  The meeting that evening at De Castro’s became, before its close, what the Flying Buddies and Carlos termed a “hot session.” It was held in one of the huge cool rooms and the three young fellows stationed themselves on a balcony which gave them an excellent view without revealing their presence. The Alonzos and their faction arrived promptly, were greeted with great politeness by a young man secretary, and took their places around the heavy table with expressions of grave importance. To Jim, the younger man seemed to squirm a bit uneasily in his chair but every other face registered imperturbability. However, there were hastily exchanged glances when a second group of three men entered, but their appearance seemed to cause no special alarm. Courteous pleasantries were passed back and forth as all were seated. Eight men As if they had suddenly discovered something extremely hot on their seats, the Alonzos sprang to their feet, but they promptly recovered their poise and concealed their chagrin with effusive welcomes. Soon the meeting was called to order, more chairs brought in, and preliminaries started. “Looks like a disarmament conference,” Bob whispered, and his buddy nodded assent. The Texans were watching with cool interest, but Carlos was quivering with excitement. “They may try to do harm to my father,” he said softly. “We’ll keep an eye on them,” Jim promised firmly. He realized that Carlos was more familiar with the details of the business “He is declaring that there is an attempt to—what you call—deposit two crosses on him.” Jim frowned, then smothered a chuckle as he understood the boy meant “double cross.” “Perhaps he’ll find, before the evening is over, that he’s been branded with a flock of crosses,” Austin answered. “Let us hope so.” After that there was a heated discussion. De Castro and his side remained calm, and finally, when a vote was taken, it was discovered that two of the opposition had changed their tactics and were uniting themselves with the stronger, safer side. That infuriated both Alonzos and three of their men, but when they saw that four servants who entered unostentatiously with trays and glasses, were powerfully built fellows, they lowered their voices and sat back in their seats. “They understand now they are in for a “You got away with it, didn’t you, Dad!” “We did, my boy. I almost forgot that you were out there. What do you think of business meetings?” “This one looked to me like a warm party. Do you believe that those fellows are responsible for the attacks on you?” “Yes, I do. Before they knew that I was here, they telephoned Mr. De Castro urging that everything be taken up tonight. That pleased us greatly, and when we came into the room, the pair of them looked at me as if they thought I were a ghost. They thought they had everything their own way and it maddened them to be taken so by surprise,” he answered. “We turned on them the surprise elements of the meeting,” Mr. De Castro smiled, then added, “You boys are not aware that it is nearly morning and time young heads were on pillows.” “I’m happy that it is over, my father, but I am sure that you will need to be cautious. The Alonzos are not going to take kindly to “Frolicking frogs, but I’m glad you could get here,” Caldwell declared, and didn’t even flush at the demonstration. “I am particularly grateful to you two for getting me here. Now, as Peter says, it is time heads, both young and not so young, were on pillows,” Mr. Austin told them. “Shall we stay over tomorrow?” Jim wanted to know. “I think probably it will be necessary for me to stay several days, my boy. Things we took up tonight need to be carried through and I should not care to leave all the responsibility to my friends.” “That is splendid. We shall pay the visit to Amy-Ran,” Carlos declared with delight. “It will be a pleasure to show you something which is magnificent.” It did not take long for the household to quiet down for the balance “I say, Buddy, Carlos seemed to think that his father may have a mess on his hands with those fellows. They must be just as sore at Dad,” he said finally. “Reckon they are, but I heard Dad and Mr. De Castro discussing that this afternoon and they agreed that if the Alonzos failed to put through their scheme they will be mighty careful. They are influential men, that is, I mean prominent in a number of ways, and if it came out that they tried to put over something underhanded, they would all be ruined. There is plenty of evidence against them so that anything that went wrong could be pinned on them hard and fast,” Jim explained. “I see. Then they’ll be more likely to do, their utmost to see that nothing serious happens,” Bob remarked. “Exactly. Dad and Mr. De Castro have them where they want them. They are hog-tied good and plenty.” “Fine. Good-night.” The Flying Buddies went to sleep with contented minds, satisfied that the job they had undertaken was “You’ll have to pilot the return trip,” Jim declared. “Suits me,” the young fellow laughed. Carlos had a map of the country and pointed out the section of the mountains to which they were going, and presently the “Lark” was soaring gracefully over the city. The course was set and the Texans both thrilled with wonder at the beauty of the Andes rolling under them. It took half an hour to reach the point and Carlos shouted they had gone far enough, then Jim circled again, picked out a flat stretch of high table land and glided down. The plane lighted easily, the three climbed out, and the Sky Buddies gasped in awe at the magnificence of their “This is almost inaccessible from below,” he announced. “Only a few white people have ever been able to get up here.” The place where they stood was about half an acre wide, seemed to be of solid rock, which ended abruptly a few rods ahead, and as they had landed, Bob had noticed that the sides were perpendicular and seemed to drop in jagged formation at least a thousand feet. From the elevation they got a gorgeous view of sharp cliffs, lower hills, the plain, and finally the sea stretching into the horizon. Behind them was a small lake, which lay like a glittering blue jewel in a deep bowl. The plateau was in the shape of an S, and after they had stood staring some time at the scene, Carlos touched Jim’s arm. “We shall leave the plane here and I’ll show you something more astounding than this.” “Hadn’t we better block the bird?” Bob suggested, but there were neither logs nor rocks available. “I’ll raise the wheels and let her rest on the floats. They clutch the surface like a “Gee, look at these sentinels. Don’t they look like something built up here,” Bob exclaimed as he saw a giant rim of smooth stones which rose like a wall close by them. “They were brought here, but no one knows how,” Carlos told them. “How do you know they were brought here?” Bob demanded. “When you examine them you can see that the rock is much different from any around this part of the country, and also you can see that they were set in, like a foundation. There is a story that the conquerors who came here found an unfinished temple. The stones are fine quality, such as the ancient temples to the Sun God were made of, but these were so firmly planted and high up, that they could not be hauled down or destroyed. Where they could, the conquerors wrecked the temples and used the stones in their own buildings but some of the walls of “Must be a great piece of work,” Bob remarked. “It is and no one knows how it was done. So many of the Indians were killed that their amazing skill was lost in a few years.” “Some of them were fine jewelers—they knew a lot of things—I’ve read about Lake Titicaca and the temple there,” Jim said quietly. “There is a difference of opinion as to whether that was the emerald temple, or this place here. Once when I was a little fellow I came up with some other boys, but we didn’t hang around very long. We had to do some dangerous climbing, throw ropes ahead and haul ourselves that way. The land hereabouts belongs to what is left of one of the tribes and cannot be taken away from them, but as far as I have ever heard, only one very old Indian woman is ever around. A funny thing happened the time I came, I was scared out of my wits, and I went along that wall pressed as close as I could get because I was sure that I’d fall. I felt one of the “Remember where it was?” Jim asked. “Perhaps we can move it,” Bob added. Carlos led the way he had taken as a youngster but although they pressed hard all the way, every section remained firm and unmoved as the mountains themselves. “Everybody has told me that it was my terrified fancy and I suppose it was, but I’m not gifted with a very lively imagination,” Carlos said. “When it was open what did it look like?” Bob inquired. “It only opened a little way and all I could see was a flat place beyond with some flowers. I raced off to get the other boys, then couldn’t find it. Come along further and see the different parts.” He led the way and soon they were walking through a series of unfinished sections, some roofed and others open to the sky. The stone of the mountain formed the natural flooring, but here and there were huge inlaid pieces which “Put forward your hands, all of you,” she ordered, and they obeyed. The two emerald rings on the fingers of the Flying Buddies gleamed in the sunlight. She glanced from one to the other, then into their faces. “Go in peace,” she said, then turned about and disappeared behind a partition. Carlos whistled softly. “Guess we’d better not stay around,” he remarked firmly. Jim and Bob exchanged glances. “We’ll be mighty careful,” Jim added, but as they walked forth, Carlos was no longer leading. He was perfectly contented to follow, and although he glanced hither and yon, they did not see the ancient guardian again. It took some little time to tour the whole place and finally they came to the end where they stopped to catch their breaths. “Whew, it’s like something one reads about,” Bob declared softly. “This high ledge dropping straight down to goodness knows where, and this wild S-plateau studded with spires of the Andes. No wonder the original owners have been allowed to remain in possession. A white man couldn’t do a blame thing with the place.” “I suppose that tourists and mountain climbers come up occasionally,” Jim added. “Very few. Some years ago there was a “Glad you brought us,” Jim assured him. “Satisfied about the opening?” asked Bob. “Sure. I must have been scared. I suppose I passed one of the ordinary openings, and imagined I felt the stone move behind me. Want to—” he paused abruptly as a sharp hissing sound reached his ears, and an instant later a long rope was coiled about him, dragging him to the ground. The Flying Buddies recognized the sound By that time Carlos was yelling at the top of his lungs, and Austin wondered vaguely why he did it. The sound of his voice echoed and re-echoed eerily through the ancient temple and seemed to die off in a moan among the cliffs of the Andes. Vainly the boy looked for a weapon, a rock or a club, but the winds of the ages had swept the spot clean, and he had only his bare hands with which to defend himself. The two had whirled and were coming upon him again, then suddenly the smalled man paused. “Come on, give the bunch of them the works. They got it coming to them, the blasted butt-ins,” he snarled. “Shut that howling trap,” he indicated to Carlos whose throat must have ached with his efforts. “All right, Boss. I was in favor of doing that right along,” the big fellow sneered and quite calmly the pair drew guns from their pockets. As the small man got his ready, something dropped from his holster. It looked like a piece of torn paper, but the “This guy won’t know what hit him,” the big fellow growled maliciously. “Shut the other one up first,” came the order. “Say, what have we done to you fellows?” Jim demanded. “If you don’t know, we ain’t taking time to enlighten you, see,” the big fellow snarled. Their guns were raised deliberately, and although Jim thought of running, he was sure it would not help matters. He faced the two men and his fists clenched. “You are a pair of cowards,” he taunted them. “Go on and shoot.” “Blast you, I will.” The gun was pressed close to his chest and the boy saw the man’s fingers grip over the trigger. He held his breath for the explosion, but none came. There was an odd little click repeated four times, then the fellow stared at the weapon. In a second it flashed on Jim’s mind that the gun must be empty. He gave a short laugh, jumped forward so hard that he “I’ll get you loose and you can help me with Buddy,” Austin said mechanically. He cut the rope that bound De Castro, and the two turned their attention to Caldwell, who moaned slightly, and moved his arm. “He’s not dead,” Jim shouted. “No. Let me help him.” The voice was calm, and a tall man stooped over the prostrated young fellow. Jim watched anxiously and a moment later Bob was being raised to his feet. “Feel better?” “Sure—I feel all right—I say, Corso, how in the name of perforated parachutes did you get here,” the boy bellowed. “We found a way,” the man laughed. “Yncicea—you here and Corso—Gosh but we are lucky, and gee, it’s great to see you close again.” “Yes, Jim Scout, you are lucky. Our apologies for not being more prompt to assist you,” the youngster grinned. “What did you do to their guns?” Jim demanded softly. “That is something I have not learned yet, Jim Scout, but when you are in the laboratory again, ask my esteemed father. You have been having some troublesome adventures,” he added so softly that Carlos could not overhear. “You may introduce us to your companion as friends from Vermont.” “All right.” It was done in a moment, and Carlos thought the “tourists” had merely happened along at a timely moment, heard his yells and hastened to their assistance. He thanked them with great politeness, and urged them to pay a visit to his home. It did not occur to him to inquire how they got there and they made no attempt to enlighten him. “We are leaving, tonight,” Corso told them. Just then they heard an angry snarl, turned quickly in time to see the small man lower himself over the edge of the cliff and disappear from sight. The other chap had not moved, and now Corso went to him but there was nothing he could do. “I saw that fellow drop this,” Jim picked up the piece of paper. It was the same sort that he had found in the old room dug from the root cellar at the Gordon’s ranch, and he whistled as he examined the piece. There were a number of dim lines, like some old-time diagram, and only a part of one word—“an” was left. Quietly the boy handed it to Corso. The man looked at it, then smiled. “This is the part he should not have lost,” he announced as he tucked it into his pocket. “Thank you.” “Think he’ll get down?” Bob asked. “He may and we will do nothing to injure him while he is trying,” Corso told them. “We should throw a rock down on him,” “I believe that he is the last of a gang which was apprehended in Texas a few months ago. At that time he escaped—” “Well, he’ll dash his brains out going down that cliff without a rope,” Carlos declared. “I know what it means to get to the bottom.” “Expect we better spread our little wings and fly, my brother,” Bob proposed. “We’ve lingered here quite a while,” Jim agreed. “Hope we meet you again, Yncicea and you too, Corso.” “It will be a pleasure.” The Flying Buddies were anxious to get away before Carlos became too inquisitive about their touring friends, so the three hurried along the wild-S and finally reached the “Lark.” They piled into the cock-pits, waved to the two who were still standing by the ancient rocks of Amy-Ran, then the motor roared, the plane lifted, circled, leveled out, and started back to the plantation. “Is it what you would call the completion of a—” “The end of a perfect day,” Bob laughed “It’ll be great to get home,” he said to Jim, who had leaped out of the rear cock-pit and was standing under the shelter of the broad wing. “You bet,” Austin nodded. THE END Transcriber’s Note: Spelling and variations in hyphenation have been retained as they appear in the original publication. Punctuation has been standardised. Changes have been made as follows:
|
|
