“What do you think about it?” he asked, turning to Sam.
“I wouldn’t turn a thieving dog over to those savages!” was the reply.
“No civilized human being would!” Doran exclaimed.
“Very well,” Mellen replied. “I’ll take you to the police office at Quito and ask to have you locked up on a charge of grand larceny.”
“That will be satisfactory,” answered Doran.
While entirely satisfied with the decision which had been reached, both Mellen and Sam did not fully trust the two prisoners. They believed that at some time during the return trip an attempt at escape would be made. The two pretended to be very much interested in the aeroplanes, which were almost constantly in sight, yet Mellen saw that they inspected the trail eagerly as if looking for some soft place to land.
Believing that the men would attempt to leave the motor-car only when within a short distance of Quito, the two did not watch them as closely as they might have done. The attempt came when the car had covered only about half the distance between the camp and the city.
The chauffeur was coasting down a very steep declivity with the brakes well in hand and Mellen and Sam were clinging tightly to the sides of the machine when Doran sprang to his feet and leaped.
His companion attempted to follow his example, but Sam’s hand was laid upon his shoulder at that instant, and the two tumbled into the bottom of the car. The struggle there was of short duration, for Sam was a muscular fellow and the other combatant was not inclined to put up much of a fight. Mellen watched the struggle with a smile.
It was impossible to stop the car on the steep grade, and so Mellen and Sam were obliged to remain inactive while Doran struggled to his feet and shook his fist at the car uttering as he did so threats of vengeance.
The sun was rising over the mountains when the flying machines and the motor-car reached the field where the boys had landed the night before. After the escape of Doran, the aeroplanes had searched the hills and gorges for the fugitive, but had found no trace of him observable from the sky.
After seeing that the machines were placed in charge of capable and loyal officers, the boys entered the car with Mellen and were driven to the hotel. When they reached the entrance they found a little crowd assembled in the lobby.