CHAPTER III.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 ofthe 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 deadwas 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 mysteriousland, 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 offantastic 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, andI 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 himand 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 onthe 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.