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diff --git a/old/60191.txt b/old/60191.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 20d01c3..0000000 --- a/old/60191.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6850 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama, by Floyd Akers - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama - -Author: Floyd Akers - -Release Date: August 27, 2019 [EBook #60191] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY FORTUNE HUNTERS IN PANAMA *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Stephen Hutcheson, and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - - [Illustration: The Moit Convertible Automobile] - - - - - The Boy - Fortune Hunters - in Panama - - - By - FLOYD AKERS - - Author of - "The Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt," etc. - - [Illustration: Publisher Logo] - - CHICAGO - THE REILLY & BRITTON CO. - PUBLISHERS - - - BOYS BOOKS BY FLOYD AKERS - - The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska - The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama - The Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt - - Cloth 12 mos. Splendidly Illustrated. - - Price 60 cents each. - - - Copyright 1908 - BY - THE REILLY & BRITTON CO. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - Chapter Page - I. I Undertake a Hazardous Voyage 9 - II. I Ship a Queer Passenger 22 - III. The Moit Convertible Automobile 33 - IV. We Come to Grief 56 - V. Making the Best of It 71 - VI. The Dead Man's Story 84 - VII. The Folly of the Wise 100 - VIII. The San Blas Country 116 - IX. Facing the Enemy 128 - X. Nalig-Nad 137 - XI. Princess Ilalah 153 - XII. War is Declared 170 - XIII. We Look Into Danger's Eyes 182 - XIV. We Astonish Our Foes 195 - XV. We Search for the Valley 213 - XVI. The Arrow-Maker 224 - XVII. A Woodland Wonderland 241 - XVIII. The Princess Disappears 255 - XIX. We Attempt a Rescue 265 - XX. Outwitted 275 - XXI. The Sacrifice 285 - XXII. The Thrust of a Spear 293 - XXIII. The Deserter 299 - XXIV. We Leave Panama 307 - - - - - CHAPTER I - I UNDERTAKE A HAZARDOUS VOYAGE - - -The bark _Nebuchadnezar_ came staggering into Chelsea harbor in a very -demoralized condition. Her main and mizzen masts were both gone, the -bulwarks were smashed in, the poop swept away, and she leaked so badly -that all the short-handed crew were nearly ready to drop from the -exhausting labor of working the pumps. For after weathering a dreadful -storm in which the captain and mate were washed overboard, together with -five of the men, those remaining had been forced to rig up a square-sail -on the foremast and by hook or crook to work the dismantled hulk into -harbor, and this they did from no love of the ship but as a matter of -mere self-preservation, the small boats having all been lost or -destroyed. - -As soon as they dropped anchor in the harbor they fled from the crippled -ship and left her to her fate. - -It fortunately happened that an agent of the owners, a man named Harlan, -lived at Chelsea and was able to take prompt action to save the -company's property. The _Nebuchadnezar_ was loaded heavily with -structural steel work from Birmingham, which had been destined for San -Pedro, California, which is the port of entry for the important city of -Los Angeles. It was a valuable cargo, and one well worth saving; so Mr. -Harlan quickly sent a lot of men aboard to calk the sprung seams and -pump her dry, and within twenty-four hours they had her safe from -sinking, although she still looked more like a splintered tub than a -ship. - -And now the agent spent a whole day exchanging telegrams with the chief -agents of the Line in New York. It appeared that to unload the heavy -structural beams, which were of solid steel, and ship them by rail -across the continent would entail a serious loss, the freight rates -being enormous for such a distance. There was at the time no other ship -procurable to carry the cargo on to its destination. Either the old -_Nebuchadnezar_ must be made seaworthy again, and sent on its way around -the Horn to San Pedro, or the company was in for a tremendous loss. - -Harlan was a man of resource and energy. He promptly informed his -superiors that he would undertake to fit the ship for sea, and speedily; -so he was given permission to "go ahead." - -New masts were stepped, the damages repaired, and the bark put in as -good condition as possible. But even then it was a sad parody on a ship, -and the chances of its ever getting to the port of destination were -regarded by all observers as extremely doubtful. - -Having done the best in his power, however, Mr. Harlan came to my father -and said: - -"Captain Steele, I want you to take the _Nebuchadnezar_ to San Pedro." - -The Captain smiled, and answered with his usual deliberation: - -"Thank you, Mr. Harlan; but I can't by any possibility get away this -winter." - -You see, we were just building our new vessel, the _Seagull_, which was -to be our future pride and joy, and my father did not believe the work -could progress properly unless he personally inspected every timber and -spike that went into her. Just now the builders were getting along -finely and during the coming winter all the interior fittings were to be -put in. I knew very well that nothing could induce Captain Steele to -leave the _Seagull_ at this fascinating period of its construction. - -Mr. Harlan was very grave and anxious, and spoke frankly of the -difficulty he was in. - -"You see, sir, my reputation is at stake in this venture," he explained, -"and if anything happens to that cargo they will blame me for it. The -only way to avoid a heavy loss is to get the old hull into port, and I -am aware that to accomplish this task a man of experience and -exceptional judgment is required. There is not another captain on the -coast that I would so completely and confidently trust with this -undertaking as I would you, sir; and we can afford to pay well for the -voyage." - -My father appreciated the compliment, but it did not alter his resolve. - -"Can't be done, Mr. Harlan," he said, pressing the ashes into the bowl -of his pipe and looking around the group of intent listeners with a -thoughtful expression. "Time was when I'd have liked a job of that sort, -because it's exciting to fight a strong ocean with a weak ship. But my -whole heart is in the _Seagull_, and I can't an' won't leave her." - -Just then his eyes fell upon me and brightened. - -"There's no reason, howsomever," he added, "why Sam can't undertake your -commission. We won't be likely to need him this winter, at all." - -Mr. Harlan frowned; then looked toward me curiously. - -"Would you really recommend a boy like Sam for such an important -undertaking?" he asked. - -"Why not, sir?" replied my father. "Sam's as good a navigator as I am, -an' he's a brave lad an' cool-headed, as has been proved. All he lacks -is experience in working a ship; but he can take my own mate, Ned -Britton, along, and there's not a better sailing-master to be had on the -two oceans." - -The agent began to look interested. He revolved the matter in his mind -for a time and then turned to me and asked, abruptly: - -"Would you go, sir?" - -I had been thinking, too, for the proposition had come with startling -suddenness. - -"On one condition," said I. - -"What is that?" - -"That in case of accident--if, in spite of all our efforts, the old tub -goes to the bottom--you will hold me blameless and look as cheerful as -possible." - -The agent thought that over for what seemed a long time, considering the -fact that he was a man of quick judgment and action. But I will -acknowledge it was a grave condition I had required, and the man knew -even better than I did that under the most favorable circumstances the -result of the voyage was more than doubtful. Finally he nodded. - -"I do not know of any one I would rather trust," said he. "You are only -a boy, Sam Steele; but I've got your record, and I know Ned Britton. -Next to getting Captain Steele himself, the combination is as good as I -could hope to secure for my company, and I'm going to close with you at -once, condition and all." - -Britton, who was himself present at this conference, shifted uneasily in -his chair. - -"I ain't right sure as we can ship a proper crew, sir," he remarked, -eyeing me with the characteristic stare of his round, light blue eyes, -which were as unreadable as a bit of glass. - -"Well, we can try, Ned," I answered, with some concern. "I shall take -Nux and Bryonia along, of course, and we won't need over a dozen able -seamen." - -I must explain that the Nux and Bryonia mentioned were not homeopathic -remedies, but two stout, black South Sea Islanders who bore those absurd -names and had already proven their loyalty and devotion to me, although -they were the especial retainers of my uncle, Naboth Perkins. - -"What became of the crew that brought the ship in?" asked my father. - -"Deserted, sir, an' dug out quick's scat," answered Ned. - -"Why?" - -"Said as nothing but bad luck followed the ship. She were a thirteener, -sir, and bound fer to get in trouble." - -"How's that?" - -"Why, I talked with the second mate, who brung the ship in. He said they -had sailed from Liverpool on a Friday, the thirteenth o' the month. -There was thirteen aboard; it were the Cap'n's thirteenth voyage; an' -the _Nebuchadnezar_, which had thirteen letters in its name--bein' as -how it were mis-spelled by its builders--was thirteen year old to a day. -That was bad enough fer a starter, as everybody can guess. Thirteen days -out they struck trouble, an' it clung to 'em as desp'rit as their own -barnacles. You couldn't hire one o' that crew to go aboard agin, sir, -fer love or money." - -This dismal revelation struck a chill to all present, except, perhaps, -Mr. Harlan and myself. I am superstitious about some things, I -acknowledge, but thirteen has for me always been a number luckier than -otherwise. However, I knew very well that sailors are obstinate and -fearful; so I turned to the agent and said: - -"You must paint out that name _Nebuchadnezar_ and replace it with any -other you like. Do it at once, before we attempt to ship a crew. With -that accomplished, Ned won't have much trouble in getting the men he -wants." - -"I'll do it," replied Mr. Harlan, promptly. "I'll call her the _Gladys -H._, after my own little daughter. That ought to bring her good luck." - -Ned bobbed his head approvingly. It was evident the idea pleased him and -removed his most serious objection to the voyage. - -"And now," continued the agent, "it is only necessary to discuss terms." - -These proved liberal enough, although I must say the money was no factor -in deciding me to undertake the voyage. I had been quite fortunate in -accumulating a fair share of worldly wealth, and a part of my own snug -fortune had gone into our new _Seagull_, of which I was to be one-third -owner. - -So it was really a desire to be doing something and an irrepressible -spirit of adventure that urged me on; for, as my father said, a struggle -with old ocean was always full of surprises, and when we had such frail -support as the crippled _Nebuchadnezar_, the fight was liable to prove -interesting. - -But that preposterous name was painted out the following day, and before -I trod the deck for the first time the bark had been renamed the _Gladys -H._, and was resplendent in fresh paint and new cordage. The old hulk -actually looked seaworthy to a superficial observer; but Ned Britton -went below and examined her seams carefully and came back shaking his -head. - -"If the weather holds good and the cargo steady," he said to me, "we may -pull through; but if them big iron beams in the hold ever shifts their -position, the whole hull'll open like a sieve." - -"Don't whisper that, Ned," I cautioned him. "We've got to take chances." - -He was not the man to recoil at taking chances, so he kept a close mouth -and in three days secured all the sailors we needed. - -They were a fairly good lot, all experienced and steady, and when I -looked them over I was well pleased. One or two who were new to our -parts grinned rather disrespectfully when they noted my size and youth; -but I paid little attention to that. I was, in reality, a mere boy, and -the only wonder is that they consented to sail under my command. - -My mate, however, looked every inch the sailor, and won their immediate -respect, while my father's ample reputation as a daring and skillful -captain caused the men to be lenient in their judgment of his son. - -It was to be a long cruise, for Mr. Harlan had instructed me to skirt -the coast the way to Cape Horn, keeping well in to land so that in an -emergency I could run the ship ashore and beach her. That would allow us -to save the valuable cargo, even if we lost the ship, and that -structural steel work was worth a lot of bother, he assured me. - -"When you get to the Cape," said the agent, "take your time and wait for -good weather to round it. There's no hurry, and by the time you arrive -there the conditions ought to be the most favorable of the year. Once in -the Pacific, continue to hug the coast up to San Pedro, and then -telegraph me for further instructions. Of course you know the -consignment is to the contracting firm of Wright & Landers, and when you -arrive they will attend to the unloading." - -I got my things aboard and found my room very pleasant and of ample -size. I took quite a library of books along, for the voyage would surely -consume most of the winter. We were liberally provisioned, for the same -reason, and our supplies were of excellent quality. - -My two black Islanders, Nux and Bryonia, were calmly indifferent to -everything except the fact that "Mars' Sam" was going somewhere and -would take them along. - -Bry was our cook, and a mighty good one, too. With him in charge of the -galley we were sure to enjoy our meals. Nux acted as steward and looked -after the officers' cabins. He was wonderfully active and a tower of -strength in time of need. Both men I knew I could depend upon at all -times, for they were intelligent, active, and would be faithful to the -last. - -We arranged to sail with the tide on a Wednesday afternoon, the date -being the nineteenth of September. On that eventful morning every -preparation was reported complete, and I rowed to the shore for a final -conference with the agent and a last farewell to my father. - - - - - CHAPTER II - I SHIP A QUEER PASSENGER - - -The ship-yards were on this side of the harbor, and presented a busy -scene; for besides our own beautiful _Seagull_, whose hull was now -nearly complete and so graceful in its lines that it attracted the -wondering admiration of every beholder, several other ships were then in -the yards in course of construction. - -It was in one of the builders' offices that I met my father and Mr. -Harlan, and while we were talking a man came in and touched his cap to -us, saying: - -"May I speak to Captain Steele?" - -He was about thirty years of age, somewhat thin and lank in appearance, -and would have been considered tall had he stood erect instead of -stooping at the shoulders. His face was fine and sensitive in expression -and his eyes were large and gray but dreamy rather than alert. Gray eyes -are usually shrewd; I do not remember ever before seeing so abstracted -and visionary a look except in brown or black ones. The man's hair was -thick and long and of a light brown--nearly "sandy"--color. He dressed -well but carelessly, and was evidently nervous and in a state of -suppressed excitement when he accosted us. I noticed that his hands were -large and toil-worn, and he clasped and unclasped them constantly as he -looked from one to another of our group. - -"I am Captain Steele," said my father. - -"Then, sir, I desire to ask a favor," was the reply. - -"State it, my man." - -"I want you to take me and my automobile with you on your voyage to Los -Angeles." - -Mr. Harlan laughed, and I could not repress a smile myself. - -"Then I'm not the Captain Steele you want," said my father. "This is the -one you must deal with," pointing his finger in my direction. - -The stranger turned, but to my satisfaction seemed in no way surprised -or embarrassed by being confronted with a boy. - -"It will be a great favor, sir," he continued, earnestly. "I beg you -will grant my request." - -"An automobile!" I exclaimed. - -"Yes, sir." - -"Your request is unusual," I said, in order to decline gracefully, for -something about the fellow was strangely appealing. "We are not a -passenger ship, but a slow freighter, and we are bound for a long voyage -around the Horn." - -"Time does not greatly matter," he murmured. "Only one thing really -matters at all." - -"And that?" - -"The expense." - -We stared at him, somewhat perplexed. - -"Permit me to explain," he went on, still gazing at me alone with his -beseeching eyes. "I have invented an automobile--not strictly an -automobile, it is true; but for want of a better name I will call it -that. I have been years experimenting and building it, for it is all the -work of my own hands and the child of my exclusive brain. It is now just -finished--complete in every part--but I find that I have exhausted -nearly every available dollar of my money. In other words, sir, my -machine has bankrupted me." - -He paused, and catching a wink from Mr. Harlan I said in an amused tone: - -"That is an old story, sir." - -"You doubt it?" - -"No; I mean that it is quite natural." - -"Perhaps," he replied. "You see I had not thought of money; merely of -success. But now that at last I have succeeded, I find that I have need -of money. My only relative is a rich uncle living at Pasadena, -California, who is so eccentric in his disposition that were I to appeal -to him for money he would promptly refuse." - -"Most rich men have that same eccentricity," I observed. - -"But he is quite a genius commercially, and if he saw my machine I am -confident he would freely furnish the money I require to erect a -manufactory and promote its sale. I assure you, gentlemen," looking -vaguely around, "that my machine is remarkable, and an original -invention." - -We nodded. There was no object in disputing such a modest statement. - -"So I wish to get myself and my automobile to Los Angeles, and at the -least possible expense. The railroads demand a large sum for freight and -fare, and I have not so much money to pay. By accident I learned that -your ship is going to the very port I long to reach, and so I hastened -to appeal to you to take me. I have only two hundred dollars in my -possession--the last, I grieve to say, of my ample inheritance. If you -will carry us for that sum to your destination, I shall indeed be -grateful for the kindness." - -Really, I began to feel sorry for the poor fellow. - -"But," said I, "I cannot possibly take you. We sail this afternoon and -the hatches are all closed and battened down for the voyage." - -"I do not wish the machine put in the hold," he answered, with strange -eagerness. "All I ask is a spot in which to place it on the -deck--anywhere that will be out of your way. I will make it secure, -myself, and take every care of it, so that it will cause you no trouble -at all." - -"I'm afraid you could not get it to the ship in time." - -"It is already loaded upon a flat-boat, which will take it to the -_Gladys H._ in an hour, once I have your permission." - -I looked at him in astonishment. - -"You seem to have considered your request granted in advance," I -remarked, with some asperity. - -"Not that, sir; I am not impertinent, believe me. But I enquired about -Captain Steele and was told that he is a good man and kind. So, that I -might lose no time if I obtained your consent, I had the machine loaded -on the flat-boat." - -Mr. Harlan laughed outright. Acting upon a sudden impulse I turned to -him and said: - -"May I decide as I please in this matter?" - -"Of course, Sam," he replied. "It is your affair, not mine." - -I looked at the stranger again. He was actually trembling with anxious -uncertainty. - -"Very well," I announced, "I will take you." - -"For the two hundred dollars?" - -"No; I'll carry you for nothing. You may need that extra money at your -journey's end." - -He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow, upon which beads of -perspiration were standing. - -"Thank you, sir," he said, simply. - -"But I must warn you of one thing. The bark is not in what we call A-1 -condition. If she happens to go to the bottom instead of San Pedro I -won't be responsible for your precious machine." - -"Very well, sir. I will take as many chances as you do." - -"May I ask your name?" - -"Moit, sir; Duncan Moit." - -"Scotch?" - -"By ancestry, Captain. American by birth." - -"All right; make haste and get your traps aboard as soon as possible." - -"I will. Thank you, Captain Steele." - -He put on his cap and walked hurriedly away, and when he had gone both -Mr. Harlan and my father rallied me on account of my queer "passenger." - -"He looks to me like a crank, Sam," said the agent. "But it's your -fireworks, not mine." - -"Whatever induced you to take him?" Captain Steele enquired, -wonderingly. - -"The bare fact that he was so anxious to go," I replied. "He may be a -crank on the automobile question, and certainly it is laughable to think -of shipping a machine to Los Angeles on a freighter, around the Horn; -but the poor fellow seemed to be a gentleman, and he's hard up. It -appeared to me no more than a Christian act to help him out of his -trouble." - -"You may be helping him into trouble, if that confounded cargo of yours -takes a notion to shift," observed my father, with a shake of his -grizzled head. - -"But it's not going to shift, sir," I declared, firmly. "I'm looking for -good luck on this voyage, and the chances are I'll find it." - -The agent slapped me on the shoulder approvingly. - -"That's the way to talk!" he cried. "I'm morally certain, Sam, that -you'll land that cargo at San Pedro in safety. I'm banking on you, -anyhow, young man." - -I thanked him for his confidence, and having bade a last good-bye to my -father and my employer I walked away with good courage and made toward -my boat, which was waiting for me. - -Uncle Naboth was waiting, too, for I found his chubby form squatting on -the gunwale. - -Uncle Naboth's other name was Mr. Perkins, and he was an important -member of the firm of "Steele, Perkins & Steele," being my dead mother's -only brother and my own staunch friend. I had thought my uncle in New -York until now, and had written him a letter of farewell to his address -in that city that very morning. - -But here he was, smiling serenely at me as I approached. - -"What's this foolishness I hear, Sam?" he demanded, when I had shaken -his hand warmly. - -"I'm off on a trip around the Horn," said I, "to carry a cargo of -building steel to the Pacific coast in that crippled old bark, yonder." - -His sharp eye followed mine and rested on the ship. - -"Anything in it, my lad?" - -"Not much except adventure, Uncle. But it will keep me from growing -musty until Spring comes and the _Seagull_ is ready for launching. I'm -dead tired of loafing around." - -He began to chuckle and cough and choke, but finally controlled himself -sufficiently to gasp: - -"So'm I, Sam!" - -"You?" - -"Tired as blazes. New York's a frost, Sam. Nothin' doin' there that's -worth mentionin'. All smug-faced men an' painted-faced women. No -sassiety, more policemen than there is sailors, hair-cuts thirty-five -cents an' two five-cent drinks fer a quarter. I feel like Alladin an' -the Forty Thieves--me bein' Alladin." - -"But, Uncle, it wasn't Aladdin that the Forty----" - -"Never mind that. Got a spare bunk aboard, Sam?" - -I laughed; but there was no use in being surprised at anything Uncle -Naboth did. - -"I've got a whole empty cabin--second mate's." - -"All right. When do we sail?" - -"Three o'clock, Uncle Naboth--sharp." - -"Very good." - -He turned and ambled away toward the town, and, rather thoughtfully, I -entered my boat and was rowed out to the _Gladys H._ - - - - - CHAPTER III - THE MOIT CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE - - -The flat-boat came alongside within the hour. On it was a big object -covered with soiled canvas and tied 'round and 'round with cords like a -package from the grocer. Beside it stood Moit, motionless until the -barge made fast and Ned Britton--who at my request had ordered the -windlass made ready--had the tackle lowered to hoist it aboard. - -Then the inventor directed his men in a clear-headed, composed way that -made the task easy enough. The big bundle appeared not so heavy as it -looked, and swung up without much strain on the tackle. - -I found a place for it just abaft the forecastle, where it would not -interfere with the sailors in working the ship. In a brief space of time -Duncan Moit had screwed hooks in the planking and lashed his bulky -contrivance so firmly to the deck that no ordinary pitch or roll of the -ship could possibly affect its security. - -Then he carried his trunk and several packages to his cabin, which I had -assigned him next my own, and after that I lost sight of him in the -responsible duties of our preparations to hoist anchor. - -Luncheon was served while we waited for the tide, but there was as yet -no sign of Uncle Naboth. I really did not know whether to expect him or -not. He might have changed his mind, I reflected; for unless it was a -business matter my uncle and partner was wont to be extremely erratic in -his decisions. And he had no business at all to join me on this voyage -except, as he had said, that he was tired of the land and wished to -relieve his restlessness by a smell of salt water. - -He was no sailor at all, nor even a navigator; but he had sailed so many -years as supercargo and trader that he was seldom contented for long on -land, and like myself he dreaded the long wait until Spring when our -beautiful new craft would be ready for her maiden trip. - -So for a time I thought it probable that he would come alongside; and -then I thought it probable he would not. If he ran across Captain -Steele, my father was liable to discourage him from making so long and -so useless a voyage when no profit was to be had from it. My case was -different, for I was a boy still full of a youthful energy and -enthusiasm that needed a safety-valve. Moreover, I was pardonably proud -of my new position, being for the first time the captain of a ship in -name and authority, although I was forced to acknowledge to myself that -Ned Britton was the real captain and that without him I would be very -helpless indeed. - -Two o'clock came, and then three o'clock; but there was no evidence of -Uncle Naboth. - -I gave a sigh of regret and unfeigned disappointment then, and nodded to -Ned to weigh anchor, for the tide was beginning to turn. - -My new men worked cheerily and with a will, and soon the anchor was -apeak, our mainsail set and we were standing out to sea on our doubtful -attempt to round the Horn and reach the blue waters of the Pacific. - -We had left the bay and were standing well out from the coast, when I -happened to glance over the rail and notice a small launch coming toward -us from the harbor at full speed. They were unable to signal from that -distance, but I brought a powerful glass and soon made out the form of -Uncle Naboth standing upright in the middle of the little craft and -gracefully waving a red handkerchief. - -I had Ned luff and lay to, laughing to think how nearly the little uncle -had missed us, and before long the launch covered the distance between -us and came alongside. - -Uncle Naboth was gorgeous in appearance. He was dressed in a vividly -checked suit and wore a tourist cap perched jauntily atop his iron-gray -locks. His shirt bosom was wonderfully pleated, his shoes of shiney -patent-leather, and he wore yellow kid gloves that wrinkled dreadfully. -Moreover--the greatest wonder of all, to me--my uncle was smoking a big, -fat cigar instead of his accustomed corn-cob pipe, and he had a kodak -slung over one shoulder and a marine-glass over the other. - -First of all my uncle sent his traps up the side. Then he began a long -but calm argument with the crew of the launch, who were greatly excited, -and this might have continued indefinitely had not Ned become impatient -and yelled a warning that he was about to tack. At this Uncle Naboth -thrust some money in the hand of the skipper and leisurely ascended the -ladder while a chorus of curses and threats fell upon his unheeding -ears. - -"Nearly missed you, Sam, didn't I?" he said, nodding cheerfully as the -sails filled and we headed into the breeze again. "Close shave, but no -alum or bay-rum." - -"What made you late, Uncle?" - -"Had to do a lot to git my outfit ready," he said, puffing his cigar, -smoothing out his gloves and at the same time casting a critical eye -over the deck. "First time in my life, nevvy, that I've went to sea on a -pleasure-trip. No business to look after, no worry, no figgerin'. Jest -sailin' away o'er the deep blue sea with a jolly crew is the life for -me. Eh, Sam?" - -"Right you are, Uncle. You're just a passenger, and a mighty welcome -one. I'm glad you caught us." - -"Stern chase, but not a long one. What do you s'pose, Sam? I had to pay -them pirates in that half-grown steamboat thirty dollars to get me -aboard." - -"Thirty dollars!" - -"Dreadful, wasn't it? And then they wanted sixty. Took me for a tourist -gent 'cause I looked the part. But I was bound to come, an' they was -onto my anxiousness, so it might be expected as they'd soak me good an' -plenty. Where'd you say you was bound for, Sam?" - -"Down the coast, around the Horn, and up the Pacific to San Pedro." - -"Sounds interestin'." - -His bright little eye had been observant. - -"What's aboard, my lad?" - -"Steel beams for some new buildings in Los Angeles." - -"Loaded rather heavy, ain't she?" - -"Too heavy, Uncle." - -"H-m-m. Not any too tight, either, I take it. Hull old an' rotten; -plenty o' paint to cover up the worm-holes." - -"Exactly, sir." - -"Will you make it, Sam?" - -"Can't say, Uncle Naboth. But I'll try." - -"Cargo insured?" - -"No; that's the worst of it. The owners insure themselves, because the -tub won't pass at Lloyd's. If we sink it's a big loss. So we mustn't -sink." - -"Iron won't float, nevvy." - -"I'm going to hug the coast, mostly. If trouble comes I'll beach her. -You may be in for a long cruise, Uncle." - -He nodded quite pleasantly. - -"That's all right. I take it we'll manage to get home by Spring, an' -that's time enough fer us both. But I can see she ain't a race-hoss, -Sam, my boy." - -Indeed, the ship was not behaving at all to suit me. With a favorable -breeze and an easy sea the miserable old hulk was sailing more like a -water-logged raft than a modern merchantman. - -Her sails and cordage were new and beautiful, and her paint spick and -span; but I noticed my sailors wagging their heads with disappointment -as the _Gladys H._ labored through the water. - -Uncle Naboth chuckled to himself and glanced at me as if he thought it -all a good joke, and I the only victim. But I pretended to pay no -attention to him. Being, as he expressed it, a "loafin' land-lubber," I -installed him in the last of the roomy cabins aft, all of which opened -into the officers' mess-room. Ned Britton had the cabin opposite mine, -and Mr. Perkins the one opposite to that occupied by Duncan Moit. For my -part, I was pleased enough to have such good company on a voyage that -promised to be unusually tedious. - -Moit had kept well out of our way until everything was snug and -ship-shape, and then he came on deck and stood where he could keep a -tender eye on his precious machine. I introduced him to Uncle Naboth and -the two "passengers" shook hands cordially and were soon conversing -together in a friendly manner. - -I had decided to take my sailors into my confidence in the very -beginning, so I called all hands together and made them a brief speech. - -"My lads," said I, "we need not look forward to a very good voyage, for -you have doubtless discovered already that the _Gladys H._ is not a -greyhound. To be honest with you, she's old and leaky, and none too -safe. But she's got a valuable cargo aboard, that must be safe delivered -if we can manage it, and we are all of us well paid to do our duty by -the owners. My instructions are to hug the land and make a harbor if bad -weather comes. At the worst we can run the ship on the shingle and save -the cargo in that way--for the cargo is worth a dozen such tubs. It's a -somewhat risky undertaking, I know, and if any of you don't like your -berths I'll put you ashore at the first likely place and you can go home -again. But if you are willing to stick to me, I'll take as good care of -you as I can, and your money is sure because the Interocean Forwarding -Company is back of us and good for every penny. What do you say, my -lads?" - -They were a good-natured lot, and appreciated my frankness. After a -little conference together the boatswain declared they were all content -to see the venture to the end and do the best they could under the -circumstances. So a mutual understanding was established from the -beginning, and before the end came I had cause to be proud of every man -aboard. - -The weather was warm and pleasant, and as I sat with our passengers and -Ned on the deck in the afternoon Uncle Naboth got his eye on the -overgrown grocery package and said to Moit: - -"What sort of an automobile have you got?" - -The man had been dreaming, but he gave a start and his eyes lighted with -sudden interest. The abstracted mood disappeared. - -"It is one of my own invention, sir," he replied. - -"What do you call it?" - -"The Moit Convertible Automobile." - -"Heh? Convertible?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"I guess," said Uncle Naboth, "I'm up agin it. 'Convertible' is a word I -don't jest catch the meaning of. Latin's a little rusty, you know; so -long since I went to school." - -"It means," said Moit, seriously, "that the machine is equally adapted -to land and water." - -My uncle stared a little, then looked away and began to whistle softly. -Ned Britton sighed and walked to the rail as if to observe our motion. -For my part, I had before entertained a suspicion that the poor fellow -was not quite right in his mind, so I was not surprised. But he appeared -gentlemanly enough, and was quite in earnest; so, fearing he might -notice the rather pointed conduct of my uncle and Ned, I made haste to -remark with fitting gravity: - -"That is a very desirable combination, Mr. Moit, and a great improvement -on the ordinary auto." - -"Oh, there is nothing ordinary about the machine, in any way," he -responded, quickly. "Indeed, it is so different from all the other motor -vehicles in use that it cannot properly be termed an automobile. Some -time I intend to provide an appropriate name for my invention, but until -now the machine itself has occupied my every thought." - -"To be sure," I said, rather vaguely. - -"Most automobiles," began my uncle, lying back in his chair and giving -me a preliminary wink, "is only built to go on land, an' balks whenever -they gets near a repair shop. I was tellin' a feller the other day in -New York, who was becalmed in the middle of the street, that if he'd -only put a sail on his wagon and wait for a stiff breeze, he could tell -all the repair men to go to thunder!" - -"But this has nothing to do with Mr. Moit's invention," I said, trying -not to smile. "Mr. Moit's automobile is different." - -"As how?" asked my uncle. - -Mr. Moit himself undertook to reply. - -"In the first place," said he, his big eyes looking straight through me -with an absorbed expression, as if I were invisible, "I do not use the -ordinary fuel for locomotion. Gasoline is expensive and dangerous, and -needs constant replenishing. Electricity is unreliable, and its storage -very bulky. Both these forces are crude and unsatisfactory. My first -thought was to obtain a motive power that could be relied upon at all -times, that was inexpensive and always available. I found it in -compressed air." - -"Oh!" ejaculated Uncle Naboth. - -I am sure he knew less about automobiles than I did, for I owned a small -machine at home and had driven it some while on shore. But Mr. Perkins -prided himself on being familiar with all modern inventions, and what he -did not know from personal experience he was apt to imagine he knew. - -"Compressed air," he observed, oracularly, "is what blows the sails of a -ship." - -The inventor turned on him a look of wonder. - -"This seems to me like a clever idea," I hastened to say. "But I can't -see exactly, sir, how you manage to use compressed air for such a -purpose." - -"I have a storage tank," Moit answered, "which is constantly replenished -by the pumps as fast as the air is exhausted, which of course only -occurs while the machine is in action." - -"But you need something to start the engines," I suggested. "Do you use -gasoline for that purpose?" - -"No, sir. I have a glycerine explosive which is so condensed that an -atom is all that is required to prime the engines. In a little chamber -that contains about a pint I can carry enough explosive to last me for a -year. And wherever there is air I have power that is perpetual." - -"That's great!" cried Uncle Naboth, with an enthusiasm so plainly -assumed that Ned and I had much ado to keep from laughing outright. - -"In other ways," continued Duncan Moit, "I have made marked improvements -upon the ordinary motor car. Will you allow me, gentlemen, to show you -my machine, and to explain it to you?" - -We were glad enough of this diversion, even Ned Britton, who could not -have run a sewing-machine, being curious to examine our crazy -passenger's invention. - -Moit at once began to untie the cords and remove the soiled canvas, -which consisted of parts of worn-out sails stitched clumsily together. -But when this uninviting cover was withdrawn we saw with astonishment a -machine of such beauty, completeness and exquisite workmanship that our -exclamations of delight were alike spontaneous and genuine. - -Moit might be mad, but as a mechanic he was superb, if this was indeed a -creation of his own hands. - -An automobile? Well, it had four massive wheels with broad rubber tires, -a steering gear (of which only the wheel was visible) and a body for the -passengers to ride in; but otherwise the world-pervading auto-fiend -would not have recognized the thing. - -It seemed to be all of metal--a curious metal of a dull silver hue--not -painted or polished in any place, but so finely constructed that every -joint and fitting appeared perfect. It was graceful of design, too, -although the body was shaped like the hull of a boat, with the wheels so -placed that the structure was somewhat more elevated from the ground -than ordinarily. This body was about a foot in thickness, having an -inner and outer surface composed of beautifully rivetted plates of the -strange metal. - -Moit explained that part of this space was used for vacuum chambers, -which were kept exhausted by the pumps when required and made the -machine wonderfully light. Also, within what corresponded with the -gunwale of a boat, were concealed the parts of the adjustable top, -which, when raised into position and hooked together, formed a -dome-shaped cover for the entire body. These parts were almost entirely -of glass, in which a fine wire netting had been imbedded, so that while -the riders could see clearly on all sides, any breakage of the glass was -unlikely to occur. In any event it could only crack, as the netting -would still hold the broken pieces in place. - -The engines were in a front chamber of the body. There were four of -them, each no bigger than a gallon jug; but Moit assured us they were -capable of developing twenty-five horse-power each, or a total of one -hundred horse-power, owing to the wonderful efficiency of the compressed -air. All the other machinery was similarly condensed in size and so -placed that the operator could reach instantly any part of it. - -The entrance was at either side or at the back, as one preferred, but -the seats were arranged in a circle around the body, with the exception -of the driver's chair. So roomy was the car that from six to eight -passengers could be carried with comfort, or even more in case of -emergency. - -All of these things were more easily understood by observation than I -can hope to explain them with the pen. Perhaps I have omitted to -describe them to you as clearly as I should; but I must plead in -extenuation a lack of mechanical knowledge. That you will all ride in -similar cars some day I have no doubt, and then you will understand all -the details that I, a plain sailor, have been forced to ignore because -of my ignorance of mechanics. - -"But," said Uncle Naboth, whose eyes were fairly bulging with amazement, -"I don't yet see what drives the blamed thing through water." - -Moit smiled for almost the first time since I had known him, and the -smile was one of triumphant pride. - -He entered the automobile, touched some buttons, and with a whirring -sound a dozen little scoop-shaped flanges sprang from the rim of each -wheel. There was no need for farther explanation. We could see at once -that in water the four wheels now became paddle-wheels, and their rapid -revolution would no doubt drive the machine at a swift pace. - -The paddles were cleverly shaped, being made of the same metal employed -everywhere in the construction of this astonishing invention, and they -stood at just the right angle to obtain the utmost power of propulsion. - -"Aluminum?" questioned Mr. Perkins, pointing to the metal. - -"No, sir. This is perhaps my most wonderful discovery, and you will -pardon me if I say it is a secret which I am unwilling at this time to -divulge. But I may tell you that I have found an alloy that is -unequalled in the known world for strength, durability and lightness. It -weighs a little more than pure aluminum, but has a thousand times its -tensile strength. You may test one of these blades, which seem to the -eye to be quite delicate and fragile." - -Uncle Naboth leaned over and gingerly tested one of the wheel blades -with his thumb and finger. Then he exerted more strength. Finally he put -his heel upon it and tried to bend it with the weight of his body. It -resisted all efforts with amazing success. - -And now the inventor pushed some other buttons, or keys, and the metal -blades all receded and became once more a part of the rims of the -wheels. - -"When we get to San Pedro, gentlemen," said he, "it will give me -pleasure to take you for a ride in my machine, both on land and water. -Then you will be sure to appreciate its perfection more fully." - -He began to replace the canvas cover, apologizing as much to his beloved -machine as to us for its shabbiness. - -"All of my money was consumed by the machine itself," he explained, "and -I was forced to use this cloth to make a cover, which is needed only to -protect my invention from prying eyes. The metal will never rust nor -corrode." - -"Is this material, this alloy, easy to work?" I asked. - -He shook his head. - -"It is very difficult," he returned. "Steel crumbles against it with -discouraging readiness, so that my tools were all of the same metal, -annealed and hardened. Even these had to be constantly replaced. You -must not imagine, sir, that I obtained all of this perfection at the -first trial. I have been years experimenting." - -"So I imagine, Mr. Moit." - -"By a fortunate coincidence," he went on, dreamily, "my money, which I -had inherited from my father, lasted me until all the work was complete. -I had thought of nothing but my machine, and having at last finished it -and made thorough tests to assure myself that it was as nearly perfect -as human skill can make it, I awoke to find myself bankrupt and in debt. -By selling my tools, my workshop, and everything else I possessed except -the machine itself, I managed to pay my indebtedness and have two -hundred dollars left. This was not enough to get myself and my car -shipped to California by rail; so I was at my wits' end until you, sir," -turning to me, "kindly came to my rescue." - -During the pause that followed he finished covering up his machine, and -then Uncle Naboth asked, bluntly: - -"If you are sure the blamed thing will work, why didn't you run it -overland to California? That has been done more'n once, I'm told, and as -you use compressed air the expense wouldn't be a circumstance." - -That had occurred to me too, and I awaited the man's reply with much -curiosity. - -"Sir," he answered, "you must not forget that I have devoted years to -this work--years of secret and constant toil--and that my whole heart is -involved in the success of my perfected machine. But you can readily -understand that I have not dared to patent it, or any of its parts, -until all was complete; for an imperfect patent not only fails to -protect one, but in this case it would give other designers of -automobiles the ideas I had originated. A patent is never a safeguard if -it can be improved or stolen. As I have said, when at last my work was -finished I had no money with which to obtain patents, of which no less -than nineteen are required to protect me." - -"And have you, at this time, no patents at all?" I asked, surprised at -such neglect. - -He shook his head. - -"Not one. There, gentlemen, stands one of the most important mechanical -inventions the world has ever known, and its inventor has no protection -whatever--as yet. If I attempted to run the machine overland to the -Pacific coast, a dozen automobile experts would see it and promptly -steal my ideas. Such a risk was too great to run. I must manage to reach -my rich and selfish uncle, prove to him how wonderful my invention is, -offer him a half interest in it, and so procure the money to protect it -and to establish a manufactory. Do you understand now why I have acted -in so puzzling a way--puzzling, at least, to one not aware of my -dilemma?" - -"It is quite clear to me," I replied, beginning to think my passenger -was not mad, after all. "But have you not been foolish to confide all -this to us?" - -He smiled pleasantly, and the smile made his face really attractive. - -"I am not especially stupid, believe me," said he, "and I am a fair -judge of human nature. You will pardon me if I say that not a man on -this ship is at all dangerous to me." - -"How is that?" I asked, slightly discomfitted. - -"No man among you is competent to steal my invention," he asserted, -coolly, "even if you were disposed to do so, which I doubt. It would -require a dishonest person who is a mechanical expert, and while there -are many such between Chelsea and California, I am sure there is none on -this ship who would wrong me, even if he possessed the power. I feel -entirely secure, gentlemen, in your company." - -This was diplomatic, at least, for we were naturally pleased at the -tribute to our good faith, even if inclined to resent the disparagement -of our mechanical genius. However, we regarded Duncan Moit in a more -friendly light and with vastly increased respect from that time forth. - -It was growing dark by this time, and presently Nux announced that -dinner was served. So we repaired to the mess cabin, and while testing -Bryonia's superb talents as a cook beguiled the hour by canvassing the -future possibilities of the Moit Convertible Automobile. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - WE COME TO GRIEF - - -Fortune seemed to favor the voyage of the _Gladys H._ All the way to -Hatteras the weather was delightful and the breeze fresh and constant. -There was not a moment when the sails were not bulging to some extent -and in spite of the old ship's labored motion we made excellent time. - -However, I followed my instructions, keeping well in toward the coast, -and so crept steadily down to Key West. - -Here an important proposition confronted us: whether to enter the Gulf -of Mexico and follow its great circle near to the shore--a method that -would require weeks--or run across to Cuba and then attempt the passage -of the Caribbean by the short cut to Colon or Porto Bella. We had -canvassed this alternative before I left harbor; but Mr. Harlan had -maintained that I must decide the question for myself, being guided by -the actions of the bark and the condition of the weather. - -Both these requirements seemed favorable for the short cut. The ship had -behaved so far much better than I had expected, and the good weather -seemed likely to hold for some time longer. - -So after a conference with Ned Britton--for Uncle Naboth refused to "mix -up in the business" or even to offer an opinion--I decided to take the -chances and follow the shortest route. After reaching Colon I would keep -close to land way down to the Horn. - -So we stood out to sea, made Cuba easily, and skirted its western point -to the Isles de Pinos. Still the skies were clear and the breeze -favorable, and with good courage we headed south in a bee-line for -Colon. - -And now we were in the Caribbean, that famous sea whose very name -breathes romance. It recalls to us the earliest explorers, the gold -seekers and buccaneers, the fact that scarce an inch of its rippling -surface is unable to boast some tragedy or adventure in the days of the -Spanish Main, when ships of all nations thronged the waters of the West -Indies. - -For three whole days luck was our bedfellow; then, as Uncle Naboth drily -remarked, it "went a fishin'" and left us to take care of ourselves. - -With gentle sighs our hitherto faithful breeze deserted us and our sails -flapped idly for a time and then lay still, while the ship floated upon -a sheet of brilliant blue glass, the tropic sun beat fiercely down upon -us, and all signs of life and animation came to an end. - -No sailor is partial to calms. A gale he fights with a sense of elation -and a resolve to conquer; a favoring breeze he considers his right; but -a glassy sea and listless, drooping sails are his especial horror. -Nevertheless, he is accustomed to endure this tedium and has learned by -long experience how best to enliven such depressing periods. - -Our men found they possessed a violinist--not an unskilled fiddler by -any means--and to his accompanying strains they sang and danced like so -many happy children. - -Uncle Naboth and Ned Britton played endless games of penocle under the -deck awning and I brought out my favorite books and stretched myself in -a reclining chair to enjoy them. - -Duncan Moit paced deliberately up and down for the first two days, -engrossed in his own musings; then he decided to go over his machine and -give it a careful examination. He removed the cover, started his -engines, and let them perform for the amusement of the amazed sailors, -who formed a curious but respectful group around him. - -Finally they cleared a space on the deck and Moit removed the guy-ropes -that anchored his invention and ran his auto slowly up and down, to the -undisguised delight of the men. He would allow six or eight to enter the -car and ride--sixteen feet forward, around the mainmast, and sixteen -feet back again--and it was laughable to watch the gravity of their -faces as they held fast to the edge, bravely resolving to endure the -dangers of this wonderful mode of locomotion. Not one had ever ridden in -an automobile before, and although Moit merely allowed it to crawl over -its confined course, the ride was a strange and fascinating experience -to them. - -I must allow that the performances of this clever machine astonished me. -The inventor was able to start it from his seat, by means of a simple -lever, and it was always under perfect control. The engines worked so -noiselessly that you had to put your ear close in order to hear them at -all, and the perfection of the workmanship could not fail to arouse my -intense admiration. - -"If this new metal is so durable as you claim," I said to Moit, "the -machine ought to last for many years." - -"My claim is that it is practically indestructible," he answered, in a -tone of conviction. - -"But you have still the tire problem," I remarked. "A puncture will put -you out of business as quickly as it would any other machine." - -"A puncture!" he exclaimed. "Why, these tires cannot puncture, sir." - -"Why not?" - -"They are not inflated." - -"What then?" - -"It is another of my inventions, Mr. Steele. Inside each casing is a -mass of sponge-rubber, of a peculiarly resilient and vigorous character. -And within the casing itself is embedded a net of steel wire, which will -not allow the vulcanized rubber to be cut to any depth. The result is an -excellent tire that cannot be punctured and has great permanency." - -"You do not seem to have overlooked any important point," I observed, -admiringly. - -"Ah, that is the one thing that now occupies my mind," he responded, -quickly. "That is why I have been testing the machine today, even in the -limited way that is alone possible. I am haunted by the constant fear -that I _have_ over-looked some important point, which another might -discover." - -"And have you found such a thing?" - -"No; to all appearances the device is perfect. But who can tell what may -yet develop?" - -"Not I," with a smile; "you have discounted my mechanical skill already. -To my mind the invention seems in every way admirable, Mr. Moit." - -For nine days we lay becalmed, with cloudless skies above and a tranquil -sea around us. During the day we rested drowsily in the oppressive heat, -but the nights were always cooler and myriads of brilliant stars made it -nearly as light as day. Ned had taken in every yard of canvas except a -square sail which he rigged forward, and he took the added precaution to -lash every movable thing firmly to its place. - -"After this, we've got to expect ugly weather," he announced; and as he -knew the Caribbean well this preparation somewhat dismayed me. I began -to wish we had entered the Gulf of Mexico and made the roundabout trip; -but it was too late for regrets now, and we must make the best of our -present outlook. - -Personally I descended into the hold and examined with care the seams, -finding that the calking had held securely so far and that we were as -right and tight as when we had first sailed. But even this assurance was -not especially encouraging, for we had met with no weather that a canoe -might not have lived through without shipping more than a few drops of -sea. - -The ninth day was insufferably hot, and the evening brought no relief. -Ned Britton's face looked grave and worried, and I overheard him -advising Duncan Moit to add several more anchor ropes to those that -secured his machine. - -We awaited the change in the weather anxiously enough, and toward -midnight the stars began to be blotted out until shortly a black pall -overhung the ship. The air seemed vibrant and full of an electric feel -that drew heavily upon one's nerves; but so far there had been no breath -of wind. - -At last, when it seemed we could wait no longer, a distant murmur was -heard, drawing ever nearer and louder until its roar smote our ears like -a discharge of artillery. The ship began to roll restlessly, and then -the gale and the waves broke upon us at the same instant and with full -force. - -Heavily weighted and lazy as the bark was, she failed to rise to the -first big wave, which washed over her with such resistless power that it -would have swept every living soul away had we not clung desperately to -the rigging. It seemed to me that I was immersed in a wild, seething -flood for several minutes; but they must have been seconds, instead, for -presently the water was gone and the wind endeavoring to tear me from my -hold. - -The square sail held, by good luck, and the ship began to stagger -onward, bowing her head deep and submitting to constant floods that -washed her from end to end. There was not much that could be done to -ease her, and the fervid excitement of those first hours kept us all -looking after our personal safety. Along we went, scudding before the -gale, which maintained its intensity unabated and fortunately drove us -along the very course we had mapped out. - -The morning relieved the gloom, but did not lessen the force of the -storm. The waves were rolling pretty high, and all faces were serious or -fearful, according to the disposition of their owners. In our old -_Saracen_, or even the _Flipper_, I would not have minded the blow or -the sea, but here was a craft of a different sort, and I did not know -how she might stand such dreadful weather. - -I got Ned into the cabin, where we stood like a couple of drenched rats -and discussed the situation. On deck our voices could not be heard. - -"Are the small boats ready to launch?" I asked. - -"All ready, sir; but I doubt if they'd live long," he replied. "However, -this 'ere old hulk seems to be doin' pretty decent. She lies low, bein' -so heavy loaded, an' lets the waves break over her. That saves her a -good deal of strain, Sam. If she don't spring a-leak an' the cargo holds -steady, we'll get through all right." - -"Tried the pumps?" - -"Yes; only bilge, so far." - -"Very good. How long will the gale last?" - -"Days, perhaps, in these waters. There's no rule to go by, as I knows -of. It'll just blow till it blows itself out." - -He went on deck again, keeping an eye always on the ship and trying to -carry just enough canvas to hold her steady. - -Duncan Moit and Uncle Naboth kept to the cabin and were equally -unconcerned. The latter was an old voyager and realized that it was best -to be philosophical; the former had never been at sea before and had no -idea of our danger. - -On the third morning of this wild and persistent tempest the boatswain -came to where Ned and I clung to the rigging and said: - -"She's leaking, sir." - -"Badly?" - -"Pretty bad, sir." - -"Get the pumps manned, Ned," said I; "I'll go below and investigate." - -I crawled into the hold through the forecastle cubby, as we dared not -remove the hatches. I took along a sailor to carry the lantern, and we -were not long in making the discovery that the _Gladys H._ was leaking -like a sieve. Several of the seams that Mr. Harlan had caused to be -calked so carefully had reopened and the water was spurting through in a -dozen streams. - -I got back to my cabin and made a careful examination of the chart. -According to my calculations we could not be far from the coast of -Panama. If I was right, another six hours would bring us to the shore; -but I was not sure of my reckoning since that fearful gale had struck -us. So the question whether or no the ship could live six hours longer -worried me considerably, for the pumps were of limited capacity and the -water was gaining on us every minute. - -I told Uncle Naboth our difficulty, and Duncan Moit, who stood by, -listened to my story with lively interest. - -"Will you try to beach her, Sam?" enquired my uncle, with his usual -calmness. - -"Of course, sir, if we manage to float long enough to reach the land. -That is the best I can hope for now. By good luck the coast of Panama is -low and marshy, and if we can drive the tub aground there the cargo may -be saved to the owners." - -"Ain't much of a country to land in, Sam; is it?" - -"Not a very lovely place, Uncle, I'm told." - -"It's where they're diggin' the canal, ain't it?" - -"I believe so." - -"Well, we may get a chance to see the ditch. This 'ere travellin' is -full of surprises, Mr. Moit. I never thought to 'a' brung a guide book -o' Panama, or we could tell exactly where they make the hats." - -The inventor appeared ill at ease. I could understand the man's -disappointment and anxiety well enough. To beach his beloved machine on -a semi-barbarous, tropical shore was not what he had anticipated, and I -had time to feel sorry for him while thinking upon my own troubles. - -He followed me on deck, presently, and I saw him take a good look at the -sea and shake his head despondently. The Convertible Automobile might -work in ordinary water, but it was not intended for such mammoth waves -as these. - -Then he watched the men at the pumps. They worked with a will, but in -that cheerless way peculiar to sailors when they are forced to undertake -this desperate duty. The ocean was pushing in and they were trying to -keep it out; and such a pitiful struggle usually results in favor of the -ocean. - -Suddenly Moit conceived a brilliant idea. He asked for a length of hose, -and when it was brought he threw off the covering of his machine and -succeeded in attaching the hose to his engines. The other end we dropped -into the hold, and presently, despite the lurching and plunging of the -ship, the engines started and a stream the full size of the hose was -sucked up and sent flowing into the scruppers. It really did better work -than the ship's pumps, and I am now positive that this clever -arrangement was all that enabled us to float until we made the coast. - -In the afternoon, while the gale seemed to redouble its force, we -sighted land--low, murky and uninteresting, but nevertheless land--and -made directly for it. - -Darkness came upon us swiftly, but we held our course, still pumping for -dear life and awaiting with tense nerves the moment of impact. - -What this shore, of which we had caught a glimpse, might be like I did -not know, more than that it was reported low and sandy at the ocean's -edge and marshy in the interior. There were a few rocky islands at the -south of the isthmus, and there might be rocks or breakers at any point, -for all we knew. If the ship struck one of these we were surely doomed. - -On and on we flew, with blackness all round us, until on a sudden the -bow raised and our speed slackened so abruptly that we were all thrown -prostrate upon the deck. The mainmast snapped and fell with a deafening -crash, and slowly the ship rolled to starboard until the deck stood at a -sharp angle, and trembled a few brief moments, and then lay still. - -The voyage of the _Gladys H._ was at an end. - - - - - CHAPTER V - MAKING THE BEST OF IT - - -"Are you there, Sam?" - -"Yes, Ned." - -"Safe and sound?" - -"I think so." - -Overhead the wind still whistled, but more moderately; around me I could -hear the men stirring, with an occasional groan. We had come from the -tempest-tossed seas into a place of comparative quiet, which just now -was darker than the pocket of Erebus. - -I found the after cabin and slid down the steps, which inclined -sidewise. Inside, however, the hanging lamps had withstood the shock and -still cast a dim light over the room. I found Uncle Naboth reclining -upon a bench with his feet braced against the table, while he puffed -away complacently at one of his enormous cigars. - -"Stopped at a way station, Sam?" he enquired. - -"So it appears, Uncle." - -"Any damage?" - -"Can't tell, yet. Were you hurt?" - -He exhibited a great lump on his forehead, but smiled sweetly. - -"You should 'a' seen me dive under the table, Sam. It were a reg'lar -circus, with me the chief acrobat. Where are we?" - -"I'm going to find out." - -I unhooked both the lanterns and started up the companion-way with them. -Rather than remain in the dark Uncle brought himself and his cigar after -me. - -I gave Ned one of the lights and we began to look about us. Duncan Moit -lay unconscious beside his machine, the engines of which were still -running smoothly. I threw back the lever and stopped them, and then a -couple of seamen carried the inventor into the cabin. Black Nux had -lighted another lantern, and with my uncle's assistance undertook to do -what he could to restore the injured man. - -Ned and I slid aft and found the stern still washed by a succession of -waves that dashed over it. Walking the deck was difficult because the -ship listed from stem to stern and from port to starboard. Her bow was -high and dry on a sand-bar--or such I imagined it to be--but it was only -after I had swung a lantern up a halyard of the foremast, so that its -dim rays would illumine the largest possible area, that I discovered we -had plunged straight into a deep inlet of the coast. On one side of us -appeared to be a rank growth of tangled shrubs or underbrush; on the -other was the outline of a forest. Ahead was clear water, but its -shallow depth had prevented our proceeding farther inland. - -Either the gale had lessened perceptibly or we did not feel it so keenly -in our sheltered position. An examination of the men showed that one of -them had broken an arm and several others were badly bruised; but there -were no serious casualties. - -The ship was now without any motion whatever, being fast on the bottom -of the inlet. The breakers that curled over the stern did her no damage, -and these seemed to be gradually lessening in force. - -Ned sent his tired men to their bunks and with the assistance of -Bryonia, who was almost as skillful in surgery as in cooking, prepared -to set the broken arm and attend to those who were the most bruised. - -I went to the cabin again, and found that Uncle Naboth and Nux had been -successful in restoring Duncan Moit, who was sitting up and looking -around him with a dazed expression. I saw he was not much hurt, the fall -having merely stunned him for the time being. - -"The machine--the machine!" he was muttering, anxiously. - -"It's all right, sir," I assured him. "I shut down the engines, and she -seems to have weathered the shock in good shape." - -He seemed relieved by this report, and passed his hand across his brow -as if to clear his brain. - -"Where are we?" was his next query. - -"No one knows, sir. But we are landed high and dry, and I'm almost sure -it is some part of the coast of Panama. To-morrow morning we can -determine our location more accurately. But now, Mr. Moit, I recommend -that you tumble into your bunk and get all the rest you can before -daybreak." - -The strain of the last few days had been severe upon all of us, and now -that the demand for work or vigilance was removed we found that our -strength had been overtaxed. I left Ned to set a watch, and sought my -own bed, on which I stretched myself to fall asleep in half a minute. - -"Wake up, Mars' Sam," said Nux, shaking me. "Breakfas' ready, seh." - -I rubbed my eyes and sat up. The sun was streaming through the cabin -window, which was on the port side. Around me was a peculiar silence -which contrasted strongly with the turmoil that had so long buffeted my -ears. The gale had passed on and left us to count the mischief it had -caused. - -"What time is it, Nux?" - -"Eight o'clock, Mars' Sam." - -I sprang up, now fully conscious of the night's tragedy, which sleep had -for a time driven from my mind. Nux stood with my basin and towel and -his calmness encouraged me to bathe before I went on deck. - -In the mess-cabin I found that the table legs had been propped up with -boxes to hold it level, and that a hot breakfast had been prepared and -was now steaming on the table. Around the board were gathered Ned -Britton, Uncle Naboth and Duncan Moit, all busily engaged in eating. -They greeted me cheerfully and bade me sit down and join them. - -"How is everything, Ned?" I enquired, anxiously. - -"Bad as can be, an' right as a trivet, Sam," he replied. "The _Gladys -H._'ll never float again. Her bottom's all smashed in, an' she's fast in -the mud till she goes to pieces an' makes kindlin'-wood for the Injuns." - -"Then the cargo is safe, for the present?" - -"To be sure. It can't get lost, 'cause it's a chunk o' steel, and the -ship's planks'll hold it in place for a long time. It'll get good and -soaked, but I've noticed it's all painted to keep it from rustin'. This -ain't San Pedro, whatever else it is, and the voyage has miscarried a -bit; but them beams is a good deal better off here than at the bottom o' -the sea, so I take it we've done the best we could by the owners." - -I sat down and took the coffee Nux poured for me. - -"How about the crew?" I asked. "Are the men all right?" - -"No body hurt but Dick Lombard, and his arm'll mend nicely." - -"Have you any idea where we are, Ned?" - -"Stuck in a river, somewhere. Wild country all around us, but I guess we -can find a way out. Lots o' provisions and a good climate. We may say as -we're in luck, Sam." - -I shook my head dismally. It did not appear to me that luck had -especially favored us. To be sure, we might have gone to the bottom of -the Caribbean in the gale; but it struck me we had landed the cargo in -an awkward place for the owners as well as for ourselves. Mr. Harlan -would have done better had he not taken the long chance of our making -the voyage to San Pedro successfully. - -"Well, I cannot see that we have failed in our duty, in any way," I -remarked, as cheerfully as I could, "so we may as well make the best of -it." - -"This bein' a tourist, an' travellin' fer pleasure," said Uncle Naboth, -"is more fun than a kickin' mule. Sam's got to worry, 'cause he's paid -fer it; but we passengers can look on an' enjoy ourselves. Eh, Mr. -Moit?" - -"It is a serious situation for me," replied the inventor. "Think of it, -gentlemen! The most wonderful piece of mechanism the world has yet known -is stranded in a wilderness, far from civilization." - -"That is your own fault," remarked Ned, bluntly. - -"Not that, sir; it is fate." - -"The machine is all right," said I. "You will have no trouble to save -it." - -"As for that, I must, of course, make the best of the adverse -circumstances that have overtaken me," he replied, with more composure -than I had expected. "It is not my nature to be easily discouraged, else -I could never have accomplished what I have in the perfection of any -inventions. My greatest regret, at this moment, is that the world will -be deprived, for a longer period than I had intended, of the benefits of -my Convertible Automobile." - -"Having never known its excellent qualities, sir, the world can wait," -asserted Uncle Naboth, philosophically. I have noticed one can be quite -philosophical over another's difficulties. - -Having hurried through my breakfast, which our faithful Bryonia had -prepared most excellently in spite of the fact that his galley was at an -angle of nearly forty-five degrees, I went on deck to obtain for the -first time a clear view of our surroundings. - -The tide had changed and the wind fallen. We lay in the center of a -placid river--high and dry, as Ned had said--with the current gently -rippling against our bow. Not more than ten yards to the right was a -low, marshy bank covered with scrub underbrush of a tropical character. -On our left, however, and some fifty yards distant, lay a well defined -bank marking the edge of the stately forest which I had observed the -night before. The woodland gradually sloped upward from the river, and -above it, far to the south, a formidable range of mountains was visible. - -Between us and this left bank the water seemed a fair depth, but it was -quite shallow on our right. It seemed wonderful that any gale could have -sent so big a ship so far up the river; but I remembered that the -billows had followed us in, and doubtless their power alone had urged us -forward. - -Here we were, anyway, and here the _Gladys H._ must remain until -demolished by time, tide or human endeavor. - -For the rest, the air was warm and pleasant, with a blue sky overhead. -Aside from the loss that would follow the salvage of the valuable cargo -we had good reason to thank Providence for our fortunate escape from -death. - -I felt that I had done as much to promote the interests of the owners as -any man could do; but the conditions had been adverse, and the -responsibility was now theirs, and not mine. - -The gravest part of the situation, so far as I was personally concerned, -was to get my men into some civilized port where they could find an -opportunity to get home again. Also I must notify Mr. Harlan, by cable, -and that as soon as possible, of the location and condition of his -cargo. The loss of the ship I knew would matter little to him, as he had -asserted this several times. - -And now to solve the problem of our location. I had reason to believe -that we had not varied to any great extent from the course my chart had -indicated. Somewhere, either up or down the coast, was Colon, the -Atlantic terminal of the Panama canal, and to reach that place ought not -to be especially difficult, because our small boats were in fairly good -condition. - -The river made a bend just ahead of us, and my first thought was to get -out a boat and explore the stream for a way. We might find some village, -I imagined, or at least some evidence of human habitation. - -So I ordered the gig lowered and took with me four men, besides Duncan -Moit, who wanted to go along and begged the privilege. The current was -languid and easy to breast, so we made excellent progress. - -Bend after bend we made, for the stream was as crooked as a ram's horn; -but always the forest towered on the one hand and the low, marshy flats -prevailed upon the other. - -Rowing close to the shore, under the shadow of the trees, we could hear -the stealthy sound of wild beasts in the wilderness, and once we espied -a sleek jaguar lying flat upon the bank to drink. But no sign of man or -civilization of any sort did we encounter. Even the woodman's axe was -nowhere in evidence. - -We hugged the forest for several miles, finding the river easily -navigable for small steamers. Then we decided to return, and followed -the edge of the opposite marsh, which was much less inviting and less -liable to be inhabited than the other shore. - -We were scarcely a mile from the ship when Moit suddenly exclaimed: - -"Isn't that a canoe?" - -"Where?" I asked. - -He pointed to a small inlet, and I could see plainly a craft that looked -like an Indian dugout lying among the reeds. - -"Let us get it and see what it looks like," said I, hailing with some -satisfaction this first evidence of human handicraft. - -At the word my men rowed in, and the sailor in the bow, as he grasped -the gunwale of the canoe, uttered a startled cry. - -"What is it?" I asked. - -Without reply he drew the canoe alongside our boat, and we could all see -the form of a man lying flat upon his face on the rough bottom. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - THE DEAD MAN'S STORY - - -"Turn him over, Tom," said I, softly, and the sailor clambered into the -canoe and obeyed--rather gingerly, though, for no one likes to touch a -dead man. - -The bearded face and staring eyes that confronted us were those of one -of our own race, a white man who had been shot through the heart with an -arrow that still projected from the wound. His clothing was threadbare -and hung almost in rags, while his feet were protected by rude sandals -of bark laced with thongs of some vegetable fibre. He was neither a -Mexican nor a Spaniard, but I judged him a North American of German -descent, if his physiognomy could be trusted. - -The man had not long been dead, that was quite evident, and the arrow -that had pierced his heart must have killed him instantly. I pulled out -the weapon and found it of skillful construction,--a head of hammered -bronze fastened to a shaft most delicately shaped and of a wood that -resembled yew. It differed materially from any Indian arrow I had ever -before seen. - -The mystery of this man's life and death seemed impenetrable, and I -ordered the canoe attached to our stern and towed it in our wake down to -the ship. - -A sailor's burial ground is the sea; so I decided to sew the corpse in -sacking, weight it heavily, and sink it in the deepest water of the -river. - -Before doing this one of the men searched the pockets of the tattered -clothing and drew out a small book that looked like a diary, a -pocketknife, several bits of lead-pencil and a roll of thin bark tied -with wisps of the same material. - -These things I took charge of, and then watched the obsequies. These -were quickly performed, Ned reading a short prayer from his Bible by way -of ceremony while all our company stood with bared heads. Then the men -rowed the body out to the deepest part of the river, and as I watched -them from the deck I noticed they were thrown into a state of sudden -excitement and heard cries of anger and alarm. Lifting my glass into -position I discovered the cause of this. The boat was surrounded by -sharks, their dark heads and white bellies alternating as they slowly -swam round and round, attracted by the scent of prey. I yelled to the -men to bring the body back, but they were too excited to hear me and the -next instant had dumped the weighted sack overboard and begun to row -back to the wreck at racing speed. - -It was just as well, however. I am quite sure the poor fellow reached -bottom before a shark could seize him, and once on the bottom they would -be unable to either see him or grasp him in their jaws. - -Seated on the deck with the others and shaded from the sun by a heavy -awning, I glanced at the diary and found that the murdered man had not -made a daily record, but had written upon the pages a sort of narrative, -which seemed likely to prove interesting. So I asked Duncan Moit to read -it aloud, which he did. I have it beside me now, and copy the following -word for word as it was first read to us that day in the tropics with -the wilderness all around us. - -"My name is Maurice Kleppisch," it began, "by profession an engineer and -mining expert residing at Denver, Colorado, at those times when I am at -home. - -"Nine years ago I was sent to the Republic of Colombia to examine a -mine, and while there I joined myself to a party that was formed to -visit the San Blas Country, at the south of Panama, and trade with the -Indians who are the masters of a vast territory there. I am no trader, -but my object was to take advantage of this opportunity to investigate -the mining possibilities of the wild and unknown region of San Blas, -thinking that should I fall in with traces of gold my fortune would be -made. - -"But, when we arrived at the border, the arrogant Indians would not -allow us to enter their country at all, commanding us, with imperious -scorn, to stand at a respectful distance and display our wares. The -traders obeyed without demur, but I was angry and vengeful, and for a -time considered my journey a failure. The Indians, however, exchanged -their cocoanuts and sheep-skins--with such other things as their land -produced--with great willingness and absolute honesty and fairness, and -the traders learned that their given word was held inviolate. - -"Nursing my disappointment at being excluded from this mysterious -country, I stood sullenly watching the bartering when my attention was -aroused by an object that made my heart bound with excitement. It was an -immense rough diamond, set in the bronze shaft of a spear borne by -Nalig-Nad, the king of the San Blas and the most stalwart, dignified and -intelligent Indian I have ever seen. - -"I will here explain that the strange race known as the San Blas Indians -of Southern Panama is none other than that historic remnant of the Aztec -nation which, when Mexico was conquered by the Spaniard, fled through -morass and mountains, across plains and rivers, until they came to this -then unknown wilderness. Here they located and established a new nation -which they call Techla. Their territory stretches south of the natural -depression of the isthmus from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and contains -vast stretches of forests and coastal plains, which they have ever -jealously guarded from intrusion. No more did they build beautiful -cities and golden temples, for gold they had learned to abhor because -the lust for it had brought the white demons upon them in Mexico. The -white skinned races were cordially detested as the destroyers of their -former nation. By them the Techlas had been driven from the abode -bequeathed them by their ancestors. - -"The creed of the new nation, therefore, contained two prime articles of -faith: Never to mine or trade or employ gold in any form for use or -ornament; to hate and oppose every white man that came near them. - -"The San Blas people are not truly Indians, as we regard the West Indian -and Central American tribes, but are well formed, intelligent and -fierce. Their skin is of copper-colored hue and they have a -characteristic dress that is peculiar to their nation. They have an -established government centering in the king, humane and just laws for -the guidance of their tribes, and many racial characteristics. It is -said the weaker Aztecs remained in Mexico as slaves of the Spaniards, -while the nobles and the most stalwart and powerful individuals, -realizing their inability to oppose the usurpers but scorning to become -their vassals, fled southward in the manner I have described. - -"However true this may be, I found the San Blas--a name given them by -the early Spaniards but never acknowledged by themselves--to be well -worthy of admiration in all ways except their persistent hatred of the -whites. They gave our party cocoanuts and cereals, tortoise-shells, -skins of wild beasts that were most skillfully dressed, and a soft -quality of lamb's wool, in exchange for knives, glass beads, compasses, -colored crayons, mirrors and other inexpensive trinkets. - -"When I got my eye upon the king's mammoth diamond I was so amazed that -I trembled with eagerness. The gem must have weighed fully five hundred -carats, and being intent to obtain it for myself I offered my silver -watch, a fountain pen, my comb and brushes and a quantity of buttons in -exchange for the diamond. - -"My very anxiety was the cause of my undoing. My reckless offers aroused -the king's suspicions, and when my comrades also saw the diamond they -became as anxious as I was, and offered so much for a bit of stone which -the king had never considered of any value, that he questioned us -closely and learned that the white men esteem these gems even more than -they do gold. - -"Then the king drew himself up proudly and spoke to his men in their own -native dialect, with which we are unfamiliar. Several of the Indians -brought to their ruler specimens of the same stones--rough diamonds -ranging from the size of a pea upward. These they had doubtless gathered -and kept because they were pretty, but Nalig-Nad took them all in his -hand and, having pried his own splendid stone from its setting in the -spearshaft, he advanced to the edge of the river and cast them all into -its depths. - -"'I have told my men,' said he, 'never to gather these pebbles again; -nor will we ever trade them to the white men. I class them with the -gold, for we are determined not to own anything which will arouse the -mad desires of your people.' - -"A few of the San Blas, including their king, speak the English -language; more of them speak in the Spanish tongue; but their own -language, as I have said, is distinct from the dialects of the other -Indian tribes and the white men have no opportunity to learn it. - -"We were greatly disappointed by the loss of the gems, and when we -returned to our camp we talked the matter over and concluded that there -must be many diamonds lying exposed upon the surface of the ground in -some part of the San Blas territory. Else the Indians would not have -been enabled to pick up such choice and extraordinarily large specimens -as we had seen. - -"I did not like to go away without making an attempt to locate these -diamond fields, and seven of the party, adventurous as myself, -determined to join in braving the anger of the stern Nalig-Nad. So at -night we stole through the north forest and by morning had come to the -edge of the fertile plains whereon the San Blas mostly dwell. - -"Their country may be divided into three sections: First, the North -Forest, bordering on the Panama marshes and the wilderness. Second, a -high and broad sweep of coastal plains, formed by eroded drift from the -mountains. This section is well watered by numerous streams and the soil -is extremely rich and fertile. To the east, by the Atlantic coast, are -the cocoanut groves, but most of this fruit is grown upon several -islands lying off the coast in the Atlantic. The third division lies -south of the plains and consists of a magnificent primeval forest which -covers thickly all the slope of the mountains. The climate, especially -that of the uplands, is temperate and delightful, and it has been stated -that these powerful Indians control the most desirable bit of land in -the Western Hemisphere. - -"It was in the plain that we determined to search for the diamond -fields, and as the Indians had arbitrarily forbidden white men to enter -their domain, we stained our faces and arms and chests with walnut -juice, and dressed ourselves in imitation of the San Blas people as -nearly as we were able. And thus we prowled around for several days, -until in a rich valley covered with alluvial deposit I picked up one of -the coveted 'pebbles,' and to our great delight we knew that we had -stumbled upon the right place. - -"An hour later we were surrounded by a band of the San Blas and made -prisoners. We relied upon our disguises to protect us, but when they had -examined us closely the Indians stripped off our clothing and discovered -our white skins. We knew, then, our fate was sealed. - -"These people allow negroes to enter their country, and even employ some -of them to labor upon their farms. Other Indian tribes of the mountains, -who are all hostile to the whites, are permitted to pass through the San -Blas territory, and sometimes these mountaineers have with them white -slaves, who are treated cruelly and obliged to bear their burdens. But -these whites who are the slaves of Indians are the only ones ever -tolerated in the country, and a band like our own, entering by stealth -to secure treasure, might expect no mercy at the hands of the San Blas. - -"Being taken before Nalig-Nad at his own village, he condemned us all to -death but one, who was to be sent back to Colombia to tell the fate of -those who dared defy the laws of the San Blas. We cast lots, and I drew -the fortunate number. My comrades, two of whom were young men of -position and wealth in Bogota, were ruthlessly murdered, and I was then -escorted to the border and set free. - -"I reported the matter to the Colombian authorities, and a company of -soldiers was promptly sent by the President to punish the impudent -Indians and teach them not to molest the whites in the future. After a -long period of waiting a single soldier, who had his ears cut off and -was otherwise horribly mutilated, arrived at Bogota to tell of the total -extinction of all his fellows and to report that King Nalig-Nad had -promised to treat in the same manner any who dared to interfere with his -authority. The government decided to let these fierce Indians alone. -There were other troubles, nearer home, that needed attention. - -"I returned to Denver, but could not get this rich diamond field out of -my head. I was a poor man, yet I knew where I might obtain countless -treasure--if I dared but make the attempt. - -"Finally I decided that I might be able to accomplish alone what a band -of white men could never succeed in doing, and having formulated my -plans I sailed to Colon and prepared to enter once more the country of -the San Blas. - -"My idea was admirably simple. The Indians feel so secure that they -seldom prowl by night, and in their climate the stars and moon are so -brilliant that they illuminate the country almost as well as does the -sun by day. By stealthily avoiding all habitations and villages, I had a -fair chance to escape observation, and the valley I sought was in an -uninhabited part of the plains. - -"I took a canoe and a package of provisions, and began my journey by -entering the San Maladrino river at the Atlantic mouth. I followed this -until the river passed between two high hills, which may be seen in the -crude map I have drawn for the benefit of others, should I lose my life -in this desperate adventure. - -[Illustration: ISTHMUS OF PANAMA MAP] - -"A stream of which I do not know the name enters the San Maladrino just -beyond the hills mentioned, and leads to the southward. It passes -through the first forest and is broad and deep. Hiding in the forest the -first day, I cautiously paddled my canoe up this stream the next night -and passed a portion of the plain until I reached a smaller tributary -entering from the left. This tributary flows through the most fertile -and most thickly inhabited portion of the Indian lands. At the first -junction I turned to the right and paddled along until I could go no -further by boat. So, secreting my canoe in some bushes, I walked during -the following night to the valley which we had before visited, and which -lies in the uplands near to the edge of the great mountain forest. This -tangled woodland favored me, for in it I hid securely by day, while at -night I searched for diamonds in my valley. - -"I found many stones, and some of extraordinary size and beauty, but was -greatly retarded in my discoveries by the dimness of the light. The -forest shaded the valley part of the time, and only for a brief two -hours each night was the light of the moon directly upon the slight -depression where I labored. - -"And now I have been three weeks hidden in the heart of the San Blas -district, and no one has observed me as yet. I have secured almost three -quarts of superb diamonds--a fortune so enormous that I am considering a -speedy return to civilization. Meantime, I have employed some of my -leisure moments in writing this history in my book." - - - - - CHAPTER VII - THE FOLLY OF THE WISE - - -No one had interrupted Duncan Moit as he read clearly and slowly the -above interesting story, but as he paused at the close of the last -paragraph I have recorded we gave some sighs of wonder and admiration -and looked at one another curiously to see what impression the "history" -was making. - -"Go on!" cried Uncle Naboth, eagerly. "That can't be all." - -"No," answered the inventor, "it is not all. But it seems to cover the -period of the first writing. The other entries are more hurried and more -carelessly inscribed." - -"Is the map he mentions there?" I asked. - -"Yes. It is badly drawn, for an engineer, but sufficiently clear, I -imagine, to enable one to follow it with ease." - -"Then read on, please." - -He obeyed at once. - -"Last night, as I approached the forest after my work in the valley, I -saw a man's face peering at me from between the trees. The moon shone on -it clearly. It was an Indian's face, but in an instant it had -disappeared. Greatly startled, I searched the forest with care, but -could find no trace of the spy. I may have been deceived, however. -Perhaps my nerves are getting unstrung." - -Moit turned a leaf. - -"Again I have seen a man's face," he read. "This time it was in the -center of the valley, among a clump of low bushes. I ran to the forest -in a state of excitement; then reproached myself for my folly and came -back; but I could find nothing." - -"These are all different entries," remarked the reader, turning another -page. "I will read them as they appear." - -"I am confident," proceeded the writer, "that I have been discovered at -last by the San Blas. They have spies all around me, by day as well as -by night, but to my surprise they have not yet molested me in any way. I -have determined to get away at once--this very night--but as I may be -seized, and perhaps murdered, I shall not take more than a part of my -treasure with me. This valley of diamonds is far richer than any field -ever discovered in South Africa, and if I am able to escape I shall -secure assistance and come here again in spite of the San Blas. So I -will leave the greater part of my treasure where it has been hidden, and -take only such stones as I can comfortably carry in my pockets. I must -write a description of where the diamonds are secreted, for if I am -killed and any white man comes upon this book, I bequeathe to him my -wealth, provided he is brave enough to take it from the country of the -San Blas. Here is my injunction: When you have reached the valley I have -marked upon the map, you will find near its center a boulder of deep red -granite, bare and solitary, the upper portion bearing an arm-like -projection or spike that points directly toward the forest. Follow this -line of direction and you will come upon a gigantic mahogany tree -standing just at the edge of the forest, which is really a jungle at -this point. Back of the mahogany is a large dead stump, surrounded by -moss. Lift the moss at the right of the stump and you will come upon a -cavity in which I have secreted my hoard of diamonds. You will have no -trouble in recognizing the valley, on account of the remarkable boulder -of rock, and the rest is easy.... I have reached the stream and found my -canoe safe; but I must keep hidden among the bushes until another night. -I do not think I have been followed, but I cannot be sure. The strange -inaction of the San Blas astonishes me and makes me uneasy. - - * * * * * * * * - -"The worst has happened, and it is not so very bad, after all. They -seized me last evening and took away my diamonds, which they cast into -the river with absolute disdain of their value. But then they at once -released me, and went away and left me to myself. Fortunately I had -hidden ten fine stones in a roll of bark, and these they failed to -discover. I am sorry to have lost the others, but these few specimens -will prove the truth of my story when I get home. The adventure shows my -wisdom in leaving the bulk of the treasure secreted in the forest.... -There is no use in hiding myself now, for my presence is well known. Why -I should have been spared, when every other white intruder has been -killed, I cannot explain. But they seem to have made an exception in my -favor, and I am jubilant and fearful at the same time. Somehow, I cannot -help imagining that these dreadful Indians are playing with me, as a cat -does with a mouse. But I shall go boldly forward, and trust to luck to -escape." - -"Is that all?" I asked, as Duncan Moit paused and closed the book. - -"It is all." - -"But the rest of the poor fellow's story is as clear as if he had -written it," I commented, musingly. "The Indians waited until he had -reached the last boundary of their territory, and then put an arrow into -his heart. Where he fell they left him, trusting the canoe would float -down the stream and warn other whites not to venture too near." - -"Do you think that story is true?" enquired Uncle Naboth, with some -asperity. - -"Why not, Uncle?" - -"It sounds fishy, to my notion." - -I drew the roll of bark we had taken from the pocket of the dead man and -cut with my knife the thongs which bound it together. After removing the -outer wrappers I found ten crystal pebbles in the center, which I handed -around so that all could examine them with care. Only Uncle Naboth had -seen rough diamonds before, but the grunts of the shrewd old trader told -me at once that he recognized the value of these stones. - -However, I looked up the acid test in one of my books in the stateroom, -and was able to apply it in a satisfactory manner. We managed to crumble -a portion of one stone and with the dust thus secured Duncan polished a -small surface on another. They were diamonds, sure enough, very white in -color and seemingly perfect specimens. - -And all the while we were thus occupied the four of us were silently -thinking. Each one, moreover, took the book and read with care the story -for himself. The map was crude enough, but I stared at it so intently -that every pencil mark was indelibly impressed upon my brain. - -At dinner we were an unsociable party. Afterward we assembled on the -deck. Uncle Naboth smoked his pipe instead of the big cigar, but said -nothing. Ned put his face between his hands and resting his elbows upon -his knees stared fixedly at the deck in meditative silence. Duncan Moit -hung over the rail and gazed at the river as it murmured by. - -I looked at my comrades and smiled at their absorption. This longing for -treasure and sudden wealth is natural enough, and few men are able to -escape it. I knew very well that all of us were pondering on a way to -get at the diamonds Maurice Kleppisch had left secreted in the forest of -San Blas. I may as well acknowledge that I was fully as covetous as the -others, but a hearty fear of those strange Indians did much to lessen my -desire to visit them. - -The evening passed with scarcely a remark, and when we went to bed we -were still thinking. Not of the wrecked ship, though, or how we should -save the cargo and get ourselves into some civilized port. The reading -of the dead man's narrative had turned our thoughts entirely from our -own mischance and inoculated us with a feverish desire to plunge into -the same adventurous channels that had resulted so fatally in his own -case. - -At breakfast Uncle Naboth suddenly abandoned all pretense of reserve. - -"This is the San Maladrino river," he asserted. - -We all nodded, our faces serious and attentive. - -"Of course," said I. "He returned the same way he entered the San Blas -country, and we found him floating on this very stream." - -No one cared to discuss a proposition so very evident, and having -hurriedly finished the meal we assembled on deck to resume the -conversation. - -"Gentlemen," said Moit, "you have all arrived at some conclusion, I am -sure. Let us exchange ideas, and discuss their various merits." - -I asked Ned Britton to speak first. - -"Well," said he, "it wouldn't be right or proper for us to leave them -two or three quarts o' diamon's to rust under that stump. I notice the -book says these Injuns don't have firearms; but we've got a plenty, so I -perpose as we march in, pepper 'em good if they show fight, an' then -march out agin with the di'monds. I believe if we put up a good front -there's enough of us to do the job." - -"Especially as a company of carefully drilled soldiers got wiped off the -earth," I remarked somewhat sarcastically. - -"Colombian sodgers don't count," said Ned. "Our men is the right stuff -'cause they're all Americans." - -"I confess that I do not like the looks of this arrow," said Moit, -handling cautiously the bronze tipped weapon we had drawn from the dead -man's breast. "It is evident they can shoot straight, and there may be -thousands of the San Blas to fight, for all we know. I think that open -warfare would result in our total extinction." - -"If by that you mean we'd be punched full o' holes, I quite agree with -you," observed Uncle Naboth. "Diplomacy's the thing; diplomacy an' -caution. You can ketch more flies with sugar 'n' you can with vinegar." - -"Haven't you a suggestion, Uncle?" I asked. - -During several voyages in the company of Naboth Perkins I had learned to -have great respect for his shrewdness and judgment, and for that reason -I now awaited his reply with genuine interest. - -He relighted his pipe, gave two or three energetic puffs, and then -began: - -"This fellow, you'll notice, tells us a good deal about the San Blas -Indians, an' what he says is all worth careful considerin'. They ain't -like common savages, but have their laws an' live up to 'em. In one -place he says niggers is used by them for slaves, and that white slaves -of Injuns that is friendly to 'em, an' not to the whites, is let alone -whenever they're in their country. Gentlemen--an' Sam, too--that's my -keynote. It tells us plain what to do, an' how to do it!" - -He looked at us triumphantly, but I was too stupid to see the point of -this argument. - -"I'm afraid I don't understand, Uncle," I said. - -"Well, you're wrong, Sam. It's a thing you can't help now, but you're -likely to outgrow it. Hey there, Nux!" he called. "Get Bry an' both o' -you come here." - -I started, beginning to see what he meant; but I said nothing until the -two Sulus stood before us. Bryonia was tall and slender, and very -powerful. Nux was shorter and stouter, but equally strong of muscle. -Their faces were intelligent and expressive and their poise exhibited a -native dignity. Two more faithful followers no man ever had than this -pair of South Sea Indians, and I regarded them more as brothers than -servants, for I owed my life to their bravery and care. - -"Gentlemen," announced Uncle Naboth, "these boys is Indians, and mighty -good Indians, too. They're goin' to take us four white folks into the -San Blas country as their slaves. They'll be finely welcomed, for -they'll pound an' kick us all around, and we'll be meek as Moses till we -git our fists on them di'monds. It's jest as easy as rollin' off a log, -an' a heap more fun." - -I admit the suggestion filled me with admiration, and I saw Duncan -Moit's face brighten as soon as he heard it. - -"That's it, sir!" he exclaimed. "That is just the idea I was looking -for, to connect with my own. By putting the two together I believe we -shall succeed without a doubt." - -"What is your idea, then?" I asked. - -"To travel in my convertible automobile." - -"What! Through a wilderness?" - -"Along the streams as far as the water will allow, and then over the -level plains. The machine will run in any farming country, for you must -remember that it does not sink into soft ground as ordinary heavy -automobiles do. Indeed, by turning the pumps into the vacuum chambers -and exhausting them, I can render the car so light that it will almost -skim over a marsh." - -"But what's the use of travellin' that way?" asked Uncle Naboth. - -"We gain safety, in case of attack; speed, if we are forced to fly; -comfort, by carrying our hotel always with us, and, above all, I rely -upon the invention to awe the simple Indians and make them look upon us -as superior creatures. The machine is here and in working order; it -would be folly, when it offers so many advantages, not to use it." - -"Very good," said I, approvingly, for I could see the force of his -arguments. - -"The only thing that worried me," continued Moit, "was the fact that our -being white would arouse the enmity of the San Blas, in spite of the -wonders we can show them. But if Nux and Bryonia pose as the masters, -and we are merely their slaves to run and care for their magic -travelling machine, then we need have no special fear." - -"Magic travellin' machine is good!" cried my uncle. "You've hit the nail -on the head, Mr. Moit, as sure as fate!" - -The inventor smiled, as if pleased with the compliment. - -"If I can get a share of those diamonds," said he, "I will be -independent of my rich uncle in Los Angeles, and will have the means to -secure my patents, erect my own factory, and manufacture the machines -myself. It is something to work for, is it not?" - -I had been carefully examining the proposition, and now said: - -"There seems to be a serious flaw in your arrangement, Uncle." - -"What's that, Sam?" - -"It isn't reasonable that four white men should be slaves to two black -ones. Such a combination would excite the suspicions of the Indians at -once, if they are really as clever as they are reported to be. Take your -own case, for example, Uncle Naboth. You couldn't look like a slave for -a single minute." - -Indeed, Mr. Perkins' stout little body, his cheery face and shrewd eyes, -and the general air of prosperity and contentment that radiated from his -benign personality, were a clear refutation of any suggestion of slavery -or even dependence. Even Ned smiled at the idea, and Duncan Moit shook -his head with a sigh. - -"Mr. Perkins can't go," he said. - -Uncle Naboth looked disappointed, and then puffed his pipe angrily. - -"You fellers don't allow for my actin'," he growled. "I'm as good a play -actor as ever travelled with a show." - -"That may be, Uncle; but you don't look the part, and unfortunately you -can't disguise yourself," I said. "But I want it clearly understood that -whoever goes on this adventure, we are all to have an equal share in the -spoils. For the opportunity belongs to us all alike, and all would be -glad to go and do their full share." - -"I am willing to agree to that," said Moit. - -"Then I propose that you and I alone accompany Bry and Nux on the -expedition," I continued. "Two of us are as good as a dozen, for we -cannot fight our way, in any event." - -"What about me?" asked Britton, anxiously. - -"I want you to take a crew in the long boat and try to make Colon, by -feeling your way north along the coast. From there you can report by -wire our mishap to Mr. Harlan, and get his instructions what to do. -Uncle Naboth must in the meantime take charge of the wrecked ship and -the remaining men. This country isn't very big, you know; so we all -ought to be able to meet again in a few days, when we can decide upon -our future movements." - -And so the matter was finally arranged, and it was decided that Ned and -his crew in the long boat and our party in our "magic travelling -machine" would leave the wreck the next morning and proceed in opposite -directions upon our respective missions. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - THE SAN BLAS COUNTRY - - -We had an early breakfast and then Ned Britton bade us good-bye and -started obediently to descend the river and explore along the coast. He -was loth to abandon the more dangerous and fascinating quest for the -diamonds, but being loyal to the core he knew how to obey orders without -grumbling. - -As soon as he was away we began preparations for our own departure. The -first thing was to arrange for launching the convertible automobile, -which Moit had been examining very carefully ever since daybreak. He -reported that it had sustained no damage whatever from the storm or the -shock of grounding and was in perfect condition. So all we had to do was -to remove the guy ropes, let it slide down the slanting deck to the -bulwarks--over which we lifted it with a crane attached to the -mizzenmast--and then let the machine descend gently until it rested on -the bosom of the river. - -I was still so skeptical concerning some of Moit's absurd claims that it -would not have surprised me to see the huge car sink like a stone; but -instead of that it rode the water like a duck, the wheels half -submerged, the rail high above the water-line. - -We now filled the ample lockers beneath the seats with provisions, put -in a cask of fresh water in case the river water proved unpalatable, and -took along such trinkets as we could gather together for trading -purposes. We each carried a brace of revolvers, Moit and I (being -slaves) concealing ours, while Nux and Bry carried theirs openly. - -Finally we dressed for the excursion. The gay checked suit and tourist -cap of Uncle Naboth we gave to Nux, and although they hung rather -loosely he presented a most startling appearance in them. He swung a -brass watch chain of gigantic size across his vest front and Uncle gave -him a few of the big cigars to smoke when he wanted to "show off." - -Bry wore a white duck suit belonging to Duncan Moit, and to my -astonishment looked as aristocratic as any Eastern potentate on his -first visit to London. These Sulus were by no means bad looking men, if -one could forget their color, and they took great delight in the -transformations we thrust upon them. - -As for Moit and myself, we hunted among the sailors' cast-off togs for -the most disreputable "land clothes" we could find, and those we -selected were ragged and dirty enough, in all conscience. I wore a -run-down shoe upon one foot and a red leather slipper on the other, and -when I had rumpled my hair and soiled my face and hands I am sure I was -as disgraceful in appearance as any ragged urchin you ever came across. - -I was not wholly satisfied with Duncan, however. In spite of his apparel -there was so thoughtful a look in his big gray eyes and so well-bred and -composed an expression on his finely molded features that he could not -look a servant's part as fully as I did and the best I could hope was -that the San Blas people would consider him an unfortunate gentleman in -hard luck. - -There was much laughter and amusement among the men we left behind on -the wreck, when they beheld our queer appearance. Uncle Naboth chuckled -until he coughed, and coughed until he choked, badly frightening those -who were unaware that this startling exhibition was usual with him -whenever he reached that climax of joy which he called being "desp'ritly -pleased." - -I bade him an affectionate farewell, and then we four got into the -"auto-boat." Moit sprung the paddles from the rims of the wheels and -started the engines, and a minute later we were waving our hands to -those on the wreck and gliding at a good rate of progress up the river. - -The bulky machine did not draw so much water as one would imagine, owing -to its broad displacement and the lightness of the material employed in -its construction. We found the current gentle, and made such good time -that at eleven o'clock we passed between the two hills indicated on -Maurice Kleppisch's map, a copy of which I had brought with us. - -The current was swifter here because the mounds narrowed the river -considerably; but Moit gave the engines a little more speed and we went -through without abating our rate of progress. - -Just beyond the hills we saw a group of Indians standing beneath the -trees on the left bank and regarding us earnestly but calmly. Perhaps -they had seen small steamers and thought our craft belonged to that -class, for they exhibited neither fear nor surprise, merely turning -their grave faces toward us and remaining otherwise motionless and -silent as we glided by. - -I whispered to Bryonia and Nux to stand up and bow a greeting, which -they proceeded to do with amusing and exaggerated dignity; and then I -told Nux to box my ears, which he did so promptly and in so lusty a -manner that they rang for several minutes afterward. - -I had explained to my blacks at great length our reasons for undertaking -this queer adventure, and what we expected them to do to carry out the -farce and assist us in securing the treasure. I had even read to them -the dead man's diary, from beginning to end, so that they would know as -much about the San Blas as we did. They were, as I have said, both -clever and resourceful, besides being devoted to me personally; so that -I felt justified in relying to a great extent upon their judgment in -case of emergency. - -Should I need to give them any secret instructions, I could do so in -their own language, which they had taught me during the tedium of -several long voyages, and which I prided myself upon speaking fairly -well. It was the language of their own island of Tayakoo, for these were -not properly Sulus but natives belonging to a distinct tribe of South -Sea Islanders which owed allegiance to no other ruler than their own. - -Being aware that the king, and some others, of the San Blas knew English -and Spanish, I could rely upon this almost unknown dialect to cover any -secret instructions I wished to convey to my blacks. - -Nux and Bry were not linguists, however, and knew but a few Spanish -words besides the imperfect English and their native tongue; but we -arranged that they were to command me to interpret in Spanish whenever -it was necessary. Duncan Moit, unfortunately, knew nothing but English. - -The tributary that entered the river from the left side was a farther -distance beyond the hills than the map seemed to indicate; but we came -to it presently and began slowly to ascend it in a southerly direction, -although it made many twists and turns. We found it easily navigable, -with dense forests on either side, and several times we found we were -observed by silent groups of Indians on the bank, to all of whom Nux and -Bry bowed greetings with tremendous condescension and mock courtesy. The -bows were never returned, however, and the Indians stood like statues -until we had passed by. - -"There is no way of avoiding these people," said Moit, "so I think our -best policy will be to go directly to the king's village, which I see -marked upon the map, and make friends with him. Bryonia can explain our -presence by saying he merely wishes to examine the San Blas country, and -when once we have established friendly relations with these natives we -can visit several different parts of their territory, to throw them off -their guard, and finally reach the valley for which we are bound and -secure the diamonds at our leisure." - -"That seems to me a capital plan," I agreed, and we decided then and -there to follow it as closely as circumstances would allow. - -After an hour's cruise through the forest we came to the coastal plains, -finding this a remarkably fertile country with fields under fine -cultivation. As soon as we discovered a low bank on our left we turned -the machine toward the shore, and when the wheels touched bottom they -climbed the bank easily and we quickly found ourselves upon dry land. - -More Indians were observing us, and as we left the water and glided over -the land I detected a look of amazement upon their faces that all their -reserve could not control. Indeed, I was myself filled with wonder at -the marvelous performances of Duncan Moit's invention, so that small -blame attaches to the San Blas if their stoicism could not master their -astonishment. - -We crossed the plain until we came upon a pretty stream, which we took -to be the one indicated upon the map, and from there followed its course -eastward, making excellent time over the level meadows. We saw a few -huts scattered along the way, and several herds of cattle and sheep, but -no horses. The sheep seemed few to supply the wool for which these -Indians were famous, but I imagined we would find larger flocks in the -uplands. - -It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when we sighted a -considerable village, which at once we determined must be the place we -sought. Bowling along at an increased pace we soon reached the town, but -to our surprise we found our way barred by solid files of Indians, all -standing with their arrows ready notched in their bowstrings. - -Moit stopped the engines and we came to a halt. Hitherto we had been -allowed to go where we pleased since entering this strange land, but it -seemed that our license was now at an end. - -Bry stood up in his seat, made a bow, and said in a loud voice: - -"Any speak Englis'?--America--United States?" - -In an instant we were surrounded by the stern-visaged natives, while one -of them, a tall, powerful fellow and evidently a chief, stepped close to -the machine and answered in a quiet voice: - -"I the English speak." - -"Very good," said Bry. "I am great chief of Tayakoo. My name is -Honorable Bryonia. Here is my brother, also great chief of Tayakoo--he -name Senator Nux. We come to visit the chiefs and great king of the San -Blas. Then, say to me, oh, Chief, are we welcome? Are we all brothers?" - -I thought this was a very good introduction. But the chief glanced at me -and at Moit, frowning darkly, and asked: - -"Who the white men? What bring them here?" - -"You speak about our slaves? Bah! Have my brothers of San Blas, then, no -slaves to do their work?" - -The chief considered a moment. - -"Where you get white slaves?" he questioned, suspiciously. - -"Stan' up, Dunc!" said Bry, giving the inventor a vicious kick that made -him howl. "Where we get you, heh?" - -He kicked him again, quite unnecessarily, I thought, and Moit stood up -with a red and angry face and growled: - -"Stop that, you fool!" - -At this rebellion Nux promptly fetched him a blow behind the knees that -sent him tumbling backward upon his seat, and when I laughed--for I -could not help it--I got another ear-splitter that made me hold my head -and be glad to keep silent. Moit evidently saw the force of our blacks' -arguments, for he recovered his wits in time to avoid further blows. - -The exhibition had one good effect, anyway; it lulled any suspicions of -the chief that the Honorable Bryonia and Senator Nux might not be the -masters in our little party. Although Duncan Moit and I constantly -encountered looks of bitter hatred, our men were thereafter treated with -ample respect and consideration. - -"You welcome," said the chief. "I, Ogo--Capitan Ogo--green chief. You -come to my house." - -He turned and marched away, and Moit started the machine and made it -crawl after him. - -The other natives followed in a grave procession, and so we entered the -village and passed up its clean looking streets between rows of simple -but comfortable huts to the further end where we halted at the domicile -of the "green chief." - - - - - CHAPTER IX - FACING THE ENEMY - - -"Capitan" Ogo made an impressive bow in the direction of his mud mansion -and then another bow to Nux and Bry. - -"Come," he said. - -They accepted the invitation and climbed out of the machine. - -"Don't be long, Nux," I remarked, in the Tayakoo dialect. - -Instantly the chief swung around on his heel. - -"What does this mean?" he cried, speaking the same language. "Do you -receive orders from your white slaves?" - -I stared at him open mouthed, but to my intense admiration neither Nux -nor Bryonia exhibited the least surprise. - -"Orders?" asked Bry, quietly. "Do you blame us that the whites are -fools, and speak like fools? My brother has surely more wisdom than -that. If you knew the white dogs, you would believe that their tongues -are like the tongues of parrots." - -"I know them," answered Ogo, grimly. Then he asked, abruptly: - -"Where did you learn the language of my people--the ancient speech of -the Techlas?" - -"It is my own language, the speech of my people of Tayakoo, whose chief -I am." - -They looked upon each other with evident curiosity, and I examined the -two Indians, as they stood side by side, and wondered at their similar -characteristics. Bryonia might easily be mistaken for a brother of the -San Blas chief, so far as appearances went, and although Nux was of a -different build there were many duplicates of him in the silent crowd -surrounding us. - -"Where is Tayakoo?" asked Ogo. - -"Far to the south, in the Pacific ocean." - -"What is the history of your people?" - -"I do not know." - -"Are there many of you?" - -"But a few, inhabiting a small island." - -The chief seemed thoughtful. Then he turned again. - -"Come!" he commanded; and they followed him into his house. - -Duncan Moit was clearly puzzled by this conversation, carried on in a -language unknown to him. - -"What is it all about, Sam?" he enquired, in a low voice. - -"The Sulus and the San Blas speak the same language," I replied. - -"Anything wrong?" - -"No; our chances are better than ever, I guess." - -Fifty pair of eyes were staring at us curiously; so we decided not to -converse further at present. We stared in turn at the natives, who -seemed not to object in the least. - -Without question the San Blas were the best looking Indians I have ever -seen. They resembled somewhat the best of the North American tribes, but -among them was a larger proportion of intelligence and shrewdness. Their -faces were frank and honest, their eyes large and expressive, and they -moved in a self-possessed and staid manner that indicated confidence in -their own powers and contempt for all enemies. - -Their costumes were exceedingly interesting. Men and women alike wore -simple robes of finely woven wool that were shaped somewhat like Greek -tunics. The arms of the men were bare; the women had short flowing -sleeves; and this was the only perceptible difference in the garb of the -two sexes, except that most of the men wore sandals of bark, while the -women and children were bare-footed. - -The tunic was their sole garment, and reached only to the knees, being -belted at the waist. The women, I afterward learned, wove the cloth in -their houses, as one of their daily occupations, and the body of the -tunic was always white, with colored stripes worked in at the neck and -around the bottom. - -These colors, which must have been vegetable dyes, were very brilliant -in hue, including purple, orange, red, blue and yellow. Black was never -used at all, and green was the color reserved for the nobles and the -king. I noticed that the chief, Ogo, had a narrow band of green on his -robe, which explained his proudly proclaiming himself a "green" or royal -chief. The bands of green we found varied in width according to the -prominence of their wearers. - -One can easily imagine that the appearance of an automobile in this -country, isolated as it was from all modern civilization, would be -likely to inspire the natives with awe and wonder, if not with actual -terror. Yet these queer people seemed merely curious, and tried to -repress even their curiosity as much as possible. They knew nothing at -all of mechanics, existing in the same simple fashion that their -ancestors had done centuries before, plowing their land with sharpened -sticks and using arrows and spears as their only weapons except for the -long bronze knives that were so roughly fashioned as to be well-nigh -ridiculous. The only way I can explain the stolid demeanor of these -Indians is through their characteristic fearlessness and repression, -which enabled them to accept any wonderful thing without displaying -emotion. - -But they were interested, nevertheless. Their eyes roved everywhere -about the machine and only we, the accursed whites, were disregarded. - -After a half hour or so Nux and Bryonia came out of the house, -accompanied by the chief. They had broken bread together and tasted a -native liquor, so that they might now depend upon the friendship of -their host unless he found that they had deceived him. This was a long -stride in the right direction. But when they had asked to see the king -they were told that his residence was several miles to the eastward, and -that in the morning Ogo would escort them to the royal dwelling and -introduce them to the mighty Nalig-Nad. - -Meantime Nux and Bry were given plain instructions not to leave this -village, and when they were invited to sleep in the chief's house they -were able to decline by asserting that they always lived in their magic -travelling machine. This excuse had been prearranged by us, for we -deemed it best not to separate or to leave the machine while we were in -the enemy's country. - -As soon as the blacks had re-entered the machine they commanded me, in -abusive language, to prepare supper. Duncan at once got out our table, -which was a folding contrivance he had arranged to set up in the center -of the car, and then I got the alcohol stove from its locker and -proceeded to light it. - -While I made coffee and set the table with the food we had brought, Nux -and Bry lolled on their seats and divided the admiring glances of the -surrounding villagers with the (to them) novel preparations I was making -for the repast. Then the Sulus sat at the table and I waited upon them -with comical deference, Moit being unable to force himself to take part -in the farce. Afterward we ate our own suppers and I for one relished it -more than I usually did. In my boyish fashion I regarded it all as a -great lark, and enjoyed the humor of the situation. - -As it was growing dark I now lighted our lamps while the inventor drew -the sections of the glass dome into place and fastened them together. - -We could still be observed by those without, for although the top was -provided with curtains we did not draw them. But now we were able to -converse without being overheard, and Nux and Bry, appearing to be -talking with each other, related all that had transpired in the chief's -house, while we commented upon it and our good fortune up to the present -time. - -"After we have visited the king, and made friends with him, we shall be -able to go wherever we please," I prophesied; "and then it won't take us -long to get the diamonds and make tracks back to the wreck again." - -To this all were agreed. Then Duncan remarked, musingly: - -"It is strange you two Indian nations, so far removed, speak the same -language." - -"True 'nough, Mars' Moit," replied Bry. "But I 'spect our folks come -from de same country dese San Blas did, an' dat 'counts fo' it." - -"This fact ought to help us with them," said I. - -"Sure t'ing, Mars' Sam," Nux responded. "Dey knows now we just as good -as dey is--an' we know we's better." - -As we were tired with our day's excursion we soon removed the table and -spread our blankets upon the roomy floor of the car. Then, with a -courtesy we had not anticipated, the crowd of observers melted silently -away, and by the time we were ready to put out the lights and draw the -curtains we were alone in the village street, where not a sound broke -the stillness. - - - - - CHAPTER X - NALIG-NAD - - -We slept nicely in our rather confined quarters, and at daybreak Bryonia -arose and prepared breakfast while the curtains were still drawn. But as -soon as he and Nux had cleared away the things we let down the top and -appeared in our open car again, to find that the chief had waited so -long outside that he was inclined to be in a bad humor. - -The rabble did not come near to us this morning, however. Perhaps the -chief thought their intent observation undignified, and had ordered them -to keep away. But behind Ogo stood ten tall warriors who had been -selected as our escort, or body-guard. - -When we signified we were ready for the journey these formed a line of -march--three in front, three behind, and two on either side. All were -armed with stout spears, and each bore a bow and a quiver of -bronze-tipped arrows, as well as a knife stuck into his girdle. When we -started the chief brought up the rear of the procession, so that he -could keep an eye on us. - -Duncan Moit resented the necessity of running his machine at a slow -pace, but when he started it at an ordinary walk he soon found that the -Indians were accustomed to swing along at a much swifter rate. So he -gradually increased our speed, and it was comical to see the solemn -visaged warriors trying to keep up with us without running. - -Finally, however, they broke into an easy trot, which they maintained -for a long time without seeming to tire. I made Moit slow down after a -while, for I did not wish to provoke the San Blas at present, and -thought it wiser to show them some slight consideration. - -The plains we were now crossing were remarkably rich and fertile, and we -passed many farms where men were cultivating the soil by dragging -sharpened sticks over the surface. In other places were fields of grain -ready for the harvest, and Nux questioned the chief and learned that the -climate was so uniform the year around that several crops could be grown -in rapid succession. They used no beasts of burden, but performed all -the labor with their own muscles, which in a measure accounted for their -powerful racial physique. There were no roads leading from one place to -another; merely paths over the meadows to indicate the lines of travel. - -The houses were formed partly of logs and partly of clay baked in the -sun. They were simple and somewhat rude in construction, but appeared to -be quite clean and comfortable. So far we had seen little evidence of -luxury or refinement. - -It was nearly noon when we approached a circular enclosure which proved -to be a stockade of clay held together with brushwood until the sun had -hardened it to brick. There was an arched opening in this wall, and Moit -obeyed a signal from Ogo and headed toward it. - -Entering the enclosure we found a large, rambling dwelling in the center -and a row of smaller houses circling the inner side of the wall. A large -space was thus left around the central building, which we naturally -concluded to be the king's palace. - -The doorways and windows (the latter being unglazed apertures) of the -smaller huts were filled with attentive faces of women and children, but -not a sound broke the silence to which these natives seemed to be -trained. Except on extraordinary occasions the San Blas did not chatter; -they only spoke when they were required to say something of meaning. - -The chief directed us to halt before a small door of the palace. - -"Get out," he commanded, in the native tongue, "and follow me to the -presence of our ruler, the mighty Nalig-Nad." - -Bryonia and Nux at once obeyed, but the chief motioned to us to come -also. We hesitated, and Bry said: - -"One of our slaves must remain in the machine, to care for it. The other -may accompany us." - -"Both must come!" returned the chief, sternly. - -"What! do you give me orders--do you command the Honorable Bryonia, King -of Tayakoo?" demanded our black, drawing himself up proudly and frowning -upon Ogo. - -"The king shall decide," returned the chief. "Come!" - -I followed them in and Duncan remained with the machine. We passed -through a hallway and came upon a central courtyard, built in the -Spanish style. Here, upon a rude bench, sat an old warrior with a deeply -lined face and long locks sprinkled with gray. His eyes were large and -black and so piercing in their gaze that they seemed to probe one -through and through, yet the expression of the man's countenance was -just now gentle and unassuming. - -He had neither the stern nor the fierce look we had remarked in so many -of the San Blas, but one might well hesitate to deceive the owner of -that square chin and eagle-like glance. - -The king wore a white robe with seven broad stripes of green woven into -its texture, and on his knees were seated two children, a curly-headed -little maid of about ten years and a calm faced boy of five. His -surroundings were exceedingly simple, and the only others present were a -group of warriors squatting in a far corner. - -"Well, you are here at last," said Nalig-Nad, looking at us over the -heads of the children as we ranged ourselves before him and bowed with -proper deference. "Which is your leader?" - -"My friend, the Senator Nux, and I, the Honorable Bryonia, are alike -kings and rulers in our own country," was the reply. "But my friend is -modest, and at his request I will speak for us both." - -"Good!" ejaculated Nalig-Nad. "Sit down, my brothers; kings must not -stand in my presence." - -They sat upon a bench, and Nux, thinking this the right time to be -impressive, got out a big cigar and lighted it, having offered another -to the king, who promptly refused it. - -"Why are you here to honor me with your presence?" was the next -question, quietly put. - -"In our magic travelling machine we are making a trip around the world," -began Bryonia, in a bombastic tone. They were speaking in the native -dialect, which I clearly understood; and I must say that my men -expressed themselves much better in that than they did in English. - -The king took a bit of green chalk from his pocket and made a mark upon -the bench beside him. - -"Where did you get your white slaves?" he enquired. - -"They were shipwrecked upon the island which we rule, and we made them -our slaves," said Bry. - -The king made a second chalk mark. - -"And where did you get the magic machine for travelling upon both land -and water?" It was evident he had been well informed of our movements. - -"It was made for us by a wizard of our island," said Bry. - -"What island?" - -"Tayakoo." - -A third chalk mark. - -"Does it belong to you?" - -"Yes." - -Another mark. - -"And now," said the king, looking at them curiously, "tell me what -request you have to make." - -"A request?" - -"Yes; you asked to see the King of the San Blas. Then you wish -something. I am the King." - -Bryonia hesitated. - -"We wish to see all things," said he, slowly, "and so we crave -permission to visit the different parts of your country, that we may -observe what it is like." - -"Just as a matter of curiosity?" - -"Of course, my brother." - -A chalk mark. - -"Do you love gold?" asked the king, abruptly. - -"No, we do not care for gold." - -"Not at all?" - -"Not in the least." - -The chalk mark again. - -"Nor the white pebbles?" looking at them shrewdly. - -"We care for no pebbles at all, white or black," asserted Bry, beginning -to grow uneasy. - -The king made another mark, and then slowly counted them. - -"Seven lies!" he announced, shaking his head gravely. "My brother is not -honest with me. Otherwise there would be no lies." - -Nux put the wrong end of the cigar in his mouth, and begun to splutter -and make faces. Bryonia looked at the king, stern and indignant. - -"Do you judge us by the whites?" he cried. - -"No; I have found that the whites are quick to acknowledge their love of -gold." - -"If you were in my country," said Bry, proudly, "I would not insult my -brother king." - -"What would you do if I lied to you?" asked Nalig-Nad, quickly. - -"You would not lie," declared Bry. "Kings do not lie to each -other--unless they are white." - -I wanted to yell "bravo!" the retort was so cleverly put. The king -seemed pleased, and became thoughtful, stroking the little boy's hair -gently while the girl rested her pretty head against his broad bosom. - -"The Techlas have reason to hate the whites," he said, with a keen -glance at me. "They drove us from our old home, because they wanted to -rob us of our gold, which we loved only because it was beautiful. They -were cruel and unjust, and lied to us, and had no faith nor honesty. So -we fled; but we swore to hate them forever, and to be cruel and unjust -to them, in turn, whenever they fell into our hands." - -"I do not blame your people," declared Bry, stoutly. - -"Tell me, then, why do you of Tayakoo hate them, and make them your -slaves?" - -"Why?" - -"Yes; had you gold?" - -"No." - -"Nor white pebbles?" - -"No." - -"Then why do you hate them?" - -"Because they are dangerous and wicked. They come in ships to our island -and try to make us slaves. We fight them and drive them away, but they -take some of my people and lash them with whips, and make them work like -beasts. Also some of the whites we capture--such as these we now have -with us--and then we love to force them to do our bidding. Never has -there been friendship between the white men and the men of Tayakoo." - -He spoke very earnestly, and I knew he was telling the truth, in the -main, for I had heard the same thing before. It was only because Uncle -Naboth had saved the lives of these two blacks and been kind to them -that they came to love us and to abandon the fierce hatred for the -whites that had been a part of their training from youth up. - -"I will buy your white slaves," said the king, coolly, "and then you may -go where you will in my kingdom." - -"We will not part with them. They must work for us and make our machine -go." - -"If it is magic, it does not need slaves to make it go," observed the -king, with a smile. - -"Would you deprive your brother kings of their only followers?" - -"I will give you as many negroes as you require, in place of them." - -"We cannot spare them. These white dogs know our ways, and serve us -well." - -"Then I will take but one, and leave you the other." - -Bry shook his head. - -"Whatever else we possess, except our wonderful travelling machine, we -will freely give to our brother," said he. "But even Nalig-Nad has no -right to demand our slaves, and we shall keep them." - -The king seemed disappointed. After a moment's pause, - -"Think of it," he said; "and meantime make my home your home. We will -talk of these matters again." - -He waved his hand in dismissal and turned to caress the children. - -Ogo the chief said, sternly: "Come!" but Bry stood still. - -"Have we the king's permission to visit his dominions in our machine, -while we are his guests?" he asked. - -"Not yet," replied Nalig-Nad, with the first touch of impatience he had -shown; "we will talk again before you leave my village." - -"That does not sound friendly," retorted Bryonia, frowning. - -"Have you done anything to forfeit my friendship?" enquired the king, -turning a swift glance upon the speaker. "Be content. Only in the king's -village should the brothers and guests of the king remain in peace and -comfort. My people shall be your servants, and you may command them as -you will; but you must not go outside the wall." - -We did not like this, and stood a moment silent. - -"Seems to me, King Honorable Bryonia," said Nux, speaking for the first -time during the interview and addressing his friend point blank, as if -the king's presence was immaterial; "seems to me this new brother, King -Nalig-Nad, is not a bad fellow. I like him because he is kind to little -children, and I am sorry for him because he is not better informed. But -what can you expect, when he stays in this one-horse place and knows -nothing of the great world that bows at our feet? If he dares oppose -your will, remember how poor and ignorant he is, and forgive him. I know -what you are thinking, great King Honorable Bryonia, but I beg you not -to destroy Nalig-Nad yet, or to explode his people with the terrible -power you possess. Let us be patient. Permit this king to live on, for a -short time, anyway. What a shame to ruin this happy home! Be patient, my -mighty brother, and soon this foolish Nalig-Nad will have wisdom, and -willingly grant all that you desire." - -Having delivered himself of this speech, Nux puffed his cigar again and -looked at the king with a face expressive of great sympathy and concern. - -Both Bry and I were fairly astounded. We had not expected Nux to take -part in the discussion, and the pleading tone he had adopted was as good -a bit of acting as Bryonia had yet exhibited. It impressed the king even -more than Bryonia's dignified assurances, although at first I trembled -at the folly of threatening so clever and powerful a man as Nalig-Nad. -After all, he was merely a savage, and more liable to suspect us of -unknown powers than of unsupported audacity. - -We soon discovered that Nux had grasped the situation more clearly than -we had. The ruler of the San Blas was used to trickery and cunning and -had trained himself to search for hidden reasons in all his dealings -with outsiders. The suggestion that the owners of the strange travelling -machine, who had so boldly invaded his country, had the intention and -power of "exploding" himself and all his people struck him as more -reasonable than anything he had yet heard. He was visibly worried, and -looked half fearfully at the stern and impassive countenance of the tall -South Sea Islander who stood before him. - -"We will break bread," he said, with quick decision. "Send away your -slave, my brothers, and come with me." - -"Go," said Bry, turning to me. "And go you, also, Chief Ogo," he added, -imperatively; "we would be alone with the king." - -The chief looked uneasily toward Nalig-Nad, who had set the children -down and allowed them to run into the house. Noting the look, the king -bowed his head to affirm Bry's command. He might with reason fear his -strange guests, but he was no coward. - -I left the courtyard, followed by Ogo, and returned to where the -automobile was standing. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - PRINCESS ILALAH - - -Leaning over the side of the machine, her chin resting upon her hands at -the edge of the car, was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her -form was tall and slender, her features exquisitely regular in contour -and her eyes deep brown and soft as velvet. Her fleecy white tunic was -without color save a broad band of green that formed a zigzag pattern -around its edge, and in her dark hair was twined a wreath of white -blossoms with delicate green leaves. - -I noticed that her skin was almost white in the sunshine, the bronze hue -being so soft as to be scarcely observable. She had not the same -expression of sadness that seemed an inherited characteristic of her -people, but gazed upward with a faint smile that showed her dainty white -teeth, full at the face of Duncan Moit. When I appeared upon the scene -the inventor was sitting on the side of the car opposite the girl and -returning her frank regard with a look of wonder and admiration. - -A little back stood a silent group of young women, whose demeanor -indicated that they were the girl's attendants. Their eyes, I noticed, -roved over the strange machine with eager curiosity. - -Chief Ogo uttered an exclamation of impatience and strode quickly -forward. - -"This is no place for you, my Princess!" he said, addressing the girl. -"You must retire at once to your rooms." - -She turned her head without altering her position and said in a calm, -sweet tone: - -"Does my lord Ogo command Ilalah, then?" - -"When the king is not present it is my duty to guard his women," he -returned, brusquely. - -With a contemptuous shrug as her only reply she looked toward Duncan -again, and as if continuing a conversation already begun, she said to -him in soft but awkward English: - -"And shall it fly like a bird, too?" - -"It can almost fly, but not quite, miss," he answered. - -"But it swims like a fish?" - -"Yes, miss." - -"And runs like a deer?" - -"Exactly, miss." - -"It would be to please me if it did that," she remarked, very gently. - -Duncan was puzzled for a moment; then his face brightened, and he said -eagerly: - -"If you will get in, I will take you to ride--you and three of your -women." - -She did not hesitate at all, but turned and called three of the young -women by name, who came at once to her side. - -Ogo the chief, who could not follow very well the English words, was -scowling fiercely, but had kept at a respectful distance since the girl -had repulsed him. Enjoying his discomfiture, I promptly opened the door -of the car and motioned the princess to enter. She ascended the steps -lightly and I pushed her attendants after her, for I scented a lark and -wanted to prevent Ogo from interfering. - -I could see he was uncertain how to act, and the other bystanders were -equally undecided. But no sooner had I jumped in after the women than -Moit threw over the lever and started the engines, so promptly that the -machine leaped forward with a bound. - -We circled the king's palace three times, while the dainty princess -clung to the back of her seat and laughed delightedly and her women -huddled together in abject terror. Every inhabitant flocked to the doors -and windows to see us, nor could the natives control their amazement at -our rapid flight. - -Then Duncan headed for the arched opening in the wall, and ignoring -Ogo's wild shout to halt darted through and out upon the plains. The -chief instantly notched an arrow, but the princess sprang to her feet -and faced him from the rear of the car, so that he dared not shoot for -fear of wounding her. - -Another moment and we were out of range; and now Duncan, inspired by a -natural desire to show his fair passenger what his invention could do, -increased the speed until the wind whistled past our ears and our eyes -were not quick enough to note the objects we passed. - -I own that, being myself a sailor, I was a little frightened at this -terrific dash; but Ilalah laughed gleefully and cast a slim brown arm -around Duncan's neck to steady herself as she gazed straight ahead and -enjoyed to the full the excitement of the wild ride. - -There was no real danger, however. The meadows were as smooth as any -highway, and in an incredibly short period of time we were almost out of -sight of the village. - -The thought now came to me that it would not be wise for us to offend -Nalig-Nad by carrying our prank too far, so I called to Duncan to -return. Rather reluctantly, I imagined, he described a great circle and -headed at last for the village, never abating his speed, however, until -we had flown through the arch and narrowly escaped knocking over a dozen -or so of the throng assembled in the enclosure. - -Around the king's palace we again sped, so as not to slacken our pace -too abruptly, and then the inventor brought his wonderful machine to a -halt in almost the same spot from whence we had started. - -We now observed Nalig-Nad standing at the entrance to his dwelling with -Nux and Bryonia on either side of him. Now that he stood upright I saw -that he towered far above all his people, and was moreover straight as a -gun-barrel. - -As soon as we halted I opened the door and assisted the frightened -attendants to reach the ground. Duncan, however, sprang out and gave his -hand to Ilalah, who needed no such support. Her cheeks glowed pink -through their rich tinting, her eyes sparkled brightly and there could -be no question of her delight in her recent novel experience. - -As soon as her feet touched the ground she ran to the king and seized -his arm affectionately, crying aloud in her native tongue: - -"Oh, my father, it is a miracle! The white man's wagon is alive, and -more fleet than an arrow." - -"It is not the white man's wagon," said Bry, quickly. "It is our -wagon--the wagon of kings--and the white man is a slave, whose duty it -is to make it go." - -"A slave? Oh, I am sorry!" said Ilalah, with disappointment. - -"Why?" asked her father, putting an arm around her. - -"Because the white man is beautiful as a spirit, and he is good and -kind," answered the princess. - -I glanced at the unconscious Duncan and nearly laughed outright. That -the thin-faced, stooping, dreamy-eyed inventor could by any stretch of -the imagination be called beautiful was as strange as it was amusing. -But the girl was doubtless in earnest, and being so rarely beautiful -herself she ought to be a judge. - -The king was plainly annoyed at this frank praise of a hated white. He -presented his daughter, with much ceremony, to Nux and Bryonia, and she -touched their foreheads lightly with her finger-tips, and then her own -brow, in token of friendship. - -"Will your Majesty take a ride in our magic travelling machine?" asked -Bry, with proud condescension. - -"Not now," said the king, drawing back thoughtfully. - -Presently he walked close to the machine and eyed every part of it with -great intentness. But it was clear the thing puzzled him, as well it -might, and he shook his grizzled head as if he despaired of solving the -problem. - -Then he escorted the blacks around his village, showing them the various -huts and storehouses for fruits and grain; and while they were thus -occupied the princess came nearer and leaned again upon the side of the -car, Moit and I being seated within it. - -"If you are slaves," she said, in a low voice, "I will befriend you. Do -not fear, but call on Ilalah if you meet trouble or enemies threaten -you." - -"Thank you, sweet Princess," replied Duncan. "We may be slaves at -present, but soon we shall be free. We fear no danger." - -She nodded, brightly, as if the answer reassured her, and walked away to -enter the palace, her train of attendants following at a respectful -distance. - -Ogo and his villagers stood several paces away, silent and motionless. -When the king returned with his "noble" guests he noticed the chief and -at once dismissed him, telling him to return to his village and be -vigilant until the visitors had departed from their dominions. - -Ogo promptly departed, but not without a final glance of hatred at the -inventor and me. Then the king, with many expressions of friendship, -retired into his palace, and Bry and Nux were again permitted to join -us. - -"Let us put up the top," said I, "so that we may talk without being -overheard." - -We drew up the sections of the glass dome and fastened them in place, -while the natives looked on with renewed curiosity. Then, quite alone -although we could see anything that happened around us, we sat at our -ease and canvassed the situation. - -"If you fellows had been with us," said Moit, "I would have run away -with the princess and held her as hostage to secure our safe return to -the ship." - -"Would you have let her go then?" I enquired, mischievously. - -He did not deign to reply. - -"We could not abandon Bry and Nux, though," I continued, more seriously, -"so there is nothing to regret." - -Bry seemed very thoughtful. - -"We in bad box, Mars' Sam," he said in his broken English, which -contrasted so strongly with the ease with which he expressed himself in -his own tongue; "dat king is old fox, sure 'nough, an' won't let us go -'way from here to get de di'monds." - -"He seemed to treat you and Nux very politely, I thought." - -"All seem, Mars' Sam; no be." - -"But isn't he friendly? Didn't he break bread with you?" - -"Dat don't 'mount to nuffin, seh. If a friend lie to him, he frien'ship -is broke." - -"Well, Bry; what then?" - -"He know I lie to him." - -"What makes you think so?" - -"He make de chalk mark." - -"But how could he know you were lying?" - -"His people see our wreck ship, when we not see dem. Dey see from de -trees me cook de breakfas' an' Nux wait on de white folks. Dey see Mars' -Dunc put de machine in de ribber, an' we-all ride away on it. Ev'yt'ing -de king know befo' we come an' lie to him. He know we fin' de body in de -canoe, an' bury dead man in ribber. He know dead man wanted di'monds, so -he kill him. He think we want di'monds, too; so he kill us if he can." - -This was indeed a gloomy prophecy. I had no doubt my man had put the -exact truth clearly before us. Our folly in imagining we could so easily -deceive these clever Indians was all too evident. - -"I noticed that Nalig-Nad seemed suspicious and unbelieving," I -remarked, after a period of silence during which we sat staring -despondently into one another's faces. "He was telling himself all the -time, perhaps, that we were fools, and he had us in his power. Only once -was he at all disturbed, and that was when Nux threatened to 'explode' -him and his people. He is not quite sure that we cannot do that." - -"Nor am I," said Duncan Moit, musingly. - -"But they must know about fire-arms, and Maurice Kleppisch wrote in his -book that they despised them," I observed. - -"Fire-arms do not explode people. I did not refer to them," Moit -returned. "But, tell me: if these natives are aware of our imposture, -what is the use of keeping up the game? Let us get hold of the girl, -make a dash for the diamonds, and then escape the best way we can." - -"The girl!" I exclaimed, as if surprised; "why should you want the girl -when, as you say, we defy the natives and no hostage will be required?" - -Moit looked confused. - -"She knows the country," he said, after a moment, "and would make a good -guide." Then he glanced up at me and added, more honestly: "She's very -nice and pretty, Sam." - -"She's a darling, old man; I agree with you there. But it strikes me -that to capture the princess and run away with her would be to stir up -no end of a rumpus. We cannot run the machine through the tangled -forests, so the only way to get back is by the river--the same way we -came. The king could assemble a thousand warriors to oppose us, and the -chances are he'd win out." - -"Well, what shall we do?" he asked; "fight it out?" - -"Of course." - -"Got to fight, anyhow," remarked Nux, philosophically. - -"And we may as well keep up the fable of our being slaves to Nux and -Bry," I added. "They may know a good deal by observation, but the -chances are they have guessed at a lot; so as long as we pretend to be -two black kings and two white slaves they haven't any good excuse for -attacking us." - -During the afternoon several chiefs arrived at the village, coming in -one by one as if from different parts of the country. All had more or -less green in their robes, and they were a lot of remarkably shrewd and -imposing looking fellows. We decided that they had been summoned by the -king to a conference concerning us, for after pausing in the enclosure -to take accurate note of our appearance and study the queer machine in -which we were seated, they passed on into the royal dwelling. - -Toward evening we prepared our supper, while many of the inhabitants -came to watch us through our glass case. Presently some one rapped -softly upon the glass, and going to the place I saw a woman standing -there and holding out a basket made of rushes. I opened a window near -and took in the basket. - -"Ilalah sends it to the big white slave," said the woman, in her native -dialect. - -"The big white slave thanks Ilalah and sends her his love in return," I -answered, laughing. But she nodded and turned away with a serious -countenance, as if the message was no more than she had expected. - -I handed the basket to Duncan and gave him the message of the princess. -His face lighted up and he blushed like a school-boy, but made no -comment. - -In the basket were some fresh eggs and a roasted fowl that resembled a -pheasant in size and flavor. We cooked the eggs over our alcohol stove -and blessed the girl for her thoughtfulness, for her contribution was a -grateful addition to our tinned foods. - -As darkness came on we lighted our lamps and drew our curtains and after -a little further discussion as to our future actions we lay down upon -our blankets and prepared to pass a second peaceful night in the heart -of the enemy's country. - -It must have been about midnight when I was awakened by a strange -crackling sound. For a moment I lay still, wondering what it could be; -then I sprang up and opened one of the little windows. - -Dense smoke was rising all around the automobile, and thrusting out my -head I saw a mass of flames underneath us. I drew back quickly, my eyes -smarting from the smoke, and closed the orifice. - -The interior of the car was now dimly illumined by a dull red glow. Moit -was sitting up when I reached out to touch him. - -"What is it?" he asked sleepily. - -"They have built a great bonfire underneath us," I answered. "Will it be -likely to do any damage?" - -He shook his head. - -"All the harm it could possibly do would be to melt the rubber of the -tires, and as they are vulcanized I do not believe any open fire would -be powerful enough," he said. "But it may get rather close and warm for -us to sleep, so we will move on a bit." - -He reached for the lever and the machine started and slowly moved over -the blazing logs, bouncing us around somewhat but creating no other -discomfort. By raising the curtain in front Duncan could see when we -were at a safe distance from the fire, so he stopped about twenty yards -away and we prepared to lie down again. - -"Some one ought to stand watch," said the inventor; "for if we are sound -asleep while they are wide awake they may get into more dangerous -mischief than building bonfires." - -We cheerfully agreed to so necessary a precaution, and I was glad to -find myself selected for the first watch, because by that time I had -become as wakeful as an owl. When the others returned to their blankets -I settled myself comfortably on a seat and listened intently for the -slightest sound that might indicate danger. - -Presently I heard another crackling, from which it appeared that our -unseen foes had dragged the blazing logs toward us and were making -another effort to burn our stout metal car. So I aroused Duncan, and -this time we moved around to the other side of the enclosure, halting -close to a wing of the king's house. For while the car itself could not -burn, a good bed of coals under us would convert it into a frying-pan, -and we had no mind to sizzle and brown for the entertainment of the San -Blas. - -Perhaps it was a fear of setting the royal palace on fire that deterred -our enemies from annoying us further; for after this second move we were -not molested and my comrades were allowed to finish their sleep in -comfort. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - WAR IS DECLARED - - -Next morning we made an unpleasant discovery. - -When we brought the automobile around to the front of the house again we -found that during the night the natives had bricked up the entrance arch -to a height of some four feet above the ground, using blocks of baked -clay cemented together with some preparation that we were not familiar -with. - -This action was intended to imprison the automobile within the wall and -prevent our running out on another excursion, as we had the day before. - -At first sight it appeared that the device was successful. A small hut -had been torn down to provide the material, and the blocks were thick -and hard as rock. - -Duncan frowned as he looked at the barrier, and remarked: - -"Then it is to be war." - -"I knew that last night," said I, "when they tried to smoke us out or -burn us up." - -"Let us give them a good volley from our revolvers," he suggested, -angrily. - -"Don' do dat, seh," said Bry, earnestly. "Wait first till dey shoot -arrows. We make b'lieve we frien's as long as we can. It gives us time -to think what we do." - -"Evidently," said I, "the council of chiefs has advised the king to make -short work of us. We have probably been condemned already, and all that -now holds them in check is their uncertainty of the best way to vanquish -us." - -"They are a little awed by our wonderful powers, I am sure," declared -Moit. - -"Quite probable," I replied. "Is there any way to get over that wall, -Duncan?" - -He did not answer at once, but looked reflectively at the archway. - -"We can leave this place tomorrow morning," said he, finally; "but I do -not see how we can accomplish the feat before then. Do you imagine we -can hold the natives at bay another day?" - -"We can try," I said as cheerfully as I could. - -But the prospect was not an enticing one, and I began to bitterly regret -our folly in ever entering a place wherein we could be so easily -imprisoned. - -"If we get out," said Nux, "then we mus' fight our way all time. If we -bold an' quick, we get away all right." - -Nux didn't speak often, but his judgment was pretty good. - -"I want those diamonds," I said; "and I'm going to have them. If we go -back empty-handed we have made a failure of the expedition." - -"To let a lot of ignorant natives triumph over the greatest invention of -the century is absurd--it's fairly criminal!" added Moit. "I'm not -afraid to tackle the whole San Blas nation in this car." - -"Too bad you didn't make it a man-o'-war," said I, with a laugh. "If we -had a gattling gun aboard we'd have everything our own way." - -We raised the curtains, and while Bry openly got the breakfast ready I -took careful note of our surroundings. - -Some twenty warriors, armed with spears, and bows, were in sight, -lounging in doorways or leaning silently against the various buildings. -They were watching us closely, no doubt; but there was no open attempt -to attack us as yet. - -After a brief conference we decided not to put down the top again, as -the San Blas might take a notion to shoot at any time, and their arrows, -while they might not penetrate the netted glass of the dome, might mow -us down quickly if we were exposed to them. - -But I did not like to acknowledge that we were afraid, either; so I let -down the steps and opened the rear door, and Bry and Nux and myself all -descended to the ground and grouped ourselves carelessly near the car, -leaving Moit alone in the machine. - -As soon as we appeared the natives began to come nearer, in a curious -observant crowd. Then one who was doubtless a chief came forward and -said that the King Nalig-Nad desired his brother kings to attend him at -once in his palace. - -"In our country," answered Bry, gravely, "it is the custom when kings -meet to honor each other in turn. Yesterday we waited upon Nalig-Nad; -today he must wait upon us." - -"But he is the great King of the Techlas!" protested the other, as if -amazed that the command could be disregarded. - -"And we are the mighty Kings of Tayakoo, which numbers more people than -the leaves of the forest," replied Bry, drawing himself up proudly and -frowning upon the other. "Take your master our answer, slave!" - -The fellow obeyed; but the king was in no hurry to come. - -His daughter arrived, though, fresh and beautiful as a rose in bloom, -and the natives made way for her as she pressed through the group. - -"A greeting to my friends!" she said in English, and peered into the car -in search of Duncan Moit. - -"Enter, Princess," said I, holding open the door. - -She accepted the invitation frankly, and Duncan took her hand and -pressed it to his lips as an old time courtier would have done. She was -very sweet and lovely, this Indian maiden, and I did not blame the -inventor for worshipping her as he evidently did. - -"You cannot today with me run away," she said, laughing and pointing a -slender finger at the barricade. - -"You are wrong, Ilalah," answered Moit, smiling into her fair face. -"When I wish to go the walls cannot stop me. But we would like to stay -another day in your village." - -She became serious at this. Thinking someone in the crowd might -understand the English language as well as she did, I motioned to Nux -and Bry to enter the car, and I followed them and closed the door. - -"Listen, then," she said, seeming to be glad of the seclusion. "The -king, who is my father, is angry because you have told lies to him. -There was a council of the chiefs last night. The white men are to be -captured and shot with arrows. The magic machine that is a bird and a -fish will be destroyed, and the two black kings may then go free because -they speak in our tongue, and are therefore brothers." - -"That is pleasant news," said Duncan. "When will they do this?" - -"To-day, if they can. I was with them at the council. I told them that I -loved you, and would make you the mate of the Princess Ilalah. But to -that my father would not agree. He says you must die." - -Duncan took her hand and kissed it again, very gratefully and with a -look of joy and animation upon his face that fairly transformed it. - -"Did not this make you afraid?" I asked the girl, surprised that she -seemed to accept her lover's cruel fate so lightly. - -"Oh, no," she replied. "For the white Chief I love is greater than the -San Blas. He will save himself and fly, and I will go with him." - -"Will you?" cried Duncan, earnestly. - -"And why not?" she asked, frankly. "Will the doe leave the stag she has -chosen? Could I be happy or content without my white chief?" - -"Here is a case of love at first sight, with a vengeance!" I said, -greatly amused at the girl's bold declaration. But Moit frowned upon me -angrily and his eyes flashed. - -"Shut up, you pig!" he growled, and suddenly I felt ashamed of myself -for not better appreciating the maiden's brave honesty. - -"Is there no way, Ilalah, to make your father wait until to-morrow -morning?" he asked, turning again toward the girl. - -"Why should he wait?" she returned. - -"I have summoned mighty powers to my assistance," declared Moit, after a -moment's thought, "and it would please me to await their arrival. It -will make me stronger; but I am not afraid if your people begin the war -at any time." - -"And to-morrow morning?" - -"Then, at daybreak, you must come to me, and we will go away and leave -your people." - -"That is good," she said, joyfully. "I will try to make my father wait, -and to-morrow I will give up my power to go with my white chief." - -"What is your power, Ilalah?" asked Duncan, puzzled by the expression. - -"After my father, I am the ruler of the Techlas, which you call the San -Blas. When the king dies, I am queen, with power of life and death over -my people. But the king my father hates white men, who may not live if -they enter his kingdom, so I must go with my mate to another country -where the king does not hate him, or to his own country, where he will -rule." - -This willing abdication of a throne for the sake of a man whom she had -known only for a day aroused my wonder. But I could not fail to admire -the girl's courage, and indeed to rule the San Blas was no great -privilege, in my estimation. - -"If your father makes war to-day," said Duncan, "fly here to me at once. -Then, if I escape, we will never more be separated." - -She promised readily to do this, and leaving the car rejoined her women -and moved away to enter the palace. - -I noticed that while she had abandoned all--her life, her prejudices and -her kingdom--for her white lover, Duncan Moit had promised nothing in -return except that they would not be separated. The thought made me -sorry for the poor maid; but it was none of my affair. - -Bye and bye the king came out, followed by his chief men and -counsellors, in an imposing group. - -As he approached, Bry and Nux again descended from the car and stood by -the steps, and I followed and took up a position just behind them. -Duncan, as before, remained inside. We were all prepared to act quickly -in an emergency, but our plan was to secure a truce in some way until -another morning. I could not understand why Moit desired the delay so -earnestly, but was willing to assist him to obtain it. - -The king was plainly annoyed at the refusal of the black kings to come -into his dwelling. His face still wore its calm expression but his eyes -snapped ominously. - -"My brothers," said he, "we do not like your white slaves. Years ago the -whites wronged the Techlas most cruelly, and the law of our nation is to -put all white people to death who enter our country. I am sorry to take -away your property, but the slaves must die." - -"My brother," answered Bry, "see how much more we love you than you love -us. We could kill you in a flash, even where you stand. We could destroy -your village and all your people. If we so desired, there would be no -more a nation of Techlas on the face of the earth. But we let you live, -because we have called you our friend. To break that friendship would be -to destroy yourselves. I beg you will not again ask us to give up our -slaves to your cruel and unjust vengeance." - -It did me much good to watch Nalig-Nad's face. He did not like to risk -defying the unknown power of the strangers, but if his own authority was -thus ignored he would hereafter be a king only in name. Some of his -chiefs were glancing at one another significantly, while others were -clearly uneasy at our domineering attitude. - -I stood with my hands in the pockets of my jacket and a grin of -amusement on my face when the king's roving eyes suddenly observed me. I -suppose his forbearance could not withstand the white boy's audacity, -for he raised his hand and at the signal a coil of rope shot through the -air and a loop settled over my body and clutched me firmly around the -chest. - -Instantly I was jerked from my feet and dragged into the group of -warriors, all of whom, as if the action had been preconcerted, sprang -forward with their spears levelled threateningly at Nux and Bry. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - WE LOOK INTO DANGER'S EYES - - -The capture was so sudden that it took me a moment to collect my wits. -Although bruised and bumped to some extent I had not been much hurt, and -even before I was jerked to my feet I cried aloud to my men: - -"Get into the car and watch out! Don't mind me. Take care of -yourselves." - -They obeyed promptly, but none too soon; for scarcely had they closed -the door when a shower of arrows rattled against the dome. All -subterfuge and arbitration was now at an end; they had at last "shot the -arrow" and we might expect in the future nothing but implacable hatred. - -My captors--two stalwart chiefs--having raised me to my feet now held me -firmly secured by means of the thong lasso which still encircled my -body. The coils pinioned my elbows so closely to my sides that I could -not even withdraw my hands from the pockets of my jacket. - -They had begun to hurry me toward the king's house when a roar of dismay -broke from the group we had just left. I turned half around and saw that -the automobile had made a short circle and was plunging straight at the -king and his warriors. Some were wise enough to scatter from its path, -but the more dignified hesitated and were bowled over like a company of -wooden soldiers and tossed in every direction. - -The lightness of the machine prevented many serious casualties, however, -and while Duncan chased them here and there, managing the huge -automobile with consummate skill, the warriors gathered up the stunned -and maimed and, dodging the onslaught as nimbly as they could, fled into -the palace and houses where the terrible monster could not follow them. - -Forgetting for the moment my own unenviable plight, I laughed heartily -at the exhibition until the two chiefs pushed me roughly toward a -doorway and so along the narrow hall and into the big courtyard. - -Here the chiefs began to gather, muttering angrily at their recent -discomfiture and casting upon me glances of such malignity that they had -the effect of sobering me effectually. - -The king came limping in and dropped upon his bench with a brow like a -thundercloud. He had not been much injured, but his royal dignity had -suffered a severe blow. - -While one man held the loose end of my lasso and guarded me, the others -all ranged themselves back of the king, who said, with what appeared to -me to be unseemly haste: - -"What shall be the fate of the white stranger?" - -"Death!" they cried, in a fierce chorus. - -"And at once," added Nalig-Nad. He glanced around him. "To you, -Tetch-Tsa, I allow the privilege." - -A stout young fellow with considerable of the royal green in his robe -stepped forward with a grim smile and drew his long knife. As I looked -at him I clutched with my fingers the handles of the two self-cocking -revolvers that were fortunately in my jacket pockets, and which I had -been secretly holding when the coil of the lasso settled over me. I was -not able to move my arms because of the thong that pressed them against -my body, but I pointed the barrel of the right hand weapon as accurately -as I could toward my proposed executioner. When he was but a few paces -off I blazed away at him. - -At the first shot he paused, as if astonished; at the second he threw up -his arms and tumbled over. - -Instantly I whirled and fired at the man behind, and my position was so -awkward and my aim so uncertain that I emptied the chambers of the -revolver in quick succession to make sure one bullet would take effect. - -He staggered back and released the thong, and even while I loosed the -slip-noose I ran toward the hall and made my best speed for the door. - -The thong tripped me as it dropped to my feet and I fell just in time to -escape a spear that was hurled after me. Another, as I jumped up, -slipped past my right ear, and a third slashed my hip. But I fled for -dear life and in a jiffy was free of the house and heading across the -enclosure toward the automobile. - -They saw me coming and opened the door for me to tumble in. A spear -crashed into the netted glass just as the door swung into place again, -hurled with such force that its point stuck half way into the car and -taught us we were not so secure within the dome as we had imagined. But -now I lay panting upon the floor while Bryonia emptied a couple of -revolvers into the crowd of my pursuers and brought them to an abrupt -halt. - -"Getting a little warm," remarked Duncan Moit, calmly. "I'm not sure, -Sam, whether we can stick out the day or not." - -"Glad you escape, Mars' Sam!" said Nux, bending over me. "Bad hurt?" - -"I guess not," I answered, still breathing hard. - -The black unfastened my clothing, which was saturated with blood just -over the left hip. The spear had cut an angry looking gash in the flesh -as a passing reminder of what it might do if better aimed, but -fortunately the wound was not deep and on account of its location would -cause me little trouble beyond a slight stiffness. Nux began to dress it -as well as he could by tearing up a shirt for bandages and applying -plenty of sticking plaster from the supply we had brought with us. I -thought he made a very good job of it, being somewhat skilled in the -treatment of flesh wounds myself. - -I could imagine how furious the San Blas would be at my escape. They did -not venture out into the open space after these two repulses, but hung -around the doorways in an alert and vigilant way, being very sure that -we could not get out of the enclosure and would be unable to defy them -for any length of time. - -Duncan rather expected the princess to appear, as she had promised in -case of open warfare; but either she did not consider the emergency had -yet arisen or she had been prevented from acting as she wished. - -"I won't go without her, though," he muttered, decidedly. - -"Tell me," said I, "what is your object in wanting to wait until -to-morrow before escaping from here? I can't see that another day will -bring any better condition to our captivity, and it's a settled fact -that we can't get the machine out of this enclosure, in any event." - -"Perhaps I ought to explain," he began, and then paused for a long time, -as if absorbed in deep thought. - -"Take your time, Duncan," I remarked, impatiently. - -He did not notice the sarcasm, but my voice aroused him and he said: - -"Perhaps you remember that I once told you I used a glycerine explosive -of my own invention to prime the engines of this automobile. In -starting, a tiny drop is fed into the cylinders to procure the air -compression which furnishes the motive power." - -"I remember; go ahead." - -"The feeding chamber is supplied with enough of this explosive to run -the machine a year or more," he continued; "but when I made it, in my -own laboratory, the apparatus required was so complicated and expensive -that I decided to manufacture an extra supply, to use in other machines -which I intended to build later." - -"I see." - -"This reserve supply, in a powerfully concentrated form, I now have with -me." - -"Oh! Isn't it dangerous, old man?" I asked, glancing around uneasily. - -"Properly applied it might blow all Panama to atoms," he returned -vaguely. "But it cannot be accidentally exploded while it remains in the -place I have provided for it." - -"Where is that?" - -He reached down and removed a square trap in the floor of the car. -Leaning over, I discovered a small cylindrical jar, having the capacity -of about a quart, which was suspended at one side of the driving shaft. -The straps that held it in place allowing it to swing in any direction -with the movement of the machine, but any sudden jar was impossible. - -"Is it like nitro-glycerine?" I asked, eyeing the cylinder with an -involuntary shudder. - -"Not at all," replied the inventor, calmly closing the trap again. "It -is a much more powerful explosive, in its concentrated form, but may be -diluted to any strength desired. The mechanism I have invented for its -application renders it perfectly harmless when exploded in atomic -quantities in the engines, although ordinary concussion would, as in the -case of nitro-glycerine, explode the condensed contents of the extra -cylinder." - -"I think I now comprehend your idea," said I. - -"Yes, it is very simple. Under cover of darkness I propose to bore a -hole in that barrier and fill it with my explosive. In the morning I -will blow up the wall and in the excitement that follows run the machine -through the gap and escape." - -"Very good!" I exclaimed, joyfully. "Then all we need do is to keep -these Indians at bay until we have an opportunity to do the job." - -"Otherwise," said he, musingly, "I would have to throw some of the -explosive at the wall, and that attempt might prove as dangerous for us -as are the fierce San Blas themselves." - -The Indians seemed for some time unwilling to resume the attack. It was -the middle of the afternoon before the king sent a messenger from his -council chamber to say that all friendship had now ceased and we must -consider ourselves completely in his power. If the Senator Nux and the -Honorable Bryonia would leave the village alone and on foot, Nalig-Nad -would guarantee their safe conduct to the border, and thus they would be -permitted to escape. The white men and their devil-machine were alike -doomed, and could in no way survive the vengeance of the Techlas. And, -unless Nux and Bry abandoned us at once, they must perish with us. - -This proposition enabled us to gain the desired respite. Bryonia -pretended to consult with Nux and then answered the messenger that they -would decide the matter at daybreak the following morning. At that time -the final answer of the two kings would be given to Nalig-Nad, and they -intimated that they might possibly decide to abandon the miserable -whites and save their own skins. - -Whether this proposition was satisfactory or not to the king and his -council did not appear; but the San Blas evidently decided to wait, for -they did not molest us again that day. - -As night approached we were somewhat worried lest they should resume the -attempts to burn us; but they must have been satisfied of the -impossibility of such a proceeding. No bonfires were lighted, which -suited our plans admirably. - -The moon, however, was brilliant during the first part of the night, and -by its rays we could see that watchers were maintained in several -places, so we were unable to do more than restrain our impatience as -best we might. Moit raised the trap and carefully removed the cylinder -that contained the explosive from its suspended position, placing it on -the seat beside him. The very sight of the thing filled me with terror, -and both Nux and Bry moved as far away from it as possible--as if that -would do any good if it went off. But the inventor had handled it so -often that he did not fear it as we did, and taking an empty glass -bottle that was about as big around as your little finger he unscrewed -the cap of the cylinder and calmly filled the bottle from its contents. - -I watched him as if entranced, and thought the liquid resembled castor -oil in color and consistency. When the bottle was filled Duncan corked -it and put it in his inside pocket, afterward replacing the cylinder and -strapping it into place. - -And now he rummaged in his box of tools and took out a brace and a long -bit that was about a half inch in diameter. He also picked out a piece -of red chalk and placed that too in his pocket. - -We were all ready, now, but had to wait, although the strain began to -tell upon our nerves. - -Finally the moon passed behind the king's house and sank so low that the -building cast a black shadow over the enclosure, throwing both the -automobile and the barricaded archway into intense darkness. - -"In an hour more day will break," whispered Duncan in an anxious voice. -"We must work quickly now, or we are lost." - -He started the machine moving so slowly that it merely crept toward the -wall. The watchers had doubtless retired, for we heard no sound of -movement in the sleeping village. - -When we had approached quite near to the barricade Moit softly opened -the rear door, left the car, and crawled on hands and knees to the wall. -We showed no light at all, and from the automobile I lost sight of our -friend altogether. - -But presently I could hear the faint sound of the augur as it ground its -way into the clay wall. Duncan started at about the middle of the -barricade, but bored his hole slanting downward, so that the explosive -would run into the cavity without danger of escaping. It did not take -him more than a few minutes to complete his task, and before long he was -back in the car again, holding the empty bottle before our faces with a -smile of satisfaction. - -And now the machine crept inch by inch back to its former position, and -we were ready for the day to break. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - WE ASTONISH OUR FOES - - -Slowly the sun arose, and as its first rays lighted the cloudless sky -Ilalah came gliding from the palace and sprang lightly up the steps that -Duncan had let down in order to receive her. Once she was in the car we -all breathed easier, and the inventor especially showed his content and -exultation. - -"Now let them come!" he cried; and each of us felt that the sooner the -suspense was over the better we would like it. - -King Nalig-Nad gave us plenty of time, though, and we had breakfast -while we waited, the princess accepting her share with gracious -enjoyment of a meal quite novel in her experience. She was so unaffected -and so charming in her manner that already we began to consider her one -of us. - -At last the king and his chiefs emerged, and we could see by their stern -faces that a climax in our adventure had arrived. - -Moit was ready for them. He backed the machine around until it was -facing the barricade and as far removed from it as the enclosure would -allow. He had made Ilalah crouch low on the floor of the car, so that -her people would not discover her presence. - -A spokesman advanced from the group of warriors and demanded Bryonia's -promised answer. - -I opened a side window and said, boldly and in a loud voice, that we had -played with the San Blas people long enough. - -"You annoy us with your foolish demands," I added, "and we cannot bother -to remain with you longer. Had you been friendly, we would have favored -you; but you are silly children, and so we leave you." - -As I finished speaking Duncan opened the window in front of his steering -wheel and aimed a shot from his revolver at the red chalk mark on the -barricade that marked the location of the explosive. There was no -result, so he fired again, and still again. - -The natives, at first furious at my insults, now paused to wonder what -the big white slave was shooting at, and I saw that the inventor's -nervousness or lack of marksmanship was likely soon to plunge us into a -deal of trouble. Leaping to his side I pushed him away and took careful -aim with my own revolver. - -A crash that seemed to rend the very air followed. The machine was -hurled backward against the king's palace, from which a rain of mud -bricks and bits of wood rattled down upon us, while all the open space -of the enclosure was filled with falling debris. - -Shrieks of terror and pain followed, while we, who had all been dumped -in a heap on the floor of the car, scrambled up and took note of what -had happened. The wall had vanished, and only a ragged depression in the -earth remained to mark the place where the barricade had lately stood. - -None of us was injured, fortunately, and as soon as Duncan had assured -himself that Ilalah was alive and unhurt he sprang to the lever and the -machine bounded forward and skimmed light as a feather over the littered -ground. - -I tried to look out and wave an adieu to King Nalig-Nad; but we were off -like a shot across the meadows and all I could see was a mass of excited -natives rushing here and there in wild confusion. - -After fifteen minutes of this terrific speed Moit moderated our pace, -for we were miles from the village and pursuit was impossible. - -"Where now?" he asked, his voice seeming to indicate that he cared not a -rap, since we had managed to escape with the beautiful princess. - -"It will be well for us to find that valley of diamonds as soon as -possible," said I, "and secure our plunder before the king can raise the -alarm and head us off." - -"All right; where is it?" he demanded. - -I produced the map and pointed out the location of the valley, which -appeared to lie in a fork of the river, far to the south. - -"We are now somewhere to the east of the king's village," I observed. -"The hilly ground ahead of us rises to small mountains between here and -the sea; but if we turn south there is open country clear through to the -forest-clad mountain range, and when we reach the forest we can follow -its edge until we come to the diamond valley." - -"That is clear enough," replied Moit, looking over my shoulder. - -So we turned south, and presently came to a stream with such steep banks -that we could not cross it. The map had not prepared us for this, so we -kept to the eastward, endeavoring to find a crossing, until we reached a -marsh, and found our wheels sinking into a soft and treacherous bog. - -We backed out just in time to avoid serious trouble, and had to go north -again, skirting the marsh slowly and with care until we were once more -in the hills we had recently left. - -This was decidedly annoying, and we appealed to Ilalah. - -"Is there not a path from here to the mountains?" I asked. - -"Oh, yes;" she said; "there must be many paths." - -"Do you know them?" - -"Not to go to them from here. Often I and my women cross to the great -forest from our village; but we seldom come here at all." - -"I don't blame you," growled Moit. "This part of your country isn't -worth photographing. What shall we do now, Sam?" - -"I don't like to go back," said I, studying the map with a suspicion -that its maker had never been in this section at all. "But we might try -these hills. If we could find a path over them it might lead us around -the marsh, and then we would be all right." - -"How do you know? There may be more marshes," he suggested. - -"It may be. This is all guess work, it seems--map and all. But if we -reached the ocean we could run along the beach at low tide, and make -good time." - -"It is certainly worth a trial," he said; "and if we fail we cannot be -any worse off than we are at present." - -I doubted that the automobile would be much of a hill-climber, because -until then I had a notion that the heaviest machines, with the most -power to move their weight, could climb the easiest. But a few minutes -removed that erratic idea from my mind. We skimmed up the slopes as -lightly as an ibex, and went down them much more safely than a heavy -machine under the strain of brakes could do. And so, winding around this -hill and over that, we kept on at an easy pace until the breath of salt -air could be felt and we knew we were close to the sea. - -But now the hills became rocky and more difficult. One good sized mound -stood right in our way, and after a close inspection of it through our -telescope (for Moit seemed to have forgotten nothing in fitting up his -automobile) we saw a broad ledge running around its right side which -promised a way through to the coast. - -By now it was after midday, for much time had been consumed in seeking a -path through this wild and unknown country. So we halted for luncheon, -and as we ate I said to Ilalah: - -"How did you learn to speak such fine English, Princess, when your -people have always hated the whites and tried to drive them from your -dominions?" - -"The king my father," she answered, "is very wise. From his captives he -has learned that half of the people of the world speak English. So he -thought it would be best for some of the Techlas to speak English too. -One day our watchers brought to the king a man and a woman, who were of -the English but could speak a little Spanish too. My father promised -them life if they would teach us to speak the English tongue. So the man -taught the king and his noble chiefs each day in the courtyard of the -palace, while the woman taught the foreign tongue to me and my favorite -attendants in our own rooms. It was a long task and a hard one, but -after many moons some of us could speak and understand the English well -enough." - -"Did you also learn to read?" Duncan asked. - -"No. My father says written words are lies, for when you read the signs -you cannot read the speaker's eyes and know that he speaks truth. The -Techlas do not love the sign language, and will not have it." - -"That is foolish," I said. "If you cannot read, you cannot know what is -going on in the world." - -"And that is what we do not wish to know," she answered, smiling. "My -people say that to hear of other people is to make unhappiness. We live -only our own lives; so why should we care what happens in other lives in -other countries?" - -It struck me there was some sense in that, if their own lives were -sufficient to content them. - -"What became of the white man and woman who taught you?" asked Duncan. - -"After we had learned to speak their tongue my father killed them," she -answered simply. - -"Then he, too, lied," I said. - -"Not so. He promised them life if they would teach us, and they lived. -But he could not promise them life for all time, because all life is -uncertain." - -"So he killed them?" - -"Yes; having no longer need for them. They were white, and the Techlas -hate all white people." - -"Because of their color?" - -"Because they once robbed our people and drove them from their homes." - -"Listen, Ilalah," said Duncan, earnestly; "the white race that wronged -your people was the Spanish race; but there are many whites that are not -Spaniards--any more than are all Indians Techlas. So you have no reason -to hate us, who are not Spanish and have never wronged you." - -"I do not hate you," she answered, taking his hand and pressing it -fondly. "I love you." - -"But your people do." - -She grew serious. - -"If I should come to rule my people," was the slow answer, "I would -command them to hate and to kill only the Spaniards. But I will never -rule them, because I shall go with you to your own country, where you -are the king, and help you to rule your subjects." - -I laughed at the idea, although the sentiment was so pretty. Duncan -frowned at me. He did not tell the Indian maid that he was merely a -bankrupt inventor, with no subjects and no wealth aside from the -possession of his really wonderful machine. Why should he? - -We now moved on again, following the natural ledge of rock that wound -around the hill. The precipice beside it grew deeper and more dangerous -as we advanced, and the ledge narrowed until often there was barely room -for the machine to pass around a projection. Also the ledge sometimes -inclined toward the chasm at an awkward angle that forced us to crawl -cautiously along and rely upon the rubber tires to keep us from slipping -off the rock entirely. - -Not knowing from one moment to another what the windings of the ledge -were about to disclose, it is obvious that our journey was as -interesting as it was exciting. But we kept moving with dogged -perseverance until, with the end almost in sight, we were brought to an -abrupt halt by the total disappearance of the ledge itself. - -With a precipice in front and one at our right, while a steep wall of -rock towered at our left, we had no trouble to decide that we must go -back by the same nerve-racking path we had come. This was the more -embarrassing that we had no room to turn around, and it was no easy task -to back the machine over the dangerous places. - -Duncan made us all get out and walk. The way he steered the machine -along its crab-like course filled me with wonder and admiration, and I -am sure Ilalah considered him little less than a god. - -We had dropped the dome top to bring the weight closer to the ground, -and if the automobile chanced to slip over the edge Duncan would have a -good show to leap out and save himself. Yet so dear was the machine to -its inventor that I feel positive that Moit, at any time before Ilalah -had enslaved him with her sweet face, would have gone to his death in it -without hesitation rather than live to see it demolished. But the pretty -Indian princess now possessed his heart as the automobile had possessed -his brain, and with such a divided allegiance I looked to see him jump -in case anything went wrong. But nothing did, and so the occasion to -test the strength of his affection for the girl or the machine did not -transpire. Knowing so accurately the capabilities of his marvelous -invention, he was able to guide it safely until we reached once more the -base of the hill and came upon level ground. - -Then we all breathed again, and entering the car held a council to -discuss our future actions. - -"Isn't the Atlantic coast inhabited by your people?" I asked Ilalah. - -"Only in the northern part, where the cocoanut groves are," she -answered. - -Then, as we questioned her, she told us some interesting things about -her people. Off the coast were several islands, also inhabited by the -San Blas Tribes, the chiefs of which all paid tribute to Nalig-Nad. -These tribes hated the whites even more venomously than did the dwellers -on the mainland, although they traded constantly with many ships that -came to them for their cocoanuts, which are considered the finest grown -in all the world. - -She said these ships were from many countries, but their crews were -never permitted to sleep a night upon the shore and merely landed to -make their trades with the natives. The San Blas people built great -pyramids of cocoanuts close to the landing places, and when a ship -arrived the natives retired and allowed the traders to come ashore and -examine and count the supply of cocoanuts. When they had estimated the -worth of the offering thus made them by the Indians they placed beside -the pyramids such articles as they were willing to exchange, including -beads, clothing, tools and liquors. Then they all retired to their ship -and allowed the Indians to advance and look over the goods. If they were -satisfied it was a fair exchange they took the plunder away and -permitted the traders to load the cocoanuts upon their vessel; but if -the San Blas considered the offer too little, they left the goods -untouched and again retired. Then the traders must add more, until the -natives were content, before they undertook to remove a single cocoanut. - -No other form of communication ever took place between these two -inimical races, and the San Blas island tribes were so rich in cocoanut -groves and so shrewd in trading, that they were the most prosperous -subjects the king could boast. - -Smaller groves were also on the mainland, south of the marsh country, -and traders reached that district by entering a bay and the mouths of -one or two rivers. But all trading was there conducted in the same -manner as upon the islands, and it was only in the north, where we had -entered, that the whites came occasionally to trade for skins, -tortoise-shell and grains from the farm lands, and with these parties -Nalig-Nad personally conducted the trading and was thus able to -jealously guard his border from invasion. - -I would like to say, at this point in my digression from my story, that -many travellers who have had no personal experience with the San Blas -Indians have been induced by the unreliable gossip of the traders to -write preposterous tales concerning the manners and customs of these -interesting natives. As a rule such descriptions are very misleading, -and I am quite positive no white men before our visit to the Techlas -have ever had the same opportunities to observe their country and their -customs as we had. - -So much time had been lost in our futile journeying and in discussing -our plans with the princess, that the sun was now low in the horizon. It -was discouraging to reflect that in all that long day we had -accomplished nothing at all since our escape from the village. - -To endeavor to cross an unknown country at night would be folly; so -there was nothing to do but find a convenient place to camp until -morning. - -"Our safest plan," I counselled, "is to return to the river the way we -came, and paddle upstream as far as possible. Then we can take to the -bank and still follow the stream to the valley of diamonds. Our departed -friend, the German, was not a success as a map-maker; but we know that -he followed the river in the way I propose, so that part of the country -is probably depicted on the map with a fair degree of accuracy." - -"This plan will oblige us to pass the villages again," objected Moit, -"and that will mean a fight." - -"Not necessarily. The country is level there, and we can dash by at full -speed, before they know we are coming." - -It really seemed the only practical thing to do; so we decided to get as -near to the king's village as possible without danger of being observed, -and then wait until daylight to regain the river. - -I kept watch through the telescope as we bowled along over the smooth -meadows; and when, just at dusk, I sighted the distant enclosure, we -came to a halt. - -While Nux and Bry cooked us a good supper the rest of us got out of the -car and strolled to the brook to stretch our limbs. I felt that "three -was a crowd" and let Duncan and Ilalah walk by themselves. They wandered -so far and were so deeply occupied by their own interesting conversation -that when the meal was ready I jumped into the machine and ran it over -to where they were sitting side by side on the bank of the brook. - -It was easy enough to do, for I had watched Moit very carefully; but the -inventor was not at all pleased with what he called my "infernal -meddling," and told me to keep my hands off his property thereafter. - -When darkness came on and it was time to sleep I proposed rigging up a -little room in the front of the car for Ilalah by suspending blankets -from the dome to the floor. In this way the princess would have all the -seclusion of a private apartment. But Duncan protested that he had no -intention of sleeping while we were in so dangerous a position, and -Ilalah very promptly decided to sit up with him and keep him company. - -So there was no need for the rest of us to do more than lie down and go -to sleep, an undertaking which we accomplished with much satisfaction. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - WE SEARCH FOR THE VALLEY - - -At the first sign of light we were off, making to the north until we had -nearly reached the edge of the wood and then following its curves over -the plains toward the west. - -In this way we managed to gain a considerable distance northward from -the villages, and although we passed some scattered houses and a few -groups of farmers who were early in the fields, there was no attempt -made to interfere with our progress. - -But when we came to the bank of the main river--making the same point -where we had first landed--we found a different condition of affairs -confronting us. Fully a hundred warriors were gathered on the bank, -armed and prepared to receive us. I saw them through our telescope -before they could see us, and we halted at once for a conference. - -Nalig-Nad had evidently conceived the notion that in order to leave his -country we would be forced to pass down the river at this point, and -therefore it was here that he had determined to assemble his forces in -order to stop us. He was right in his conclusion that we needed the -waterway to carry us to our ship, but he was wrong in thinking that we -were ready to escape. - -The approach to the river was somewhat confined, because the forest was -on one side of us and the high-banked stream entered the river on the -other side, narrowing the plain whereon we could travel to rather a -small space. It would be impossible to proceed without coming into -contact with the band of natives ahead of us. - -These warriors seemed intent on watching the river, for they had no idea -that we had altered our course and would come up behind them. Indeed, we -afterward learned that there was a good path around the base of the -hills to the eastward, and had we not been so ignorant of the country we -need not have turned back at all. But here we were, confronting a grave -emergency, and it puzzled us for a time to know what to do. - -Duncan solved the difficulty in his own peculiar way. - -"Isn't that a house over there?" he asked, pointing to a roof that -showed above a small hollow. - -"It is sure to be," I answered, and the princess, who was quite at home -in this section, said we were right. - -Without more ado Duncan ran the machine over to the house, passing a man -who stood in a field staring at us. As we drew up at the door of the -primitive hut and Moit leaped out of the car, a woman sprang away like a -startled deer carrying a child in her arms and screaming lustily, -although Ilalah called to her not to be afraid. - -Duncan entered the house and quickly returned bearing a bow and a sheaf -of arrows in a leathern quiver. His face wore a smile of satisfaction, -but as he rejoined us and started the car again I said to him: - -"Do you imagine we can shoot better with that outfit than with our -revolvers?" - -"Yes; one shot will be worth a volley from a regiment," he returned. - -I own I was puzzled, but he graciously allowed me to run the car, -although at a moderate speed, so that I had little chance to observe his -immediate actions. I heard him lift the trap in the door, though, and -then, after a period of silence, he touched my arm and told me to stop. - -We could now observe with the naked eye the group of Indians on the -river bank. - -"Who can make the best shot with this contrivance?" asked Moit. - -I turned around and understood his plan at once. To one of the arrows he -had firmly tied the slender glass bottle, and I could see that it had -again been filled with the dreadful explosive. - -"I shoot," said Nux, nodding his head gravely. - -Both of the blacks shot splendidly with the bow, I remembered, for it -was their native weapon. But Nux was the best marksman of the two. - -Duncan handed the arrow and the bow to him and opened a side window. - -"When we get a hundred yards away from the river," said he, "shoot the -arrow among the San Blas; but try, if you can, to strike one of those -trees growing by the bank. Can you shoot so far, and shoot straight?" - -Nux nodded confidently, but held the arrow with great caution and was -evidently afraid of it. - -The machine started again and rolled over the thick turf at a great rate -of speed, heading directly toward the river. Soon one of the Indians -discovered us, and gave a cry that turned every face in our direction. - -"Now!" shouted Moit, without slackening speed. - -Nux drew the bow and the arrow sped swiftly on its mission. The aim was -good, but the bottle so weighted the shaft that I feared for a moment it -would miss the mark. It flew over the heads of the group, in a graceful -curve, and struck a root at the very base of the tree. - -The explosion was instantaneous. The tree itself flew skyward and the -air was filled with earth, wood and Indians. I do not know how many of -the San Blas suffered in this catastrophe, but those who were left were -thrown into such dire confusion that they fled in all directions and -many leaped into the river in an endeavor to escape. - -Meantime the machine never abated its speed for an instant, although the -ears of all on board were ringing with the shock. We knew that we must -take advantage of our opportunity and the confusion of our foes, so on -we drove until we reached the low, shelving bank, and the next moment -plunged unhesitatingly into the water. - -Duncan sprung the paddles on the rims and turned the wheel to guide our -course up stream. Before the Indians could recover we were a good -distance away and had turned the first bend so that we were hidden from -their view. - -"Get out the revolvers and stand ready," said Moit. "They will probably -follow, and we cannot tell how long the water will be of a sufficient -depth to float us." - -But the San Blas decided not to give chase. They had ample evidence, by -this time, that we were dangerous enemies, and since we had chosen to -proceed still farther into their territory instead of trying to leave -it, they would have plenty of time to reorganize their forces and -determine on the best method to oppose us. - -We found the stream navigable for several miles. Then we reached the -uplands, and the water began tumbling amongst rocky boulders in a way -that made farther progress dangerous. So we took to the land, gaining -the left bank with ease and then rolling along in a southerly direction. - -And now we had occasion to blame the map-maker again, for instead of the -single fork in the stream which he had depicted we found a dozen -branches leading down from the mountains and forming a regular network -on this part of the plain. Several we forded, losing more and more our -sense of location, until finally we came to a high embankment that -barred our way and were forced to follow its course up to the forest, -which we reached about the middle of the afternoon. - -The grandeur of this immense woodland, as we approached its border, both -awed and amazed us. The wood we had passed at the north was nothing more -than a grove of trees when compared with the grand primeval forest that -covered the mountain as far as the eye could reach. - -We hardly knew whether to turn to the east or west from this point, and -so we asked Ilalah if she had any idea in which direction lay the valley -where the "white pebbles" were found. - -She had none at all. The law forbidding the Techlas to gather these -pebbles was passed by the king her father years ago, when she was but a -child. No one had ever mentioned in her hearing where they had been -found. - -Fairly bewildered as to our whereabouts, by this time, we turned to the -left and, easily fording now the shallow streams we encountered, visited -several valleys without having a notion whether any of them was the one -we sought, or not. - -Finally I said to the princess: - -"The place we seek has a great rock of red granite stone in the center, -and a part of the rock points like an arm directly at the forest." - -"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed; "that place I remember well, for I have -visited it often as a girl." - -Here was cheering news, indeed. - -"Is it near here?" asked Duncan. - -"It is far to the right," she answered, after some thought. "We should -not have come in this direction at all." - -Blaming ourselves for our stupidity in not questioning the girl about -this land-mark before, we turned the machine again and began to double -on our tracks. - -"This means spending another night in the wilderness," said Moit; but he -spoke with unusual cheerfulness, and I reflected that as long as Ilalah -was by his side our inventor was not likely to complain of the length of -this trip. - -"But there seem to be no Indians in this neighborhood to annoy us," I -observed. "Do you know, Duncan, I believe that your invention of the -glycerine explosive is almost as important as the machine itself?" - -"Oh, it has helped us nicely in two emergencies, so far," he answered -soberly; "but I hope we shall not be called upon to use it again. It is -so powerful that it frightens me. Every time I handle it I place all of -us in as much danger as I do our enemies, for a premature explosion is -not unlikely to happen. Especially is this true in so hot a climate as -the one we are now travelling in. The can that contains the glyceroid -was quite warm when I filled that bottle to-day, and this condition adds -to its tendency to explode." - -It made me a little uneasy to hear this. - -"Doesn't it require a jar to set it off?" I asked. - -"Almost always. And there is less chance of a jar to the can if we leave -it alone." - -We finally reached the place where we had first arrived at the forest, -and fording the stream, which was shallow as it came from the wood, -continued our search to the westward. The country was very beautiful -around here, and when I asked Ilalah why it was not more thickly settled -she said that the forest was full of terrible beasts and serpents, which -attacked men fearlessly and destroyed them. So few cared to live in the -neighborhood. - -We were not afraid, though, with the protection of the car, and when the -princess recognized, just at dark, a familiar landmark, and assured us -the valley we sought was not far distant, we decided to make our camp -where we were and await the morning to complete our quest. - -The temperature cooled rapidly in the shade of the forest, and we were -now in the uplands, too, where the day was never as sultry as on the -lower plains; so we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. - -Ilalah sang sweetly some of her native songs, and Nux and Bry favored us -with a duet that they had learned in their own far away island home. So -we were merry enough until bedtime, and then, the Sulus being appointed -to keep watch, the rest of us turned in and slept fairly well until -morning, despite the sound of an occasional wild beast prowling around -our glass-covered retreat. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - THE ARROW-MAKER - - -We were up and stirring early, and after a good breakfast and a draught -of cool water from a sparkling brook near by, we started again in search -of the valley of diamonds. - -An hour's swift run brought us to the slight depression in which stood -the great block of red granite we had so eagerly sought. There was no -mistaking it, as the German had said; curiously enough, it was the only -granite boulder we had seen in this country. - -A long, horizontal spike of rock near the apex pointed unerringly into -the near-by forest, and I dismounted and walked from the boulder slowly -in the direction indicated by the guide. - -Sure enough, on reaching the forest I found myself confronting a -gigantic mahogany tree, standing a little in advance of its fellows; so -with a shout of joy I beckoned to my comrades and waited for them to -join me. Duncan ran the automobile close up to the edge of the wood, and -then stopped the engines and closed the door of the dome so that we -could all take part in the discovery of the diamonds. - -Entering the forest, which was quite open and clear at this one spot, we -had no difficulty in finding the dead stump, and then I fell upon my -knees and began to remove the thick moss that clung to the ground all -around the stump. - -I was scarcely more excited than the others--if I may except the -princess, to whom treasure had no meaning. Moit, Nux and Bry were all -bending over me, while in the background the Indian maiden watched us -with a plaintive smile. To her this anxiety to secure a collection of -pebbles was not quite comprehensible. - -At first the moss resisted my efforts. Then, as I moved farther around, -a great patch of the growth suddenly gave way to my grasp and disclosed -a large cavity between two prongs of the stump. - -I leaned over to look. Then I thrust in my arm to make sure. - -The cavity was empty. - -"Try somewhere else!" cried Moit, hoarsely. He had risked a good deal -for the gems which were to enable him to become famous and wealthy, and -this disappointment was sufficient to fill his heart with despair, had -he not found another treasure in Ilalah which might somewhat mitigate -this baffling failure. - -I worked all around the stump, digging up the moss with my knife and -finger-nails; but in every other place the ground was solid. There was -but this one vacant cavity, and when at last we knew the truth we stared -at each other in absolute dejection. - -"He must have put them there, though," I said, hopelessly. "The trouble -is that someone else has taken them away." - -"Oh, yes; I did it," said a strange voice at our side. - -I turned and found a tiny Indian standing near us. At first I thought it -was a child, but looking more closely perceived the lines of age on his -thin face and streaks of gray in his hair. Yet so small was his stature -that he was no taller than my breast. - -He wore the ordinary San Blas tunic, striped with purple and yellow, a -narrow band of green showing between the two plebeian colors. When first -we saw him he had assumed a dignified pose and with folded arms was -looking upon us with a calm and thoughtful countenance. - -"Greetings, Tcharn!" exclaimed the princess, in a pleased and kindly -tone. - -The dwarf, or liliputian, or whatever he might be, advanced to her with -marked but somewhat timid respect and touched the fingers of his right -hand to the fair brow she bent toward him. Then he retreated a pace and -laid his hand upon his heart. - -"My Princess is welcome to my forest," he said in his native tongue. - -"Is it near here, then, that you live, my Tcharn?" she enquired. - -"Very near, my Princess." - -"But tell us," I cried, unable to control myself longer, "did you find -many of the white pebbles in this cavity, and did you take them all -away?" - -"Yes," he answered readily, with a nod of his small head; "I found them -and I took them away, and they were many." - -"But why did you take them?" asked the girl, who, without knowing the -value to us of the stones, was able to sympathize with us in our bitter -disappointment. - -Tcharn was thoughtful. He sat upon the stump and for a moment studied -the various faces turned toward him. - -"Some time ago," said he, "a white man came to this valley, which our -laws forbid the whites to enter. Perhaps he did not know that I rule the -forest which is my home--that I am the Master Workman of the Techla -nation. Why should he know that? But the white beast was well aware that -his race is by us hated and detested"--here he cast a sinister glance at -Duncan and myself--"and barred from our domain. He sneaked in like a -jackal, hiding himself by day while by night he prowled around upon all -fours, gathering from off the ground the pebbles which our master the -king has forbidden any man to see or to touch. - -"Day after day I watched the white man at his unlawful toil. I sent -tidings to Nalig-Nad, the king, who laughed at the cowardly intruder, -and bade me continue to watch and to notify him if the beast tried to -escape. - -"Finally he saw my face among the trees, and it frightened him. He -prepared to run away, and buried all the pebbles he had found under the -moss beside this stump. Then he slunk from the valley and I let him go; -for the king had been notified and would look after him." - -This relation proved to us the honesty of the German's story. We knew -well the rest of the tragic tale, and were just then more deeply -interested in the loss of the diamonds. - -"Why did you dig up the pebbles, when the commands of your king forbade -you to touch them?" I asked, in a bitter tone. - -The little Indian gave me a scornful look and said to Ilalah: - -"Must I answer the white child, my Princess?" - -"It will please me to have you do so," she answered. "I must tell you, -Tcharn, that these white people are my friends. Those who love me will -also befriend them, and treat them kindly." - -For a time the dwarf stood motionless, frowning and staring stolidly -upon the ground. Then he looked up and said: - -"Does Nalig-Nad also love these whites?" - -"He hates them, and seeks their destruction," Ilalah replied. - -The dwarf smiled. - -"Then they will be destroyed," he prophesied. - -"Not so, my Tcharn," replied the princess, gently. "The power of these -white chieftains is greater than the power of Nalig-Nad." - -Tcharn grew thoughtful again. - -"I saw them approach in a moving house, that seemed alive and yet was -not," he remarked. - -"That is but one proof of their might," said she. - -"And is my Princess now opposed to her father the King?" - -"Yes, Tcharn, in this one thing." - -"Then," said he, "I will stand by your side, for my blood is the blood -of your dead mother, and not the blood of Nalig-Nad." - -"But the pebbles!" I cried, impatiently. "Tell us what you have done -with them." - -He turned his sombre eyes in my direction. - -"I carried the pebbles to my own dwelling," he returned. "They are -beautiful, and when the sun kisses them they borrow its light and glow -like fireflies at dusk. I love the pebbles; so I took them, and they are -mine." - -This was exasperating to a degree. - -"You had no right to do that," I protested. "Your king has forbidden you -to gather the pebbles." - -"I did not gather them; I but took them from the place where the white -jackal had placed them." - -"The king will punish you for keeping them!" - -"The king? Ah, the king will not know. And we are opposed to the king -just now, the Princess Ilalah and myself," with a queer smile. "But you -are strangers, and therefore you do not know that in my forest even -Nalig-Nad dare not molest the Master Workman." - -The last words were spoken confidently, and his prompt defiance of the -king pleased me. - -"Who is this man, Ilalah?" asked Duncan. - -"Tcharn is my mother's cousin," she replied, with frankness, "and in my -mother's veins flowed the most royal blood of our great ancestors. For -this reason Tcharn is a person of consequence among my people. He is -called the Arrow-Maker, and forges all the arrow-heads that the Techlas -use. No one else is allowed to work in metals, which Tcharn brings from -the mountains. In this forest--I do not know exactly where--is his -secret work-shop and his dwelling place. Only one thing is forbidden -him, under penalty of torture and death: to gather or use the loathsome -gold which was at one time the curse of the Techlas. In all else Tcharn -is master of the forest, and the people honor and avoid him." - -An important individual, truly, and one who doubtless realized his own -importance. Since he had secured the diamonds and loved their beauty it -would be difficult to wrest them from him. - -While the princess had spoken the little Techla had been regarding her -with an uneasy look. - -"I see trouble in Ilalah's path," he now remarked gravely. - -"Am I not the princess?" she asked, proudly. - -"You are the princess, and one day you will succeed your father as ruler -of the Techlas--if you live. If you do not live, Nalig-Nad's children by -another mother will succeed him. Will you live, Ilalah--you who defy the -traditional hatred of your race for the cursed white people?" - -Ilalah flushed a little, but not with fear. She wanted Tcharn to -understand her, though, and began to tell him how the white people had -for many ages dominated the world beyond the seas, where they had many -distinct nations that warred with each other. Some of the white nations -were strong, and just, and wise; others were strong, but wicked and -unjust. It was one of these latter nations, she explained, whose people -were known as Spaniards, that had invaded the country of her forefathers -and robbed and oppressed them; therefore the Techlas, knowing no better, -had hated all of the white nations instead of that especial one that had -wronged them. - -"These friends," she added, pointing to us, "have never injured us, nor -have their people, who have themselves warred with the Spaniards, our -old and hated enemies. Why then, should I condemn and hate the -innocent?" - -The dwarf listened carefully to this explanation, and without answering -her appeal he said, in a doubtful tone: - -"The chiefs who rule the islands and the coast, all of whom trade with -the whites, have told me they are all alike. They are never satisfied, -but always want something that belongs to others." - -I laughed at his shrewd observation, for that was our case, just then. -We wanted the diamonds. - -"Will you not permit us to see the beautiful pebbles?" I asked. - -Tcharn hesitated. - -"Will you let me see your moving house?" he demanded. - -I nearly yelled with delight. I had been searching my brain for some way -to win this strange personage to our side, and he promptly put himself -in our hands by acknowledging his curiosity concerning our machine. But -this proved his intelligence, too, and betrayed his mechanical instinct, -so that it increased our respect for him. - -"We will explain to you our moving house, which is the most wonderful -thing ever made by the hands of man," I answered, seriously, "and we -will also take you to ride in it, that you may know how and why it -moves. But in return you must take us to your dwelling and show us the -pebbles." - -I was rather surprised that he consented readily. - -"It is a bargain," said he, quietly, and Ilalah whispered that his word -might be depended upon. - -So we all walked out of the forest to where we had left the car, which -Tcharn first examined from the outside with minute intentness. - -"Here is a man who might steal my patents, if he lived in our world," -remarked the inventor, with a smile. But as there was no danger to be -apprehended Moit took pains to explain to the dwarf how the machine -would float and move in the water as well as travel upon the land, and -then he took the little Indian inside and showed him all the complicated -mechanism and the arrangements for promoting the comfort and convenience -of the passengers. - -Tcharn listened with absorbed interest, and if he failed to comprehend -some of the technical terms--which is very probable, as I was obliged to -translate most of the description and there were no words in the native -language to express mechanical terms--he allowed neither word nor look -to indicate the fact. - -Afterward Moit started the car and gave the arrow-maker an impressive -ride around the valley, gradually increasing the speed until we very -nearly flew over the ground. - -When, at last, we came to a halt at the forest's edge, it was evident we -had won the dwarf completely. His face was full of animation and -delight, and he proceeded to touch each of our foreheads, and then his -own heart, to indicate that we were henceforth friends. - -"We will ride into the forest," he said. "I will show you the way." - -It suited us very well to hide the machine among the trees, for we might -expect the natives to search for us and give us further annoyance. But -we failed to understand how the big machine might be guided into the -tangled forest. - -Tcharn, however, knew intimately every tree and shrub. He directed Moit -to a place where we passed between two giant mahoganies, after which a -sharp turn disclosed an avenue which led in devious windings quite a -distance into the wood. Sometimes we barely grazed a tree-trunk on -either side, or tore away a mass of clinging vines or dodged, by a -hair's breadth, a jagged stump; and, after all, our journey was not a -great way from the edge of the forest and we were soon compelled to halt -for lack of a roadway. - -"The rest of the distance we will walk," announced the dwarf. "Follow -me, if you will." - -I shall never forget the impressiveness of this magnificent forest. The -world and its glaring sunlight were shut out. Around our feet was a rank -growth of matted vines, delicate ferns and splendid mosses. We stood in -shadow-land, a kingdom of mystery and silence. The foliage was of such -dainty tracery that only in the deep seas can its equal be found, and -wonderful butterflies winged their way between the tender plants, -looking like dim ghosts of their gorgeous fellows in the outer world. -Here was a vast colonnade, the straight, slender, gray tree-trunks -supporting a massive roof of green whose outer branches alone greeted -the sun. Festooned from the upright columns were tangled draperies of -climbing vines which here rested in deep shadow and there glowed with a -stray beam of brilliant sunshine that slyly crept through the roof. And -ever, as we pressed on, new beauties and transformations were disclosed -in the forest's mysterious depths, until the conviction that here must -be the favorite retreat of elfins and fays was dreamily impressed upon -our awed minds. - -But almost before we were aware of it we came to a clearing, a circular -place in the wood where great trees shot their branches into the sky and -struggled to bridge the intervening space with their foliage. The vain -attempt left a patch of clear sky visible, although the entire enclosure -was more than half roofed with leaves. - -Instead of mosses and vines, a grassy sward carpeted the place, and now -we came upon visible evidence that we had reached the abode of the -little arrow-maker. - -On one side was a rude forge, built of clay, and supporting a bellows. -In a basket beside the forge were hundreds of arrow-points most cleverly -fashioned of bronze, while heaps of fagots and bars of metal showed that -the dwarf's daily occupation was seldom neglected. - -The tools strewn about interested me greatly, for many were evidently of -American or European make; but Tcharn explained this by saying that his -people often traded their cocoanuts and skins for tools and cutlery, and -at these times he was allowed to select from the store such things as he -required. - -"But where do you live?" asked Moit; "and where are the pebbles?" - -"Come," said the arrow-maker, briefly, and led us across the glade and -through a little avenue where there was a well trodden path. - -A moment later a mass of interwoven boughs covered with vines confronted -us, and stooping our heads we passed through a low archway into -wonderland. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - A WOODLAND WONDERLAND - - -What we saw was a circular chamber formed of tree-trunks at the sides -and roofed with masses of green leaves. The central trees had been -cleared away by some means, for a large mahogany stump was used for a -table and its beautifully polished surface proclaimed that it had been a -live tree when sawed through. Also there were several seats formed from -stumps in various parts of the room, and one or two benches and a couch -had been manufactured very cleverly from polished mahogany wood. - -But these were by no means the chief wonder of the place. The walls were -thickly covered with climbing vines, which reached in graceful festoons -to the overhanging central boughs; but these were all the creation of -man rather than of nature, for they were formed from virgin gold. - -Also the ornaments scattered about the place, the mountings of the -furniture, swinging lamps and tabourettes, all were of gold, and never -have I beheld the equal of their exquisite workmanship or unique -designing. The tracery of every leaf of the golden bower imitated -accurately nature itself, the veins and stems being so perfect as to -cause one to marvel. Not only had a vast amount of pure gold been used -in this work, but years must have been consumed in its execution. - -"Oh, Tcharn!" cried Ilalah, in a shocked tone, as soon as she had -recovered from the wonder of her first look; "you have broken the law!" - -"It is true," answered the arrow-maker, calmly. - -"Why did you do it?" she asked. - -"The yellow metal is very beautiful," said he, looking upon the golden -bower with loving eyes; "and it is soft, and easy to work into many -pretty forms. Years ago, when I began to gather the metal for my arrows -and spears, I found in our mountains much of the forbidden gold, and it -cried out to me to take it and love it, and I could not resist. So I -brought it here, where no white man could ever see it and where not even -your father was likely to come and charge me with my crime. My princess, -you and your friends are the first to know my secret, and it is safe in -your care because you are yourself breaking the law and defying the -king." - -"In what way?" asked Ilalah. - -"In seeking the pebbles that are denied our people, and in befriending -the whites who have been condemned by us for centuries." - -She was silent for a moment. Then she said, bravely: - -"Tcharn, such laws are unjust. I will break them because they are my -father's laws and not my own. When I come to rule my people I will make -other laws that are more reasonable--and then I will forgive you for -your gold-work." - -"Oh, Ilalah!" exclaimed Moit; "how can you rule these Indians when you -have promised to come with me, and be my queen?" - -She drew her hand across her eyes as if bewildered, and then smiled -sweetly into her lover's face. - -"How easy it is to forget," she said, "when one has always been -accustomed to a certain life. I will go with you, and I will never rule -my people." - -"You are wrong, my princess," declared the dwarf, eagerly. "What to you -is the white man's land? You will rule us indeed, and that in a brief -space of time!" - -"No, my friend," she said, "the house that moves will carry me away with -my white chief, and in a new land I will help him to rule his own -people." - -The arrow-maker looked at her with a dreamy, prophetic expression upon -his wizened features. - -"Man knows little," said he, "but the Serpent of Wisdom knows much. In -my forest the serpent dwells, and it has told me secrets of the days to -come. Soon you will be the Queen of the Techlas, and the White Chief -will be but your slave. I see you ruling wisely and with justice, as you -have promised, but still upholding the traditions of your race. You will -never leave the San Blas country, my Ilalah." - -She laughed, brightly. - -"Are you then a seer, my cousin?" she asked. - -The dwarf started, as if suddenly awakened, and his eyes lost their -speculative gaze. - -"Sometimes the vision comes to me," he said; "how or why I know not. But -always I see truly." - -Duncan Moit did not understand this dialogue, which had been conducted -in the native tongue. He had been examining, with the appreciation of a -skilled workman, the beautiful creations of the Indian goldsmith. But -now our uneasy looks and the significant glances of Nux and Bryonia -attracted his attention, and he turned to ask an explanation. - -The princess evaded the subject, saying lightly that the dwarf had been -trying to excuse himself for breaking the law and employing the -forbidden gold in his decorations. I turned to Tcharn and again -demanded: - -"Show us the pebbles." - -At once he drew a basket woven of rushes from beneath a bench and turned -out its contents on the top of the great table. A heap of stones was -disclosed, the appearance of which at first disappointed me. They were -of many shapes and sizes and had surfaces resembling ground glass. In -the semi gloom of the bower and amid the shining gold tracery of its -ornamentation the "pebbles" seemed uninteresting enough. - -But Moit pounced upon the treasure with exclamations of wonder, -examining them eagerly. Either the German or the arrow-maker had chipped -some of them in places, and then the clear, sparkling brilliancy of the -diamonds was fully demonstrated. - -"They are magnificent!" cried the inventor. "I have never seen gems so -pure in color or of such remarkable size and perfect form." - -I compared them mentally with the stones I had found in the roll of bark -taken from the dead man's pocket, and decided that these were indeed in -no way inferior. - -The dwarf opened a golden cabinet and brought us three more diamonds. -These had been cut into facets and polished, and were amazingly -brilliant. I am sure Tcharn had never seen the usual method of -diamond-cutting, and perhaps knew nothing of the esteem in which -civilized nations held these superb pebbles of pure carbon; so it is -remarkable that he had intuitively found the only means of exhibiting -the full beauty of the stones. - -"Will you give me these, my cousin?" asked the princess. - -For answer he swept them all into the basket and placed it in her hands. -She turned and with a pleased smile gave the treasure to Moit. - -"At last," said I, with a sigh of relief, "we have accomplished the -object of our adventure." - -"At last," said Duncan, "I have enough money to patent my inventions and -to give the machine to the world in all its perfection!" - -"But we mus' get out o' here, Mars' Sam," observed Bry, gravely. - -"That is true," I replied. "And I hope now that we have no further -reason for staying that we shall have little difficulty in passing the -lines of our enemies." - -We confided to the arrow-maker a portion of our adventures, and told him -how Nalig-Nad had seemed determined to destroy us. When the relation was -finished I asked: - -"Will you advise us how we can best regain our ship without meeting the -king's warriors?" - -He considered the matter with great earnestness. Then he enquired: - -"Will your machine run safely in the waters of the ocean?" - -I repeated the question to Moit. - -"Yes," he answered, "if the water is not too rough." - -"Then it will be best for you to go east until you come to the coast of -the Atlantic," said Tcharn. "The tribes of the south-east will not -oppose you if the Princess Ilalah and I are with you. When you get to -the ocean you may travel in the water to your river, and so reach your -ship." - -This advice was so good that we at once adopted the suggestion. - -The arrow-maker now clapped his hands, and to our surprise three tall -natives entered the bower and bowed to him. He ordered them to bring -refreshments, and they at once turned and disappeared. - -"Who are these men?" I asked. - -"They are my assistants, who help me to forge the arrows and the -spears," he replied. "The king always allows me three men, and their -tongues are cut out so that they cannot tell to others the secrets of my -art." - -That explained why he was able to devote so much time to the execution -of his gold-work. - -The servants shortly returned bearing golden dishes of exquisite shapes, -on the polished surfaces of which familiar scenes in the lives of the -San Blas were cleverly engraved. - -We were given fresh milk, a kind of hominy boiled and spiced, slices of -cold mutton and several sorts of fruits, including cocoanut meats. - -Sitting around the splendid table, which would have conferred -distinction upon a king's palace, we made a hasty but satisfying meal -and then prepared to return to the automobile. - -I think the little arrow-maker was as eager to ride in the wonderful -machine as to guide us on our way; but we were very glad to have him -with us, and he sat quietly absorbed by the side of Duncan Moit and -watched the inventor direct the course of his automobile over the -difficult pathway between the trees. - -We reached level ground without accident and then, turning to the left, -increased our speed and travelled rapidly over the now familiar plains -in the direction of the sea. - -We followed the edge of the forest as well as we could, for here in the -uplands the numerous streams were less difficult to cross; but soon -after we had passed beyond the point of our first excursion in this -direction we came upon a good sized river sweeping out from the wood, -which Tcharn told us flowed into the Atlantic further toward the north. -There were dangerous rapids in it, however, so we decided it would be -safer to continue on to the coast than to trust ourselves to this -treacherous current. - -And now we soon began to pass the cocoanut groves, while groups of -natives paused to stare at us wonderingly. But we made no halt, for the -plains were smooth and easy to travel upon and the less we had to do -with the natives the better we were off. - -A mile inland from the ocean the dwarf told us were many villages. We -decided to rush past these quickly to avoid being stopped, and Tcharn -agreed that it would be wise. Explanations would be sure to delay us, -even if these tribes had not already been warned by messengers from -Nalig-Nad to capture us if we came their way. So when we reached the -villages we shot by them like a flash, and the sensation we created was -laughable. - -Men, women and children--even the dogs--rushed from the path of the -dreadful flying monster in a panic of fear, and we heard their screams -and wild cries long after the houses had been left far behind. These -tribes may be just as brave as the ones farther north, but their natures -are not so stolid and self-possessed. - -The ocean came into view suddenly, and we found the banks so high above -the beach that we were obliged to turn north until we reached a small -river, the water of which was deep enough to float us out to sea. - -Here we bade farewell, with much regret, to our arrow-maker, and Duncan -generously presented him with such wrenches and other tools as could be -spared from his outfit. These presents gave the dwarf much delight, and -for my part I was so grateful for his assistance that I gave him my -silver watch, and showed him how to tell the time of day by following -the movements of its hands. He understood it very quickly and I knew -that he would obtain much pleasure from its possession. - -It was little enough, indeed, for the transfer of the diamonds, which -were worth a fortune; but the gems were valueless to him, even had he -been able to own them without the risk of forfeiting his life. - -We left the arrow-maker earnestly watching us from the bank as we -paddled swiftly down the stream; but soon our attention was directed to -other matters and we forgot him. - -When we reached the ocean we headed out boldly, but the long waves -rolled pretty high for us, we soon found. It was not at all a rough sea, -yet Moit was forced to acknowledge that his invention was not intended -for ocean travel. After we had tossed about for a time we went ashore, -finding to our joy that the beach was broad and sandy, and the tide was -out. - -This was the best luck that could possibly have happened to us, and we -sped along the sands at a fine rate of speed, resolved to make the most -of our opportunities. - -Just before we reached the northern forest, however, we found that king -Nalig-Nad had been thoughtful enough to anticipate the possibility of -our coming this way and had sent a large force to oppose us. They were -crowded thickly upon the beach and we were given the choice of meeting -them or driving into the ocean again. - -I rather favored the latter course, but Duncan's face was set and stern, -and I saw that he was intent on running them down. - -He increased our rate of speed until we were fairly flying, and a moment -more we bumped into the solid ranks of the Indians and sent them -tumbling in every direction--not so much on account of the machine's -weight as its velocity. - -Those who were not knocked over made haste to get out of our way, and in -a few seconds they were all behind us and we could slacken our terrible -pace with safety. - -We had passed the mouths of several streams on our way, and circled some -remarkably broad and pretty bays, so now we began to look for the river -in which our wrecked ship was stranded. One broad inlet we paddled up -for a way, but it led straight into the wood; so we backed out again, -and the next time were more successful; for soon we were able to discern -the _Gladys H._ lying on her side, and knew we were near our journey's -end. - -Ilalah told us that small ships sometimes came to this river to trade -with her people for skins and tortoise-shell; but none had been there -for several months. - -At first I thought that our wreck was entirely deserted, but after a -time Uncle Naboth's pudgy form appeared at the stern, waving his red -handkerchief in frantic greeting; a moment later our sailors flocked to -his side, and then a lusty cheer of welcome saluted our grateful ears. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - THE PRINCESS DISAPPEARS - - -We were given a joyful welcome by our comrades aboard the wreck, you may -be sure. Ned was there, a smile mantling his rugged face as the auto -came alongside and he assisted us to make fast and mount to the slanting -deck of the ship. - -Uncle Naboth's eyes were big and staring as our dainty Indian princess -came aboard; but I could see that he was pleased with her beauty and -modest demeanor. - -No questions were asked us until we were all comfortably stowed on deck -and the automobile had been hoisted over the side by the willing sailors -and set in its old position. They were glad enough to see us safely -returned without bothering us with questioning; but I knew of their -eagerness to hear of our adventures and so took an early opportunity to -remark: - -"Well, Uncle Naboth and Ned, we've got the diamonds." - -"Sure?" - -"Sure enough." - -I brought the basket and allowed them to inspect the treasure, which -they did with wonder and a sort of awe, for they had little to say. - -"How much is the bunch worth?" asked my uncle, trying to be indifferent. - -"Why, we are all quite ignorant of their value," I replied; "but Moit -and I both think we have secured a snug fortune for each one of us four -who are interested in the division. We couldn't have done anything at -all without the automobile, though, so I am going to give Duncan a part -of my share." - -"I won't take it," declared Moit. "We made a fair and square bargain, to -share alike, and I mean to live up to it." - -"But you need the money more than we do," I protested, "for you've got -to build a factory to manufacture your machines and also to make a home -for Ilalah. She is a prize we don't share in, but we'd like to -contribute to her happiness, so I shall suggest to Ned and Uncle Naboth -that you take a half of all the diamonds and we will divide the other -half." - -"Agreed!" cried my uncle and Ned, both together, and although Duncan -objected in a rather pig-headed way I declared that we had fully made up -our minds and he had nothing to say about the matter. - -Then we told our story, rather briefly at first, for it would take some -time to give our friends all the details of our adventures. Uncle was -very proud of the way Bryonia and Nux had behaved, and told them so in -his outspoken fashion. The honest fellows could have desired no higher -reward. - -After this Ned told me of his trip. On reaching the ocean he had rigged -a mast and sail on the long boat and before a brisk breeze had soon -reached Manzanillo Bay and arrived at Colon harbor within a half day. - -Colon is a primitive town built upon a low coral island, but being the -Atlantic terminal of the great canal it possessed an office of the -Central and South American Telegraph Company, so that Ned was able to -send a cable message by way of Galveston to Mr. Harlan. - -He got an answer the next day, saying that the _Carmenia_, one of the -Company's ships, was due at Cristobal in a few days, and further -instructions as to the disposition of the wrecked cargo would be cabled -me on her arrival. Cristobal was a port adjoining Colon, and I -remembered to have heard that the _Carmenia_ was soon to come home from -the Pacific with a light cargo; so I judged it would be Mr. Harlan's -intention to have her take our structural steel on board and carry it on -to San Pedro. - -All we could do now was to wait, and instead of waiting in unhealthy -Colon Ned wisely decided to return to the wreck and report to me. - -They had begun to worry over us and to fear the Indians had murdered us, -so it was a great relief to them when we came back safe and successful -from our perilous adventure. - -Uncle Naboth admired Ilalah more and more as he came to know her, and he -told Duncan with great seriousness that she was worth more than all the -diamonds in the world, to which absurd proposition the inventor gravely -agreed. But indeed we were all fond of the charming girl and vied with -one another to do her honor. Even stolid Ned Britton rowed across to the -marshes in the afternoon and returned with a gorgeous bouquet of wild -flowers to place in the Indian maid's cabin--formerly his own cabin, but -gladly resigned for her use. - -Ilalah accepted all the attentions showered upon her with simple, -unaffected delight, and confided to us that she had altered entirely her -old judgment of the whites and now liked them very much. - -"They must be my people, after this," she said, with a sad smile, -"because I have left the Techlas forever." - -At dinner Bryonia outdid himself as a chef and provided for the menu -every delicacy the ship afforded. Ilalah ate little, but enjoyed the -strange foods and unusual cooking. After dinner we sat on the deck in -the splendid moonlight and recited at length our adventures, until the -hour grew late. - -When I went to bed I carried the diamonds to my locker, putting them -carefully away where no one could get at them until we left the wreck -and the time came to make the division. The ship was very safe for the -present. Until another severe gale occurred to bring the waves up the -river there was no danger of her going to pieces, as she held firmly to -her mud bank, weighted on her open planks with the great mass of steel -in the hold. Her bottom was like a crate, but her upper works seemed as -firm and substantial as ever. - -Ilalah's cabin was on the starboard side, but in spite of the ship's -listing her window was four or five feet above the surface of the river. -She bade us a sweet good-night in her pretty broken English, and an hour -later everyone on board was enjoying peaceful slumbers and I, for my -part, was dreaming of the fortune we had so unexpectedly secured. - -Suddenly a cry aroused me. I sat up and listened but could hear no -further sound. Absolute silence reigned throughout the ship. Yet the cry -still rang in my ears, and the recollection of it unnerved me. - -While I hesitated a knock came to my door, and I got up and lighted a -candle. - -Moit was standing outside in the saloon. His face was white but as -undecided in expression as my own. - -"Did you hear anything, Sam?" he asked. - -"Yes." - -"Was it a cry for help?" - -"That, or a woman's scream, Duncan." - -"Come with me," he said, and I followed him to the door of Ilalah's -cabin. - -Two or three loud knockings failed to arouse any response. I turned the -handle, found the door unlocked, and threw it open. - -The room was empty. - -I turned my flickering candle in every direction, lighting up the -smallest cranny, as if the girl could be hidden in a rat-hole. The -window stood wide open, and the cool night breeze came through it. - -I turned toward Duncan, who stood in the middle of the room staring at -the floor. As my gaze followed his I saw several of the blue beads -Ilalah had worn scattered over the carpet. - -"It is Nalig-Nad," he muttered. "The San Blas have stolen my princess!" - -"What's up, boys?" asked Uncle Naboth. He was standing in the doorway -clad in a suit of pajamas that were striped like a convict's, only in -more gorgeous colors. - -"The Indians have stolen Ilalah and carried her away," I answered. - -I am afraid Uncle Naboth swore. He is a mild mannered old gentleman, but -having taken a strong liking for the beautiful girl he perhaps could -find no other way, on the impulse of the moment, to express his -feelings. - -"Well," he remarked, after we had looked blankly into one another's -faces for a time, "we must get her back again, that's all." - -"Of course, sir," agreed Duncan, rousing himself. "We will go at once." - -"What time is it?" I asked. - -"Three o'clock," answered my uncle, promptly. - -"Then let us wait until morning," I advised. "The Indians already have a -good start of us and there would be no chance to overtake them before -they regain the king's village. We must be cautious and lay our plans -carefully if we hope to succeed." - -"Perhaps you are right," returned Duncan, wearily. "But I swear to you, -Sam, that I will find Ilalah and bring her back with me, or perish in -the attempt." - -I smiled at his theatric manner, but Uncle Naboth said seriously: - -"I don't blame you a bit, sir. That girl is worth a heap o' trouble, and -you can count on me to help you to the last gasp." - -"Well, well," said I, impatiently, "let us get dressed and go on deck to -talk it over." I well knew there would be no more sleep for us that -night, and although I was not in love with the lost princess I was as -eager to effect her rescue as Moit himself. - -"But I must warn you, gentlemen," I continued, "that you have to deal -with the wiliest and fiercest savage in existence, and if we venture -into his dominions again the chances of our ever coming out alive are -mighty slim." - -"All right, Sam," retorted Uncle Naboth, cheerfully; "we've got to take -those chances, my lad, so what's the use of grumbling?" - -"If you're afraid, Sam--" began Moit, stiffly. - -"Oh, get out!" was my peevish reply. "I may be afraid, and small wonder -if I am; but you know very well I'll go with you. So get your togs on, -both of you, and I'll meet you on deck." - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - WE ATTEMPT A RESCUE - - -The entire ship's company was aroused by this time, and it amused me to -find that every man jack, down to the commonest sailor, was tremendously -indignant and most properly incensed because Nalig-Nad had dared to -steal his own daughter--the successor to his throne--from the white men -with whom she had fled. - -Ned Britton's plan was to arm our entire company "to the teeth" and -march in solid ranks through the forest until we came to the king's -village, which he figured lay about opposite the point where our ship -had stranded. Once at the village we could surprise the place, capture -Ilalah, and bear her in triumph back to the wreck. - -There were several objections to Ned's optimistic plan. In the first -place we did not know the forest, and the Indians did. They could hide -behind the trees and pick us off with their arrows before we could use -our fire-arms; or they might ambush us, and annihilate our band. -Moreover, we were not sure Ilalah had been taken directly to the king's -village. They might have hidden her somewhere else. - -"It's another case of automobile, Mr. Moit," declared Uncle Naboth. "If -we're a-goin' to get that girl you'll have to use the convertible, as -sure as fate." - -"There is no doubt of that," returned the inventor, promptly. "I have -determined to start as soon as it is daylight." - -"What is your idea, Duncan?" I asked. - -"Simply to enter the country of the Techlas, show them a bold and -fearless front, find out where the princess is, and then rescue her in -some way. I'm afraid they will treat her badly, because she defied them -and ran away with me." - -"But she is to be their next ruler, after Nalig-Nad is dead," said I. - -"Yes, if she outlives him. But the king has two other children, and he -may prefer one of them to rule." - -"That's a fact," I answered. "I've seen them. And Nalig-Nad must have -been furious at Ilalah for favoring the hated whites." - -"There is no time to lose," continued Duncan, nervously. "We must start -as soon as possible and make our plans on the way. Who will go with me?" - -Everyone wanted to go, of course; but finally it was settled that Uncle -Naboth and I, with Nux and Bryonia, should accompany Duncan Moit in the -automobile. If we did not return within twenty-four hours then Ned -Britton was to land his sailors and march quickly through the forest to -our rescue. This arrangement was the best we could think of, and when I -frankly told the men that this hazardous duty would not be forced upon -them, since the adventure was wholly outside their province as seamen, -they one and all declared they would "see us through" or die in the -attempt. - -Only Dick Lombard, whose arm had been broken, and an old sailor with a -bruised knee were to be left behind, that they might care for the ship -in our absence. - -"No one can steal the cargo, anyhow; it's too heavy," I remarked; "and -if the Indians manage to do us up entirely Mr. Harlan will still be able -to get his steel beams. So we need not worry over the ship." - -It was a desperate enterprise, and we knew it; but so strong was our -admiration for the Princess of the Techlas that we did not hesitate to -attempt in her behalf all that brave men might be capable of. - -At the first break of day we got the automobile over the side and safely -launched it. There was not a moment's unnecessary delay, and as Duncan -was now familiar with the river channel we were soon paddling at our -best speed up the river. - -By the time the red rays of the rising sun gleamed over the water we had -passed the two hillocks and reached the southern tributary that led into -the land of the Techlas. - -We saw no Indians in the forest this time. Either it was too early for -them to be abroad or they had assembled inland for some purpose. The -forest was deserted. - -Our progress was, of course, much slower than on land. I think the -automobile paddled about eight miles an hour in still water, but as we -now had to stem a current we made less time than that. But distances are -not great in Panama, where the isthmus has a breadth of only some fifty -miles, so that we were not long in passing the northern forest and -coming to the coastal plains. - -We left the river at the same spot as before, where the bank was low and -shelving; for in talking over our plans we had decided to make directly -for Nalig-Nad's own village. It was reasonable to suppose that Ilalah -had been first taken there, it being the nearest point to the ship from -whence they had stolen her. The king might intend to hide her, -presently, even if he permitted his rebellious daughter to live; but we -judged that he would not expect us to give chase so soon. That we would -dare venture into his dominions a second time the astute monarch would -hesitate to believe. - -We relied much upon the promptness with which we had acted, and although -we were forced to travel by a roundabout route we ought, with good luck, -to reach the king's village by the middle of the forenoon. - -Once on the broad and level plains Moit allowed his machine to do its -best. We knew there were no obstructions in the way, so we made a -wonderful dash across the country. - -No effort was made by the San Blas to oppose us or interfere with our -progress. We observed no warriors at all, and the few farmers we passed -scarcely paused in their labors long enough to stare at us. - -When we came to Ogo's village, however, we saw by means of the glass -that the place was swarming with Indians, who were as busy and excited -as bees in a hive. This puzzled us, and made us fear the princess might -be in this place instead of the village farther on. But we decided to -stick to our first programme, so we circled around the town to the north -and continued on our way. - -Much faster than we had covered the distance before we now fled over the -plain, and soon the enclosure became visible and our journey was almost -over. - -A great jagged section of the wall had been blown up by the explosion, -wrecking some of the huts at the same time; but as we drew nearer we -discovered that Nalig-Nad had caused a big ditch to be dug, in the form -of a half moon, reaching from one end of the broken wall to the other. -This ditch was evidently made on our account, and as it circled outward -into the plain it prevented most effectually our entering the enclosure -with the automobile. - -We smiled at so childish an attempt to bar us from the village, but it -informed us plainly that the king had anticipated our return and feared -us, which knowledge served to encourage us very much. - -We halted the machine outside the ditch, a hundred yards or so from the -wall, and then proceeded to take careful observation of the condition of -affairs at the village. - -Our arrival had created no apparent excitement. There were no crowds to -be seen and the few natives, men or women, who stalked across the space -that was visible within the wall, going from one building to another, -merely turned their faces toward us for a moment and then continued on -their way. A woman sat at one side of the gap milking a goat; another -near her was hanging some newly washed tunics on the edge of the broken -wall to dry in the sun; but neither of these gave us more than a glance -or allowed us to interrupt their occupation. - -This apathy was mystifying. Surely we had created enough excitement at -the time we left the king's village to ensure a degree of interest in -our return. If the savages imagined their puny ditch any protection they -were likely to find themselves much mistaken. - -Presently we saw something that aroused us to action. Ilalah appeared, -crossing the enclosure from one of the side huts to the king's palace. -Her hands were bound firmly behind her back and her eyes were covered -with a thick scarf which effectually blindfolded her. She was led and -pushed along by two sour visaged old women, who showed their princess -scant courtesy. - -Moit swore roundly under his breath and I myself was filled with -indignation at the poor girl's condition; at the same time we were -gratified to know we had found her by coming promptly to the right -place. - -"Now," said Duncan, grimly, "we know what to do." - -"What is it?" I enquired. - -"They will bring her out again, sooner or later," he answered, "and then -we must make a dash, seize her, regain the automobile, and fly back to -the ship." - -"Easy enough!" ejaculated Uncle Naboth, admiringly. - -The women had finished milking and hanging out their clothes. Just now -the courtyard seemed deserted. - -"This is our chance," cried Moit. "Follow me, all of you except Mr. -Perkins. He must stay to guard the machine and to wave us a signal when -Ilalah appears. We will creep up to the broken wall and hide behind it -until the princess comes back. Then we will make a rush all together and -capture her before the Indians know what we are about. Are you all -armed?" - -We were, and ready. - -Duncan leaped from the car and we followed him. Then, bounding across -the narrow ditch, we ran silently but quickly to a position behind the -wall, where those inside could not see us. There we crouched, panting, -to await Uncle Naboth's signal. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - OUTWITTED - - -The silence of death seemed to reign in the little village. All life had -for the moment ceased, and gradually this extraordinary fact impressed -me ominously. - -"Where are all the people?" I whispered to Moit. - -"I can't imagine," he answered. - -"Guess dey in de co'te-yard of de palace," said Bry, who with Nux stood -just beside us. "Princess bein' judged; ev'body lookin' on." - -That seemed plausible; and it was a condition especially favorable to -our plans; so we waited with suppressed excitement, our eager eyes upon -the automobile, until suddenly we saw Uncle Naboth spring to his feet -and wave his red handkerchief. - -At the signal we four rose as one man and dashed through the gap into -the enclosure, each with a revolver held fast in either hand. - -As I bounded over the loose rubbish something suddenly caught me and -threw me violently to the ground, where I rolled over once or twice and -then found myself flat upon my back with a gigantic Indian pressing his -knee against my chest. - -I heard a roar from Moit and answering shouts from our two blacks, and -turning my head saw them struggling with a band of natives who -surrounded them on every side. - -Indeed, our conquest was effected much sooner than I can describe the -event on paper, and within a few moments all four of us stood before our -captors disarmed and securely bound. - -I own I was greatly humiliated by the clever deception practiced upon us -by Nalig-Nad. The wily king had foreseen our arrival and using Ilalah as -a bait had ambushed us so neatly that we had no chance to fight or to -resist our capture. The victory was his, and it was complete. - -Stay; there was Uncle Naboth yet to be reckoned with. I could see him -still standing in the car glaring with amazement at the scene enacted -within the enclosure. - -The Indians saw him, too, and with wild and triumphant yells a score of -them rushed out and made for the car. But my uncle was warned and had -calmly laid a number of revolvers upon the seat beside him. - -With a weapon in either hand the old gentleman blazed away at the -Techlas as soon as they approached, doing such deadly execution that the -natives were thrown into confusion and held back, uncertain what to do. - -Having emptied one brace of revolvers Mr. Perkins hurled them at the -heads of his assailants and picked up another pair. I wondered that the -San Blas did not shoot him down with arrows, or impale him on a spear, -for the top was down and he was unprotected from such missiles; but -doubtless they had been instructed to capture him alive and had not been -prepared for such a vigorous resistance. - -Presently an Indian who had made his way around to the opposite side put -his hand on the rail and leaped lightly into the car; but my uncle -turned in a flash and seized the fellow at the waist in his powerful -arms. Lifting the astonished Techla high in the air Uncle Naboth flung -him bodily into the furious crowd before him, tumbling a number of his -foes to the ground with this living catapult. - -But such magnificent strength and courage was without avail. Before -uncle could seize his revolvers again a dozen warriors had leaped into -the car beside him and grasped him so firmly that further struggles were -useless. The little man collapsed immediately and was dragged out and -brought to where we had been watching him in wonder and admiration. - -"Good for you, Uncle!" I cried. "If we could have managed to put up such -a fight it might have been a different story." - -He smiled at us cheerily. - -"Hain't had so much fun, my lads, since Polly had the measles," he -panted; "but it couldn't last, o' course, 'cause I'm all out o' -trainin'." - -And now that all our party had been captured, transforming powerful -enemies into helpless victims, King Nalig-Nad appeared before us with a -calm countenance and ordered us taken to one of the huts, there to -remain in confinement to await his pleasure concerning our disposal. - -"Who's this feller?" asked Uncle Naboth, looking hard at the king. - -"It is Nalig-Nad," I replied, rather depressed by our hard luck. - -"Why, hello, Naddie, old boy--glad to meet you!" said Mr. Perkins, -advancing as far as his captors would let him and holding out one of his -broad, fat hands. - -The king regarded him silently. It was the first time he had had an -opportunity to inspect this addition to our former party. But he paid no -attention to the outstretched hand. - -"Know your daughter well," continued Uncle Naboth, unabashed at the -marked coolness with which his friendly advances were met; "she's a fine -gal, Nalig; oughter be proud o' her, old chap!" - -With this he began to chuckle and poked the king jovially in his royal -ribs, causing the stern visaged monarch to jump backward with a cry of -mingled indignation and rage. This so pleased my uncle that his chuckle -increased to a cough, which set him choking until he was purple in the -face. - -The king watched this exhibition with amazement; but when his prisoner -recovered with startling abruptness and wiped the tears of merriment -from his eyes, the barbarian gave a disdainful grunt and walked away to -his palace. He was followed by his band of attendant chiefs, whom I -recognized as his former counsellors. - -I looked around for Ilalah, but she had disappeared the moment we rushed -into the enclosure, having doubtless been dragged away by her attendants -as soon as she had served the purpose of luring us into the trap. - -We were now taken to one of the huts built against the wall and thrust -through a doorway with scant ceremony. It was merely a one-roomed affair -with thick walls and no furniture but a clay bench at the back. The only -aperture was the doorway. Several stout warriors, well armed and alert, -ranged themselves before this opening as a guard. - -We were not bound, for having lost all our weapons, including even our -pocket-knives, we were considered very helpless. - -"I don't like the looks of this thing," I remarked, when we had seated -ourselves quite soberly in a row on the mud bench. - -"Bad box, sure 'nough, Mars' Sam," said Bryonia, with a sigh. - -"I hope they won't touch the machine," observed Moit, nervously. "I -don't mind what they do to me if they let the automobile alone." - -"That's rubbish," said I in a petulant tone; "they couldn't run it to -save their necks. Don't worry, old man." - -"I s'pose we won't have much use for an automerbeel in the course of a -jiffy or two," added my uncle, cheerfully. - -"Oh, I depend a good deal upon Ned and his men," I replied. "He will be -sure to come to our rescue early to-morrow morning." - -"Too late, den, Mars' Sam," muttered Nux. "Dat wicked king ain't goin' -let us lib long, I 'spect." - -"Then why did he put us here?" I demanded. "If he intended to kill us -quickly he'd have murdered us on the spot." - -"There was nothing to prevent his doing that, most certainly," said -Moit, eagerly adopting the suggestion. - -This aspect of the affair was really encouraging. So elastic is hope in -the breasts of doomed men that we poor creatures sat there for an hour -or more and tried to comfort ourselves with the thought that a chance -for escape might yet arise. It was pitiful, now that I look back upon -it; but at the moment the outlook did not appear to us especially -gloomy. - -I do not believe that any regret for having followed the Indian girl and -tried to rescue her entered into the mind of any one of the party. -Ilalah had stood by us and it was our duty to stand by her, even had not -Moit been so infatuated by her beauty that he could not be contented -without her. - -Being a boy and less stolid than my elders, I caught myself wondering if -I should ever behold the handsome ship my father was building, and -sighed at the thought that I might never stand upon its deck after all -the ambitious plans we had laid for the future. There was a little -comfort in the thought that all the diamonds were safe in the locker of -the wreck and that Ned would look after them and carry my share as well -as Uncle Naboth's to my father. But we were likely to pay a good price -for the treasure we had wrested from the San Blas. - -Midday arrived and passed. Food was brought to our guard but none was -given to us. We were not especially hungry, but this neglect was -ominous. It meant that we had either not long to live or our foes -intended to starve us. We tried to believe that the latter was the -correct solution of the problem. - -Soon after noon, however, all uncertainty vanished. Our guards entered, -commanded by one of the chiefs, and said we were to be taken to -judgment. They prepared us for the ordeal by tying our hands behind our -backs with thongs, so securely that there was no way to slip the bonds. -Then they fastened us together in a string by an original method. - -A coil of dressed skin was brought and an Indian held one end while -another made a slip-noose and threw it over Duncan's head. A second -slip-noose was placed around Bryonia's neck, a third around that of -Uncle Naboth, a fourth around Nux and the fifth around my own neck. -There was still enough of the coil remaining for a second guard to -hold--and there we were. If any one of us attempted to run, or even to -struggle, he would only tighten his noose, and perhaps those of the -others, and risk a choking. - -It wasn't a bad method of keeping us orderly and meek, and we were not -at all pleased with the arrangement, I assure you. - -When we had been thus secured the chief--who, by the way, was a "green -chief"--ordered us sternly to march; and so, like a gang of chained -convicts, we tramped from the gloomy hut and passed out into the -courtyard. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - THE SACRIFICE - - -The elaborate preparations made for our "judgment" were certainly -flattering; but we were in no mood to appreciate the mocking attentions -of the San Blas. - -The open space of the enclosure in front of the palace was filled with a -crowd of silent Indians, so many being present that we knew they must -have gathered from all parts of the territory. - -Our guards led us through the close ranks of these spectators to a clear -place near the center, where King Nalig-Nad sat upon a bench with a -score of his favorite green chiefs ranged just behind him. At the sides -of this interesting group several women, all of whom had green in their -tunics, squatted upon the ground. At the king's feet were the same -pretty boy and girl I had seen on my first presentation to the -potentate. - -But this was not all. In the open space at the right of the king stood -Ilalah between two stout guards. The girl's hands were bound behind her -back as ours were, but she was no longer blindfolded. Her proud and -beautiful face wore a smile as we were ranged opposite her, and she -called aloud in English in a clear voice: - -"Have fortitude, my White Chief. In death as in life Ilalah is your -own." - -A murmur of reproach came from those of the San Blas who understood her -speech. The king looked at his daughter with a dark frown mantling his -expressive features. - -"And I belong to Ilalah," replied Duncan Moit, composedly, as he smiled -back at his sweetheart. - -Indeed, I was proud of the courage of all my comrades on this trying -occasion. Bryonia and Nux were dignified and seemingly indifferent, -Uncle Naboth smiling and interested in each phase of the dramatic scene, -and the inventor as cool in appearance as if this gathering of the -nation was intended to do him honor. I do not know how I myself bore the -ordeal, but I remember that my heart beat so fast and loud that I was -greatly annoyed for fear someone would discover its rebellious action -and think me afraid. Perhaps I really was afraid; but I was greatly -excited, too, for it occurred to me that I was facing the sunshine and -breathing the soft southern air for almost the last time in my life. I -was sorry for myself because I was so young and had so much to live for. - -Ilalah, it seemed, was to be judged first because her rank was higher -than that of the strangers. - -The king himself accused her, and when he began to speak his voice was -composed and his tones low and argumentative. But as he proceeded his -speech grew passionate and fierce, though he tried to impress upon his -people the idea that it was his duty that obliged him to condemn Ilalah -to punishment. However that plea might impress the Techlas it did not -deceive us in the least. It was father against daughter, but perhaps the -king's hatred of the whites had turned him against his first born, or -else he preferred that the pretty girl nestling at his feet should -succeed him. - -"Lords and chiefs of the Techlas," he said, speaking in his native -language, "the Princess Ilalah has broken our laws and outraged the -traditions that have been respected in our nation for centuries. We have -always hated the white race, and with justice. We have forbidden them to -enter our dominions and refused to show them mercy if they fell into our -hands. But this girl, whose birth and station are so high that she is -entitled to succeed me as ruler of the Techlas, has violated our most -sacred sentiments. She has favored and protected a band of white -invaders; she has dared to love their chief, who has lied to us and -tricked us; she has even forgotten her maidenly dignify and run away -with him, preferring him to her own people. It is the law that I, her -father, cannot judge or condemn her, although it is my privilege to -condemn all others. Therefore I place her fate in the hands of my noble -chiefs. Tell me, what shall be the fate of the false Techla? What shall -be Ilalah's punishment?" - -The chiefs seemed undecided and half frightened at the responsibility -thus thrust upon them. They turned and consulted one another in -whispers, casting uncertain looks at the princess, who smiled back at -them without a trace of fear upon her sweet face. - -Standing close beside Ilalah I now discovered our old friend Tcharn, the -goldsmith and arrow-maker, whose eager face showed his emotion at the -peril of his friend. His dark eyes roved anxiously from the girl to her -judges, and it was plain to see that he was fearful of her condemnation. - -I myself tried to read the decision of the chiefs from their faces, and -decided that while Ilalah was doubtless a great favorite with them all, -they could find no excuse for her conduct. Their conference lasted so -long that the king grew impatient, and his animosity became more and -more apparent as he glowered menacingly upon the girl and then glanced -appealingly at her judges, who tried to avoid his eyes. - -Finally, however, the conference came to an end. - -A tall, lean chief whose gray hairs and the prominence of the green -stripes in his tunic evidently entitled him to be the spokesman, stepped -forward and bowed low before the king. - -"Mighty Ruler of the Techlas," he said, "we have weighed well the -strange conduct of the Princess Ilalah and desire to ask her a -question." - -"The speech of the accused may not be considered," said the king, -gruffly. - -"It affects not her condemnation, but rather her punishment," returned -the other. - -"Then proceed." - -"Princess," continued the old man, speaking in a kindly tone as he -addressed the young girl, "if in our mercy we spare your life will you -promise to forsake your white chief and yield him and his followers to -our vengeance?" - -"No!" she answered, proudly. - -Her questioner sighed and turned to his fellows, who nodded to him -gravely. - -"Then," said he, again turning to the king, "we find that the conduct of -the Princess Ilalah merits punishment, and the punishment is death!" - -The king smiled triumphantly and cast a look around the assemblage. Not -a man or woman returned his smile. They stood steadfast as rocks, and -only the little arrow-maker gave way to his grief by bowing his head in -his hands and sobbing most pitifully. - -"We also find," continued the grave chieftain, breaking the painful -pause, "that the law forbids any Techla to lift a hand against one of -the royal blood; and especially is that person immune who is next in -succession to the throne." - -This statement caused a thrill that could not be repressed to pass -through the crowd. The natives looked on one another curiously, but -satisfaction lurked in their dark eyes. - -I began to like these people. In themselves they were not especially -disposed to evil, but their fiendish king had dictated their thoughts -and actions for so long that they were virtually the slaves of his -whims. - -"Therefore," said the chief, speaking in a firm voice, "who will execute -our decree of death upon the royal princess?" - -"I will!" cried Nalig-Nad, springing to his feet "The king is bound by -no law save his own will. The girl is condemned to death, and die she -shall!" - -With a lightning gesture he caught up his bow and notched an arrow. - -I looked toward Ilalah. Her face was pallid and set but she did not -flinch for an instant. One fleeting glance she gave into Duncan's face -and then turned her eyes steadily upon her fierce and enraged sire. - -The king did not hesitate. He drew the bowstring to his chin, took rapid -aim, and loosed the deadly shaft. - -A cry burst from the assemblage, and even while it rang in my ears I saw -Tcharn leap into the air before the princess, receive the arrow in his -own breast, and then fall writhing in agony upon the ground. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - THE THRUST OF A SPEAR - - -Instantly there was tumult all about us. The crowd broke and surged -toward the central point in the tragedy, forcing us who were in front to -struggle on the crest of the wave. Their reserve vanished and each man -cried to his neighbor in eager tones and allowed the mad excitement of -the moment full sway. - -Some one cut Ilalah's bonds and the girl sank to the ground to support -the head of the little arrow-maker upon her breast, pressing back his -thin locks and tenderly kissing him upon the forehead. - -But he knew nothing of this grateful kindness. His eyes were set and -glazed, for the arrow had lodged in his heart. - -A tug at my thong threatened to strangle me, for Moit had bounded -forward to kneel beside Ilalah and try to assist her in spite of his own -helpless condition. Then some semblance of order was restored and our -guards pushed us back and eased the thong which was fast throttling me. - -From the murmured words of the natives I gathered that Tcharn had atoned -by his sacrifice for all the guilt charged against the princess, as the -law declared that when the death penalty was imposed another could die -instead of the condemned and so set him free. - -For this reason the king was raging like a wild beast and threatening -those who expressed sympathy for the girl who had so miraculously -escaped his brutal vengeance. - -"But the whites, at least, shall die--and the black men who are with -them!" he shouted aloud, casting at us such glances of hatred and -ferocity that we knew our fate was sealed. - -They had carried poor Tcharn away and the princess had risen to her feet -and now stood bravely confronting her father. - -"It is folly to talk of injuring these strangers," she answered him, -boldly. "I alone know their wonderful powers and that they are able to -crush us all if we dare attempt to harm them." - -The king let out a disdainful roar, but Ilalah's words impressed many in -the crowd and caused the Techlas to murmur again. - -"What can they do?" asked Nalig-Nad, derisively. "They are but human and -they are in our power." - -"They have their magic chariot," she said, "which you all know can deal -death and destruction to their foes." - -"Magic!" retorted the king, laughing boisterously; "do you call that -poor, man-made contrivance magic?" - -All eyes turned toward the opening, where a hundred yards beyond the -broken wall poor Moit's automobile was standing motionless as we had -left it. - -Most of those present had witnessed the machine's marvelous -performances, and in nearly every face now lurked an expression of awe -or apprehension. Nalig-Nad saw the look, and it aroused him to fury. - -"Come!" he cried, "I will prove that the white men have no magic." - -Seizing a heavy, bronze-tipped spear from an attendant he ran from the -enclosure and made directly for the automobile, followed by a crowd of -his most devoted adherents. The others, with us, remained to watch -curiously what he would do. - -I saw Moit's face pale and his lips tremble; but he stood firm and -steadfast while the king rushed upon his beloved machine and with a -powerful stroke drove the spear clean through the plates of sheathing -which protected the body. - -I own I was amazed at such a display of strength, but a more athletic -savage than Nalig-Nad I have never beheld. When the jagged rent was torn -in the side of the automobile the crowd that surrounded it danced -gleefully and jeered at the helpless child of our poor inventor's brain -as if it were alive and could feel their scorn. - -Again Nalig-Nad seized a spear and hurled it at the side of the machine, -piercing once more the light but stout metal. A third went crashing into -the automobile, and then-- - -And then it seemed as though the world had suddenly come to an end. - -I was dashed so forcibly against the huge body of my guard that where he -fell upon the hard earth his head was crushed in like an eggshell. But I -did not know this until I came to my senses and heard the sounds of -moaning all around me and saw the ground covered with the forms of the -stricken natives. - -A knife severed my bonds and set me free, and I staggered to my feet to -find Ilalah and Duncan Moit supporting me until I could recover -sufficiently to stand alone. - -Nux and Bryonia, all unhurt, were busy restoring the bruised and -bewildered Techlas to consciousness, while Uncle Naboth sat upon the -king's bench, his clothing torn to tatters, and wiped away with his red -handkerchief the blood that trickled from a cut in his head. - -I looked around wonderingly, trying to imagine what had happened, and -saw a piece of dull silver metal driven edgewise into the front of the -palace, where it was wedged firmly into the hard clay. That gave me a -hint, and I looked out upon the plain where the automobile had stood and -found that it had disappeared. So had Nalig-Nad and the crowd of furious -natives that had surrounded him as he plunged his spear into the heart -of Duncan Moit's great invention. - -Then I remembered the can of glycerine explosive and knew the whole -terrible story in an instant. The spear-point had made Ilalah Queen of -the Techlas. It had also deprived her lover of the perfect fruit of -years of inspired thought and faithful toil. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - THE DESERTER - - -While the village slowly recovered from the effects of this dreadful -calamity and the uninjured were caring for their less fortunate -brethren, our party was ushered into a comfortable apartment of the -palace and given food and drink and such comforts as the place afforded. - -We saw nothing of Ilalah at the time, for with those chiefs left to her -she was doing her best to relieve the misery of the stricken village. -Moit was with her, alert and active, keeping constantly by her side and -eagerly assisting her in the work of mercy. This I learned afterward. -Just then I imagined him frantic with grief and despair, and I found -myself regretting the destruction of his great invention even more than -the loss of life caused by the explosive. The dead were unimportant -savages; the machine that had perished with them was the most splendid -achievement; I firmly believe, that any man in any era of civilization -has ever been able to boast. - -But when toward evening Duncan Moit came to us with Ilalah, I was -astonished at his placid stoicism. Grieved he certainly was, but his -face expressed resolve and thoughtfulness more than despair. - -"I'm awfully sorry, old man," I said, laying a sympathetic hand upon his -shoulder. "I know how long and tedious the time will seem until you are -able to construct another machine as perfect as the one you have lost." - -He shuddered a little at my words but replied gently: - -"Sam, I shall never build another machine. That dream is over." - -"Over!" I cried, astonished. "What do you mean? Will you abandon all -your ambitions--the certain fortune that awaits you--the applause and -admiration of your fellow men?" - -"What do they all amount to?" he asked. "Yes; I abandon them. I'm going -to live with Ilalah." - -"Here?" - -"Here; in the half savage and almost unknown land of the Techlas. The -result of years of labor has been wiped out of existence in a flash, and -I have not the courage to begin all over again. I have no patterns of -the machine and the drawings and specifications all were destroyed with -it. I could never build another that would equal it in perfection. But -why should I attempt it? I do not need an automobile here. I do not need -fortune, or fame, or anything but love; and this Ilalah has given me -freely." - -"Do I understand you to mean that you will always remain in this -forsaken country?" - -"That is my intention," he said. "I shall help my wife to rule her -people and in her companionship be happy in a simple, natural way." - -We argued with him long and earnestly, while Ilalah sat beside him -silent and smiling but very sure that we could not prevail over his -sudden but preposterous resolution. - -They found a few scraps of what they believed to have once been -Nalig-Nad, and that night the remains were consumed with fire, -accompanied by many impressive ceremonies. Other funeral pyres burned -also, both in the enclosure and on the plain beyond; for the most -malignant of the green chiefs had followed the king to assist him in -destroying the automobile and had therefore shared his fate. - -Bright and early next morning Ned Britton appeared at the edge of the -forest leading his band of seamen to our rescue. We advanced eagerly to -meet him and told him the news of the king's destruction and of our -altered standing with the new ruler of the San Blas. Ned had heard and -felt the explosion even on the wreck, but thought that it must have been -an earthquake. - -The newcomers were not regarded with much favor by the Indians, yet I -thought that we all assisted greatly to lend dignity to the day's -ceremonies, which included the formal acknowledgment of Ilalah as ruler -and lawgiver of the nation and her subsequent marriage--a most primitive -rite--to the inventor, Duncan Moit. Ilalah's husband was next adopted as -a Techla, and then the excitement seemed to subside and the population -settled down to business again. - -However, there was no denying the fact that the natives resented our -presence among them and were ill at ease while we remained in the -village. So I told "King Duncan," as Uncle Naboth insisted upon jocosely -calling him, that we would make haste to return to our ship. - -He offered no objection to our going, but stated simply that it would be -our wisest course. Then he hesitated a moment, as if embarrassed, and -added: - -"You must never come back, you know. The Techlas will live their own -lives in their own way, and hereafter I am to be one of them and shall -forget everything that exists outside our borders. We permit you to go -freely now, as a return for your kindness to our queen; but should you -be daring enough to return at any time I warn you that you will be -received as enemies, and opposed to the death." - -"Will you become another Nalig-Nad, then?" I asked, indignant at the -traitorous words. - -"In the future, as in the past, the demoralizing influences of the -whites and their false civilization will be excluded from the dominions -of the San Blas," he answered, coolly. "My wife will rule as her fathers -did, in spite of the fact that one white man has been admitted into the -community. You have been my friends, but when you leave me now you must -forget our friendship, as I am resolved to do. Should you invade the -country of the Techlas again, you do so at your peril." - -This assertion, coming from one whom I had trusted and regarded as a -faithful comrade, filled me with consternation not unmixed with -resentment. But the man had always been peculiar and I tried to make -allowances for his erratic nature. - -"Tell me, then," I said, after a moment's thought; "how about dividing -those diamonds?" - -"They are yours. I have no use for such things now," he added, a touch -of sadness in his voice. "You are welcome to whatever share was due -me--on one condition." - -"What is that, Duncan?" - -"That you will tell no one where you found them and will promise never -to return here for more." - -I hesitated, and Uncle Naboth looked sorely disappointed. - -"It is my intention," continued Moit, firmly, "to support the traditions -of the Techlas. They must own nothing that will arouse the cupidity of -the outside world, for only in this way will they be able to control -their own territory. I am glad the audacious Tcharn is dead, and I will -destroy all his pretty goldsmith work within the next few days. Also I -shall have the valley of diamonds thoroughly searched and all the white -pebbles cast into the sea. Therefore no temptation will exist for you or -your fellows to come here again. Our laws will be rigidly maintained, -and any strangers, white or black, who defy them will be severely -punished." - -Yes, I had always suspected a streak of madness in Moit. Perhaps the -destruction of his marvelous invention had served to unbalance a mind -already insecurely seated. Anyway, I could see that he was in deadly -earnest and that any argument would be useless. My companions, also, -noted a strange glitter in his eyes that warned them he would not lift a -finger to save their lives if they again ventured to invade the country -ruled by Queen Ilalah. - -So, with regret, we submitted to the inevitable. We bade Duncan Moit and -his beautiful bride farewell and marched away through the forest till we -came to the banks of the river, where the wreck lay in plain sight. A -strong escort of silent natives watched us until we were all on board, -and then they melted away and disappeared like ghosts. - -I have never seen the inventor since, or stepped a foot upon the land of -the Techlas. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - WE LEAVE PANAMA - - -Well, the story is told, as you may easily guess. - -Uncle Naboth and I ran up to Colon, and not liking that city took a -train across the isthmus to Panama, which we liked no better. The -half-caste Spaniards and natives are a miserable lot, and do not compare -either in intelligence or dignity with the isolated tribes of the San -Blas. Some day, however, when the great canal is built, Americans will -invade these parts in such numbers that the present population will -disappear. - -It is a mistake to think the climate of Panama unhealthful. On the -uplands, both north and south of the depression where the canal zone is -established, it is as healthful as any tropical country in the world. In -the zone itself, which is ten miles wide, bad sanitation caused by the -carelessness of the French workmen used constantly to breed fevers and -disease. The Americans are now busily cleansing the Augean stables and -good sanitary conditions are rapidly being established. But I will say -this: that unless one has business in Panama he may readily discover a -more desirable location for a residence. - -We soon returned to the wreck, which we preferred to the towns of the -isthmus, and there amused ourselves until the _Carmenia_ arrived at -Colon. Then her captain, an active and energetic young man named Colton, -took charge of the remains of the _Gladys H._ He had received orders to -remove the cargo, strip the wreck of all valuables and then abandon her -where she lay. - -He brought his ship alongside with ease and as soon as he was in charge -and had given me a receipt, our people removed their personal -possessions and were rowed round to Colon, where a steamer was shortly -due that would carry us to New Orleans. - -I kept an eye upon the forest for Moit, thinking he might appear to bid -us good-bye; but he did not. We warned Captain Colton not to land in the -San Blas country, but did not confide to him any part of our recent -remarkable experiences. - -A few days later we caught the steamer and made a quick voyage across -the gulf. We reached Chelsea on the twelfth day of February, and were -warmly welcomed by my father, who reported the _Seagull_ nearing -completion. - -The diamonds were sold for a surprising amount of money, because the -stones proved exceptionally large and perfect, and the proceeds were -equally divided between Ned Britton, Uncle Naboth and myself. We had -selected three good specimens of the "white pebbles" to sell for the -benefit of our faithful seamen, and the amount of prize money they -received from this source greatly delighted them. Nux and Bryonia would -never accept anything in the way of money at all. They said that they -belonged to Uncle Naboth and "Mars Sam," and they knew very well that -whatever we had they were welcome to. - -Neither Mr. Harlan nor his company ever blamed me for the loss of the -_Gladys H._ It was one of those fateful occurrences that mortal man is -powerless to control. - -I may add that "The Boy Fortune Hunters" are still fortune hunting. -Perhaps you have read in "The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska" of our trip -to the gold fields. Some of the adventures we have had in the trim and -speedy _Seagull_, since our return from Panama, I have set forth in "The -Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt", where we discovered buried treasure in -the great desert, and in "The Boy Fortune Hunters in China", where we -penetrated to the dangerous interior and rifled the ancestral halls of a -mighty Prince. - - - - - _Up-to-the-Minute Boys' Books_ - - - The Airship Boys - Series - - _By_ H. L. SAYLER - - ILLUSTRATED BY F. R. HARPER - -This is one of the most fascinating, besides being one of the most -timely and technically accurate series of boys' books yet published. Mr. -Sayler is not only first, but, we think, without a rival in this new -field of boys' literature which offers so much in the way of invention, -exploration and adventure. The first two volumes are: - - The Airship Boys - _or, The Quest of the Aztec Treasure_ - AND - The Airship Boys Adrift - _or, Saved by an Aeroplane_ - - - Each, fully illustrated, with handsome cover and striking wrapper in - colors, $1.00 - - - _For sale wherever books are sold_ - - - - - _THE AUNT JANE SERIES_ - By EDITH VAN DYNE - - - AUNT JANE'S NIECES - - How Louise, Beth and Patsy were invited by their Aunt Jane to visit - her at Elmhurst; how one of them missed becoming her heiress, and how - Uncle John came to the rescue. - - - AUNT JANE'S NIECES ABROAD - - How Uncle John took the three girls to Europe, where they witnessed - the eruption of Vesuvius and had many exciting adventures in Sicily. - - - AUNT JANE'S NIECES AT MILLVILLE - - How the three girls spent a delightful summer vacation at Uncle John's - farm. - - - AUNT JANE'S NIECES AT WORK - - How Louise, Beth and Patsy helped the fortunes of their cousin Kenneth - in a hot political contest in his own district. - - - Each, cloth, 12mo, uniform, 60 cents. - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama, by Floyd Akers - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY FORTUNE HUNTERS IN PANAMA *** - -***** This file should be named 60191.txt or 60191.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/1/9/60191/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Stephen Hutcheson, and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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