*CHAPTER XXXIII.*
*A QUEER HUNT.*
Even as Fumenta spoke, two dark shapes rose quickly above the fleecyvapours as though to take a cautious observation.
Alondra and the two chums instantly recognised them as the two yachtsthe _Nelda_ and the _Lokris_; but ere they could breathe a word bothcraft had dived back into the fog.
At once two or three of the hostile airships made a dart at the placewhere they had appeared, and so impetuous was their rush that theynarrowly missed ramming one another. But for some reason they did notdive after the fugitives. They were evidently averse to trustingthemselves in those foggy depths.
Fumenta nudged his companions, and they crept down the rocky slope intothe concealment of the mist again.
'It wouldn't do to stay up there,' he said, when they had reached whathe considered a safe distance. 'Now, Prince, if you can send a messageto your friends, will you please ask them to remain in one place till wefind them? You can explain to them that they have nothing to fear atpresent; evidently their enemies do not care to hunt for them down inthe fog. They prefer to wait till it clears off, as they know it ispretty sure to do in an hour or two. In that hour or two we must manageto find your friends and conduct them to a place of safety.'
'How can you do that?' asked Alondra helplessly. 'I confess I feelbewildered. The world seems turned upside down! I could not havebelieved my father would'---- He hesitated to finish the sentence.
'My son,' said the old chief kindly, 'you may comfort yourself with thethought that your august father is doing what he finds best in thecircumstances. Now the fox is going to aid the eagle, and hide him inhis burrow until the hunters have gone away. Then we must offer whatassistance we can in finding and regaining possession of the _Ivenia_,from which--as I read it--King Ivanta has become separated, probablythrough a trick or some fresh treachery. If we can help him to do that,the eagle will then be able to turn on his enemies as though they were ahost of small birds, and all will be well!'
Alondra looked fixedly for a moment at the outlaw leader, and thenimpulsively seized his hand and shook it, and there were tears in hiseyes as he exclaimed, 'I don't know who you are, sir; but I know thatyou are a friend in need. I shall leave it to the king my father tothank you properly, later on; now I can only say your kindly words havefilled my heart with gratitude.'
'Let us say no more, Prince, but set to work,' was the terse reply.
Alondra set to work accordingly, and after some delay, succeeded ingetting into communication with his friends again.
My father has understood my message,' he presently said, 'and agrees toyour suggestion. They are resting on a hill-top below, and will staythere until we get to them.'
'Good!' observed Fumenta. 'Now, the thing is to find out where thathill-top is.'
'Is there any way of telling by means of that little instrument whether,as we move about, we are getting nearer to them or farther away?' askedJack. 'In our world, when, as children, we played at hide-and-seek, weused to say we were getting "cold" when we were on the wrong track, and"hot" when we were on the right one. Now, is there any way of tellingwith the help of that little contrivance whether, as we move about, weare getting "hot" or "cold"?'
'Why, yes, to some extent,' Alondra returned, but not withouthesitation. 'I think I shall be able to form an idea, as we go on, bythe sound it gives out. The nearer we are, the stronger the current,and the louder the little bells ring.'
'Exactly! That's what I was hoping for,' said Jack. 'With that toguide us, it ought not to be such a very long business.'
And then there began the most extraordinary hunt for the airships hiddenin the mist that can well be imagined.
It proved to be more difficult and perplexing than the searchers had atfirst thought would be the case. They went up and down, to and fro,going too far in one direction, then turning, only soon to find thatthey had travelled too far in the opposite track. It was a veritablegame of blindman's-buff, and as time went on, and Fumenta's predictionabout the mist clearing seemed likely to be realised, the seekers becamefirst anxious and then seriously alarmed. It was true that the soundsgiven out by Alondra's wondrous little instrument varied according totheir distance from those who were signalling to them; but thedifferences were so slight as to be extremely difficult to detect.
At last, however, their perseverance was rewarded. Gerald was the firstto catch sight of what they sought. A half-smothered exclamation fromhim drew the attention of the others to what seemed no more than a darkshadow. They were all actually passing it, and in another moment or twowould have lost sight of it. But when Gerald pointed it out, Alondramade a dart towards it, and quickly called to his companions to followhim.
A few minutes later they were standing on the deck of the king's yacht,and Alondra was folded in his father's arms.
'What has happened, father?' he asked. 'Where is the _Ivenia_?'
'Ah, that is what I want to know!' Ivanta confessed. 'Some strange,unforeseen occurrence--an accident, or treachery, I know not what--hashidden her away. Thanks to the machinations of Agrando and Zuanstroom,the whole of the people of my realm seem to have gone mad and turnedagainst me. For the time being, Alondra, your father is an exile, afugitive, with scarce a friend in the world.'
'You have one friend, oh king!--one who has some followers you maydepend upon,' said Fumenta, stepping forward. 'If you will accept myservices'----
'Who are you?' the king asked, turning to him wonderingly.
Alondra explained, and Ivanta frowned.
'Fumenta! The one who is in rebellion against me!' he exclaimed, eyingthe outlaw chief keenly and coldly.
'Not so, oh king!' Fumenta answered, drawing himself up proudly. 'Norebel against you have I ever been! No one can say it! But againstyour vassal Agrando, yes! I have been his sworn enemy for many a year,and not without good reason; but against you I have had no othercomplaint to make than that you supported him against me. Doubtless youwere misled by false and lying misrepresentations, and had you known thetruth---- But there is no time for the discussion of such matters now.I offer you safe asylum, not for yourself and your followers only, butfor your airships. You will find that I and all my people are loyal toyou, and will fight to the death against Agrando and his allies.'
'But how can you hide my airships away?' asked the king doubtfully.
'You shall soon see, oh king! Do not delay, I pray you. The mist isalready getting thinner. A little longer, and our chance will be gone.'
Ivanta looked at Alondra, and the two conferred apart for a brief space.Then Ivanta returned to Fumenta, and, holding out his hand, said, 'Ihear you have been a good friend to my son and his companions in thetime of their need. That is enough for me! Henceforth you are myfriends--you and all your followers.'
Fumenta thereupon took charge of the craft as a pilot might, issuinginstructions in low tones to the officers. Under his guidance, the_Nelda_ glided slowly through the mist, closely followed by the_Lokris_, which had been resting a few yards away.
Then, as they went along, Alondra asked for tidings of their friends,and heard bad news indeed.
Many of the party who had accompanied Alondra to Agrando's court hadbeen treacherously seized.
Monck, it seemed, had got away in the _Lokris_, bringing with him thetwo sailors and--somewhat curiously--Zuanstroom's nephew Freddy, who hadsought shelter with him and begged piteously not to be left behind.These were all safe on board the other yacht.
'But of others,' said the king, 'I am sorry to say that they are nowheld as prisoners by Agrando. Aveena and several of your friends,Alondra, are amongst them, and,' he went on, slowly and bitterly, 'mosthumiliating of all, for me to have to confess it--for it seems as thoughI had failed in a host's first duty--so, I am deeply pained to tell you,is our friend Armeath.'