By means of powerful telescopes the valley would be carefully inspected, and, if possible, a place would be picked out where the airship could land.
“For we’ve got to go down sooner or later, if we expect to rescue those poor people,” said Jerry. “We can’t keep in the air all the while, and lower ropes to them so that they can climb up. That would answer for sailors, but not for old men and women. We will have to land, and if we pick out a secluded spot we may be able to descend without attracting the attention of the Indians. Then we can plan further to make the rescue.”
This was decided on, and they sailed slowly onward, Jerry and Jim Nestor and Mr. Bell taking turns at scanning the deep chasm through the telescope. They saw that the valley was a fertile place, and that many fields for crops were laid out, showing that the Indians or their white captives were industrious. Small houses or huts could be observed, built in some sort of order, like a small village. All these were in the centre of the valley through which ran a small stream, giving plenty of water. At either end of the big chasm there were wild and desolate spots, and it could be seen that the sides of the place were so steep and rugged that climbing them was out of the question. Yet the Indians had a path in and out, but they guarded the secret well, since only one man in all those years had been able to discover it. Later it was learned that the pass, by which Mr. Loftus escaped was not the one the Indians used, and soon after he left it was located and closed by the redmen, thus making it impossible for any other of the captives to take advantage of it.
“Can you see any persons moving about in the valley?” asked Jerry, as he handed the telescope to Jim Nestor.
“I thought I could, the last time I looked,” was the answer, “but I’m not sure. I’ll look again.”
He peered long and earnestly through the glass, and then uttered an exclamation.
“There are some of the red beggars!” cried the mine superintendent. “They are having a regular procession, and seem to be going in some sort of a church.”
“Probably they are going to worship the flying lizard,” observed Mr. Bell. “Mr. Loftus said they hold services several times during the day and night.”
“The flying lizard!” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass. “Let’s descend at once, and get some of those most valuable specimens! They are worth five hundred dollars each.”
“And our lives wouldn’t be worth five cents apiece,” spoke Sledge Hammer Tod quickly, “if we went down there among those savages now. It would be all up with us!”