In the tiger's lair

The sunlight returned in due time, and with its coming the people regained their composure. A shout that rapidly assumed the proportions of a roar went up as the assembled host proclaimed Stanley their king, and Ted high priest. This latter office was the second highest any man could hold. A few short minutes before they had been meek spectators to the terrible ordeal to which the white men had been subjected, ready to see them die without the courage to so much as say a single word in their defense. But now the tide had turned. Men who could command the sun to be darkened, and to shine again, and who brought thunder to the earth, were not men in reality in their sight, but gods. And to prove this contention, had the two not come from the sky in some mysterious contrivance they could control? It was but an example of how the estimation in which people are held too often varies with their fortunes.

“Long live the king and the high priest!” and “let them be crowned now!” they cried, while stalwart hands seized them, and carrying them aloft placed them in the golden thrones that had been deserted by Quizquiz and Villac Umu.

Ted and Stanley were on the point of objecting, but a look from Soncco silenced them. They permitted the nobles to raise the shining conveyances to their shoulders and carry them to the regally appointed quarters that had been occupied by the Inca.

Stanley’s first official act was to order the instant release of the other prisoners who had been condemned to die with them. Next, he instructed the commander of the troops to capture Quizquiz and Villac Umu, and to bring them to him, unharmed. After that he commanded that preparations for the return to the city be made at once, and that the journey begin early the following morning. Soncco was appointed counsellor, and to him they intrusted the management of all civic affairs, the important ones, however, to be brought to Stanley’s attention before action was taken. Upon reaching the capitol he would take up everything in detail and consider what was best for the future. In the meantime work was to be resumed by the inhabitants, and the laws administered exactly as they were before. This done, every one was dismissed excepting only Soncco and the servants of the royal quarters.

“You will dispose with all formalities while in our presence,” Stanley instructed the aged amauta. “No crawling or bowing or taking off your shoes. We will conduct things on strictly business basis. Talk freely. We depend on you to help us.”

To the former Soncco reluctantly agreed, for was not a king entitled to homage? The latter he would do with pleasure.

“Now let’s take a walk,” Ted suggested. “I am eager to see how much damage that dynamite did to the wall. I didn’t think it would do more than tear a hole in it, but it sounded as if the whole thing fell down.”

They went out of the spacious tent and looked in the direction of the great wall that had been erected to shut off the lower from the upper and larger end of the valley. That end of the massive structure that joined the natural stone escarpment of the mountains had fallen to the ground; there was a gap that appeared to be fully fifty yards wide. But that was not the more surprising result of the explosion. A broad rent had been torn in the mountainside itself.

The two gazed in astonishment.

“That hundred pounds of dynamite could never have done all that damage,” Ted commented, much puzzled by the scene of devastation. “But I am glad to see that there is a hole in the slope, because that means that we will have an easy passage into the outer world.”

“That is just what I was thinking. What the jar of the explosion did was to cause a landslide, and the whole upper precipice tumbled down. Look at the huge pile of rocks! The avalanche carried the stones of the wall with it, and that accounts for the destruction of such a large section.”

“To-morrow, after the people leave, let’s go over there for a good look at it. We can catch up with the procession later. And perhaps we had better examine the airplane, too. It is standing there exactly as we left it. I guess they were afraid to touch it.”

“Yes, let’s do those things to-morrow. We have had enough for to-day. I am wobbly and all in a muddle, and cannot realize yet all that has happened to us. So I am in favor of getting something to eat, and then going straight to bed.”

“I second that motion. It will be the first real sleep in a long time.”

The food was of the finest the valley afforded, served by numerous menials and with all the pomp that had been lavished on Quizquiz. The bowls, platters, and goblets were of gold, finely wrought and decorated with flowers, fruit, and other designs. The two ate heartily but refused the cups of corn wine, or chicha, remembering that the grain of which it had been brewed, first had been chewed thoroughly to induce its fermentation. Roast partridges, cakes made of fine meal, strawberries and honey, that was the repast intended for the Inca, and which they did not hesitate to accept.

Soncco remained in waiting in an adjoining room, and at their request came for an interview in the evening. They discussed their future policy with him for a brief time, and after assigning a place to him for the night sought their own luxurious blankets.

Sleep came almost immediately but was destined to be of short duration. At the command of Stanley the people had retired to their shelters early, thus putting an end to the loud chatter over the day’s events. Also, the numberless fires had been extinguished and absolute quiet reigned over the sea of tents.

A frightful roar broke the silence of the night. For an instant there was not a sound; then came the hum of excited voices, for the encampment had been aroused, and lights began to flicker in many places.

Ted and Stanley sat bolt upright. They strained their ears for a repetition of the sound. It came before long. Another roar, preceded by a few low, hoarse growls, came to the ears of the astonished listeners.

“What under the sun can that be?” Ted asked, stepping off the edge of his couch. Stanley was up and had lighted a torch.

“I never heard anything like it before.”

“Sounds something like a jaguar, only much more powerful. Perhaps it is the noise of some wind-instrument we don’t know anything about. Do you suppose it can be Quizquiz, trying to frighten us, perhaps? Or is it the people serenading us?”

“I don’t know. Listen! It may come again.”

“I’ll bet it is Quizquiz. He has gathered those of his followers who are still faithful to him, and is preparing to attack the camp. That was a war horn.”

“We shall soon see. If it is anything of that kind Soncco will know and report to us.”

The excitement among the Indians was great, but as the unusual sound was not repeated, and as their adviser did not show up, the two came to the conclusion that the disturbance did not concern them, and went back to bed.

They had scarcely closed their eyes, or, at least so it seemed, when the camp was again thrown into an uproar by a repetition of the unearthly sound.

“I am going to find out about this,” Stanley said decisively. “It must be stopped.”

He had scarcely finished speaking when Soncco rushed into the apartment.

“Forgive me, great and noble king,” he panted, “for entering without asking permission.”

“I am glad you came,” Stanley replied quickly. “What is all the racket about? Find out who or what is making it and have it stopped.”

“That is why I came to you. The people are in a panic and many are fleeing toward the city. They fear it is some evil sequel to the astounding events of the day.”

“But what is it?”

“Every one is asking that. They are begging that you, their king, enlighten them. On my knees I am presenting their humble petition.”

The sound of heavy footfalls attracted their attention and hushed their conversation. A moment later some one clapped his hands before the entrance.

“Enter!” Stanley commanded.

Toparca and Huascar, followed by a dozen other nobles, in bare feet and carrying their sandals on their left shoulders as a sign of homage, filed into the tent. Their faces were pale and they could hardly suppress their excitement.

“Speak quickly and freely, for I know what is on your minds,” Stanley encouraged.

“Lords, lords, who have mastered the air and to whose wishes even the Sun-God bows, save us or we shall all be killed,” cried one of the party as they all fell upon their knees and stretched their hands toward Stanley and Ted.

“Stand up. Now explain just what you mean. What do you want us to save you from?” Stanley was losing patience.

“We do not know. But having seen and heard the events of the past day, and having been shown the great power of the men from the outer world, we came to beg for help and for mercy. A new horror is stalking through the valley. Every one is terror-stricken. An undefinable dread clutches at each heart. The air is heavy with forebodings and vibrates with the rumblings from monster throats that bespeak death and destruction. We are in your power. If this be a punishment, let it be inflicted upon those of us who deserve it, but spare those who are innocent the anguish and the suffering they are compelled to endure awaiting an unknown fate.”

“Wait,” Stanley said simply. Then, turning to Ted: “This is awful. Have you any idea what the trouble is?”

“This is so bewildering I can hardly think. There it is again.”

Once more the frightful roar reached their ears, followed by shrieks and wails. For a moment they studied the blanched faces before them in the vain hope that they might betray some clew to the solution of the mystery.

“We are certainly up against it. Let’s go outside. Perhaps we can learn something definite there.”

Throwing light blankets over their shoulders they started toward the door. As they reached it they nearly collided with a man who was dashing in.

Half-naked, with streaming, dishevelled hair and bulging, startled eyes, he was a picture of the kind of fear that borders on insanity.

“I have heard with my own ears, and I have seen with my own eyes,” he shrieked, waving his trembling hands over his head, “and I shall carry the image of it into my grave.”

“Who is he?” Stanley asked Soncco.

“He is Lolo, one of the officers of the guard.”

“Lolo, having heard and seen, you will tell me everything. Talk slowly and distinctly and keep nothing from me. Remember, your king commands it.” Stanley addressed the man in a tone of authority.

This in a measure brought the officer to his senses, but the look of bewilderment did not leave his eyes, and his face retained the expression of fright and suffering. He bowed low, unsteadily, and asked forgiveness for intruding into the royal quarters without permission.

“It is all right,” Stanley reassured him; “think as clearly as you can, and tell us plainly what happened. We understand your position.”

In obedience to the command just given him Lolo told of the terrible spectacle he had witnessed.

“I was on my rounds, inspecting the guard,” he panted, “and was just nearing the post close to the mountains. One of the soldiers was piling wood on the watch-fire, and the flames shot up, lighting the plain for many paces around. Without warning, a deafening roar came out of the blackness beyond the circle of light. We had never heard anything like it before, and the shock of it was so great that we could not stir from the places on which we stood. We were as men paralyzed, and simply stared into the darkness. A pair of points of green fire appeared; they were the eyes of some great beast. A form followed, gliding between the watch-fire and the stone wall of the mountainside, so that its outline fell full upon the smooth face of the precipice. And such a monster! It was higher than the Temple of the Sun in the Golden City, with eyes that burned into our hearts and brains.”

The man had gesticulated wildly during the recital. He now wrung his hands in despair, and was on the point of breaking down.

“Go on!” Stanley commanded. “Finish your story.”

“The brute raised its great head; the jaws opened wide, like a serpent’s, and fangs, shaped like curved swords and longer than a man’s arm, flashed white in the flaring light, and then buried themselves in the breast of the nearest soldier. The man uttered not a sound, so quickly had death come. With a low, rumbling growl the beast or demon, I know not which it may be, turned and faded away into the darkness whence it had come, the dead soldier limply dangling from its mouth.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Stanley demanded sternly. “Did you see it?”

“Yes, yes. And others saw it too. I have spoken only the truth. The king shall have the proof of other eyes and other ears.”

“Then go, all of you, as fast as you can. Command the people, in my name, to congregate in the centre of the camp, and to build a ring of fires around the outer border. Do not lose a minute. It is a matter of life and death.”

The visitors bowed and rushed away, Soncco going with the rest. When they had gone, Stanley turned to Ted.

“That man told the truth, but he was excited and exaggerated the facts. We know the worst now.”

“You mean that it was a——”

“Yes, nothing less than a sabre-toothed tiger—a living example of the kind whose bones we found in the cave in Uti when we were there before. He saw the beast, but the thing that made the greatest impression on him was its shadow on the abrupt mountainside. Heaven only knows where it came from, but we must have opened the passage for it with the dynamite.”

“Can it be possible that some of those awful creatures still survive after all the hundreds of years?” Ted asked incredulously.

“It must be possible because we have the evidence. And, besides, anything is possible in a place like this. Come to think of it, I know just where it came from; you remember that other valley we saw from the air? That is the place. We are in it for fair now. A more terrible creature never trod the face of the earth. We are to blame for the calamity of turning it loose on these people, and we shall have to find a way of exterminating it; there may be many of them for all we know. What to do is the question. A tiger the size of a cow, and more powerful and ferocious than a dozen of the ordinary kind, is not an antagonist to be sneezed at. Will our troubles never end? We haven’t a rifle; nothing but spears and bows and arrows; they will do about as much good as hailstones.”

“I have it,” Ted announced suddenly. “What about the machine-guns on the airplane? We can rig them up on mounts. Each one will be worth twenty rifles.”

“Why, of course. That’s just what we’ll do. And we will have our hands full at that. But now, let’s go out and help quiet the people. They are starting their wailing again, and there will be real trouble unless we can soothe them.”