Old Gold Part 58

"He means downward," said Briscoe, laughing, and, the regular shaft being found, they descended to the next terrace and began to explore.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

THE TEMPLE OF IDOLS.

Working now upon a regular plan, the party began at one end of the terrace and examined each cell in turn.

They had proceeded about a third of the way towards the other end, when, to the surprise of all, although the openings like windows continued in a regular row, the doorways ceased altogether, and when an attempt to peer in at window after window was made, nothing whatever could be seen, for within all was deep silent gloom.

They soon found that about a third part in the centre of the two-hundred-feet-long terrace was like this: then the doorways began again and continued right away to the end.

"Here, I want to see what's inside that middle part," said Briscoe. "I propose that I have a rope round my waist, and that I climb in, and you lower me down till I holloa out."

"And I propose," said Sir Humphrey, "that we leave that till another day. Let's go down to the next terrace."

"At your orders, sir," said the American quietly. "I can wait."

The opening leading to the next terrace was sought for after the last cells had been examined, and when discovered it was found to contain nothing whatever but the crumbling dust of ages and the traces left by birds; while, upon descending to this last terrace but one, they saw that the construction was precisely the same as that of the terrace they had just left--the central part being pierced only with windows, doored cells being on either side.

"I feel more and more that I want to see what's inside there," said Briscoe.

"Well, we'll have plenty of time to do so some other day, for we are not going to move away from this place just yet," said Brace merrily. "Wait till tomorrow, and we'll go in together. I fancy that we shall find it is a temple, and full of mummies."

"Like as not," said Briscoe; "and if it is we shall find no end of interesting things wrapped up with them, I should say. I daresay these people did like the Egyptians used to do."

"Now," said Sir Humphrey, as the last cell was examined, "one more terrace, and we shall have done all but this centre, and I propose to leave that till to-morrow."

"No," cried Brace and Briscoe, in a breath.

"I want to sleep to-night," said the latter, "and I can't with this mystery on my brain."

"Very well, then; we'll eat a bit of lunch, and then examine that."

As soon as the party had disposed of their meal, they left the entrance to the shaft, walked along to the end of the terrace, and began to examine the first cell.

Here a surprise awaited them, for the cell was double, had two windows and a door at either end, there being no dividing wall, only a curious construction in the middle, but so crumbled away that for some minutes it was examined in vain, the loose stones about turned over and over, and the dust raked here and there.

"I know," cried Brace at last: "it has been a kitchen."

"Right," said Briscoe: "must have been something of that sort. Let's get on."

The next place was entered, and proved to be also double, but with only one entrance, and that narrow.

Brace was the first to enter, and after a glance round and upward to see if the roof had fallen in, he stood looking down at a heap of stones which were thickly covered with the dust that had crumbled down and acc.u.mulated.

"There's nothing to see here," he cried; "and the windows are nearly choked up with growth."

"Yes, come back; these places are all the same," said Briscoe, gripping him tightly by the arm; but, as he made way for Brace to pa.s.s him, and the rest went on, he stooped down quickly and picked up a piece from the heap of dust-covered stones and placed it in his pocket.

"Why did you do that?" said Brace, in a low voice.

"Don't ask questions now," whispered Briscoe. "I'll tell you soon.

Wait till we're out of hearing of the men."

Several more of the large double cells were inspected, and they all seemed to have been used for other purposes than habitation, for various stone objects lay about, and in two cases their aspect suggested that they had been used for grain stores; but it was impossible to decide.

Then Brace's heart began to beat quickly with excitement, for he felt that they were on the brink of a great discovery. Several windows were pa.s.sed which were heavily loaded with grotesque ornamentation; but there was no door visible. The centre of the terrace was marked by a perfect curtain of liana-like creepers and vines, which hung in festoons from on high and almost completely hid the elaborately-carved front.

"There must be an entrance here," said the captain. "Out with your jack-knives, my lads, and cut a way through."

It was no easy task, for the various creepers were interlaced and had grown together so that saws and strong bill-hooks would have been more suitable implements than knives; but the men worked away with a will, being as eager as their superiors to get a glance into the strange place which had kept them at bay so long.

A good half-hour's cutting and hacking was, however, necessary, two men working at a time while the others dragged away the greenery, which they tossed over the elaborately-carved colonnade into the river, where it was slowly borne away along the canon.

At last the foremost man was nearly through, and, reaching up as high as he could to divide a pale green strand which had grown almost in darkness, and now hindered his way, he put all his strength out to sever it with one cut, not antic.i.p.ating that wood which had grown under such conditions would be tender and soft, and, consequently, his knife went through it as easily as if it had been a thick stick of rhubarb, and he fell forward into the darkness upon a pile of dead wood and leafy rubbish.

"Hurt yourself?" cried Brace, stepping forward, half in dread lest the man should have been plunged into some deep pit.

"Not a bit, sir; only rolled down about a dozen steps, and--Oh, yah!

yah!" he yelled, uttering a horror-stricken cry; and then, as guns were c.o.c.ked in antic.i.p.ation of seeing some savage beast of prey dash out, the man came blundering up, stumbling over the heap of rubbish, and finally dashed out on to the terrace, covered with dust and with his eyes starting in a scared and terrified manner, as he sank down shuddering, and uttered a groan.

"What's the matter? What is it, old matey?" cried one of the men; but Brace, his brother, and the American stood fast with levelled guns and fingers on the triggers.

"What is it, my lad?" cried the captain: "a jaguar?"

"Oh, no, sir; worse than that," faltered the man, wiping the sweat from his face: "worser than that."

"What did you see then? Was it a great serpent? Speak up, lad."

"No, sir; I shouldn't have been skeared o' any serpent. It was a great big Injun who had a lot o' greasy white snakes swinging about all round his head, and he'd got his club ready to hit me. Ever so big, he was."

"That chap's telling a big lie," said Briscoe coolly, "only he thinks he's telling the truth. There couldn't be any big Indian in there, and if there were he wouldn't have a lot of greasy white snakes hanging about his head. I'm going in to see for myself. Coming with me, Brace?"

"Yes," was the reply, and, holding their pieces ready while their companions crowded round the narrow entrance, the pair stepped boldly but cautiously into the opening.

They found themselves descending rugged stair after stair, enc.u.mbered with dead branches of creeper which cracked and snapped under their feet at every moment, till they were about five feet below the level of the terrace, with some dozens of greeny-white darkness-grown creeper strands swinging to and fro from above, and just in front of them they could dimly see, standing with uplifted menacing arm, what seemed to be a hideously grotesque half-human half-animal figure, apparently blocking the way.

"How are you, old chap?" said Briscoe quietly, staring at the figure.

"Long time since you've had any visitors, eh?"

"Why, it is a temple," cried Brace, in tones of suppressed excitement, "and I suppose this is the idol the old people used to worship."

"And very bad taste too. Come in, everybody," cried Briscoe, and his voice sounded weirdly strange as it echoed all round.

"No: stop at the entrance," cried Brace. "Did you hear what I said, Free?"

"Yes: that it was a temple with an idol," his brother answered.