Old Gold Part 59

"Yes; but we must have more light before we proceed any farther, in case of there being any terrible holes or pitfalls."

"Yes: be as well," said Briscoe; "but I'm beginning to see fairly now.

Why, Brace, lad," he continued, as the captain set the men to work at once hacking away the growth of many generations from entrance door and window, "it's as I expected: the temple runs up as high as three or four of the terraces, and look: you can see the light from the upper windows, showing the walls. It's a hugely big place, but I wish it wasn't so dark down here."

"I'm getting used to it too," said Brace, in a voice full of excitement; "but I'm afraid to move, in case of losing my footing."

"That's right; so am I. Look: can you see over yonder?"

"Yes; quite plainly now. There's what looks like an altar, and I can see several more figures standing about."

"So can I. I wish we had a good strong light. Hah! that's right; they're letting in the sunshine. Oh, we shall soon see."

"Look here," said Brace: "the place is very lofty, and there are windows upward to take off the smoke. Let's make a fire of the dead wood lying about here."

"That's a good thought," said Sir Humphrey; and five minutes afterwards a match was applied to the heap of perfectly dry wood underfoot. It caught fire at once and began blazing up, sending forth such a glow of light that the men set up a cheer, drawn from them by the excitement and wonder of the weird scene which confronted them.

CHAPTER FORTY.

THE FLOOD SUBSIDES.

As all stepped back from the crackling and blazing pile, the smoke rose, rolling up in wreaths, and the fire illumined the whole place, displaying a perfect crowd of grotesquely horrible figures in all manner of menacing att.i.tudes.

To add to the weird horror of the scene, high above and mingling with the smoke clouds were scores of great bats, fully three feet across in the stretch of their leathern wings, with which they silently flapped through the gloom till they succeeded in reaching one or other of the windows through which the smoke poured, and thence the outer air.

"Horrible!" cried the captain.

"It is weird in the extreme," said Sir Humphrey; "but it is interesting."

The men who had been hacking away the vines stood in a group, silent and awe-stricken, gazing at the grotesque figures and the flickering shadows they cast as the fire rose and fell and lit up the strange interior to the farthest corner.

"Well, Brace," said Briscoe, "I don't call this pretty; but I'd have taken twice as much trouble to get here so as to see it. Throw on some more of this dead stuff, lads. There's a good draught comes in and carries the heat upwards, and it will make a clearance of all these birds' nests and rubbish."

"It is horrible," said Brace, as the men hurried to obey the order given, and the flames leaped up and up, revealing the many figures from fresh points of view in the golden ruddy glare. "But I feel like you, Briscoe; I shouldn't have liked to miss this."

"These are the old bogies with which the priests who lived in the cells upstairs used to scare the people and keep them under. I wonder whether they ever thought to light up the place."

"No doubt they did," said Sir Humphrey, who had now joined them. "That square erection at the back there, surrounded by small figures, must have been the altar, and no doubt they burned a fire upon that."

"Think so, sir," said the captain. "Well, I didn't think we were coming up to see a sight like this. Old Dellow will be a bit mad at missing it, eh, Lynton?"

"But he shan't miss it," said Briscoe. "We must light it up again.

Say, Brace, I can't see any sign of holes. The floor's covered with rubbish and stony dust, but it seems to me that we can walk right back among those two rows of images to the altar. I want to see what those things are round about it."

"Well, let's take hold of hands and try," replied Brace. "We can try every step before us with the b.u.t.ts of our guns."

"Be careful," cried Sir Humphrey.

"Yes; we'll mind," said Brace. "Let the men throw on more dead dry stuff; Lynton; and only a little at a time so as to keep up a good light."

"All right, sir," was the response, and more flame and light and less smoke was the result, while more light came in from the windows above, for as the hot acrid smoke poured out the leaf.a.ge writhed and crinkled up, taking up half the s.p.a.ce it had occupied before.

There was nothing to hinder the advance, as Brace and Briscoe carefully felt their way between the two rows of menacing figures, till they reached the square elevation, a good ten feet high, and then found that they could ascend a flight of steps thick with powdered stone.

At the broad landing at the top the altar was about waist-high, and now for the first time they made out that at the back there was a big sitting figure, whose breast seemed to be covered with a kind of rayed shield; but everything was indistinct in the flickering light, and the figure was absolutely clothed in dust.

Just then Briscoe stretched out his left hand and laid it upon one of the objects which stood in a row on either side of the altar.

The next moment he began to breathe hard as if he were about to have a fit.

"What's the matter?" said Brace anxiously; "overcome by the heat and smoke?"

"No, no," whispered Briscoe hoa.r.s.ely. "Touch that thing nearest to you."

Brace did as was suggested, and found that it was heavy, but that he could move it.

"Why, it isn't stone," he said, "but metal. It must be some kind of ornament."

"Yes," said Briscoe, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, "and that kitchen place we went in first was a foundry; that next place where you spoke of a rubbish heap was all ore. I picked up a bit, as you know, and it's rich. Brace, my lad, we've found the Spaniards' El Dorado, and these ornaments we have just touched are solid gold."

"Impossible!" said Brace, in an awe-stricken whisper.

"'Tisn't, lad. Look now the light's stronger. That squatting figure with the thing like a rayed shield over his breast isn't only stone, for I'd bet my last dollar that the shield's a golden sun."

"Well?" cried the captain; "found anything?"

"Oh, yes," said Brace, trying to speak calmly; "this is an altar, sure enough."

"Well, I'd give it up for to-day. Come out, Brace," cried Sir Humphrey, "and we'll examine the place carefully to-morrow when the fire has burned out and the air is breathable. I think we shall be able to take back something curious for our pains."

"Not a doubt about it," said Briscoe cheerily. "Yes; we've had enough of it for to-day, and I want something to take the smoke and dust out of my throat. Come along, Brace. Hist," he whispered: "not a word till we get them away from the men."

"I understand," said Brace.

A few minutes afterwards the whole party were out on the terrace, shouting down explanations to Dellow and the men, who on seeing the smoke rising had taken to the small boat and rowed to the foot of the great wall.

"Found anything worth getting?" shouted the mate.

"Well, yes: I suppose so," cried the captain. "It's a big temple full of stone idols. We shall have to take a boat-load back for the British Museum."

"Bah!" said Dellow. "Are you coming back now? Dan's got a splendid dinner of fish and bird roasted and I don't know how you are; we're starving here."

"We shall be with you in no time now," said the captain. "Forward, my lads, and let's get back."

The men started, Sir Humphrey and the captain followed, and Brace and Briscoe came last.

"Yes, that's gold, sure enough," said Brace, looking furtively at the piece of ore thrust into his hand. "But, Briscoe?"