IN DISGUISE
For a moment after the announcement of Mr. Deering about the gold no
one spoke. Then Mr. Bell said:
“That is the story told by Loftus, but I feared his mind was wandering.”
“No, it is true,” went on the professor’s cousin. “One of the huts
assigned to us happened to be over a rich deposit of gold. I and some
others discovered it when we were digging a tunnel to escape in the
early days of our captivity. We soon gave up the plan of tunneling out
of the valley, and dug for the gold. We found plenty, which we hid, but
we never imagined it would be of any service to us, for we had given up
hope of escaping.”
“And now you’ll soon have a chance to spend some of it,” observed
Nestor with a laugh. “If everything goes well, and I don’t see why it
shouldn’t, you’ll soon be in civilization again, with your friends,
and can see something of the world.”
“To go back into the world again!” cried the old man, with emotion.
“How strange it sounds to hear those words! We expected to die and be
buried in Lost Valley, with never a sight of our friends or relatives
again. Now I have hope!” He paused for an instant, as if overcome by
his thoughts, and then added: “I must hurry back now, or I shall be
missed, as it is getting late. But I will return here the first chance
I get.”
Following the aged man’s departure several plans were discussed. Jim
Nestor proposed that the attack be made on the Indians while they were
at their services in the temple of the flying lizard.
“If we do that, some of us will have to be on hand to know just when
that time is,” objected Tod. “We’ll have to be in the temple, or near
it.”
“Exactly,” agreed Jim. “That’s my idea. You and I can go, watch our
chance, notify the white captives to slip away, and, if necessary,
stand off the Indians, for they may catch on, and try to stop the
rescue. Yes, Tod, you and I will have to go to the temple of the flying
lizard, if there is such an insect.”
“Oh, there is!” cried Professor Snodgrass. “I know it. But I must beg
of you to allow me to be of the party, for it will be my only chance to
secure one of the curious insects. I, also, must go to the temple.”
“I’d like to go, too,” spoke Ned. “I want to see the curious rites of
the ceremony.”
“Well,” remarked Jerry, with a smile, “I guess we all would like to
go, but it’s hardly possible. I suggest we draw lots for it. Four of
us will go, and the others stay here to defend the ship if necessary.
There may be a fight.”
“Couldn’t you take the airship near enough, make a sudden descent, and
pick up the people who could be in waiting?” suggested Mr. Bell.
“I’m afraid not,” answered Jerry. “We would have to sail so slowly
that we would lose steerage way, and then, too, if the Indians are
celebrating they’ll have many fires, and the airship would show
plainly. They would detect us, rush out, and, perhaps, damage the ship,
which would be low down. Then we would all be captives together.”
“I guess Jerry’s right,” added Jim Nestor. “We will have to work in
the dark. That is, sneak into the temple, watch our chance, and, when
the right time comes, which will be when the Indians are so busy they
won’t notice us, and then lead the whites to where the airship is.
Here is as good a place for it as any. Then we can fly off before the
Indians see us. Get the lots ready, Jerry. I hope I’m one to go.”
He was; Jerry, Ned and the professor drawing the remaining lucky slips.
This would leave Tod, Mr. Bell and Bob to defend the airship. The
professor was delighted at his success.
“Now I will get the flying lizard!” he cried.
Toward dusk Mr. Deering came back. He seemed ten years younger since
hearing the good news, and reported that his friends were eager for the
time to come for the rescue.
“I have brought some disguises that you may want to wear, in case
any of you plan to come to the Indian village,” said the aged man,
producing a bundle which contained suits of very thin skins. “The
Indians use these in some of their dances,” he went on, “and there are
face masks, false beards and wigs which will change you from whites
into redmen very quickly. I have four suits, which I took from the
temple.”
“Just the thing!” cried Jerry. “We will put them on when we go to
rescue your friends. I was wondering how we could approach unobserved.”
The details of the escape were then told to Mr. Deering, and he was
instructed to have his friends in waiting at a point he designated near
the temple. At the proper time they would be led to the airship, as it
was considered best not to have them attempt to reach it unaccompanied
by some of the rescuers.
“I’ll not come out here again,” said the aged prisoner, “for some of
the Indians are already suspicious. We will expect you to-morrow night,
when the feast is at its height.”
It seemed to the adventurers in the airship that the next night would
never come, but it did at last, and was ushered in with a rain storm.
“Bur-r-r-r! We’re going to get wet!” complained Ned, as the four were
about to set out.
“Don’t kick,” advised Jerry. “It will be all the better for us. The
rain will make the feast fires burn dimly.”
“And the flying lizards won’t be able to fly so well,” added the
professor, as if the whole expedition was for that object alone.
Sledge Hammer Tod was made a sort of captain of the slender forces left
to guard the airship, and he got out the guns and revolvers, of which
there were quite a collection, and in which task he was aided by Bob.