Airplane Boys in the Black Woods

Wa

Lang appeared to realize that the captives had managed to free themselves of the ropes, and the Flying Buddies, th

y, completely ignoring the presence of the white men, passed along soundlessly. It was a strange spectacle the lads witnessed, and one they could not explain. There were about forty or fifty men, women and young girls, all carrying precious burden

pear, brought up the rear. He paused for an instant beside Mills, and stared down at the man who crouched in terror, then he proceeded to join his co

it's n

up more slowly; it was not easy to rid himse

t the place all right. Come on, we'll see where they hide it

es-" Mills re

t. Years ago-they hid carloads of stuff and nobody could find it, but lately some caches have b

'm havin', all by myself, you aint in it at all, but yo

crazy," La

all this, but listen, if it was real those fellows would never have trailed right o

ed. "They'll get away if we don't hustle." He dashed of

tiously brought up the rear. As he went on they could hear him muttering

eer," Bob remark

so you'll be sure you are

no sooner got a bit of the fleshy part of his arm between his fingers than Bo

ad raced about five minutes before they overtook Lang and Mills, and some distance ahead they could see the backs of the Indians marching forward with dignified tread. Nearly a quarter of an hour the white men followed the dark ones through the openin

nshine could pass. The boxes and baskets were placed on the ground in a circle and the men stood behind them, each armed with long and short spears. It looked as if the women were moving about preparing a meal, but suddenly there came a fierce braying of

, he's in armor,

storical moving picture in which armored knights and horses suddenly leaped t

women and children who were slung up behind the soldiers, while others gathered the treasure in their arms and galloped away with the rich booty, but as they scrambled up the rocks, a number of them were dislodged and came tumbling down. The stones seemed to mark the wall of some natural dam, for instant

d a lower outlet, and it flowed off among the boulders. However it was deep enough so that there was no evid

m dreaming," M

," cried Lang, glancin

we going

round to the other s

what

d, or rather barked. "Face about

bra

r later, old man," Jim ordered. "I

be k

t do as you are told. The first thing is to relieve yourself of yo

el

ff your gun belt. Do it quick or I'll shoot it off. My folks taught me to use a gun when they showed me how to handle a spoon, and right now I've got a lot against you; my fing

ve them here," Jim suggested, al

ly turned his pockets wrong side out, also removed his cartridge belt and a holster which he

, but not so that you are as helpless as we were." While Jim stood guard, he secured the pair with the one lariat, then h

the route lead forward in a comparatively smooth trail. Two hours they proceeded, winding in and out, twisting and turning as if the designers of the passage had sought to build a labyrinth for some ancient lover's lane. Then the way grew suddenly quite rugged and a bit later the bo

nk you are going to ta

b answere

we get out,

il, where you belo

now, I'm not going to

up," Lang

retorted. "I aint done n

've done as m

and he struck his companion a resou

h such force that Mills doubled up like a jackknife, screamed

ang," Jim sho

you with him

which Caldwell had knotted after he had chewed the strands, parted, and the smaller man went tumbling over backward into the rushing stream. The boys dared not stop to help him, but put all their strength into dragging Mills to safety. It was

k now?" Jim

Mills a

nd the next turn they found themselves in the ruins of an an

le ruins near Cuzco," Caldwell re

a sigh of relief, "Jinks, Buddy, the

so matted and they were sure that either no attempt had been made by the natives to conceal the spot, or any ancient hiding growths had been broken a

and he spoke softly for he thought that this last member of the gang tha

n, if we let him keep with us until we get out it will be safer to keep him in hand. He can be a nasty bird and after a while some of the effects of what we were through may wear

se knees wobbled under him and his fi

, all right

her side of the square was the first tier of a wide terrace, its massive walls seamed in even lines as its ancient builders had laid the rocks with infinite care, one above the other, and side by side. There were a few small fruit trees whose branches were gnarled and

e not sure if it had once been the bed of a small stream or a path worn through the years by the natives whose abodes had been somewhere in the vicini

far as we can,

dventures or danger, but the long hours spent in the passage, the tragic events which had piled themselves one after the

the plane soon," said Jim

about. "I say, Buddy, the sun is where

Jim told him. They stopped

ere more than one r

ere twenty-four hours, or nearly. I was dependi

en he was searching

tion of the green emerald rings?" Jim chuc

but I should worry

he wanted Bob to forget, as fast as he could, that ex

erstood why Jim had cut in, and was as anxious as the older boy t

ll and listened, every nerve tense, but gradually they relaxed for the plac

r it

he sky. In fact, they were far more interested in what might come out of the path of the blazing sun than what they would disco

together, how many miles do you believe we covered?" J

nt pretty slowly

e as if the passage made many turns, but that's hard to tell because it we

it wasn't very high, but for natives to have a covered way-gosh-I don't know. We did hear that the ancient natives made hidden wa

we started. What I'm trying to figure is the chances

they flew over that place where the planes were left, they wo

's ri

man, sneaking behind those rocks ju