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diff --git a/43268-8.txt b/43268-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ea8a953..0000000 --- a/43268-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7227 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Secrets of the Andes, by James H. Foster - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Secrets of the Andes - - -Author: James H. Foster - - - -Release Date: July 20, 2013 [eBook #43268] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRETS OF THE ANDES*** - - -E-text prepared by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan, Matthew -Wheaton, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 43268-h.htm or 43268-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43268/43268-h/43268-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43268/43268-h.zip) - - - - - -[Illustration: _The Andes looked dark and forbidding._] - - -SECRETS OF THE ANDES - -by - -JAMES FOSTER - - - - - - - -The Saalfield Publishing Company -Akron, Ohio New York - -Copyright, MCMXXXIII -The Saalfield Publishing Company - -Printed in the United States of America - - - * * * * * * - - THE EXPLORATION SERIES - BY JAMES FOSTER - CAPTURED BY THE ARABS - LOST IN THE WILDS OF BRAZIL - SECRETS OF THE ANDES - THE FOREST OF MYSTERY - - * * * * * * - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - I Stranded 1 - II The Aimless Wanderer 9 - III Helplessly Trapped 17 - IV The Surly Trainman 28 - V As Guests of the Naturalist 37 - VI The Big Surprise 42 - VII Off for the Andes 48 - VIII Caught in the Storm 62 - IX A Fearful Discovery 69 - X Train Robbers! 75 - XI Chubby the Eater 82 - XII The Pangs of _Soroche_ 93 - XIII A Happy Reunion 101 - XIV An Unexpected Displeasure 109 - XV Attacked by Indians 118 - XVI Just in Time 126 - XVII The Old Man's Tale 133 - XVIII Starting Into the Mountains 140 - XIX A Terrible Sight 148 - XX Difficulties of the Trail 158 - XXI Danger at Hand 169 - XXII The Deadly Snake 180 - XXIII Descending Rapidly 186 - XXIV The Big Secret 199 - XXV Another Hidden Wonder 207 - XXVI A Narrow Escape 214 - XXVII Fighting Desperately 222 - XXVIII Almost a Tragedy 230 - XXIX The Horrible Beast 239 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -Stranded - - -"Look! The bridge is out! Stop the car--quick!" Bob Holton's voice was -unsteady as he gazed ahead at the place of danger. - -Acting on the instant, Joe Lewis pushed the brake pedal to the floor -and waited breathlessly, his mind filled with thoughts of tragedy. - -The wheels of the small automobile locked, but the momentum carried -the car on at a sickening pace. Despite the fact that the tires were -new, they slipped over the road easily. - -An instant later the youths saw that the distance between themselves -and the washout was not great enough. In but a few seconds they would -be plunging down the embankment into the swollen river. - -There was not a moment to lose. Opening the doors as rapidly as -possible, the chums jumped from the car and rolled over on the ground, -their faces wet with perspiration. - -And they were none too soon. The car sped on, reached the edge of the -river bank, and then plunged out of sight. - -There was a loud splash as it struck the water, and then all was -quiet. The sun continued on its downward path, the faint wind played -through the trees. Nothing but two lone boys were left to tell of the -misfortune. - -"Well," sighed Joe, at last breaking the silence, "we sure had a tough -break, didn't we?" - -"Lucky to get off with our lives, though," Bob reminded him. "That was -about the closest shave I've ever had. Wonder why the highway -commission didn't put out a sign?" - -"Probably didn't know the bridge was out. Not many cars go over this -road, and it would not be exceptional for this to go unnoticed for -quite a while." - -"We'll sure make a report of it," said Bob, getting to his feet and -brushing off his mud-stained trousers. - -Joe laughed unwillingly. - -"That'll be like locking the barn after the horse has been stolen," he -grunted. "Come on," he went on, "let's go over to the river bank and -see if we can catch a glimpse of the coupé." - -The youths walked over and stared into the swiftly moving water. It -had rained in torrents two days before, and the river was now almost -a rapids. - -"Car's nowhere in sight," said Joe Lewis gloomily. "But"--his face -lighting suddenly--"it's insured. So I guess there's no use worrying." - -"Maybe not about the automobile. But how are we going to get back to -Washington?" - -"We'll have to hike to the main highway, I guess," Joe answered. "It's -about five miles away, too." - -The youths were returning to their homes in Washington, D. C., after -having spent a delightful week-end in Virginia. Their accident came -upon them in a rather out-of-the-way spot, a great number of miles -from the city of their destination. - -"If it hadn't been for that hill," remarked Joe, as he and his friend -walked back up the road, "we would have seen this place in time to -stop the car." - -"The hill is here, though," returned Bob with a grim smile. "So that's -that." - -The boys paused a moment at the spot where they had jumped from the -doomed automobile. With one last look at the washout, they turned and -began climbing the grade. - -"Five miles is a good distance to walk," grunted Joe, "especially when -we want to get home before long." - -"That last you said made the first all right," laughed Bob Holton, -"because on the Sahara and in Brazil we often hiked, not five miles, -but several times that far without stopping." - -The friends were refreshed after the idle weekend trip and worked -their legs like pistons. Despite their serious predicament, they -observed the wonders of autumn with the eye of a nature lover. - -Leaves of yellow and brown were lying about the ground in profusion, -while others on the trees were almost ready to fall. There was a cool -afternoon breeze that gave evidence of winter being not far off. - -"Think there's a chance of getting a ride with somebody?" asked Joe, -as the youths followed the curving road. - -Bob shook his head. - -"Fellows in this part of the country are pretty careful about picking -up strangers," he returned. "Too many stick-ups and robberies. Still -we might see some soft-hearted person who would not be afraid to take -a chance with us." - -"The question is, though," began Joe, "will we get in with somebody -before night? It's three o'clock now, and we may have to do a great -deal of thumbing before anybody will stop and let us in." - -The road wound through a rather isolated section, with only an -occasional farmhouse looming up from behind the trees. It was indeed -a poor place to be stranded. - -The sun was well down to the horizon when the youths finally reached -the through highway. Although they had done their best, they had found -it difficult to avoid the many large mud puddles that often reached -nearly across the road. - -"Now to get down to business," said Bob, gazing far down the highway. -"We'll surely find a car before long that will pick us up." - -"Here comes one now," observed Joe. "It'll be here before long. Come -on, let's get out farther." - -The boys waited for the automobile to come nearer. Then they signaled -the driver. But the latter appeared to pay no attention to the young -men. A moment later the car whizzed on up the road. - -Bob and Joe looked at each other. Their faces clearly showed that they -expected the worst. - -"Could hardly blame him, though," remarked Bob. "So many -innocent-faced crooks walk the highways that it's unsafe to pick up -anyone." - -"But you know the old proverb," grinned the other youth. "'If at first -you don't succeed, try, try again.' According to that, we---- Look! -Here comes another car. Maybe we'll have better luck this time." - -Again the chums signaled, and were delighted to see that the car was -coming to a stop. At a motion from the driver, who was the only -occupant, they climbed inside. - -"How far ye goin'?" the stranger asked. He was a short, fat man who -looked capable of great mirth. - -"To Washington," replied Bob. "We had an accident with our car not far -from here." - -"Accident, hey? Not hurt, I hope?" - -"No. We were able to jump out in time. You see, we came unexpectedly -on a spot where the bridge was washed away. Caused by the recent rain, -no doubt." - -"Oh. Tough luck, wasn't it? And the machine--was it insured?" - -"Luckily it was," replied Joe with a chuckle. "Though we may have -trouble in proving it." - -"Fight it to the finish!" said the man, shifting his cud of tobacco to -the other side of his mouth. "If you have to, take it to court." - -"I hardly think that will be necessary," Joe said with a smile. "The -insurance company bears a good name." - -"Wonder if this guy's Scotch?" mused Bob to himself. Only recently the -youth had read a good joke about a man of that nationality. - -For the next half-hour the three carried on a varied conversation. It -was at last broken as they neared a small town. - -They had almost entered the city limits when a slowly moving freight -train halted them. Reluctantly they settled back and waited. - -"This will mean a big loss of time," remarked Joe, as he gazed far -down the track at the seemingly endless string of cars. "I'm anxious -to----" - -"Listen!" commanded Bob, leaning forward wonderingly. "Did you hear -anything? There it is again." - -"It's a muffled cry for help, coming from one of those freight cars." -Joe had opened the door of the sedan. - -With a parting word for the driver, the youths left the automobile and -ran down the track, straining their ears for a repetition of the cry. - -"There it is again!" declared Joe. "Sounds like a young boy. In that -third freight car up there." - -Summoning all their strength, the youths ran on until they were -opposite the box car. It was easy to keep abreast with the train, -moving as slowly as it was. - -The door was pushed back about three feet, leaving barely enough room -for the youths to clamber up into the car. Their efforts were not in -vain, however, and soon they found themselves inside. - -"Where are you?" called Joe, glancing about at the scores of boxes and -barrels. - -"Here!" a faint reply came from a far corner. - -At once the youths turned in that direction, searching for a -passageway between the many objects that filled the car. At last they -were within a few feet of the corner. But it was not possible to -penetrate farther, for a large pile of heavy crates barred the way. - -"Let's get these to one side," said Bob, and for the next few minutes -the young men worked furiously. - -Finally they made an opening sufficient for them to pass through. - -"Now we'll see who's here," muttered Joe Lewis. - -The youths worked their way through the passage, their eyes trying to -pierce the darkness. - -Suddenly they drew back with a cry of surprise. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -The Aimless Wanderer - - -Emerging from behind a pile of boxes was a small boy, his face black -with dirt that looked the product of weeks. The clothes he wore were -soiled and torn, and his shoes barely clung to his feet. - -"Thanks!" was all he said, as he glanced up shyly at Bob and Joe. - -For several seconds the young men stared wonderingly at this forlorn -being, as if trying to account for his presence. Finally Bob broke the -silence. - -"What's it all about?" he asked. "What are you doing _here_?" - -The boy hesitated a moment, looked up at Bob and Joe, and then, -satisfied that he could confide in them, spoke. - -"I--I was caught behind that stuff," he stammered. "I hid under a pile -of bags when they loaded the car so they wouldn't find me." - -"But why were you in the car?" demanded Joe. "Where are you going?" - -The boy waited a moment before replying. - -"I don't know," he confessed, dropping his head. - -There was something about this youngster's frankness that moved the -youths to pity. - -"Come," urged Bob, laying his hand on the boy's shoulder, "tell us -about it. Why did you run away from home?" - -"I didn't want to go to school, that's why. Ain't that reason enough?" - -"H'm. Don't like school, huh? Where do you live?" - -"Chicago." - -There were exclamations of surprise from Bob and Joe. - -While they gaze at the young lad in wonder, it might be well, for the -benefit of those who have not read the first two books of _The -Exploration Series_, to tell something about the two youths, and what -had been their adventures up to the present time. - -Bob Holton, who was generally the leader of the two, was a large, -powerful boy of nineteen. His complexion was originally light, but an -adventurous life in hot lands had made him bronzed. Wherever he went, -he was a prime favorite of all. - -Joe Lewis was Bob's closest friend, the two being almost inseparable. -Joe was of medium build and possessed many desirable characteristics. -But in a crisis he was never as cool as the other youth. - -Fortune favored the boys. Their fathers, Howard Holton and Benjamin -Lewis, were noted naturalists, who often wandered to far corners of -the globe in search of wild animals for a large Washington museum. The -two families thus lived in Washington, their homes being but a few -rods apart. - -Shortly after Bob and Joe had graduated from high school, they were -given an opportunity of accompanying their fathers to little-known -Brazil. Here with wild animals and treacherous savages they had many -thrilling adventures, which are related in the first volume of this -series, _Lost in the Wilds of Brazil_. The boys proved themselves -worthy of being called explorers, and the following spring were given -another chance to penetrate the unknown. - -On the Sahara Desert they encountered more perils and hardships. How, -among other things, they endured a terrible sand storm, went for days -without water, and finally fought hostile Arabs for freedom, is -related in the volume entitled _Captured by the Arabs_. - -At the time this story opens, the youths would have been in college -had it not been for another proposed scientific trip. The naturalists -had finally decided to explore the Andes Mountains in South America, -and Bob and Joe were given the permission to accompany the men. The -boys had argued stiffly that such an adventure would benefit them as -much as a half-year at college, to which their fathers had finally -agreed. Now less than two weeks remained before the expedition would -depart. - -As we return to Bob and Joe, who stood staring in amazement at the -small lad who said his home was in Chicago, we see that Bob is -speaking. - -"And you came all this distance?" he asked. "How old are you?" - -"Twelve." - -"Aren't you sorry you ran away from home?" queried Joe. - -"I ain't sorry, but I'm goin' back. That's where I'm headin' now." - -"Why did you change your mind?" Bob asked. - -"Even school's better'n goin' without anything to eat," the boy said. - -For some time Bob and Joe sat staring at the floor. Everything was -clear to them now. They were impressed by this little fellow's -resourcefulness in finding his way freely about. - -Suddenly Joe glanced up. He had almost forgotten that he was on a -moving freight train. The cold sweat burst out on his forehead as he -saw that they were now traveling rapidly. - -"No chance of getting off now, Bob. I guess we're in for it. Where -does this train go?" he asked the boy. - -"Chicago," was the response. "That's where this car is headed for. I -made sure before I got in it." - -Bob grunted. - -"We're booked for a ride, I guess," he said. "Still there may be a -chance of getting off at some town not far from here." - -"That's what we'll hope for," the other youth said, nodding. He turned -to the lad. "Can you find your way home after you reach Chicago?" - -"Sure. This ain't the first time I've run away. Gettin' back ain't -what worries me." - -"What does?" inquired Joe. - -"My old man. He'll be mad enough to bite nails. Bet he's got the razor -strop hangin' up now waitin' for me." - -Bob and Joe smiled. The personality of this waif touched them. - -"Bob Holton is my name, and this is my friend, Joe Lewis." - -A small hand was extended. - -"I'm Spike Weaver, the son of a horse thief." - -The youths burst out in laughter. - -"A horse thief?" - -"Yes," the boy said. "That's what the old man used to be. I'm not onto -him now, I been away from home so much." - -Another outburst of laughter followed. The youths were beginning to -take a liking to this small wanderer. - -One thing stood out in the young men's minds: the family to which this -boy belonged was evidently of a very low type morally. Little wonder -that young Spike had turned out to be a worthless ne'er-do-well. There -was apparently little hope for his future. - -"Why don't you go to school and try to make something out of -yourself?" asked Bob. "Wouldn't you like to be a big business man, or -doctor, or merchant, or _naturalist_?" - -"What's that?" the lad asked. - -"A naturalist is a scientist who travels to little-known places to -collect wild animals for a museum or college," explained Bob. - -There was a glint of interest in young Spike's eyes. He had absorbed -this definition eagerly. - -"Does he shoot with a big rifle, and camp out?" Spike demanded. - -"That's exactly what he does," Bob replied. "And he usually has plenty -of adventures, too." - -"Boy! That sounds swell! Wonder what it feels like to fire one of them -guns." - -"Feels all right after you get used to it," Joe said. - -"How do you know?" Spike asked, as though he felt that Joe was -talking of something that he knew nothing about. - -"My friend has fired them," explained Bob. "And so have I." - -At once the lad was all excitement. - -"You've really hunted wild animals? Tell me about it." - -During the next hour Bob and Joe related some of their experiences in -Brazil and North Africa, while their newly made young friend listened -breathlessly. By the expressions on his face they knew that he was -absorbing every word with interest. When they had finished, his -admiration for them was beyond expression. - -"Gee! You two are real naturalists," he said. - -"Not yet," corrected Bob, "though we hope to be some day. To be a -naturalist you must go through college and get your lessons every day. -But it isn't hard if you want to like it." - -For a time young Spike seemed lost in thought. Finally he roused -himself and turned to his friends. - -"I'm goin' home and go to school, so I can be a naturalist," he said -conclusively. "And then maybe I can have a lot of fun huntin' and -campin', like you fellows do. I always did want to do that." - -Bob and Joe glanced at each other. Did this lad's decision mean -anything, or was it merely a childish notion? At least they had -induced him to attend school temporarily. - -Joe started to speak, but Spike silenced him. - -"Look!" he cried. "We're comin' to a stop. This must be a town." - -The boy was right. The train was gradually slowing up at a spot where -the track had branched into several switches. At last it came to a -full stop. - -"Now's our chance to get off," declared Joe. "We----" - -"Keep still," hissed Bob. "Somebody's coming down the track. It may be -a railroad policeman, or 'bull,' as the hoboes call them." - -"Let's hide behind these boxes," suggested Joe. "He may be coming in -here." - -Quickly, yet quietly, the three concealed themselves in a corner of -the box car. Then they waited. - -The sound of someone walking grew louder, and the next moment a man -stopped at the side of the box car. There was the sound of a door -rolling forward, and then the click of a chain. Less than a minute -later he was on his way up the tracks. - -Hastily the hideaways slipped out from behind the boxes and into the -center of the car. - -Bob uttered an exclamation of dismay. - -"That fellow locked the door!" he cried. "We're trapped!" - - - - -CHAPTER III - -Helplessly Trapped - - -Spike uttered a cry of fright, while Joe dashed forward to make sure -that his friend was right. - -As Bob had said, the railroad man had fastened the door securely. -There was an opening of about eight inches, across which was a heavy -chain that terminated at a large lock. In order to cut the chain, a -file would be necessary. - -Of the three prisoners, Spike was the first to resume his natural -attitude. Perhaps this was due to his wide experience in riding -freight trains. At any rate he seemed to forget his plight and resign -himself over to any fate. - -"Tough luck!" the lad said. "Guess you guys will have to ride with me -to Chicago. May be several days before we can get anything to eat, -too." - -"That's the worst part about it," lamented Bob. "It may be days, or -even weeks, before we'll reach our destination." - -Bob and Joe were inclined to be downhearted, but their young friend -was cheerful. - -"Don't you worry," he consoled them. "I've been in tight fixes like -this many a time, and I've always got out all right. One time I went -out West and got locked in just like we are now." - -Young Spike sounded like an experienced vagabond, and the youths could -not help laughing. - -"How did you get out?" asked Joe, after the laugh had subsided. - -"It was easy. When we stopped at a town I just waited for some hobo to -come along. Somehow he got ahold of a file and had me out in a jiffy. -Hoboes are good to do anything like that for you." - -"Let's hope history will repeat itself," muttered Bob, who, along with -Joe, did not like the prospects of a trip to Chicago. - -Less than ten minutes later there was a slight jar, and the train -started moving. Although pulled by a large engine, there was little -chance of high speed, for a line of cars over a half-mile long -stretched far down the track. - -Bob, Joe, and Spike crowded before the crack to catch a glimpse of the -town at which they had stopped. But aside from a number of freight -cars and old buildings, there was little to be seen. - -"Suppose we arrange boxes in front of what little opening there is," -suggested Joe. "We may as well amuse ourselves by looking out." - -"That reminds me," burst out Spike. "I want to see if anything in this -car has stuff to eat in it." - -He at once began a search of the many boxes, bales, and crates that -were packed in each end of the car. Suddenly he gave a cry of delight. - -"Here's apples!" he cried excitedly. "Gee whiz! Who says we don't -eat?" - -But the fruit was in tightly nailed crates, which could not be easily -opened. - -"Come here, fellows!" shouted Spike. "Give me a hand! You don't expect -_me_ to open 'em when there's big guys like you around, do you?" - -"Wait a minute!" commanded Bob. "Whose apples are they?" - -"Whose are they? I don't know. Why?" - -"Do you think it's right to get in a box car and eat up somebody's -apples?" - -"Ah, gee whiz! You ain't gonna back out of a chance like this, are -you? Come on. Be a sport." - -Bob stoutly refused. - -"We're not going to open any boxes or crates around here, and you're -not either! Get that and get it straight! Of course if we have to, to -keep from starving, we will. But not now." - -Against this stout protest there was no use persisting, and Spike -finally walked sullenly back to his seat before the slightly open -door. - -"You guys sure are the berries," he said with an ironic smile. -"You'll never get anywhere that way." - -"That's where you're wrong," Joe corrected him. "We will and you -won't, unless you get such notions out of your head." - -"Ah, blooey!" - -A half-hour of silence followed, during which time the three gazed -absently out, watching the farms, the forests, the rivers and creeks -slip by. They were beginning to enter the Appalachian Mountains, and -more of natural beauty promised to be visible. - -But Bob and Joe did not care to observe the beauties of nature just -then. Their thoughts were dwelling on the probabilities of the future. -What lay in store for them? Would they be able to get home in time to -accompany their fathers to the Andes Mountains, or would fate rule -that they remain for an indefinite period in this box car? If the -truth were known, the youths were not a little worried. - -Darkness was beginning to enshroud the travelers, and the necessity of -making improvised beds moved them to action. There was a large pile of -burlap sacks in a far corner of the car. These they arranged a short -distance from the partly open door. - -"I don't think these bags are inhabited," smiled Joe. "They look -almost brand-new. At any rate we'll take a chance with them." - -"We'll have to," agreed Bob, who realized the necessity of a rest -after such an arduous day. - -However, the travelers spent an hour or so longer gazing out at the -dim outlines of the mountains. Although Bob and Joe were tired, they -had an uneasy feeling about resigning themselves over to sleep. -Something unexpected might happen during the night. - -Finally Bob arose and walked over to his bunk. - -"Suppose we turn in," he suggested. "We may need plenty of energy -tomorrow. It's possible for almost anything to happen, you know." - -Joe nodded and took his place beside his friend, but Spike announced -that he would remain up awhile longer. - -Almost at once the youths fell asleep. But from their experiences in -dangerous lands they had learned to keep one eye open as a precaution. - -This proved to be unnecessary, however, and they awoke the next -morning greatly refreshed. - -"We're on the other side of the mountains," observed Joe, as he -stretched and glanced out of the crack. - -"Now maybe we can make better time," Bob said, moving over to the -door. - -The three travelers were forced to begin the day without breakfast. -Spike insisted that they open the crates of apples, but Bob firmly -refused. - -"We may find some way out today," the youth consoled him. "If we have -to, we can eat a few of those apples tonight." - -All morning the train continued on its journey, passing small towns -and villages. Along toward noon it stopped at Charleston, West -Virginia, where after an hour of switching it was left on a side -track. - -Suddenly Joe, who was standing by the crack, caught sight of a -trainman not far away. The man's face was rather pleasant, with no -trace of gruffness. - -"There's a chance," Joe said. "Let's ask him to help us out." - -"No, don't," pleaded Spike, pulling Joe back. - -"Why not?" - -"'Cause if he gets you out he won't let me keep in this car to -Chicago." - -"But what about Bob and me? We don't want to ride all that distance." - -"No. Go ahead and call him," directed Bob, who was moving up to the -door. "Spike can find another car that's going to Chicago. We want to -get home." - -Disregarding the lad's protest, Joe shouted and motioned for the man -to come to the box car. There was a look of surprise on the fellow's -face as he moved over to where the three were trapped. - -"What's it all about?" he demanded. "You guys trying to steal a ride, -huh? Come on out of there and pick a car that ain't got anything in -it." - -"We can't get out," explained Joe. "Locked in, I guess. That's what we -wanted of you. See if you can get the door open." - -"Oh! So they penned you up, huh? Yeah. I see that locked chain now. -Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do anything for you." - -"But--but we've got to get out," Joe said persistently. "We haven't -had anything to eat for quite a while." - -The man hesitated a moment. - -"Got any money?" he asked. - -"Yes." - -"Let's see it." - -Joe held up a half-dollar. - -"O.K. There's a grocery a block from here. Want me to get you -something?" - -Delighted at such a chance, Joe instructed the trainman to purchase -several articles of food that would be sufficient to last for several -days. It was with a feeling of high hope that the youths watched the -man walk in the direction of the store. - -In less than fifteen minutes he was back and handed Joe a sack of -groceries in return for money. In recognition for his service, the -youth tipped him generously. - -"Now for a delicious meal," said Bob, smacking his lips. "And will we -eat!" - -The boys _did_ eat, and felt much better for it. When they had scraped -up the last crumb, they stretched out on the burlap sacks. - -The remainder of the day passed without incident. Darkness was just -setting in when, with a slight jerk, the train started moving. - -Even though they had expected an undisturbed sleep, Bob and Joe were -delighted that they were again on their way. Every mile left behind -would mean that they were nearer Chicago, which was perhaps the only -city at which they could hope to escape from their prison. - -"Let's hope we make good time now," breathed Bob, as he and his -friends turned in, to get what sleep a rumbling train would allow -them. - -All through the night the freight rattled on, this time much faster -than before. Although several stops were made, the train made -unusually good time, pulling into Cincinnati late the next morning. - -"Here's where we'll have to wait," said Joe. "They might keep us -switched here for several days." - -Almost at once their box car was sidetracked, and was not moved until -late the next day. About four o'clock another engine was attached, a -much shorter train being formed. Then slowly it pulled off the switch -and found a through track. - -Bob and Joe could hardly believe their eyes. Were they to leave -Cincinnati so soon? - -An hour later this question was answered. The boys found themselves -speeding along to Chicago, after having remained on the switch less -than twenty-four hours. - -"I suppose we'll stop at every town and small city in Indiana," said -Bob gloomily. "Even though this is a fast freight, a delay will be -almost inevitable." - -The youth was right. It was nearly three days later when the train -entered the city limits of Chicago. Gary and other cities of the -Calumet district had been left behind. - -After what seemed like hours of constant travel in the metropolis, the -freight stopped at a busy switch yard, where scores of trains were -moving in all directions. - -Suddenly Bob cried out in delight as he caught sight of a man walking -up the track. The youth recognized this fellow as the one who had -snapped the lock on the box-car door, making the young men and Spike -prisoners on the train. - -Bob at once called the man, who, upon hearing, turned about in -surprise. - -"Why--what--what are you doing in that car?" he demanded angrily, as -he caught sight of the youth. - -"We want to get out!" Bob's voice was cool and determined. - -"But how did you get in there? I thought I locked that door. I----" - -"Let us out and we'll tell you all about it," Bob pleaded. - -The man pulled a bunch of keys out of his pocket and immediately -unlocked the door. Bob hurriedly rolled it open and jumped out, -followed by Joe and young Spike. - -It was good to feel their feet on the ground again. Bob and Joe could -have cried out in joy. But there was little time to do this, for the -trainman demanded an explanation of their presence. - -Briefly Bob narrated the circumstances that led to their boarding the -train, shielding Spike as much as possible. When he had finished, the -man viewed the young lad critically. - -"I think I'll turn you over to the yard master," he said to Spike, -"and see that you get what's coming to you." - -He roughly caught hold of the boy's arm and pulled him forward. - -"Wait a minute," begged Joe. "Spike didn't do any harm. He's promised -to quit running around and go home and go to school." - -"Well, he ain't gonna get no sympathy from me. I got no use for a kid -that rides freights." - -He gave the boy another pull, this time so violent that the latter -slipped and fell, bruising his face on the cinders. - -Bob grew furiously angry. He stepped boldly up to the trainman. - -"Let the boy alone!" he demanded, his eyes seeming to penetrate the -man. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -The Surly Trainman - - -Before the blaze in Bob's eyes the man shrank back, hesitated a -moment, and then turned in the direction of the freight station. - -"All right," he snarled. "But don't let me catch the kid around here -again, or you either." - -He walked up the track to the end of the train, then disappeared -behind the engine. - -"Gee, that was swell of you," said Spike to Bob. "You sure had that -guy scared." - -"He was glad enough to get out of it," laughed Joe. "Old Bob wouldn't -have left a grease spot of him." - -"But now," began Bob, anxious to turn this tribute aside, "let's -figure out what to do. I suppose the only thing----" - -"I want to get home," Spike interrupted. "I may have something comin' -to me, but the sooner I get it over, the better." - -"Where do you live?" Joe asked. - -"Only about a half-mile from here." - -Joe got a piece of paper and pencil out of his pocket. He tore off one -corner and wrote down the address of himself and his friend. This he -gave to Spike. - -"Here," he said. "Write us a letter some time. Now where do you live?" - -Spike told him, and then, with a warm good-bye, he left the youths and -hurried down the track. - -Bob and Joe watched the lad until he disappeared from view. Even after -they lost sight of him, they stood gazing in that direction until a -locomotive whistle roused them. - -"He's a good kid, all right," smiled Bob. "Might be an aimless -wanderer, but he has a lot in him." - -"Got a keen sense of humor, too," said Joe, and then added: "I wonder -if he'll really go to school and make something out of himself, as he -said he would?" - -"Hard telling. A lot can happen to change his mind, you know." - -For several minutes Bob and Joe watched the busy scene about the -tracks. Finally a factory whistle from afar prompted Joe to glance at -his watch. - -"Nearly two o'clock," he announced. "Come on. Let's hurry down to the -freight station and see if we can send a telegram to our folks. If we -hadn't lost the car in that river, we would have been home several -days ago." - -The youths moved down to the building and went inside. After making -several inquiries they finally found the main office, where they were -permitted to send a telegram. Then they left the building and walked -in the direction of the street. - -"Good old Chicago," smiled Joe. "It's only been a couple of months -since we were here." - -Bob stopped suddenly. - -"That reminds me," he started. "We came here with our dads to see a -Mr. Wallace, who's with the Museum of Natural History, didn't we? And -this Mr. Wallace is planning on going with our dads' expedition to the -Andes Mountains, isn't he? Do you suppose he's left for Washington -yet?" - -Joe's face lightened. - -"I see what you mean," he said. "We can go and see him, and -incidentally we can borrow enough money to get home on. Suppose we go -to the museum now." - -The boys were familiar with Chicago and had no difficulty in taking a -street car. After a half-hour's ride they got off within a few squares -of the museum. A ten-minute walk brought them to the main entrance. - -At the office they made inquiries about Mr. Wallace and finally found -him in a laboratory on the second floor. He smiled broadly as he -recognized Bob and Joe. - -"Well, this is an unexpected pleasure," he said, extending his hand. -"What, may I ask, are you fellows doing in Chicago? Why aren't you -getting ready for that Andes expedition?" - -"It isn't our fault that we're here," laughed Bob, and then proceeded -to tell of the events that led to their presence. "Since we finally -landed here, we thought we'd come to the museum and see if you had -left for Washington yet," he concluded. - -"A strange chain of circumstances," the scientist breathed. "Not many -could go through all that in the course of a few days. No doubt it was -your first experience as hoboes, was it not?" - -"First and last," returned Joe. "We've had all we want of it. But -now," he went on, "when are you going to Washington? The expedition -leaves in little more than a week." - -"I had planned to go day after tomorrow," Mr. Wallace said. "I think -everything will be in readiness by that time. I'd like to spend at -least three days in Washington talking with your fathers and others of -the expedition before sailing. Of course you fellows are familiar with -the details of the expedition, are you not?" - -"Quite the contrary," returned Bob. "You see, when the matter was -first mentioned, about a month ago, there was not much known about -it. Our dads declined to say much, because they were not absolutely -sure they were going. Joe and I, though, had a sort of feeling that -they _were_ going, and finally got permission to stay out of college -at least a half-year." - -"So you could go with the expedition?" interrupted the scientist. - -Bob nodded. - -"We figured we'd get as much good out of such a trip as we could get -in a university," he explained. "Then, too, there's a chance of making -money by taking motion pictures, as we did on our other expeditions." - -"I think you did wisely," Mr. Wallace said. "It usually isn't good for -a fellow to get out of college too young. When an extraordinary chance -like this turns up, it's best to take it." - -He motioned for the boys to follow him into his office, where several -chairs were arranged about the desk. A large bookcase occupied a whole -end of the room, while opposite it was a case of instruments and -preservatives. - -"Sit down," he directed them, "and we'll talk over this Peruvian -expedition." - -Bob and Joe did as directed, glad of the chance to rest their tired -limbs. - -Mr. Wallace procured an atlas, opened it to a map of Peru, and drew -an imaginary line in the lower right-hand corner. - -"Here's Cuzco," he pointed out. "We'll probably make it or some other -near-by city our base. From there we'll go into the Andes Mountains on -our varied scientific quests." - -"But what--what is the main purpose of the expedition?" inquired Joe. -"Of course, you and Mr. Holton and Dad are naturalists, who want to -get specimens of animal life. But that isn't the chief aim of the -expedition, is it?" - -"No. It is being sent out by the division of ethnology at the museum -in Washington. The scientists in that field have in mind mainly to -study the ruins of the vanished Inca civilization. Those Indians, you -know, that built so many marvelous works of architecture. That's about -as much as I know about them, though," he laughed. "My line runs -straight through the field of natural history and zoölogy, and -incidentally anatomy, histology, taxonomy, embryology, ecology----" - -"That's enough!" interrupted Bob, smiling sheepishly. "You don't -expect Joe and me to be acquainted with all those subjects, do you? -We're pretty good shots, but as scientists we're as yet a complete -flop." - -A general laugh ensued, after which the naturalist again pointed to -the map. - -"We are to explore the region northwest of Lake Titicaca," he -continued. "I understand there are some very high peaks in this range, -all the way from ten to twenty thousand feet in altitude." - -"These Incas," started Joe, "when did they live? It hasn't been so -very long ago, has it?" - -"Not as time is usually thought of. The sixteenth century witnessed -their downfall. This was at the time of the Spanish South American -explorations, you know." - -"Those Spaniards sure saw something unusual and unexpected," remarked -Bob. "This mountainous region was chock-full of architectural wonders, -all built by the Incas." - -"Something tells me we'll see sights, all right," said Joe. "It will -be good to get away from home again--into the unknown, I mean. And -that reminds me. Would it be possible for you to lend us enough money -to get back to Washington?" - -"Why--of course. How much do you need?" - -"Fifty dollars will pull us through. Perhaps we can get along on less -than that," was the answer from Bob. - -"All right. I'll see that you get it. But wait! I expect to go day -after tomorrow with a friend, who is driving East on business. There -will be plenty of room for two more. You fellows don't have to get -home at once, do you?" - -"No, we don't have to," returned Joe. "We----" - -"Suppose you be my guests until then. I'll be only too glad to have -you. In the meantime we can be discussing the coming expedition." - -"We'd sort of hate to do that," Bob said. "It will mean a lot of -trouble to you." - -"Forget it! I'll be only too glad to have you." - -"Well, all right, if you----" Joe began. - -"We'll call it settled," Mr. Wallace said. "And now, since my day is -practically over, we may as well go to the house. That is, if you're -ready." - -"We're ready any time," Bob told him. - -The three went outside, to a place where the naturalist's automobile -was parked. All got inside and drove through the city till they came -to a beautiful suburb. - -"Here's my place," said Mr. Wallace, pointing to a large house of -rather costly design. - -Inside, the youths were introduced to Mrs. Wallace, who made them feel -perfectly at home. - -"I hate to see Mr. Wallace leave on an expedition," she said, "but I -can appreciate his interest in science. In fact, I have often wished I -could accompany him. Be a sort of Mrs. Martin Johnson, you know." - -"I wish our mothers were like that," laughed Bob. "If they were, -perhaps Joe and I wouldn't have so much difficulty in getting their -consent to go with our dads." - -A bountiful dinner was soon served, Bob and Joe eating heartily. - -"And now I have a surprise for you," Mr. Wallace said, when the meal -was over. "It is something I know we all will enjoy, especially in -view of what is to come." - -The young men looked inquiring. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -As Guests of the Naturalist - - -"What is the surprise?" inquired Joe Lewis anxiously. - -"This: I made arrangements for a movie to be shown--purely for our own -benefit," the naturalist explained. "It deals with Peru and the -Andes." - -"The region we're going to explore!" cried Joe, delighted beyond -words. "Why, that will be wonderful!" - -"I've never seen it," Mr. Wallace said. "But the chances are it will -be good. Perhaps we had better go before long. It is to be shown at -eight o'clock, and we haven't a great deal of time to get down there." - -"Where?" inquired Bob. - -"To the museum--in the auditorium," was the response. - -Mrs. Wallace asked that she be permitted to go also, and the others -consented at once. The wonderful civilization of the ancient Inca -Indians she knew not a little about. - -At the museum they found several score people waiting for the movie to -be shown. There was a friendly gathering for a half-hour or so, at -which Mr. Wallace introduced a number of scientist friends from the -museum and Chicago universities. - -Then the lights were switched off and the movie was projected. It -proved everything and more that Bob and Joe had expected, showing the -fascinating country of Peru. - -The shy Indians with their flat "pancake" hats, the curious llamas and -alpacas, the magnificent heights of the mighty Andes, the many old -ruins of the Incas--all these and more were depicted on the screen. - -It was very inspiring, especially to the boys and Mr. Wallace, who -were delighted that before long they would be able actually to visit -those wonderful places. - -During the drive home the naturalist's conversation was directed -chiefly about this inspiring country, his excitement being almost like -that of a small boy. But if the naturalist was impressed, the youths -were still more. They longed for the great day to come when they would -leave for the wonderland of Peru. - -It was so late when they arrived at the Wallace residence that the -youths and their hosts decided to retire at once. - -"I'm not going to the museum today," announced the naturalist the next -morning at breakfast. "There is so much that has to be done in the way -of preparing for the coming expedition that I won't have time for -anything else." - -"If there's anything Joe and I can do for you, we'll be glad to do -it," said Bob. "Our preparations won't begin until we get back to -Washington." - -The young men proved to be of valuable service to the scientist. Their -previous experience in preparing for exploration ventures enabled them -to offer valuable suggestions to Mr. Wallace, even though the latter -had made numerous trips for the good of science. - -The vast resources of the great metropolis enabled them to find -anything that the naturalist needed in the way of outdoor equipment. -All that day and half of the next were spent in the business district. - -"Now if you fellows like sport, as I do, what do you say about a -little target practice?" Mr. Wallace asked them, after the noon lunch. - -"What do we say?" Joe was overjoyed. "Lead us to it!" - -In the extreme rear of the lawn was a large rifle range. Here, with -the guns that Mr. Wallace generously furnished, they took turns -exercising their skill at the trigger. Bob easily placed himself above -the others by striking the very heart of the bull's-eye. - -"I thought I was a fair shot," smiled the scientist. "But you have me -beat by a mile." - -"Just happened that I hit it, I guess," Bob said modestly. - -But when he again was able to send a bullet almost directly over the -first one, the others knew that it did not just happen. - -"Wonderful to be such a shot," remarked Mr. Wallace. "I suppose it has -been the secret of your emerging unharmed from the unknown, hasn't -it?" he said laughing. - -"Trying to kid me, are you?" smiled Bob. "Joe and I may be green, but -another expedition or two will make us full-fledged explorers. At -least we hope so." - -Mr. Wallace grinned. - -"That's what we all think," he said. "But the fact is, we never do get -to be what you call full-fledged explorers. I've been on a good many -expeditions, but I don't know much even now. To me it's interesting -that I got my start in scout work. The Boy Scout organization is one -of the greatest on the globe." - -"So did we, to a certain extent," said Bob. "Although the fact that -our dads are explorers perhaps accounted for a still earlier -interest." - -The youths and the naturalist spent the better part of the afternoon -on the rifle range. Then they went to the house, where in Mr. -Wallace's extensive library they read still more about Peru and the -Andes. - -That evening they spent quietly, for the next day they were to start -on the trip to Washington. The naturalist's friend, with whom they -were to drive to the East, was to come after them early the next -morning. - -And early it was. Too early for the youths and Mr. Wallace, who had -barely finished breakfast. But they were packed and ready, and so lost -no time in getting their belongings together. - -The friend, whose name was Wilson, was a newspaper man, often -traveling East in the interest of his profession. He was good-natured -and talkative, at once taking a liking to Bob and Joe. - -When everything was in readiness, Bob and Joe and the men took their -places in Mr. Wilson's automobile and, with a warm farewell to Mrs. -Wallace, started down the driveway. - -Soon the youths would be home--and on their way to the mysterious -Andes! - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -The Big Surprise - - -As the automobile sped toward the thoroughfare, Bob and Joe settled -back for the long ride. Now that they were at last heading for -Washington, the boys were becoming impatient, although they had -enjoyed the last few days immensely. - -Until after they had left Chicago, Mr. Wilson was rather quiet, -bending his efforts solely on managing the car. But when the -metropolis had disappeared from view, he inquired about his friends' -expedition into the Andes Mountains. - -"Perhaps I'm not much of an adventurer, but somehow I wouldn't care -for that sort of a life," he laughed, after Mr. Wallace had related -the outlines of the expedition. "I wouldn't mind taking a trip to that -place--put up at a hotel, or the like. But when it comes to straying -off the traveled road, well----" He stopped meaningly. - -Bob laughed. - -"It's a good thing people aren't all alike," he said. "If they were, -either the wilds or the civilized places would be filled to capacity." - -Although the youths were anxious to reach their destination, they -found the drive East interesting, even though they had made it before. -Their attention was so held by the many interesting sights that, -almost before knowing it, they found themselves in Pittsburgh, after -having eaten a lunch several hours before. In the business district -they engaged rooms in a small but comfortable hotel. - -If Mr. Wilson and the naturalist were tired, the youths were not. They -insisted on taking a look at Pittsburgh, which they had not seen for -many months. An hour or two of looking around and they would return to -the hotel, remarked Bob. - -During that time the young men found much to hold their interest. The -great fiery blast furnaces, the towering skyscrapers, the crowds of -pleasure seekers, and the lights of river boats all kept them gay with -amusement. - -At last, when they finally made themselves return to the hotel, they -found that their friends had gone. Evidently the lure of a great city -was too much for them. - -"And Mr. Wilson said he was dead tired," said Joe with a smile. - -"They're no different from us," said Bob. "Want to keep on the go, I -guess." - -Mr. Wallace and his friend did not return until late, much to the -amusement of the youths. Both men wore a sheepish look as they caught -sight of Bob and Joe. - -"Sorry, but we just had to get out," grinned the newspaper man, -walking drowsily through the lobby. "Couldn't stand it to stay -inside." - -"Perhaps you'll pay the penalty of oversleeping," laughed Joe, "and we -won't get started until late." - -Joe proved wrong, however, for early the next morning they were up -making ready to resume the journey. From Pittsburgh the traveling -promised to be slower, owing to the increased traffic and mountainous -country. But Mr. Wilson was determined to make good time, and did, -reaching York, Pennsylvania, at one o'clock. - -Here the youths and the naturalist were to take their leave, while the -newspaper man would continue to New York City. Had he not been in a -great hurry he would have insisted on driving them on to Washington. -As it was, his business prevented his doing so. - -With a hearty farewell, the boys and Mr. Wallace left his car and made -their way to a railroad station, where they boarded a train for the -nation's capital. - -An hour and a half of traveling brought them to Baltimore, and now -the youths began to feel that they were in home territory. In this -city a delay was inevitable, but at last the train resumed its journey -to Washington, which it reached in due time. - -Since Mr. Wallace and the boys had not known exactly when they would -arrive, they had not expected anyone to meet them at the station. But -much to their surprise they found that Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis were -waiting for them when they went down from the tracks. - -"Boys!" cried Mr. Holton excitedly. "And there's Wallace, too. How are -you, old man?" - -There followed a wild shaking of hands, patting of backs, and general -welcome, in which Mr. Wallace took as large a part as the others. - -"How did you know we would come on that train?" inquired Bob -wonderingly. "Mr. Wallace didn't tell you, did he?" - -"Not exactly," Mr. Lewis returned, picking up a suitcase. "But he said -you would probably get near Washington today, and that York, -Pennsylvania, would be your junction point. So Howard"--referring to -Mr. Holton--"and I called up the station to find out when the train -would get in. We were here this morning, when the early one arrived." - -The newcomers were led to Mr. Holton's car, which was parked a short -distance away. Glad of the chance to relax, the youths and Mr. -Wallace threw themselves tiredly into the seats. - -As mentioned previously, the respective homes of Bob and Joe were -located next door to each other, almost at the edge of the city. They -were not of costly design, but were comparatively new and pleasing. - -Mr. Holton had barely brought the car to the curb when the boys' -mothers, along with Bob's small brother and Joe's sister, came out to -meet them. There followed another greeting, if anything warmer than -the first. Mr. Wallace, upon being introduced, received a hearty -welcome. It might be added that he was to remain with either the -Holtons or the Lewises until the expedition would depart for South -America. - -"Now tell us what happened," urged Mrs. Lewis, Joe's mother, when -everyone had assembled in the living room of the Holton home. - -Briefly Bob related the adventures of himself and his friend, from the -time they lost the car in the river to the present. He told of coming -to the washed-out bridge, of the forced abandoning of Joe's coupé, and -of boarding the freight train where Spike Weaver was trapped. The -forced ride to Chicago, the calling on Mr. Wallace, and the eventful -days that followed were described fully, while the others listened -breathlessly. - -"Quite an experience," commented Mr. Holton, when his son had -finished. "Not many could have gone through it all." - -The friendly gathering lasted until late that afternoon. As there was -no use making further preparations for the coming expedition, all but -Bob and Joe took it easy. The youths, however, thought it best to -notify the insurance company about losing Joe's car. - -At request, the company agreed to send out an investigator without -delay. He arrived as soon as was promised and asked that Bob and Joe -accompany him to the spot where the car plunged into the river. - -When they arrived at the familiar spot, Bob and Joe were not surprised -to see that workmen were repairing the washed-out bridge. The men were -aware that a car was at the river bottom. - -"I'll take a few notes," said the insurance man. "Then we'll go back. -And let me assure you that this matter will be looked after promptly." - -Back at their homes, Bob and Joe were surprised to see a tall young -man of perhaps twenty-five conversing with the three naturalists in -the Holton library. - -Mr. Lewis looked up suddenly as he caught sight of his son and Bob. - -"We've a surprise for you," he said smiling. "Part of the Andes -expedition is going by airplane." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -Off for the Andes - - -The surprise of Bob and Joe was almost inconceivable. They stood -staring for several seconds before either seemed to grasp the full -significance of the naturalist's words. - -"Airplane? Going by airplane?" gasped Joe. "How come?" - -His father laughed. - -"We expected to see you fellows startled," Mr. Lewis said. "But that -you would show such unusual astonishment we did not in the least -anticipate." He turned to the stranger. "This," he went on, addressing -the youth, "is Mr. Karl Sutman, who is going to take several members -of the expedition in his airplane, or rather monoplane. Karl, I want -you to meet Bob Holton and Joe Lewis, the young men we were just -talking about." - -"Glad to know you, fellows," the aviator greeted, extending a hand. - -"Pleased to meet you, Mister----" Bob began, but was interrupted. - -"_Karl_, if you don't mind," the tall man laughed. "I don't care for -that 'mister' stuff. First name fits me good enough." - -"Good enough for us, too," said Joe with a smile. "Call us Bob and -Joe." - -These informalities tended to bring about a feeling of friendliness -which was noticeable in the conversation that followed. - -"Will you please explain how it all came about?" asked Bob. "This -airplane stuff almost took Joe and me off our feet." - -"Off your feet you'll be in a few days," chuckled the aviator. "That -is if you ginks are picked out to go with me in the plane." - -"If there's any air traveling, we want to be in on it," Bob assured -him. "But--" he hesitated a moment--"how did it all come about?" - -"I'll tell you," Mr. Lewis said. "Karl's dad and I are very good -friends--have been for many years. Now when Karl learned of this -coming expedition, he at once looked me up and offered to take part of -us in his monoplane. All that he'll charge will be for the gas and -oil, and he'll pay a share of that. The fact that he is a licensed -transport pilot makes the whole thing a pretty safe venture." - -"And I've had six hundred hours of flying--without a single mishap," -Karl added proudly. "The monoplane I own is one of the fastest and -most efficient machines there are. It'll do a hundred and fifty miles -an hour with no trouble at all." - -"Sounds well enough," smiled Joe. "Tell us some more." - -During the next few minutes the young aviator explained in detail the -plans made for the trip. His machine, he said, could carry four -passengers and the pilot, and there was a possibility of adding one -more. Just who those passengers were to be, the others could decide. -The course they would follow he had mapped out carefully, taking into -consideration the possibility of having to land at any time. Norfolk, -Virginia, would be the last large American city they would see. From -there they would proceed south over the Bahama Islands and Cuba, and -then on to the north coast of South America. At Bogotá, Colombia, a -stop would probably be made for fuel. They would then continue along -the coast mountains (Andes) over Colombia, Ecuador, and into Peru. At -Mollendo, a small but important coast town, the air travelers would -wait to join the other members of the expedition, who would arrive -several days later by steamship. - -When Karl had finished, the youths were overflowing with enthusiasm. -Their imaginations had been captivated by the prospects of a unique -air trip into the Andes. That they could accompany Karl they sincerely -hoped. - -"Of course," began Joe, addressing his father, "Bob and I will be -among the passengers, will we not?" - -Mr. Lewis looked grave. He did not have any too much faith in -aviation. - -"We'll see," he replied. "Your mothers will have to give their -consent, you know. It may prove difficult to get that." - -"I think we can bring them around," Bob said, with an optimism that he -was far from feeling, "especially if you and Dad decide to go. And you -will, won't you?" - -"Impossible for me to do so," returned Mr. Lewis. "I've already made -reservations on a steamship. As for Mr. Holton, he may make -arrangements to go." - -"But right now," started Karl, rising, "how would you -fellows"--referring to Bob and Joe--"like to come with me out to the -airport? I want to show you the 'plane." - -"Lead us there!" cried Joe at once. "We want to take in everything." - -The youths' fathers had been to the airport the previous day, and so -did not care to go again. The boys and Mr. Wallace, however, desired -to see the monoplane, especially since there was a chance of their -becoming passengers. - -It was nearly noon, but the four decided to leave at once. They could -get a lunch somewhere else, perhaps at the airport. - -"Besides, we're not hungry," explained Joe, when the others asked that -they leave an hour later. "Excitement and activity make us forget all -about eating." - -At the airport the youths and Mr. Wallace were taken to a corner of -the field, just off the cement runway. There, before their eyes, was a -large white monoplane, shining brightly with a coat of fresh paint. - -"Ain't it a dandy?" Karl was beaming all over with pride. "Just been -completely inspected. It's just r'arin' to go!" - -They walked up to the machine to examine it at close quarters. - -"Sure a peach for looks," commented Joe. "Got an air-cooled motor, -too. How about getting inside?" - -"Go ahead. You'll find it as accommodating as a street car." - -"It's all of that," agreed Bob a moment later, when he had opened the -door and stepped into the cabin. "Those comfortable deep seats appeal -to me." - -"Seats aren't as important in an airplane as in a bus," laughed Karl. -"No bumps in the air." - -On either side of the cabin were two chairs, placed several feet -apart. In the middle of the floor was a small folding table, which the -boys guessed had been placed there by Karl as a convenience to members -of the expedition. A wide glass window separated the pilot's cockpit -from the passenger section, and the two were connected by a telephone -apparatus. Three large windows were in each wall, which was slightly -curving near the ceiling. At the rear was a large compartment for -food, maps, and other equipment. - -"Now that you've looked it over, how would you like to go up for a -short ride?" the aviator asked, as the others examined the ship -minutely. - -"Like nothing better!" came from Bob. "Can we go now?" - -"Yeah. Everybody hop in. Be sure that door's tight." - -Delighted at such an opportunity, the youths and Mr. Wallace took -places in the cabin, while Karl climbed into the cockpit. - -A few seconds later there came the roar of the motor, and then the -passengers felt themselves moving. - -The 'plane rolled over the cement runway for several hundred feet, -then gradually left the ground and began climbing steadily. - -"We're in the air!" cried Joe excitedly. He and his friend had never -been in a monoplane before. "Doesn't feel unusual, does it?" - -"I wouldn't know it if I didn't see the ground dropping away from us," -Bob said. "We'll probably appreciate the absence from jolts and jars." - -This easy conversation was made possible by the heavy insulation -between the pilot's and passengers' quarters. As a result, the roar of -the engine was silenced to a remarkable degree. - -When just above the airdrome, they heard Karl's voice through the -telephone. - -"How does it feel?" the aviator asked. "Think you'd like flying?" - -"Sure," came from Joe, speaking through the transmitter. "It's a -hundred per cent better than land traveling." - -The experience was not novel to Mr. Wallace, who had once crossed the -continent in a huge tri-motor monoplane. But nevertheless he appeared -to be enjoying it as much as the young men. - -An altitude of perhaps a thousand feet was reached, and then the -'plane shot ahead toward the business district of Washington. - -They had been in the air perhaps five minutes when Karl's voice was -again heard through the telephone. - -"See anything familiar below?" - -"By George!" exclaimed Bob wonderingly. "We're right above our houses. -Suppose anybody sees us?" - -"Guess not," his chum said. "They're not out, anyway." - -A much higher altitude was reached, and their direction of travel was -changed. - -From that height, the passengers could easily make out the business -district, including the United States Capitol, the White House, and -other government buildings. In addition, they could see several score -miles in every direction. - -"Isn't that Baltimore over there?" queried Joe, his keen eyes scanning -the landscape. - -"It is at that," observed Mr. Wallace. "The atmosphere isn't any too -clear, though, and we can't make it out very plainly." - -"We're a great distance away, too," remarked Bob. "Wonderful when you -think about it, isn't it?" - -They circled around for a few minutes and then headed back to the -airport, as the aviator did not care to use too much gas. - -When again on the ground, Bob and Joe were more anxious than ever to -be among those of the expedition who would travel by air. Their -eagerness was increasing with every minute. - -"You've got to let us go!" said Bob to his father, when he and his -friends had returned home. "Why, just see what we'll be missing if we -don't." - -"You may be missing death," Mr. Holton returned grimly. "But then," he -went on, raising his voice, "the chances are that nothing will happen. -Any more, airplane accidents are rare. I've almost decided to go -myself. It will be a chance of a lifetime." - -"Then--then you mean we can go?" - -"I haven't exactly said so," the naturalist answered. "There is your -mother, don't forget." - -"Perhaps she won't consider it so wonderful," suggested Mr. Wallace, -who had been induced to spend the few days before leaving with the -Holtons. - -Bob's mother did not at all like the idea when it was put before her -later. But she did not protest so violently when she saw that her -husband was actually bent on going. After all, his judgment had seldom -failed him, and most likely would not now. Then, too, she was somewhat -of an air enthusiast herself, having great faith in the development of -aviation. And what Mr. Holton did she usually considered fit for Bob. - -Joe had more difficulty in securing the consent of his parents, for -they were doubtful as to the outcome of such a venture. Mr. Lewis, -however, was well acquainted with Karl Sutman, and knew him to be an -excellent airplane pilot, besides being a resourceful, well-thought-of -citizen. In the end, Joe's parents consented to the youth's going, -especially when they learned that Mr. Holton and Bob intended to go. -Mr. Lewis, however, had already booked passage on a steamship, and -could not cancel his arrangement, much as he would have liked to. - -The two chums were delighted beyond words. - -"It'll seem strange without your father with us, though," said Bob. -"We all went together on our other trips, and----" - -"He'll meet us in Mollendo," Joe reminded him, and then added: "Wonder -if Mr. Wallace will go in the 'plane?" - -That person desired very much to do so, but hesitated to let Mr. Lewis -make the ocean trip alone. Joe's father, though, declared he would not -be without companions, for he was acquainted with several members of -other divisions of the expedition. A Mr. Thomas L. Wells, of the -division of ethnology, was a very close friend of the naturalist. - -"So, although I would like for you to come with me on the boat, I want -you to go in the airplane," Joe's father said to Mr. Wallace, -"because I know you are bent on doing so, and it is a wonderful -opportunity." - -The result was that Mr. Wallace made preparations to go by air, much -to the delight of Bob and Joe. Since their first meeting with the -naturalist several months before, the youths had taken a great liking -to him. - -Making ready for the airplane trip was a novel experience to Bob and -Joe. They found there was much to be purchased in the way of suits, -caps, goggles, and other provisions. Aviator's togs, the young men -knew, would not be strictly necessary, as it was a monoplane with a -closed cabin. But they thought it best to get them, since they could -also be used for general outdoor clothes. - -"Here's something the express man left you, boys," Mr. Holton called, -when the chums returned from a shopping trip downtown. - -Eagerly Bob and Joe opened the large box. A minute later, when they -saw its contents, they uttered exclamations of joy. - -"The moving-picture camera and film, from the Neuman Motion Picture -Corporation!" cried Bob happily. "It got here just in time, didn't it? -We'll be leaving day after tomorrow." - -The Neuman Motion Picture Corporation, a large firm that released -educational films, had engaged the services of Bob and Joe on their -two previous expeditions. The youths took moving pictures of the -strange lands they visited, and so pleased the film company that they -were given the opportunity of again taking moving pictures while in -the Andes Mountains. Always the boys were paid a substantial sum for -their trouble, which to them was sheer pleasure. - -"Inca land you'll find to be perhaps the most interesting place you've -photographed," Mr. Holton told them. "If you do this well, the company -will almost eat you up in their praise of you." - -"The Inca empire is still sort of a mystery to me," said Joe. "I've -read quite a bit about it, and Mr. Wallace and Bob and I saw that -movie in Chicago, but it's still all not quite clear. I know how the -country around there looks. It is the empire itself that I don't know -much about." - -"Not being an archæologist, I don't know a great deal about it," Mr. -Holton said. "Perhaps not much, if any, more than you fellows. I do -know, though, that the Incas maintained a socialistic state, in which -everyone was forced to work on a given piece of land without deriving -any direct benefit. The grain that they raised all went to a common -storehouse, and everyone drew from it in times of stress." - -"A sort of depression insurance," laughed Joe. - -"Might call it that," the naturalist said with a smile. "At any rate -it seemed to prove effective." - -"How about the wild animals and birds in Peru?" asked Bob. "Are there -many there?" - -"Now you've mentioned a subject that I know something about," returned -Mr. Holton. "Yes, there are countless numbers of interesting wild -creatures in those mountains. Most impressive of all is perhaps the -condor, the largest bird that flies. We naturalists wish particularly -to investigate reports of a species of condor that is pure white in -color. Whether we'll find it we have yet to see. But there are other -birds and animals that we feel sure of getting, such as the puma, -armadillo, lizard, guanaco, fox, and snipe. We aren't allowed a great -deal of time in the Andes, but we feel certain that a large number of -wild creatures will fall at the report of our rifles." - -The next two days were busy ones for Bob and Joe. They frequented the -business district often to get minor articles that they would need on -the trip, and by the time the great day of leaving came they had -finished all preparations. - -After breakfast Mrs. Holton and Mr. Lewis drove the leavetakers to the -airport. When they arrived at that place they found that an expert -mechanic had just completed a thorough inspection of Karl Sutman's -monoplane, and had found it in perfect running order. - -Their belongings were all placed in the provision compartment, and -then, with sincere farewells, the youths, Mr. Holton, and Mr. Wallace -climbed into the cabin, while Karl took his place in the cockpit. - -The engine was started, and then, after the travelers had called out -one last farewell and promise to be careful, the monoplane rolled -heavily over the concrete runway and pointed its nose toward the -southern sky. - -"We're off!" cried Joe excitedly. "Off for the Andes Mountains!" - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -Caught in the Storm - - -As the monoplane rose higher, Bob and Joe and the others waved to the -little group below until it faded from view. Then they turned to take -in the country they were passing over. - -Streets, buildings, vehicles, and people were mere specks below, as -Karl sent the machine to a new high altitude. Past the city of -Washington, and then on--on above the many small cities and towns of -southern Maryland. - -"Wonderful view!" breathed Joe Lewis, gazing out at the wonderful -panorama that was spread out before them. - -"Bet we can see fifty miles," added Bob. "There's the Potomac River -over there, and away off in the distance seems to be the ocean. I -wonder if it is?" - -Bob and Joe were strangely unaware of forward movement, though they -were going nearly twice as fast as the fastest automobile. The -comfortable enclosed cabin kept out the fierce roar of the wind, and -heavy insulation silenced the noise of the engine to a remarkable -degree. Thus they found it easy to carry on conversation. - -They made the hundred-and-forty-mile trip to Norfolk in little more -than an hour. Then, after leaving this city behind, they passed over -North Carolina until finally the ocean loomed up before them. - -When the last stretch of land had been left behind, Bob and Joe were -thoughtfully silent. What if anything should happen while they were -out here above the boundless water, with no place near on which to -land? It was not pleasant to think of plunging hundreds of feet into -the ocean, even though the water might be calm. - -As they flew farther, Joe was surprised that they had not seen ships -below them. - -"This isn't a route of travel," explained Mr. Holton. "We probably -won't see any large liners till we get farther south." - -Later they were able to make out several tramp steamers, which, when -viewed at that altitude, appeared to be at a standstill. Just where -the vessels were heading the air travelers could only guess. - -Suddenly, unexpectedly, the youths and the naturalists found -themselves in a heavy cloud, which hid the ocean from view. It was so -dark that Mr. Wallace almost mechanically switched on a light. - -"Wonder if this means danger?" mused Joe, gazing intently out of the -window at the haze. - -"I was wondering the same thing," came from Mr. Holton. "If it does, -we ought to hear from Karl before long." - -But before long they passed out of the cloud and once more could see -the ocean. But now the sun was nowhere in sight. - -"We may have some rain," said Karl through the telephone. "Be sure all -the windows are closed tightly." - -Bob wondered if rain would be a hindrance to flying, although he -hesitated to put the question before Karl. If the truth were known, he -was not a little worried. - -As they flew farther the sky became more overshadowed. Dark, -threatening clouds hovered near, as if to warn the air travelers to -seek a place of refuge. It was not a pleasant sight to the four -passengers. - -All at once they had a sudden sensation of falling, which almost took -their breath away. It lasted but a brief moment, however, much to the -relief of all. - -"What caused that?" asked Joe, who had turned pale. - -His question was answered a little later by Karl. - -"Feel that drop?" the aviator asked. "I did that to see if we can't -get below the storm area." - -"How far did we fall?" inquired Mr. Wallace interestedly. - -"Only a few hundred feet. And I steered over to the east, too. We seem -to be out of the storm area." - -Now, as they flew on, the travelers could easily glimpse the dark mass -of clouds that they would have been forced to pass through had they -remained strictly on their course. - -An hour or so before noon, the explorers caught sight of a little -group of islands, and in the distance they could make out one that was -much larger. - -"We're nearing the West Indies," observed Mr. Wallace jubilantly. -"That large island away over there is probably Abaco." - -As they neared the land, Karl dropped to perhaps a thousand feet. From -this altitude they could command a good view of the country below -them. It was for the most part wild and uninhabited. There was a great -deal of fog hovering about, or they could have seen many more islands. - -They were nearing the tropics, as evidenced by the mercury rising in -the thermometer. As they were traveling evenly, it was safe to open -the windows. The resulting gush of wind was at once greatly -appreciated. - -"We'll have about three hundred and seventy-five miles of traveling -before we reach Cuba," announced Karl, as they passed over a large -cluster of islands. "Maybe we'd better land there, at least for a few -minutes. It'll give the 'plane a chance to cool off, and then, too, we -can look it over." - -It was three hours later that Bob caught sight of what appeared to be -a long black line stretching out of sight to their left. That line -gradually took shape and color, and the explorers found themselves -nearing Cuba. - -On the side nearest them was a large mountain, with a cone-like top -that gave it the appearance of a volcano. - -Within sight of this peak, Karl picked out a level stretch of ground -and sent the monoplane downward. He found it necessary to make a -spiral landing, as there was danger of otherwise striking a line of -low, sharp peaks. - -Bob and Joe watched closely as the ground came up to meet them. Then -they felt the wheels bump, and they knew they were safe. - -"All out!" called Karl, appearing at the cabin door. "That is, if you -want to rest your legs." - -The others needed no urging. They climbed stiffly out of the 'plane -and stretched freely. While they had not been cramped, they had -nevertheless not been allowed the freedom of violent exercise. - -"So this is Cuba," observed Joe, yawning and looking at the green -jungle, which seemed everywhere about them. - -"Not much to be seen in this part of the island," Mr. Wallace told -them. "We're at the extreme eastern end." - -They looked around a bit, though, to satisfy their curiosity. - -When they finally returned to the 'plane, after taking a tramp toward -the high peak, the explorers were ready to devour anything in the way -of food. - -Sandwiches and iced tea, the latter having been kept cold in a thermos -jug, served as a meal, and proved to be very satisfying to the hungry -explorers. - -Then, after taking a short rest in the shade of the monoplane, they -prepared to resume the journey. - -"Now comes the worst part," said Karl, with a frown. "We'll have to -fly for over five hundred miles without seeing a trace of an island. -The Caribbean Sea may prove treacherous for tropical storms, too." - -Luck was with them the first half of their trip. The sky remained -clear and light, not giving the slightest indication of a change of -weather. - -Then suddenly, when the travelers' hopes were high, they noticed that -the sky was becoming dark and threatening. A fierce wind was blowing -with a dangerous velocity, which threatened to send the monoplane off -its course. - -Karl guided the machine off to the west, in the hope of passing beyond -the storm area. He speeded up to over a hundred and fifty miles an -hour, for he knew that whatever he did must be done quickly. - -But try as he did, he could not escape the heavy clouds and terrible -wind. - -His hope almost gone, he sent the ship to a much higher altitude, -thinking it might be possible to get above the clouds. - -But it was too late. With a rush and a roar, the tropical hurricane -was upon them. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A Fearful Discovery - - -Never in their lives had the explorers witnessed anything like the -terrible onslaught that followed. The violent, ruthless wind dashed -the monoplane about dangerously, threatening at every moment to tear -it to pieces. It was but a frail, man-made machine when caught in -those forces of nature. - -Karl's ability as a pilot promised to be tested to the utmost. If he -could keep the ship straight it would be nothing short of miraculous. -The less skillful aviator would send his craft dashing down to the -foamy water below. But Karl was by no means a novice. He had had wide -experience in piloting passenger monoplanes on schedule across the -United States. - -"Sit tight!" he called through the telephone, suspecting that his -friends were frightened. "We'll get out some way--I hope." - -Every gust of wind tossed the 'plane about hazardously. It seemed -that a plunge would be inevitable. - -In the cockpit Karl Sutman was determined to bring his friends and -himself safely through the danger. With nerves of steel, he hung on -desperately to the stick and the rudder bar, keeping his keen eyes -glued to the horizon. - -It was indeed a race between life and death, as the staunch 'plane was -swung about at the mercy of the storm. Many times before had the -machine proved itself capable of withstanding the assault of the -elements, but this was the supreme test. If it could weather this, it -would indeed be a strong machine. - -Inside the cabin, the youths and the naturalists were pale with an -awful fear that this would be the end. They could not conceive of -passing safely through such a hurricane as this. They were only too -aware that many an aviator had gone to his doom in a tropical storm. - -Now, to add to the terrible scene, a heavy rain began to fall, coming -in great gusts with the wind. It pattered ominously on the wings, -bearing the monoplane down with the added weight. - -"Oh!" groaned Joe, almost giving up in despair. "I suppose the worst -is yet to come." - -"Cheer up," said Mr. Holton, who was inclined to be hopeful, as he -noticed that the wind was blowing more evenly. "It can't last so very -much longer." - -Despite this expression of optimism, the hurricane continued at full -force, although a bit smoother than at first. Now the wind, instead of -coming in great gusts, blew steadily. - -This made it slightly easier to handle the 'plane and took some of the -severe strain from Karl. But he still was forced to use all his energy -in keeping the craft at as even keel as possible. - -All knew that a tropical storm was usually over a wider area than one -in the temperate zone. It was this that had made it impossible for -Karl to steer the 'plane to safety before the gale struck. - -Only gradually did the monoplane pass through the clouds, which -extended many miles in every direction. - -Finally, when a clear sky again became visible, the explorers uttered -cries of relief. They had at last escaped what seemed like certain -disaster. - -Bob moved over to the transmitter. - -"You were wonderful, Karl, old boy!" he praised. "If most anyone else -had been in your seat, we wouldn't be in the air now." - -"Oh, there are plenty others that could have done it," the aviator -returned, his voice sounding a bit nervous. "I just saw that I had to -get out some way and did everything I could." - -The storm had served in no small measure to heighten the explorers' -admiration for their pilot. If the latter could safely guide them -through such a display of the elements, he could be depended upon for -almost any crisis. - -The brilliant sun was now rapidly showing itself in full view, casting -a sparkling reflection on the ocean. All evidences of the storm were -covered up, even the heavy foam caps having disappeared. It was as -though nature were repenting of her arduous activities. - -As they flew on, the explorers had a strong hope that the weather -would remain calm during the remainder of their journey. They were -nearing land now, and they wished to finish the trip in a cloudless -sky. - -At last, when they were becoming weary from seeing nothing but -boundless water, they suddenly caught sight of a dim shape that -covered the whole of the horizon. That shape became larger and more -plain, until it took on the form of land. - -"Hurrah!" cried Bob joyfully. "South America at last!" - -"I believe you're right," came from his father. "It----" - -"Announcing our arrival at the great continent of South America!" -Karl's voice, coming loudly through the telephone, broke off with a -laugh. - -As they came nearer, the aviator guided the machine to a lower -altitude, although still high enough to see many miles in every -direction. - -But it was a long while before they could make out plainly the details -of the coast. Fog made it necessary to fly very near in order to see -anything distinctly. - -"I believe I can make out the Andes," said Joe, gazing out at the -distant horizon. - -"Don't be sure," laughed Mr. Wallace. "Those mountains are a long way -off." - -Before long they had passed the coast and headed over the land, almost -directly above the Magdalena River, whose course they could easily -make out. - -For the most part, the country they were flying over was rugged and -uncultivated, but there were occasional towns and villages that dotted -the valleys and clearings. - -"Bogotá is the first large city we'll see," announced Karl. "We ought -to get there by tomorrow noon." - -"Where will we spend tonight?" asked Joe, as he noticed that darkness -was not far off. - -"Suppose we land before long and put up our tent," suggested Mr. -Holton, stepping up to the telephone transmitter. - -"I was just getting ready to do that," Karl answered him, and then -added: "Here's a good spot now." - -There was a wide, level field directly below them. Karl sent the -monoplane off to the west and then headed it back and downward. - -A perfect three-point landing was made in the tall grass, the ship -coming to a stop at the very edge of a frowning jungle. - -Once more the explorers got out and stretched their legs. - -Bob and Joe had just started over to the jungle when they heard -something that made them turn about quickly. - -"There's a leak in the gas tank," Karl said ominously, "and the gas is -almost gone. We landed just in time." - - - - -CHAPTER X - -Train Robbers! - - -At Karl's dread discovery the others uttered exclamations of alarm and -astonishment. - -"What could have caused it?" asked Bob grimly. - -The aviator shook his head. - -"Can't say," he returned. "Maybe something pierced it while we were in -Cuba. Could have made a small leak that let out a little at a time. Or -the storm could have done it." - -"Good thing we were able to make it across the Caribbean," remarked -Mr. Holton. "If it had been much larger, perhaps we wouldn't be here -now to find it out." - -The short-lived tropical twilight was upon them, with a promise of -darkness being only a few seconds off. - -"Suppose we put the tent up while we can see to do it," suggested Bob. -"Then we can attend to the leak in the morning. There's some solder in -the provision compartment, and we can put some of it on now to keep -the remainder of the gas from running out." - -The others thought this good advice. While the youths and the -naturalists made camp, Karl Sutman applied a heavy coat of liquid -solder over the cut in the gasoline tank. - -"I guess we're in a mess," the aviator said disgustedly. "We've used -up all the gasoline in the spare tank, and now we haven't enough to -take us twenty-five miles. We could have flown to Bogotá easily if it -hadn't been for that leak." - -"Bet there isn't a gasoline station within fifty miles of here," -groaned Joe, glancing at the rugged country that was on all sides of -them. - -Darkness overtook the explorers before they had completed making camp. -They were forced to turn on the lights of the monoplane until they -could gather sufficient twigs for a fire. - -When finally a roaring blaze illuminated the sky, they turned to -complete making the camp. - -As a precaution, this was made on a spot several hundred feet from the -monoplane. This would do away with the danger of an explosion, for the -intense heat from the fire might easily have ignited the remaining gas -in the tank. - -"Now to get a meal," said Bob, edging closer to the blaze to escape -the chill of the tropical night. - -A delicious spread of food was prepared, all eating heartily. The -eventful day had stimulated their appetites highly. - -"I suppose there's no use worrying," grunted Karl, stretching out -before the fire. "We'll find a way out somehow. If we can't do -anything else, we can all hike to a town and carry back enough gas to -carry us a short distance. Then we can hike to another town, and do -the same thing over again." - -"Do these towns around here have gas, though?" came from Joe. Despite -Karl's expression of hope, he feared the worst. - -"That we don't know," Mr. Wallace said. "It may be there hasn't been -an internal-combustion engine in this region for years, if at all." - -A rapidly growing exhaustion made the explorers for the time being -forget their cares and curl up in the tent, after having heaped the -fire high with fresh fuel. They had not thought it necessary to stand -guard, as there was probably nothing in this region that would bother -them. - -The next morning Karl got out a map of South America and spread it out -on the tail of the machine. - -"Here we are about twenty miles inland," he said. "The nearest town -appears to be about fifteen miles from here. Luckily it's south, and -we won't have to go much off our course." - -"Think we can get gasoline there?" queried Joe. - -"Probably not," Karl answered. "But if we have to we can take a train -to Cartagena--that's a city not far from here on the coast. Of course -they have gas there." - -They climbed into the monoplane, which, with a roar, rolled over the -high grass and headed south. Karl kept the machine going at as slow a -speed as possible, for he desired to use every ounce of fuel to -advantage. But even then they made the short trip to the little town -in but a few minutes. - -"Here we are, right near the town." Karl climbed out of the cockpit -after having made a perfect landing. - -Scarcely had the explorers stepped to the ground when they caught -sight of a score or more natives running toward them. It was a motley -crowd that surrounded the Americans a few seconds later. - -Surprise, bewilderment, amazement were displayed on the faces of the -Colombians. The monoplane they viewed with a certain awe that was -almost childish in its sincerity. - -As soon as the jabbering had abated somewhat, Mr. Holton addressed -them in Spanish, asking if it might be possible to procure gasoline -for the airplane. - -The faces of some were expressionless, but a few shook their heads. - -"We do not use gasoline here," one man said in the native tongue. -"There are no great birds like this"--pointing to the monoplane--"in -our land. And we have no carriages that are not drawn by animals." - -Mr. Holton then asked if it might be possible to get gasoline in -Cartagena, the city on the coast. - -Strange to say, the people did not know. Evidently they had never been -to that place, although it was less than fifty miles distant. - -"Well, then," began Karl, "I suppose one of us will have to take a -train to Cartagena. Whoever goes can take a gasoline can with him and -get it filled. Then he can return on the next train." The Americans -could not help laughing at this, however necessary it might have been. -The idea of boarding a train for a fifty-mile journey merely to get a -can filled with gas seemed provoking. - -"What a predicament!" roared Bob, catching hold of the monoplane in -order to hold his balance. - -"I suppose we ought to take this more seriously," said Karl, who was -also laughing. "But somehow it all seems humorous to me." - -At sight of the Americans laughing, the crowd of natives looked about -sullenly. No doubt they thought the newcomers were making fun of them. -Finally one man stepped up to Bob, and, with a sneer, uttered -something in the native language. - -The youth could only catch a word or two, but it was enough to make -him glare at the man in anger. - -"Be careful, Bob," warned his father. "There are too many of them for -us to get into a scrap." - -"Aw, I could lick them all with one hand!" snarled the youth, his eyes -resting fearlessly on first one and then another of the men. - -He was able to control his temper, however, and as the Colombians made -no further move, he turned to Karl Sutman. - -"Why can't I make that train trip?" he asked. "I'll pay my own fare. -Really I'll enjoy it." - -"All right," came from Mr. Wallace. "And I'll go with you. It will -take two to carry the gas can when it's full." - -"Be careful," warned Mr. Holton. "We won't be surprised if you're gone -a day or two." - -At the railroad station, which was little more than a mud hut, they -found that a train would arrive in less than three hours. They thought -it best to remain near the depot, for the schedule might not be -accurate. - -The train finally came, but, much to their disgust, the two gas -seekers were informed by the conductor that they would arrive in -Cartagena no sooner than four hours later. - -At last they started moving and slowly left the station behind. The -little crowd that had assembled to see the train off waved a farewell -as it disappeared around a curve. - -Bob and the naturalist gazed intently out of the window at the barren -country they were passing through. Only at intervals could they make -out an adobe house. - -They had gone perhaps an hour when they were startled by a sudden -commotion at the head of the train. Bob was looking out of the window -trying to make out what was going on when he suddenly felt the train -come to an abrupt stop. - -Wondering what was meant, he and Mr. Wallace had started toward the -front of the coach when they were interrupted by a cry that echoed -through the train. - -"We're being robbed!" exclaimed Mr. Wallace, hurrying back to the -seat. "There's a gang holding up the train!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -Chubby the Eater - - -"Robbed?" cried Bob, almost unbelievingly. - -Before he could say anything further, a tall, dark man appeared at the -front of the coach. Roughly he shouted something in the native tongue, -at the same time flashing a shining pistol in full view of all. - -"Quick!" exclaimed Mr. Wallace, taking advantage of an opportunity. -"Hide our money--under the seat there next to you." - -The naturalist handed his pocketbook to Bob, who had taken his own -purse from his pocket. The two he placed in a little crack between the -seat and the side of the coach. - -He was not a moment too soon. Scarcely had the youth resumed his -natural position when the robber appeared before him and demanded -money. - -"Our pockets are empty," Mr. Wallace told the man. "You can't get -anything from a poor man." - -The Colombian soon found that the naturalist spoke the truth. But -even then he was a bit suspicious. Americans or Europeans--he knew not -which they were--usually were rich, carrying with them much money. And -that these two had boarded the train with empty pockets was indeed -surprising. - -Search as he did, however, he could find no trace of any money. But he -was somewhat satisfied when he took possession of Mr. Wallace's -handsome watch. - -Luckily Bob had left his timepiece in the cabin of the monoplane, -having forgotten it in the excitement of the day. Strange to say, this -was the first day in the week that the youth had not worn it. - -"Well," said Mr. Wallace, after the man had gone, "I lost the -equivalent of fifty dollars. Not a great deal. But too much to have -taken from me." - -"Good thing you thought to mention hiding our pocketbooks," Bob told -him. "If you hadn't, we'd have been in a fine mess. Away out here in a -strange country with no money." - -"And of course the railroad wouldn't have made it good," the -naturalist said disgustedly. "If I ever have another watch I suppose -I'll have to pay for it." - -Ten minutes later the train was again chugging across the barren -plateau. The robber gang had vanished before a cloud of heavy dust, -perhaps not any too well satisfied with its exploit. - -"I didn't know this was dangerous territory," remarked Bob Holton a -little later. "Seemed like everyone was too lazy to do anything but -loaf." - -"I guess we'll find gangs anywhere we go," Mr. Wallace told him. "At -least that's my opinion, after quite a bit of traveling." - -Bob recalled the bands of criminals he had met with at home and on the -Sahara Desert, and concluded that his friend was right. No matter how -much good there is in the world, there is always a certain amount of -bad. - -Two hours later the Americans were surprised to see that they were -coming into a town. At the railroad station where they had boarded the -train, they had not been told that another town was between them and -the coast. - -"This is Mahatos," announced the naturalist, pronouncing the name as -best he could. - -"Guess everyone here wants strangers to be sure and know what town -they're in," laughed Bob. "At any rate, that sign is plenty large. -Almost hides the station." - -This town was much the same as the one at which they had boarded the -train. They were glad when finally it was left behind. - -"Wonder if we'll make any more stops?" mused Bob with a smile. - -"Don't be surprised if we do," Mr. Wallace replied. "For all I know -there may be a dozen villages between us and the coast." - -During the next two hours the train crawled along without coming to a -settlement. Then finally it passed a row of little black houses and -pulled into Cartagena, the coast city. - -"All out," said Mr. Wallace, picking up the large gasoline can. "We've -reached our destination at last." - -As the Americans looked about the well-built station, they found that -this was a city of considerable importance. Crowds of people, -clusters of business houses, and--what was more interesting to -them--automobiles dotted the streets. - -"Where there's a motorcar there's gasoline!" cried Bob joyfully. "Now -who says we won't put fuel in the airplane tank!" - -They found a filling station--or at least a place where gasoline was -sold--not far away and lost no time in having the can filled to -capacity. Then they turned back to the railroad station. - -"Our business in this city is completed in five minutes, after having -made a four-hour trip here!" Bob could not help bursting out in -laughter, and Mr. Wallace joined him. - -They entered the railroad station and inquired when they might board a -train back to Calamar. - -Much to their displeasure, they found that it would not be possible -to do so until the next morning. The agent explained that it was -necessary to repair a portion of the track, and that until this was -completed, a run could not be made. - -"Just as I expected!" groaned Bob, sitting down on the seat -hopelessly. "To save your neck you can't make time in South America." - -"What will we do to while the time away?" asked the naturalist. - -"Look around, I suppose. Nothing else to do." - -The Americans found Cartagena very interesting. Its several industries -were throbbing with life; its people were possessed of a certain -amount of energy and ambition that was entirely absent farther inland. - -The travelers were loitering along at the port, watching the steamers -arrive and depart, when Bob suddenly caught sight of something that -caused him to nudge his friend. - -"Look at that fellow over there," the youth pointed out. "Isn't he an -American?" - -Almost at once Mr. Wallace made a reply. "He is as sure as I'm born. -Or else"--the naturalist hesitated--"he's English." - -The object of their remarks was a short, fat young man of perhaps -twenty, with twinkling eyes and a pug nose. He was dressed in khaki -outdoor clothes that stretched tightly over his protruding stomach. - -Before Bob and the naturalist could make a further move, the strange -young man walked over to them, his small, deeply set eyes flashing -with merriment. - -"Ain't you from the good old U. S. A., or ain't you?" he demanded, -extending a short, fat hand. - -"From nowhere else!" Bob was overjoyed. "And I take it that you are?" - -"Right as four chipmunks!" the little fellow said quickly. "You're -lookin' at Chubby Stevens, from Houston. And now that I've got that -off my chest, I ain't expectin' you to hold your names a secret." - -Bob laughed. - -"This is Mr. Wallace, and my name's Holton--Bob Holton. I'm from -Washington and my friend's from Chicago." - -"A good bit of the _Estados Unidos_ is represented here, I see," -Chubby said with a laugh. "The East, Middle West, and Southwest. I -suppose you're just lookin' around?" - -"For the present, yes," Mr. Wallace returned, and then related the -events that led to their being in Cartagena. - -The fat youth listened intently. - -"You may be wantin' more of South America, but I don't," he said when -the naturalist had finished. "I've been here a year and have got all I -want of it. I'm longin' to see the old Gulf Building, back in Houston. -Dad's office is there. He's a lawyer." - -"And you--what are you doing here, just seeing the country?" inquired -Bob. - -"I'm seein' too much of it to suit me," Chubby answered. "Came here to -look around and to get rid of some fat. But doggone it, I'm fatter now -than I ever was. Guess I'll have to cut out adventurin' and take back -my old job in the office, if I want to get skinnier." - -A burst of laughter followed. - -"You're hopeless, all right," chuckled Bob. "I never saw a case like -yours before. Why, I weighed a hundred and eighty before I left the -States, and I'll bet I don't weigh much more than a hundred and -seventy now. If exploring would do that to me, why won't it do it to -you?" - -"That's what I've been tryin' to figure out for the last year," Chubby -returned. "Funny, but I used those same figures, but I just switched -them around. Went from a hundred and seventy to a hundred and eighty. -That's away too much weight for a bozo my size to carry around." - -"Why don't you try swimming back to America?" laughed Bob. "That -might do the trick." - -"I've been thinkin' about that, too, only I'm afraid I couldn't take -along enough to eat." - -"Oh!" Bob groaned hopelessly, and then, as he found that Chubby had -just arrived in Cartagena, suggested that they take a walk about the -city. - -But as it was almost noon, Chubby suggested that they get a "bite" to -eat. Just enough, he said, to prevent them from falling from hunger. - -Mr. Wallace snorted. - -"I suppose it's impossible to do it," the naturalist said earnestly, -"but I'd like to take you along on our expedition into the Andes. If -you'll go, I'll guarantee that you'll get rid of twenty pounds." - -"Huh? Are you tryin' to kid me?" Chubby looked up suddenly. - -"Not a bit of it," Mr. Wallace answered, trying hard to suppress a -smile. "It works every time. You see, we have to get by on limited -rations and----" - -"Fine! I'll go---- What was that you said? Limited rations? That means -less food, doesn't it?" - -Mr. Wallace nodded. - -"Then I'm afraid," began Chubby, shaking his head slowly, "that I -couldn't think of considering your proposition, however wonderful it -might be. I'm----" - -"It's no use," laughed Bob. "A heavy eater doesn't make an explorer." - -Bob and the naturalist were finally persuaded to follow the fat -youth's suggestion and get a "bite" to eat. Then they continued their -sightseeing. - -Thus the remainder of the day passed, and they began to look about for -a place to spend the night. Chubby resolved to remain with his newly -found friends as long as the latter stayed in Cartagena. Then, he told -them, he would take a boat to the United States. - -The three Americans engaged a small room in a boarding house that was -owned by a Canadian. Although it was not the utmost in comfort, they -were glad to throw themselves on the hard bed to retire. - -They passed a restful night, however, awaking late the next morning. - -"What shall we do until train time?" asked Bob, preparing to leave the -room. - -"Look around some more, I suppose," Chubby said. "In this country you -can always find something you haven't seen before. There's a lot -that's funny, too. I've been laughing a year at the natives." - -"Maybe they've been laughing at you," Bob thought to himself, but said -nothing. The fat little fellow would indeed provoke a smile from -many. - -Until ten the three walked around the city, noticing everything that -was peculiar to this strange land. When finally they came back to the -railroad station, they were not a little fatigued. Especially tired -was Chubby. - -"Well," Bob began, "we'll leave in fifteen minutes, if we follow the -set schedule. I suppose," he said to the fat youth, "you've definitely -made up your mind to go back home?" - -"Yeah." - -"Then you won't think of going with us to the Andes? We could use you, -all right." - -"Sorry, but it's North America for me." Chubby spoke decisively. "This -continent here ain't fit for a gazook like me. I want to get back." - -He exchanged addresses with Bob and Mr. Wallace, pocketing his -notebook just as the train steamed up to the station. - -"Good-bye and good luck!" called Bob, as he stepped up into the coach. -"Write us sometime." - -"Hope you lose some fat," laughed Mr. Wallace, as they started moving. -"And you'd better not try to swim to the U. S." - -The train moved slowly away, leaving Chubby to stand on the platform, -still waving. - -"Good fellow, all right," smiled Bob, settling himself down in the -seat. "All he needs is a little well-directed exercise." - -"I'm afraid he won't get it," said the naturalist. "He'll probably be -fat as long as he lives." - -The journey back to Calamar was uneventful. Bob and Mr. Wallace looked -out rather fearfully as they passed the spot where they had previously -been robbed. But no gang appeared this time to stay them. - -Finally they reached their destination and left the train. They were -greatly surprised to see that no one was there to meet them. - -"That's funny!" mused Bob, as he and the naturalist lugged the heavy -gasoline can in the direction of the airplane. "I thought sure Dad or -Joe would be here." - -When at last they came to the airplane, Bob gave a cry of surprise. - -Seated on the ground were Joe, Karl Sutman, and Mr. Holton, their -faces bleeding from numerous scratches, their clothes torn and -wrinkled. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -The Pangs of _Soroche_ - - -"For the love of Mike!" cried Bob Holton. "Whatever happened?" - -"Plenty!" came from Joe quietly. "We had a fight." - -"A fight?" Mr. Wallace was perplexed. - -"Yes, and a big one at that," said Karl grimly. "But we licked them." - -"Licked whom?" demanded Bob, becoming impatient. "Come on. Tell us -about it." - -Mr. Holton got to his feet. - -"Look over there," he directed, pointing to a spot near the tail of -the monoplane. - -Bob and Mr. Wallace looked. - -Lying prone on the ground was a man, a native Colombian, evidently -still dazed from a blow. He made not the slightest move, although it -was apparent that he was not hurt seriously. - -"Karl knocked that fellow out," explained Bob's father. "In addition -to being a fine aviator, that fellow's a fighter." - -Bob glanced at Karl. From the start the youth had believed the aviator -could give a good account of himself if called upon. - -"But that's not telling us anything," said Mr. Wallace. "What caused -the fight? How did it all come about?" - -"This way," began Mr. Holton. "Joe and Karl and I were sitting in the -cabin of the 'plane discussing the expedition when we were suddenly -interrupted by a gang of at least five rough men, who rushed at the -'plane angrily. We didn't know what their object in attacking us was, -and never did find out. Perhaps they wanted to steal what we have, or -they might have been in that crowd yesterday when we laughed and they -thought we were making fun of them. At any rate they came at us -furiously, and one man broke out the glass in a window. We got out of -the airplane as soon as we could to defend ourselves. We couldn't get -to our guns because they're in a nailed box. But we used our fists to -good advantage and finally were able to beat them off. All got away -but that fellow over there." - -"Well, of all things!" exclaimed Mr. Wallace. "Seems like we're having -trouble and then more trouble. Bob and I had an experience on the -train that wasn't very pleasing," he said, and then told of the -robbery in which he had lost a valuable watch. - -"We'll soon be out of this country, I hope," sighed Joe. "Though I -suppose it isn't the country so much as it is our stroke of bad luck." - -"No," agreed Bob. "Anyone----" - -He stopped quickly, as he observed that the Colombian who had been -knocked out was regaining consciousness. At first the man merely -stirred about, as if totally unaware of what had happened. Then he -glanced up and got to his feet. - -Pausing but a moment to glare at the Americans, the man dashed away in -the direction of the town, drawing his teeth back in a wicked snarl as -he looked back at them one last time. - -"I think we'd better get away from here as quickly as we can," said -Mr. Holton. "For all we know there may be another gang getting ready -to attack us. The whole town might even come out." - -His remark served to set Karl Sutman to action. - -"Let's get the gas in the tank," he suggested, walking over to the can -that Bob and Mr. Wallace had brought filled from the city on the -coast. - -Together, Joe and the aviator lifted the heavy can up and poured out -its contents. Then, after making the cap secure, Karl climbed in the -cockpit and switched on the engine. - -"This will take us from fifty to seventy miles--maybe farther, -depending on how fast we fly," he told the others, as they entered the -cabin and snapped the door shut. - -As they left the ground, Joe noticed that they were heading west. He -wondered what was the meaning of this, since Bogotá, which was south, -was their goal. - -"I'm going to find out," he thought, and, stepping over to the -transmitter, he put the question to Karl. - -"I decided all at once to go over to that coast city--Cartagena," the -aviator answered. "There we can fill both our tanks to capacity and -won't have to worry any more. Otherwise, if we merely used the gas -that Bob and Mr. Wallace brought, we might find it necessary to hunt -up another town that has gasoline." - -"You think of everything," praised Bob's father, moving up to the -transmitter. - -"I've decided to make another change, too," Karl said with a laugh. "I -think it might be best to miss Bogotá by a hundred miles and head at -once for Lima, the capital of Peru. We can stop at Quito, the capital -of Ecuador, for more gas, and then continue on to Lima. Here we'll -again land to fill our tanks. After that we'll go on to--well, perhaps -to Cuzco, if we want to look around a little before Mr. Lewis gets -here by steamship. How does it sound?" - -"O. K.," said Bob quickly, and then, with a sudden thought, added: -"How about the tank that leaks? Can we have it repaired in Cartagena?" - -"Yes. That is, I'd think so. Why didn't you and Mr. Wallace find out -while you were there?" - -"Upon my word, I never thought of it," confessed the naturalist -sheepishly. "And I'm sure Bob didn't. But we could easily have -inquired. After seeing the city, I'm inclined to think the tank can be -repaired there." - -They found a little later that Mr. Wallace was right. At the first -garage they entered, they were informed that the tank could be -repaired. - -It was necessary, however, for the garage man to take his welding -outfit over to the monoplane, which was in a field quite a distance -away. For this he explained he would be compelled to make an -additional charge, but the others, knowing there was no other way out, -did not object. - -When the tank was mended and had cooled an hour or so, it was filled -to capacity with gasoline. The spare was also filled, and then the -explorers were ready to resume their journey. - -A little crowd of people had assembled to see the monoplane off. They -waved a friendly farewell as it soared high into the sky. - -"Now I wonder if we'll have any more trouble," mused Bob. "Or will we -have good luck and get to the Andes without much delay?" - -Across jungle, plains, and hills they flew for well over an hour. Then -they caught sight of something in the distance that thrilled them with -delight. - -"The Andes!" cried Joe joyfully. "At last we've seen the Andes -Mountains!" - -"I believe you're right," affirmed Mr. Wallace, straining his eyes to -make out more clearly the series of distant bumps that were mountains. - -As the explorers flew nearer, they could easily observe the high peaks -and narrow valleys. At one time they flew directly over a short range -of exceedingly lofty mountains. - -The monoplane passed farther, and the towering slopes of the Andes -became more prominent. They looked dark and forbidding, yet beautiful -and romantic. - -"It's going to be dark before long," said Karl, breaking the -fascinating silence. "And as it isn't wise to keep going over unknown -territory, I'm going to land--if I can find a place." - -Picking out a level spot was very difficult, but finally Karl caught -sight of a flat plateau stretching several hundred yards ahead. He -brought the machine down as best he could, taking into consideration -the difficulty of landing at high altitudes. - -They did not pitch the tent that night, but curled up inside the -cabin, too tired to use much more energy. By doing this they could -lock the doors and spend the night in comparative safety. Otherwise, -it would have been necessary to set a guard. - -A heavy slumber overtook them and held them firmly until late next -morning. - -"Now to head for Ecuador," said Joe, becoming impatient. "How long -will it take us--to get to Quito, I mean?" he asked Karl. - -"Let's see. We've been about an hour out of Cartagena." Karl pondered -for a minute. "There'll be about six more hours of air traveling -before we get there. That is, if nothing happens." - -But nothing hindered their flight, and after a thrilling ride over -fascinating country the explorers came to Quito, at the very rim of -the lofty peaks. Karl finally was able to bring the airplane safely -down at the edge of the city. He switched off the engine, and, with -the others, turned to glimpse the surrounding mountains. - -On all sides were the magnificent heights of the mighty Andes, -reaching thousands of feet above the city. Quito itself was built in a -wide valley, nearly eleven thousand feet above sea level. - -All during the last hour, as they had soared steadily upward, Joe had -had a strange feeling of nausea, which grew still worse after they had -landed at Quito. Now, when they were about to make their way into the -city, Joe slumped down on the ground beside the monoplane. - -"I'm sick!" he moaned helplessly. "Guess I can't go with you now." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A Happy Reunion - - -"Sick?" cried Bob anxiously. "What seems to be the trouble?" He and -Mr. Holton had moved over to Joe. - -"Got a terrible headache. Feel bad all over. My--my stomach doesn't -seem right." - -Almost at once the two naturalists grasped the meaning of Joe's -misfortune. - -"There's no doubt about it," began Mr. Wallace, who was himself -becoming pale. "You have mountain sickness, or _soroche_, as it's -called. I think I have a touch of it myself." - -"What causes it?" queried Bob. - -"The high altitude," Mr. Holton answered. "You see, when one makes a -sudden change to nearly eleven thousand feet, it is a great strain on -him. Usually, though, it doesn't show up until reaching a much higher -altitude than this. I'm surprised that Joe has it so soon." - -Joe did not become worse, but grew no better. One thing was apparent: -until he would show improvement, he could not continue the journey. - -Mr. Holton and Bob helped him into the cabin of the airplane, where an -improvised bed was made. - -"If it's all right, I think I'll stay with him," announced Mr. -Wallace. "I'm not feeling any too well myself, and then, too, Joe -ought to have someone here with him." - -"All right," said Karl. "Meanwhile the rest of us will go on into the -city and have some gasoline sent out to the 'plane." - -In Quito the others found a filling station, the operator of which -agreed to send out a truck to the monoplane to fill the tanks. - -Back at the field they found that Joe had greatly improved and was -anxious to fly on to Lima. It was evident that he had had only a -slight attack. - -In a short time the gasoline truck arrived, the tanks were -replenished, and the explorers again climbed into the monoplane. - -The journey to Lima promised to be more dangerous, as there were -hazardous stretches of country to be left behind. But all knew that -Karl was a skillful pilot. If he had not been he could not have -brought them safely out of the terrible storm that they had -encountered over the Caribbean. - -Mountains, valleys, towns, then more mountains were spread before them -as they flew on their way to the "City of the Kings." The rugged Andes -were more impressive than Bob and Joe had imagined. - -At last they caught sight of Lima in the distance and before long were -hovering over it. - -Karl singled out Faucett's Field and brought the monoplane down at -high speed in order to avert a catastrophe. Well he knew that landing -at such an altitude would present a difficulty, even at best. - -"Can hardly feel the wheels touch the ground," remarked Bob. "Wonder -how Karl knows he's made a landing?" - -They were rolling swiftly over the smooth ground when suddenly Mr. -Holton cried out in fright and pointed ahead at another airplane, -which was landing directly in their path. - -"Look out!" he warned Karl, speaking hoarsely through the transmitter. - -Karl Sutman had already seen the danger and was cutting the monoplane -to one side as best he could. - -He was too late, however. The other airplane came on at sickening -speed, heading directly at the explorers. The wings of the two crafts -touched, and the monoplane sent the other machine, which was much -lighter, spinning around dangerously. - -Its lower wing scraped the ground, and a support was broken. A moment -later it came to a stop, leaning on its side. - -Meanwhile, Karl's monoplane had continued farther, gradually losing -speed until it came to a standstill several hundred feet away from the -other airplane. - -"A narrow escape!" breathed Joe, as he opened the door of the cabin -and stepped out. "A little more and we would have been goners." - -"That crazy guy ought to have his face smashed!" snarled Karl, -directing his glance at the distant airplane. "He broke one of the -prime rules of flying: Never land when there is another 'plane on the -field." - -"Here he comes now," observed Bob. "Wonder what's on his mind?" - -They soon found out. The other aviator was a native Peruvian and could -not speak English, but he addressed them angrily in the native -language. - -Karl stepped boldly up to the man. His fist shot out and caught the -native squarely between the eyes. - -The man reeled and then lost his balance, falling heavily to the -ground. - -At that moment two men from the airdrome came running out and demanded -an explanation of what had happened. - -Briefly Mr. Holton told them, stressing the fact that the aviator had -not waited to land. - -"He ought to have his pilot's license taken away from him," growled -Karl Sutman, when the naturalist had concluded. - -The men from the airdrome were greatly angered at the strange aviator -for not being cautious in landing. They addressed him in no gentle -terms as he lay on the ground. - -Karl's monoplane had been only slightly injured in the accident, but -it was enough to require an hour of patient labor to make the repair. - -The possibility of the other aviator doing damage to Karl's machine -prompted the tall young man to ask that it be kept under watch near -the airdrome. - -"Now suppose we walk on into Lima," suggested Mr. Holton, after the -'plane had been rolled over to a safe place. - -At the edge of the field was a wide street that led directly into the -city. This the travelers followed and before very long came to the -business district. In front of the huge cathedral they stopped to view -the crowds through the cluster of palm trees that was before them. - -"Quite a bit of life here," observed Bob, as his eyes followed the -busy swarm of people. "Lima must be a place of considerable -importance." - -"It is," said Mr. Holton. "It's the capital of Peru." - -In the distance, beyond the plaza, a line of lofty mountains was -plainly visible in the thin air. No doubt they were many miles away. - -The explorers sat down idly on the wide steps of the cathedral. - -"Now," began Mr. Wallace, "we should make plans for the next two -weeks. Mr. Lewis, we know, will arrive in Mollendo in about that time. -What do you suggest doing--stay in the vicinity of Lima and take in -the sights here, or fly on to Cuzco and the heart of Inca land?" - -"I'd rather stay where we are for a while," spoke up Karl. "There's so -much to see here that it will be worth it to spend a good bit of time -in this section." - -"That goes for me, too," came from Joe. "We'll go to Cuzco later -anyway, so why not see what we can around Lima?" - -As everyone was in favor of doing this, they agreed to find a hotel -and engage rooms. - -"If I'm not mistaken, we won't regret staying in this region," said -Bob Holton. - -And they did not. During the next week and a half they spent their -time taking in the sights of Lima and the rugged country surrounding -it. They visited the botanical gardens, the various plazas, public -buildings, streets, and the national museum. They toured the -fascinating country about the city, seeing the ancient Inca highway, -the mines of Morococha, the lifeless native huts that were everywhere, -the marvelously engineered railroads, and the interesting city of -Callao, located near by. - -At the end of the time that they could spend here, the explorers were -well pleased with the eventful days that had passed. - -"Now to head for Mollendo," said Mr. Holton, as one morning he arose -early to prepare his possessions for the trip. "We've only got about a -day before Mr. Lewis's steamer arrives from the United States, and we -must use the time to best advantage." - -The others were ready and climbed into the airplane for the long -journey. - -Mollendo, the adventurers found after the interesting flight, was much -like other cities they had visited. It possessed a very interesting -dock, however, which held the boys' attention for many minutes. - -The following day, when it became time for the steamship to arrive, -they were on hand to meet the naturalist and the others. - -"It's coming!" cried Joe, pointing excitedly toward the horizon. "And -will I be glad to see Dad!" - -"I guess we all will," said Mr. Wallace. - -The vessel steamed closer and headed for the port. As it came toward -them, the explorers could easily make out someone on the deck whom -they recognized. It was Mr. Lewis. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -An Unexpected Displeasure - - -As the ship moved slowly into port, Mr. Lewis, standing anxiously on -the deck, caught sight of his friends and waved wildly. Obviously he -was exceedingly glad to see them again. - -Others of the expedition who recognized Mr. Holton or the boys also -waved a friendly greeting, which was returned by those on shore. - -When the boat had come to a standstill, a huge crane swung out and up -to the deck. At the end, attached by a massive hook, was a chair. Into -this the boat's passengers were to sit and be hoisted down to the -dock. - -"Funny way of unloading passengers," laughed Bob, as he watched a -woman rather nervously sit down in the chair. - -"No other way, I guess," came from Mr. Wallace. "The surf billows roll -too high for the conventional method." - -The onlookers watched closely as the chair was raised off the deck -and suspended over to the shore. - -The woman who was carried in this manner laughed as she left the chair -and turned to see the motion repeated. From the look on her face, it -had been an exciting experience. - -"Here comes Dad!" observed Joe happily. "Wonder how he'll like it?" - -Mr. Lewis had seated himself in the chair and was being carried high -in the air to the dock. - -When he set foot on the ground, he rushed toward the others, on his -face a look of intense joy. - -Words fail to describe the meeting that followed. Mr. Lewis was -literally mauled by his son and friends, who were overjoyed to have -him again with them. Especially was Joe happy. - -"I worried from the time you left Washington," the naturalist told -them, throwing an arm over Joe's shoulder. "The more I thought about -that airplane trip the more anxious I became. You didn't have any -trouble, did you?" - -"It's according to what you call trouble," laughed Bob. "If you mean -accidents, we didn't have any. But if you mean just common bad luck, -we had plenty." - -"Could have been worse, though," his father reminded him. "And let me -tell you that Karl is an excellent pilot. If he weren't, we probably -wouldn't be here now." - -"As if I didn't know it," smiled Mr. Lewis, glancing at the blushing -aviator. "If anyone else had offered to take you to Peru, I wouldn't -have thought much of the idea. Karl Sutman, though----" - -At this moment a group of men came up, to be recognized by Mr. Lewis -and Mr. Holton. - -The youths, Mr. Wallace, and Karl were introduced to them as members -of the archæological and geological divisions of the expedition. Dr. -Rust, Professors Allan and Kelley, and Mr. Dunn, as their names were, -had come to this region to search for additional Inca ruins and to -study the land in the mountain section. - -Two other men completed the personnel of the expedition. They were Mr. -Buenagel, assistant, and Dr. Brown, physician, both of whom had been -on numerous expeditions with the others. They now came up and received -the same hearty welcome. - -"Now that we're all together," began Dr. Rust, "we want to decide -where we'll make our headquarters. Is everyone in favor of having our -base in or near Cuzco?" - -"I should say yes," came from Professor Kelley. "Cuzco, after all, is -a very strategic point, and is quite easily accessible from all parts -of this section. So why not locate there?" - -As everyone agreed, the question was settled. Now came the problem of -transporting the expedition's supplies, of which there were many. - -Karl generously offered the services of the monoplane in getting the -trunks and bags over to Cuzco. He explained that he would be glad to -do this for them, even though it might be necessary to make two or -three trips. - -But Dr. Rust, leader of the expedition, stoutly refused. - -"We don't wish to put you to that trouble," he said. "As long as there -is a railroad running up to Cuzco, we'll make use of it and have our -stuff shipped, even though it may take a few days longer." - -Karl wondered afterwards if the scientist secretly feared an accident. -The tall young man remarked to Bob and Joe several days later that -perhaps Dr. Rust did not wish to take a chance on the monoplane -crashing with the expedition's supplies on board. - -As had been suggested, the supplies, including those of Mr. Holton and -Mr. Lewis, were placed on board the first train that left for Cuzco. -The boxes and trunks would not reach their destination until several -days later, however, since it was necessary for them to be changed -around several times. - -Except for the three naturalists, the scientists boarded the same -train for Cuzco. Mr. Wallace and the youths' fathers were to accompany -Karl and Bob and Joe in the monoplane. With Mr. Lewis in the cabin, -there would be an added load, but Karl told them it would not be -dangerous. - -"Just have to watch the take-offs and the landings more closely," the -aviator explained. "Outside of that, we'll never know that another -person is inside, as far as the ride goes." - -"Won't ride any easier?" queried Joe, trying to appear innocent. - -"Quit your kidding!" snapped Karl with a laugh. "This bus isn't an -automobile." - -"But a bus is an automobile," said Joe persistently. - -He dodged a pass that Karl swung at him. Then, seriously, he turned to -the others, who were busy attending to minor tasks about the airplane. - -"Everything's ready," announced Mr. Wallace, stepping inside the -cabin. "Suppose we get started at once, so as to get there and look -around some before the others arrive by train." - -Karl was willing. He climbed into the cockpit and started the engine. -Mr. Holton, the last to enter the cabin, closed the door tightly just -as the monoplane began rolling over the field. - -"We're off for Inca land!" shouted Bob excitedly, raising a -motion-picture camera to his shoulder. "And won't we have fun!" - -"We'll also have a little work," said his father quietly. "If we get -enough specimens from this region to satisfy the museum heads we'll -have to go some." - -Flying over this interesting land was exciting to the youths, who -viewed the sights curiously. Before long they could make out the town -of Arequipa away over to their right, and just behind it, El Misti -volcano, whose sides sloped up to a point. - -Karl guided the 'plane as near the ground as possible, knowing that he -and his friends could not stand the rare air of several thousand feet -higher without the use of oxygen. A few tanks of this valuable gas -were now on the train en route to Cuzco. Karl had not thought it -necessary to use them in the 'plane so soon. - -At the speed they traveled, it did not take them long to sight Cuzco -in the distance. Several miles away they could also see the town of -Anta, which was a mere village compared to its neighbor city. - -When they came nearer, Karl flew straight for the central plaza, so as -to get a fine view of all the buildings and places of importance. - -"Look at the people swarming to see us," said Joe. "I guess it isn't -often that an airplane comes here." - -At about three hundred feet they soared leisurely over the central -plaza, where natives were gathering rapidly. Directly below them was -the huge cathedral, which, as far as they could see, was the most -imposing building in the city. All about were low structures, with an -occasional higher building dotting the landscape. - -It was a wonderful view. Even from that low altitude, the explorers -could easily make out the surrounding mountains, on many of which were -Inca ruins, including the "staircase farms." - -Joe considered it a wonderful opportunity to take several hundred feet -of motion pictures. He pointed the camera first at the city below -them, then at the near-by mountains, turning the crank continuously. - -When he had flown a few times around the town, Karl picked out a level -stretch to the east and began the dangerous task of landing. Well he -knew at that altitude it would be easy to crash. - -The monoplane headed downward at high speed, the wheels touched the -ground, bumped back into the air, touched the ground again. The -machine rolled ahead at fifty miles an hour, forty, thirty, and -finally came to a stop dangerously near a large pile of stones. - -"All out," called Karl, when he had switched off the motor. "We're -here. And we came down without a smash-up." - -Directly across the river Almodena the adventurers could see Cuzco, -looking strangely quaint in its pocket in the mountains. - -"Here come more natives," observed Mr. Holton, as a horde of twenty or -thirty men, women, and children rushed toward the Americans. - -As they came nearer, they uttered something that none of the newcomers -understood. - -"They're speaking in Quichua--that's the native tongue in this part of -Peru," explained Mr. Lewis. "It's the same language that was used by -the ancient Incas." - -Although the natives scrutinized the airplane carefully, they were not -bothersome, staring rather in awe at the great "bird" that had come -mysteriously to their city. - -Karl thought it best to have the craft guarded against possible -marauders. But how he could secure a guard was a problem, since none -of the Indians could understand English or Spanish. And the aviator -knew not one word of Quichua. - -"Suppose we take turns watching it," suggested Mr. Holton. "I'll take -the first watch of, say, two hours. Bob, you can take the second, and -so on until we can make some other arrangements." - -"And while Dad's staying here with the 'plane," began Bob, "I'd like -to look around a bit. Anybody want to go with me?" - -"Sure." Joe was anxious to see the sights in this strange land. - -"Don't be gone long, boys," cautioned Mr. Lewis. "We all want to be on -hand when the train arrives from Mollendo." - -The chums walked south over a level plain, hoping to see something of -interest before long. - -They had not long to wait. In a little open grassy stretch beside a -wall of rock was a herd of ten or twelve llamas, grazing peacefully. -These animals were about 4 feet high, with long necks and a head like -that of the camel. - -"Let's go up and see them," said Bob, moving over to the herd. - -"Better not," warned Joe. "They might be dangerous." - -"Dangerous? Those things dangerous? Wait a minute and I'll show you -how peaceful they are." - -Bob had walked up to the foremost black animal and now began to stroke -its woolly back. - -Then an unexpected and unpleasant thing happened. The llama turned -suddenly on Bob and spat violently in the youth's face. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -Attacked by Indians - - -Bob shook his head to rid himself of the sickening saliva. He wiped -his face with his handkerchief, with his hands, with anything he could -find. At the same time he stepped out of reach of the treacherous -animal. - -When he had completed rubbing, he turned sheepishly to Joe. - -"Guess I learned my lesson," he said quietly. "But who'd 'a' thought -it of the brutes?" - -"Isn't wise to do anything unless you know what you're doing," Joe -reminded him. - -"I've a notion to go over and wring its neck!" snorted Bob, glancing -at the llama, which had resumed its grazing as if nothing had -happened. - -"Better not," Joe warned him. "You might not be able to do it. And the -Indian that owns them might come out." - -"Let him come!" Bob was confident that he could manage both the llama -and the Indian. - -He decided to let the matter drop, however, and continue the walk -about the plateau. - -As the youths hiked farther, they passed the grassy region and came to -a higher slope that was dotted with occasional patches of cacti, thorn -bushes, and stunted trees. The Australian eucalyptus, a small tree, -was abundant. - -"Can't raise anything here," remarked Bob. "Almost as bad as it is on -the Sahara Desert." - -The chums made a wide circuit about Cuzco, coming in sight of the -monoplane from the opposite side. - -"You're just in time to stand guard," Mr. Holton told Bob. "And while -you're doing that, the rest of us will look around a bit. We've all -been busy studying maps of the Andes." - -The adventurers took turns watching the airplane and seeing the -country all during the remainder of that day. If it were able to -follow schedule, the train from Mollendo, bringing the others of the -expedition, would arrive the next afternoon. - -At that time all the air travelers but Mr. Lewis were in the railroad -station waiting. Mr. Lewis had remained at the field to guard the -'plane. - -"It's coming," said Mr. Wallace, and a minute later the train pulled -up and stopped. - -Dr. Rust and the other scientists stepped off, to be met by the -naturalists and the youths. - -"I think it might be wise," began Mr. Holton, "to establish a -temporary camp here near Cuzco, perhaps in the field by the monoplane. -Is everyone with me in this?" - -Professor Allan nodded. - -"I am in favor of it," he said. "Until we make further preparations -for our work in the mountains it would be wise to put up our tents -there." - -At the field they found Mr. Lewis waiting for them. He also agreed to -follow Mr. Holton's suggestion. - -Four tents were pitched in a semicircle beside the airplane. The -expedition's supplies were placed systematically inside, and then -began a discussion about the coming exploration. - -"We who are after Inca ruins have decided to set off for the region -near Mount Panta," Dr. Rust said. "In our opinion, there is an -opportunity to find wonderful Inca remains in this section. Most -likely we will stay within twenty miles of that mountain for three or -four weeks. Where we will go then we will have to decide later." - -"Now of course you archæologists want to know as nearly as possible -where we naturalists will be," began Mr. Holton. "I don't know whether -everyone will agree," he went on, "but I know of a place that -supposedly abounds with wild creatures. And I would suggest that we -head for that spot." - -The others looked at him inquiringly. - -"This morning while I was out scouting around I came across an -American who was just returning from a hunting trip in the Andes," Mr. -Holton resumed. "He informed me that the valley of the Comberciato is -teeming with wild game. According to his estimate, that's about a -hundred miles from here, northwest. It----" - -"I've heard of it, too," cut in Mr. Wallace, his face beaming with -scientific enthusiasm. "Why not go there? We'll probably find it worth -our while." - -"I'm willing," came from Joe's father. - -"Then let's call it settled," Mr. Holton said. "We'll start out as -soon as possible." - -"Here's where Mr. Sutman and his airplane come in," remarked Professor -Allan. "By the use of the 'plane, we can keep informed as to the -whereabouts of the other division of the expedition. It will prove a -valuable asset to our equipment." - -Bob and Joe and Mr. Dunn took it on themselves to go back to the -railroad station and have the many boxes of food and supplies removed -to the camp. The scientists had purposely left them in charge of the -agent until after deciding the course of the expedition and had -carried only the lighter bags and cases to the camp. - -The railroad agent, when asked of a means of transporting the boxes, -pointed outside to a large cart drawn by a mule. Walking lazily at -the side was an Indian. - -"He will do it for you," the railroad man said in poor Spanish. - -Then, knowing that the Americans could not speak the Quichua language, -the agent called to the native and asked if he would be willing to -take the boxes. - -The Indian merely nodded and went into the building after the first -load. In all, there were about seventy-five cases, and he knew it -would be necessary to make several trips. - -"That mule doesn't look any too willing to pull the load," observed -Joe with a laugh. "Be funny if he'd stop still when only about halfway -there." - -When the cart was loaded with about fifteen or twenty of the boxes, -the Indian called for the animal to pull ahead. But the stubborn mule -refused to budge. - -"Now what will he do?" mused Joe, looking at the impatient Indian. - -He soon saw. The native removed five boxes and carried them back into -the station. Then, with the cart lighter, he again attempted to make -the mule move ahead. - -But apparently it was still too much of a load, at least for comfort. - -"That crazy donkey just doesn't want to go, that's all." Mr. Dunn had -been taking in the incident with a great deal of interest. - -The Indian was becoming impatient. He had apparently removed all he -was going to from the cart and intended to resort to force. - -Walking to one side, he pushed with all his strength on the balky -animal, at the same time saying something in Quichua that the whites -guessed was not pleasant. - -Slowly, very slowly, the mule struggled forward, snorting as if in -rage. Gradually he quickened his pace, but never exceeded a walk. - -"At this rate it'll take us the rest of the afternoon to get -everything in camp," muttered Bob, amused and yet angered at the -stubborn beast. - -The youth guessed fairly right. The sun was almost ready to sink below -the horizon when the last box was unloaded from the cart, after five -trips had been made to carry all of the supplies. - -"Too late to do anything tonight," said Mr. Lewis, as the Indian, -mule, and cart disappeared over the plateau. "I suppose we'd better -take it easy, anyway. We'll have some busy days ahead of us." - -Early the next morning the explorers were up preparing for the -mountain journey. - -"The first thing now is to get mules," said Mr. Wallace. "And," he -added with twinkling eyes, "they'll have to be faster than the one -that carried our stuff last night." - -"You forgot." Dr. Brown, the physician, was moving up to Mr. Wallace. -"The first thing isn't to get mules," the doctor continued with a -smile. "Medical attention always comes before anything else." - -"That means a physical examination?" asked Bob. - -"Yes. And it also means vaccination against smallpox and typhoid -fever. Those two diseases are very common in this part of Peru." - -Dr. Brown had attended to everyone but the youths and Mr. Wallace. But -it did not take long to finish with them. - -"Now as I was saying," began Mr. Wallace, "the next thing is to get -mules. And I know where we can find them. I inquired yesterday and -found that a wealthy Peruvian who lives at the edge of Cuzco can let -us have as many as we need. He will also see that we get native -guides." - -"Don't forget that we need about twenty-five mules--for both parties -of the expedition," Professor Allan reminded him. - -"I haven't," the naturalist returned. "We can get as many as we need. -Suppose we do it now." - -Mr. Wallace, Dr. Rust, and Professor Kelley set out at once to get the -pack animals. - -Meanwhile, Bob and Joe took movie cameras and walked leisurely up the -hillside, intending to photograph anything that would come before -them. - -The boys had not gone far when they came upon a large group of Indian -men, dressed in short, coarse trousers, hand-woven shirts, and -brightly colored blankets. On their heads were the flat "pancake" hats -which are common in this region. - -"Here's a good chance to take movies," said Joe happily. He had -brought the camera to his shoulder and pointed it toward the Indians, -turning the crank steadily. - -Suddenly the natives rushed angrily at the youths and made a grab at -the motion-picture cameras. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -Just in Time - - -"Let go!" cried Bob, in his excitement forgetting that the Indians -could not understand English. - -The group had completely surrounded the youths, and one man was -holding tightly to Bob's camera. - -The two chums knew that they had little chance against so many. But -they fought doggedly to save the moving-picture machines, which were -the only two they had. - -With one supreme effort, Bob pushed the Indian nearest him to the -ground and turned to find an opening in the crowd of natives. - -But they were all about him, pushing and grabbing and striking to the -best of their ability. It was plain that they were determined to take -possession of the small boxes that the whites carried. - -If it had not been for the necessity of holding onto the cameras, Bob -and Joe could have put up a good fight, and perhaps driven the -Indians away. But as it was they found themselves at a sore -disadvantage. - -"Help!" cried Joe, raising his voice to a shout. "Help! Help!" - -Several seconds later a figure showed itself at the brink of the hill -and came toward the fighting group. - -"It's Dad!" Joe cried happily. "Now there'll be a fight!" - -Mr. Lewis was soon joined by Mr. Holton and Karl Sutman. Like a flash -the three grasped the meaning of the scuffle and rushed to the aid of -the chums. - -They dived headlong into the furious mob, using their fists to great -advantage. One big fellow Mr. Lewis knocked flat on his back in a -daze. - -"Here, take my camera," directed Bob, speaking to Karl. "Run as fast -as you can back to camp. I want to take a lick at some of these -beggars." - -Karl did as asked and dashed out of the mob for the tents. The last -Bob saw of him he was rounding a bend and heading toward the -monoplane. - -Then Bob faced the man who had grabbed his camera. - -"Take that!" the youth snarled, sending the Indian crashing to the -ground. - -The other natives, seeing that they were unable to hold their own -against these whites, took to their heels and disappeared in the -distance, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them. - -"Well, we licked them." Mr. Lewis was panting for breath. His face was -red from fatigue, his clothes torn and wrinkled. - -And the others were no better off. They had put up a game fight, -determined to drive away their enemies. - -"What was their motive for attacking you?" inquired Mr. Holton, wiping -his face with his handkerchief. - -"Beyond us," Joe answered him. "We just looked at them and pointed our -cameras at them----" - -"Oh." Mr. Holton seemed to understand everything. "That's all you did, -huh? Well, you did enough to excite their anger. Those natives are -decidedly against having their pictures taken. They believe that any -evil which might befall their pictures will come upon them later." - -"So that was it?" Bob laughed. "Well, we'll know enough not to try the -same thing again. Anyway, we got several feet of film exposed, and -that's better than nothing." - -The adventurers made their way down the hill, to be met by Karl and -the others of the expedition, who had come to learn of their friends' -misfortune. - -"Quite an encounter," commented Mr. Dunn, when he was told the -details. "These Indians are bad characters when their anger is -aroused." - -Back at the camp, the explorers got everything in readiness for the -expedition to depart as soon as Mr. Wallace, Dr. Rust, and Professor -Kelley returned with the mules and guides. - -It was nearly noon when Bob caught sight of a long line of mules -heading toward the camp. They were coming slowly and leisurely, but -always closer. Near the rear were the three explorers and two natives, -who had been driving the animals. - -"I see you met with success," said Mr. Buenagel, addressing Mr. -Wallace. - -"Success is right!" the naturalist was beaming all over. "Don Chusmena -here"--indicating a small Peruvian who had been conversing with -several natives--"has generously offered to let us use twenty of his -mules. They are all fine specimens, worthy of making the mountain -trip. And the price is right." - -The mules were driven up to the camp and herded together in a group. - -Mr. Wallace introduced Don Chusmena to the others. The Peruvian in -turn acquainted the Americans with the Indians who were to act as -guides for the expedition. He assured them that the natives knew every -foot of ground in the Andes country. One Indian was to lead Dr. Rust -and the other scientists who were to search for Inca ruins. The other -native would guide Mr. Lewis and any others that might be in the party -of naturalists. - -Both Bob and Joe had decided to stay with the expedition and not fly -in the monoplane with Karl Sutman. Mr. Holton, however, intended to -accompany the aviator and Dr. Brown, the expedition's physician. Karl -and the two men were to fly on ahead and look for Inca ruins from the -air, keeping in touch with the others. It was intended that Karl head -for the valley of the Comberciato, where he and Mr. Holton and the -physician would await the others of the naturalist party. - -"That leaves you and Mr. Wallace and Dad and I together," remarked -Joe. "I'm sorry your father isn't going with us." - -Bob nodded. - -"He'll meet us at the Comberciato River, though," the youth said. - -"But that won't be until two weeks from now, at least." Joe would have -been better satisfied if Mr. Holton had intended to go on foot instead -of in the airplane. - -Mr. Lewis and Mr. Wallace desired to get their division of the -expedition started as soon as possible. But since it was so late they -thought it best to wait until the next morning. - -"That'll give us time to look around some more," said Joe, picking up -a motion-picture camera. "Come on, Bob. There's a lot to be seen -around Cuzco." - -"Be careful boys," warned Mr. Holton. "Don't try to photograph any -more Indians, or you may get into a bigger scrape than the one this -morning." - -"Leave it to us," laughed Joe. "We'll be all right." - -The youths headed west toward the river Almodena. They resolved to -cross it and proceed northward to the Fortress of Sacsahuaman and -other Inca ruins. - -From the river there was a narrow road that led up the plateau to the -high hill that overlooked the city. As this hill stood between the -boys and the ruins of the fort, which were located high upon another -cliff, they found it almost necessary to climb to the top and then -down the other side. - -"Now for the ruins," said Bob eagerly, pointing to the top of the low -mountain that was before them. - -The youths had begun the difficult climb to the summit and had rounded -a turn in the rocks when they caught sight of an old man climbing -slowly up the dangerous ridge. - -"Look!" cried Joe in terror. "He's falling!" - -The old man's foot had slipped, and he was trying as best he could to -balance himself on a narrow ledge. - -His efforts were in vain. The next moment he began to plunge -helplessly downward. - -With the quickness of a cat, Bob stepped forward and, bracing himself -as best he could, he threw himself against the man. The impact of -Bob's heavy body stopped the man's fall and sent him against the side -of the cliff. It bruised his face and shoulders, but he was safe. - -After a few moments of resting, the old man looked up, wild-eyed and -white with fear. There was an expression of intense gratitude on his -wrinkled face as it was turned toward Bob. - -"You saved my life!" he cried in excellent English, gazing fearfully -below. "And I want to reward you. I want to tell you of some Inca -secrets--secrets of the Andes!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -The Old Man's Tale - - -At once Bob and Joe were breathless with interest. They had often -heard of Inca secrets but had thought them nothing more than myths. -Now, as this strange old man stood before them, the youths wondered if -there might have been some truth in the fantastic tales told of Inca -mysteries. - -The old man hesitated for several minutes, staring off into space. -Then, when the youths were becoming impatient with the long silence, -he continued, speaking in a low voice. - -"Far, far away, in the heart of a huge mountain, is a narrow tunnel -that leads to a large cavern of Inca secrets." Again the stranger -hesitated, looking below at Cuzco. - -"Why doesn't he hurry?" thought Joe, almost saying the words aloud. - -Finally the old man continued. - -"This cave is so large that it occupies the entire mountain," he went -on. "It is lighted with a strange brilliance, that comes mysteriously -from the outside. But ah! The Incas were marvelous inventors. They -could do many things that we Americans cannot do." - -"Then you are an American?" inquired Bob quickly. - -The old man nodded. - -"I spent my early years in the United States," he explained. -"Graduated from college and set out to be a scientist. Then I became -interested in Inca ruins and came here to look for them. My entire -lifetime I have spent in these mountains, looking for ruins and -treasure." - -"Treasure?" cried Joe. "Is there treasure here?" - -"Undoubtedly there is," was the answer. "In fact I believe I have -found some." - -The young men were all excitement. - -"Tell us about it!" begged Joe. - -"I am not certain that I have found any," the stranger said. "But I -came across a sort of bin that is covered with a heavy stone block. -Alone I am not able to lift it off. I firmly believe that in the bin -is something valuable. This is in that cave I told you about." He -stopped and glanced about; then, satisfied that no one else was near, -he continued: "It is a long, hard journey to this wonderful place. -There is a secret trail, that is known only to myself. And to add to -that, there is a single entrance to the cave. It cannot be opened -until you press a hidden button." - -He stopped a moment and gazed thoughtfully at the young men. - -"You saved my life," he went on, looking at Bob gratefully. "For this -I will gladly give you half of any treasure in the bin, if we can find -any. Will you make the trip with me?" - -For a few moments the youths said nothing. They wondered if there was -really any treasure in the bin. And they wondered, too, if it might be -possible to locate still more in the near-by mountains. - -"I am willing to go," said Bob at last. "It won't put us out any, I'm -sure. I think we can arrange it some way. Maybe Dad----" - -He got no further, for at that moment the old man raised a hand for -silence. - -"Of course your dad is all right," he said conclusively. "But I do not -wish to take anyone but you and your friend here with me. Even your -father might without thinking tell someone about this secret, and then -we would lose everything. And I want no one else to know." - -"Then," began Bob, "you want only Joe Lewis here and myself--my name -is Bob Holton--to go with you?" - -"You are right," came the reply. "And my name is Rander--_Doctor_ -Rander. I would be much better satisfied if only we three went." - -"I think it can be arranged," Bob told him. "What direction do we have -to go?" - -"East. Almost straight east from Cuzco. But of course there are many -roundabout paths that we must follow, and much of the way is over no -trail at all." - -"We'll let you know a little later, if that is all right," said Bob. -"Where can we get in touch with you?" - -Dr. Rander explained that he was staying in a little adobe hut at the -other edge of Cuzco and that he had a sufficient number of mules to -carry the provisions needed. - -"How soon do you want to start?" inquired Joe, who was anxious to make -the trip. - -"I am ready any time," the old man said. "If you wish, we will start -tomorrow." - -Bob explained that they would talk it over with their fathers and call -on their friends that night. With this, the youths headed back to -camp, not desiring to lose more time even in seeing the ruins at the -top of the hill. - -"What do you think of it?" asked Bob a little later, as he and his -friend came in sight of the monoplane. - -"I think a lot of it," Joe answered. "Why, it will be wonderful!" - -"Don't be too sure that we can go," Bob reminded him. "It all depends -on what our dads think. If they're afraid to let us leave the -expedition and start out with this Dr. Rander, why, I suppose that -will end it all. And the old man won't let anyone else go with us." - -"Funny he'd tell us about that secret, isn't it? If he had kept still, -he'd have had all the treasure for himself. But then, I suppose he was -so glad you saved his life that he was more than willing to let you in -on it. Then, too, he's not sure of finding it." - -At the camp, the boys found their fathers and others awaiting them. - -"What do you think of the ruins?" asked Mr. Holton, as the chums came -up. - -"We don't know much about them," returned Joe. "But there's something -else we want to tell you." - -While the men listened, Joe told of seeing the old man climbing up the -steep hill and of Bob's saving his life when he fell. He told of the -secret treasure that the stranger said was in the Andes, and of the -old man's desire for the two youths to accompany him in the mountains. -He finished by saying that he believed it might be worth while to go. - -"Perhaps you're right," came from Mr. Holton. "It might pay you to go -with him. Do you think he can be trusted?" Mr. Holton had great faith -in the judgment of his son and Joe. - -"Don't know why not," said Bob. "He seemed so glad that he had not -fallen down the cliff that he was happy to tell us about the -treasure." - -"There isn't a chance of his being crazy, is there?" asked Karl -Sutman, who was also listening to the conversation. - -"Oh, of course there's a chance," replied Bob, "but I'd be willing to -bet anything that he isn't." - -"We can go with him, can't we?" queried Joe, glancing especially at -his father. "We may find treasure, after all." - -"I see no reason why you shouldn't," came from Mr. Lewis. "Of course -you'll be careful. And there's very little danger of getting lost, -with all the native huts scattered about. What do you think, Howard?" - -"Like you," Mr. Holton replied. "After all, Bob and Joe are able to -take care of themselves. If Karl will stay in the vicinity of Cuzco -until they get back, it will ease matters some. Or, if the boys will -be gone too long, Karl can come on with the rest of the expedition to -the valley of the Comberciato, and then return later to pick up Bob -and Joe in Cuzco." - -"I'll be glad to do it," Karl Sutman said, and so the matter remained -settled. - -That evening Bob and Joe went to Dr. Rander's hut at the edge of -Cuzco. The old man seemed glad to see them, offering them the best -chairs he had. - -"Now about the secrets," he began, after he had closed the door and -made sure that no one was near. "First of all, we must keep it -strictly to ourselves. If, while on our way, anyone should ask why we -are going into the mountains, we must not tell them." - -"For one thing, we're going to take movies of the country," said Joe, -and then explained this in full to the old man. - -The youths spent all evening at the old man's hut. When at last they -were ready to leave, they had agreed on one thing: They were to start -early the next morning. - -As they walked silently back to the camp, gazing up at the starlit -sky, Bob and Joe wondered what would be their adventures for the next -few weeks. Would they actually come into possession of valuable -treasure? - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -Starting Into the Mountains - - -Early the next morning the youths were up getting ready for the long -journey into the unknown. They had all their possessions packed when -Dr. Rander came with mules and provisions. - -He was introduced by Bob and Joe to the other members of the -expedition, who, particularly Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis, recognized him -as a capable explorer. - -The youths made arrangements for Karl Sutman to meet them in a town -called Pasaje, at the end of a sufficient time. The aviator was to -have his monoplane ready to take the youths to the locality occupied -by other divisions of the expedition. - -"Now do be careful and don't take any chances," warned Mr. Holton, -after additional boxes of food had been strapped on the backs of other -mules. "Remember, slow traveling with safety is far better than rapid -going with danger." - -"We'll be all right," Joe assured him, as the mules were being placed -in line. "And Karl will fly us to your locality in due time. Don't -forget that you are to be careful too." - -With fond farewells, Bob and Joe and the old man drove the mules -toward the rim of mountains that skirted the eastern horizon. They -rounded a high hill and lost sight of their relatives and friends. - -For some time the youths were silent with their thoughts. Who knew -whether they would ever see those dear ones again? Even at best, there -were untold hardships and dangers in the mountains that lay before -them. Would they be able to meet any crisis? - -It was some time before the boys resumed their natural peace of mind. -But when they did, they were eager to take in all the sights of this -wonderland. - -There was a wide trail that led eastward from Cuzco. Over this the -pack train went at a slow but steady gait that promised to eat up the -miles sooner than it might be thought possible. - -"Wonder if we'll see any big game?" remarked Bob, as he and Joe walked -near the rear of the pack train. "I'd like especially to bag one of -those white condors Dad was talking about. You think there are any?" - -"Possibly," replied Joe. "But if there are, it isn't likely that we'll -see one." - -The three adventurers followed a well-beaten path to the town of -Puquiura, which they found nothing more than a group of native mud -huts. - -"Not much life here," observed Joe, as the caravan of pack animals -passed on through the village. - -"I suppose this is typical of all the towns in these mountains," came -from Bob. "Just a bunch of dirty mud dwellings." - -Led by Dr. Rander, the Americans wound around a narrow trail that -reached steadily upward. They were making fairly good time, and if -nothing prevented, they expected to arrive at a much larger town -before noon. - -"I think I'll try riding my mule," announced Bob, who, along with his -friends, had been walking beside the mounts. - -"Better watch out," cautioned Joe. "Those little animals are -treacherous sometimes." - -Bob called to Dr. Rander to wait for him. Then, pulling his mount out -of the line, he placed his foot in the stirrup and threw his leg -across the sturdy little mule's back. - -But just then something happened. The animal wheeled about, and, -throwing its hind feet high in the air, it leaped forward with a snort -of resentment. - -"Help!" cried the amused and yet worried Bob. - -"What do you want me to do?" inquired Joe, taking in the scene with -interest. - -"Grab hold of his tail! Do anything!" Despite his serious predicament, -Bob could not help laughing, although he was angered. - -"Get hold of his tail, huh? Not much." Joe intended to derive as much -amusement as possible from his friend's plight. - -All joking was cast aside a moment later when, at an unexpected -moment, the mule gave a quick turn to the left and threw Bob to the -ground. The youth caught the fall with his arm, and so escaped injury, -but his anger was as strong as ever. - -"I'll fix you, you----" - -Bob did not finish the words, for at that moment the mule leaped -forward and galloped off at a rapid pace. - -"After him!" Bob cried, dashing ahead as fast as his legs would carry -him. - -A more amusing sight could hardly be found. Joe's laughter mingled -with the sound of rapidly moving hoofs, and even old Dr. Rander joined -in the merriment. - -"Think he'll catch him?" queried Joe, as pursuer and pursued vanished -behind a heavy cloud of dust. - -"I believe so," the old man returned, straining his eyes to make out -the figures ahead. "The mule will soon tire of such fast running. He -isn't used to it." - -Dr. Rander was right. Five minutes later Bob appeared from around a -hill leading the now calm animal. There was a smile of triumph on the -youth's face as he faced his friends. - -"Now that everything has worked out all right, suppose we forget that -anything happened," grinned Bob, as he placed the mule back in the -line. - -"You going to try riding him again?" asked Joe with a laugh. - -"Not on your life. I value my hide too much for that." - -They set forward, heading for the distant high peaks, which were -always visible. - -An hour of steady climbing brought them to a high plateau, which was -bordered by mountains. From this elevation the explorers could command -a good view of Cuzco, which seemed but a miniature city in the -distance. - -"I don't feel so well," groaned Bob, whose face was becoming pale. "I -can't get my breath without wheezing. And my stomach seems out of -order." - -Dr. Rander happened to be near when Bob complained, and lost no time -in attending to the youth. - -"You probably have _soroche_, or mountain sickness," he said, noting -that Bob's pulse was unusually rapid. "Do you think you can keep on to -the next town?" - -"Sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to lie down somewhere." The stricken -Bob was visibly becoming worse with every minute. - -"Wonder if I'll have another touch of mountain sickness?" mused Joe, -as his friend stretched out on a blanket that Dr. Rander had spread on -the hard ground. - -There was nothing to do but wait for the youth to recover. The old man -explained that often patients remained ill for several days, and that -there was a possibility of Bob's sickness being lengthy. - -In view of this, they thought it best to make camp and prepare to stay -as long as necessary. There was no use making arrangements to continue -the journey until Bob's condition improved. - -"Here, take this pill." Dr. Rander held a little white tablet and a -cup of water. "It will make you well sooner than anything else." - -But it was not soon enough for Bob. All the remainder of that day he -moaned on with a splitting headache and terrible nausea. It was worse, -he said, than sea sickness, of which he had experienced a touch on his -first ocean voyage. - -The next morning, although still weak, Bob was greatly improved. The -ill effects had gone, and once more he had an ambition again to get to -the trail. - -But Dr. Rander protested. - -"You are not strong enough yet," he said. "We'll wait till noon and -see if you're improved sufficiently by that time." - -By the time the sun was directly overhead, Bob was his old natural -self again. He was overly anxious to make up for lost time. - -Lunch over, the explorers again took to the trail, driving the staunch -little mules along at a rapid pace. - -"Now lead me to those secrets of the Andes!" said Bob, as Cuzco faded -from view. - -At length the adventurers came to another town, which Dr. Rander -called Cameras. They would much rather have encircled the settlement, -but as there was no other trail, they passed on through. - -"Let's leave the mules here near the edge of town," suggested Joe. -"I'd like to go back to that little store that we just passed. Might -be able to get something we can use cheap." - -"I'll go with you," said Bob. - -Dr. Rander announced that he would stay with the mules and catch a -short rest. He cautioned the boys not to stay too long. - -The store that Joe referred to was nothing more than an adobe hut -filled with curios of the Andes. They purchased a few articles as -souvenirs and started back to the edge of town, where the old man was -waiting. - -Suddenly there came the sound of rough voices, and a moment later a -dozen shots rent the air. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -A Terrible Sight - - -"What's going on?" cried Joe Lewis, as a chorus of voices mingled with -the sound of rifle shots. - -"Some trouble somewhere," returned Bob. "Wonder----" - -He did not finish, for at that instant there came another shot, and a -bullet whizzed by his ear. - -The youths lost no time in hiding behind a small mud hut, although -they knew a bullet could probably penetrate it. But at least it -offered temporary shelter, and that was what they wanted. - -"Look!" cried Bob, gazing cautiously around the corner of the hut. -"There are soldiers in uniform. What do you suppose they're doing?" - -They were soon to see. - -The troops, which numbered about thirty, were firing at something that -the boys could not see from their places at the side of the hut. - -"I'm going to take a chance and get out in the open where I can see -something," said Joe. "Come on. If we're careful and don't get in the -way of the shooting, we'll be all right." - -Carefully the chums edged around the side of the dwelling and peeped -out at the street. Then they drew back quickly, as a score of shots -rang out. - -What the youths saw was forty or fifty natives scattered out to escape -the fire of the soldiers. Each held in readiness an old rifle, which -he discharged at intervals. - -"Must be a revolution," observed Bob. "Perhaps those natives have -offered violence to the governor of the town, and the troops have been -called to settle the matter." - -Bob could not have come closer to the facts. - -"The soldiers are winning," said Joe. "They're better trained and have -more efficient guns." - -Although the troops appeared to gain the upper hand, the fighting -continued with as much fury as before. - -A sudden fusillade of bullets coming dangerously near Bob and Joe -prompted the boys to make a dash toward the end of the town, where the -mules and Dr. Rander were probably waiting. - -"Let's get out of here," suggested Joe. "We'll get hit if we don't." - -"All right. Wonder if Dr. Rander is still where we left him?" - -The chums were greatly surprised when, a few minutes later, they saw -that the old man was not in sight. But the mules were tethered to a -stout post, and this gave the boys hope. - -"Chances are, he's gone to see what the shooting's about," Bob said. -"Wish he'd come back. He's likely to get killed if he stays around -there close." - -The youths were beginning to worry when Dr. Rander appeared up the -road, glancing occasionally over his shoulder. - -"Quite a commotion, wasn't it?" he said when he had come nearer. "But -the soldiers drove them away." - -"What was it, a revolution?" inquired Joe. - -"Yes. An Indian told me that the people in the town were turning -against their prefect. Didn't like his rule, and wanted a change. But -the soldiers soon fixed them." - -"Is the fighting over?" Bob had not heard a rifle shot for several -minutes. - -"Yes. The soldiers forced the citizens to throw away their weapons." - -"And that reminds me," laughed Joe. "We'd better be getting our rifles -out, because we may see some game before long. I'd like to get a shot -at a condor." - -"Condors live only in high mountains," explained Dr. Rander. "We -won't see any for many days, if at all." - -But although the adventurers did not catch a glimpse of these huge -birds, they saw occasional small animals, such as rabbits and -chinchillas. Once Joe took a shot at one of the latter creatures, but -his aim was not steady and he missed. - -At noon that day they came to a small adobe hut, from which hung a -green wreath. - -"What does that stand for?" asked Bob innocently. "Is somebody dead?" - -For the second time since the youths had known him, old Dr. Rander -burst out in laughter. - -"Hardly," he said finally. "A green wreath means that bread is for -sale." - -Joe almost choked with laughter. - -"That's a good one on you," he said to his chum. "It's a wonder you -didn't go and gather flowers and offer them to the bereaved family." - -Bob grinned. - -"You'd probably have asked where the corpse was," he said. "Or -maybe----" - -"We can stop here for a meal," Dr. Rander interrupted. "It is best to -save our provisions as best we can, because later on we won't be able -to find any native huts." - -Inside the mud building, the three were waited upon by a huge Indian -woman, whose hard face inspired no trust from the explorers. But they -were glad when she spread before them a bountiful meal of potatoes, -roast mutton, and a drink which the youths guessed was intoxicating. - -"None of that brown liquid for me," came from Bob, looking with -suspicion at the huge clay cup that contained the beverage. - -"Me either," echoed Joe. "Too big of a risk." - -The old man, however, drank freely of the beverage and seemed pleased -with its flavor. Whether he knew of its ingredients the chums did not -know. - -As soon as the meal was over, the three again took up the journey, -keeping a sharp lookout for anything that might prove of interest. - -They found something before they had gone another mile. - -Coming up the trail at a slow, leisurely gait was a large donkey, on -the back of which rode an Indian man, woman, and two half-grown -children. But something else amused the chums more. In pouches secured -to the mule's sides were two other Indian children, their faces sober -as they looked upon the whites. - -"Where's a movie camera?" demanded Bob quickly. "I'm going to take a -chance with them. They can't do anything to us." - -"Here." Joe had removed a camera from his pocket and was turning the -crank and exposing several yards of film. "This ought to be -interesting on the screen," he said. - -Much to the youths' surprise, the Indians did not protest at having -their pictures taken. They merely stared at the whites in wonder. - -"Maybe they haven't seen a camera before, and don't know what it's all -about," was the opinion expressed by Joe. - -A little later they came to a flat field, which was being cultivated -by an Indian with a team of oxen and a crude wooden plow. It was an -interesting sight. The slow animals drew the improvised instrument -steadily through the hard soil, while the sober Indian watched -closely. - -"More movies," sang Bob, bringing out his camera. "Every little bit -counts." - -Again they were surprised to see that this Indian displayed no -indignation at the whites taking pictures. Perhaps after all Joe was -right and the Indians in this section were not familiar with a camera. - -The adventurers had been driving their pack animals ahead all -afternoon when suddenly they rounded a bend and came to a narrow -river. - -"Look!" cried Joe quickly, pointing ahead. "What's that on the bank? -Why, it's bones!" - -Dr. Rander had heard. - -"Llama remains," he explained. "Looks like llamas have picked this -spot to die on." - -Scattered thickly over the river bank were scores of white bones, -which undoubtedly were those of llamas. - -"I knew elephants occasionally have a cemetery, but that any other -animals do I had not the slightest idea," said Joe. - -More movies were taken, and then they set about to devise a means to -cross the river. - -"We'll have to ford it," announced Dr. Rander, who had been waiting -for the chums to walk on up to the head. "I don't think it is so deep -as to cause us trouble." - -Although the weather was warm, Bob and Joe chose to put on their hip -boots, to escape the chill that might otherwise result. - -They found that Dr. Rander was right. The river was barely three feet -deep and was comparatively calm. So they had little difficulty in -driving the mules across. - -From the opposite bank two trails branched off up the mountainside. -The one that was most difficult to follow, Dr. Rander chose. - -"From here our going will be more arduous," he told the young men. -"The mountains are steeper, and more obstacles will stand in our -way." - -Bob had followed the pack train to a height where he could command a -good view of the surrounding country when suddenly he cried out in -pain. - -"My foot!" he groaned, when the others rushed to his side. "Something -bit it." - -"What was it? A snake?" Joe demanded anxiously. - -"Let me have a look at it," the old man said, tying the foremost mule -to a gnarled tree. - -When Bob removed his legging and sock, he found a large red scratch, -and the flesh about it was already badly swollen. It pained severely -and throbbed so violently that the boy could hardly hold his foot -still. - -"Not a snake," Dr. Rander told him. "Rather a poisonous insect--they -are common in the Andes." - -The old explorer bathed the foot in water from a canteen and treated -it with antiseptics, wrapping it up firmly. - -"Now until that heals some you'll have to ride your mount," Dr. Rander -said. "Don't take no from him for an answer. Get on him and make him -carry you forward." - -While Joe and the old man held the mule securely, Bob mounted and with -drawn reins held the animal at a standstill. - -"Hurrah!" yelled Joe. "You've made him give in." - -"Not altogether," Bob said. "But I think I can manage to stay on." - -At the end of two days of riding the mule, Bob was convinced that the -animal was not really as balky as he had at first supposed. Over high -hills and rocky paths he carried his rider, until at last Bob's foot -became well enough for him to walk. - -"I'll sort of hate to do it," laughed the youth, when they were camped -under a high overhanging rock. - -"I know," said Dr. Rander. "But there isn't much choice in the matter. -After all, our mounts are not to be ridden except in such an emergency -as this. They tire too easily when on the rocky trails, and it isn't -best to put much of a load on them." - -On, on the little party plunged, into the heart of the mountainous -region. On every hand they saw something to hold their interest. - -They had been on the trail about four days when they saw something -that was indeed unusual. - -Moving leisurely up the narrow path were eight or ten large Indians -carrying an old organ. Ropes were tied tightly around the instrument, -and to these the Indians held with a death grip. - -Where they were taking the organ, the whites could only guess. Perhaps -it belonged to a plantation owner, who wanted a musical instrument in -his house. - -Suddenly, unexpectedly, one of the Indians cried out in fright, and -then there came other cries. - -"The organ's slipping!" shouted Joe. "It's going over the cliff! And -oh!"--he gasped for breath--"it's taking one of the Indians with it!" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -Difficulties of the Trail - - -The sight that the explorers beheld was unpleasant to the extreme. -Scarcely had Joe uttered the cry of horror when the organ suddenly -fell, pushing one of the natives over the cliff. - -The man screamed in terror and then disappeared into the depths below. -It was thousands of feet to the bottom of the abyss, and instant death -was almost certain. - -Bob drew back from the brink with a shudder. Joe and Dr. Rander gave -cries of repugnance. The other Indians screamed hoarsely, uttering -something that only Dr. Rander understood. - -The natives ran wildly down the trail, scowling and making gestures. - -"Terrible!" muttered the old explorer, when they had disappeared -around a turn. - -"What did they say?" inquired Joe, who had been struck by the Indians' -attitude of anger. - -"They intend to kill the man who wanted the organ," Dr. Rander told -him. "They blame the Indian's death on him." - -"Well, of all things!" exclaimed Joe indignantly. "Isn't there -anything we can do about it?" - -The old man shook his head. - -"When they set their minds on anything there's no use trying to change -them," he said hopelessly. - -"We might warn the man whom they intend to kill," suggested Bob -Holton. - -"Don't know who it is," Dr. Rander returned. "And the Indians wouldn't -tell us." - -Bob and Joe all during that day felt that something could have been -done to prevent the natives from killing the plantation owner, or -whoever it was that was getting the organ. They were not a little -vexed at Dr. Rander for treating the matter so lightly. - -"But then," said Bob hopefully, "maybe the Indians didn't get away -with it." - -Ten minutes later the youths forgot about the incident. They had been -struggling over an exceedingly rough stretch when they suddenly came -to another river, much wider than the one they had seen several days -previously. - -"Have to ford it, I guess," said Joe Lewis. "No other way across." - -Again the boys put on their hip boots, and again they plunged into the -water, driving the mules before them. The going here was difficult, -as the current was rather strong, and the mules had to be watched more -closely. - -They were about halfway across when the old explorer cried out in -fright. - -"Help!" His voice was wild with terror. - -"What is it?" demanded Joe, who was nearest him. - -Then the youth saw. Dr. Rander was rapidly sinking into a hole. -Already the water had reached his chest, and he was going down -rapidly. - -Joe at once put thought into action. He dashed over to one of the -mules, opened a bag, and began searching about for a rope. - -Frantic with the delay, the youth worked his hand like a machine, -feeling in every corner of the bag. What if he could not find the -rope? - -But fortune was with him. In another bag on the opposite side of the -mule he found the rope. Luckily it was not tangled. - -Joe was almost afraid to turn for fear Dr. Rander would be gone. His -heart gave a leap as he saw that the explorer's head was still above -the water. - -"Here, get hold of this," Joe called, throwing the rope over to the -old man. "Now come on, Bob. Let's pull." - -This last was unnecessary, as Bob was already on the spot waiting to -catch hold of the rope. - -"Steady, now!" - -Slowly the youths pulled their friend out of the heavy mud, which -oozed ominously as it released its victim. Once it seemed as if the -old man would have to release his hold, but he managed to hang on -desperately. - -At last, when he was completely out of the mud, he moved over to his -young companions and gazed at them gratefully. - -"You did wonderful," he commended. "Many people would have acted more -slowly--and I would have gone under." - -"Wonder if there are any more treacherous places like that?" Bob -scanned the chocolate water closely, as if by instinct to detect any -dangerous spots. - -"We'll have to risk it," Joe said. "It might be well to spread apart, -so if anyone gets caught, the others can come to his rescue." - -"Good suggestion," praised Bob. "I'll get away over to this side." - -But if there were any more mud holes the explorers failed to come -across them, and finally reached the other side safely, driving the -mules before them. - -On the bank Dr. Rander took off his mud-soaked clothes and replaced -them with dry ones. Then, after a short rest, they resumed the -journey. - -"Who's coming?" Joe strained his ears to make out the source of -footsteps. - -Then, rounding a growth of stunted trees, appeared a long caravan of -small llamas, which were heavily loaded with what was probably -firewood. Beside the curious animals walked two Indians, wearing the -common "pancake" hats. - -Luckily there was enough room for both cavalcades to pass freely, and -they experienced no difficulty. - -The natives stopped for a few minutes and conversed with Dr. Rander, -who spoke Quichua freely. Then they started down the trail, driving -the llamas at a rapid pace. - -"Funny animals," observed Bob when they had gone. "I was afraid all -the time one or two would come at me and spit in my face, like the one -back at Cuzco." - -Joe laughed. - -"As long as you don't bother them, I guess they're all right," he -said. "But from what I've heard, they don't like to be played with." - -"Don't I know it!" grinned the other youth. - -Before long they saw the origin of the llama caravan. Set back from -the path was a large mud hut, about which played several Indian -children. Another man and a woman came out to meet the adventurers. - -Again Dr. Rander stopped to converse in the Quichua tongue. But not -for long. He was anxious to lose no time in getting to the secrets. -Even at best it would require many, many days. - -"Hope we don't have any trouble from now on," said Joe, as he followed -the old man up a steep slope. "But I suppose we will." - -Bob nodded. - -"Exploring has its difficulties," he said. "It will be funny if we -don't have any more things happen to delay us." - -That evening they camped in a little valley between two high peaks. -All were glad to rest their tired limbs after such an arduous day over -rocky paths. - -At a small gurgling spring but a short distance away they drank freely -and filled their canteens to capacity. Then, refreshed and ready to -prepare the meal, they were about to head for the tent when Dr. Rander -noticed something coming at them. He turned about quickly, his face -white with fear. - -The youths saw the danger and ran toward the mules as fast as they -could. - -Advancing toward them was a heavy swarm of green jungle flies, whose -bite all knew to be poisonous as well as annoying. If the flies -attacked the explorers, the result would be marks and red, swollen -scratches that would disappear only after several weeks of patient -treating. - -"The mosquito nets--quick!" cried Dr. Rander, opening a pack and -fumbling about nervously. "We must have them! That swarm of flies is -so large that there won't be anything left of us!" - -But the adventurers were not quick enough. Before they could get out -the nets the buzzing flies were upon them, biting their faces and arms -severely. The little insects even penetrated the heavy clothing in a -determined effort to satisfy their thirst for blood. - -"This is awful!" groaned Bob, working feverishly to find a net. - -Scarcely would they put a hand into the packs when they would have to -remove it and slap away the flies, the marks of which already pained -severely. - -At last Joe found the pack that contained the nets, and lost no time -in distributing the latter among his friends and himself. - -"Now let them come," challenged Bob, facing the swarm angrily. "I -guess it won't do 'em any good now." - -But even with the protection afforded by the closely woven nets, the -menacing little creatures bit the explorers' arms and legs most -annoyingly. - -Relief did not come until dark. The blackness of the night served in -some manner to cause the flies to leave, although a small few remained -threateningly. - -"Oh!" muttered Bob, trying in vain to bend his wrist. "They sure fixed -us up plenty good. Our---- My gosh! Joe, look at yourself in a mirror. -And you, too, Dr. Rander." - -The three were indeed a sorry-looking sight. Their faces were so -swollen that their eyes were hardly visible, and their hands and arms -were no better off. - -"And how it hurts!" Joe was almost frantic with the stinging pain. -"It's a good thing the sun went down when it did, or there would have -been nothing left of us," he added. - -All were too bruised and tired to prepare a meal, but necessity forced -them to do so. But not until Dr. Rander produced a large tube of a -special salve, which he applied freely to the swollen parts. - -"This will relieve the pain," he told the youths. "In the morning -we'll be a little better, but it won't be for a week that the sores -will disappear completely." - -Dawn found the adventurers scarcely aware that they had been bitten, -although the scars were still there to tell the story. - -"Let's forget all about that unpleasant encounter," suggested Joe -optimistically. "Suppose we take everything that happens purely as an -adventure." - -"Now you're talking!" Bob patted his chum on the back. "We came here -for adventure, and we mustn't kick when we get it." - -Along toward noon Bob was lucky in bringing down a wild duck, which -flew from a jungle not far away. Roasted over a fire, it proved good -eating, despite the fact that it was tough. - -Dinner--for that was what the youths called the noon meal when they -were on exploration trips--over, they took it easy in the shade of a -group of stunted trees, which grew almost straight out from the -mountainside. - -"Trail's pretty bad," observed Joe, his eyes on what could be seen of -the narrow path as it circled up the peak. "But I suppose it's nothing -to what we'll find it later on." - -Which proved fairly accurate, as they later observed. At times the -trail was so rough and rocky that it was with greatest difficulty that -the mules were able to clamber up the steep elevations. On one -occasion it was necessary for the mules to jump up a three-foot rock, -which obstructed the trail dangerously near a five-hundred-foot drop. - -"Steady, now," cautioned the old man, helping the youths unload the -mules. "If we make a misstep, it will prove our finish." - -None of the explorers did, fortunately. But one of the mules was not -as lucky. It was the last animal in the line and had been carrying -only trifles that were not of necessity to the explorers. - -The other mules had safely jumped to the top of the rock and were -grazing on the thin patches of grass that grew on the mountainside. - -"Hurry, now," came from Joe. "Let's get this last fellow up." - -Scarcely had the words left his mouth when the unfortunate animal lost -its footing and, balancing for a moment at the edge of the canyon, -plunged helplessly over the brink. - -"Gone!" Dr. Rander could hardly believe the fact. - -Bob and Joe had watched the accident tensely, unable to render any -assistance to the terrified mule. At last they climbed up on the rock -with a resolution to take matters as they were. - -"Talk about adventure," said Bob with a grim smile. "I guess we're -getting plenty of it." - -"Just wait," murmured Joe meaningly. "This won't be anything to what's -coming, or else I'll miss my guess." - -"I sincerely hope nothing else will happen today," Dr. Rander said. "I -wish to get beyond this short range of mountains before nightfall." - -They later saw that traveling was so slow that it would be impossible -to do this. But they were well on the other side of the peaks when -darkness overtook them. - -"Now to make camp," sang Bob, tethering the foremost mule to a stout -crag. - -"Wait," called Joe, who was just out of sight around a turn. - -"What for?" - -"Because--I've found something. Come here." - -Bob and Dr. Rander went around the bend, where Joe was waiting for -them. - -"It's a cave," explained the youth. "A big cave. Let's see what's in -it." - -"Better be careful," was the old man's warning. "It isn't unlikely -that some snake has its lair here." - -They went in cautiously, Joe holding his flashlight and Bob his -revolver. How far the opening extended they had not the slightest -idea, for the light beam did not reach the other end. - -Suddenly Joe shrank back, as his light rested on something not thirty -feet ahead. - -"Bats!" he cried. "Vampire bats! And they're coming toward us!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -Danger at Hand - - -Turning on the moment, the three ran toward the entrance of the -cavern, never looking behind for fear of seeing the ugly creatures -dangerously near. - -"They're coming!" panted Bob, as he heard the flapping that told that -the bats were flying nearer. "And I do hope we can get out in time!" - -They reached the entrance of the cave and dashed out, but not before -one of the creatures had inflicted an ugly bite on Dr. Rander's leg. - -Once out of the dark opening, the adventurers felt fairly safe, even -though several bats followed them. - -"We can at least fight them off out here," said Joe. "And that was -something we couldn't have done in the cave." - -The several bats fluttered about ominously, keeping close to the -ground. Their faces were of peculiar shape, closely resembling that of -a bulldog. What interested Bob and Joe was that the creatures could -run very rapidly over the ground. - -"Usually bats can't make much speed except in the air," remarked Bob, -remembering something his father had told him. "Their legs aren't -ordinarily made for walking." - -"It's different with these vampires, though," came from Joe. - -Dr. Rander thought it best to proceed farther before making camp, in -order to protect the pack animals from the bats. He well knew that it -is not uncommon for mules and llamas in this region to be attacked by -bats. People, however, are usually safe from their bites. - -That night the mules were molested only slightly by a few of the bats -that followed the expedition. But aside from a few swollen places, -they were none the worse for their experience. - -"It's a wonder one of us hasn't a place or two to show that the bats -were around," remarked Joe, after, the morning meal. - -"We have." Bob glanced at the old explorer. "At least Dr. Rander has." - -That person had been treating the wound in his leg and watching it -closely to see that infection did not set in. The right kind of care, -he said, would cause the sore to heal quickly. - -Again up the difficult trail the explorers went, after having broken -camp and attended to the mules. - -"Wouldn't be funny if we'd meet anything here," said Bob with a -shudder. "The path is so narrow that it's all we can do to get by -ourselves." - -"No," Bob agreed. "And there's no way of telling----" - -He did not finish the sentence, for at that moment there came a -commotion from around a turn. To the travelers, it sounded like -rapidly moving hoofs. - -The noise increased. Then the three shrank back as they saw advancing -toward them a line of galloping vicugnas, which were small animals -resembling llamas. - -Joe groaned hopelessly. - -"Either we or they will have to go off the cliff," he said tensely. -"There isn't room for both of us." - -The animals came nearer at a rapid pace. Apparently they were greatly -frightened from some cause or other. Whether something was chasing -them the travelers did not know. - -"We must save the mules!" cried Dr. Rander anxiously. - -"I have an idea, if it will work," said Bob. - -The other looked at him hopefully. Well they knew that if the pack -animals were to plunge over the edge of the peak, the three would be -faced with the possibility of starvation. - -There was not a moment to lose. Whatever they did must be done -quickly. - -Bob moved over to the head of the pack train. Joe and Dr. Rander -remained near the middle of the line, intending to frighten the -vicugnas and prevent the pack animals from becoming panic-stricken. If -necessary, they would shoot the vicugnas to prevent them from coming -around the trail. But unless forced they did not wish to do this for -fear of scaring the mules. - -In front of the foremost pack animal Bob stood with a thick rope, -which he had formed into a lasso. When the first vicugna came near, -the youth swung the loop out from the side of the mountain and made a -perfect throw over the animal's head. - -Bob gave the rope a quick pull and then let go. The impact brought the -vicugna to the ground with a thud. Its followers, trying in vain to -check themselves, stumbled over their fallen leader, several of them -falling over the cliff. The others remained on the trail with -difficulty. - -"Fine work!" praised Joe, walking around the mules to his friend. "If -you hadn't thought of that, I guess we'd have had to shoot them. I -didn't know you knew anything about a lasso." - -"I don't. That is--very little. But I thought I'd try that and see if -it would work. If it didn't, I was going to shoot them. They had to be -stopped some way." - -"What do you suppose made them come around the trail so fast?" asked -Joe. - -Dr. Rander expressed the belief that the vicugnas had been frightened -by a puma or some other animal. - -"Otherwise they would not have made that wild dash," he said. -"Whenever you see a stampede of animals, you may know that there is -some reason for it." - -The explorers forced the remaining vicugnas to turn back and follow -the trail in the direction from which they had come. When the last -animal had disappeared around the bend, Dr. Rander urged the mules -ahead, and they again took up the journey. - -"I don't suppose the puma or whatever it was will frighten those -vicugnas back again, will it?" Joe was a bit worried as they labored -around the rough trail, which was even narrower than before. - -"We'll hope not," the old man said. - -"If the puma's there, maybe we can get a shot at it," suggested Bob. -"I'd like to bag one for Dad and the others." - -But if there was one of these huge cats in the vicinity, it did not -make its presence known. Perhaps, as Joe mentioned, it had left for -another locality. - -So closely did the youths look about that they did not notice the -wall of rock that appeared suddenly before them. Only Dr. Rander's -voice served to rouse them. - -"Here we come to the first secret," he asserted, pointing to a small -opening in the wall of rock. - -"So soon?" asked Bob wonderingly. "Why, I thought----" - -"It is a tunnel," explained the old explorer. "One that was made by -the Incas. As far as I know, I am the only person who is aware of its -existence." - -At once the boys were aflame with interest. - -"And--and we must pass through it?" Bob peered at the narrow opening, -which seemed no different from many other crevices they had seen. - -"Yes. There is no other way to reach the cave of gold. At least not -from this direction." - -The adventurers got through the opening easily, but the mules -experienced more difficulty. And they did not at all like the idea of -plunging into a dark tunnel. - -But finally they were forced through by Joe, who had gone back -outside. Then, with the aid of flashlights, the party proceeded to -thread their way in the narrow passage. - -"How much of this is there?" asked Joe, when fully five minutes had -passed. - -"At least a mile more," Dr. Rander returned. "It is very long." - -But if it were a mile, it seemed to the youths like several times that -much, for in the damp, odorous tunnel the time passed very slowly. - -"Will we ever reach the other side?" Joe was tiring. - -At last the passageway became light, and then an opening loomed up and -let in the fresh air of the outside. - -"Hurrah!" Joe was delighted. "But--where are we?" - -On all sides of the travelers were towering peaks more lofty than any -they had yet seen. Some of the mountains were narrow and pointed, with -snow at their summit; others were merely huge rounded mounds of rock. -All were magnificent, inspiring thoughts of grandeur. - -The youths and the old man were on a narrow shelf that was perhaps -five thousand feet above what looked like a tiny winding ribbon of -water. It passed in and out among the mountains, stretching far out of -sight in the distance. - -"That is the Apurimac River," pointed out Dr. Rander, following the -boys' eyes. "It turns on northeast and finally comes near Mount -Panta----" - -"That's where Dr. Rust and the other archæologists are," interrupted -Bob, and then added: "Wonder if they found any Inca ruins?" - -"There are many that we know nothing about," the old explorer said. -"Peru and the Andes literally teem with fascinating ruins. Perhaps -there are more treasures, too." - -Bob resolved to venture a bold question. - -"How did you come to find this treasure cave?" he asked Dr. Rander. -"If you don't mind telling us." - -"Not at all. It might interest you to know that I first found that -very tunnel that we just passed through." Dr. Rander pointed to the -entrance into the passageway, from which they had emerged. "I happened -to be camped not far away from that crevice in the mountainside that -we first saw. It seemed no different from other cracks, and at first I -thought nothing of it. But when I lingered about awhile I saw that -near the top the rocks were smoother than I usually found them. This -made me wonder if the opening were natural or man-made. My curiosity -got the better of me and prompted me to go through and see if I could -find anything unusual. Then I discovered the tunnel." - -He paused, apparently finished. - -"Then what? Is the cave near us now?" Joe was breathless with -interest. - -"The treasure, you mean? No. It is many miles from here. Look,"--he -pointed around the mountainside--"see that winding trail? That is a -secret known only to us. It alone can take us to the place we're -after." - -Joe sighed submissively. - -"The old Andes are too much for me," he said. "I had no idea they were -as large and vast as this." - -"You will see even more wonderful sights," Dr. Rander told him. "And -before we go many miles farther." - -Indeed the boys found much to hold their interest. The awe-inspiring -cliffs, the stupendous rocky crags, the foamy river below, the -breath-taking heights--all these held a certain fascination for the -two youths. They found themselves absently bending their efforts too -much on seeing the sights and not enough on making out the dangerous -trail. - -"Be careful here," Dr. Rander warned, as Joe almost slipped and fell. -"It surely would not do to roll down this steep slope." - -"That would about put an end to everything for me," said Joe with a -grim smile. - -The trail curved on up the mountainside until it reached a high -pointed crag, which had been visible for several miles. Then it -gradually circled around until it reached the base of the mountain. - -"What's that noise?" demanded Bob Holton, stopping quickly to listen -to a deep rumbling sound that increased with every moment. - -Dr. Rander looked up. Then his eyes opened wide with terror. - -"It's an avalanche!" he cried hoarsely. "Tons of rocks are coming down -at us!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -The Deadly Snake - - -Over their shoulders the youths glanced up the mountainside and to -their horror saw that the old man was right. - -Far up the slope was a great mass of stones and earth, rolling down in -a heavy cloud of dust. Every second saw the accumulation nearer and -larger. In but a brief time it would be upon the little group below. - -"We must do something--without delay!" Dr. Rander's voice was cool and -resolute. "The mules--they must be pushed out of the way!" - -Acting on the instant, Bob and Joe and the old man worked like madmen -to drive the pack animals over to a flat shelf that was but a few -hundred feet away. Even this did not offer absolute safety, for the -mass of rocks and earth might change its course and plunge down on the -shelf. - -"We'll have to take a chance," Bob panted. "Most likely over here -we'll be out of the danger zone." - -The flat stretch offered the only place of refuge. If the avalanche -should change its course, the adventurers and their pack animals would -surely be crushed. - -There was a moment of fearful waiting, a brief period when the hearts -of all stood still, and the huge mass of rocks roared past and on down -the mountain slope. - -"Thank goodness!" breathed Dr. Rander. "A narrow escape if there ever -was one." - -Their eyes followed the plunging stone heap until, with a dull thud, -it struck the bottom of the abyss, far below. - -"If that had struck us we'd have been smashed to pulp," muttered Joe -with a shudder. - -"Think of something more pleasant," smiled Bob. "The treasure, for -instance." - -That afternoon the three were struggling along the narrow path when -suddenly Bob caught sight of something up on a high shelf. - -"Look," he said, pointing up to the flat stretch. "Inca ruins as sure -as I'm born." - -"You are right," Dr. Rander assured him. "That building is an ancient -temple, where the Incas worshiped the sun god." - -"Sounds interesting," Joe said eagerly. "Why can't we go up there and -explore the place?" - -"Can if you want to," the old man replied. "I have been up, but I will -go again with you. Wait until I tie the mules." - -It was a difficult climb to the shelf. All were gasping for breath -when they finally reached the ruins. - -Those ruins the youths found interesting. The building was partially -intact, being constructed of huge stone blocks cemented together with -mud. It was shaped like a pyramid, the sides sloping up to form a -point at the top. The entire north end was in ruins, but the other -sections looked as if they had been built but recently. - -"Let's go inside," suggested Bob, looking at the dark opening that -once no doubt was closed by a door. - -The others agreed, and, led by Bob, entered the building. As the -windows were large and there was no covering over them, the -adventurers could easily see about. - -They were in a large room, over which was an unusually high ceiling. -Several stone implements were scattered about; what they were doing in -a temple, the boys could not guess. - -"Perhaps this was meant for a storehouse or some other kind of -building," thought Bob, but did not say so. He did not wish to -conflict with Dr. Rander's opinion. - -But aside from these few stone objects, there was nothing in the -building that was of particular interest. Whether the structure had -been deserted by the Incas, or whether someone had robbed it of its -former contents, the youths did not know. Surely, if Dr. Rander was -right in his belief that he alone knew of this trail, no one had been -here. - -They explored the building eagerly in search of anything else that -might have escaped their view before. - -"Ouch!" cried Joe, slapping his leg. "What was that that bit me?" - -"Oh, I should have told you," began the old man with a smile. "There -are fleas here." - -"What th----" Joe was perplexed. "Fleas? What do they live on? There -isn't anything in these ruins----" - -"That is out of my knowledge," Dr. Rander said. "I never have found -anything yet that they might eat. Unless it would be other fleas." - -There was a general laugh. - -"Whatever it is, it's enough to keep them alive," observed Bob, -scratching his arm. "At least as long as we stay they'll be able to -secure a good living." - -"Suppose we get out and don't stay any longer," was the suggestion -made by Joe Lewis. "There isn't anything here----" - -"What's that?" cried Bob suddenly, interrupting his friend. - -Bob had heard a peculiar noise that caused him to turn about. - -Again it came, a hideous hiss that made them jump in alarm. - -"Snake!" pronounced Dr. Rander, and an instant later a long slim body -unwound itself and made slowly toward the three explorers. - -"It's poisonous, all right," observed Bob, noting the peculiar shape of -the reptile's head. - -"And we haven't a gun!" moaned Joe ruefully. "What will we do?" - -"You mean we haven't a rifle, but we have a gun." Bob produced his -revolver, which he aimed carefully at the horrible staring eyes. - -"I won't dare miss!" he thought, and then pulled the trigger. - -The report of the pistol mingled with a sickening swishing noise as -the snake lashed about in its death struggle. - -"You got him, all right." Joe felt a refreshing feeling of relief -creep over him. - -Bob nodded. - -"Let's get out of here," he said in a determined voice. "There's no -telling how many more of these creatures we may see if we don't." - -"I should have brought the movie camera," laughed Joe, as they -descended the hill. "That would have made a peach of a picture." - -"I'm glad you didn't," came from Dr. Rander. "Because the sight of -those ruins might have inspired some scientists to come over this -trail. And the secret treasure cave might be known to them--if they -could open the hidden door." - -Dr. Rander, however, had not protested to the youths' taking movies of -the region they were passing through, even though there might be -danger of someone from the United States coming in search of other -ruins and treasure hideouts. - -"I could not say anything against your doing that," he had told them. -"Especially since you were engaged by the motion-picture house." - -So they had exposed film whenever they thought it advisable and were -well pleased with the results so far. All told, they had already -cranked off more than a thousand feet of film, and fully expected to -use that much more. - -"These scenes ought to be interesting, too," remarked Bob, untying the -foremost mule. "I believe the Neuman Motion Picture Corporation will -be well satisfied with them." - -"Let's hope so," Joe said. "The money we get from doing this is no -small sum." - -The next day they plunged into a region that was wilder and more -dangerous to penetrate than any they had been in before. The rugged -Andes reached up on all sides of them, often forming narrow valleys -that were shut off from the rays of the sun. - -"Sure is cold tonight," remarked Joe with a shiver. - -They were camped beside a small spring that was fed by an underground -stream. Darkness had fallen, and with it had come the chill of the -Andean night. - -Joe was resting peacefully beside the warm blaze of the campfire when -suddenly he caught sight of two small fiery lights coming slowly at -him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -Descending Rapidly - - -Joe's first impulse was to get to his feet and utter an exclamation of -alarm. But he knew that this sudden movement might cause the creature, -whatever it was, to rush at him. - -His rifle lay at his side for just such an emergency as this. -Thankfully Joe raised the gun, took aim, and fired between those two -lights, which had now taken the form of eyes. - -Bang! The shot broke the stillness of the night and sent Bob and Dr. -Rander scurrying over to their friend. They had been on the opposite -side of the fire and had not noticed Joe's movements. - -"What is it?" Bob was all excitement. - -"Don't know," his friend replied. "Let's see." - -The sound of the gun had not been followed by any other noise. -Evidently Joe's aim had been true, killing the creature instantly. - -Bob produced a flashlight, which he turned in the direction in which -his friend had fired. - -"Why--it's another snake!" exclaimed Dr. Rander. "A bola. It isn't -poisonous, but it is a good thing you got it. There is no way of -knowing what it might have been." - -With the aid of the flashlight they examined the reptile closely. Its -head was almost shot off, making it useless as a specimen. - -"I'd like to have it for Dad and the other naturalists," remarked Bob. -"But as it is, guess it's no good for anything." - -"You should have been more careful in shooting it," teased Dr. Rander. -"Now if you had aimed at its body instead of its head----" - -Joe smiled. - -"A snake has eyes in only one place," he said laughingly, "and the -eyes are the only part of it you can see at night. Now if this fellow -had worn a badge to signify that he was a member of the Royal Order of -Andean Reptiles, maybe the fire shining on it would have given me a -good place to take aim at." - -"Probably wouldn't bother with him anyway," said Bob. "After all, -we're out to find the treasure." - -Nothing happened that night to disturb their slumber. They awoke the -next morning eager to continue the journey. - -"Today we should come to the big secret," Dr. Rander told them during -breakfast. "If all goes well, we should get there this afternoon." - -Bob was restless. - -"Let's hurry and get going," he urged, untying the mules. - -Farther over the rocky trail the three adventurers trudged, keeping a -sharp lookout for anything unusual. - -Always in the distance were massive snow-clad peaks, which on this -morning were enshrouded in a heavy mist. Usually they were plainly -visible, especially through the high-powered binoculars that were -carried by Joe. - -Gradually the path spiraled down the steep slope until it passed -through a narrow valley, which was green with a variety of luxuriant -vegetation. So dense were the plants that they almost formed a jungle. - -"Look at this," cried Bob, moving over to a vine that was laden with -large red berries. "Wonder if they're good to eat?" - -"Yes." The old man had broken off a branch and was eagerly partaking -of the fruit. "They are wild cherries, or tomatoes, as some call them. -There is nothing better for taste." - -"Right you are!" agreed Joe, after he had eaten several of the -berries. "They're fine!" - -They picked a sackful of the fruit to have at the noon meal. Then they -resumed the journey. - -At places the trail was overgrown with weeds and grass, making it -difficult to follow it. But Dr. Rander had been through this region -before and did not hesitate long in picking out the right branch. - -"I don't see how you can remember the way," Joe told him, when he had -pointed out one of three branches, each of which was almost parallel -to the others. - -The old man laughed. - -"I can't afford to forget," he said. "All that treasure is something -that is worth too much to be forgetting where it is. If it should -happen, though, that I should get turned around, I have a rough sketch -map of this region that I made at the very start." - -On the other side of the valley was a steep slope that was entirely -devoid of vegetation. Look about as the youths did, they could see no -path. They were beginning to wonder when Dr. Rander broke the silence. - -"From here there is no trail," he explained. "We'll have to cut our -way through the hard places and climb over large rocks. It won't be -easy, but we will be rewarded." - -"No trail, huh?" thought Bob. "Here's where the fun begins." - -It was far from fun, in the usual sense of the word. The three labored -over short, steep elevations, rocky precipices, narrow ridges, pulling -the sure-footed mules behind them. At last, when they finally reached -a high ledge, they sat down to get their breath. - -"Whew!" gasped Joe, wiping the perspiration from his brow. "I don't -want much of that. Wonder how old Dr. Rander stands up under such a -strain?" - -"Hardened to it, I suppose," was Bob's reply. "Since he left college -he's been nothing else but an explorer." - -The old man had been at the back of the line, attending to the last -pack animal. There was a smile on his face as he approached his young -friends. - -"We've made unusually good time," he said, sitting down beside them, -"and we can afford a rest." - -"We earned it, all right," came from Joe. "How much more of this is -there?" - -"A long stretch," Dr. Rander responded. "Several miles, to say the -least. Of course," he added, "it would not be long if we could go in a -straight line. But over mountains and around cliffs the going is much -different." - -"I'll say it is!" Joe was still panting from the difficult climb. The -high altitude required an unusual amount of wind. - -Fifteen minutes later they were ready to continue. The mules had been -coaxed ahead over the dangerous ledge. - -"Getting darker," observed Bob Holton. "Wonder if it's going to rain?" - -Dr. Rander looked up anxiously. Sure enough, heavy clouds were forming -above the mountain tops, hiding the sun from view. - -"It would not be well for us to be caught in a storm here," the old -explorer said. "We must seek shelter somewhere. It certainly looks as -if a storm will be upon us before long." - -They looked about for some place of refuge, such as a cave or -overhanging rock. But luck was not with them that day. They had -searched an hour under a sky that was rapidly becoming darker when -suddenly a terrific hailstorm struck them. - -"Quick!" gasped Joe, who was almost frantic. "We must find some -place!" - -"We're not finding it," returned his chum, who was taking the danger -more lightly. "And I guess there's nothing we can do but stay out here -in the open and endure it." - -But a few minutes later Bob had become as serious as his friend. Hail -as large as marbles was falling with a terrible velocity, striking -the explorers' faces dangerously. One lump caught Joe squarely on the -nose, causing him to utter a cry of pain. - -"This is awful!" he moaned, holding his hand in front of his eyes. - -How long the storm would last they had not the faintest idea. Even Dr. -Rander could express no opinion. - -Doggedly they fought off the hail, which bruised and cut their faces -and bodies. They wondered how the mules were standing it. Could the -animals endure the terrific onslaught? Or would they become -panic-stricken and plunge off the steep cliff? - -After what seemed like hours, the hailstorm suddenly subsided and the -sky began to lighten. Ten minutes later the surrounding mountains bore -no evidence of the disturbance. - -With the adventurers, however, it was a different matter. Their faces -were cut in many places, and their clothing was torn. A more -miserable-looking trio could hardly have been found. - -"Get out the ointment," directed Bob. "We'll sure need plenty of it." - -"The mules came through all right," observed Dr. Rander. "Cut and -bruised, but nothing more." - -"It's funny," began Joe, looking up at the sun, which was now in full -view. "That was a very queer storm. It came quickly and ended the -same way." - -"Hailstorms are rather common in this part," explained the old man, -getting out a box of antiseptics and first-aid remedies. - -Their numerous wounds were treated with a soothing salve. Then, after -looking over the mules, they moved on around the mountainside. - -At a huge notch in the rocky slope they stopped to examine a curious -formation that puzzled them. It was a long sloping slide, running -gradually down the mountainside. From all appearances it was as smooth -as glass. - -"I don't know whether this is natural or man-made," said Dr. Rander. -"I never have been able to find out. But," he went on, "what concerns -us is that we'll have to slide down to the foot of the mountain." - -"What!" Bob's surprise was beyond words. "Do you really mean that?" - -"Every word of it," was the old man's reply. His little eyes twinkled. -"Don't you think much of the idea?" - -Bob laughed. - -"It was so sudden that I hadn't given it a thought," he answered. -"But"--gazing far down the smooth slope--"it looks rather inviting. -Will you go first?" The youth was not fully convinced that Dr. Rander -was in earnest. - -"If I go, one of you will have to stay with the pack animals," the old -man said. "I don't think they had better try it," he added with a -laugh. - -Bob and Joe looked puzzled. - -"I don't understand," said the latter, hesitating. "Do you mean that -some of us will slide down this slope and some stay with the -mules--leave them here, I mean?" - -"Oh, no," smiled Dr. Rander. "One of us will have to take the mules -down the trail. We could all go that way, but as it is very long, this -offers a short cut that you fellows can take. That is, if you want to. -When you get to the bottom you can wait until I get down the trail -with the pack animals." - -"Where is the trail?" Bob secretly wondered if Dr. Rander had suddenly -changed his mind about sharing the treasure with them and was using -this means to evade them. He did not think the old man treacherous, -but he wanted to be on the safe side. - -"Over there." Dr. Rander pointed to a narrow path that circled down -the mountainside. - -"Suppose," Bob began, "you and Joe go down the slide while I take the -mules down the trail. I don't like the looks of that glassy slope." - -"All right. I'm no longer young, but I still like sport. Here I go." - -The next moment he was sliding rapidly down the polished incline. - -When he was halfway down, Bob and Joe burst out in laughter. The sight -of the old man doing such a thing as this with so much enjoyment -aroused the youths' sense of humor. - -"If he likes it so much, maybe I will," chuckled Joe, sitting down at -the edge. - -"Good luck," called Bob, as his friend let go his hold and passed -swiftly down. - -It was an unusual sensation to Joe, as he shot down the curving slide. -When younger he had often played on the slides in parks. But this was -something entirely different. To shoot down a tall mountain at a rapid -pace, on the straightaways and around curves, was indeed novel. - -When over halfway down, the youth felt himself gradually lose -momentum, and he knew that the slide was flattening out. Too steep a -descent, especially near the bottom, would be dangerous. - -At last he came to a stop beside Dr. Rander, who had been watching the -descent. - -"How did you like it?" the old man asked. - -"All right. Got rather warm, though. Wonder if it thinned my trousers -any? No, I guess not. Too smooth, I suppose." - -Fifteen minutes later Bob came in sight leading the line of mules. He -laughed as he caught sight of them. - -"Any worse for your experience?" the youth asked with a chuckle. - -"Do we look it?" smiled Joe. "We enjoyed it." - -As the sun was almost directly overhead they decided to remain at this -spot for the midday meal. All were extremely tired and hungry. - -Bob prepared dinner, using water they had brought with them in -canteens. As a dessert they feasted on the delicious wild cherries -that they had picked that morning. - -"Now let's get going," urged Joe, when the meal was over. "I'd like to -see that treasure." - -Farther into the wilds they plunged, with not the faintest suggestion -of a trail to guide them. - -"No trace of any vegetation here," observed Bob. "It's a good thing we -stopped where we did, or the mules probably wouldn't have had anything -to eat. There were a few stunted bushes and other plants back at the -foot of the slide." - -An hour of climbing brought them to a place where a tall peak -obstructed their view. - -They trudged around and then suddenly found themselves at the bank of -the roaring Apurimac River. - -"On a little farther," Dr. Rander said, urging the mules to ascend the -difficult slope. - -At last they came to a place where a high rock protruded far over the -river. Here the old explorer called a halt and pointed up the side of -a mountain. - -"In that little notch up there is the entrance to the treasure," he -said. "As I said before, there is a huge cave that occupies the entire -mountain. There we will find the treasure, if there is any." - -The youths' hearts beat rapidly. They could hardly believe that at -last they were nearing the great secret. - -"But," hesitated Bob Holton, "how are we going to get across this -roaring river?" - -"That," the old explorer returned, "will be the most difficult part of -our entire journey. Come. Let me show you." - -They followed him to the edge of a high rock that protruded far out -over the seething rapids. - -"Look there," he said, pointing to something. - -Stretching from the rock across the river to another protruding crag -was a heavy metal wire, which, strange to say, showed not the -slightest trace of rust. - -"That cable was put there by the Incas," Dr. Rander said. "It is -hundreds of years old, but still looks as if it had been built but -yesterday. It is coated with some secret preservative, which prevents -it from rusting through." - -"Interesting," remarked Joe. "But what about it?" - -The old man replied at once. - -"We must cross the river by hanging from the cable with our hands," he -said quietly. - -Joe's heart sank. Secretly he felt that if he were to undertake the -dangerous venture he would meet with tragedy. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -The Big Secret - - -"Careful, now." - -Dr. Rander was slowly and dangerously hanging from the heavy wire with -his hands, working his way steadily across the roaring rapids below. -If he were to fall, it would probably seal his doom, even though the -youths held one end of a stout rope that was tied securely around his -waist. - -"Think he'll make it?" Bob looked on anxiously, half expecting to see -the old man let go and plunge into the seething water below. - -Slowly but surely he swung across, holding on with a grip of steel. It -seemed remarkable that a person of his age could withstand the arduous -tasks connected with exploration. But no doubt he was hardened to an -eventful outdoor life of adventure. - -"He's over," cried Joe happily. "Made it all right. Didn't even -threaten to let go. Now I wonder if we can do as well?" - -The youths had yet to see. - -Joe was next to swing across. He walked over to the cable and gazed -doubtfully first at the boiling stream below, then at Dr. Rander on -the opposite cliff. - -"Go ahead," said Bob. "Might as well get it over." - -"Yeah. But I wish it weren't necessary to do this. I suppose, though, -that I can do it if Dr. Rander can." - -Joe sat down on the edge of the cliff, took hold of the heavy wire, -and slowly let himself down. - -For a brief moment it seemed as if his arms would be torn from their -sockets, for, although he was not heavy, the strain was very great. - -"I've got to make it!" he told himself, gritting his teeth. He refused -to think of what might happen if he were to plunge into the roaring -rapids below. - -"Don't let go, whatever you do!" Bob, on the rock, was holding the -rope tightly, ready to pull his friend to safety if the latter should -be forced to release his grip. - -Joe swung across with a certain determination that was luckily with -him in every emergency. He did not look below for fear of becoming -frightened. - -At last, when he felt that he could stand no more of this torture, -the youth felt his foot touch rock, and he knew that he was safe. - -"Hurrah!" cried Bob Holton, waving his arms in the air. "Now here I -come." - -Bob would find the feat more difficult, since he was heavier than -either of the two who had crossed. But usually when he set his mind on -doing a thing he was able to do it. - -But first he walked over to the mules, which had been tethered -securely by Dr. Rander, and got out a stronger rope, which he tied -around his waist and shoulders. A small weight he fixed at the other -end, and then moved back to the edge of the rock. - -"Here. Catch this," he called, and threw the rope over to Joe on the -other side of the river. - -When everything was in readiness he slowly lowered himself until he -could grasp the wire that stretched across the stream. Then, setting -his nerves for the trying task, he let his feet drop. - -For one awful minute Bob's heart stood still. Then he got a grip on -himself and swung easily across to the other side. - -"That was fine!" praised Dr. Rander. "You never flinched. Now let's -hurry up the mountain to the treasure." - -"Do you suppose the mules will be safe over there?" queried Joe -anxiously. "We couldn't take any food with us across the river. If -anything should happen to them----" - -"There is no danger," the old man assured him. "Probably no one has -been in this section for years and years." - -Notwithstanding this, the young men were still worried. They realized -that they would be in a grave predicament if anything should befall -the provisions. - -This anxiety gradually wore off, however, as they neared the treasure -cave. - -"Hard climb, but nothing will stop us now," smiled Joe happily. - -"You will be amazed when you look upon the wonders in the cave," Dr. -Rander told them. "It will exceed your wildest dream." - -"How did they all get there?" inquired Bob. - -"I do not know. They were placed there by some wealthy Inca--perhaps a -king--for safe keeping. It might have been that this was at the time -of the Spanish invasion, and that the owner was later killed by the -conquering troops. At any rate, the secret remained as such until I -accidentally found it." - -"You sure were lucky," remarked Joe. "Perhaps it wouldn't have been -discovered at all if you hadn't located it." - -At a point near the ledge, the mountain grew so steep as to make -climbing a very arduous task. A single misstep would have meant a -horrible plunge into the roaring rapids below. - -At last they came to the top of the ledge, before the notch cut in the -mountainside. - -"See that dark entrance?" asked Dr. Rander. "That is a tunnel that -leads to the cavern. Come." - -The youths followed the old man into the opening, which was made light -by the latter's flashlight. The passage seemed to lead steadily -upward, probably into the peak of the mountain. - -"Do you suppose this tunnel was constructed?" asked Joe, after five -minutes had passed. - -"I believe so," Dr. Rander returned. "When we get farther on, you will -think so too." - -Fifteen minutes of walking brought them to the end of the tunnel. From -all appearances there was nothing but natural rock before them. - -"Watch," said Dr. Rander, moving over to the end of the cave. - -He reached up and pressed a mysterious button. Then he stepped back -and waited. - -Suddenly the youths gasped in awe, as they saw the huge stone wall -slowly swing inward. As it made an opening, a beam of natural light -flashed into the cave, making the use of a flashlight no longer -necessary. - -"Huh! That's funny!" muttered Joe. "Must be an entrance to the outside -somewhere." - -"If you can find it, it is more than I can do," laughed Dr. Rander. - -The opening grew larger, and the light brighter. When the ponderous -stone wall had swung away to the utmost, Bob and Joe followed the old -man through the entrance. - -As they did so their eyes opened wide and their jaws dropped at the -sight that lay before them. Ahead was a great stone room, fully fifty -feet square, in which were scores of objects carved from stone. -Statues of men, birds, llamas, pumas, and many other animals were all -about. Ears of corn, plows, chairs, pottery--all these and many more -objects were carved out of stone. - -It was a wonderful collection, one that would delight the eye of any -archæologist. Bob and Joe inspected the various objects with interest, -knowing that Dr. Rust and his fellow scientists would give a great -deal to know of the existence of this place of wonder. - -"All this is very interesting," remarked the old man. "But what we -really came after was treasure--if there is any." - -"Yeah. Where is the place where you said it might be?" Bob was anxious -to look for something still more valuable than the stone objects. - -"I will show you." - -Dr. Rander stepped over to one corner of the large room, where was a -huge statue of a man, perhaps an Inca king. - -"Now look closely," he said, when the youths had followed him. - -The old man walked up to the statue and stood directly in front of it. -Then he waited. - -At that moment something happened that caused Bob and Joe to gasp in -wonder. Slowly, surely, the statue sank into the floor until it -disappeared from sight. Directly below the resulting opening was a -ladder, which led down into another gigantic room. - -"Well, of all things!" cried Joe in utter amazement. "That sure is a -secret if there ever was one." - -"Let us go down." Dr. Rander was making his way down the ladder, -motioning for the youths to follow. - -They did and soon found themselves in a huge cavern cut out of solid -rock. Here were more stone objects similar to the ones in the room -above them. - -"This way," pointed out the old man, walking over to one side of the -cave. - -"Wonder where the light comes from?" pondered Bob. "It's from the -outside, all right, but how does it get in?" - -Dr. Rander bent over and pressed something in a crack in the floor, -straightening up a moment later. - -Again the youths were filled with amazement. A huge stone block swung -away on unseen hinges, leaving an opening perhaps four feet in width. - -"Now we must use flashlights," Dr. Rander said, stepping inside. -"There is no opening to the outside, apparently." - -The beams of the electric torches revealed the fact that they were in -another cave. - -"Over here," explained the old man, "is a sort of bin cut out of the -rock. It is covered with a stone that I cannot lift. But I feel sure -that all three of us can." - -"Let's have a look at it," said Bob. - -Together they heaved on the stone block with all their strength. -Before long they saw that their efforts were not in vain. The stone -was slowly slipping from the top of the bin. At length it fell to the -floor with a dull thud. - -The explorers turned the beams of the flashlights into the opening, -looking about eagerly. - -"Here's something," announced Joe, bringing out a small iron box. - -"Open it," directed Dr. Rander. - -Joe did--and then cried out in wonder as he saw its contents. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -Another Hidden Wonder - - -"Gold!" cried Joe happily. "Gold beads, as sure as I'm alive!" - -"And scores of them, too," observed Bob. "Bet they're worth hundreds -and hundreds of dollars." - -They examined the little objects with interest, joyful that at last -their efforts had been rewarded. The beads still shone brightly, -although they had been in the cavern for hundreds of years. That they -were really gold, no one doubted in the slightest. - -"Who put them here?" asked Bob Holton, when they were ready to leave -for the outside, the jewel box in their possession. - -"The Incas," returned Dr. Rander. "Perhaps it was an Inca king. At any -rate it was someone who was wealthy." - -They looked about for any other treasure that might be in the room, -but found none. At last they left the cave, closing the stone door -behind them. - -Led by Dr. Rander, they climbed the ladder, and then passed through -the great room that was filled with the stone statues. - -"We must hurry before it gets dark," said Dr. Rander, closing the -secret stone wall by pressing the hidden button. "It will not do to -cross that river at night." - -"Bad enough in the daytime," added Joe, as they made their way through -the dark tunnel. - -When at last they reached the outside they saw that they had but a few -minutes before the sun would sink from sight. - -Down the steep slope they climbed until at last they reached the cliff -which protruded over the roaring river. - -"How are we going to get the jewel box across?" asked Joe. "It isn't -large, but it's too big to put in our pockets." - -"Use a rope, I suppose," was the answer from Bob. "We'll tie it -tightly across somebody's back." - -This suggestion was followed, and before long the three were on the -other side of the rapids. They were relieved to find that the mules -were resting peacefully. - -"I don't like the idea of crossing that river any more," said Bob with -a frown. "But I would like to go over to the secret cavern again -tomorrow." - -"What for?" demanded Joe. - -"I have two good reasons," his friend answered. "First, I would like -to take some movies of the place. And the other one is that I'd -like to make a detailed map to give to Dr. Rust and the other -archæologists. They'll appreciate it, all right. Be tickled to death -to know that we found all those Inca remains." - -The next morning they did as Bob wished and once more swung themselves -across the boiling rapids, coming to the opposite side safely. - -Motion pictures of the secret cavern and its contents were taken, and -then a reliable map was made of the region, including the exact -location of the mysterious buttons that moved the large stone doors. - -Although Bob was assisted by his friends, he did not have everything -completed until noon. - -With one last look at the mountain of secrets, the three turned and -retraced their footsteps to the river. - -"Last time across," said Joe with a sigh of relief. From the start he -had feared the dangerous swing from the cable. - -No harm befell them, however, and they reached the other side ready to -start the journey to Pasaje, where Karl Sutman would be waiting with -his airplane. - -"Good old Karl," said Bob affectionately. "It will be fine to see him -again. And Dad and the others. I hope they're all right." - -"With you on that," came from Joe quickly. - -"It will take us many days to get to Pasaje," Dr. Rander put in. He -intended to go with the youths to that town, where he wished to remain -for several days. - -"Wonder if we'll see anything more of interest?" Joe was anxious to -observe all that was worthwhile. - -"There are other secrets I will show you," explained Dr. Rander. "But -as far as I know there is no more treasure." - -They decided to rest the remainder of that day, for all were tired -from the strain. On a little shelf beside the roaring Apurimac they -made camp. - -"Now lead us to more secrets," said Bob the next morning, when they -were ready to resume the journey. - -"I will," returned the old man. - -He kept his promise. Late that afternoon they had been following a -narrow trail that curved with the river when Dr. Rander stopped and -pointed up to a tall peak. - -"Beyond that is a little hidden valley," he told the youths. "In it is -a tall tower that was built by the Incas. As far as I know, I am the -only person who has ever found it." - -"Sounds interesting," said Joe. "Can we go there?" - -"Yes. Follow me." - -He tied the mules securely and then began the dangerous ascent of the -high peak, Bob and Joe at his heels. - -After a half-hour of struggling they reached the summit, which was -covered with a thin coating of snow. - -"Now, look down," the old man said. - -Far, far below, on the other side of the mountain, was a narrow valley -that was green with tropical vegetation. It appeared much lower than -might be expected. - -"Look away over to your right," directed Dr. Rander. "See that tall -tower?" - -"Why--why, yes!" Bob was struck with wonder. "Let's go down and see -it. Have you ever been there?" he asked the old man. - -"Not close," was the reply. "I have only looked at it from a distance. -Lack of time prevented me from going over there." - -"We haven't a great deal of time," said Joe. "But I wouldn't miss -taking that in for hardly anything." - -He led the way down the steep slope, which required not a little -caution. A single misstep would have meant a terrible fall to the -bottom of the cañon. - -An hour of careful climbing and their feet touched the green grass -below. The tower, they observed, was several hundred yards in the -distance. - -"Probably we will find other ruins near," remarked Joe Lewis, as they -walked toward the corner of the narrow valley. - -"Where there is one there is likely to be two," smiled Dr. Rander. -"And maybe you're right." - -When they came nearer they saw that the tower was at least a hundred -feet high. It was built of small blocks of stone, carefully fitted -together. Near the base was a heavy growth of vines and creepers, -which wound around the tower up to a height of twenty feet. - -"Here's a door," called Bob, who had gone around the other side. -"Let's go in and see what we can find." - -With the aid of small flashlights they entered the structure and -looked about. - -Everywhere were cobwebs and other evidences of age, showing that it -had not been occupied for hundreds of years. In one corner was a -narrow winding stairway, which evidently led to the top. - -"Shall we go up?" asked Joe. - -"Sure. Why not?" Bob was already halfway up the first flight. - -The others followed him, winding slowly up the narrow stairs. They -wondered a little if it might be safe to venture up into this -time-worn structure. - -After what seemed like hours, they left the last flight of stairs and -turned to go out on the top floor. - -As they did so, they saw something that was horrible and disgusting. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -A Narrow Escape - - -Lying about on the stone floor were at least ten human skeletons, -which were white with age. They were in no fixed positions, but were -scattered aimlessly over the dusty floor. - -Bob was the first to break the silence. - -"Wonder how they got here?" he asked. - -"Perhaps they are the remains of soldiers who guarded this tower," was -the opinion of Dr. Rander. "Here," he went on, "look at this. It's a -dagger--made of stone." - -"You might be right," commented Joe. "But then, it's possible that the -dagger belonged to someone who came up and murdered those who were -here." - -The explorers examined the skeletons for several minutes before going -to the edge and looking down on the surrounding valley. - -"Can see quite a distance," observed Bob, peering out at a distant -mountain. - -"Yes," agreed Joe. "There----" - -At that moment he was interrupted by a cracking noise, which seemed to -come from the tower. - -"What's that?" cried Dr. Rander excitedly. - -But when it was repeated, there was no doubt in their minds as to the -origin of the strange noise. - -"It's the tower!" exclaimed Bob fearfully. "I hope I'm wrong, but I'm -afraid it's going to fall. Hurry! Let's get down to the ground." - -The three lost no time in scrambling down the stairs. They reached the -bottom in safety, and then dashed outside, Dr. Rander displaying -remarkable agility for his age. - -Then something happened that filled them with terror. With one last -creak, the old tower leaned slowly to the south, poised for a brief -moment, and went crumbling to the ground. There was a report like that -of a cannon, followed by a heavy cloud of dust and small particles of -rock. - -The explorers' hearts were beating like trip hammers; their faces were -red with excitement. - -"Thank God that we escaped in time!" breathed Dr. Rander. "A few -seconds more and we would have been caught beneath tons of rock!" - -"And what a death!" muttered Joe with a shudder. "I don't want to even -think of it." - -They sat down on the ground to relieve themselves of the terrible -strain. Especially did the old man show signs of exertion. At first -the youths half expected to see him fall with heart failure, for he -was terribly exhausted. - -The rest, however, did him good, and before long he was apparently no -worse for the horrible experience. - -"Funny that tower should collapse just at this time, isn't it?" said -Bob. "I suppose, though, that it was ready to go at any time, and our -weight proved too much for it." - -"That probably explains what happened," came from the old man. "If no -one had found it, perhaps it would have remained intact for many years -yet." - -They put in no more time here, but turned and went back to the peak. - -Very difficult it was to scale the steep slope, but at last they -reached the top and descended to the other side. - -"The mules are all right," observed Bob. "Suppose we get going without -delay. I'd like to get to Pasaje as soon as possible. I'm getting -anxious to see Dad and the others of the expedition." - -"It will still take time," Dr. Rander told him. "There are many miles -of difficult travel before us." - -And difficult it was. Although the adventurers had previously found it -hard to make progress through the rugged mountains, they now -experienced even more hindrances. - -Unfortunately, Dr. Rander was not overly familiar with this section -and often made mistakes in pointing out the best course of travel. - -It was not uncommon for the adventurers to come upon heavy forests at -elevations of fifteen thousand feet. This surprised Bob and Joe, who -did not expect to see trees growing at such high altitudes. - -"There really is no such thing as the 'tree line' in the Andes," -explained the old explorer. "In fact, it is possible to find forests -at unusually high altitudes." - -As they trudged on they came to more wild-cherry plants, the fruit of -which they ate hungrily. It was refreshing to have fresh fruit after -eating nothing but dried goods. - -As much as possible they followed the banks of the Apurimac River, for -Pasaje, their destination, is situated just above the point where the -stream branches. - -As they went farther, the mountains became more lofty, and snow on the -summits was more common. They never climbed high enough, however, to -come in contact with it. - -Suddenly, upon hearing an unusual noise, Joe glanced around, and then -gasped in apprehension. - -"One of the mules is stuck in mud!" he cried. "Quick! We must do -something at once!" - -Without delay the old man turned about, walked back to one of the pack -animals, and secured a long heavy rope. Then he moved on to the rear -of the line, where one of the mules was struggling to free itself from -the black bog. - -"Bob, you had better come to the rescue," he said, after a moment of -pondering. "You're pretty good at lassoing, as you showed us several -days ago on that narrow ledge. Won't you try it and see what you can -do?" - -"Where will I throw the rope, over the mule's head?" - -"Yes. Tighten it around the animal's neck." - -"But--won't it choke?" - -"Not for a few minutes. There is no other way to pull the mule out. If -we go too close we'll get caught ourselves." - -"All right, then. Here goes." - -Bob took the rope, made a loop, and stepped as near as he thought -possible with safety. - -"If I miss my aim, I can't help it," the youth said, as he threw the -lasso. - -Joe cried out happily as he saw that the loop went directly over the -mule's head. Dr. Rander's face also lightened. - -All three pulled on the rope with all their strength, but their -efforts appeared to be in vain. The treacherous bog had engulfed its -helpless victim too tightly. - -"We've got to get that animal out!" cried Joe, redoubling his efforts. -"There's a lot of valuable supplies on its back." - -But how? They were doing all they knew of. If that were not -sufficient, the mule would have to go down. - -"We're losing steadily," observed Bob grimly. "But I guess we can't -help it." - -Despite their furious efforts to draw the beast to safety, it was -sinking rapidly. Already its body was nearly under. In but a brief -time its head, too, would be engulfed. - -But the adventurers kept up doggedly, determined to win the battle -even though defeat was staring them in the face. - -With one last effort, they gave the rope a new stronger pull. But it -was not enough. The weight of the mule and its burden was too much, -and the animal's head slid horribly into the oozing mud, to disappear -forever. - -Bob slumped down on the grass. - -"We lost," he murmured gravely. "Now we're one pack animal short." - -"And there were quite a few valuable objects in the pack, too," added -Joe, "not to say anything about losing the animal." - -"Have to get along some way," Dr. Rander said. "There is no use in -thinking anything more about it." - -"Wonder what the mule thought about when he went under?" mused Joe. -"It must have been terrible." - -They resolved to follow the old man's suggestion and forget the loss -as best they could. After all, it was lucky that one of them had not -been the victim. - -Again they took up the journey, this time keeping a closer lookout for -other bogs. But Dr. Rander did not know this region any too well, and -could not guide them as surely as he would have liked to. - -In the fascinating mountains the time passed rapidly. It was two days -after they had lost the mule when Dr. Rander pointed to something in -the distant sky. - -"That's a condor," he said, his eyes trying to make out the flying -form more clearly. - -"It is at that," affirmed Bob, looking through his binoculars. "And -what's more, it's white. A _condor real_, as sure as I'm standing -here!" - -"Let's see," said Joe, and took the glasses his friend handed him. - -A few moments of observing and he nodded, giving the binoculars to the -old man. - -"You're right," Joe said to his chum. "And oh! Wouldn't our dads and -Mr. Wallace like to be here now! A white condor! One of the creatures -they wanted most." - -"Maybe we can get it for them," muttered Bob, grasping a shotgun. "Do -you suppose there's a chance?" - -"Not unless it flies nearer," returned Dr. Rander. "Even then the bird -would probably fall to the bottom of the cañon, and that would mean a -dangerous descent." - -"I'm going to see, anyway," Bob persisted, following the soaring form -through his powerful binoculars. - -"Look what I've found," called Joe, who had climbed down to a narrow -ledge several yards below the others. - -"Why--it's a nest," exclaimed Bob, upon descending to the shelf. "And -look at those eggs. Sure are whoppers. Say," he cried suddenly, "I bet -I know everything now. This belongs to that white condor. Look. -There's a white feather. See it?" - -"You're probably right," said Dr. Rander, moving down to the ledge. -"Let us look about more. We may find something else of interest." - -But all searching was stopped a second later when Joe happened to -glance up. - -"The condor!" he cried fearfully. "It's coming at us!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -Fighting Desperately - - -There was not a moment to lose. With the huge white condor swooping -down upon them, the explorers knew that they must act quickly. -Unfortunately their rifles had been left on the trail above. Before -they could secure the weapons the huge bird would be upon them and -would probably use its terrible claws and beak to great advantage. - -"My knife is all we have to defend ourselves with," said Joe, watching -the large form advance toward them. "But I'm going to use it." - -The condor came on swiftly. It circled around a few times near its -nest and then rushed madly at the little group of adventurers. - -Now it was barely ten feet away and coming with deadly aim. In but a -brief moment it would be in a position where it could work deadly -havoc with its sharp claws. - -Joe had his long hunting knife in readiness now, waiting for an -opportune moment. Then it came. - -The huge white bird was soaring directly above its human enemies. As -it dropped lower, Joe lunged forward and plunged the sharp knife -through one of the long, thin legs. - -Uttering a curious sound, the condor darted away, circled around for a -brief period, and then flew at the explorers with a new determination. - -One of the horrible claws shot out and caught Joe's arm, the impact -knocking the knife from the youth's hand. It went hurtling to the -bottom of the abyss, far below. - -Joe was weaponless, helpless! - -New horror crept over him when he suddenly felt himself leaving the -ground. Not fifteen feet away was the edge of the cliff! Vainly he -tried to escape from the clutch of that formidable claw. - -Meanwhile, Bob and the old man were not inactive. They knew that it -would only be a short time before their friend would be carried over -the brink of the cliff. And that must be prevented at any cost. - -Looking wildly about, Bob caught sight of a rock about half as large -as a brick. Almost frantic, he picked it up, and with desperate -strength he sent it crashing into the condor's body. - -The force was terrific, and for a moment it seemed as if the condor -were going to drop. But it righted itself and carried the helpless -Joe still farther toward the rocky edge. - -"I'm going to try something," blurted out Bob, his face red with an -awful fear. "You run up to the mules and get a rifle--quick!" he said -to Dr. Rander. - -As a last resort, Bob hurled his hundred and eighty pounds at Joe's -feet, and caught hold with a grip of steel. He wondered if the huge -bird could lift both himself and his friend. If it could.... - -At that moment Dr. Rander scrambled down the rocky slope with a rifle, -which he aimed unflinchingly at the condor's body. The next moment the -gun barked. - -With a terrific fluttering of its heavy wings, the bird sank slowly to -the ground. It touched the hard soil, and then with a convulsive -twitch it lay still. - -For almost a minute there was silence among the little party of -adventurers. They were panting furiously, and their wide eyes had not -yet lost their look of terror. Perspiration was streaming from them, -making their faces shine gruesomely. It had been one of the narrowest -escapes they had had so far. - -Finally Joe wiped his face and looked at Bob with intense gratitude. -Then his eyes fell on Dr. Rander, whose rifle was still warm from the -timely shot. - -"I don't know how to thank you," he said warmly. "If you hadn't been -so plucky, I would probably be lying in a broken mass at the bottom of -the gorge right now. It was simply wonderful!" - -"Forget it!" Bob disclaimed any praise offered him. "The only thing -now that matters is that you're alive." - -"Thank Bob for that," the old man said. "If he had not thrown himself -at your feet you would surely have gone over the cliff." - -"But it was your shot that finished the job," protested Bob Holton. -"Even with the weight of both of us the condor was slowly dragging us -toward the brink." - -"I'm afraid my bullet would have been too late if you hadn't done what -you did," persisted the old man. - -"All right. Have it your own way." With a laugh Bob dropped the matter -and stooped over to examine the huge white bird. - -It must have had a wing spread of over ten feet. Later measurements -showed that this was accurate. But what impressed the youths most was -its pure white feathers, which looked as clean as if they had been -recently washed. The terrible claws and long sharp beak next caught -the youths' eyes, and their respect for the power of this monstrous -bird was increased. - -"Quite a specimen," observed Joe. "And speaking of specimens," he went -on, "why can't we skin it and take it with us? Our dads and Mr. -Wallace would sure be tickled. The white condor! Boy! I can just see -them giving cries of delight." - -"Nothing to prevent us," returned the other youth. "We may find it -hard to place in our mule train, but we'll manage some way." - -Bob secured a long knife, and with a skill that he learned while on -other hunting trips he cut the bird's skin open down the breast. A few -minutes more and the task was completed. - -Without the weight of the body, the skin was light, and they had no -difficulty in tying it over the back of one of the mules, which -appeared not to notice the extra load. - -With one last look at the spot where Joe had almost met his death, -they turned and drove the pack animals ahead on the remainder of the -journey to Pasaje. - -But now they were more anxious than ever to reach their destination -and fly with Karl Sutman to the place where their fathers were -hunting. With every minute they longed still more to reach the town -they were approaching. - -"I hope nothing further comes up to stay us," remarked Bob, as they -descended a steep slope. "Somehow I've had enough excitement for a -while." - -"So have I," said Joe. "But of course there's no way of telling what -we may meet in these mountains." - -The next day they found themselves in a wide valley, which was covered -with a heavy growth of dense vegetation. Tree ferns were quite -prominent, growing in large clusters that dotted the valley. Bright -flowers were also numerous, some of them unusual in shape and form. - -And with this heavy vegetation came several varieties of wild animals, -among them being foxes, lizards, guinea pigs, and a host of birds. The -youths could easily have shot some, but they did not wish to lose time -in doing so. - -"I believe we are getting close to Pasaje now," announced the old man, -as he led the way around the winding Apurimac River. - -Notwithstanding this, they traveled all that day without coming to the -town. Camp was made at a clearing near the stream, supper was -prepared, and then all retired, knowing that the following day would -witness their coming to their destination. - -Early the next morning the young men saw something that thrilled them -with delight. They had been breaking camp and were almost ready to -resume the tramp when suddenly their keen ears caught the sound of a -motor. Looking up, they plainly made out an airplane in the sky above -them. - -"That's Karl!" cried Joe joyously. "I wouldn't be afraid to bet -anything that it is." - -"I sure hope you're right," came from Bob. "Gee! Won't it be swell to -see him again?" - -"Of course there's a chance that he won't see us," said the other boy. -"But I believe he will. He'll be looking around for us closely. Maybe -that's why he's here now." - -Bob started, as an ominous thought struck him. - -"Do you suppose anything's happened--to our dads, I mean?" he asked in -a tense voice. - -Joe's face darkened. - -"I--I hadn't thought of that," he replied solemnly. - -They watched the airplane closely, expecting at every moment to see it -head downward. - -Then it came. - -"Hurrah!" Bob was overjoyed. "Karl sees us, all right. And it's Karl, -too," he observed, as the monoplane came closer. - -As the machine flew closer it circled around the little group below, -rapidly flying lower. When within a hundred feet of them, its cabin -window opened, and Karl's face was thrust out. - -"Hello, up there!" shouted Bob, and received an answering greeting. -But the noise of the 'plane's engine made it impossible for the -adventurers to understand the aviator's words. - -While the three were still gazing up at the huge monoplane they saw -something that caused them to look all the closer. They made out -Karl's arm reaching out of the cockpit. Then they saw something white -drop toward the ground. - -"It's a small parachute," observed Joe, his heart beating rapidly. -"Wonder what's tied to it?" - -As there was no wind, the object fell in a straight line, the -parachute opened and began to float slowly above the onlookers. Before -long it came to the ground within fifteen feet of them. Karl had -certainly aimed accurately. - -"Hurry!" cried Joe. "Let's see what it is. Maybe something's happened -to our dads or the others." - -He picked up the parachute, at the end of which was attached a small -box. Opening it, the youth found a folded paper. - -"Quick!" murmured Bob. "Let's see what he has to say." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -Almost a Tragedy - - -Rather nervously Joe unfolded the paper, hastily read it, and then -gave a sigh of relief. - -"Nothing wrong," he told his friends. "Take a look." - -"H'm," observed Bob. "He only says he's going to land in a level field -about a mile from here, and that he'd better take us up with him from -there, instead of waiting till we get to Pasaje. No other place near -to land on. Closes by saying everything is all right." - -"So he wants us to go up with him now," mused Joe. "Doesn't want to -wait till we get to Pasaje. I hate to do that. I don't like to leave -Dr. Rander till we get to the town. It doesn't seem right to come with -him all this distance and then go off and leave him here in the -mountains." - -"Don't worry about me," said the old explorer quickly. "I have been -through these mountains alone many times. I can manage the mules all -right. And the town can't be far away." - -"We'd go with you anyway," Bob told him, "only Karl says there isn't -another landing place near." - -Without loss of time the three continued toward the level spot on -which the aviator had landed, at length coming in sight of the -monoplane. - -Karl rushed out to meet them, his face bright at finding that all were -alive and well. - -"You old rascal!" cried Joe, shaking the young man's hand warmly. - -"How'd you know we were here?" asked Bob, who was also very glad to -see the aviator. - -"I saw you," Karl Sutman explained. "I thought I'd take a short flight -over this section to see if I could locate you." - -"You did, all right." Joe was delighted. "Found us away out here in -the wilds." He hesitated a moment and glanced at Dr. Rander. But the -latter had already been introduced to Karl Sutman, and needed no -introduction by the youths. - -There was one question in the aviator's mind that he could wait no -longer to ask. - -"The treasure you were searching for--did you find any?" he inquired. -"And the Inca secrets, too. How about them?" - -Bob smiled happily. - -"We did," he answered. "Found both the treasure and the secrets." - -When shown the little box of gold trinkets, Karl gasped in -astonishment. - -"Is that all you found?" he demanded. "I thought there might have been -some gold statues, or the like." - -"If there were we couldn't locate them," Joe said. "We considered -ourselves lucky in finding what we did. They are worth many hundreds -of dollars, maybe thousands." - -"Dad and Mr. Lewis and the others--are they all right?" Bob was -anxious to learn if any misfortune had befallen his father and -friends. - -"They're still hunting for specimens," returned the aviator. "Mr. -Wallace fell down a mountain and hurt himself slightly, but he's about -all right now. And you should see the large collection of birds and -animals they have." - -"We have something that may interest them," declared Joe, and showed -Karl the huge condor, at the same time telling about his narrow escape -from death. - -"Wow!" Karl exclaimed when the youth had finished. "And Bob and Doc -Rander came to your rescue, did they? Good for them." - -It was later decided that Bob and Joe accompany Karl at once in the -monoplane to the Comberciato River, where the chums' fathers were -collecting specimens. The old man explained that he did not mind going -on alone to Pasaje, where he had business. - -"But before you leave," Dr. Rander began, "I want to divide the -treasure with you fellows," addressing Bob and Joe. - -"Don't give us half," Joe said pleadingly. "After all, it was your -efforts that located the secret mountain cavern." - -The old man held up a hand for silence. - -"You forget that I owe my life to you," he reminded them. "If it had -not been for your coming to my rescue, I would not be here to enjoy -the treasure." - -"But----" began Joe. - -"Say no more," Dr. Rander silenced him. "Half of the gold is yours." - -He spent the next half-hour in dividing the treasure, giving the boys -a good share. They thanked him warmly, then turned to Karl Sutman. - -"Can we get started before long?" asked Joe. "I'm anxious to see -everybody." - -"Sure." The aviator was willing. "Let's get your stuff loaded in the -'plane." - -They worked steadily until noon, at which time everything that -belonged to the youths was packed in the supply compartment of the -monoplane. - -After the meal they bade Dr. Rander an affectionate farewell and -stepped into the cabin. Karl started the engine, and then, with a roar -and a rush, they started rolling over the field. - -The old man waved as they left the ground and headed toward the north. -The last the air travelers saw of him he was getting the pack animals -ready to finish the journey to Pasaje. - -"I suppose we've seen the last of him," remarked Bob, as they left the -ground. "We may hear from him later, though. He has our addresses." - -"Rather an odd character, isn't he?" said Joe. "Seems strange that -he'd want to remain in these mountains all his life." - -During the next few hours Karl sent the airplane ahead over mountains -that were more rugged than any the youths had ever seen before. He was -steering the machine near Mount Panta and the locality in which were -Dr. Rust and the other archæologists when suddenly he found himself -almost unconsciously entering a heavy cloud. - -A second later, when he realized what he had done, the aviator saw -that it was too late. Already the 'plane was in the midst of a heavy -opaque atmosphere of white. - -"I was a nut for getting in a place like this," Karl said through the -telephone. "And there's no way of getting out now only to go on -through it." - -Karl well knew that they were in grave danger of crashing into the -side of some lofty peak. They were in a region of tall mountains, and -some high summit might easily loom up before them. - -For the next few minutes the youths' hearts were in their mouths. They -knew that Karl was an excellent pilot, but they also knew that he -could do nothing if sudden tragedy might come upon them. - -"What's that?" cried Bob quickly. He had seen something that looked -like a huge black mass directly before them. - -Joe sat on the edge of his seat, expecting every moment to feel a -terrible crash and then.... For the first time he wondered what death -was like. - -Cries of relief came from the youths as they saw that instead of -crashing into the black mass, they were passing through it. - -"As if a million pounds were lifted off my back," gasped Joe. "I -thought we were goners sure." - -"Would be if that were a mountain," Bob said. "As it is, we're no -worse off than before. It's a lot darker, though." - -Karl sought to pass out of the cloud by gaining altitude, but he soon -saw that this was useless. Still, he thought it best to fly higher. -There was a limit to the height he could safely reach, however, for -neither himself nor the youths were using oxygen, and the high rare -air was not sufficient to supply enough necessary to the human body. - -"I'll have to trust to luck, I guess," he said through the telephone. -"We may make it all right." - -"Karl didn't say that any too hopefully," remarked Joe. "Do you -suppose he really fears disaster?" - -"It seems like it." Bob was terribly worried. He did not have much -hope of getting out unharmed. - -Then suddenly the air travelers received a surprise. The cloud that -had a few seconds before been so heavy and dense quickly thinned out -until it passed from view. Once more the blue sky was visible. - -The explorers could hardly believe their eyes. Had they actually -emerged from what seemed like certain disaster? It was some time -before anyone spoke. - -"What do you think of that one?" Karl Sutman's voice was the first to -break the silence. "Couldn't have been much worse suspense, could -there?" - -"We didn't see that we had much chance," said Joe gravely. "And when -we saw that black mass----" - -"We're out of it now, though," the aviator said. "So why not dismiss -it from your mind?" - -He was put out to think that the monoplane was several miles off its -course, but he refused to let that worry him, since they had had such -a miraculous escape. - -It did not take long, however, to make up for the lost time, for the -young pilot well exceeded the hundred-and-fifty-mile-an-hour cruising -speed of the monoplane. - -As best he could he kept the machine as near the mountain tops as was -safe, so as to make it unnecessary to use oxygen. Getting out the -masks and tanks would require much time, and that was what they did -not want to spare. - -"There's Mount Panta," observed Joe, his eyes on a massive peak. "Why -can't we stop and see the archæologists--for only a few minutes, I -mean? I suppose they're still looking for Inca ruins in this region, -aren't they?" - -"Yes and no," laughed Karl. "I mean this: they're still searching for -ruins, all right, but not in this part of the Andes. I stopped to see -them just before I flew after you fellows, and they told me they were -going to leave for another section over to the east." - -"Wish we could have got in touch with them," said Bob. "We have -information about Inca secrets that would make them jump up and down -with joy. Maybe we can tell them later, though." - -A half-hour of flying from Mount Panta brought them within sight of -the Comberciato River, along whose banks somewhere the youths' fathers -and Mr. Wallace were staying. - -Suddenly Bob and Joe cried out in delight. - -"Dad! Mr. Lewis! Mr. Wallace!" said Bob happily. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -The Horrible Beast - - -The joy of Bob and Joe at seeing the naturalists was certainly great. -After those strenuous weeks in the mountains, the youths had been -growing anxious to be with their fathers and Mr. Wallace again. Now, -as they viewed the men waving at them from below they were overly -anxious to land. - -There was a wide open place directly under them, and to this Karl sent -the monoplane. When finally it came to a stop, Bob and Joe dashed out -and ran to meet their fathers and the scientist from Chicago. - -"Boys!" cried Mr. Holton, too joyful for words. - -He and Joe's father and Mr. Wallace fairly ate the youths up in their -happiness at seeing them alive and well. - -"You came through all right, I see," laughed Mr. Lewis, after the -first few remarks were over. "What kind of a time did you have? And -the treasure--did you find any?" - -"Look," returned Joe and showed them the box of gold beads. - -The men cried out in astonishment. Unlike Karl Sutman, they had -expected the youths to return without having found anything of value. - -"You were successful, all right," observed Mr. Holton. "Tell us about -your adventures." - -While the men listened intently, the boys related their experiences -from the time they had left Cuzco with Dr. Rander. - -When at last they were finished, the naturalists shook their heads -gravely. - -"It was all very interesting, but at the same time it was dangerous," -said Bob's father solemnly. "Afterward we wished you fellows hadn't -gone." - -"But they came through all right--and brought us a white condor at -that," beamed Mr. Lewis. "No doubt this is the only _condor real_ -we'll see. We did shoot two of the more common kind, though." - -"Did you get many specimens?" inquired Bob. - -"Come and see for yourselves," smiled his father and led the way to -the naturalists' camp. - -"Great Scott!" cried Joe, surprised at seeing such a vast number of -wild animals and birds. "This region must teem with all sorts of -animal life." - -"It does," returned Mr. Wallace. "And that reminds me. We were going -out in search of a black 'spectacled' bear this afternoon. We'd like -to have you go with us, if you will." - -"Will we?" cried Joe. "Does a cat miaow?" - -The naturalists had everything in readiness for the bear hunt. They -had but to eat a lunch and then they would be ready to start the hunt. - -Mr. Lewis had heard reports from natives that one of the huge animals -had been seen in a dense woodland beside the river. To this spot the -party went, rifles in readiness. - -When they entered the jungle they were met with total surprise. Beside -an opening in the hillside was the bear, crouching low for a charge! - -There was only a moment to act. - -"Shoot!" cried Joe fearfully. His rifle had been dashed from his grasp -by a protruding tree bough. - -Bob had taken a position a number of yards from the others. He had -intended to search another part of the jungle. The youth was holding -his gun in readiness now, looking for a chance to take aim. - -Then he thought the time had come to fire, and pulled the trigger. - -Bang! The rifle spoke, but the bear had suddenly turned, and the -bullet missed. - -With a snort of rage the huge beast turned on Bob, showing its -terrible teeth savagely. - -Bob saw the danger and was hurriedly trying to work the bolt on his -rifle. But unfortunately the mechanism had jammed. - -Helpless, the youth would be at the mercy of those terrible teeth and -claws! Already he could imagine the horror of what would follow. - -Bang! Bang! Two rifles barked, and each bullet found its mark. Another -shot and the huge bear fell dead, almost at Bob's feet. - -"Whew!" gasped Karl Sutman, holding his smoking rifle. "Another narrow -escape to add to you fellows' already long list." - -"We're piling 'em up thick and fast," said Bob. He could laugh, now -that the danger was over. - -They made their way back to camp, after having cut off the great skin. -It was at once placed in preservative. - -"One more prize specimen to add to our collection," said Mr. Wallace. -"I'm betting that Bob and Joe will prove a valuable asset to the -expedition during the next few weeks. They're both good shots, and -they have plenty of courage." - -Indeed the youths tried to justify themselves of this tribute, and -were successful in doing so. During the eventful days that followed -they collected many specimens for the scientists, including about -every form of life they could see in this wild region. Often they made -long excursions into the adjoining mountains in search of new wild -creatures, and usually found them. Taking moving pictures also -occupied their time. - -But although the naturalist party was meeting with success in its -search for fauna, the men did not wish to remain here too long, for -other duties at home prevented it. Especially was Mr. Wallace anxious -to get back to Chicago. - -It was arranged one day that he and Bob and Joe go with Karl Sutman in -the monoplane back to the United States, preceding Mr. Holton and Mr. -Lewis, who would arrive later by steamship. The youths' fathers took -it on themselves to attend to getting the specimens on muleback to the -coast, where they would be loaded on the vessel. - -The four leavetakers were given an affectionate farewell by Mr. Holton -and Mr. Lewis, who expressed hope that their sons and friends would -arrive in the United States without mishap. - -On the way to the coast the air travelers stopped to see Dr. Rust and -others of the archæologist party. Bob informed them of the Inca -secrets he and his friend had found, and gave them the map he had made -of the region. The scientists' delight far exceeded the boys' -expectations. They literally mauled the youths in their intense -enthusiasm. - -When the chums, Mr. Wallace, and Karl climbed into the cabin, the -scientists gave them a royal send-off, wishing them a safe journey. - -And safe it proved to be. Karl's ability as a pilot was greatly -appreciated as they flew toward the United States, which they reached -without incident. - -"Now to get home," said Bob, as he and Joe and Mr. Wallace hailed a -taxi. The naturalist intended to spend another day or so with the boys -before boarding a train to Chicago. Karl Sutman left them at the -airport, promising to get in touch with them within the next few days. - -At their homes Bob and Joe and their friend were given a profound -welcome by Mrs. Holton and Mrs. Lewis, who were desirous of knowing -about their experience. - -"We had a wonderful time," said Joe, as they all sat in the Lewis -living room. "And we met with adventures aplenty. There's nothing -quite like exploration, especially when you're looking for ancient -secrets." - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -The four books in this series have been transcribed in the same -manner. 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