“Keep on,” replied Vasco. “No telling when we may get another chance. Get the boy when we can. We’ll have to do a little night traveling, but what of it?”
Noddy assented. He spent some time after supper in oiling up the auto and getting the lamps filled, for darkness was coming on. Then, all being in readiness, Noddy started off, the horsemen keeping close to him.
For a few miles no one in the party spoke. The auto puffed slowly along, the horsemen managing to keep up to it.
“How do we know we’re on the right road?” asked Noddy at length. “We may have gone astray in the darkness.”
Tom Dalsett took a lantern and made a careful survey of the highway. He came back presently.
“We’re all right,” he said. “There are auto tracks just ahead of us. We may come up to them any minute now.”
Once more Noddy’s auto, which he had stopped to let Dalsett out, started up. The pace was swift and silent. But as they penetrated farther and farther into the depths of the forest there was no sign of the boys and the professor, who, by this time, were in the underground city.
“I don’t believe we’ll find them,” spoke Jack Pender. “Let’s camp now and take up the trail in the morning, when you can see better.”
“No; we must keep on,” said Vasco, firmly. “It is to-night or never. I can’t hold my men together any longer than that.”
Off into the darkness puffed the auto. The men on horseback followed it, the whole party keeping close together, for several jaguars were seen near the path, having been driven from their usual haunts because of the scarcity of game.