Tom Swift in the City of Gold; Or, Marvelous Adventures Underground

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER XV

  THE GOLDEN IMAGE

  For a moment the young inventor felt a cold chill run down hisspine, and, while his hair did not actually "stand up" there was aqueer sensation on his scalp as if the hairs WANTED to stand on end,but couldn't quite manage it.

  Involuntarily Tom started, and one of the sticks he held in his handdropped to the ground. The green eyes shifted--they came nearer, andthe lad heard a menacing growl. Then he knew it was some wild animalthat had dropped down from a tree and was now confronting him, readyto spring on the instant.

  Tom hardly knew what to do. He realized that if he moved it mightprecipitate an attack on him, and he found himself dimly wondering,as he stood there, what sort of an animal it was.

  He had about come to the conclusion that it was something between acougar and a mountain lion, and the next thought that came to himwas a wonder whether any one else in the camp was awake, and wouldcome to his rescue.

  He half turned his head to look, when again there came that menacinggrowl, and the animal came a step nearer. Evidently every movementTom made aroused the beast's antagonism, and made him more eager tocome to the attack.

  "I've got to keep my eyes on him," mused the lad. "I wonder ifthere's any truth in the old stories that you can subdue a wildbeast with your eyes--by glaring at him. But whether that's so ornot, I've got to do it--keep looking him in the face, for that's allI can do."

  True, Tom held in his hand some light sticks, but if it came to afight they would be useless. His gun was back in the tent, and asfar as he could learn by listening there was not another soul in thecamp awake.

  Suddenly the fire, which had almost died out, flared up, as a dyingblaze sometimes will, and in the bright glare the young inventor wasable to see what sort of beast confronted him. He saw the tawny,yellow body, the twitching tail, the glaring eyes and the cruelteeth all too plainly, and he made up his mind that it was somespecies of the cougar family. Then the embers flared out and it wasdarker than before. But it was not so dark but what Tom could stillsee the glaring eyes.

  "I've got to get away from him--scare him--or shoot him," the laddecided on the instant. "I'd like to bowl him over with a bullet,but how can I get my gun?"

  He thought rapidly. The gun was in the tent back of him, near wherehe had been sleeping. It was fully loaded.

  "I've got to get it," reflected Tom, and then he dropped the othersticks in his hand. Once more the beast growled and came a stepnearer--soft, stealthy steps they were, too, making no sound on theground.

  Then Tom started to make a cautious retreat backwards, the whilekeeping his eyes focused on those of the beast. He made up his mindthat he would give that "hypnotism" theory a trial, at any rate.

  But at his first backward step the beast let out such a fiercegrowl, and came on with such a menacing leap that Tom stood still invery terror. The animal was now so close to him that a short jumpwould hurl the beast upon the lad.

  "This won't do," thought Tom. "Every time I go back one step hecomes on two, and it won't take him long to catch up to me. Andthen, too, he'll be in the tent in another minute, clawing Ned orMr. Damon. What can I do? Oh, for a gun!"

  He stood still, and this seemed to suit the animal, for it remainedquiet. But it never took its eyes off Tom, and the switching tail,and the low growls now and then, plainly indicated that the beastwas but waiting its time to leap and give the death blow.

  Then an idea came to Tom. He remembered that he had once read thatthe human voice had a wonderful effect on wild animals. He would tryit.

  "And I'm not going to sing him any slumber song, either," mused Tom."I'll start on a low tone to call for Ned, and gradually raise myvoice until I wake him up. Then I'll tell Ned to draw a bead on thebeast and plunk him while I hold his attention."

  Tom lost no time in putting his plan into operation.

  "Ned! Ned! Say, old man, wake up! I'm in trouble! There's a beast asbig as a lion out here. Ned! Ned! Ned!"

  Tom began in a low voice, but increased his tones with each word. Atfirst the beast seemed uneasy, and then it stopped switching itstail and just glared at Tom.

  "Ned! I say Ned! Wake up!"

  Tom listened. All was silent within the tent.

  "Ned! Oh, Ned!"

  Louder this time, but still silence.

  "Hey, Ned! Are you ever going to wake up! Get your gun! Your gun!Shoot this beast! Ned! Ned!"

  Tom waited. It seemed as if the beast was nearer to him. He calledonce more.

  "Ned! Ned!" He was fairly shouting now. Surely some one must hearhim.

  "What's that? What's the matter? Tom? Where are you?"

  It was Ned's voice--a sleepy voice--and it came from the interior ofthe tent.

  "Here!" called Tom. "Out in front--by the fire--get your gun, andget him with the first shot, or it's all up with yours truly."

  "Get who with the first shot. Who are you talking about?"

  "This cougar! Hurry Ned, he's creeping nearer!"

  Tom heard a movement behind him. He dared not turn his head, but heknew it was his chum. Then he heard a gasp and he knew that Ned hadseen the beast. Then all Tom could do was to wait. And it was noteasy waiting. At any moment the beast might spring, and, as far ashe was concerned it would be all over.

  Nearer and nearer crept the brute. Again Tom felt that queersensation down his spine.

  "Hurry, Ned," he whispered.

  "All right," came back the reassuring answer.

  There was a moment of silence.

  Crack! A sliver of flame cut the darkness. There was a report thatsounded like a cannon, and it was followed by an unearthly scream.Instinctively Tom leaped back as he saw the greenish eyes changecolor.

  The young inventor felt a shower of dirt thrown over him by theclaws of the dying cougar, and then he realized that he was safe. Heraced toward the tent, to be met by Ned, and the next instant thecamp was in wild commotion.

  "Bless my slippers!" cried Mr. Damon. "What has happened. Tell me atonce?"

  "Fo' de lob of chicken!" yelled Eradicate from a tent he had all tohimself--the cook tent.

  "Santa Maria! Ten thousand confusions! What is it?" fairly screamedDelazes.

  "Are you all right, Tom?" called Ned.

  "Sure. It was a good shot."

  And then came explanations. Wood was thrown on the fire, and as theMexicans gathered around the blaze they saw, twitching in the deaththroes, a big cougar, or some animal allied to it. Neither Tom norhis friends had ever seen one just like it, and the Mexican name forit meant nothing to them. But it was dead, and Tom was saved and theway he grasped Ned's hand showed how grateful he was, even if he didnot say much.

  Soon the excitement died out, after Tom had related his experience,and though it was some time before he and the others got to sleepagain, they did finally, and the camp was once more quiet.

  An early start was made the next day, for Tom had reconsidered hisdetermination to assemble the balloon and explore in that air craft,And the reason for his reconsideration was this:

  They had not gone far on their journey before they met a solitaryMexican, and of him they asked the usual question about the plain ofthe temple.

  He knew nothing, as might have been expected, but he stated thatthere was a large village not far distant in which dwelt many oldMexicans.

  "They might know something," he said.

  "It's worth trying," decided Tom. "I'll wait until to-morrow aboutthe balloon. We can make the village by noon, I guess. Perhaps wecan get a clew there."

  But it was nearly night when the ox carts drew into the Mexicansettlement, for there was an accident in the afternoon, one of thevehicles breaking down.

  There were fires blazing in many places in the village, which wasone of the most primitive sort, when our friends entered. They werecuriously watched as they drove through on their way to a goodcamping site beyond.

  And here, once more, fate stepped in to aid Tom in his search forthe city of gold.

  As the
y were out of corn meal, and needed some for supper, Tom toldEradicate to stop at one of the larger houses to buy some. The ladfollowed the colored man into the building, which seemed to be usedby several families.

  "We'll be obliged to yo' all fo' some corn meal," began Eradicate,picking out an aged Mexican to whom he addressed his request.

  "What is it?" asked the Mexican in Spanish.

  Tom put the question in that language, and he was on the point ofexplaining that they were travelers, when he stopped midway, andstared at something on a rude shelf in the main room of the house.

  "Look! Look, Ned!" whispered Tom.

  "What is it?" asked his chum.

  "On that shelf! That image! The image of gold! One just like thedrawing Mr. Illingway sent from Africa! Ned, we're on the trail atlast, for there is one of the small images from the city of gold!"and Tom, with a hand that trembled in spite of himself, pointed atthe small, yellow figure.