CHAPTER X.

A DRAMATIC MEETING.

The sensations of those on board the Kite when they found that it was falling to the earth with great rapidity can hardly be imagined.

A million things flashed through their minds in a second of time.

It does not require a great while for a heavy body like the Kite to fall several miles through the air.

If the air-ship should strike the ground at that pace it would be demolished, and all on board would be killed.

But even as the cry of despair escaped Barney’s lips he made action.

He saw that the lever for the forward rotascope was not open, and the rotascope was not working.

Of course this rotascope alone could not support the air-ship.

But it would check its rapid downward flight and enable the air-ship to settle down easily.

Barney quick as a flash threw open the lever.

In an instant the downward rate of speed was checked.

The Kite continued, to sink, but at a much slower rate of speed.

Barney’s quick thought had saved the lives of all on board.

Slowly now the Kite began to settle toward the earth.

Barney quickly examined the electrical machinery.

“Is it serious, Barney?” asked Harding, anxiously.

“No, sor, I think not,” replied the Celt. “But it will take the whole of an hour’s worruk to faix it.”

Pomp had rushed to the rail outside to see where they would be likely to drop.

To the darky’s joy he saw that it was upon land and not water.

The air-ship was likely to settle down in the verge of a large forest and upon quite high land.

The peaks of the Andes were visible some miles away, which showed that they had been driven quite a distance by the storm.

Without doubt they were fully one hundred miles from the cavern and the spot where Frank Reade, Jr., was.

Of course they realized the necessity of promptly repairing the air-ship and returning to the spot.

Slowly the Kite settled down.

Barney and Pomp brought out their tools and went quickly to work.

Both were trained machinists, and Barney was a skilled electrician.

They were likely to as ably repair the Kite as it would have been possible to do under Frank Reade, Jr.’s personal supervision.

The Kite gently touched the ground, and Barney threw out an anchor.

There was no sign of an enemy in the vicinity, and all seemed safe. Therefore they did not hesitate to do this.

Harding busied himself about the ship’s deck, clearing up the debris, and making things ship-shape once more.

So intent were the three voyagers in all this that they did not notice an occurrence which now threatened them with positive danger.

From the deep forest there suddenly emerged a train of donkeys, six in number, with four men.

These came to an astonished halt at sight of the air-ship.

They were of the gauchero type, with slashed trousers and broad-brimmed hats.

Most of them were possessed of the swarthy hue of the half-breed, part Spanish and part native.

But one of them, who seemed to be the leader, was possessed of a white skin.

He was plainly an American, though his face showed hardened lines, and his deep-set eyes burned with a sullen light.

The leader will recognize him at once as the treacherous partner of Royal Harding, and with whom the treasure seeker had the hard battle on the cliff.

The treacherous villain had been to Quito and procured a rascally guard of gaucheros with which to return and recover the Incas’ treasure.

These four were but the advance guard, and as they stood there regarding the Kite in amazement a score more of the desperadoes came into view.

“Well, I’ll be hanged!” exclaimed Lester Vane, in astonishment. “How did that ship ever come as far inland as this?”

The gauchero at his elbow touched his sombrero, and replied:

“Senor, it has come here in the air.”

“In the air!” exclaimed Vane, in amazement. “What do you mean?”

“Just that, senor.”

“Do you mean to say that it blew in here?”

“It can fly like a bird, senor. We saw it when it passed over Quito nigh six weeks ago.”

“An air-ship!” exclaimed Vane.

“Si, senor.”

“But ah! I remember now. There is a man in our country by the name of Reade who is the owner of an air-ship. It may be him.”

“It is, senor; that is his name.”

Vane was interested.

“Let’s take a look at the ark,” he said, pompously. “Maybe we can buy it of the fellow.”

“I think not, senor.”

“And why not?”

“He will not sell. The governor offered him a fortune for an air-ship like it and he declined.”

“Well,” said Vane, with a cunning smile, “what is to prevent our taking it, Gastrovez, if he will not sell? If we work our cards well we ought to be able to do it.”

“I think not, senor,” replied the gauchero. “He has some terrible bombs that will destroy a dozen men at once.”

“That’s all right,” said Vane, with a curse. “I do not want to fight him. Simply make a strategic move.”

“Si senor; it may be possible to do that.”

“It is possible, and we can do it. Come on. Let’s have a parley with him.”

With this Vane began to approach the air-ship.

The gauchero band followed behind at a slow pace.

Vane was almost at the rail of the Kite before anybody on board saw him.

Then Harding, in coming out of the cabin, saw the rascally crew.

A sharp cry escaped his lips.

“Barney—Pomp!” he cried, excitedly. “On deck quickly! The brigands are here!”

The way Barney and Pomp grasped their weapons and tumbled on deck was a caution to monkeys.

And just at this moment Harding came face to face with Vane.

The meeting was a tableau worthy of an artist.

Vane had believed his former friend and victim of the cliff dead at the bottom of the Andean gorge.

To see him here now upon the air-ship’s deck was like looking upon one brought back from the dead.

Vane stood like a livid statue for a moment.

“Royal Harding!” he finally gritted.

“Lester Vane!”

The two sworn foes faced each other like wild tigers about to battle.

“I thought you dead.”

“God spared my life to overtake and defeat you.”

“Then you—you escaped that day from the face of the cliff?”

“I did.”

“Curses on my stupidity. I ought to have made sure of the job.”

A scornful laugh rippled from Harding’s set lips.

“That is what you ought to have done,” he said; “but as you failed to do it, you must now stand punishment for your falseness.”

“Punishment?”

“Yes; for I shall not let my wrongs go unavenged.”

A crafty light shone in Vane’s eyes.

“Come, I have no hard feelings against you,” he said. “Let us be friends.”

Royal Harding shivered.

“I would as soon have the deadly python for a friend!” he said.

Vane’s face darkened.

“Then you refuse to make up?”

“Do you think I am wholly devoid of sense, Lester Vane?” he said, in a cutting voice. “There can never be anything but hatred between you and I.”

“As you say it, so let it be,” said Vane, with a bitter laugh. “War to the teeth, if you will have it! I would like to speak with the owner of the air-ship.”

“You cannot do that.”

“Why?”

“He is not here.”

“Where is he?”

“That is none of your business. He would have no desire of parleying with you if he was here.”

“You are polite.”

“Perhaps so. But I would like to ask you a question.”

“I will be more gracious than you and listen to it.”

“Have you been to Quito?”

“I have.”

“Where are you going now?”

“I am going after the Incas’ treasure,” he said, coolly. “Have you anything to say why I shall not?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“The Incas’ treasure is gone!”

“How do you know?”

“I have been there.”

A fearful curse broke from Vane’s lips.

“Gone!” he thundered. “Who has dared to take it?”

“Red Muriel, the brigand.”

“Red Muriel, eh? So he has dared to do that? How did he learn that it was there? Did you tell him? Look here, Harding, we must get it away from him. We must co-operate and we will divide. Is it a bargain?”

“Villain!” exclaimed Harding, contemptuously. “Do not compel me to refuse your audacious request again.”

“Then you refuse?”

“It is idle to talk with you.”

“Only consider. With that air-ship you could ferret out Muriel’s den, and it would be no trick at all to drive him from it.”

Harding turned to the cabin door.

The wily Vane, however, had only been talking to gain time.

The moment he had decided upon for action had arrived.

Quick as a flash he turned to his followers, and made a quick motion.

“Strike!” he cried. “Do not kill them, but capture them alive! Strike!”

With a yell the gauchero crew piled over the rail of the air-ship like human wolves.