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Secrets of the Andes by James H. Foster
Stranded
"LOOK! The bridge is out! Stop the car-quick!" Bob Holton's voice was unsteady as he gazed ahead at the place of danger.
Acting on the instant, Joe Lewis pushed the brake pedal to the floor and waited breathlessly, his mind filled with thoughts of tragedy.
The wheels of the small automobile locked, but the momentum carried the car on at a sickening pace. Despite the fact that the tires were new, they slipped over the road easily.
An instant later the youths saw that the distance between themselves and the washout was not great enough. In but a few seconds they would be plunging down the embankment into the swollen river.
There was not a moment to lose. Opening the doors as rapidly as possible, the chums jumped from the car and rolled over on the ground, their faces wet with perspiration.
And they were none too soon. The car sped on, reached the edge of the river bank, and then plunged out of sight.
There was a loud splash as it struck the water, and then all was quiet. The sun continued on its downward path, the faint wind played through the trees. Nothing but two lone boys were left to tell of the misfortune.
"Well," sighed Joe, at last breaking the silence, "we sure had a tough break, didn't we?"
"Lucky to get off with our lives, though," Bob reminded him. "That was about the closest shave I've ever had. Wonder why the highway commission didn't put out a sign?"
"Probably didn't know the bridge was out. Not many cars go over this road, and it would not be exceptional for this to go unnoticed for quite a while."
"We'll sure make a report of it," said Bob, getting to his feet and brushing off his mud-stained trousers.
Joe laughed unwillingly.
"That'll be like locking the barn after the horse has been stolen," he grunted. "Come on," he went on, "let's go over to the river bank and see if we can catch a glimpse of the coupé."
The youths walked over and stared into the swiftly moving water. It had rained in torrents two days before, and the river was now almost a rapids.
"Car's nowhere in sight," said Joe Lewis gloomily. "But"-his face lighting suddenly-"it's insured. So I guess there's no use worrying."
"Maybe not about the automobile. But how are we going to get back to Washington?"
"We'll have to hike to the main highway, I guess," Joe answered. "It's about five miles away, too."
The youths were returning to their homes in Washington, D. C., after having spent a delightful week-end in Virginia. Their accident came upon them in a rather out-of-the-way spot, a great number of miles from the city of their destination.
"If it hadn't been for that hill," remarked Joe, as he and his friend walked back up the road, "we would have seen this place in time to stop the car."
"The hill is here, though," returned Bob with a grim smile. "So that's that."
The boys paused a moment at the spot where they had jumped from the doomed automobile. With one last look at the washout, they turned and began climbing the grade.
"Five miles is a good distance to walk," grunted Joe, "especially when we want to get home before long."
"That last you said made the first all right," laughed Bob Holton, "because on the Sahara and in Brazil we often hiked, not five miles, but several times that far without stopping."
The friends were refreshed after the idle weekend trip and worked their legs like pistons. Despite their serious predicament, they observed the wonders of autumn with the eye of a nature lover.
Leaves of yellow and brown were lying about the ground in profusion, while others on the trees were almost ready to fall. There was a cool afternoon breeze that gave evidence of winter being not far off.
"Think there's a chance of getting a ride with somebody?" asked Joe, as the youths followed the curving road.
Bob shook his head.
"Fellows in this part of the country are pretty careful about picking up strangers," he returned. "Too many stick-ups and robberies. Still we might see some soft-hearted person who would not be afraid to take a chance with us."
"The question is, though," began Joe, "will we get in with somebody before night? It's three o'clock now, and we may have to do a great deal of thumbing before anybody will stop and let us in."
The road wound through a rather isolated section, with only an occasional farmhouse looming up from behind the trees. It was indeed a poor place to be stranded.
The sun was well down to the horizon when the youths finally reached the through highway. Although they had done their best, they had found it difficult to avoid the many large mud puddles that often reached nearly across the road.
"Now to get down to business," said Bob, gazing far down the highway. "We'll surely find a car before long that will pick us up."
"Here comes one now," observed Joe. "It'll be here before long. Come on, let's get out farther."
The boys waited for the automobile to come nearer. Then they signaled the driver. But the latter appeared to pay no attention to the young men. A moment later the car whizzed on up the road.
Bob and Joe looked at each other. Their faces clearly showed that they expected the worst.
"Could hardly blame him, though," remarked Bob. "So many innocent-faced crooks walk the highways that it's unsafe to pick up anyone."
"But you know the old proverb," grinned the other youth. "'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' According to that, we-- Look! Here comes another car. Maybe we'll have better luck this time."
Again the chums signaled, and were delighted to see that the car was coming to a stop. At a motion from the driver, who was the only occupant, they climbed inside.
"How far ye goin'?" the stranger asked. He was a short, fat man who looked capable of great mirth.
"To Washington," replied Bob. "We had an accident with our car not far from here."
"Accident, hey? Not hurt, I hope?"
"No. We were able to jump out in time. You see, we came unexpectedly on a spot where the bridge was washed away. Caused by the recent rain, no doubt."
"Oh. Tough luck, wasn't it? And the machine-was it insured?"
"Luckily it was," replied Joe with a chuckle. "Though we may have trouble in proving it."
"Fight it to the finish!" said the man, shifting his cud of tobacco to the other side of his mouth. "If you have to, take it to court."
"I hardly think that will be necessary," Joe said with a smile. "The insurance company bears a good name."
"Wonder if this guy's Scotch?" mused Bob to himself. Only recently the youth had read a good joke about a man of that nationality.
For the next half-hour the three carried on a varied conversation. It was at last broken as they neared a small town.
They had almost entered the city limits when a slowly moving freight train halted them. Reluctantly they settled back and waited.
"This will mean a big loss of time," remarked Joe, as he gazed far down the track at the seemingly endless string of cars. "I'm anxious to--"
"Listen!" commanded Bob, leaning forward wonderingly. "Did you hear anything? There it is again."
"It's a muffled cry for help, coming from one of those freight cars." Joe had opened the door of the sedan.
With a parting word for the driver, the youths left the automobile and ran down the track, straining their ears for a repetition of the cry.
"There it is again!" declared Joe. "Sounds like a young boy. In that third freight car up there."
Summoning all their strength, the youths ran on until they were opposite the box car. It was easy to keep abreast with the train, moving as slowly as it was.
The door was pushed back about three feet, leaving barely enough room for the youths to clamber up into the car. Their efforts were not in vain, however, and soon they found themselves inside.
"Where are you?" called Joe, glancing about at the scores of boxes and barrels.
"Here!" a faint reply came from a far corner.
At once the youths turned in that direction, searching for a passageway between the many objects that filled the car. At last they were within a few feet of the corner. But it was not possible to penetrate farther, for a large pile of heavy crates barred the way.
"Let's get these to one side," said Bob, and for the next few minutes the young men worked furiously.
Finally they made an opening sufficient for them to pass through.
"Now we'll see who's here," muttered Joe Lewis.
The youths worked their way through the passage, their eyes trying to pierce the darkness.
Suddenly they drew back with a cry of surprise.
Part of James H. Foster's series of action-adventure novels geared for young audiences, The Forest of Mystery begins with a chance encounter with a mysterious figure who recruits intrepid explorers Bob and Joe for a top-secret mission. The task seems tame compared to the boys' many overseas adventures, but the pair soon find themselves embroiled in a complex scheme.
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Anabel found out she was pregnant and dialed her husband's number to share the good news to him. They have been married for two years without a child. Desmond's mother had been accusing her of being barren and unproductive. When the call was picked, she was flabbergasted and broken. She was hearing a loud moan of feminine voice. "Ohh! Yeah! Don't stop fucking me! Fuck me harder baby!" accompanied with sound of skins slapping against the other. She went home to confront her husband and end up receiving a divorce paper. Desmond divorced him for a lady his mother was rooting. Few months later when he found out that his ex-wife is a billionaire heiress and she is pregnant with twins, he went crazy!
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
"You were about to cum in me." I said and sat up. That's when I felt a stinging pain across my ear as my hand caressed my face, then the realization hit me- he had slapped me, Lee had just slapped me. #Sex. Lies. Money. Power. *** Jessie, after finding out her fiance had married another woman, decides to have a one-night stand with his uncle, only to find herself married to him. But despite being married to his uncle, she was still attracted to him, so she started secretly seeing him. Well, the uncle wasn't willing to give her up now, not after he vowed to always be by her side; now she had two men fighting for her. And the woman her ex-fiance married wasn't just going to give up on him. Will Jessie realize old flames can never be and live a peaceful life with her new billionaire husband, or will Jade succeed in winning her back?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.