The Lost City by Jr. Joseph E. Badger (good summer reads TXT) 📕

powerful

friends. He spoke of the mighty chieftain, Prince Hua, and of

the high priest, Tlacopa, who was, to all seeming, playing

directly into the hands of the ‘Tzin.

 

“He say Mother of Gods call—loud! He say sacrifice, and

dat—no, no! Quetzal’ send—Quetzal’ save—MUST save Victo,

Glady!”

 

Further questioning resulted in but little more information,

though, as Ixtli grew calmer, he emphasised such statements as he

had already made, elaborating them a trifle. And, by this, his

questioners learned that, humanly speaking, the fate of the Sun

God’s Children depended almost entirely upon the whim or fancy of

the chief paba of the teocalli.

 

Through Tlacopa issued the awesome oracles, and when his voice

thundered forth the dread fiat, who dared to openly rebel?

 

Further questioning brought forth one more important fact,—that

there was absolutely no hope of either Victo or Glady coming

forth from the valley, either by night or by day. While

ostensibly free of will as they were of limb, neither woman was

permitted to leave yonder temple, save under armed escort; and

guards were on duty each hour of the day and night.

 

“But we could get to see and speak with them, Ixtli?” asked

Bruno, eager to reach some fair understanding as to the future

course of action.

 

“Yes, white brother, go with Ixtli,” came the hesitating reply;

but then the Aztec caught one of Gillespie’s hands, holding it in

close contrast to his own brown paw, shaking his head doubtingly.

 

“No like. Keen eye, dem people. Watch close. Find ‘nother

white skin—bad!”

 

“You hear that, Bruno?” asked the professor, really relieved at

such positive evidence in conflict with the rash proposition made

by the young man.

 

“Of course I thought of going under cover of the night, uncle,

and surely it would not be such a difficult matter to darken my

face and hands? With dirt, if nothing better can be found. And

if I wore the clothes you brought from the cavern, uncle

Phaeton?”

 

“That’s the ticket!” broke in Waldo, eagerly. “Why, in a rig

like that, I could turn the trick my own self!”

 

The consultation was broken off at this juncture by a faint

summons from Cooper Edgecombe, and Professor Featherwit was only

too glad of the excuse, hurrying over to the flying-machine,

finding to his great joy that the exile was now far more like his

old-time self.

 

Still, great caution was used in revealing all, and it was not

until considerably later in the day that Mr. Edgecombe felt

capable of taking part in the discussion of ways and means.

 

He declared that his recognition had been complete, in spite of

the long years which had elapsed since losing sight of his dear

ones; and he earnestly vowed to never give over until their

rescue was effected, or he had lost his life while making the

attempt.

 

While the two air-voyagers were thus engaged in talk, Bruno

silently stole away with Ixtli, taking a bundle along, and

leaving Waldo to throw their uncle off the track in case his

suspicions should be prematurely awakened. Then, side by side,

two Indian braves silently approached the aerostat, causing

Professor Featherwit to make a hasty dive for his dynamite gun to

repel a fancied onslaught.

 

“Sold again, and who comes next?” merrily exploded Waldo, dancing

about in high glee as the supposed redskin slowly turned around

for inspection before speaking, in familiar tones:

 

“Would there be such an enormous risk of discovery, uncle

Phaeton, provided I put lock and seal upon my lips, save for the

ladies?”

 

That experiment proved to be a complete success, and after Cooper

Edgecombe added his pathetic pleadings to the young man’s own

arguments, Professor Featherwit gradually gave way, though still

with reluctance.

 

“I could never find forgiveness should harm come to your mother’s

son, boy,” he huskily murmured, his arm stealing about Bruno’s

middle. “I’d far rather venture myself, and—why not, pray?” as

Waldo burst into an involuntary laugh.

 

Then he turned upon Ixtli, a hand resting upon each shoulder

while he gazed keenly into those lustrous dark orbs for a full

minute in perfect silence. Then he spoke, slowly, gravely:

 

“Can we trust you, friend? Would you sell the boy to whose arm

you owe your own life, unto his enemies? Would you lead him

blindly to his death, Ixtli, son of Aztotl?”

 

A wondering gaze, then the Indian appeared to flush hotly. He

shook off those far from steady hands, drawing his knife and with

free fingers tearing open his dress above the heart. Thrusting

the weapon into Bruno’s hand, he spoke in clear, distinct

accents:

 

“Strike hard, white brother! Open heart; see if all black!”

 

Eye to eye the two youths stood for a brief space in silence,

then the weapon was let fall, and Bruno gripped the Indian’s hand

and shook it most cordially.

 

“Strike you, Ixtli? I’d just as soon smite my brother by birth!”

 

“And that’s mighty right, too!” cried Waldo, impetuously.

 

“I really begin to believe that you are all in the right, while I

alone am left in the wrong,” frankly admitted the professor.

 

CHAPTER XXII.

A DARING UNDERTAKING.

 

Still, that point was of too vital importance to justify hasty

decision, and the professor did not make his surrender complete

until the shades of another night were beginning to gather over

the land.

 

Meantime, partly for the purpose of keeping the youngsters

employed and thus out of the way of less harmless things, the

professor suggested that the huge grizzly be flayed. If the

proposed scheme should really be undertaken, that mighty pelt, if

uncomfortable to convey, would serve as a fair excuse for the

young brave’s as yet unexplained absence from the Lost City.

 

As a matter of course, Cooper Edgecombe felt intense anxiety

through all, but he contrived to keep fair mastery over his

emotions, readily admitting that he himself could do naught

towards visiting the Lost City.

 

“I know that my loved ones are yonder. I would joyfully suffer

ten thousand deaths by torture for the chance to speak one word

to—to them. And yet I know any such attempt would prove fatal

to us all. The mere sight of—I would go crazy with joy!”

 

There is no necessity for repeating the various arguments used,

pro and con, before the final agreement was reached. Enough has

already been put upon record, and the result must suffice:

Professor Featherwit yielded the vital point, and, having once

fairly expressed his fears and doubts, flung his whole heart into

perfecting the disguise which was now counted upon to carry Bruno

safely into and out of yonder city.

 

He was carefully trigged out in the warlike uniform secured by

Cooper Edgecombe at the cost of a human life, and, with fresh

stain applied to his face and hands, the slight moustache he wore

was not dangerously perceptible.

 

” ‘Twould take a strong light and mighty keen eyes to see it at

all, and even if a body should happen to notice it, he’d reckon

‘twas a bit of smut, or the like,” generously declared Waldo.

 

Under less trying circumstances, Bruno might have answered in

kind, but now he merely smiled at the jester, then turned again

to receive the earnest cautions let fall for his benefit by the

professor.

 

Above all else, he was to steer clear of fighting, and, without

he saw a fair chance of winning speech with the white women, he

was to keep in such hiding as Ixtli might furnish, trusting the

young Aztec to post the Children of the Sun as to what was in the

wind.

 

Tremulous, almost incapable of coherent speech, so intense was

his agitation, Cooper Edgecombe sent many messages to his loved

ones, begging for one word in return. And if nothing less would

serve—

 

His voice choked, and only his feverishly burning eyes could say

the rest.

 

It was well past sunset ere the youngsters set forth from the

rendezvous, accompanied a short distance by both Waldo and the

professor; but the parting came in good time. It would be worse

than folly to add to the existent perils that of possible

discovery by some prowling Aztec who might work serious injury to

them one and all.

 

That great bear-hide proved a tax upon their strength, even

though the bullet-riddled head-piece had been carefully cut off

and buried, lest those queer holes tell a risky tale on close

examination; but Ixtli, as well as Bruno, was upborne by an

exaltation such as neither had known before this hour.

 

There was nothing worse than the natural obstacles in the way to

be overcome, and, knowing every square yard of ground so

thoroughly, Ixtli chose the most practicable route to that

hill-encircled town.

 

The stony pass was followed to the lower level, and the young

adventurers had drawn fairly near the first buildings ere

encountering a living being; and then ample time was given them

for meeting the danger.

 

A low-voiced call sounded upon the night air, and Ixtli responded

in much the same tone. Bruno, of course, was utterly in the dark

as to what was being said, but he still held perfect faith in his

copper-hued guide, and left all to the son of Aztotl.

 

The Aztec brave appeared to be explaining his unusually

protracted absence, for he proudly displayed the great grizzly

pelt, then exhibited the spear-head from which protruded the

tooth-marked wood.

 

Like one who was already familiar with the details, Bruno slowly

lounged forward a pace or two, then in silence awaited the

pleasure of his companion on that night jaunt.

 

Ixtli was not many minutes in shaking off the Indian, and, almost

staggering beneath his shaggy burden, moved away as though in

haste to rejoin his family circle.

 

Fortunately for the venture, the Aztecans appeared to believe in

the maxim of going to bed early, for there were very few

individuals astir at that hour, young though the evening still

was. And by the clear moonlight which fell athwart the valley,

it was no difficult task to catch sight before being seen, where

eyes so busy as those of the two young men were concerned.

 

Only once were they forced to make a brief detour in order to

escape meeting another redskin, and then a guarded whisper from

the lips of the Aztec warned Bruno that they were almost at the

teocalli wherein the Children of the Sun made their home and

abiding-place.

 

Leaving the grizzly pelt at a corner, for the time being, Ixtli

led his white friend up and into the Temple of the Sun, pressing

a hand by way of added caution.

 

Although he had declared that an armed guard was kept night and

day over the Sun Children, and that he hoped to pass Bruno as

well as himself without any serious difficulty, since he had long

been a favoured visitor, and ever welcomed by Victo and Glady,

the temple was seemingly without such protection upon the present

occasion.

 

Ixtli expressed great surprise when this fact became evident, and

he showed uneasiness as to the welfare of his beloved patroness

and kindly teacher.

 

Surely something evil was impending! His father, Aztotl, was

chieftain of the guards, and wholly devoted to the Sun Children,

ready at all times to risk life in their behalf. Now, if the

usual guards were lacking, surely it portended evil,—treachery,

no doubt, at the bottom of which the paba and the ‘Tzin almost

certainly lurked.

 

All this Ixtli contrived to convey to Bruno, who fairly well

shared that anxiety, but who was more for going ahead with a bold

rush, to learn the worst