Part 22 (1/2)

Every moment brought them nearer upon us; every instant increased our peril. Even though we were in the great chasm, the true extent of which we could not distinguish, we knew not by what means we could escape upward to the blessed light of day.

Forward we crept cautiously, in obedience to Omar's instructions, but ere a couple of minutes had elapsed it was evident that the watchful ones who had heard the shouting from above and noticed the pursuit had discovered our whereabouts, for just as we had noiselessly pa.s.sed a huge boulder, a man in white robe and turban sprang upon us from behind.

”Look out, Kona!” cried Omar, his quick eyes discerning the man's cloak in the darkness ere I noticed his presence.

Next second, however, the head-man of the Dagombas and the stranger were locked in deadly embrace, notwithstanding that the man who had approached cried aloud to us for mercy.

Kona with drawn sword had gripped the man's throat with his long black fingers, when suddenly we heard a gasping cry: ”Stay thine hand! Dost thou not recognize thy benefactor?”

”Hold!” shouted Omar, the words causing him to turn and run back to where the pair were struggling. ”Knowest thou not the voice? Why, it is Goliba!”

And it was Goliba! Instantly the black giant released the man who he believed intended to arrest our progress, and with a word of apology we all four sped forward. How our aged host had escaped after being thrown from the frame in which we had made the descent from the city we knew not until later, when he explained that on recovering consciousness and finding himself on his back in the tunnel with a slight injury to his shoulder, he had scrambled down the perilous descent, fearing each moment that he might slip in the impenetrable darkness and be dashed to pieces ere he gained the bottom. Intensely anxious as to our fate, he had at last descended in safety, but on emerging from the tunnel found proceeding above all the commotion the discovery of our presence had caused. He watched our descent into the chasm and stood below awaiting us, but we had rushed past ere he could make himself known, and he had therefore dashed across to a corner and thus come up with us.

But our meeting, too hurried and full of peril to admit of explanation at that moment, was at any rate gratifying--for we all three had believed him dead. Our pursuers were now behind us in full cry. A number of them had gained the base of the rock and, yelling furiously, were fast gaining upon us.

”Come, let us hasten,” cried the old sage, speeding along with a fleetness of foot equal to our own, skirting the base of the great rock for a short distance until we came to a portion that jutted out over the uneven ground, then suddenly turning aside, we crossed a great open s.p.a.ce where mud and water splashed beneath our feet at every step. The further we went the deeper sank our feet into the quagmire, until our progress was so far arrested that we could not run, but only wade slowly through the chill black slime.

Even across here our progress was traced, for the lights in the eyes of the giant G.o.d were turned upon us, and our path lit by a stream of white light which guided the footsteps of those who sought our death.

At last, when we had crossed the boggy patch, the ground became quite dry again, but after running some distance further, which showed me that the natural chamber must have been of huge proportions, Goliba shouted to us to halt and remain there. We obeyed him, puzzled and wondering, but we saw him das.h.i.+ng hither and thither as if in search of something. At first it was apparent that he could not discover what he sought, but in a few minutes when our pursuers had crossed the quagmire and were quite close upon us he shouted to us to come forward. Together we obeyed instantly, speeding as fast as our legs could carry us to where Goliba was standing before a small fissure in the side of the cavern on a level with the ground, and so narrow that it did not appear as if Kona would be able to squeeze his big body through.

”Follow me,” the old sage said in a low tone as, throwing himself down before the mysterious hole, he crept forward, being compelled to lie almost flat on his stomach, so small was the fissure.

His example we all quietly followed, finding ourselves groping forward in the darkness, but discovering to our satisfaction that the further we proceeded the wider the crack in the rock became, so that before long we were enabled to walk upright, although we deemed it best to hold our hands above our heads lest we should strike them against any projecting stones.

Without light, and in air that was decidedly close and oppressive, we proceeded. At least we were safe from the howling mob, for since leaving the great cavern all was silence, and it was now evident from the confident manner in which Goliba went forward that he was a.s.sured of the way. Soon we negotiated a steep ascent, now and then so difficult that we were compelled to clamber up on all fours, and for a long time this continued until our hands and feet were sore with scrambling upward. A spring shed its icy drippings upon us for some little distance, soaking us to the skin and rendering us chilly and uncomfortable, but at length we reached what seemed to be a ponderous door that barred our pa.s.sage.

Goliba groped about for a few minutes without speaking, when quickly it opened to his touch and we found ourselves in a long stone pa.s.sage lit here and there by evil-smelling oil lamps that flickered in the rush of air from the great fissure through which we had ascended.

”This is amazing,” cried Omar dumbfounded, as the old sage struggled to close the heavy iron door behind us. ”Why, we are in the vaults beneath the palace!”

”True, O Master,” Goliba answered, breathless after his exertions. ”There is but one entrance and one exit to this labyrinth of vaults and foul chambers wherein the Naya confineth her prisoners. The entrance is, as thou knowest, immediately beneath the Emerald Throne; the exit is this door, which can only be opened by those possessed of the secret. Thirty years ago, when Keeper of the Prison, this door puzzled me considerably, for all attempts to open it on the part of the men I employed failed. It is of such construction and mechanism that nothing short of explosives could make it yield, and these I feared to use. But years afterwards a gaoler who had obtained the secret from his father, also a gaoler, but who was dead, imparted it to me on his death-bed in return for some good-will I had shown him. I believe therefore that I am the only person who has knowledge of the means by which to open it.”

”The knowledge hath, in any case, saved our lives, Goliba,” Omar answered. ”But the great cavern and all those horrible rites introduced into the wors.h.i.+p of Zomara, are not they new?”

”No,” replied the sage. ”They are as old as the foundation of the Kingdom of Mo. Strangely enough, however, the great cave with its colossus and its race of sacred dwarfs who live away in a small dark forest that can only be gained from the opposite side of the cave, were for centuries forgotten. The way to the Temple of Zomara was unknown and the dwarfs remained in undisputed possession of the place until three years ago, one more adventurous than the rest, succeeded in ascending to Mo, when his capture resulted in the cavern with its great wonderful image being re-discovered. Since that time the place has never been devoid of votaries, and the great fire has constantly been fed by those anxious to immolate themselves to appease the Crocodile-G.o.d.”

”Ah! he is a great G.o.d,” Omar observed earnestly.

”Yea, O Master, he is indeed all-powerful,” answered the aged councillor.

”He giveth us life, preserveth us from death, and s.h.i.+eldeth us from evil.”

And as they uttered these words both fingered their amulets piously.

CHAPTER XXV.

LIOLA.

AFTER brief consultation it was deemed insecure for us to return to Goliba's house, as search would undoubtedly be made for us there if any had detected his presence with us in the great chasm. Therefore, our guide, taking one of the lamps, led us along a number of narrow unlighted pa.s.sages, threading the maze with perfect knowledge of its intricacies until, opening a door, we found ourselves in a small stone prison-chamber. Here we remained while he went to another part of the vaults and obtained for us some food, urging us to remain there until such time as we might come forth in safety.