The place in which Stukely now found himself was a perfectly open glade
of about forty acres in extent, carpeted with rich, luscious grass, such
as the antelope loves to feed upon, without a tree or shrub of any kind
upon it. It was not this, however, which excited his astonishment, for
such glades were by no means uncommon even in the densest parts of the
South American forest; nor was it that, immediately facing him, on the
opposite side of the glade, towered a bare, vertical stretch of porphyry
cliff towering up full three hundred feet into the cloudless blue. But
it was the unique spectacle which the face of that cliff afforded that
excited the Englishman's admiration and astonishment, for it was
sculptured all over, from base to summit, with boldly executed figures
of men, women, and animals, which, when his admiration had passed
sufficiently to enable him to study them in detail, seemed to Stukely to
tell some sort of a story. But what the story was he was quite unable
to puzzle out, for there were hunting episodes depicted, and also scenes
which seemed to represent some sort of religious ceremonial, while
others, again, might be interpreted as representing either a human
sacrifice, or, possibly, the execution of a criminal; for they
represented a group of men thrusting forward by a long pole another,
whose hands were bound behind him, toward a great uncouth-looking
monster that was emerging from a pool and advancing ponderously toward
the unwilling victim with widely opened, cavernous jaws thickly set with
most formidable-looking teeth. The figures were executed in rather high
relief, and there was a certain quaintness and stiffness of outline in
their delineation that marked them as the work of an untutored artist,
yet the action of them was depicted with a spirit and vigour which
proved that the sculptor, although untutored, was undoubtedly a keen
student of nature. Altogether, it was by far the most surprising thing
of its kind that Stukely had ever seen, and he stood for a long time
studying the various tableaux, and wondering why in the world anyone
should have thought it worth while to spend the best part of a lifetime
in carving in the stubborn rock so elaborate a series of pictures, where
probably no one but an occasional wandering Indian would ever behold
them.
Somewhat to Stukely's surprise, there was no game in the glade, yet it
was the one place of all others where he would have expected to find
antelope at least. He looked about him to see whether he could discover
a cause for the emptiness of the glade, and presently thought he had
found it in a cave, the opening of which in the face of the opposite
cliff he had already curiously noted while examining the sculptures.
Doubtless that was it; a panther or some other evil beast had made its
home in the cave, and had preyed upon the game that frequented the glade
until it had all been frightened away. He decided to go across and
investigate the place; possibly the panther, or whatever it was, might
be at home, and, if so, its skin would be very useful, for his clothes
were becoming much the worse for wear.
So he walked across the glade, and presently noticed, as he drew near
the mouth of the cave, that the soil round about it was damp, and that a
small trickle of water was issuing from the opening. By the time that
he had advanced a few steps farther he had also noticed that the grass
immediately about the entrance of the cave was very nearly all worn
away, as though by the feet of many animals, while the damp soil about
the opening was trodden into the consistency of thick mud that bore the
impress of the feet of many animals, among which he recognised those of
antelope, wild pig, monkeys, and a jaguar or two. These last confirmed
his theory as to the reason why the glade presented such an utterly
forsaken appearance; a pair of jaguars, knowing by instinct that such a
spot would be largely frequented by various kinds of game, had no doubt
taken up their quarters in the cave, and had fared sumptuously every day
until their repeated attacks had driven the game away.
Stringing his bow and drawing an arrow from his quiver, Stukely strode
forward until he stood in the mouth of the cave, when he halted and
looked in. He now saw that it was a very much larger place than he had
at first imagined it to be; for, looking inward, he was able to follow
the rough walls for a few yards, as they receded inward, when he lost
sight of them in the gloom. Also he became aware of a curious
charnel-house kind of stench that now and then issued from the cavern.
It was just the kind of odour that one would expect to meet with in the
den of a carnivorous beast, and Phil peered keenly into the darkness,
more than half-expecting to see the shining eyes of a jaguar or puma
glaring at him when his own eyes had become accustomed to the subdued
light of the place. But no such sight greeted him, only, as he stood,
staring and listening, a sudden faint splash of water reached his ears
from within the dark depths of the cavern, and a few seconds later, as a
little stream of water came trickling down the slope from the interior,
a hot, strong puff of the peculiar effluvium which he had previously
noticed, smote him and almost turned him sick.
He retreated hastily to the open air--noticing as he did so that the
momentary trickle of water had ceased to flow; he felt that after
inhaling that dreadful odour he must get a breath of fresh air; also, if
he desired to explore the interior of that cavern, he must provide
himself with a torch. Accordingly he retraced his steps across the
glade, re-entered the forest, and proceeded to look about him for a few
dry branches to serve as torches, some dry moss for tinder, and a couple
of pieces of wood suitable for rubbing upon each other when it was
desired to kindle a fire. These things were soon found, and Stukely was
returning to the open glade with the perfect silence and caution which
had now become habitual to him, when, as he parted the last branches of
the scrub which shut him in, his quick eyes detected something moving
along the base of the cliff toward the cave. A single glance sufficed
to assure him that it was one of the large apes, almost as big as a man,
which abounded in the forest; and he determined to remain where he was
for a few moments and watch the creature; if the brute entered the cave,
as seemed to be his intention, Stukely felt he might safely conclude
that the jaguars, or whatever they might be, were not at home, and that
consequently he might himself enter without the observance of quite so
much precaution as he would otherwise have considered necessary.
As he had anticipated, the ape was evidently bound for the interior of
the cavern, for upon arriving at the entrance the creature paused for a
moment, appeared to sniff the air carefully for a second or two, and
then went boldly in, somewhat to Stukely's surprise, for although when
he first saw the creature he gathered from its movements that it
intended to enter the cave, he could not imagine why it should do so;
for he knew perfectly well by this time that that particular species of
ape lived in a tree, not in a cave. Then he recollected the water, and
immediately came to the conclusion that there must be a spring or pond
of some sort inside the cave to which the animals of the neighbourhood
were accustomed to resort in order to quench their thirst. Yes, of
course, that would be it, he told himself; and it would account in a
perfectly natural manner for the many footprints which he had seen in
the mud at the entrance. And, if that were the case, of course it would
not be the den of a panther or other carnivorous animal at all; for
monkeys, pigs, and antelopes would not frequent a spring in a cave which
one or more of their most deadly enemies had made their lair. And yet--
what about that abominable stench which issued from the cave; how was
that to be accounted for? It was a difficult question to answer, and
Stukely felt that there was but one way of getting at the truth, namely,
by thoroughly examining the interior of the cavern. So, forgetting for
the moment that he was out after game, and was not engaged upon an
exploring expedition, he passed out through the parted scrub and headed
straight for the mouth of the cave.
He had traversed about half the width of the glade when the sound of a
sudden, loud splashing of water reached his ears, immediately followed
by an outburst of the most appalling shrieks and yells; and a couple of
seconds later out dashed the ape at a speed of which Stukely would never
have believed the creature capable, had he not beheld it with his own
eyes. The ape cleared the mouth of the cave as though he had been shot
out of it, and came straight across the glade toward Phil. For an
instant the latter thought that the simian had caught sight of him and,
transported with rage, intended to attack him; so he halted, dropped his
branches and tinder, and prepared to fit an arrow to his bow to repel
the attack; but a second glance assured him that he was mistaken, for
the monkey was not coming directly toward him, but would pass him at a
distance of about a dozen paces. Moreover, it was more than likely that
the creature did not even see him, for Phil could now see that the poor
brute, as it dashed toward him in great, headlong bounds, with its long,
hairy arms and hands stretched out before it, its eyes turned back in
its head, and the most hideous shrieks issuing from its foaming jaws,
was frantic with terror! In the drawing of half a dozen breaths the
terrified beast had come up level with, dashed past him, and plunged
headlong into the depths of the forest, where its yells at once raised a
tremendous commotion among the parrots and other birds, to say nothing
of the monkeys and jaguars that made it their home.
Phil meditatively gathered up the materials wherewith he proposed to
illumine the interior of the cavern, and slowly resumed his way across
the glade. Evidently there was something in the cavern after all,
otherwise that poor ape would not have dashed out of it so
precipitately, and in such a ghastly state of terror. But what could it
be? It must be something even more formidable than a jaguar or a puma,
to have terrified that unhappy monkey to the verge of madness; yet, so
far as Phil knew, the jaguar was the most dreaded beast to be found in
the South American forest. There was but one way of determining the
point satisfactorily. So, completely forgetful now of the errand upon
which he had started out, Stukely at once decided to adopt that way,
which was, of course, to enter the cavern and see for himself.
Accordingly, having arrived within about thirty feet of the opening in
the face of the sculptured rock, the young Englishman looked warily
about him and peered into the interior of the cavern to make sure that
there was no likelihood of his being attacked unawares; and when at
length he had satisfied himself on this head, he laid down his bow and
proceeded to arrange his dry moss so that it would kindle readily; then
he took his two fire-producing sticks, rubbed them one against the other
in the most approved manner, and presently had a little flame which he
deftly communicated to the tinder-like moss. When this was fairly
ablaze, he ignited the biggest and thickest branch he had with him, and
was soon in possession of a brilliantly burning flambeau, holding which
in one hand, and his bow and arrow in the other, he at once boldly
plunged into the interior of the cavern, glancing keenly about him as he
held his torch aloft.
The first thing that Phil noticed was that the fetid, charnel-house
odour which had before assailed his nostrils was now, for some reason,
not nearly so strong as when he had previously stood in the entrance of
the cavern; indeed it was scarcely perceptible. The next thing to
attract his attention was the fact that the cavern widened out very
considerably as it receded into the interior of the rock, and that the
floor slightly rose as he walked forward. Then the shimmer of water
ahead in the light of the torch caught his eye, and when he had
penetrated about fifty feet he suddenly found himself in a vast rock
chamber, so large that the light of his torch could scarcely reach its
farther extremity or its roof. And there was a peculiarity about this
rock chamber which consisted in the fact that the whole of its interior,
from wall to wall, was occupied by a pool of water which brimmed to the
level of the highest part of the upward sloping entrance passage--nay,
it did even more, for it occasionally slopped over and went trickling
away in a tiny stream down the passage into the open, thus moistening
the soil at the entrance and creating the mud in which Phil had detected
the spoor of numerous different kinds of animals. A further
circumstance which at once arrested Phil's attention and caused him
again to look sharply about him was that the surface of the pool,
instead of being glass-smooth, as one would naturally expect water to be
in a place completely sheltered from the wind, was considerably
agitated, as though some creature of great bulk had recently been
swimming in it. Yet, so far as he could observe, he was himself the
only living creature in the cavern, and he could see to its farthest
extremity pretty clearly, now that his eyes had become accustomed to the
comparatively dim light of the torch. Moreover, upon carefully
examining the rocky floor upon which he stood, the only wet footprints
visible were those of the ape which had recently beaten so precipitate a
retreat from the cavern, and Phil was quite certain that the creature
had not been indulging in a swim, for he was prepared to swear that the
brute's fur was perfectly dry when it dashed past him on its way across
the glade. No, so far as the ape was concerned, the signs indicated
that it had waded into the water far enough to bend down and drink, and
then had been suddenly and very badly frightened. Again Phil gazed
about him, searching the obscurity on the far side of the cave, and now
he noticed that there was another passage over there, a roughly circular
hole about five feet in diameter, running still farther into the heart
of the rock. He thought he would like to get across and explore that
hole; but how was he to do so? Of course he might swim across the
water; but that idea did not appeal to him, for it meant risking the
extinguishment of his torch; also he could not very well carry torch,
bow, and arrows in the one hand while swimming with the other, and he
was by this time much too wise to go poking about in strange places
without his weapons. No, that would certainly not do; rather than be
guilty of so foolish an act as to discard his weapons he would leave
that hole on the other side unexplored. But that alternative, too, was
distinctly distasteful to the young Englishman, and he once more raised
his torch and carefully examined the walls of the cavern, to see if he
could find a way of getting to the other side without being obliged to
swim across. And now that he was definitely looking for it he saw that
there was a something in the nature of a narrow ledge running along the
left side of the chamber, at a height of about six inches above the
water's surface, by means of which, and aided by the roughnesses of the
cavern wall, he believed he could scramble over to the other side. He
at once determined to make the attempt, noticing at the same time,
without attaching any particular significance to the fact, that the
agitation of the surface of the pond had so far subsided that there was
now but the merest suggestion of a ripple on it.
When Stukely reached the ledge by means of which he proposed to essay
the passage to the far side of the cavern he found, to his satisfaction,
that it was a quite well-defined projection running the entire length of
the wall, and apparently nowhere less than four inches wide, while there
were places where it widened out to nearly a foot in breadth, also the
surface of the wall was so rough that the irregularities would afford
him excellent grip for one hand. Therefore returning to its quiver the
arrow which he had thus far been holding in readiness for a sudden
emergency, and slinging his bow over his shoulder, so that he might have
one hand quite free to cling by, the young man set his foot upon the
ledge and began to make his way cautiously across.
He had accomplished rather more than half the distance across when he
suddenly felt the water surge up over his feet and ankles, and, upon
looking down, saw, to his consternation, that it was once more violently
agitated, the swirling eddies upon its surface plainly indicating the
presence of some powerful disturbing influence at the bottom of the
pool. Then, as Phil continued to gaze, that influence revealed itself
as a shapeless fawn-coloured something imperfectly seen through the
disturbed water, and the next moment an enormous head emerged, a pair of
monstrous jaws gaped widely, and the air of the cavern at once became
again surcharged with the disgusting effluvium which Phil had once
before observed. As Stukely gazed, fascinated, at the terrifying object
which had thus suddenly appeared he became aware that the creature was
dazzled and to some extent discomfited by the light of the torch, for
the lids of its immense goggle eyes blinked incessantly as it returned
Phil's gaze, taking immediate advantage of which the young man thrust
his torch toward it as far as he could reach, with the immediate result
that the great head again sank out of sight. Only for a few brief
seconds, however; but the young Englishman availed himself of those few
seconds to scramble along the remainder of the ledge and reach the point
for which he was aiming, and which now proved to be a sloping surface of
rock about twenty feet broad, leading up from the water to the circular
opening which Stukely had been so anxious to explore.
Now that he was there he was ready to execrate his folly for not having
retraced his steps along the ledge and made good his escape by way of
the mouth of the cavern, instead of continuing his journey, as he had
done; for his ill-judged action had resulted in placing him at the wrong
end of the cavern, and, to escape, he would be obliged to make his way
along the whole of that narrow ledge again, with the possibility that
the monster, recovering from its discomfiture, might snatch him off
before he had traversed half the distance. No, Phil felt that with such
a horrible possibility as that confronting him he simply could not essay
the return passage along the ledge.
Indeed he was not afforded the opportunity; for he had scarcely reached
the broad slope of rock leading up to the circular tunnel which he had
been so anxious to explore, when the surface of the pool again became
violently agitated, and the monstrous head again appeared, followed this
time by an enormous body, four thick, clumsy legs, and a tail; and with
a ponderous rush the creature at once made for the spot where Stukely
stood. But Phil, without waiting for further developments,
incontinently turned tail, and, stooping, bolted up the tunnel-like
opening, the comforting assurance coming to him that so monstrous a
beast could not possibly enter so comparatively small a passage.
Moreover, he was right, for after running a few feet he looked back over
his shoulder and saw that although the beast had thrust its head, as far
as its eyes, into the opening, it could advance no farther. Then,
summoning all his courage to his aid, he retraced his steps, and,
plucking an arrow from his quiver, poised it in his hand for a moment--
he could not use his bow, as it was too long to be drawn in so confined
a space--and then hurled it with all his strength straight at the
beast's left eye. The missile flew true--indeed it could scarcely miss
at such exceedingly short range--and buried itself half its length in
the great blinking orb; whereupon, with a bellowing roar that echoed and
reverberated like thunder in that underground chamber, the monstrous
head was suddenly withdrawn, and the next moment a sound of tremendous
splashing told the hardy assailant that his enemy had precipitately
retreated to the depths of the pool. Then, acting more by instinct than
reason, Phil rushed back along the way which he had come, out of the
tunnel, on to and along the ledge--heedless of the violent disturbance
of the water which told of the convulsive movements of the enormous
shape hidden beneath its surface--and so back to the cavern entrance,
out of which he rushed almost as precipitately as the ape had done half
an hour earlier. "No wonder," thought the young man, "that the poor
beast was frightened, if he happened to catch a glimpse of the monster
of the pool!" Some two hours later he turned up at the spot where the
little party had made their temporary camp beside the river, and
nonchalantly flung to the ground the carcass of a Guazu-puti deer which
he had chanced to encounter on his way back. He found that Dick and
Vilcamapata had made good use of their time during his absence, for they
had not only found a splendid tree out of which to fashion a canoe, but
had actually felled it; and there it lay, within a couple of hundred
feet of the river, ready to be hewn into shape and hollowed out.
"You've been away a long time," remarked Dick; "gramfer here and I were
seriously discussing the desirability of starting out to look for you.
Have you found the game scarce?"
"Game of the kind that I was after, yes; but game of a very different
sort, no," answered Stukely. "The fact is, Dick," he continued, "that I
have had quite an interesting afternoon. For I have discovered a cliff
carved all over with pictures that there is nobody to look at, and--why,
yes, now that I come to think of it, some of those pictures show the
very beast itself!"
"My dear Phil," remonstrated Dick, "are you talking to yourself or to
me? Because, if the latter, let me remind you that I don't in the least
understand what you are referring to."
"No," laughed Stukely, "of course you don't. But all in good time,
friend; hurry no man's cattle. Thou wilt understand when I explain.
Know, then, O most matter-of-fact Dick, that I have this day seen a
sight--or two sights, to be strictly truthful--that will cause thee to
open thine eyes in amazement. The first of them is, as I have already
said, a cliff pictured all over its face with strange and wonderful
sculptures, which doubtless tell a story if one had but the wit to read
them; and that reminds me that we ought to take the ancient along with
us when we go to see them to-morrow; he may be able to interpret their
meaning to us. Now, among those pictures there is one depicting--as I
read it--a man being thrown to a huge and monstrous beast; and inside a
cave in that same cliff I not only found the beast himself, but narrowly
escaped being devoured by him. Fortunately for me, there happened to be
a hole in the rock big enough for me to enter, but not big enough for
him; and when he would fain have followed me his head got stuck fast in
the opening, in which position, he being at my mercy, I drove an arrow
into his left eye, and escaped while he was endeavouring to free himself
therefrom. But we must all go together to-morrow, Dick, and see these
wonders; for they are worth seeing, I warrant thee."
Dick Chichester, however, was not to be satisfied with any such bald and
incomplete statement as the foregoing, and accordingly, when they sat
down, an hour later, to take their last meal for the day, Stukely gave a
full, true, and particular account of his entire afternoon's adventure;
and it was agreed, then and there, that the first business of the
following day should be a visit to the sculptured rocks and the slaying
of the strange and monstrous beast.
Accordingly, on the following morning, immediately after an early
breakfast, the trio set out, arriving in due course at the glade which
lay at the foot of the cliff. As usual, they approached the open space
with the utmost precaution, and were thus enabled to secure an antelope,
one of a small herd that happened to be grazing there at the moment of
their arrival. They killed the creature, not because they required it
for food, but because Phil was of opinion that its carcass might serve
as a bait for the enticement of the monster out of the pool, thus
enabling them to get a fair shot at him; and having dragged the dead
animal to the mouth of the cave, they next proceeded to examine at
leisure the sculptured face of the rocks, which Vilcamapata at once
unhesitatingly pronounced to be the work of Amalivaca, the wonderful
being whom the Indians were looking for from across the Great Water to
deliver them from the power of the hated Spaniard, and restore to them
the undisputed possession of their own country. But he was unable to
interpret the meaning of the sculptures, beyond stating vaguely that
they, like many others existing in the country, undoubtedly portrayed
certain customs and modes of life peculiar to a race who inhabited the
country long before the Indians came into it.
Then, having at length satisfied their curiosity by gazing their fill at
the curious scenes set forth in the imperishable porphyry, they entered
the cavern and inspected the pool, the surface of which was still
agitated, showing that its tenant was restless, as indeed might be
expected. Then, returning to where they had left the carcass of the
deer, they dragged it far enough into the cavern to enable the monster
just to reach it by completely emerging from the pool; and then,
stringing their bows, and satisfying themselves that the priming of
their pistols was as it should be, calmly sat down to await the issue.
For more than an hour they waited in vain; for beyond an occasional
stirring of the water, which caused it to overflow momentarily and
trickle down the slope of the approach, nothing happened. Then a troop
of small monkeys suddenly approached the cavern, and, seeing its human
occupants, bolted, loudly chattering their indignation and fright.
Shortly afterward a deer came tripping daintily across the glade, halted
suddenly, threw up its head, and after sniffing the air for a few
seconds, wheeled smartly round and bounded back into the forest.
Another hour passed, and they were discussing in low tones the
advisability of adopting some other plan for the enticement of the great
beast from his lair, when they heard a sudden rippling and splashing of
water in the interior of the cave, followed by a low moan and a gust of
the offensive effluvium which Phil had noticed on the previous day, then
a still more violent splashing of water, accompanied by a quick rush of
overflow, a sound of ponderous movements, and then, looming out of the
darkness, there vaguely appeared an enormous shape coming slowly and
cautiously toward the carcass of the deer. In another moment it had
advanced sufficiently to enable the watchers to observe the shape of its
monstrous head, and Phil saw that in some way the creature had managed
to free itself of the arrow which he had implanted in its left eye on
the preceding day; but the brute had doubtless lost the use of that eye,
for it could now be seen that it was closed, and that a small trickle of
blood was flowing from between the lids. As it slowly advanced, the
beast moaned frequently, while the disgusting odour which it exhaled
momentarily became stronger.
It had been agreed that if the beast could be enticed out of the water,
all three of the hunters should, at a given signal, discharge an arrow
at its right eye, and the trio were now standing, with bows fully bent,
awaiting the signal. Another moment, and the brute slightly raised its
head and halted, as though suspicious of danger. The slight raising of
the head was just what was required to enable a perfect aim to be taken,
and Phil at once gave the word "Shoot!"
The loud and practically simultaneous twanging of the three bows was
instantly followed by a hideous roar, and in another moment the great
beast, bellowing horribly, came charging right out of the cave, all but
crushing to death his adventurous enemies as he did so, for the three
had only just time to dodge behind a projection of the rock when the
monster rushed past them at a lumbering trot, to stumble and roll over,
just as it reached the open. For a moment the trio thought that in some
unaccountable manner they must have missed their aim, for as the
creature passed them they were unable to see any portion of the shafts
of their arrows protruding from its remaining eye. But it, too, was now
closed, and they presently concluded that, with the momentum imparted to
them by their exceedingly powerful bows, the arrows must have completely
buried themselves in the monster's eyeball. At all events it was
perfectly evident that the missiles had got home somewhere, for the huge
creature was now rolling and bellowing in agony, as it clawed
frantically at its eyes with its immense feet. It was a distressing
sight to see such an enormous animal suffering so intensely, so
presently Phil and Dick ran out, put fresh arrows to their bows, and
stood at a distance of about a dozen paces from the beast, watching for
an opportunity to plant an arrow in its heart. It came after a while,
the beast subsiding at last into quiescence, as though exhausted; and
upon the instant Dick and Phil drew their bows to their fullest possible
extent, the arrows flew straight to their mark, and, with a tremendous
convulsive shudder and a last moaning bellow, the enormous brute
stretched itself out on the grass dead.
Then they proceeded to examine the creature at their leisure, but at a
respectful distance, for the odour which it exhaled was so overpowering
that they found it impossible to approach the carcass nearer than within
three or four yards. The head was somewhat like that of an alligator,
but immensely larger, and its enormous jaws, slightly open, disclosed
two rows of huge teeth similar to those of an alligator. This monstrous
head was joined to the body by a neck as long, proportionately, as that
of a horse; the body was lizard-like in shape, but humpbacked; it had
four very thick, lizard-like legs and feet, each terminating in four
long toes armed with formidable claws. Its tail was nearly as long as
its body, thick, deep, and blunt; and a sort of serrated fin ran the
whole length of its body from the nape of its neck to the extremity of
its tail. Its total length, from snout to tail, as it lay stretched out
on the grass, was just a trifle over twenty-two paces!
When they had at length satisfied their curiosity by exhaustively
examining the enormous carcass--which, they agreed, must be that of the
identical beast portrayed in the carved pictures on the cliff face, or
of one precisely similar--they procured torches, and, having lighted
them, proceeded to examine thoroughly the interior of the cavern. In
the outer chamber, or that which contained the pool--the surface of
which was now perfectly placid and mirrorlike--there was nothing to see
beyond what has already been described. After a brief glance round,
therefore, they passed over to its far side by means of the rock ledge
along the margin of the pool, and entered the tunnel-like passage in
which Phil had taken temporary refuge on the previous day. This proved
to be about one hundred feet long, and gave access to another chamber of
such immense dimensions that, standing just within it, and holding their
three torches high above their heads, they were unable to see the
opposite wall or the roof. But it was a wonderful cavern, and worth
travelling a long distance to see; for upon examination they discovered
that its walls, as high up as the light of the torches would enable them
to see, were most elaborately sculptured in high relief with figures of
men, women, animals, trees, representations of spacious landscapes with
buildings, and even the sea, with either the rising or the setting sun
partially obscured by clouds. And the remarkable thing about these
sculptures was that they were very much more finely and artistically
executed than those outside; the representation was much more true to
nature; the details of clothing were rendered with the most minute
elaboration and exactitude; and there was also evidence of a knowledge
and understanding of perspective. For the first quarter of an hour or
so of their inspection they were unable to obtain any clue to the
purpose to which this enormous chamber had originally been put, or the
reason which could induce a person--or, rather, a number of persons, for
no single individual could possibly have produced the whole of that
work, even if he had devoted an entire lifetime to it--to spend time in
laboriously executing such work in a situation where it would seem that
it could be seldom or never seen. But by and by, when the explorers
arrived at the far end of the chamber, they saw that it was neither more
nor less than an immense temple; for there, in the very centre of the
wall, was a most beautifully and elaborately sculptured niche, within
which was enshrined a lifesize figure, in black marble, of a man, in the
carving of which the unknown sculptor seemed to have reached the very
summit of perfection of his art. For with the most scrupulous and
precise fidelity he had succeeded in reproducing every minutest detail,
the texture and wrinkles of the skin, the finger and toe nails, the
course of the veins, and even the curls in the long hair, bushy beard,
and drooping moustache. The figure had originally been executed nude;
but, whether from considerations of modesty, or for the glorification of
the idol, it had afterwards been clothed in a most elaborate costume
consisting of a tunic, confined to the waist by a belt, a cloak, and
sandals. The tunic was made of a kind of fine canvas that crumbled away
when touched; the mantle was of feathers of the most gorgeous hues; and
the sandals were of some delicate kind of leather dressed with the hair
on; and they, as well as the tunic and belt, were encrusted with minute
scales of dull, ruddy yellow metal, which proved to be virgin gold.
These scales were not only sewn on to the material, but were also sewn
to each other; and it was due to this latter fact, no doubt, that the
garment had not powdered away long ago. The eyes of the idol consisted
of two large green polished stones which looked so much like emeralds--
which indeed they were--that, Vilcamapata offering no objection, the two
young Englishmen determined to appropriate them, as well as the gold
scales; with the result that they left the figure denuded of all its
finery, and, from an artistic point of view at least, far more worthy of
admiration than it was before.
They spent quite two hours in this wonderful cavern, and when at length
they emerged into daylight once more they found that already a whole
army of vultures had gathered about the carcass of the strange monstrous
beast, and were busily engaged in devouring the malodorous flesh. The
trio made a wide circuit so as not to disturb the obscene birds at their
disgusting banquet, and in due time found their way back again to their
camp, where, after a hearty meal, they set to work in earnest upon the
construction of their canoe.