Victims of Nimbo Read online

  Josh was equally stunned. But they were somewhere in the country of the Cloud People. There was little doubt of that.

  Dave looked up, straining his eyes. “Think what the timber companies back home could have done with these monsters. They make the giant sequoias in California look like bushes.”

  Jake and Wash were staring upward, too. Jake was muttering in disbelief. “I remember what the fellow said when he saw his first camel.”

  “What did he say, Jake?” Wash said.

  “He said, ‘There ain’t no such animal.’ I’m almost tempted to say there ain’t no trees this big!”

  “Anyway, I think we’ve come to the right place according to what the man said and according to Sarah’s map,” Josh said.

  “That’s well enough. But what do we do now?” Dave said, a puzzled look on his face. “This forest could go on for miles, and the girls could be anywhere.”

  “Too bad we got off the trail back there,” Reb said. “Maybe we ought to just spread out and start calling them.”

  “We’d get lost in a minute that way,” Josh said. “We’d better stick together.”

  He thought Reb looked unhappy with this decision, but the Southerner said no more. He knew how to find his way almost anywhere, of course. But he was also aware that others, such as Jake, could get lost in their own bedroom.

  So they just kept on wandering through the forest. Everybody kept watching for wild animals, but they saw no signs of any. “I’ll bet it’s a rough place here at night, though,” Josh said. “No telling what kind of wild beasts are around here.”

  They walked until they grew hungry. They had a little food left—the remains of a small deer that Dave had brought down—and they sat down and finished it. They were still hungry.

  A beautiful stream cut its way between the trees, and Reb said, “I bet there’s fish in there. See? There’s one broke water.”

  “What do you say we put out some lines?” Wash asked. “We’ve got to have something more to eat.”

  But Josh said, “We don’t have time to fish.” He was impatient and worried as well. He still felt that he had made a mistake by going off and leaving the two girls alone, and now he was more uneasy than he cared to show.

  However, Reb said, “Tell you what. Let’s do split up. You fellows stay here and catch some fish. I’ll go on and scout. I’ll bet I can find something—although I haven’t seen any tracks yet.”

  Josh shrugged. “That may be the best idea, Reb. You’re a good tracker. We’ll try to catch enough fish to feed us for right now. And then when you get back, maybe you’ll have something else.”

  Reb took off, and the other boys all got out the fishing lines they always carried. The stream seemed full of fish. They were small silver-colored ones with red streaks on their backs, and Wash smacked his lips. “I bet these will make good eating!”

  As soon as they had caught enough, Jake and Josh cleaned them, and by the time they were cooking, Reb came back.

  “Did you find anything?” Josh asked eagerly.

  “Nothing but more big trees and one of the biggest bugs you ever saw. Just like a scorpion only big as a horse.”

  “Did you kill it?”

  “Not much,” Reb grinned. He shoved his Stetson back on his forehead and said, “If I’d had my old 30-30 from home, I’ll bet I could have cleaned his plow.”

  “Sit down and have some of this fish. They’re real good,” Wash told him.

  As the boys finished eating, Josh said, “I’ve been thinking about something. Every village we’ve ever seen anywhere was always set close to water. I think we ought to follow this stream.”

  “That’s not a bad idea, Josh,” Dave Cooper said. “Primitive societies always got close to the water if they could. If we follow the brook, we may come to something.”

  “Then let’s get at it. We haven’t got much more daylight,” Reb said.

  The boys packed their gear, including enough cooked fish to feed them for supper. Then they followed the stream, which was very simple to do since there was little undergrowth.

  “I never saw any country like this,” Reb said again. “It’s real odd. Giant trees, but there’s no undergrowth down here.”

  “I don’t think there’s enough sun,” Josh said. “It looks kind of like the Amazon rain forest. I’ve seen pictures of places where the branches just blocked out the sun.”

  The boys made their way along the bank, from time to time shouting for the girls. Then they stopped for a break, bending over and drinking water out of their cupped hands.

  And then Reb suddenly said quietly, “Ssh! Listen to that.”

  “What is it, Reb?” Wash whispered.

  “Listen!”

  Josh listened with all of his might. He knew Reb’s hearing was better than most, but finally he said, “I hear it, too. It’s somebody calling.”

  “I can’t hear a thing,” Dave said, glancing around. “I don’t see anybody, either.”

  Reb looked up. “It’s coming from up there!”

  “From the tree? Well, give ’em a hail, Reb,” Josh said. “You can holler louder than anybody.”

  Reb cupped his hands and shouted upward. “Is there anybody up there?”

  “Reb, it’s me—Abbey!”

  Everyone heard the faint voice this time, and Josh said happily, “We’ve found them! Where are you, Abbey?” he shouted.

  “Stay right there!” the faraway voice called back, and in a few moments the boys were astonished to see empty baskets coming down from the tree, each tied to a stout vine.

  There was also a single vine down which a young man slid. He came to the ground and nodded a greeting. “My name is Teanor,” he said. “I assume you are the warriors called the Sleepers.”

  “That’s right. I’m Josh Adams,” Josh said. “Are Sarah and Abbey up there?”

  “Abbey is.”

  “Where’s Sarah?” Josh demanded.

  “I will let our king do the talking. Get into the baskets.”

  Josh looked at a basket and shook his head. “I never did like high places.”

  “Well, you’re sure not gonna climb that tree,” Reb said. “Get in. Just shut your eyes.”

  The boys got into the baskets, and they began slowly rising. Josh held on until his fingers turned white. Reb, in a nearby basket, said, “Better open up your eyes, Josh. It’s quite a sight.”

  Josh sensed the ground was slowly falling away. He grimly held on, but he did open his eyes. His basket ascended in fits and jerks. Up—up—up it went, and Josh whispered, “I hope I don’t get airsick.”

  “This is some elevator ride, isn’t it, now?” Wash asked from his basket.

  Jake must have looked at the vine then and decided it was too feeble to hold his weight. “I sure hope that vine doesn’t break,” he said. “It doesn’t look too strong to me.”

  “It won’t break,” Josh heard Teanor say. “I helped make these lifts myself.” The young man was climbing up his vine steadily and quite easily, the muscles in his shoulders working like cables.

  “Just look at him go!” Wash said as now Teanor climbed away from them. “He can climb quicker than any monkey I ever saw.”

  Finally the baskets reached a kind of deck, and Josh gave a deep sigh of relief as he stepped off. The platform was made of saplings and seemed rather flimsy, but it was much more stable than the basket. He moved quickly away from the edge, saying, “I wish there were some rails.”

  “What are rails?” Teanor asked with a puzzled expression.

  “Something built to keep you from falling off.”

  Teanor laughed. “Why should you fall off? That would be foolish.”

  Reb himself did not particularly care for high places, and he too stayed back from the edge. “Doesn’t anybody ever fall off?”

  “Not very often,” Teanor said carelessly. “Maybe old people or maybe a female once in a while.”

  “Who is your leader here, Teanor?” “King Celevorn. I will take you
to him.” Even as he turned, Abbey came flying across a swinging bridge from another platform. “Josh—Dave!” she cried. She hugged each of them and then Wash and Jake and Reb. “I’m so glad to see you!” Her eyes were shining, and she could hardly talk. “How did you ever find us?”

  “It wasn’t easy,” Josh said. He looked around. “But where is Sarah?”

  “She’s not here. She’s gone on a mission.” “What kind of a mission?” Josh cried.

  Abbey hesitated. “Well, it’s a long story.” “You can tell it in front of the king,” Teanor said. “Please. He’s anxious to see the male Sleepers. I’ll take you to him.”

  There was little choice, so the six of them followed Teanor. Getting across the rather flimsy bridges was an unwelcome chore for those who did not like high places. Josh didn’t enjoy them. Wash had never been afraid of heights, and he merely walked across as if they were solid concrete sidewalks. Jake, however, crept on his hands and knees across one particularly fragile looking structure.

  “Might as well stop crawling around, Jake,” Wash said.

  “You cross the bridges like you want to, and I’ll do it my way!” Jake replied.

  When they reached the most imposing looking of the houses, Teanor said, “This is the home of King Celevorn. Come in. The king is eager to see you.”

  The six entered, and Josh knew at once that he was looking at a kingly man. Celevorn was seated on his throne, but he got up and said, “Welcome to the Sleepers. We are glad you have arrived safely.”

  “Thank you, King Celevorn,” Josh said. “My name is Josh Adams, and these are my friends.” He introduced the others, then said, “We are anxious about our friend Sarah.”

  “Well might you be,” Celevorn said grimly. “She has gone on a very foolish mission.”

  “Tell me about it, please!” Josh said worriedly. “We are very concerned about her.” He listened as the king explained the feud that was going on between the Earth Dwellers and the Cloud People. He related that Sarah had decided to go and seek the release of one of his people. He ended by saying, “If she chose to go, that was her business. But my son went with her, and that is my business!”

  “How long ago was this?” Josh demanded.

  “It was two days ago.”

  “And you’ve heard nothing?”

  “No. And now I must hear your plan. It is well known that the Sleepers bring help to people that are oppressed. Tell me what it is we are to do.”

  Josh’s mouth dropped open. “But, Your Majesty, I just got here.”

  “I have told you the problem,” King Celevorn said. “I am concerned about my son. And you should be concerned about your friend Sarah.”

  “They are probably dead by now,” Teanor muttered. “They shouldn’t have gone.”

  Josh’s heart sank. “We will have to go at once to find them.”

  “You cannot go now. It is too late in the day. There are fierce beasts below,” the king said.

  Josh, if he’d had his own way, would have rushed off to rescue Sarah, anyway. But Reb said, “The king is right, Josh. We got to show a little wisdom here. Now, let’s find out all we can about these Earth Dwellers.”

  The king said, “We will have food prepared. We will talk as we eat.”

  The meal was very good—it consisted of vegetables and fresh meat and fish. As it began, Josh looked around and did not see Abbey. “Where’s Abbey?” he asked.

  “The female? She’s eating with the other women.”

  “Oh, men do not eat with women in this place?” Dave said. Surprise and then displeasure showed on his face.

  King Celevorn eyed him. “We have heard some of your ideas from the two females. They tell us that women have great rights in the place where you live. It is not so here.”

  Josh saw the girl Enid, who was serving, look up quickly. She met the eyes of Teanor, and he managed a faint smile.

  Conversation went on around the table for some time, and then Josh and the others were led to their quarters. The boys were placed in one tree house large enough for all of them, so before they went to sleep they sat and talked about the situation.

  Josh said, “This is a fine mess! I’m worried about Sarah.”

  “We’ll just have to hope she’s all right,” Jake said quickly.

  “Teanor doesn’t think so,” Josh said glumly. “These Earth Dwellers must be a vicious bunch.”

  “Well, we can’t do anything tonight,” Wash said. “The best thing we can do is get a good night’s sleep.”

  They were all exhausted from their long trip. Even Josh fell asleep almost at once.

  The next morning, Abbey met them as they left their house. “Bad news,” she said. “A messenger just came back. King Celevorn sent someone to see if they could find any trace of his son and Sarah.”

  “And did they find them?” Josh asked. But he saw Abbey’s face was filled with apprehension.

  “They found them all right. He’s a good scout. The best among the Cloud People.”

  “Well, tell us, Abbey! For crying out loud!” Wash cried. “What about them?”

  “We’re not sure, but it looks like they are being held prisoner by the Earth Dwellers.”

  “What does that mean?” Dave asked.

  “It means,” Abbey said, “they’re liable to be sacrificed to the Earth Dwellers’ god. That’s what it means.”

  Shock ran through Josh Adams. He was very close to Sarah Collingwood. He knew that their priority had to be to set her free. He also saw that if they could help the king’s son, it might give them better access to King Celevorn.

  “We’ve got to do something quick,” he said.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” Abbey said. “I’ve been listening a lot since Sarah and I came here, and the Earth Dwellers are under the power of a high priest named Nomus. The king there has absolute confidence in him, and I’m afraid for Sarah and for the king’s son.”

  Josh Adam’s lips grew thin. “We’ll do something,” he promised. “I don’t know what yet, but we’ll do something.”

  11

  The Miracle Shot

  Sarah found herself becoming more and more attached to Lomeen, the daughter of Chief Maroni. Lomeen had no brothers or sisters and seemed to be a very lonely girl. The two of them spent much time together.

  One day Sarah was helping Lomeen grind corn. It was a very primitive operation. The total machinery consisted of a large stone that had been hollowed out and a smaller, round stone that could be held in the hand. She watched Lomeen put a handful of corn in the hollow and then pound it with the small rock until she had made cornmeal.

  “It would be nice if you had a mill, Lomeen.”

  “What is a mill?”

  “Oh, it’s a machine that grinds corn up into small bits. You can even make flour out of it.”

  “What is flour?”

  Sarah laughed and picked up some of the fragments. “This is what we’d call cornmeal, but if you kept grinding it, you’d get corn flour. Very good to cook with.”

  Lomeen listened as Sarah described a grain mill. Then she sighed. “We don’t have anything like that.”

  “I’ll tell you what would be good, if you’ve never tried it,” Sarah said.

  “What is that, Sarah?”

  “We’ll make hominy and then grits.”

  Lomeen, of course, had no idea of what either hominy or grits was.

  Sarah decided to teach her. She had learned on her uncle’s farm back in OldWorld. The first thing she did was to put a hole in the bottom of an old wooden churn and fill the churn with wood ashes. She then poured water on top of the ashes. When the fluid came out the bottom, she said, “This is what we call lye water, Lomeen.”

  The girl was watching closely. “What do you do with it?”

  “I will show you. It will take a while, though.”

  Sarah took the lye water and poured it over grains of corn to soak them. The next day, she said, “See. The corn has swelled up.”

 
; Lomeen looked at it. “It is big. What do you do now?”

  “This is what is called hominy. What we’ll do is dry some of this, and we’ll eat the rest.”

  The hominy dish was tested by the chief himself at his table where Lomeen served him. His eyes opened wide, and he said, “This new food is good!”

  “Wait’ll you taste grits, Chief.” Sarah grinned. “I guarantee you’ll love them.”

  When the hominy was dry enough, Sarah pounded it into smaller fragments. It broke apart easily. When she had a plentiful supply, she said, “Now, this is grits, Lomeen. You can boil it, put some butter and salt and pepper on it, and you’ve got something good to eat.”

  “What’s pepper?” Lomeen asked innocently.

  Sarah gaped at her. “Well, it’s something that adds flavor to food.”

  The grits also proved to be a success, and soon Sarah had her hands full teaching all the women how to make the two delicacies. Apparently the villagers’ diet was so monotonous that anything new was a treat.

  Lomeen seemed very curious about Jere. She asked Sarah innumerable questions about the young man, including one that Sarah expected.

  “Does he have a wife, Sarah?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “He is so handsome. It’s a shame our people are at war.”

  Sarah shot a quick glance at her. “I don’t think their people are. I think your people are at war. The Cloud People are very gentle. I wish you could spend a few days with Jere’s people. You’d like them, Lomeen.”

  “Really! Do you think they’d like me?”

  “Who wouldn’t like you?” Sarah smiled. She proceeded to tell Lomeen as much as she could about the king’s son, including the fact that he and his father did not get along well. “King Celevorn is a practical sort of man. He thinks his son ought to be busy doing important things, but Jere only wants to write poetry. He has a great imagination.”

  “I don’t think any of our people write poetry. They wouldn’t see any good in it. ‘You can’t eat it,’ they would say.”

  “That’s true, but there are a lot of things in life that you can’t eat or use, and yet they are nice.”

  Jere spent some time with the two girls. He always seemed jolly and could make up little poems as easily as other people could talk. It amazed Sarah and appeared to absolutely astound Lomeen, who said she’d never heard anything like this.