Page:Amazing Stories Volume 01 Number 06.djvu/24

While we were circling, and while our captors were choosing their course, my eye happened to catch—away off in the sky behind us—a black speck, barely visible. In an instant I was all excitement. I pointed out the object to Edmund.

"For Heaven's sake," he whispered, glancing cautiously round, "don't let these brutes know what we see. Don't seem to notice it. She is following us."

I said nothing to Jack and Henry, who had not seen the object; but I could not withdraw my eyes from it, although I covered and concealed my glances, and tried to seem occupied in looking another way.

Finally Ingra apparently made up his mind, and off we went again. But by this time the speck had enlarged to a distinct black dot in the sky. Manifestly it was overtaking us, and in a little while it had become so plain that the others caught sight of it.

Ingra showed both surprise and anger at the sight. His action was prompt. He issued orders which in half a minute sent us spinning at incredible speed. At the same time he dropped lower, in order that the airplane might be lost against the background of the mountains.

But that black dot followed, and I thanked Heaven as I saw that it did not grow smaller. It even seemed to enlarge.

Presently Edmund, who had now begun to watch it with his pocket binocular, handed the glass to me, saying simply:

"Look!"

I looked, and then handed the glass to Jack and Henry, that they might share the pleasure which that sight gave. We could make out clearly the outlines of an airplane. We believed that we recognized it as the one in which Ala had brought us to the mines.

How its driving-screws did spin. Heaven grant that no accident should befall its machinery! It was a chance for life and love on one side, and for revenge on the other, and the speed was pushed up to the utmost limit.

Suddenly a shocking thought crossed my mind. I tried to banish it, for I feared that Ingra might read it and act upon it. Suppose that he should hurl us overboard!

It was within his power to do so. It would have been a quick and simple solution of the matter; and that the idea apparently did not occur to him, I could only ascribe to a protecting hand that guarded us even in this extremity.

On we rushed through the humming air, and still we did not drop the pursuer. Minute by minute the chasing airplane became more distinct against the bright background of the great cloud dome. Suddenly Edmund touched me and called my attention to something ahead.

"There," he said; "there's their hope and our despair."

I looked and saw that in front of us the sky was dark. Great clouds were rolling up, high above the mountains, and the latter were shadowed by them.

We seemed to be approaching a region of twilight. Once within it we should be lost to sight!

"It is the edge of the temperate zone," said Edmund. "Between that zone and the central circle of eternal, unclouded sunshine lies a region of contending air-currents, rains, and storms, not unlike that which we crossed this side of the Crystal Mountains. Having entered it, we shall be as if behind a curtain, and they can work their will with us."

Was it the knowledge of this fact that had retrained Ingra from throwing us overboard? Was he meditating for us a more dreadful fate?

It was indeed a land of shadows that we now entered. Ahead, we were passing the crest of the mountain-range, which was nowhere of any great height, and even in the gloom we could perceive that ahead of us the inclination of the ground was downward.

I glanced eagerly downward to see if Ala's airplane was yet in pursuit. Yes, there it was, a distinct dot on the bright dome behind, the upper part of which was now beginning to be obscured from our view by the roof of inky clouds that spread darkness round us. We could see them very plainly, but could they see us?

I tried to hope that they could, but reason taught me that it must be impossible. Still, they evidently were holding on their course, and there was a gleam of hope in that.

But even this hope faded when Ingra, with devilish cunning, as soon as we had entered deep into the gloom, abruptly changed our course. He knew well that we were now invisible to our pursuers; but to prevent the bare possibility that they might be able to follow us if we maintained a straight course through the air, he doubled like a hunted fox.

We watched for the effect upon the other airplane. The change of our perspective revealed the fact that they were continuing straight on as before. They had not seen us, then; and even if, as must surely be the case, they anticipated such a ruse as Ingra had practised, how could they baffle him and find our track again? At last the spreading darkness swallowed from sight the arch of illuminated sky behind, and then we were alone in the gloom!

Understand me, this was not the deep night of the other side of the planet. It was more truly what I have already called it, twilight—a dark twilight, and as our eyes became accustomed to it we could see a little.

We had dropped down within a few hundred yards of the ground, which had now become a level expanse, and soon we began to notice that it was covered with small bodies of water, interspersed with masses of trees and bushes. It was, in short, a gigantic dismal swamp or everglade.

I shuddered as the evident design of Ingra burst upon my consciousness. He meant either to throw us in the morass, or to leave us to starve in the midst of these fens. His real design, as you will see in a moment, was even more diabolical.

The airplane gradually approached the ground, just skimming the tops of strange trees, the most