by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER II.
KIDNAPPED
As Bob Caldwell pursued his botanistic observations along the edge ofthe dense forest, his mind was filled with keen regret that he could notspend several weeks in the neighborhood with plenty of reference booksto aid him in recognizing the numerous varieties of vegetation whichsurrounded him, and he also regretted the fact that they had found theold Indian, or whatever he was, in the neighborhood because of coursethat meant that the spot was not so isolated as it appeared and in alllikelihood there were others living close by. But for the appearance anddisappearance of the mysterious old man the Flying Buddies would nothave felt the need of such caution and he could have been confident thatit was safe to penetrate a little way into this paradise of tropicalgrowths and perhaps find something they could take back to Texas. It wasdisappointing, but at the same time he had to admit that it wasdoubtless better that they had discovered him immediately; better thanthinking they were secure then running into a hostile tribe withoutwarning.
Since they had come to South America the Buddies had encountered so manydangers in wild, out of the way sections that it had developed theirbumps of caution to a high degree. To be sure the authorities hadquietly ascertained that Arthur Gordon was still laid up with a brokenleg at the home of the doctor who had taken him in charge after theaccident in the snowy fastness of the Andes, and Ynilea, the Laboratoryman at the Don's had said that the Big Boss, frightened at the repeateddisasters which had befallen many of his men and undertakings, had takenhimself out of the country, but the Sky Buddies were convinced that thischap, whoever he was, had made up his mind to fathom the secrets andsecure possession of the vast wealth. While the loss of a few livesmight make him get away, to save his own skin, he would probablyrecuperate his weakness, reorganize his band and start in again at thefirst opportunity.
"The Big Boss, I reckon would get back to the United States, or to hisown hangout, wherever it is, cure himself of his scare, then begin allover again. Getting possession of unlimited wealth, he'll figure, isn'tto be passed up, and this time he'll cook up some schemes that may workbetter than the others." Bob grinned to himself at the idea, thenthrough his brain flashed the memory of the wonderful laboratories withtheir numberless workers and scientific advantages. "Then again, maybethey won't. I'm betting my dimes on the Don."
With that comforting assurance, Caldwell turned his attention to hisjob, moving slowly and occasionally glancing across to where hisstep-brother waited patiently beside the plane. He thought that Jim wasmighty decent to hang around doing guard duty when he would probablyhave liked to do some studying himself, and resolved to cut hisobservations as short as possible. With that in mind he snipped leaves,tiny branches, bits of root, and made rough notes to which he couldrefer later when there was more time. Nearly two hours had been consumedand the younger boy had made half the circuit when he reached a sectionwhere there were almost no large trees, although those which grew onboth sides were so heavy with branches and foliage that the arch abovewas as thick as a roof. In the space there seemed to be more fallentrees and rocks than elsewhere. Besides, there was a good deal of younggrowths, slender saplings and brush, also rather a heavy hanging, like agreat curtain of vines suspended from the limbs above. The appearance ofthis semi-clearing made Bob suddenly remember the way they had once goneto the Laboratory with Ynilea. That day, the party had started fromCuzco by automobile, left the main thoroughfare, traversed an unmarkedroute over rocks and foot hills, finally leaving the machine and makingtheir way through a well-concealed natural hallway until at last theycame out on a ledge from which they were taken in a strange airplane therest of the journey.
"Great Christoper's ghost, wonder if this is another of those hiddenways," he exclaimed excitedly, and forgetting for the moment the need tobe cautious, he stepped on to a broken stump in among the protectingcurtain. But, before he could advance another inch, his quick ear caughta sharp whistling sound which he thought must have come from Jim's lips,but before he could turn about, something dark cut in under his arm, hitthe nearest sapling and drove like the blade of a stiletto clean throughits heart. The young tree quivered from the impact and in an instanttiny beads of sap oozed from the wound.
"Whew--" Bob waited a moment, too startled to think, then he managed toturn about, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. In the firstplace, it seemed to be snowing for the air was filled with flutteringwhite things which seemed to be struggling to go on, and although theylooked like butterflies, the boy was sure he must be mistaken for he hadnever seen nor heard of anything like it. Through the queer storm hecould see Jim crouched near the helicopter, the looped lariat hangingfrom one hand and his mouth open as if he had been about to yell awarning which had frozen on his lips. Quickly Caldwell's eyes swept towhere Jim's were staring and instantly he understood from whence themurderous dart had been driven. He saw the three Indians, two of themfacing him while the third had his gaze fixed on Austin. One of the menheld a second dart in his hand and was slowly raising it above his headprepared to send it with deadlier aim than the first.
Then, as if some supernatural power had intervened, the fluttering whitethings dropped thickly into the space, completely filling it with theirbedraggled bodies and helpless beating wings. As Bob stood a bit back inthe protection of the swinging vines it was like observing the strangespectacle through a window. None of the insects landed within a coupleof feet of him, but beyond the air was like a swirling blanket whicheffectively cut him off from sight of the Indians plainly determined tokill him. Anxiously the boy wondered about Jim, for he could no longersee anything but the butterflies, and through his mind raced half adozen plans.
Bob thought of running out to his step-brother, but hesitated aboutdoing that lest Austin endeavor to reach him among the vines. Thinkingit over, in a moment the lad decided that his Buddy's best bet was toremain near the machine. Probably, safely hidden from the view of theIndians he could climb into the cock-pit and prepare to take immediateflight, then Bob wondered if the mass of insects would interfere with atake off. With thousands of them tumbling about the plane their tinybodies might clog the engine, propeller, and lifting wings, besidesmaking it practically impossible for the pilot to tell in whichdirection to start.
Recalling the position of the plane when they landed, Bob realized thatif the butterflies had done no damage the helicopter could mount withoutdifficulty in the limited space, keep climbing until it was above thedanger zone and they would be safe. With this fact in mind, hedetermined to get to the machine without further loss of time. It wouldtake only a few minutes to be a safe distance from the Indians who coulddo nothing more until the air cleared. Then he recalled that the nativeswere doubtless familiar with the locality, they were the best woodsmenin the world, and the three might, even now, be making their way to him.The idea wasn't a cheerful one, and Bob turned his eyes in the directionhe thought he had left his Buddy, then stepped forth. He had hardlyreached the edge of the waving vines when he heard the unmistakable,although muffled roar of an engine and guessed that Austin was all setto go, but he was surprised that the sound seemed to come from furthersouth than he had calculated. This fact made him pause to make sure,then, at his left he heard a noise of someone running. It might be oneof the Indians so he drew back quickly.
"Buddy, I say, Old Timer, where are you?" It was Jim, not one of thenatives, and Caldwell sighed with relief.
"Here," he answered.
"Good." Jim leaped beside him grinning broadly.
"Wow."
"I wasted a lot of time running around the edge but I was afraid ofmissing you," Austin panted.
"I heard the engine going--"
"No you didn't, not ours," Jim answered.
"But come along and we'll get it going."
"Must be another plane around here."
"Reckon there is and it may be as well if they do not see us," the olderboy responded. "Great guns, these butterflie
s are life savers allright."
"Then some. It's like a nightmare."
"Put your hand over your mouth so you don't swallow a carload." Bobfollowed directions, and the Buddies bent forward prepared to start, butby that time the approaching plane was making a thunderous noise for itwas above the clearing, then its motor was silenced.
"They are coming down, Jim. Think we'd better stay here?" Bob suggested."We can hide out further in the forest."
"Reckon our best bet is to get to the machine," Jim answered, but thenthe plane came down so close to them that they could see its huge bulkonly a few feet away. To get by it without being seen would mean somemaneuvering and good luck aplenty. The boys scowled, but Austin motionedto proceed, so they stepped forth, bending low and praying that thenewcomers would not look about them immediately.
"These blasted bugs," one of them swore roundly.
"They gummed the works," added another. There were half a dozenpassengers in the plane who climbed out of the cockpit on the furtherside, then one of them called:
"We're right where we want to be."
"Good work," came a more cheerful response.
"Good pilot you mean," spoke up one.
"Pilot nothing, up in that buggy blanket you didn't know your prop fromyour tail; whether you were going or coming, upside down or right.Rotten piece of piloting gunning into a flock like that."
"I did not go gunning into them. The things came along so thick Icouldn't get out of them. They got all over the plane and plasteredeverything, look at it, even my goggles are covered with them. I got youdown without a smashup, didn't I? You can thank me that you're nothash--"
"Well, I'm not thanking you," the other retorted, then added with anoath, "and if you had busted the plane, I'd a pumped you full of lead,see. You can thank me that you aren't a sieve this minute." During thisdisquieting dialogue the boys had made little progress, then suddenly avoice shouted.
"I say, who else are you expecting?"
"Nobody, you know very well."
"There's a plane here--"
"A plane?"
"Yeh. One of those whirligig ones." At that announcement the boysstopped in their tracks.
"Let's go back," Bob whispered, tugging at Jim's coat.
"This is a hard crowd," Jim admitted. They started to retrace theirsteps but by the time they reached the fallen logs, the air was almostclear, the live insects had struggled on, while only a few who could gono further, fluttered to the ground, which was white with their fallenmates. Instinctively Bob's eyes sought the spot from which the dart hadbeen thrown at him, but it was empty; there wasn't a native in sight,young or old.
"They are gone," he gasped in astonishment.
"Look who's here!" The Flying Buddies had been discovered by one of thegang, and a tall ugly looking customer who carried a gun in his hand,turned quickly. "Our welcome guests."
"What are you doing here?" the tall fellow snarled.
"Dropped down very much as you did, I reckon," answered Jim.
"Bugs drive you out of the sky?" This was probably the pilot who hadjust been driven out himself.
"Like blazes. That motor hasn't been running lately. If the bugs forcedyou down, what you doing over here? Come on, speak out, and reach forthe sky, while the reaching is good," came the sharp command.
"Aw, be yourself," Bob retorted angrily. "I'm not reaching to anythingfor a goof like you--"
"Aint you--" The gun pointed threateningly, then one of the meninterposed sharply.
"Put it down, Mills." It was the smallest man in the crowd who gave theorder and he strode forward. "What you fellows doing here?"
"Came up to study the vegetation," Bob replied firmly.
"Yeh. Well now, that's nice. Where do you hail from?" Jim's foot soughthis step-brother's, but Caldwell did not feel the pressure.
"Texas," he answered, and immediately he wished he hadn't been quite sospecific.
"Couple of flying cowboys. Well, you'll never know how glad we are tofind you here," the man sneered.
"Oh, don't mention it," Caldwell answered with a cheerful grin, but bothof the boys were wondering what new mischief was afoot.
"I won't mention it outside of our little circle of friends here," thefellow promised. "Nobody'll ever be able to say we run across you inthese parts. It'll be our little secret." He turned to his companions."Remember that, men, this happy meeting aint to be whispered to anynaughty inquirer."
"Sure. Now, give us the dope."
"It's the--as I said before, THE kids we need in our business, see! Besure you see, and hear."
"Gee, aint we got luck!"
"The Don's own little pets."
"Waitin' fer us. Aint that thoughtful now."
"Hope we didn't detain--"
"Shut up," snapped the little man, then turned to Bob. "What you doinghere?"
"I just told you, studying the vegetation."
"Yeh, well that stuff don't go with us. These here Honduras is full ofvegetables, see, you don't have to come way up here."
"We were flying and saw this clearing so we came down. Whether the'stuff' goes with you or not, it's the truth. My brother is interestedin things that grow out of the ground and we looked for a place where--"Austin started to explain, but was cut short.
"You mean you was lookin' fer this place."
"No we were not. Have a look at my specimen book if you want to see foryourself what we are doing." Bob proffered the book which was bulky withthe things he had gathered and the small man glanced at itindifferently.
"That's a stall. Now, you got something in your possession we want; thattube of reports. Fork 'em over pronto."
"We haven't a tube of any kind," Jim answered.
"No? Search 'em boys." This was done roughly and thoroughly but not atube did they find and they scowled when they finally had to admitdefeat.
"Go through the plane," the tall man proposed. At this the pilot and twoothers raced to the machine, and in a moment it was being subjected toan overhauling that promised to leave it a wreck.
"Can't find the thing," the pilot shouted.
"No?" The little man drew his gun. "Now, you know what we mean. Where isthat tube?" He pressed the weapon to Jim's belt and his rat-like eyesblazed with anger. "Where is it?"
"We did have a tube," Bob answered.
"I know you did and you still have."
"You are just as much mistaken as if you'd burned your shirt. We had areport tube we were taking home to Jim's father, but you're all wet--toolate--"
"What do you mean?"
"It has already been stolen," Bob told him.
"Stolen! Who the--" The men were crowding around now and every face wasugly.
"By a friend of yours, I reckon," Jim drawled.
"Friend, hey--" The man whirled on the members of his gang.
"Turn that gat, you fool--"
"Who took it?" the little man thundered.
"Gordon, fellow named Arthur Gordon," answered Bob.
"Gordon, who the blazes is Gordon?" demanded one of the gang.
"I know him," the tall man answered.
"So do I, blast his hide. When did he steal it?"
"Day before yesterday. We were coming north; he passed over us in a bigplane, dropped on the wings and drove us off the course. We landed up inthe snow, had a fall, and he robbed us--"
"Yeh. Say, tell that to the marines. Gordon wasn't risking his neck bydropping on you out of another plane," the tall man objected.
"Then let you get away. You got to make up a better story than that, bo,see!"
"I do not need to. Gordon hurt himself and is laid up with a brokenleg--"
"If he snitched the tube, then you got it back--"
"We didn't get a chance," Bob declared.
"Say, we'll fix 'em so they tell better stories. Tie 'em up boy withthem lariats and do a good job. They got out of some tight holes, butthe fellow that lets 'em get away this time gets plugged, see."