowed sideof the Temple of the Sun God, to burrow underneath the ground as theirsurest method of eluding pursuit.
Only for that, the end might have been different, for, once sighted,Gillespie would have been rescued by his friends, or those friends wouldsurely have shared death with him.
And so it came to pass that, circle though they might, calling earsto supplement their eyes, swooping perilously low down in their fierceeagerness to sight their imperilled one, never a glimpse of the youngman could they obtain, nor even a definite hint as to where next to lookfor him.
"Surely they cannot have captured Bruno, as yet?" huskily muttered unclePhaeton, hungrily straining his eyes without reward. "If the poor boyhad actually fallen into such evil hands, why such crazy confusion?Why--oh, why did I permit his coaxings to overpower my better judgment?Why did I send him into--"
The words stuck in his throat and refused to issue. Phaeton Featherwitjust then felt himself little less than a cold-blooded assassin.
Mr. Edgecombe was but little less deeply stirred, although his feelingswere more of a mixture. He grieved for Bruno, and would willingly riskhis life in hopes of doing the young man a service, yet his gaze wasdrawn far more frequently towards yonder temple, on the top of which hehad--surely he HAD caught sight of his wife, his daughter!
"Let me down and try to find him," he eagerly begged, as one might pleadfor a great boon. "I promise to save him if yet alive, and--let metry, professor; I beg of you, give me this chance to show my heartfeltgratitude."
But Professor Featherwit shook his head in negation.
"That would only add to our trouble, friend. Knowing nothing of thedialect, you would be wholly at a loss. And, looking so entirelydifferent in every respect, how could you hope to pass inspection?"
"All seems so confused, that I might--surely it is worth trying."
"It would be suicidal, so say no more on that score," almost harshlyspoke the usually mild-mannered aeronaut, sending his vessel uponanother circuit, only with stern vigilance choking back the appealingshout to his lost nephew.
This time the aerostat was brought directly above the Temple of the Sun,where there appeared to be some unusual disturbance, a number of armedguards fairly driving a gaily arrayed Indian down to the lower levels,and that greatly against his inclinations, judging from the harsh criesand ringing threats which burst from his lips.
Recognising the building, and unable to hold his intense emotions longerunder stern control, Cooper Edgecombe called aloud the names of his wifeand daughter, begging that they might come to him; but then the air-shipwas sent onward and upward, with a dizzying swoop, and ProfessorFeatherwit gripped an arm, sternly speaking:
"Quiet, sir! Another outbreak like that and I'll lock your lips, if Ihave to send a bullet through your mad brain!"
"I forgot. I could not wait longer, knowing that my loved ones--"
"You forgot that the lives of all depend upon our remaining at liberty,"coldly interrupted Featherwit. "Without this means of conveyance, howcan your loved ones escape? Now, your solemn pledge to maintain uttersilence, or I will take you back to yonder wilderness, leaving you toshift for yourself as best you can. Promise, sir!"
"I will,--I do. Forgive me, for I was carried away by--'twas there Isaw--after so many horrible years!" huskily muttered the exile, fairlycowering there, before his saviour from the whirlpool.
"Enough; bear in mind that the rescue of your loved ones depend on ourefforts. If discovered by yonder snarling beasts, and the machine isinjured,--farewell, all hopes! Now, quiet, and look for Bruno!"
Again the air-ship circled over the valley, in spite of the moonlightpassing wholly unseen and unsuspected by the Aztecs, whose energies werebent on ferreting out mortal foes, not demons of the upper world.
Wald
o leaned farther over the hand-rail as they floated closer to anexcited group of warriors, the central figure being Lord Hua himself,fiercely denouncing Aztotl and his son, Ixtli, as traitors to the commonwelfare, and calling upon all honest braves to mete forth befittingpunishment.
Professor Featherwit caught one name indistinctly; that of the youngAztec in whose company Bruno had set forth on his ill-starred venture;and hoping to learn more of importance, he caused the aerostat to hoverdirectly above that particular group of redskins.
Waldo, never stopping to count the risk he might thus fetch upon themall, silently lowered the grapnel, by means of the drag-rope, givinga boyish chuckle as the three-pronged hook descended amidst thatgathering, the sight causing more than one superstitious brave to leapaside, with cries of amazed affright.
The air-ship gave a sudden swoop, and the grapnel caught Huatzin byhis girdle, jerking him fairly off his feet, and swinging him into air,pretty much as a youngster might land a writhing fish. But no fish eversent forth so wild a screech of mingled rage and terror as split the airjust then.
Although hardly realising what was happening, Professor Featherwit sentthe aeromotor upward with a mighty jerk. The shock proving too muchfor that sash, Lord Hua fell back to earth, literally biting the dust,although he met with no bodily harm beyond sundry bruises.
"Caught a sucker, and--I'll never do it again, uncle!" exploded Waldo,as he swiftly hauled in his novel fish-line; but he had to take a severelecture from the professor before the subject was finally dropped.
And, worse than all else, the air-demon was now the target for both eyesand arrows, and, perforce, sailed swiftly away into the night.
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