As all stepped back from the crackling and blazing pile, the smoke rose,
rolling up in wreaths, and the fire illumined the whole place,
displaying a perfect crowd of grotesquely horrible figures in all manner
of menacing attitudes.
To add to the weird horror of the scene, high above and mingling with
the smoke clouds were scores of great bats, fully three feet across in
the stretch of their leathern wings, with which they silently flapped
through the gloom till they succeeded in reaching one or other of the
windows through which the smoke poured, and thence the outer air.
"Horrible!" cried the captain.
"It is weird in the extreme," said Sir Humphrey; "but it is
interesting."
The men who had been hacking away the vines stood in a group, silent and
awe-stricken, gazing at the grotesque figures and the flickering shadows
they cast as the fire rose and fell and lit up the strange interior to
the farthest corner.
"Well, Brace," said Briscoe, "I don't call this pretty; but I'd have
taken twice as much trouble to get here so as to see it. Throw on some
more of this dead stuff, lads. There's a good draught comes in and
carries the heat upwards, and it will make a clearance of all these
birds' nests and rubbish."
"It is horrible," said Brace, as the men hurried to obey the order
given, and the flames leaped up and up, revealing the many figures from
fresh points of view in the golden ruddy glare. "But I feel like you,
Briscoe; I shouldn't have liked to miss this."
"These are the old bogies with which the priests who lived in the cells
upstairs used to scare the people and keep them under. I wonder whether
they ever thought to light up the place."
"No doubt they did," said Sir Humphrey, who had now joined them. "That
square erection at the back there, surrounded by small figures, must
have been the altar, and no doubt they burned a fire upon that."
"Think so, sir," said the captain. "Well, I didn't think we were coming
up to see a sight like this. Old Dellow will be a bit mad at missing
it, eh, Lynton?"
"But he shan't miss it," said Briscoe. "We must light it up again.
Say, Brace, I can't see any sign of holes. The floor's covered with
rubbish and stony dust, but it seems to me that we can walk right back
among those two rows of images to the altar. I want to see what those
things are round about it."
"Well, let's take hold of hands and try," replied Brace. "We can try
every step before us with the butts of our guns."
"Be careful," cried Sir Humphrey.
"Yes; we'll mind," said Brace. "Let the men throw on more dead dry
stuff; Lynton; and only a little at a time so as to keep up a good
light."
"All right, sir," was the response, and more flame and light and less
smoke was the result, while more light came in from the windows above,
for as the hot acrid smoke poured out the leafage writhed and crinkled
up, taking up half the space it had occupied before.
There was nothing to hinder the advance, as Brace and Briscoe carefully
felt their way between the two rows of menacing figures, till they
reached the square elevation, a good ten feet high, and then found that
they could ascend a flight of steps thick with powdered stone.
At the broad landing at the top the altar was about waist-high, and now
for the first time they made out that at the back there was a big
sitting figure, whose breast seemed to be covered with a kind of rayed
shield; but everything was indistinct in the flickering light, and the
figure was absolutely clothed in dust.
Just then Briscoe stretched out his left hand and laid it upon one of
the objects which stood in a row on either side of the altar.
The next moment he began to breathe hard as if he were about to have a
fit.
"What's the matter?" said Brace anxiously; "overcome by the heat and
smoke?"
"No, no," whispered Briscoe hoarsely. "Touch that thing nearest to
you."
Brace did as was suggested, and found that it was heavy, but that he
could move it.
"Why, it isn't stone," he said, "but metal. It must be some kind of
ornament."
"Yes," said Briscoe, in a hoarse whisper, "and that kitchen place we
went in first was a foundry; that next place where you spoke of a
rubbish heap was all ore. I picked up a bit, as you know, and it's
rich. Brace, my lad, we've found the Spaniards' El Dorado, and these
ornaments we have just touched are solid gold."
"Impossible!" said Brace, in an awe-stricken whisper.
"'Tisn't, lad. Look now the light's stronger. That squatting figure
with the thing like a rayed shield over his breast isn't only stone, for
I'd bet my last dollar that the shield's a golden sun."
"Well?" cried the captain; "found anything?"
"Oh, yes," said Brace, trying to speak calmly; "this is an altar, sure
enough."
"Well, I'd give it up for to-day. Come out, Brace," cried Sir Humphrey,
"and we'll examine the place carefully to-morrow when the fire has
burned out and the air is breathable. I think we shall be able to take
back something curious for our pains."
"Not a doubt about it," said Briscoe cheerily. "Yes; we've had enough
of it for to-day, and I want something to take the smoke and dust out of
my throat. Come along, Brace. Hist," he whispered: "not a word till we
get them away from the men."
"I understand," said Brace.
A few minutes afterwards the whole party were out on the terrace,
shouting down explanations to Dellow and the men, who on seeing the
smoke rising had taken to the small boat and rowed to the foot of the
great wall.
"Found anything worth getting?" shouted the mate.
"Well, yes: I suppose so," cried the captain. "It's a big temple full
of stone idols. We shall have to take a boat-load back for the British
Museum."
"Bah!" said Dellow. "Are you coming back now? Dan's got a splendid
dinner of fish and bird roasted and I don't know how you are; we're
starving here."
"We shall be with you in no time now," said the captain. "Forward, my
lads, and let's get back."
The men started, Sir Humphrey and the captain followed, and Brace and
Briscoe came last.
"Yes, that's gold, sure enough," said Brace, looking furtively at the
piece of ore thrust into his hand. "But, Briscoe?"
"Well?"
"Suppose the Indians know of all these golden ornaments and things being
here?"
"I don't suppose they do; but if they do, what then?"
"Suppose they came now in force and beat us off?"
"Ah, it would be awkward if they came now; but if they did there'd be a
very ugly fight before we gave up our hold on what we've found."
"Yes; we couldn't give it up now."
"I say, what about the men?" said Briscoe.
"They must know, of course, and take their share of what we carry away."
"Oh!" groaned Briscoe, "and after finding what has been the dream of my
life."
"What do you mean!" said Brace wonderingly.
"Why, we've only got those two boats and can't take much. Brace, my
lad, do you think it would be possible to bring the brig up here?"
"Yes, perhaps we might if you could knock down those falls, and do away
with all the shallow parts between here and there."
"Of course," said Briscoe, with another groan full of misery. "I forgot
all that."
"I say," said Dellow, as they came within sight from the lower terrace
once more, "something's happened while you've been away."
"What is it?" said the captain.
"Tide's turned, and the water's flowing steadily the other way."
"That means the flood's gone down then," said the captain. "Well, then,
gentlemen, when you've got your images on board I suppose you'd like to
be going back, for the stores are running very low."