Part 21 (2/2)

”Lo!” they cried, shouting to the group of their priestly tribe standing rigid and silent around the bejewelled Naya. ”See! There are strangers present! One is a black savage like those thou hast given unto Zomara, and the other white, like the people dwelling beyond the great black water.”

Their announcement produced an effect almost electrical. In an instant a silence fell, and at the same moment the voice of the Naya was heard commanding:

”If they are strangers who have dared to descend to this our Temple of Zomara, bring them forth, and let them be given unto the great G.o.d whose maw still remaineth unsatisfied. Hasten, ye priests, do my bidding quickly; let them not escape, or the curse of the King of the Crocodiles be upon you.”

The two dwarfs sprang forward to seize us, while the group of priests, fleet of foot, accompanied by the great mob of wors.h.i.+ppers, sped in our direction. The people, having worked themselves up to such a pitch of excitement, were eager to a.s.sist in the immolation of any intruders. They were bent upon obeying the law of their queen.

But in an instant Kona felled both the dwarfs with two well-directed blows with his huge black fist, and without hesitation we all three turned and fled in the direction we had come. My companions had apparently forgotten where the steps descended, but fortunately I had fixed the spot in case any untoward incident occurred. They were over against a great pillar of rock, rudely fas.h.i.+oned to represent a woman with an eagle's head.

”This way,” I shouted. ”Follow me!” and with a bound sped in its direction as fast as my legs could carry me.

We had nearly gained the spot when to my dismay I saw a dozen of the wors.h.i.+ppers, divining our intention, approaching from the opposite direction in order to cut off our retreat.

It was an exciting moment. Behind, was a mad, fanatical mob of five hundred men and women led by the dwarfs shrieking vengeance against us; before us were a dozen determined men ready to seize us and convey us to a horrible death in the throat of the gigantic representation of their sacred reptile. Even if we safely descended the steps, we knew not the secret means by which we might reach the earth's surface, nor did either of us remember the exact point where the long dark tunnel joined the wonderful cavern.

None, however, knew that Omar himself was one of my fellow fugitives, for the dwarfs, being consigned to a subterranean life perpetually, had never set eyes upon him, and therefore he had been unrecognized. Another moment, and I knew he must be detected by some of the devotees. If so, the hostile feeling against us would be intensified, and we should probably be torn limb from limb.

I had retained the lead in this race for life, and seeing retreat cut off by the group of men gaining the top of the steps before us I turned quickly, and, although fearing the worst, made a long detour. Determined to sell my life dearly, I drew my long knife from its velvet sheath, and gripped it, ready to strike a deadly blow in self-defence. Luckily I armed myself in time, for almost next moment a man of huge stature sprang forward from behind one of the columns of rock where he had been secreted and threw himself upon me, clutching me by the throat.

Scarce had his sinewy fingers gripped me, when, by dint of frantic effort, I freed my right arm, and with a movement quick as lightning flash, I buried my knife full in his breast. One short, despairing cry escaped him, and as he staggered back I dashed forward again, without turning to look at the result of the swift blow I had delivered. But I was desperate, and being compelled to defend my life, I do not doubt that my blow was unerring, and that my blade penetrated his heart.

Hindered thus in my flight my two companions had reached the edge of the precipice ahead of me, and were skirting it, when suddenly I saw a body of our pursuers approaching, and cried to them in warning. In dismay I noticed they took no heed of my words, but continued their swift flight right in the direction of those who sought our destruction.

”Take care, Omar!” I shouted, in English. ”Can't you see those devils in front?”

But he answered not, and I was about to halt and give up all thought of escape, when I saw them both suddenly throw themselves on their knees on the edge of the abyss, and almost instantly disappear over the precipice.

They had found another flight of steps!

Eagerly I sprang forward, and in a few seconds found myself descending the rough face of the rock, scrambling desperately down into the yawning chasm with a wild horde of excited fanatics shrieking and yelling above.

Half a dozen of the more adventurous swung themselves over and commenced to follow us, but those above, determined that we should not escape, fetched huge stones and lumps of rock, which they hurled upon us. But their excess of zeal only wrought destruction upon their companions, who, being above us, received blows from the great stones which sent them flying one after another to the base of the rock, killed or stunned ere they reached it. Twice we had narrow escapes on account of the unconscious bodies of our pursuers or their companions' missiles falling against us, but while all those who had followed us, save one, fell victims to the merciless frenzy of their companions, we were fortunate enough to be enabled to descend to the base of the rock, where once again the impenetrable darkness hid, although at the same time it hampered, our movements.

For a few moments at least we were safe, and paused to recover breath. My arm was bleeding profusely where it had been severely grazed by a sharp edge of rock in our headlong flight, and the white garments of all three of us were soiled and torn. But our halt was not of long duration, for suddenly we heard whispers and the sound of stealthy footsteps in the darkness.

We listened breathlessly.

”Hark!” cried Omar. ”Our pursuers are here also, and are looking for us!”

”Let us hide behind yonder rock,” Kona suggested, in a half-whisper.

”No, let us creep forward,” answered the son of the Great White Queen.

”They will search every crevice and hiding-place now the hue-and-cry has been raised,” and glancing up I saw a black stream of excited wors.h.i.+ppers, many with torches that in the distance shone like moving stars, already pouring down over the rock in our direction like a line of ants descending a wall.

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