Secrets of the Andes Page 13

  CHAPTER XIII

  A Happy Reunion

  "Sick?" cried Bob anxiously. "What seems to be the trouble?" He andMr. Holton had moved over to Joe.

  "Got a terrible headache. Feel bad all over. My--my stomach doesn'tseem right."

  Almost at once the two naturalists grasped the meaning of Joe'smisfortune.

  "There's no doubt about it," began Mr. Wallace, who was himselfbecoming pale. "You have mountain sickness, or _soroche_, as it'scalled. I think I have a touch of it myself."

  "What causes it?" queried Bob.

  "The high altitude," Mr. Holton answered. "You see, when one makes asudden change to nearly eleven thousand feet, it is a great strain onhim. Usually, though, it doesn't show up until reaching a much higheraltitude than this. I'm surprised that Joe has it so soon."

  Joe did not become worse, but grew no better. One thing was apparent:until he would show improvement, he could not continue the journey.

  Mr. Holton and Bob helped him into the cabin of the airplane, where animprovised bed was made.

  "If it's all right, I think I'll stay with him," announced Mr.Wallace. "I'm not feeling any too well myself, and then, too, Joeought to have someone here with him."

  "All right," said Karl. "Meanwhile the rest of us will go on into thecity and have some gasoline sent out to the 'plane."

  In Quito the others found a filling station, the operator of whichagreed to send out a truck to the monoplane to fill the tanks.

  Back at the field they found that Joe had greatly improved and wasanxious to fly on to Lima. It was evident that he had had only aslight attack.

  In a short time the gasoline truck arrived, the tanks werereplenished, and the explorers again climbed into the monoplane.

  The journey to Lima promised to be more dangerous, as there werehazardous stretches of country to be left behind. But all knew thatKarl was a skillful pilot. If he had not been he could not havebrought them safely out of the terrible storm that they hadencountered over the Caribbean.

  Mountains, valleys, towns, then more mountains were spread before themas they flew on their way to the "City of the Kings." The rugged Andeswere more impressive than Bob and Joe had imagined.

  At last they caught sight of Lima in the distance and before long werehovering over it.

  Karl singled out Faucett's Field and brought the monoplane down athigh speed in order to avert a catastrophe. Well he knew that landingat such an altitude would present a difficulty, even at best.

  "Can hardly feel the wheels touch the ground," remarked Bob. "Wonderhow Karl knows he's made a landing?"

  They were rolling swiftly over the smooth ground when suddenly Mr.Holton cried out in fright and pointed ahead at another airplane,which was landing directly in their path.

  "Look out!" he warned Karl, speaking hoarsely through the transmitter.

  Karl Sutman had already seen the danger and was cutting the monoplaneto one side as best he could.

  He was too late, however. The other airplane came on at sickeningspeed, heading directly at the explorers. The wings of the two craftstouched, and the monoplane sent the other machine, which was muchlighter, spinning around dangerously.

  Its lower wing scraped the ground, and a support was broken. A momentlater it came to a stop, leaning on its side.

  Meanwhile, Karl's monoplane had continued farther, gradually losingspeed until it came to a standstill several hundred feet away from theother airplane.

  "A narrow escape!" breathed Joe, as he opened the door of the cabinand stepped out. "A little more and we would have been goners."

  "That crazy guy ought to have his face smashed!" snarled Karl,directing his glance at the distant airplane. "He broke one of theprime rules of flying: Never land when there is another 'plane on thefield."

  "Here he comes now," observed Bob. "Wonder what's on his mind?"

  They soon found out. The other aviator was a native Peruvian and couldnot speak English, but he addressed them angrily in the nativelanguage.

  Karl stepped boldly up to the man. His fist shot out and caught thenative squarely between the eyes.

  The man reeled and then lost his balance, falling heavily to theground.

  At that moment two men from the airdrome came running out and demandedan explanation of what had happened.

  Briefly Mr. Holton told them, stressing the fact that the aviator hadnot waited to land.

  "He ought to have his pilot's license taken away from him," growledKarl Sutman, when the naturalist had concluded.

  The men from the airdrome were greatly angered at the strange aviatorfor not being cautious in landing. They addressed him in no gentleterms as he lay on the ground.

  Karl's monoplane had been only slightly injured in the accident, butit was enough to require an hour of patient labor to make the repair.

  The possibility of the other aviator doing damage to Karl's machineprompted the tall young man to ask that it be kept under watch nearthe airdrome.

  "Now suppose we walk on into Lima," suggested Mr. Holton, after the'plane had been rolled over to a safe place.

  At the edge of the field was a wide street that led directly into thecity. This the travelers followed and before very long came to thebusiness district. In front of the huge cathedral they stopped to viewthe crowds through the cluster of palm trees that was before them.

  "Quite a bit of life here," observed Bob, as his eyes followed thebusy swarm of people. "Lima must be a place of considerableimportance."

  "It is," said Mr. Holton. "It's the capital of Peru."

  In the distance, beyond the plaza, a line of lofty mountains wasplainly visible in the thin air. No doubt they were many miles away.

  The explorers sat down idly on the wide steps of the cathedral.

  "Now," began Mr. Wallace, "we should make plans for the next twoweeks. Mr. Lewis, we know, will arrive in Mollendo in about that time.What do you suggest doing--stay in the vicinity of Lima and take inthe sights here, or fly on to Cuzco and the heart of Inca land?"

  "I'd rather stay where we are for a while," spoke up Karl. "There's somuch to see here that it will be worth it to spend a good bit of timein this section."

  "That goes for me, too," came from Joe. "We'll go to Cuzco lateranyway, so why not see what we can around Lima?"

  As everyone was in favor of doing this, they agreed to find a hoteland engage rooms.

  "If I'm not mistaken, we won't regret staying in this region," saidBob Holton.

  And they did not. During the next week and a half they spent theirtime taking in the sights of Lima and the rugged country surroundingit. They visited the botanical gardens, the various plazas, publicbuildings, streets, and the national museum. They toured thefascinating country about the city, seeing the ancient Inca highway,the mines of Morococha, the lifeless native huts that were everywhere,the marvelously engineered railroads, and the interesting city ofCallao, located near by.

  At the end of the time that they could spend here, the explorers werewell pleased with the eventful days that had passed.

  "Now to head for Mollendo," said Mr. Holton, as one morning he aroseearly to prepare his possessions for the trip. "We've only got about aday before Mr. Lewis's steamer arrives from the United States, and wemust use the time to best advantage."

  The others were ready and climbed into the airplane for the longjourney.

  Mollendo, the adventurers found after the interesting flight, was muchlike other cities they had visited. It possessed a very interestingdock, however, which held the boys' attention for many minutes.

  The following day, when it became time for the steamship to arrive,they were on hand to meet the naturalist and the others.

  "It's coming!" cried Joe, pointing excitedly toward the horizon. "Andwill I be glad to see Dad!"

  "I guess we all will," said Mr. Wallace.

  The vessel steamed closer and headed for the port. As it came towardthem, the explorers could easily make out someone on the deck whomthey recognized. It was Mr. Lewis.