I was so restless early this morning that before daylight I was outexploring on the mountain-side. By chance I came across a secret placejust as the day was breaking. Indeed, it was by the change of light asthe first sun-rays seemed to fall down the mountain-side that myattention was called to an opening shown by a light behind it. It was,indeed, a secret place--so secret that I thought at first I should keepit to myself. In such a place as this either to hide in or to be able toprevent anyone else hiding in might on occasion be an asset of safety.
When, however, I saw indications rather than traces that someone hadalready used it to camp in, I changed my mind, and thought that wheneverI should get an opportunity I would tell the Vladika of it, as he is aman on whose discretion I can rely. If we ever have a war here or anysort of invasion, it is just such places that may be dangerous. Even inmy own case it is much too near the Castle to be neglected.
The indications were meagre--only where a fire had been on a little shelfof rock; and it was not possible, through the results of burningvegetation or scorched grass, to tell how long before the fire had beenalight. I could only guess. Perhaps the mountaineers might be able totell or even to guess better than I could. But I am not so sure of this.I am a mountaineer myself, and with larger and more varied experiencethan any of them. For myself, though I could not be certain, I came tothe conclusion that whoever had used the place had done so not many daysbefore. It could not have been quite recently; but it may not have beenvery long ago. Whoever had used it had covered up his tracks well. Eventhe ashes had been carefully removed, and the place where they had lainwas cleaned or swept in some way, so that there was no trace on the spot.I applied some of my West African experience, and looked on the roughbark of the trees to leeward, to where the agitated air, howeverdirected, must have come, unless it was wanted to call attention to theplace by the scattered wood-ashes, however fine. I found traces of it,but they were faint. There had not been rain for several days; so thedust must have been blown there since the rain had fallen, for it wasstill dry.
The place was a tiny gorge, with but one entrance, which was hiddenbehind a barren spur of rock--just a sort of long fissure, jagged andcurving, in the rock, like a fault in the stratification. I could juststruggle through it with considerable effort, holding my breath here andthere, so as to reduce my depth of chest. Within it was tree-clad, andfull of possibilities of concealment.
As I came away I marked well its direction and approaches, noting anyguiding mark which might aid in finding it by day or night. I exploredevery foot of ground around it--in front, on each side, and above. Butfrom nowhere could I see an indication of its existence. It was averitable secret chamber wrought by the hand of Nature itself. I did notreturn home till I was familiar with every detail near and around it.This new knowledge added distinctly to my sense of security.
Later in the day I tried to find the Vladika or any mountaineer ofimportance, for I thought that such a hiding-place which had been used sorecently might be dangerous, and especially at a time when, as I hadlearned at the meeting where they did _not_ fire their guns that theremay have been spies about or a traitor in the land.
Even before I came to my own room to-night I had fully made up my mind togo out early in the morning and find some proper person to whom to impartthe information, so that a watch might be kept on the place. It is nowgetting on for midnight, and when I have had my usual last look at thegarden I shall turn in. Aunt Janet was uneasy all day, and especially sothis evening. I think it must have been my absence at the usualbreakfast-hour which got on her nerves; and that unsatisfied mental orpsychical irritation increased as the day wore on.