CHAPTER XV. THE NAZTECS AND THEIR PRISONERS.

Reginald Lacy and his faithful dog were swept over the falls with frightful velocity.

Jupiter still gripped his master by the collar, and it was evident that he meant to hang on until death parted them.

Down the foaming cataract they were carried, and the terror of his dreadful situation caused Lacy to lose possession of his faculties.

When he came to again he found himself lying upon a strip of sand with his feet in the water.

Jupiter sat before him, patiently waiting for his master to come to life and speak to him.

At first the man thought that he must certainly be injured in some way, but a single effort on his part showed him that he was not.

He rose to his feet but very little the worse for his journey over the rapids, and patted the dog’s head.

A slight noise behind him caused him to turn. The next instant a dozen men sprang upon him and bore him to the ground.

Jupiter, the dog, endeavored to render his master some assistance, but a blow from a heavy club stretched the animal senseless on a slab of rock.

Then Lacy’s hands were securely bound behind him, and his captors, who were a queer-looking set, raised him to his feet.

They began talking rapidly in some unknown tongue, and at length decided to take their prisoner down the decline to the cave below.

Lacy did not offer the least resistance, but with a strange, hunted look in his eyes he walked along with his captors.

They took him to a cavern where there were a number of strange men already assembled, and where Lacy observed another prisoner lying on the ground, bound hand and foot.

After a short consultation, a couple of men walked over to the prostrate man and liberated him, save untying his hands.

Even then the man did not look up, but kept his eyes fixed on the ground in a sullen manner.

But Reginald Lacy was gazing at him with a look of fear upon his face.

It was his enemy, Philander Owens!

An order was given, and both prisoners were marched to the other end of the cave, where an opening was visible.

Through this went the inhabitants of the underground world, leading their prisoners with them.

The strange inhabitants of the place kept on with their prisoners until they reached a massive building of a purple color, which was situated at the end of the single street contained in the city--if city it could be called.

Here they came to a halt.

Then, for the first time, the eyes of Owens rested upon his fellow captive, and such a look of hate darted from them!

Lacy quailed before him, and in a husky voice said:

“Aren’t you satisfied yet? Or do you still hate me as much as ever?”

“Just as much!” was the reply, in a bitter voice. “Why shouldn’t I? But never mind--my hour of vengeance will yet come!”

“Death stares us both in the face,” said Lacy, in a calmer tone. “Why not let bygones be bygones?”

“What! after I went to the expense to purchase a balloon to hunt you down after you had taken to the Everglades? Why, you vile hound! I have spent a fortune, almost, for the purpose of hunting you down. Never! If I ever hated you, I do now!”

“As you will,” returned Lacy, becoming more cool every moment. “But remember, we are both on an equal footing now.”

“I would soon show you if we were both free!” exclaimed Owens, hotly.

As if he were understood, a richly decked personage suddenly appeared in the doorway of the purple-hued building and spoke a few words.

To the surprise and joy of Owens, his hands were untied.

Then Lacy was treated in a like manner. The man, who was evidently the king, was just about to make an address to his people in regard to the two strangers from an unknown land, when a startling thing occurred.

Owens made a sudden leap and seized Lacy by the throat.

The men were about of one size and build, and were evenly matched as far as appearances were.

Owens was boiling over with rage, while on the contrary his opponent was perfectly cool and collected.

Lacy had gripped his foe about the neck, and he strove to throw him with all his might.

At the commencement of the sudden encounter between the two men, the inhabitants of the place were thrown into a state of dumfounded amazement.

But at length the king shouted the one word:

“_Naztec!_”

“Naztec, Naztec!” came the response from all hands.

And in the twinkling of an eye the combatants were separated and led away in different directions.

Lacy was conducted to a building on the right and placed in a small room, where two men promptly placed themselves to guard against his leaving the place.

“Naztec!” repeated one of the men, and then motioned to Lacy that if he would remain passive he would not be harmed.

One of the men pointed to a soft couch in a corner of the room and motioned him to lie down.

Then it struck Lacy that he was very tired and sleepy, so he promptly obeyed.

In a very short time he was fast asleep.

It must have been ten or twelve hours before he awakened, and when he did so he felt greatly refreshed.

As soon as he arose half a dozen men appeared and conducted him from the room to the street outside.

He was walked up and down this for about ten minutes and then returned to the place whence he came.

A substantial meal was now set before him, and Lacy ate it in a hearty manner, all the while wondering why it was that he was receiving such excellent attention.

But he was destined to soon learn.

Philander Owens was used exactly the same in another building not far away, and he, too, wondered why it was thus and so.

About twenty-four hours later both ceased to wonder.

Lacy had risen but an hour before, when he heard the beating of a tom-tom, or some other outlandish instrument.

The sum and substance of it was, that the ruler of the place had arranged for a contest of strength to take place between the two prisoners.

He had noticed the savageness with which the men had come together when they had been brought before him, and he concluded that if they were fed up a little, and taken care of, they would be able to give a first-class entertainment to the populace.

Owens had been captured a few hours before Lacy showed up and attempted to roll the bowlder down, but he had not been taken before the king until they both were together.

At the beating of the tom-tom the people of the place began to gather at the end of the wide street in front of the purple-hued building, and Lacy and Owens were each led from the house they had been kept in.

Owens was clad in a red tunic, while, as has already been stated, Lacy wore a blue one.

Both men seemed glad when the king motioned them to settle what differences they had then and there. One, because he hated the man who stood before him beyond the depth of conception; and the other, because he thought it about time that the thing was settled.

Instead of grappling with each other, the two men began sparring for an opening.

At length Lacy planted a stinging blow on his adversary’s nose, causing the blood to flow freely.

“Naztec!” yelled the crowd, applauding wildly.

Stung to madness, Owens made a sudden dive to the left and seized a knife from the belt of a man standing near.

With a look of fury in his eyes, he sprang upon Lacy, and raised the weapon to plunge it in his heart.