Part 10

“Humph. Well, I believe they are. And, since you mention it, two of our important directors were mysteriously ill at the time of the last meeting. They recovered in a day or so, but their medical men are still at a loss to know what was the matter with them. They have been taking every precaution since, in fact, they have had themselves and their homes strictly guarded,” De Castro announced, then added, “But there is no one they suspect, and as far as I know, there seems to have been no way to connect their illness with the Alonzos.”

“But the fact that the men were ill is in itself suspicious.”

“I should say that it is, very. May I ask what happened on your way here, and how you escaped?”

“I escaped because of my son’s promptness in acting, and Bob’s co-operation.” Mr. Austin went on to tell the story since the arrival at Miami where the supposed Marine tried so hard to be taken to Havana, and the discovering of the dwarf after he had attempted to drug the flyers. The De Castros listened tensely during the recital, and at its close, the older man got to his feet and paced up and down in his agitation.

“Barbarous, simply barbarous. The assassins. You say the chemist was unable to classify the drug?”

“He didn’t know it. We sent the tube north and hope to get it analyzed, but he had no idea what it contained.”

“Great guns, you boys must have had a wild time fighting that dwarf,” Carlos exclaimed.

“Jim did the fighting. I was frozen to the controls,” Bob answered.

“Sure he was, but I’d have gone into the briny with a bumped head if he hadn’t kept the “Lark” doing stunts. When we did slide off, he dove down under me so that I dropped on top of the wings. They sure did look good to me,” Jim declared.

“You didn’t look around for the dwarf?”

“As soon as a chute opens a man begins to fall slowly, and if he has his wits about him, he can guide himself in any direction. I knew that when Jim saw the plane coming under him, he’d make for it even if I didn’t get in exactly the right position. We were in a fog, and the dwarf just went tumbling on, going faster and faster. He was out of sight before I had picked up Buddy, then we were getting pretty low, so I began to climb. I didn’t know anything about what the water was like, so I didn’t dare go down. I might have landed on it half a mile from where the dwarf dropped,” Bob told them simply.

“And with the force the fellow would keep dropping.”

“Yes.”

“Well, my boys, you tell it as if it were a mere incident, but I know those were anxious moments for you all--ah, here are our two associates. Now, I am sure that we shall have things in our own hands and that all will be well after the meeting. Carlos, do take the boys where they can rest, and tomorrow perhaps you can show them something of our land. We think it very marvelous.”

“I say, maybe they’d like to fly to Amy-Ran. That’s mighty interesting and I’ve always wanted to get there in a plane. It’s an old Indian place, I won’t tell you anything about it, you can see for yourself. No one ever goes near it much, but there’s an Indian woman, no one knows how old she is, who lives near by,” Carlos told them.

“That surely sounds as if it would be worth seeing,” the Buddies agreed heartily. “Suppose you’ll be staying over tomorrow, Dad?”

“I believe that I may have to,” Mr. Austin answered.

“Stay over the day! Indeed you are, you shall stay several days,” De Castro announced emphatically.

XII

AMY-RAN FASTNESS

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 were assembled, there was no show of impatience, but an occasional glance toward the door through which they expected the elder De Castro to enter. The secretary had arranged a neat pile of notes and books at the head of the table, where was the only empty chair. Then the portieres, rustled slightly, the tall Peruvian stepped forward, with Mr. Austin and two other gentlemen beside him.

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 and that his anxiety was probably warranted. They watched the meeting proceed, could see the strained tension as more and more important matters were brought up, and finally heard the younger Alonzo burst out angrily.

“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 revelation of their hands,” and Bob guessed that meant a “show-down.” Carlos was correct. Because of the presence of Mr. Austin and the other two, detailed questions were taken up, books examined with great care, and matters gone into very thoroughly. There was an attempt to hedge, a postponement proposed, but Jim’s father quietly announced that he wished the business concluded at once. He was ably backed, so they went on, and finally, the election of officers began. At the count it was found that the Alonzos were out of power. That started a violent harangue, accusations true and false, and so many pairs of fists hammered the great table that it jumped as if spooks were under it. Politeness was thrown to the winds, and it was hard for the three boys on the balcony to keep quiet. They longed to leap in and take a part in the fray, but restrained themselves manfully, for Mr. Austin had told Jim that they must not interfere unless there was actual danger. At last it was over, the meeting was closed, and five of the assembly left the place with faces which were black with anger, and feet that stamped heavily all the way down the terrace to their waiting cars. Then Carlos threw open the door, and the fathers smiled at their sons’ eagerness.

“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 their defeat,” Carlos declared solemnly. He kissed his father quite naturally, to the surprise of the Texas boys, then Jim remembered that these people were more demonstrative than in northern countries. Not to be outdone he kissed his own father, and Mr. Austin accepted the salute, then turned and embraced Bob.

“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 of the night. Before they finally turned in, Bob was frowning seriously.

“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 well done. It was late when they awoke, but the household was stirring quietly, and the De Castro family were radiant over the successful outcome of the meeting. As soon as they could get on their way, the three boys set out for Amy-Ran, young Carlos in the seat with Jim and Bob in the rear cock-pit where he crowed over his step-brother because he could observe without interruption the world over which they would travel.

“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 surroundings, while young De Castro smiled with gratification at their admiration.

“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 tire and if it should blow up much we’ll have to get away quickly,” Jim decided. Presently that was accomplished, then Carlos led them cautiously along the narrow S until at last they were near the further end where they paused again.

“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 the temple of Lake Titicaca are still standing. There isn’t a crack in them where they were joined,” Carlos replied.

“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 stones move and it slid open. When I reached my companions I told them about it and we all came back but I couldn’t find the place. They laughed at me, of course, but just the same I’m positive it moved.”

“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 still bore strange markings. On some of the stones were designs so weather-beaten that they could not be made out, and quite a number of them were highly colored. Suddenly they heard a soft sound behind them, and whirling quickly they were confronted by a very tall woman whose dark face was as wrinkled as a black walnut, and whose hands rested on the gnarled head of a heavy stick. She stood perfectly quiet, her eyes traveling from the top of Carlos’ head to the tips of his toes, then she turned her gaze on the two Texans. Bob felt the hair on his back chill as if he were leaning against a block of ice, but Jim had no fear under the close scrutiny.

“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.

“I do not believe that she will mind our looking at the place if we are careful not to disturb anything,” Bob suggested because by that time he was sure there was nothing to be afraid of and he very much wanted to inspect the marvelous monument that stood so sturdily as a reminder of its clever builders.

“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 half-breed guide who used to bring people. He had rigged a sort of basket and ropes out of fibre, very strong, but two parties were killed because the stuff rubbed on the sharp rocks and broke. The last time, the guide himself took a header into the canyon, and since then everybody gives Amy-Ran a wide birth. As it does not belong to the province of Peru, the government forbade travelers visiting it. Only once in a while a few boys will climb up, but I remember when I came it was even harder to get down than up, and I had no inclination to make a second attempt. When I saw the plane I thought it would be an experience for you to come, and besides I wanted to try that wall again,” said Carlos.

“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 and jumped aside in time to get beyond the reach of the lariat, and whirled about. The rope was fastened around a low stone, and two men, one large and burly, while the other was smaller, leaped at them with vicious snarls. They dodged aside as fast as their feet could take them, but after a moment the bigger man had Bob clutched about the waist while in another second Jim and the other fellow were struggling fiercely. Carlos rolled and struggled with his bonds, but he was helpless. Caldwell’s assailant made short work of the young fellow. One sharp jab on his jaw and he was stretched out unconscious, then the big chap sprang to the assistance of Jim’s opponent. He dodged in swiftly, his great fist coming down like a sledge hammer, but Austin was able to duck so the blow grazed his shoulder. With all the strength and speed he could muster, Jim leaped back. He was conscious that the edge of the great cliff was within a few inches of his feet and that a misstep would send him into the abyss below. Crouching he kept his eyes on the two who leered wickedly as they came on, inch by inch, but as they drew close, Jim sprang forward and lighted on his feet a yard beyond them. Then he dared to glance over his shoulder quickly, and backed toward the great wall of the ancient temple.

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 chap did not know that he had dropped it. Austin had his back to the longest section of the wall, the other two boys were a short distance away.

“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 knocked the fellow on his back, his head struck the rock and he lay still, but as he fell his gun flew from his hand, struck the stone wall, and there was a violent explosion, followed by a shriek from his companion who seemed to have found his own weapon equally useless. He dropped in a heap, blood spurting from his side and arm. The turn of events were so startling that Jim could only stand staring in wonder, then his eyes fell on Bob and Carlos, who had been startled into silence.

“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.

“We wished to explore this so famous Amy-Ran,” came a second voice and Jim whirled.

“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.