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In this manner Ixtli contrived to pick up quite a little fund of information, mainly through the confidences reposed in a certain favoured few of the brotherhood by the chief paba. And this, in turn, filtered through his lips after the chums once again retreated to the lower regions for both safety and comfort.
Doubtless this was cue for the slave of the temple to repeat the words placed within its mouth, but that slave was literally unable to speak a word for himself, let alone others. Yet, the oracle was not wholly silenced! "Talk out, or I will!" fiercely muttered Bruno, giving Ixtli a violent punch in the side, "talk out for the Sun Children!"
Then, making sure Cooper Edgecombe was not near enough to catch his words, Bruno told in brief the information gleaned from Ixtli concerning the Children of the Sun, whom he and Waldo more than suspected must be the long-lost wife and daughter of the exiled aeronaut.
It did not take long questioning, or shrewd, to convince the professor that in Ixtli they could count upon a true and daring supporter in case they should conclude to interfere in behalf of his patroness and teacher, adored Victo.
"But what's the use of running, if we're to leave this fellow behind to blaze our trail? If he is our enemy " "No en'my; Ixtli friend, heart-brother," eagerly vowed the young Aztec, once again startling the lads by his strange command of a foreign tongue.
With an evident effort Victo rallied, tones far from steady as she begged both young men to save themselves without thought of them. "I thank you; heaven alone knows how overjoyed I am to hear from my dear husband, my poor child's own father! And he is near, to But go, go! Guide and protect him, Ixtli, for Go, I implore you, sir!"
Here the first sound of human voices was heard, and Bruno stopped short in obedience to the almost fierce grip which Ixtli closed upon his nearest arm, listening for a brief space, then breathing, lowly: "We see, first. Dat good! Him see first, dat bad! Eye, ear, two both. You know, brother?"
After this it was by no means a difficult matter to get at the seat of trouble, and little by little Featherwit satisfied himself that Ixtli would do all, dare all, for the sake of benefiting the woman and maiden who had treated him so kindly. At a covert sign from the professor, Bruno came to join in the talk, and his sympathy made the young Aztec even more communicative.
They were not so many in number, but still a larger force than could well be met with success by two youths, even granting that Ixtli would turn lethal weapons against his own people, which Bruno felt was by no means a settled fact.
Meanwhile, Ixtli, who appeared to look upon the whole affair as a more or less jolly good jest at the expense of his superstitious people, took occasion to give his white brother a few pointers, letting him see how easy it was for false oracles to be manufactured to order; how certain the lightest wishes of the head priest were to find speedy fulfilment at all times.
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