"So are we all tired!" exclaimed one of the gang, speaking in Spanish,which was the language Vasco always used save in talking to his Englishacquaintances. "We want gold, and if the fat boy is to be carried offand held for a ransom, the sooner the better."
"Have patience," advised Vasco. "We'll have him quick enough. Wait untilNoddy comes." Then he began to roll a cigarette, his example beingfollowed by all the others.
In about an hour Noddy, Pender, Dalsett and Berry came up in the auto.A consultation was held, and it was decided to have the horsemen followthe party in front more closely.
"We'll do the kidnapping to-night," said Noddy. "We'll wait until theygo into camp, because that's what they'll have to do, for there are noinns down here. We'll be hiding in the bushes and at the proper timewe'll grab Bob Baker and run."
"Good!" exclaimed Vasco. "My men were beginning to get impatient."
The plotters made a fire and prepared dinner. Then the Mexicans got outtheir revolvers and began cleaning them. Several also sharpened theirknives.
"Look here," began Noddy, as he saw these preparations, "there's to beno killing, you know, Vasco."
"Killing! Bless you, of course not," was the reply, but Vasco winked oneeye at Dalsett. "My men are only seeing that their weapons do not getrusty. Now, captain, we're ready to start as soon as you give the word."
"Then you may as well begin now," was Noddy's reply. "They have a prettygood start of us, but we'll travel after dark, if need be, to catch upwith them. As soon as they camp out for the night, Vasco, surround themso they can't escape. Then I'll come up in my car, and we'll take Bobaway in it."
The horsemen started off, Noddy following in a little while. The trailmade by the auto of the boys and the professor was easily followed.
Noddy's car had barely turned around a bend in the road before somethingstrange happened. The laughing serpent seemed to tremble and shake. Itappeared alive, and about to fall to the ground.
Then a portion of the base and tree-trunk slid to one side and from theinterior, which was hollow, there stepped out an old Mexican--the samewho had played the part of the magician and who had given propheticwarning to the travelers.
"Ha! My trick worked!" he exclaimed. "It was a hard journey to travelall that distance and get here ahead of them. Only the fleetness ofmy horse and the fact that I knew all the roads that were short cuts,enabled me to do it. Now for the final act in the game!"
He placed his fingers to his mouth and blew a shrill whistle. In aninstant a milk-white horse came from the bushes, where it had beenconcealed.
"Here, my beauty!" called the Mexican.
He leaped on the animal's back and dashed off like the wind, down theroad leading to the right.
CHAPTER XVII.
AN INTERRUPTED KIDNAPPING.
As the auto containing the naturalist and the boys progressed, the roadbecame more and more difficult to travel. Part of the way was overgrownwith brush, and several times the travelers had to stop, get out and cutbig vines that grew across the path.
"I guess there hasn't been much going on along this highway," observedJerry.
"And I don't believe it will ever be much in favor with autoists," saidNed. "There's too much sand."
There was a great deal of the fine dirt and in some places it was sosoft and yielding that the wheels of the car sank down half way to thehubs, making it impossible to proceed except at a snail's pace. Then,again, would come firm stretches, where the going was easier.
In this manner several miles were traversed. The forest on either sideof the road became more dense and wilder. Thousands of parrots andother birds flew about among the trees, and troops of monkeys followedthe progress of the automobile, chattering as if in rage at the invasionof their stamping ground.
Suddenly the screams and chattering of the monkeys ceased. The birdsalso stopped their racket, and the silence was weird after the riot ofnoise. Then there came such a series of shrill shrieks from a band ofmonkeys that it was evident something out of the ordinary had happened.
The next instant a long, lithe, yellow animal shot across the road infront of the auto. The big beast had a monkey in its mouth.
"A jaguar!" exclaimed the professor. "Quick, boys! Get the rifle!"
Ned handed the weapon to the professor, who fired three times, quickly,but the jaguar leaped on, unharmed.
"Well, we're getting into the region of big game," remarked thenaturalist, "and we'll have to be on the lookout now or some of thebeasts will be trying that trick on us."
"The monkeys must have seen him; that's why they kept so still thattime," remarked Bob.
"But it didn't do that particular one any good," said the professor. "Hemust have been caught napping. Well, Mr. Jaguar will have a good supperto-night."
"That reminds me," spoke Bob. "When are we going to eat?"
"That's right, speak of eating and you'll be sure to hear from Chunky,"said Jerry. "But I suppose we'll have to camp pretty soon. It's fiveo'clock and there don't seem to be any hotels in the vicinity," and heglanced at the dense forest on every side and grinned.
"We'll camp at the next clearing," said the professor. "Better get to aplace where there's a little space on every side of you when there arewild animals about."
A mile further on the travelers came to a place where the trees wereless thick. There was an open space on either side of the road. Theauto was placed under the shelter of a wide-spreading palm and then theadventurers busied themselves getting supper.
The professor took a gun and went a little way into the woods. He shota small deer, and in a little while some choice venison steaks werebroiling over the camp stove.
"This is something like eating," remarked Ned. "I was getting tired ofthose frijoles, eggs and tortillas," and he accepted a second helping ofvenison.
The rubber and woolen blankets were taken from the auto, and thetravelers prepared to spend the night in the forest.
"I guess we'll mount guard," said the professor. "The forest is full ofjaguars. I saw three while I was hunting the deer."
"Let me stay up," begged Jerry. "I'm not sleepy, and I'd like to get ashot at one of the beasts."
Ned also wanted to remain up, but the professor said he could take thesecond watch; and, content with this, Ned turned in with the others.
As the night wore on the forests resounded more and more with the noisesmade by wild beasts. The howls of the foxes mingled with the moreterrifying yells of the jaguars, and of the latter beasts the woodsseemed to be full.
Jerry, with the loaded magazine rifle, was on the alert. He kept up abright fire, for he knew that unless made desperate by hunger no wildthing would approach a flame. There were queer rustlings and cracklingsof the underbrush on every side of the sentinel. Now and then throughthe leaves he caught glimpses of reddish-green eyes reflecting back theshine of the blaze.
Following the plans they had made, Vasco Bilette and his Mexicans,together with Noddy and the crowd in the automobile, had trailed theboys and the professor to the camp. With great caution, Vasco had ledhis men to within a short distance of the fire Jerry had kindled, andNoddy's auto was in readiness for the kidnapping.
So, though Jerry did not know it, there were the eyes of dangerous menon his movements as well as the eyes of dangerous beasts.
Like dark shadows, the Mexicans slowly encircled the camp. They were soclose they could distinguish the sleeping forms.
"Which is Bob?" whispered Vasco to Noddy.
"That one right at the foot of the big palm tree," replied Noddy Nixon,pointing out the banker's son.
"Is everything ready?" the leader of the Mexicans asked.
"All ready!" replied Noddy.
Vasco was about to steal forward, hoping to be able to grab up Bob andmake off with him before the camp was aroused. In case of resistance, hehad given his men orders to shoot.
But at that instant a big jaguar, driven wild with hunger, and bravingall danger, had crept to within a few feet of Jerry. The animal smelledthe meat
of the recently killed deer, the carcass of which hung in atree. The fierce beast determined to get a meal at all hazards. Itcrouched on the limb of a tree, just above Jerry's head, ready for aspring at the body of the deer.
Jerry happened to glance up. He saw the long, lithe body, tense for aleap, the reddish-green eyes glaring at him. Jerry was not a coward, butthe sight of the brute, so dangerous and so close to him, scared himgreatly for a second or two. Then, recovering his nerve, he raised therifle, took quick aim and fired three shots in rapid succession.
With a snarl and roar the jaguar toppled to the ground, tearing up theearth and leaves in a death struggle.
"What's the matter?" called out the professor.
"Are you hurt, Jerry?" cried Ned.
Bob, too, roused up, and the whole camp was soon astir, every onegrabbing a gun or revolver. Jerry fired two more shots into the jaguar,and the struggles ceased.
"I got him just in time," he remarked.
The others crowded around the brute.
"Halt!" exclaimed Bilette, under his breath, as, ready with his men torush on the camp, he saw that his plan was spoiled. "If it had not beenfor that jaguar I would have had the captive. Come, we must get out ofthis!"
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE UNDERGROUND CITY.
Vasco Bilette's warning was received with ill humor by his men. Theywere angry because the kidnapping had not succeeded, and because thejaguar had alarmed the camp and put every one on guard.
"Come, let us give them battle now and take the boy!" suggested one.
"Do you want to be killed?" asked Vasco, angrily. "They are all armednow, and would shoot at the least suspicious sound. I, for one, don'tcare to have a bullet in me. Come, let us get out of this."
The Mexicans saw the force of Vasco's arguments. They did not care aboutbeing shot at like wild beasts, and they knew that the boys and theprofessor were ready for anything now.
"We will try to-morrow night," said Bilette, as, with Noddy and hismen, he silently withdrew to where the horses and auto had been left."Perhaps we'll have better luck then."
The men growled, but had to accept the situation. As for our friends,they were too excited to sleep any more that night, and so they sataround the camp-fire and talked until morning.
Breakfast over, camp was broken, and once more the auto started on thetrip toward the hidden city. Professor Snodgrass got out the map made byhis dead friend and studied it carefully.
"I believe we are on the right road," the naturalist said. "Here is ahighway marked on the drawing that seems to correspond with the one weare on. And there is a place marked where two roads diverge. Only thereis nothing said about the laughing serpent, though there is somethinghere that might be taken for it," and he pointed to the map.
Every one was becoming quite anxious, and the boys, as well as theprofessor, kept close watch on each foot of the way to see if there wereany indications that they were close to the underground town.
They stopped for dinner near a little brook, in which Bob caught severalfish that made a welcome addition to the bill of fare.
"Now, if you boys don't object, I think I'll take a little stroll intothe woods and see what I can find in the way of specimens," remarked thenaturalist, as he finished the last of his fish and frijoles.
"Better take a gun along," called Ned. "A jaguar may get you."
"I'm not going very far," replied the professor. "All I want is my netand box," and with these only he started off.
It was about an hour later when Jerry observed:
"Doesn't it seem as if the monkeys were making more noise than usual?"
The boys listened for a few seconds. It was evident that something haddisturbed these nimble inhabitants of the forest, for they were yellingand chattering at a great rate.
"Maybe another jaguar is after them," suggested Bob.
"No; it doesn't sound like that," said Jerry. "They seem to be yellingmore in rage than in fear."
"Maybe they're having a fight," put in Ned.
Just then there came a crashing, as if several trees were being crasheddown by a tornado. There was a crackling of the underbrush and arustling in the leaves. Then, above this noise and the yells of themonkeys, sounded a single cry:
"Help, boys!"
"The professor's in trouble again!" cried Jerry. "I wonder what it isthis time?"
Grabbing up a rifle, which example Bob and Ned imitated, Jerry ran inthe direction of the voice. The noise made by the monkeys increased, andthere were sounds as if a bombardment of the forest was under way.
"Where are you?" called Jerry. "We are coming!"
"Under this big rock!" called the professor, and the boys, looking inthe direction his voice came from, saw the naturalist hiding under abig ledge of stone that jutted out of the side of a hill in a sort of aclearing.
"Can't you come out?" called Ned.
"I tried to several times, but I was nearly killed," replied theprofessor. "The monkeys are after me. Look at the ground."
The boys looked and saw, strewn in front of the shallow cave in whichthe professor had ensconced himself, a number of round, dark objects. Asthey looked there came a shower of others through the air. Several ofthem hit on the rock, broke, and a shower of white scattered all about.
"What in the world are they?" asked Bob.
He ran toward the professor. No sooner had he emerged out of the denseforest into the clearing than a regular hail of the round objects fellall about him. One struck him on the shoulder and the boy was gladenough to retreat.
"What's it all about?" asked Ned.
"The monkeys are bombarding the professor with cocoanuts," said Bob,gasping for breath after his run.
"Cocoanuts?"
"That's what they are. Here come some more."
He had scarcely spoken before the air was again dark with the brownnuts, which were much larger than those seen in market, being containedin their original husk. At the same time there was a chorus of angrycries from the monkeys.
It was evident now why the professor dared not leave his rock shelter.The minute he did so he would run the risk of being struck down andprobably killed by a volley of the nuts. Nor could the boys go to hisrescue, for the moment they crossed the clearing they would be targetsfor the infuriated animals.
"What's to be done?" asked Ned.
"Supposing we shoot some of the monkeys," suggested Bob.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," said Jerry. "In the firstplace if we kill any of the animals it will make the others all theangrier. And then we would have to keep shooting for several days tomake much of an inroad on the beasts. There must be five thousand ofthem."
Indeed, the forest was full of the long-tailed and nimble-fingeredmonkeys, all perched in cocoanut or other trees, ready to resent theslightest movement on the part of their human enemies.
"I know a good trick," spoke Bob.
"What is it, Chunky?" asked Jerry.
"Take a big looking-glass and put it on a tree. The monkeys will beattracted by the shine of it; they will all go down to see what it isand when they see a strange monkey in the glass they will fight. Thatwill make enough fuss so that the professor can escape."
"That might be a good trick if we had the big mirror, which we haven't,"spoke Jerry. "You'll have to think of something else, Chunky."
But there was no need of this, for at that instant the cries of themonkeys ceased. The silence was almost oppressive in its suddenness andby contrast with the previous riot of noise. Then came unmistakablescreams of fear from the simians.
"Now what has happened, I wonder?" said Ned.
"It's a jaguar!" cried Bob.
He pointed to a tree, on a limb of which one of the animals the monkeysdreaded so much was stretched out. The beast was stalking one of thechattering animals, but his presence had been discovered by the wholetribe.
So much in awe did the monkeys hold this scourge of the Mexican foreststhat his presence accomplished what the boys could never
hope to. Theapes trooped off with a rush, chattering in fright. With a howl of ragethe jaguar took after them.
"You can come out now, Professor," called Ned. "The monkeys are gone."
In fear and trembling the naturalist came from his sheltering rock.He seemed in momentary fear lest he might be greeted with a shower ofthe nuts, but none fell. With rapid strides he crossed the clearing andjoined the boys.
"How did it all happen?" asked Jerry, as soon as the professor hadrecovered his breath.
"It was all my fault," explained the naturalist. "I was collecting somebutterfly specimens, when I happened to see some monkeys in the cocoanuttrees. I had read that if any one threw something at the beasts theywould retaliate by throwing down cocoanuts. I wanted to test it, so Ithrew a few stones at the monkeys. They returned my fire with interest,so I was forced to run under the rock for shelter.
"There were only a few monkeys at first, but more came until there werethousands. They kept throwing cocoanuts until the ground was covered.It's lucky you came when I called."
"It's luckier the jaguar came along when he did," said Jerry.
"Let's get back to the auto before I get into any more trouble,"suggested the professor. "I do seem to have the worst luck of gettinginto scrapes."
Half an hour later the travelers were on their way. It was getting wellalong into afternoon and they were beginning to think of where theywould spend the night.
They were getting deeper and deeper into the forest, and the way becamemore and more difficult to travel. But they would not turn back, forthey felt they were on the right path.