CHAPTER XXIII
THROUGH THE VAULTS
They shared the goats'-milk remaining in the calabash, and at onceentered the first exit, that was to lead them, as they ardentlyhoped, into the warmth and light of the day. Venning went first,carrying only the strange lantern, and Mr. Hume a foot behind, readyto support the boy with a helping hand if he were again overcome bydizziness. Their progress was slow, owing to the dark, but the goingwas easy enough with a gradual ascent. What pleased them very muchwas the dwindling of the hubbub made by the waters--a sign that theywere going away from that source of danger. In silence and indarkness they kept on up to a point where the walls widened out, andwhere there was a familiar hut-like smell, necessitating a pause forinvestigation. Mr. Hume struck a match--for the fungus-lamp shed noray--and holding it up, disclosed a slab of rock with a pile ofwhite ash on it. Blowing upon this, he started a glow from the stilllive embers beneath, and placing on a few half-burnt sticks, soonmade a fire. By its light they saw a couple of rush-mats, such asthe natives make, on the floor, and these, added to the fire, made ablaze which lit up a cavern bearing evidence of frequent use; forthere were other mats on a ledge, together with several calabashes,and an earthen pot of native make. Seeing where the passagecontinued, they hurried on, for these human belongings reminded themforcibly of the existence of beings they had no wish to meet inthose dark passages.
"How do you account for people living down here?" asked Venning.
"They may be outcasts from the village, afflicted either by diseaseor madness, or they may be members of some dark superstition."
"Ugh! I wonder if the Inkosikasi has any connection with them?"
"I rather think so, and when we get out we will have a word withher."
"When we get out! But it will be fine to see old Dick again, and tosee the birds and insects on the move in the sun. Halloa! the pathturns again--bends to the left."
"Keep on slowly."
As they went the noise of waters again reached them, growing involume; and when the path turned abruptly to the right, they lookedout through a small opening on billows of mist that rolled upwardsout of sight.
"Seem to have reached a spot above last night's resting-place."
The wall on their left was very thin, and shook to each report; butpresently the passage made a bend to the right, which took them awayonce more from the mist-laden vault, and then, through a narrowdoorway, opened into one of the best-lighted caverns they had yetentered. The light which streamed in from the wall beyond was verywelcome to them, but the taste of earth in the air blowing throughthe crack was better. The first thing they did was to run across tothe crack and look out.
"The river--and the valley!" cried Venning.
Below them was the green of the valley bathed in sunshine, the riverglittering like silver, and the scene like a glimpse of Paradiseafter the gloom of their vast prison.
"There goes the eagle we saw when we first arrived, and right awayyonder I can see a flock of goats among the rocks."
"Perhaps we could get through and climb down." Mr. Hume thrust anarm through, and spread his fingers to the wind. "We are on thesouth-west side of the cliff, nearly overlooking the entrance to thecanon."
"It is very steep there. We should want a rope--and a long rope,too."
"Yes, I am afraid we must keep on; but, at any rate, it is a comfortto know where we are."
They stepped back and turned to examine the cavern. The floor wasdry, the roof high, and it would have made a good room. And a roomin occupation it was; for, now they took stock of it, there weresigns of the occupants everywhere--a stack of wood in one corner,several karosses rolled up, sleeping-mats, cooking-pots, woodenspoons, a bundle of reeds for arrow-making, and a half-shaped bow,and other odds and ends. But what fixed their attention were anumber of white objects on a ledge.
"Look like ostrich eggs," said Venning, reaching up "No, they'renot. Skulls--Ethiopian."
"Pah! Drop it," said Mr. Hume.
"Why?" said Venning, who had no qualms in these matters. "You cansee it is Ethiopian from the receding forehead, the high cheek-bones, the heavy under-jaw and strong teeth. No white man ever hasteeth like that."
"Drop it," said Mr. Hume, sternly.
"But why?"
"Look at this." Mr. Hume pointed to a square block in the centre of,the room--a block all stained with dark streaks that came from abasin in the centre. Venning approached it. "Blood--perhaps asacrificial stone."
"And this," said Mr. Hume, pointing to a bone projecting from one ofthe pots. "They are man-eaters."
Venning put down the skull and looked with a white face at hiscompanion.
"Cannibals! That is why they tried to kill us last night."
The Hunter nodded his head. "I did not want to tell you, but I couldnot stand a lecture on skulls."
"Let us go."
"First let us take a couple of these mats. Cut up, they would serveas torches at a pinch." He tied one on Venning's back and one on hisown. "Forward!"
When they wished to proceed, however, they could not find thecontinuation of the passage, and, to their dismay, it seemed as ifthey would have to retrace their steps in search for another wayout, when behind a hanging mat in the left-hand corner they found anarrow opening. It was not inviting, but they were glad of any paththat led away from that evil place, and away also from the lowerdepths. So, though the way became more and more difficult as theyadvanced, they continued to press on, now up, now down, at anotherplace going on their hands and knees, and further on having towriggle between cracks which sorely nipped the Hunter as he forcedhis heavy frame through. And in the end they came out on the vergeof the vast vault, which appeared to fill so much of the spacebelow; emerged on a wind-swept platform, with a sudden din after thequiet of the tortuous passage as of demons shrieking through theair.
Here Venning gave up. He had been now over twenty-four hoursunderground without one good meal, except the drain of goats'-milk,and after the shock of the previous afternoon, when he hung in mid-air, the disappointment at coming upon another forbidding pit wastoo much for him. He crouched back against the rock, and sat down.
Mr. Hume spread the mat under the boy, wrapped the kaross over him,and made him comfortable as could be, and then he looked anxiouslyabout. Little comfort did he gain. They had evidently pursued afalse trail, and the platform was the end, standing sheer on theedge of that very vaulted space, down which, far down, the jets ofwater shot out through the blow-holes. Their windings had broughtthem, after all, to an impasse, and the only retreat was through thechamber of the skulls, where perhaps the savage beings of theunderground vault were already collected. Looking over and down, hecould see the jets of water shooting out to fall in a mantle ofspray, on which the arrow-like shafts of sunlight sparkled iniridescent hues, and through the spray he could see the white watersof the cataract. Above his head there was a jutting rock, which shutout the wall immediately above, but outside the rock he saw the roofof the vault, gaunt ribs of rock pierced at intervals by fissures,through which shone the blue of the sky. Turning to Venning, he sawthat the boy's eyes were fixed on those openings with a longing inhis look that wrung the man's heart.
Clearly there were only two courses open. They must either go backby the path they had entered by--making up their minds to cross thatdizzy ledge in the darkness--or he would have to leave the boysomewhere while he went for help. He gave up the latter alternativeat once, and set his mind on the first.
"We will rest for an hour," he said. "Then we will go down."
"To look for another way?" asked the boy, wearily.
"Or to follow the track we entered by."
"I couldn't," whispered the boy.
"Then we will try another passage--the one 'they' went down by. Ofcourse"--and the Hunter's voice gained in cheeriness--"that is ourplan, and if we hurry we shall be outside in no time."
"Very well," said the boy, jumping up with a sudden flush in hischeeks, showing a return of feverishness.
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"Rest awhile, lad; it is morning yet. See how the sun's rays slanttowards the west. At noon they will be vertical, and then we shallhave the whole afternoon."
They sat down with their eyes turned up to the specks of blue, andwatched the sun-shafts dip from the west towards the centre tillthey poured their white light straight down. Then they started forthe long downward track, Mr. Hume this time leading the way with hisrifle ready.
When they came again to the cavern of the skulls, the Hunter pausedbefore pushing the mat aside. For some seconds he stood listening;then, cautious still, with the point of his knife he forced apart acouple of the rush strands and peeped through. The place seemed asit had been, and he was about to step in when he remembered thatVenning had placed the skull on the block of stone. There was theblock, but there was no skull upon it. Standing back, he whisperedto Venning to keep where he was; then, with his rifle ready, hequietly moved the mat aside.
There was a howl, as some creature, squatting on the floor, turned alined and hideous face towards the corner, and then scuttled out ofview. Mr. Hume leapt to the floor, and ran to seize the creature whohad taken refuge under a hanging mat. His hand, however, met with noresistance, and, brushing the mat aside, he saw an opening leadingdown.
"It went down there," he said, as Venning, showing a startled faceat the opening, called out to know what had happened.
Venning jumped down, and looked into the new outlet. "Let usfollow," he said eagerly.
Mr. Hume shook his head. "We know one has gone. There are probablyothers; and we don't know that it would lead us out. The other waywould."
"It makes me ill to think of the other way," said Venning,vehemently.
"It looks like a rabbit-hole."
"I'll go first."
"It may mean another night, if it takes up much time."
"I'm sure it's right," persisted the boy.
"Very well, here goes;" and the Hunter submitted against hisjudgment, because he feared beyond anything the breakdown of theboy's nerves.
He was obliged to slide down this black opening, and when he found afooting in a dark, cellar-like place, he at once struck a matchunder the belief that he stood in a mere pit and nothing else, but apuff of wind blew the match out.
"Come along; there is an opening."
The opening they found, and, as they entered it, they heard ashuffling noise behind.
"It's that hag gone up into the room," cried the Hunter, "and she'llgive the alarm. We must go after her."
Venning, however, pushed on. "This is the way," he said wildly; andMr. Hume could do no less than follow, frowning as he went.
But it did seem that the boy was right. The little black hole of apassage suddenly opened out into light that almost blinded them byits brilliancy. It was a broad track. On the right was the wall ofthe cliff pierced with little holes, through which they looked downagain on the canon itself, the opposite walls seeming very near.
"Wasn't I right?" asked Venning, with an excited laugh. "We can't bevery far above. I fancy I can hear the river."
"Well, there is this about it, if the worst comes, and we can't finda way out, we can signal from one of these holes to people in thevalley."
"And Dick would find a way to rescue us--Dick and Muata. Hurrah!Then we won't have to go down into that awful darkness."
"No; but we may as well see where this leads to."
They had to skirt a Y-shaped fall in the track, and thisaccomplished, their course, after many windings, terminated at atotally unexpected spot, no less than a point high up the face ofthe cliff rising sheer up from the Deadman's Pool. They stepped outfrom the passage into broad day, and raised their hats to let thewind blow upon them, but they found that they were as far off fromescape as before. Below, the cliff sank hundreds of feet; above, itrose like a wall without foothold; but they were thankful for thesunlight, for the far view over the dark forest, for the privilegeto look once more on the unruffled sky. Now that they were in thelight, they could take stock of each other, and found it in theirhearts to start a feeble laugh at the covering of mud, smoke, andgreen mould that almost disguised their identity.
But it was a comfort to stretch their aching limbs in the sun, totake the pure air into their lungs, to look restfully away over thetrees that marched unbroken to the uttermost horizon. They dozedunder the influence of the sunlight, blinking their eyes like cats,and when Mr. Hume stirred at last, the sun was slipping down thewestern slope.
"We must be going," he said, looking down.
"I suppose so," said Venning, wearily.
"There's something astir down there. Men are moving up the slopetowards the gorge--and, by George, they are Hassan's men too!"
Venning stood up, and looked down upon a file of little figuresbreasting the slope.
"Good thing I had that wall built. Dick will be having his handsfull. Come along; we may get out in time yet to take a share in thefight, for his sake."
Venning remained staring down, with a look in his face that broughtthe Hunter back.
"What do you see?"
"Of all the idiots," said the boy--"of all the miserable,shortsighted, thick-headed, addle-pated duffers and asses we are theworst! We took pains to find a way into a fiendish maze of tunnels,pits, and caverns, occupied by vampires and enveloped in darkness,in search of a thing that was never there."
"As what?"
"Look there!" and the boy pointed down. "There's our boat--downthere, out in the broad daylight."
"You're mistaken, lad."
"There--straight down--in that patch of reeds on the right of thepool."
"That's her, right enough," said Mr. Hume, excitedly.
"And to think we've been wandering about in fear of our lives on afalse scent."
"It makes me feel bad; but the mistake has been made, and now we'vegot to get out, and get out in time to help Dick."
"Oh, Dick's all right," said Venning, crossly. "He's got plenty toeat, and a warm bed."
"Chew this;" and the Hunter handed his last bit of biltong.
Venning took it, and followed on into the passage, chewing andgrowling over their folly.
"We will laugh over our troubles," said the Hunter, patiently, "whenwe get out."
"When we get out! I don't believe there is a way out. Anyhow, I amnot going a step further beyond the place where we found theloopholes."
Mr. Hume made no reply.
"I have been thinking over it," Venning went on.
"The place cant be very high above the level of the ground outside.We could easily attract attention by filing a shot out. Then wewould make a rope out of the rushes in these mats, lower it with abit of stone at the end, on which we could write directions to Dickwith a bit of burnt stick, to hitch on a rope. We would haul in therope, make it fast, and then shin down."
"But suppose Dick is busy beating off the attack of Hassan's men?"
"Then we'll wait. I'm not going further--not a foot. If you like,sir, you can go, but I will stay. I am not going down into thosehorrible caves." His voice rose to a shout.
"All right," said the Hunter, soothingly. "In any case, I am afraidwe have left it too late."
"Late or early, I'll not go on."
When they did reach the loopholes, they found on looking out thatthe valley on that side was already in the shadow.
"We will stay, then," said Mr. Hume. "Let me unstrap the mat fromyour shoulders."
Venning had already sat down with a dogged look in his face, and Mr.Hume had to lift him up to loosen the mat. The boy--there was nodisguising the matter any farther--was ill, and it would clearly bedangerous to excite him by opposition.
After making the boy comfortable, Mr. Hume sat smoking his pipe, thefirst time for many hours, in lieu of food. He himself was feelingthe effect of the long period of anxiety, for he had scarcely eatena mouthful, beyond his drink of milk, as he had given his littlestore to his young friend, who was in more need of it. But it wasnot of himself he thought. He had a new anxiety ab
out Dick, andbitterly blamed himself for having so blindly followed the womaninto this horrible place, that was one succession of death-traps.
"I'm very thirsty," muttered the boy.
Mr. Home leaned over him. "Keep quiet," he said, "and I'll bring yousome water."
Taking only his Ghoorka knife and his match-box, the Hunter went onto the Cave of Skulls. Luckily for the denizens of that ominousplace, none of them were there to bar his entrance, for he was in agrim mood, so making a bonfire of some of the mats, he looked about.One calabash contained water, and this he carried back, togetherwith something equally precious--a bunch of bananas that were blackwith smoke, yet fit to eat by any one who was very hungry or did notsee them. The boy was sitting up waiting with burning eyes.
"You were so long," he muttered.
"But I won't go away again, old chap. I've brought you quite afeast."
Venning took a long drink, ate the bananas, and fell back on hispillow, while the Hunter resumed his seat to watch through anothernight. It seemed as if they were to be left in peace. Since thatsolitary, withered, and scared creature dived out of the cave theyhad seen no one. But still he sat on guard as the hours slippedslowly by, and then there came a surprising thing.
Just the tinkle made by a drop of water falling into a pool!
It came at regular intervals, incessant, musical, and he began tocount it, wondering at the height it fell, and marvelling at thenoise it made.
And then he leapt to his feet, and stood a moment in breathlessamazement. A single drop of water to be heard above all thatmultitudinous clamour! What did it mean? It meant a silence soprofound that from the black depth of the yawning cavity the tinytinkle could reach him. It meant that the roaring torrent wasstilled!