The Lost City, Jr. Joseph E. Badger [spicy books to read txt] 📗
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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
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