"Ugh! the dust!" cried Bourne, as they stood together looking back
through what seemed like a mist.
But this soon subsided, and they stepped inside again, to find that a
portion of the heap of remains had glided through an opening at the
back, evidently the way into another cell--one that was dimly lighted
from somewhere above, and which proved as soon as it was examined to be
the way they sought, and not merely a narrow shaft, but a wide opening
going upward and downward, the steps being in the wall which formed the
division between the two chambers.
There was only a narrow landing at the foot of the steps, and below this
the opening seemed to go right down like a square well, into whose
depths the remains that disappeared had glided and lay far below.
"A huge cistern," said Wilton eagerly.
"No," said the doctor; "the old people could not have stored their water
just below the way up to the next range of dwellings. More likely a
great corn-store or granary."
"Yes," said Bourne, "that seems likely;" but Griggs grunted and said
nothing.
"What do you think, then?" said the doctor.
"I don't fancy those old folks would do much farming and corn-growing,
sir," replied Griggs. "You see, it's a rocky sort of place all about
here, with very little soil except in patches, and a short supply of
water. Flocks and herds must have been more in their way."
"Then what would have been the use of a place like this?"
Griggs was silent for a few moments, and then he laconically uttered the
word--
"Trap!"
"A trap!" cried Chris wonderingly. "What could they catch up here?"
"Enemies," replied the American, as he stood looking down and then up.
"What are you thinking?" said the doctor quickly.
"Only this, sir. Perhaps I'm wrong, but you see this is a stronghold,
and I can't help thinking that this is the only way into it. There was
the first row of dwelling-places, got at only by a ladder, up which the
enemy had to fight their way, and they seem to have killed all that were
defending that part before fighting their way up to the second row.
There they did the same, and here must have been the way up to the top
part, which they tried to make stronger still. You see, it's rather a
ticklish bit up the side there, and plenty of room all round for those
who defended the place to use spears and stones to beat down those who
came against them. Just look, it wouldn't only be driving them back,
but knocking them off into a hole or trap where they'd be quite done
for."
"But if that were the case this hole would be piled-up with the remains
of the enemy," said Chris eagerly.
"That's so, my lad, and we can easily prove it. I'm going down to see."
"What, down into that horrible pit?" cried Ned. "I should have thought
you had had enough of going down for the water."
"I did, squire; but there's no water here. All's dry, and I fancy
there's a bottom to it. There didn't seem to be any where the water
went down. First of all, though, doctor, if it was a corn-store or
granary there'd be steps like those that go up, going down."
"Certainly," said the doctor.
"And from where we stand, so that the people could fetch up sacks full
or baskets."
"Of course."
"Let's see, then," said the American, and opening his box he took out a
match, lit it, and going down upon one knee held the burning splint
below him.
"No steps here," he cried, jerking the nearly burned-out match out into
the gloom.
"Try another," said Chris sharply.
This was done, and a fresh examination made, but as far as could be seen
the great square pit cut out of the rock went down smooth and square
without a sign of foothold.
"I wonder how deep it is," said Chris, in a whisper tinged with awe.
"We'll soon find that out," said the American. "Is there a loose stone
anywhere about?"
"Yes, plenty on the terrace outside," said Ned, and he stepped back,
passed out of the window-opening, and returned with a piece of shale as
big as his hand.
"Pitch it right out in the middle, squire," cried Griggs, and the
fragment quitted the boy's hand, to fall with a sharp sound upon stone,
as near as they could guess some thirty feet below.
"You're wrong, Griggs," said the doctor.
"Am I, sir? Well, not the first time by many."
"If this place had been as you think, the bottom would be covered with
ashes like those we saw glide down, and that stone would have fallen
with a dull thud."
"Very likely, sir. That's only how it seemed to me. Shall I go down
now and see?"
"No; let's climb up to the next range and see what that tells us; we may
find some explanation there. Mind how you go, Chris; these steps are
risky."
"Yes, I'll take care, father," panted the boy, who was already climbing.
"I don't want to tumble down there."
The height climbed was greater than that of the two lower ascents, but
proved to be fairly easy to one whose nerves were steady, and as he
reached the top Chris called down--
"It's so gloomy because the cliff overhangs it so. My word! There's
been some fighting here!"
The rest followed him quickly, and as they gathered, all noticed that
there was a fairly wide ledge on all four sides of the place, forming a
pathway fairly level, and chipped out of the solid cliff; while, making
quite a breastwork at the edge, but irregular in the extreme, stones of
all shapes and sizes were piled-up, quite regularly along the side
farthest from the rough steps, and of all heights in other parts, the
stones nearest to the steps being only few.
Griggs came last, and he noted this appearance, and uttered a deep grunt
as he pointed out the rough breastwork, but said nothing.
"Stones used for building and squaring the openings on to the terrace, I
suppose," said Bourne, and the boys looked at them curiously.
"What about mortar?" said Ned.
"Think they were for building, sir?" said the American.
"Yes; don't you?"
"No, sir," was the reply. "It seems to fit with my idea."
"What do you think, then?" said the doctor.
"I think the same as I did before, sir. Those are powder and shot."
"What!" cried the boys, in a breath.
"Ammunition to cast down at an attacking force?" said the doctor
eagerly.
"Looks like it, sir. You see, they've used most from close to where the
enemy was coming up the steps. Perhaps I'm wrong, though. Let's see
what's been going on here. But first of all, is there another floor
higher up the cliff?"
A careful search only seemed to prove that they were now on a level with
the highest terrace and range of chambers, while close by the top of the
steps there was ample endorsement of Chris's exclamation about the
fighting that had gone on.
There was a fairly wide space between the top of the great square shaft
and the openings into the first cell and that leading to the terrace
front, and here the remains lay literally heaped, looking as if a most
desperate encounter had taken place. Further examination proved that
the first cell had also been desperately defended, for the combatants
had lain in heaps. It was the same with the second, and as the
adventurers went on without stopping to investigate, they found a dire
repetition of the battle, and proofs that chamber after chamber had been
a little battle-field in which many fell, right on to the extreme end of
the range, all of which was in far better condition as to its stone-work
than the terraces below.
The heaps of gruesome dust ended with the last chamber only, very little
being seen to take attention; but on the terrace, and here in the last
four or five chambers, the doctor stooped several times to rake away the
soft, easily-swept ashes, to point out proofs of his former opinions,
many of the relics he uncovered and touched being quite small.
"A horrible massacre," he said softly. "Children, youths, and these are
doubtless the skulls of women."
"Oughtn't we to preserve specimens of each to take back? They would be
of intense interest to students of the past," said Bourne gravely.
"How?" replied the doctor. "Touch any of them.--There, you see. They
crumble into dust almost at a breath. What we carry away from here must
be in our memories. As far as mine is concerned, it is already charged
with the knowledge that we have, here the remains of two races of
people, the one fierce and barbarous, the other the civilised builders
and carvers of this strange city of the past. Here it is, all written
down, how, in spite of all their efforts for their protection, dwelling,
as they must have been, in the midst of fierce and bloodthirsty tribes,
they were attacked, conquered, and massacred to the very last. For I
expect when we examine the terraces on the other side of this place, we
shall find a repetition of all we have found here. There, enough of
horrors for one day."
"But you'll come and examine all this again, father?" said Chris
excitedly.
"Yes, I should like to come too," cried Ned.
"What, haven't you both had enough of these horrors?" said the doctor,
raising his eyebrows.
"N-no, father," said Chris slowly, and as if thinking the while. "It is
very horrible, of course, and one almost shivers to think of how the
brave people must have fought; but there's a something about it that
seems to draw one on to try and know more, and it is almost like reading
of a dreadful battle and a brave defence; only it seems to be so much
more true."
"Yes, and it's so ancient, father," said Ned, meeting Bourne's eyes. "I
want to know more, and to try and find some of the swords and spears and
battle-axes."
"I know what I should like to find," said Chris, speaking as eagerly as
his companion.
"What?" said the doctor, for Chris stopped suddenly, and seemed lost in
thought.
"I suppose it couldn't be done," the boy added dreamily, "but I seem as
if I was on the side of all those people who were beaten, and I should
like to see how many of the enemy they killed before the last of them
were massacred."
"You'd like to count their enemies' skulls, eh, Chris?" said the doctor,
smiling. "Yes, I feel something of the same kind; but nature has
forbidden that, my boy. You see we are amidst heaps of dust."
"But we may find some of their weapons that they used," said Bourne.
"We must search for them."
"I should like to put a word in here, gentlemen," said Griggs suddenly,
"for I've got a touch--a bad one--of our young friends' complaint.
We've a good two hours' broad sunshine yet, I should say."
"Oh, quite that," said the doctor.
"Well, there's all that lot of ammunition yonder at the top of the
trap."
"Yes," said the doctor; "I begin to think you're right about that,
Griggs."
"And seeing what a stand the poor people made here, fighting from room
to room--or house to house, I suppose I ought to call it--I can't help
thinking that there was something pretty desperate went on before they
let the enemy get up those steps."
"No doubt," said the doctor, "and that accounts for so many of the
stones of that breastwork being missing."
"That's right, sir. Well, I want to go down into that hole with a big
light, and see what's at the bottom there. I'm reckoning that we could
find out what kind of weapons the enemy had to fight against the
stones."
"Yes," cried Ned; "their swords and--"
"Well, I don't know about swords, squire," said the American dryly, "but
they must have had something to fight with. I vote that we go and see."
This was agreed to without hesitation on the doctor's part, and the
party made their way back to the top of the steps.
There was a pause here while all walked along the four sides, where
hundreds of stones averaging the size of a man's head lay just as they
had been placed ages before; and then the descent was made to the
opening at the side where the heap of dust had disappeared, and a short
consultation took place.
"You'll have to give up for to-day, Griggs," said the doctor; "it's as
black as ink down there at the bottom."
"That's what I've been thinking, sir," said Griggs. "One must have a
lanthorn for this job, and by the time I've been to fetch it, got back
here with another rope or two, and lit up ready for work, another hour
will have slipped away; so if Chris and Ned here will promise not to
tell me that I'm too much scared to go, I think I'll give it up for
to-night."
"You may take it for granted that no one will even dream of such a
thing," said the doctor quietly; "and I think it will be much wiser to
give up. We've done quite enough for one day. Every one for camp, a
good wash, and a hearty meal."
An hour later they were seated round their camp-fire, talking over the
adventures of the day, and that night almost the same dream disturbed
the slumbers of both boys, whose minds overleaped the long roll of ages
which had elapsed, and conjured up for them the rock city occupied by a
busy population. Then came the alarm of danger, the surprise made by
the active enemy, and then the fierce defence of the first standing, the
fight on the lower terrace, and the desperate defence of cell after
cell. Then the fight for the next, and afterwards the escalading of the
staircase in the great square hole, down into which Chris seemed to see
scores of fierce-looking Indian warriors beaten by the stones cast from
above.
Worst of all in the dream was the final slaughter along the last
platform, a sight so horribly real that Chris woke up suddenly, bathed
in perspiration, and suffering an agony of excitement before he could
force himself to believe it was all a dream.