se.

The rendezvous was barely gained ere he gave a hoarse cry of reviving
memory, then strove to break away from that friendly care, calling
wildly for his wife, his daughter, fancying them in some dire peril from
which alone his arms could preserve them.

It was a painful scene as well as a trying one, that which followed
closely, and respite only came after bonds had been applied to the limbs
of the madman,--for such Cooper Edgecombe assuredly was, just then.

There were tears in the professor's eyes, as he strove hardest to soothe
the sufferer, assuring him that his loved ones should be restored to his
arms, yet repeatedly reminding him that any rash action taken then must
almost certainly work against their better interests.

The exile grew less violent, but that was more through physical
exhaustion than aught else, and what had, from the very first, appeared
a difficult enigma, now looked far worse.

Only when fairly well assured that the sufferer would not attract
unwelcome attention their way through too boisterous shouting, did the
professor draw far enough away for quiet consultation with his nephews.

Mr. Edgecombe was deposited within the air-ship, secured in such a
manner that it would be well-nigh impossible for him to do either
himself or the machine material injury, no matter how violent he might
become; and hence, in case of threatened trouble from the inmates of
the Lost City, flight would not be seriously hindered through caring for
him.

Professor Featherwit now gleaned from his nephews pretty much all they
could tell him concerning sights and events since his departure in quest
of the exile. That proved to be very little more than he had already
learned, and contained still less which seemed of especial benefit to
that particular enigma awaiting solution.

True, Waldo suggested that Ixtli be employed as a medium of
communication between the Sun Children and themselves; but, possibly
because, as a rule, this irrepressible youngster's ideas were generally
the wildest and most far-fetched imaginable, uncle Phaeton frowned upon
the plan.

No; the young Aztec might prove true at heart, even as indications went,
but the risk of so trusting him would prove far too great.

"That's just because you haven't known and slept with him, like we
have," declared Waldo. "He's red on the outside, but he's got just as
white a soul as the best of us,--bar none."

Bruno likewise appeared to think well of th