CHAPTER IV
A CHASE IN THE NIGHT
Following the excited announcement by Mike that an airship wasprowling about over the mountains and Leroy's sudden cry ofexultation at the prospect of a struggle for supremacy above theclouds, there was for a moment absolute silence in the hotel roomwhere the boys stood. Finally Pedro entered and closed the door.
Ned walked to a window and looked out. The day was fading, andalready the feet of the distant mountains were wrapped in purpletwilight. The window faced the north, giving a fair view of thecity and the Andes as they strung along in that direction, lookinglike a chain of bald heads lifting from the obscurity of a fog. Theairship was not in sight from where he stood.
Pedro saw what he was looking for and stepped to his side, one handpointing off to the east.
"Out there!" he said.
"When did you first see it?" asked Leroy, not waiting for Ned toconduct the cross-examination.
The Indian talked with Mike for a moment.
The latter did not seem to understand all that was said to him, butpresently he turned to Ned.
"He says he saw it only a minute before he came here," he explained."He says a lot more that I can't understand. I've been here only amonth, and I'm not quick at learning new speech."
"Ask him if he knows whether she landed anywhere near the city," Neddirected.
The Indian did not know. The airship was over the mountains when hefirst saw it, and that was all he could say about it.
"Do you think we've been followed down here?" asked Jimmie.
"Of course!" Leroy broke in. "What else would an airship be herefor just at this time? And if she wasn't sneaking about after us,what would she be hanging up there in the sky for? Why doesn't shecome down to town, like we did?"
"It may be that the arrival of this airship just at this time is acoincidence," Ned said, "but it seems to me that there is somethingsignificant about it. I have felt all along that we were not yetrid of the rascals who tried to make us trouble at San Francisco."
"Some one must want the cattle concession that Lyman has prettybadly," Leroy ventured. "Well, we'll, have to run away from them, Itake it!"
"Then how are we going to find out where this Lyman person is?"demanded Jimmie. "No, Sir!" he went on, rubbing his freckled nosein meditation. "We've just naturally got to bust 'em up!"
The proposition was indeed a serious one. If the airship was reallythere to take note of the activities of the boys on the Nelson, thesituation could hardly be improved by following either line ofconduct suggested by the boys.
Nothing could be gained by "running away" from the unwelcomevisitor. Nothing was to be gained by following the advice to "bust'em up." A race would only serve to draw the Nelson away from thepoint of action, away from the place where Lyman was held incaptivity. To "bust 'em up" would be to set all the official ringsof Paraguay in operation against the lads, place the Boy Scoutsunder the ban of the law!
"If we only knew just where to find this Lyman person," Jimmie wenton, "we might swoop down an' get him an' give the lobsters a run fortheir money."
"Perhaps," Ned suggested, "we'd better wait for this new navigatorof the air to show us where he is."
"I see him doing it!" cried Leroy.
"You bet he will!" Jimmie cut in. "He'll hang around the point ofdanger! He'll show us where the man is by standing guard over him!What?"
"That's my idea," Ned replied, "still, he may devote his energies tokeeping track of us. One can never tell what an enemy will do."
"Well," Leroy said, "I'm going back to the Nelson. There's a chanceof the lobster dropping down and trying to cripple her."
"A very good idea," Ned agreed.
Jimmie and Mike hastened away with Leroy, but Pedro remained at therequest of Ned. A plan for meeting the emergency was alreadyforming in the active brain of the Boy Scout, and an importantdetail depended on information which the Indian might be able togive.
Before opening the question, however, Ned, motioning to the Indianto follow, made his way to the flat roof of the hotel building.There he found several men, smoking, chatting, and watching theairship, now almost directly over the city. In Peru many houses arebuilt with especial reference to providing a lounging place on theroof.
It was growing darker, and the lights of the airship shone brightlyagainst the dimming sky. The aviator was now circling around thecity, dropping lower at times, then skimming in spirals to a higherpoint. While Ned stood watching the machine, realizing that thefellow in charge was no novice in aviation, a gentleman whom he hadnoticed three times before that day observing him closely advancedand stood by his side. He was a well dressed, clean-shaven man ofperhaps thirty, with an intelligent face, a bustling manner, and asuit of clothes which Jimmie would have described as "loud enough tolead a circus parade."
"Evidently an American commercial traveler," Ned thought, as thestranger stood by his side a moment without speaking, his eyes fixedon the airship.
"She goes some, eh?" the stranger observed, presently.
"The aviator seems to know his business," Ned admitted.
"You came in an aeroplane yourself, didn't you?" asked the other.
Ned answered in the affirmative.
"Thought so," the other went on. "Hadn't seen you about the cityuntil this afternoon, and some one said you came in an airship.Where from?"
"New York," Ned replied, half amused at the impertinence of thequestion.
"Good old town!" the other exclaimed. "Hot old town! I like it.There's something always going on there. I'm from New York myself,but I'm selling goods for a Chicago firm--steam pumps! I've got thebest steam pump in seven countries! Came here to sell to a miningcompany. Nothing doing. What's your name? Mine is Thomas Q.Collins."
"Nestor," Ned replied, shortly.
"And you're out for fun?"
"That's the idea." Ned did not think it necessary to enter intodetails.
"Hope you get all that's coming to you! Say, will you give me aride in that machine of yours? I went out to see it today. Looksto me like it could knock the spots off anything of the kind in theworld. I don't know anything about airships, but I do know aboutsteam pumps, and also about machinery. I know a good piece of workwhen I see it. That boat of yours is a peach!"
"It isn't my machine," Ned replied, "but if we remain here overtomorrow I'll see about granting your request."
The two talked for a moment longer, and then Collins left the roof.Later, Ned saw him moving through the street below in the directionof the place where the Nelson had been left. The boy hardly knewwhat to make of Collins. He might be a steam pump salesman, just ashe had described himself, and, again, he might be a spy sent out byLyman's enemies to discover the plans of the Boy Scouts--even towreck the Nelson if possible. He decided to, if possible, learnsomething of the fellow before taking him on board the aeroplane.
After a time the strange airship fluttered away to the north andthen Ned and Pedro descended to the former's room. Sitting at thenorth window, the two could see the lights of the aeroplane droppingdownward, and they concluded that the aviator was seeking a restingplace for the night.
"He's going to bed in Inca Valley," Pedro said, watching thedescending bird. "It is a good place to hide the machine."
The words were spoken in pretty good Spanish, and Ned turned quicklyand asked:
"You speak Spanish then?"
The question was asked in Spanish, and the Indian's face brightened.
"Yes," he said, "but I never suspected that you knew the language."
"Only a smattering of it," laughed Ned, "but, still, I think you canunderstand what I say to you. As I want you to do most of thetalking, we may get on very well together."
"What do you want to know?" asked Pedro.
"First, I want you, after we have had our talk, to go out into thecity and find out, if you can, all about that aeroplane. I want toknow if it has ever been seen here before, if the aviator
comes tothe city after descending, if he is a stranger here--all about him,in fact."
The Indian bowed.
"Then," Ned went on, "I want you to find out whether the machine iswell guarded. I also want to know what kind of a machine it is, andwhere it came from. If you think it advisable I want you to getinto conversation with the aviator and see what kind of a chap heis."
Another bow from the Indian, whose face expressed pleasure at theprospective employment. Ned pondered for a moment, as if not quitecertain of his ground, and then asked:
"How, well are you acquainted with the country lying between Limaand Asuncion?"
"Oh," was the astonished reply, "but that is a long, longdistance--two, three thousand miles."
"Yes, I know, but have you ever been over the Andes?"
"Oh, yes. I am a guide."
Ned pondered a moment.
"How far east and south?" he asked, then.
"To Lake Titicaca."
"That is on the boundary between Peru and Bolivia?"
"Yes."
"And you know that country--the country around the lake?"
"Very well, indeed."
"It is a long way from Asuncion?"
"It is barely a third of the way. You will see on the map."
"Well," Ned said, after a short silence, "I may as well tell youwhat I want. I want to be directed to a place in the mountainswhere I can securely hide our aeroplane. It must be a hiding placeabsolutely out of sight, especially from the sky. Do youunderstand?"
The Indian nodded, a knowing smile on his dusky face.
"You mean to hide from the other airship?" he asked.
"Yes."
"There are caverns near Lake Titicaca."
"So I understand. Caverns which defy exploration. But, you see, Imust have a hiding place from which the airship can be brought outwith speed and returned in the same way."
"To dodge out and in? Yes, I comprehend."
The two dwelt over the maps and plans until; Leroy and Jimmie cameromping in to report that all was quiet at the machine, and thatMike was to remain on guard until midnight, when Jimmie was torelieve him. Then Pedro went out in the city to listen to such talkof the strange airship as was floating about the streets. He wasback in a couple of hours with the information that the airship hadnot landed in the city, and that it had never been seen therebefore.
"It seems to me," Ned said after the Indian ceased speaking, "thatnow is our time. We ought to be a long way from Lima before dawn."
"The other fellow'll see us!" Leroy objected.
"We'll have to chance that," Ned replied. "We needn't have anylights you know, and the motors make very little noise. Get yourtraps ready, boys!"
It was arranged that Pedro was to remain, under pay, in Lima,storing up such information as he could secure against the day ofthe return of the Nelson. Mike was to remain with him, of course,as there would be no room on the Nelson for him. The young man whentold of the plans, objected strenuously to being left, but wasfinally consoled by the promise that the aeroplane would be sentback after him when opportunity offered.
It was after midnight when all the arrangements were made and theboys passed out of their rooms into the hotel lobby. At that hourthey thought the driver of the other aeroplane would be likely to besleeping. At the very door of the hotel they came upon Mr. ThomasQ. Collins! He strolled up as Ned stepped into the doorway andextended his hand. Ned took it, gave it a perfunctory grasp, andattempted to paw on.
"If you don't mind," Collins said, with a persuasive mile, "I'llwalk with you if you are going out to your aeroplane. I've been tobed and find that I can't sleep."
"All right," Ned replied, thinking that he would rather have the manwith him than on his way to report the departure of the Nelson. "Weare just going to look the ship over--perhaps take a little spin.Come along."
"I should like very much to go with you, in case you decide to gosailing tonight," Collins said. "Perhaps you may be able to arrangeit?"
"I'm afraid not tonight," Ned replied, wondering just what this newacquaintance was up to. "However," he added, "you may as well comealong and look over the ship."
Collins seemed glad of even this slight concession on the part ofthe boy, and walked along briskly. Presently, however, he began tofall back, talking with Jimmie, who was a few paces behind. Then,before very long, the little fellow missed Collins. He haddisappeared in a dark alley. Ned worried over this when informed ofthe fellow's strange and contradictory conduct. The man might havegone to make report to the other aviator! This was not a pleasantreflection.
Mike was found sitting in front of the Nelson, talking with a nativewho was trying to learn all about an aeroplane from, a boy who knewnothing about it himself! It took only a short time to make readyfor flight, then the Nelson was up and away, making little noise asshe cut the air, her great planes flashing in the light of the moon.
"This is pretty poor, I guess!" Leroy exclaimed, glancing over themighty map of sea and plain and mountain. "How fast do you want togo?"
"At full speed," Ned replied.
"I should say it would be full speed!" Jimmie said, half coveringhis mouth with his hand, to keep his words from being blown backdown his throat. "That is," he added, "if you want to make asneak!"
Ned turned away to the north and saw the white planes of the strangeaeroplane gleaming in the moonlight. She seemed to stand still foran instant, and then sped off to the southeast. Ned sighed withapprehension, but Leroy laughed.
"Come along, you!" he cried, looking back. "If you want a race,come on, and I'll give you the run of your life!"