After holding it in the air a moment the chief medicine man cried out what was evidently a question. It was answered by a shout from all the people. Then he made a motion as if about to kill the flying lizard, but, instead, handed it to one of the medicine men surrounding him. The Indian, carrying the reptile, started to leave the temple. At the same time, from some source which the rescuers could not detect, another flying lizard was produced. It was held up as the first had been. Again came the question from the chief medicine man, and again the answer, in a shouted chorus. This was evidently the new lizard, for it was placed inside the gold stone, which was closed up again.
Then the medicine men took up their chant once more, and began to march around the altar, while the whole concourse of people, in their strange costumes, prostrated themselves flat on their faces on the floor of the temple.
“Now’s our chance!” whispered Nestor to the others. “We can slip out now, and none of them will see us. We’ll go to the hut, get the eight prisoners and escape! The feasting will begin in a little while, and the Indians will be too interested to notice anything.”
“All right,” answered Jerry in a whisper. They turned quickly, and left the temple. The people were still on their faces. The Indian who had been given the old lizard to dispose of was seen hurrying back up the middle aisle. Evidently he wanted to join in the rites.
“Oh, where did he put that beautiful specimen?” murmured the professor. “I must have it!”
“No time for that now,” answered Jim.
They were out of the temple by this time, and hurrying toward the medicine men’s hut. As they ran on, the professor in the rear, and with Ned, Jerry and Jim Nestor, grasping, under their skin disguises, their revolvers, the scientist suddenly uttered a low cry. Jerry turned, and saw something green glittering on the ground.
“The lizard! The flying lizard!” exclaimed Mr. Snodgrass in a hoarse whisper. “The Indian did not kill it, after all. I have you, oh, my beauty!”
He stooped, caught up the nasty looking creature, and quickly put it in his green specimen box. Then he hastened on with the others toward the hut. From inside the temple came a weird chant.