THE ISLE OF SKELETONS.
Believing that some terrible danger threatened, Forbes was in readiness
to push the canoe back into the lake, but Guy stopped him with a wave of
the hand.
"I'll be all right in a moment. My nerves went back on me; that's all."
He glanced toward the shore with a shudder, and then filled the palm of
his hand with water and drank it.
"Come on," he said bravely; "don't be alarmed. It's nothing that can
harm us."
His companions followed him timidly up the sandy slope. The torch threw
a bright light on the scene, and every one of them shuddered as Guy
stopped and pointed before him.
On a flat, rocky plateau, three or four feet above the level of the
lake, lay a gleaming mass of bones, all dried and whitened by age.
"Human skeletons, by gracious!" burst from the colonel, and it was easy
to see that he spoke the truth.
Human skeletons they were, but instead of being joined together, skulls,
arms, and legs lay scattered about in awful confusion.
"This is horrible," said Forbes. "Who were these unfortunates, and what
could have caused such mutilation?"
Guy advanced to the center of the plateau, flashing the torch around
him, and turning to his companions, he cried: "This is an island; there
is water all around it."
"Look here," exclaimed Canaris eagerly; "here lies a raft of logs, half
buried in the sand."
This new discovery promised some light on the mystery, and they crowded
hastily around the Greek, who was bending over the rude structure.
It lay half way up the beach, and over the lower extremities of the logs
a thick layer of sand had been washed. Close by were half a dozen coarse
sacks, which proved on inspection to contain skins of leopards and
tigers, bright colored feathers, coffee, and aromatic gums. All were in
fairly good condition.
"Here is something else," cried Forbes. "Arms, by Jove! Spears and axes,
torches and paddles. Well, by gracious, what does this mean?"
An inkling of the truth flashed upon them simultaneously, and they
stared at each other in frightened silence.
"This was the last load of natives to go down the river," said Canaris
quietly. "Here is their raft, their trading goods. Yonder lie their
bones. Their journey ended here."
"And why did it end here?" demanded the colonel.
"Yes, why?" echoed Chutney, and then no one spoke for a full minute.
"What was to prevent them from continuing on their way?" resumed the
colonel finally. "They had a raft and paddles; the water was all around
them. What caused their death?"
"Starvation," suggested the Greek.
"It was not starvation that killed them," exclaimed Guy, who had turned
back to the center of the island. "Here is a bag of dates and dried meat
all shriveled and moldy. They met their death in some horribly sudden
fashion, that is certain. How do you account for their skeletons being
torn apart and the bones flung together? Could starvation do that?"
"It was serpents," said the Greek; and that brief sentence made their
blood run cold.
"Yes," continued Canaris, observing the doubt in their faces; "they must
have been surprised in the night and crushed to death. That alone can
account for their broken bones. But, remember, all this was thirty years
ago or more."
"Yes, you are right, Canaris," said Chutney. "I believe, upon my word,
what you say is true. The monstrous serpents of the cavern devoured
them."
Sir Arthur beat a rapid retreat to the canoe, and the rest were not slow
in following his example.
"Let us get away from this horrible spot as quickly as possible," said
the colonel; "and, besides, we are losing precious time on this lake. We
must seek the outlet at once and resume the journey."
They paddled gladly away from the Isle of Skeletons, as the colonel
insisted on naming it, and steered as straight a course as possible.
Under the pressure of four paddles the canoe maintained a rapid speed,
but in spite of this it was fully an hour, and probably much more,
before they found the shore of the lake. They rested a little while
beside the perpendicular wall of rock, uncertain which way to turn.
"It won't make much difference," said Guy; "either course must bring us
to the outlet. Suppose we try the right."
This proposition met with favor, and off they started once more, taking
care to keep the shore constantly in sight, lest they should lose their
bearings again.
In less than half an hour the sound of running water was heard in the
distance, and they paddled faster than ever in their intense longing to
escape from the lake.
Louder and louder grew the roar of the water, until they seemed to be
almost upon it, and just when they were preparing for a dash into the
rapids Chutney rose in the canoe with a cry of surprise, and the
torchlight showed plainly a fierce body of water running, not out of,
but into the lake.
They had come back to the starting point. It was here they had entered
the lake, and now all must be done over again.
"Back water," cried the colonel. "Don't get into the current. It may
sweep us out and we shall lose our bearings. Turn the canoe and we will
go back the way we came."
There was no help for it. It only remained to atone for the lost time by
paddling as rapidly as possible.
With difficulty the canoe was snatched from the influx of the current
and headed this time to the left.
"It will be a lengthy paddle," said Guy. "The lake is by no means a
small one."
"I'm hungry," exclaimed Sir Arthur. "Isn't it about time for lunch?"
"Your suggestion is eminently proper, Sir Arthur," declared the colonel.
"On a full stomach we shall travel faster, Chauncey. Do you concur with
our views?"
Guy evidently did, for a supply of dates and crackers was forthwith
produced, and while they were eating the canoe was permitted to remain
stationary.
They started away in somewhat better spirits, Chutney in the bow keeping
a sharp watch for danger ahead, while Sir Arthur held his torch from the
stern, lighting the water for some yards around.
The dreary monotony of the journey was most trying. The shore presented
an unbroken perpendicular wall of stone falling sheer to the water, damp
and slimy with drippings, while overhead was empty space, a dome of vast
height, to judge from the echo of their voices.
They paddled on and on, pausing occasionally to rest their weary arms,
then dashing away with more vigor than ever. Not for an instant did they
lose sight of the shore. It was their only guide. At last Sir Arthur's
arm dropped feebly, and it was seen that he was half asleep. Canaris
took the torch from his hand, and sinking into the bottom of the canoe,
the ex-governor fell instantly into a deep slumber.
"I'm actually getting drowsy myself," confessed the colonel. "It must be
night. Surely we ought to be halfway round the lake by this time."
Guy admitted that he, too, was beginning to grow sleepy, and as Forbes
and Canaris alone professed to be as fresh as ever, it was decided that
they should navigate the canoe for a time and allow the others an
opportunity to rest.
Chutney and the colonel stretched themselves on the rugs and Melton
paddled slowly forward, while Canaris held the torch from the stern.
Hours passed, and still they continued to follow the rocky shore amid
silence, broken only by the swish of the paddle, for neither Forbes nor
Canaris cared to converse.
Wrapped in their own gloomy reflections they crouched in the stern,
keeping silent vigil over their sleeping companions.
An intense desire for sleep now laid hold on Melton, and with great
reluctance he woke Guy and the colonel. It required a dash of cold water
to bring them to their senses.
"Are we still on this horrible lake?" exclaimed Chutney. "How long have
we been asleep?"
"Several hours at least," replied Melton.
"Several hours? Whew! What a lake this is! We must surely be near the
outlet now. But you are sleepy and worn out, Melton, and so is Canaris.
Look, he can hardly keep his eyes open. Go lie down, both of you. The
colonel and I will see to the canoe, and you will wake up twenty miles
down the river."
Melton handed over his paddle to Guy, and the colonel relieved the Greek
of the torch.
Canaris was asleep almost instantly, and Melton was just arranging the
rugs to make himself a comfortable spot, when Chutney cried gladly, "I
can hear water running. I'm sure of it. Do you hear it, too, colonel?"
"Yes," said the colonel, after a pause. "I do hear something, that's a
fact. We are approaching the outlet of the lake, no doubt of it."
Melton's drowsiness vanished, and he sprang up.
"It would be advisable to waken Canaris and Sir Arthur," suggested the
colonel. "No one ought to sleep at a time like this. All hands may be
needed."
A slight touch woke the Greek, but it required a severe shaking to rouse
Sir Arthur.
"Waiter, a deviled kidney and a pint of Pommery Sec," he cried drowsily,
as Chutney pulled him to a sitting position. And then opening his eyes
he groaned dismally, "Bless me, I thought I was dining at Gatti's. Why
didn't you let me sleep?"