Page:Amazing Stories Volume 01 Number 07.djvu/24

Rh with distance. Still, we could see Juba clinging to the window-grating, although at every instant I expected him to fall.

But Edmund would not despair. His eyes shone as he drove the machinery of the plane to its utmost limit. The crew were stupefied, and offered no opposition.

"We must not lose sight of them," said Edmund, his self-control becoming more perfect as the minutes passed. "We must never lose sight of them for an instant."

"But surely," I exclaimed, "you cannot hope to overtake them?"

"Yes," he said almost fiercely, "I hope even that! Remember," he added more coolly, "that Ingra really knows nothing of the management of the controllers. He has watched me operate them long enough to know how to start the car; Unless Heaven is against us, he will not be able to work it up to its best speed, and he can hardly direct it with certainty. At any moment he may find himself descending. Heaven grant that they do not come down with a rush."

"But there is Ala," I said. "She knows how to manage the machinery. Perhaps he will be compelled to entrust it to her."

Edmund ground his teeth in rage at my; words,

"Yes, Ala is there, a prisoner!"

"And Juba," I added.

"But how long can he remain on that fearful perch? And what can he do?"

"If they are aware of his presence," I suggested, "perhaps Ala may find a way to communicate with him, and aid him in his efforts."

The idea seemed to strike Edmund, and he joyfully replied:

"Yes, yes, surely she will find a way. She is a great woman—a woman to trust in an emergency. What a brave act that was of Juba's! Who could have dreamed that under his shaggy exterior there was a heart of gold, and so quick a brain?"

"He was the head blacksmith in the cavern," said Jack. "If there is any way to get into that car, he will find it."

"It can only be done by aid from within," replied Edmund. "But I trust to Ala. She will find a way."

"They cannot but be aware that Juba is on the car," I said. "They must surely hear him, and his mere presence will have its effect."

"If Ingra does not eontrive to throw him off," suggested Jack.

"He cannot get at him," was Edmund's reply. "If only he doesn't lose his breath with the swift motion, and if his strength holds out, all may be well. But we must keep them in sight. It is our only chance, and theirs."

The ear was now so far away that it looked very small; but, being thrown in silhouette against the softly glowing cloud-dome—for it was at a greater elevation than ours—we could still, with the aid of a glass, clearly see Juba clinging to the outside.

It was a comfort to know that he was yet able to retain his perch. If he could stay there to the end, he might ba of estimable service when the crisis should arrive

T first I was somewhat surprised that Edmund kept at so low an elevation compared with that of the fleeing car. We were not more than a half-mile above the ground, while the object of our pursuit was at least three miles high. But in a little while it became obvious that the course which Edmund had adopted was a very wise one. In the first place, by keeping at a low elevation we could always see the car projected against the bright sky, and there was thus less danger of its escaping us.

In the next place, as Edmund pointed out, when the car came down, as it must do some time, we could cut in under it, so to speak, and approach the landing-point along a base-line shorter than the diagonal that the car would have to pursue.

"The higher he goes," said Edmund, "the greater our advantage will be. Fortunately, he seems to he rising all the time. There is no danger that he will run away in that direction.

"He has no conception of anything above the cloud-dome, and his only object is to get as far away as possible, in order to defy pursuit before landing. I expect every moment, now, to see him begin to descend."

"But are you sure that he can manipulate the controllers well enough to make a safe descent?" I asked.

"Let us pray that he can," replied Edmund. "I will give him credit for great Intelligence. If he did not possess extraordinary capacity, he would never have learned, simply by watching me, how to run the machinery.

"The fact that he could penetrate so far gives me hope, that he has learned enough to insure their safety. The highspeed controllers, used when astride the atmosphere, are in a different location from the others, and are manipulated somewhat differently.

"I did not touch them during our journey, so that I have little fear that he will discover their use. It is now evident that we can at least keep the car in sight.

"The resistance of this dense atmosphere is a serious obstacle to a machine which, unlike the plane, does not derive an advantage from that very circumstance."

E were now many miles from the capital, and traveling toward the tropical belt. It was evident that Ingra intended to take refuge again in the wilderness, though at a point far distant from the place where we had so recently encountered him.

"Ala has told me," said Edmund, "that Ingra, who is very fond of wild sports, and who until our arrival seems to have exhibited no evil characteristics, has a number of hunting-lodges in this vast wilderness, and it was due to the unlucky fate that guided us in our descent that we fell into his hands.

For"For [sic], unknowingly, we came down within a half-mile of one of his lodges. He always has a retinue in attendance at his lodges, and probably he is now making for one of these places."

"Do you think they are aware that we are following?"

"Of course, they will expect to be pursued, but