IN THE CAVERN.
Early the following morning, Sedai went into the village to find the old
man Umsaga. After much inquiry he learned that the old man still lived
but was very feeble. He went to his hut and telling him what he wanted,
and that he would be well paid for the information which he would give
to the party, the old man agreed to go. Sedai had to support him, for he
was too feeble to walk alone. They reached the camp and Sedai acting as
interpreter, Mr. Graham asked Umsaga:
“Do you know where the opening to the cave is?”
The old man made quite a long speech, which when interpreted ran as
follows:
“I will show you the opening on condition that you take none of the
carriers or soldiers with you, and for this service I demand one hundred
yards of cloth, and one pack of beads. The opening is about four hours’
march from here, and one of your men will have to carry me to the place,
as I will not allow either my countrymen, or your carriers to accompany
us. If you will agree to this I will go with you to-day, to-morrow, or
any time that you wish.”
“We will remain here to-day to settle up with our carriers, and
to-morrow morning we will have him show us the opening.”
Sedai interpreted this to Umsaga, and then helped him back to the
village.
The caravan had only been engaged to go this far, but it was decided to
have it wait three months for them. If they had not returned at the end
of that time, the carriers need wait no longer. They had paid the
natives well for their work, and had promised them still more for the
return trip if they would but wait for them. They hoped that these
inducements would hold them until the expiration of the three months.
Arrangements were made with the chief of the village to give sustenance
and shelter to the members of the caravan during this time.
Late in the afternoon, the goods promised Umsaga, besides a liberal
present to the chief were sent to the village, after which the remaining
bales and boxes were carried up the mountain side to a place designated
by Umsaga. This place was near the opening of the mountain, and here the
party camped for the night.
Early the following morning, Sedai went into the village and helped the
old man up the mountain. Umsaga directed them in the way to go, and it
was not long before they reached a level spot well up on the mountain.
The trees in this vicinity appeared to have been planted in the far
distant past, with a peculiar regard for regularity. A broad avenue of
stately trees of an unknown species to the travelers, led directly to
the face of the cliff. It suggested that the hand of man had long ago
intended that they should serve as a hint of the possibilities within
the mountain.
The party moved through the avenue and halted at the extreme end. Here
the high cliff seemed to stop all further progress, but Umsaga hobbled
up to the rock barrier and with the help of Sedai, removed some of the
bushes growing at the base, and disclosed a large flat stone leaning
against it. This, Sedai with difficulty moved aside, opening to view an
entrance about four feet in diameter. All started forward and gazed
intently into the darkness. It required considerable courage to even
think of entering this dark passage which the sunlight penetrated but a
few feet.
For hours the men labored in transferring the bales and boxes to the
cavern, where they were to remain until their return. Torches had been
procured from the natives, and lighting one of these the party started
on their long underground journey. The passage was very narrow for about
twenty yards, and was very smooth and clear cut, but at the end of this
distance a vaulted cave, lofty and wide, opened before them. The dim
light of the torch lit up this vast subterranean cavern but
indifferently, the roof being so high that it could just be seen in the
darkness.
The goods were stored safely and the journey commenced in earnest. The
men carried what provisions and torches they thought would be needed in
the march across the cave. They had gone but a short distance when Enola
and Harry, who were a little in advance of the others, stumbled over
something, which the light of the torch revealed as the body of a man.
The skin, dry as parchment was drawn tightly over the bones; the eyes
were sunken; the head was covered with a growth of long hair; the hands,
which with their long finger-nails looked like talons, clutched the
garment at the throat, as if the man, when dying, had tried to tear it
away, in order to gain greater freedom to breathe. This garment was all
that the body was clothed in, but around the neck of the dead was a
chain of gold engraved in a peculiar manner and in which diamonds and
opals were set. The ends of the chain were attached in front to a
strange red stone, that resembled liquid fire.
Mr. Graham unfastened the garment, and slipped it off. A solid substance
was discovered inserted in the middle of the back, and slitting the
garment with a knife, a piece of thin, highly polished hard wood was
revealed. Tracings were found on it which seemed to be the diagram or
map of a country; but these were so dim it was difficult to discover
what they represented. After studying further, however, a circle was
seen in the corner with the word “ON” written in its centre. This then
told the tale; this was a map showing the location of the mysterious
country. On the other side were more tracings. A straight line was drawn
from one corner to the centre, where a hole about an inch deep was cut.
On the opposite side of this hole the tracing continued in a straight
line, but just before reaching the corner it turned to the left and
ended at the edge of the block. Nothing more could be made out until Mr.
Bruce, who had looked at it more closely, and whose eyes seemed keener
than those of the others, discovered the letter “u” and a little ways
further the letters “g” and “e.” All looked at the tracing intently for
a few moments trying to guess the riddle. It was finally decided that
the “u” was the first letter of underground, and “ge” the last two
letters of passage. This then was the path to be followed through the
cave. Along the edge of the block could be faintly discerned the name
“Philip Harding;” this was the body of the man who long ago had visited
the mysterious land, and had suffered and died in this cave. This was he
who had given them the knowledge of the hidden country, and who, years
after, was staring at them with those sightless eyes that seemed to warn
them back.
“How terrible,” said Mrs. Graham.
“Yes,” said Enola, “my heart turns sick at the sight. And to think that
he died so near help and liberty.”
“And do you still feel like going on?” asked Mr. Graham.
“Yes,” said Enola, “for now my doubts are at rest; all the fears that I
had of this strange country being a myth are gone. Success seems sure
now and all our long journey has not been in vain. But how strange that
this body should have lain here all these years and not decayed.”
“There must be some preserving quality in the atmosphere of this cave,”
said Mr. Bruce, “or else the body would have turned to dust long since.”
“But come,” said Mr. Graham, “we must yet find the line of broken stone
which is mentioned in the document.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Bruce, “the block would be of little use to us in this
vast cavern without some better guide than its tracings.”
So the party began looking for the string of broken stone, and found it
but a short distance from the body. From here on the cave widened, and
the roof became too lofty to longer be in the rays of the torch.
Monstrous stalactite formations hung from the ceiling, and tremendous
stalagmite pillars reached from the floor into the darkness far
overhead. These pillars were of fantastic shapes. Some were perfectly
symmetrical, others irregular, but all were of wondrous beauty, their
surfaces being covered with delicate tracery as fine as lace. On every
hand could be heard the dropping of lime-water forming new pillars. Ages
must have passed since this cave was cut out of the solid rock by the
action of some subterranean sea, or by a weakening and wasting away of
the lighter strata, or by some tremendous convulsion of nature, which,
raising but the upper part of the mountain, had left this vast open
space.
A little further on a halt was made for the midday meal, and after this
had been partaken of, Harry and Enola walked a little apart from the
others, and sat down on some of the broken stone to talk over their
future plans.
“Harry,” said Enola, “I am a little slow in doing so, but I want to
thank you for having saved me from the jaws of that fearful lion. While
I was lying beneath the paw of that awful beast, I for one short moment
wished that I had not come.”
“And what did you think I would do?” asked Harry.
“Just what you did do,” said Enola, “A brave man could not have done
otherwise. But there are few brave men when it comes to a question of
their own lives, or those of others. There must be no selfishness where
bravery is to play a part, and it is this unselfishness that must be
rewarded, and I can only do this by thanking you, and by telling you
that I appreciate the brave act.”
“Let us forget that fearful moment,” said Harry. “It was little enough
to do for a life-long friend, and I would do the same thing over again a
thousand times if the opportunities should offer.”
“Let us hope that they will not,” said Enola.
“It is hard to tell in this strange country,” said Harry.
At this moment, they heard a loud shout to the right. They could see
their friends rushing in the direction of the sounds, and Enola and
Harry hurried to join them. Nellie was standing wringing her hands and
trying to explain how she and Mr. Bruce were walking along leisurely,
when he suddenly dropped out of sight, the torch being extinguished
leaving her in utter darkness. She had called to him, but receiving no
answer, had shouted for the others, whom she could just see in the
torchlight some distance from her. Taking torches they went to where Mr.
Bruce had so mysteriously disappeared, calling to him constantly. They
proceeded carefully for fear of falling into the same pit; and it was
well that they did so, for before them, gaping as if anxious to swallow
up the whole party, was an abyss opening into the very bowels of the
earth. They leaned far over the edge and peered into the darkness,
calling, but no answer came to them, and they felt assured that Mr.
Bruce was lost.
Harry brought a coil of fine silk rope, and fastening one end to a
stalagmite, prepared to descend into the darkness. Sedai pushed him
gently aside, however, and taking one of the torches between his teeth,
he let himself down. Down, down he went, until he could see a black
torrent rushing madly through the crevice. He saw a rock near him, and
swung so as to land upon it. He could see but a few feet about him and
Mr. Bruce was nowhere visible. He called again and again, and once he
thought he heard a faint answer. He grasped the rope and jumped into the
stream and let it bear him down until, clinging to a jagged rock he saw
Mr. Bruce. He swung toward him, and catching him under the arms, began
working his way back. This was tedious work, and would have been an
impossibility to a man not endowed with Sedai’s herculean strength, but
happily Sedai was equal to the task and soon had Mr. Bruce on the rock.
He gave the signal to those above, and tying the rope under Mr. Bruce’s
arms, he was pulled to the surface. The rope came falling back, and
Sedai, hand over hand, rejoined his companions. It took some time to
restore Mr. Bruce to consciousness, but he was finally brought around.
After he became stronger he said that he had fallen head first, but
hearing a rush of waters, he clasped his hands above his head in the
manner of divers, and thus broke the blow which his head otherwise would
have sustained. He had gone down a hundred feet he thought, but had then
began to rise again, and reaching the surface he had grasped the first
object which his hand came in contact with, which proved to be the rock
upon which Sedai had found him. Then he saw Sedai coming and lost
consciousness. The party moved no farther that day but on the following
morning they took up the journey with renewed vigor.
They had but one fear, and that was as to the possibility of their
finding a door when they had reached the other side of the cavern. This
did not worry them a great deal, for the path laid out for them to
follow both by the broken stones and the tracings on the block of wood,
led to one point and this would undoubtedly be near the stone door, but
the secret of the spring had not been learned, and they might have
trouble in finding it.