“Get us out!” he said in a weak voice. “Open the door and get us out! One of the jaguars caught hold of Carl, and I thought I heard the crunching of bones. The boy may be dead for all I know.”
Sam applied his great strength to the barred gate, but it only shook mockingly under his straining hands. Then he turned his face downward to where his prisoner lay cowering upon the floor.
“Can you open this gate?” he asked.
Once more the fellow’s face became stubborn.
“Felix had the key!” he exclaimed.
“All right!” cried Sam. “We’ll send you out to Felix to get it!”
He seized the captive by the collar as he spoke and dragged him, not too gently, through the narrow passage and out into the main corridor. Once there he continued to force him toward the entrance. The moon was now low in the west and shadows here and there specked the little plaza in front of the temple. In addition to the moonlight there was a tint of gray in the sky which told of approaching day.
The prisoner faced the weird scene with an expression of absolute terror. He almost fought his way back into the temple.
“Your choice!” exclaimed Sam. “The key to the gate or you return to the savages!”
The fellow dropped to his knees and clung to his captor.