CHAPTER XLVIII.NO HOPE OF ESCAPE.
At the usual morning gathering of the adventurers, on the following morning, Mr. Bruce said:
“It seems that we are prisoners, but why I cannot understand. It may be, though, that the Temple alone is to be guarded, and that when we desire to leave it for a walk or a ride, the guards may not follow us. Let us make the experiment, Mr. Graham, if we are accompanied by the guards we shall know that extra effort is needed.”
“I wonder,” said Mr. Graham, “if this custom of guarding a prospective bride, which this seems to be, applies to their courtiers as well. Anyway we can ascertain this, by ordering our zebras and taking a ride,” and stepping to the curtain which separated the apartment from the one which he occupied, Mr. Graham called one of his attendants, and told him they wanted their zebras at once. In a short time the zebras were awaiting them, and Mr. Bruce and he went to the entrance, and were not surprised to see ten mounted men standing near, seemingly waiting for them to start. Apparently unconcerned, our friends mounted and rode leisurely down the main avenue. And the ten men followed.
“As I supposed,” said Mr. Graham, “our escape is going to be a serious matter after all.”
“Yes,” answered Mr. Bruce, “we will undoubtedly be guarded by these men wherever we go, and it is hardlyreasonable to believe that they will allow us to go to the cave, and make our escape without trying to stop us.”
“There is Sedai,” said Mr. Graham, “he may be able to offer some suggestion.”
They stopped their zebras and motioning to Sedai, he came up and asked what he could do for them.
“We are virtually prisoners, Sedai,” said Mr. Graham, “and we need your help. The King has announced his intention of marrying Enola on the Day of Resis, and to avoid this, we shall have to leave the city; but a guard has been placed about the Temple and a guard is now following us, and it may be hard for us to get away.”
“I have heard of this intended marriage,” said Sedai, “but I thought that Miss Enola must have given her consent.”
“Far from it,” said Mr. Graham, “she is most desirous of getting away immediately. Exert your thinking powers, Sedai, and try to devise some means by which we can leave the country. If you think of anything, come up to the Temple and give us the result.”
“I will do so,” said Sedai, as he walked away.
“Mr. Bruce,” said Mr. Graham, “our friends in the rear do not seem to be appointed as guards to ward off danger, but more as a guard of honor. This is probably what they are for, simply to announce to the people that we have marriageable children,” and Mr. Graham smiled.
“I think myself that they have no idea of danger befalling us, but it looks to me as if they had some suspicion of our intended escape. You know we mentionedthe matter to the King a few evenings since,” said Mr. Bruce.
“That’s so; I wonder if that can have anything to do with it. It may be that he intends to keep us prisoners, at least, until he has Enola secure,” said Mr. Graham.
“It is hard to tell,” said Mr. Bruce.
They turned their zebras and headed for the Temple, and upon arriving there told their companions of how they had been followed.
Sedai came up in the afternoon, and, after talking with the guard for awhile, reported what he had learned. The guard was changed every four hours, and the old guard marched to the house used by them as headquarters. Here they reported, and a relief was sent to the Temple. From the time the old guard left until the relief arrived, fifteen minutes elapsed, and during this fifteen minutes escape must be made. This was their only chance. It was not allowing much time for accidents, but they might be some distance before their escape was discovered, and a guard sent after them. This might not take the right direction at first, and in this way some time might be gained.
It was decided to have Sedai carry the provisions to the cave, since he would not be watched; consequently, he left them to make preparations. No time was to be lost, and Sedai went directly to the provision storehouse and asked for four days’ provisions for himself, as he intended going to the large lake on a fishing excursion. The provisions were given him, but, to his surprise, when he came out of the storehouse and mounted his zebra, five mounted men, who were near and who were seen awaiting him, started just after hedid and followed him. Straight on he went in the direction of the secret door, and upon arriving at the gate of the wall, his followers rode up and stopped him, saying, that as none of them had weapons they could not think of entering that wild part or of letting him do so. He made no objection, and leaving his bundle of provisions in a shady place near the gate, rode back to the city and went directly to the Temple to notify his friends.
“It begins to look very serious,” said Mr. Graham, “but we must go, provisions or no provisions. It may be that some of the dried food which we left along the way as we crossed the cave, may be in good condition still, and if so, this would sustain us for quite awhile.”
“I have an idea,” said Enola, “which is not pleasant to contemplate, but which may mean the saving of life. The opening into the mountain is large enough to admit the zebras, and if we can get them through it, our journey will be much easier and quicker; and if the worst comes, we can sacrifice them.”
“A splendid idea,” said Harry, “but we must be ready to start by to-morrow night. But five days remain for us before the Day of Resis, and we must not put off our first attempt until the last moment. It may be that we will make some miscalculation the first time and have to try again, so let us be ready by to-morrow night.”
During that day and the next they made as many preparations as they could without being observed. Each secreted some dried meats and a bottle of the exquisite wine and honey. Sedai had visited the guard frequently, and had learned when the changes were made. The stables, where the zebras were kept,was about three hundred yards to the rear of the Temple. They were guarded by one man, the attendants of our friends grooming and taking care of them during the day. This man would have to be overcome, or called from the stable on some pretense.
The day intended for their escape drew slowly to an end. The evening meal had been eaten, as usual, with the King, but Enola had declined to accompany him to the terrace. They had gathered in Mrs. Graham’s room, and were waiting anxiously for Sedai to announce that the time had come and all was in readiness. Sedai at last came, but the moment he entered they saw that some slip had been made in the arrangements, or that something had gone wrong.
“What is it, Sedai?” asked Mr. Bruce.
“This,” said Sedai. “The guard, as usual, had left for their headquarters, and I had sent the stableman on an errand which would take some time to carry out. I started to the Temple to notify you, when, to my surprise, twenty men came up to the stable, and when I asked their leader why they were there, he told me that the Day of Resis was but three days off, and that all zebras and elephants were sent into the country to carry into the city those working in the fields, quarries and mines, one day’s journey hence; and saying this, they took the zebras and elephants and went away with them.”
The friends looked from one to the other speechless. The zebras being away they could no longer calculate on their help, but something must be done. They could not think of walking to the cave, for their escape would soon be discovered, and the inhabitants,having found out their intentions, would guard against any further attempt.
“When will the zebras be returned,” asked Mr. Bruce.
“He said that the men who were to use them were one day’s journey from here,” answered Sedai. “If they come to this city immediately, they will be here the evening of the day after to-morrow.”
“Let us see,” said Mr. Bruce, “that will be two days before the Day Of Resis. Cheer up friends, we shall yet escape,” and telling Sedai to keep his eyes open and to report to them the moment the zebras were returned, they dismissed him.
The next two days were spent by Mr. Bruce in the Secret Chamber, for he determined to learn from the tablets more of the history of this strange people and country. Harry and Enola scarcely left each other, for Enola now realized that she loved Harry, and now that there was a possibility of their being separated from each other forever, they determined to see as much of each other as possible in the few remaining hours before the Day Of Resis.
Mr. and Mrs. Graham and Nellie walked about the beautiful Temple and tried to calm their anxiety.
On the second afternoon Sedai came to them and said that the zebras had been returned, but that the young men who had come with them had been given quarters in a villa adjoining the stable, and some of them were constantly lounging about and would undoubtedly see them, and give the alarm if they tried to escape. It seemed as if they must remain until the dreaded day. Sedai was told to try and find some means to get rid of the men about the stable, and to endeavorto have everything ready for that night. Night came but Sedai reported that the men had ridden a long distance that day, and were lying on the lawn of the park and could not be persuaded to move, so comfortable were they in the cool evening breeze.
“When is the next relief?” questioned Mr. Bruce.
“At twelve o’clock,” said Sedai, “and they may go to their apartments before then, thus enabling us to get away.”
“We will wait,” said Mr. Bruce, who had constituted himself the leader of the party.
Slowly the evening wore into the night and twelve o’clock came. The attendants had all been dismissed. Sedai came in at last but his face showed disappointment.
“The men are still lying in the garden,” said he, “some asleep, while others are awake and talking.”
“How many of them are there?” asked Harry.
“Thirty,” said Sedai, “and that many more in the large villa near the stable, so that it would be foolish for us to try to overcome them.”
“No, we must not resort to violence,” said Mr. Bruce, “for that would only hurt our cause. To-morrow these men will be thoroughly rested, and we can reasonably expect that they will go about the city visiting their friends. We must not lose courage but hope for better results to-morrow.”
On the afternoon of the next day our friends, mounted the zebras and with a guard of fifty following them, rode through the principal streets of the city. The city was crowded owing to all work in the fields, mines and quarries being suspended for five days. The people never seemed happier, for singingand laughing was heard on every side. Just as our friends reached the large square, the King mounted the pedestal from which he had greeted them upon their arrival in the city. From a tablet of wood in his hand he read the law proclaiming the Day of Resis to be the only holiday, and, being now at hand, the direct participants in its ceremonies must prepare for them. He did not mention the secrets of the day, or did he give them idea as to what the ceremonies would be.
On the bare wrists of the right arm of the older men and women could be seen a peculiarly-shaped diamond of a reddish cast. This was about half an inch in width and held to the wrist by a chain of gold. Mr. Bruce turned to one of the guards, and asked:
“Why do certain ones wear this peculiar stone and chain of gold about their wrists?”
“It is the mark of Resis,” answered the man. And upon Mr. Bruce asking what this meant, the man made no further answer.
The faces of those wearing these bracelets were radiant. They seemed the happiest of the whole vast multitude, and the younger people appeared to look on them with envy. Truly, the happiness of the day must be supreme to those who participated in its ceremonies.
The King, after reading the law twice, descended from the pedestal, mounted his zebra and joined Enola and her friends. Carefully the zebras picked their way through the throng of people crowding the streets. Girls were dancing, men were giving exhibitions of skill in athletics; others were singing quaint, harmonious songs, and all were happy and joyous.
They soon reached the Temple and retired to the dining hall. After the meal the King excused himself, saying that he would have to go among his people, as on the Eve of Resis all were in the city and were anxious to have him appear at their games and pastimes.
Mr. Graham, Mr. Bruce and Harry walked toward the stables, and to their dismay saw their zebras again being taken away.
“Where are they taking the zebras?” asked Harry of Sedai, who stood near.
“To the great square,” answered Sedai. “These zebras are trained to do certain tricks, and are to give an exhibition to-night before the people.”
Harry almost broke down in despair. All hope of their escape on that night had fled, and all were thoroughly disturbed. Enola’s despair could be seen in her white face, but she said nothing. A resolve had taken shape in her mind, that if all else failed, before she would become the wife of the King of On she would end her life, for the thought now of marrying this man had become abhorrent to her, and the longer she brooded over it, the more hateful did it become to her, and hence this determination.
Slowly the night grew on, and all listened with bated breath for Sedai, for they still had a faint hope that the zebras might be returned in time for them to get away at the midnight relief; but midnight came and passed, and our friends knew that their last hope was gone. They separated for the night without a word, even Mr. Bruce, who was usually so hopeful, now not having a word to say.
The morrow was the Day of Resis, and after itsmysterious ceremonies had been performed, the King of this strange people was to demand Enola for his wife.