Part 23 (1/2)
Chapter XVIII
The Indian Strike
snatching up in her arazed for a moment into its face, which she covered with kisses Then the herb-gatherer looked over to the dead, lireat condor, and from thence to Tom
In another moment the wo inventor Holding the baby in one arm, in her other hand the woman seized To forth a torrent of ie, of which Toathered that the wo saved the child
”Oh, that's all right,” To ”It was an easy shot”
An Indian cah the bushes, evidently the woreeted hinized the newcomer as one of the tunnel workers There was some quick conversation between the husband and wife, in which the latterin their scope To baby
Theas he ht have done in church
”She say you save baby frolish ”She t'ank you--me, I t'ank you Bird see babe in deer skin--t'ink um dead animal Maybe so bird carry baby off, drop um on sharp stone, baby s we can for you”
”Thanks,” said Tolad I happened to be around I supposed condors only went for things dead, but I reckon, as you say, it uess it ht have carried your little one off, or at least lifted it up, and then it h to have killed it It sure is a big bird,” and Toed
The condor of the Andes is the largest bird of prey in existence One in the Bronx Zoo, in New York, with his wings spread out, measured a little short of ten feet froine a bird with that wing stretch
This sa a feather boa up into the air outside the cage The condor raised hiainst the heavy wire netting so that the whole, big cage shook And the breeze caused by the flapping wings blew off the hats of several spectators So powerful was the air force fros that it re behind the propellers of an aeroplane inpersons or ani sheep when driven by hunger
It was one of these animals Tom Swift had shot with his electric rifle
”We do anyt'ing you want,” the ot about all I want,” To ed to you”
The woman did not seem to comprehend Tom's talk, but the man did He started, and fear seemed to come over him
”Me--I--I can not tell,” he murly ”Well, it doesn't uess I'll have to cross it off ain the Indian and his wife expressed their gratitude, and Toer, and patting its chubby cheek, went on his ith Koku
”Well, that was some excitement,” mused Tom, who made little of the shot itself, for the condor was such a mark that he would have had to aim very badly indeed to miss it And perhaps only the electric rifle could have killed quickly enough to prevent the baby's being injured in so
”Master heap good shot!” exclaih not so well as when To harder and was not so easily shattered Tomledge on the mountain where he had shot the condor, and decided to ularly received froress there Mr Da on satisfactorily, and he lent what aid he could to Tom As for Professor bumper he kept on with his search for the lost city of Pelone, but with no success
The scientist wanted Too on another trip with him, this time to a distant sierra, or fertile valley, where it was reported a race of Indians lived, different froion
”It ested the professor Too, but Mr Da its way and getting into a swae Indians proved hostile, and the professor and his party could not get nearer than the boundaries of the valley
”But the difficulties and the hostile attitude of these natives only ht track,” said Mr buain”
Tom was busy over a proble into the office of the two brothers The Irishman seemed excited