The River of Darkness Part 17

"The rock with the cross, on the south side of the stone kraal." A simple enough direction on the face of it, and yet the eager searchers, as they hurried from stone to stone, scrutinizing every side and angle, failed to discover the faintest trace of anything resembling a cross.

Canaris wrung his hands in dismay when they came together after the fruitless search.

"We are lost, we are lost!" he groaned. "What will become of us? Go, make another search; inspect the base of every stone; the hidden entrance must exist."

Guy shook his head.

"That cross was made twenty years ago," he said. "In that time the storms could have destroyed all trace of it unless the Englishman carved it very deep, and in that event we should have discovered it already."

"It must be found," persisted Canaris in his terror. "Hark! The firing is coming nearer. In half an hour the valley will swarm with savage foes. Go! Go! Go!"

He fairly shrieked out the last words, and threw himself in despair down amid the jungle gra.s.s.

The Greek did not exaggerate the danger. A startling confirmation of his fears was at hand.

Warned in time by a commotion in the bushes, Guy and Melton dropped flat, as a savage, spear in hand, and bleeding from a wound in the head, burst out of the jungle twenty yards distant and made full speed for a rock a few yards to the north of that by which the Englishmen lay concealed.

All unconscious of the three pairs of eyes watching his movements, he stooped, flung the tangled gra.s.s madly aside, and, rolling a loose stone from the base of the rock, revealed a dark cavity in the smooth side.

He threw a frightened glance in the direction he had come, and, dropping his spear and diving into the hole, pulled the stone back in place from within.

All this happened in less time than it takes to tell.

"Saved!" burst thankfully from Guy's lips as he sprang to his feet.

"Saved!" echoed Melton and Canaris.

s.n.a.t.c.hing up their baggage, they dashed across the narrow s.p.a.ce that divided the two great boulders. Guy tore the rock from the entrance, and, as the imprisoned savage within uttered a hoa.r.s.e cry, he pointed his rifle at the opening.

"Go ahead," called out Melton; "he's unarmed; he can't harm you."

Guy hesitated for an instant, and then crawled into the forbidding cavern on hands and knees.

A distant sound of scuffling and rattling of stones told that the savage was retreating into the bowels of the earth.

Melton handed in the rifles and the baggage, and crawled in after them.

Canaris was the last to enter, and with Melton's aid the stone, which was round in shape, was pulled back against the entrance, and all was darkness, save for one crevice an inch or two wide.

The Greek peered sharply through this, and then exclaimed in a low whisper: "We are just in time. A party of Abyssinians are approaching through the jungle in pursuit of the Galla fugitive.

"Hush!" he added; "don't make a sound; they are coming directly toward the rock."

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE UNDERGROUND RIVER.

A moment of terrible suspense followed the Greek's announcement. From without could be plainly heard a chorus of angry shouts as the Abyssinians searched for their missing prey.

Then the sounds grew fainter and Canaris said quietly: "They have gone on past the rock. We had better strike a light and see what has become of that black rascal. I cannot understand how he knew anything about this place. It may not be the proper entrance after all."

One of the bronze lamps was filled with palm oil and lighted, and Guy undertook to lead the way into the depths of the cavern.

The pa.s.sage was amply large enough to hold two or three men standing up, but it led downward at a very sharp angle. The journey was performed in silence, and after traveling ten or fifteen minutes Guy stopped.

A vast empty s.p.a.ce was before him, and at his feet lay a sharp slope of loose earth. Here were seen the tracks of the savage, and without hesitation Guy began the descent, and half crawling, half sliding, reached firm ground a few yards below.

Melton and Canaris were close behind, and together they went up into the vast expanse of the cavern. Under foot was hard, compact sand, and in a moment more the glare of the lamp was reflected on running water, and they stood on the brink of the mysterious underground river.

"We have found it?" exclaimed Canaris exultingly. "The Englishman was right."

It was impossible to judge of the width of the stream. It might be very narrow and it might be very broad. The flowing water made not a sound, and yet the current was swift, for a bit of paper that Melton tossed in was s.n.a.t.c.hed from sight immediately.

As they gazed on this strange sight with emotions that it would be impossible to describe, a vague, shadowy object pa.s.sed down the stream and vanished in the darkness.

"There goes that fellow," cried Guy. "He has escaped in a canoe," and hastening up along the sh.o.r.e, waving the lamp in front of him, he uttered a cry of astonishment that echoed through the cavern and brought his companions quickly to his side.

Drawn back a few yards from the water lay two long, heavy canoes, and a sharp furrow in the sand leading to the river's edge showed that a third canoe had recently stood beside the others. Half a dozen rude paddles were strewn on the sand. The savage had evidently been in such haste to escape that the thought of turning the other canoes adrift, and thus eluding pursuit, never entered his head.

Beyond the canoes, further progress was blocked by ma.s.ses of eaith.

"This was the abode of that strange race of natives," said Guy solemnly, "and under those stones they have lain buried since the earthquake years ago."

He turned and led the way down the stream.

Fifteen yards below lay another jutting ma.s.s of earth. This was the extent of the cavern, a beach fifty yards long running back to the narrow pa.s.sage and terminated by walls of earth; beyond was darkness and the river, running none knew where.

Yet the only hope of seeing home and friends, vague and uncertain as it was, rested with this mysterious, cavernous stream. It might lead to the coast and safety, but far more likely death and destruction awaited anyone daring enough to trust himself to its treacherous current.

"The sea is hundreds of miles away," said Guy gloomily, as he sat down on the sand and placed the lamp carefully beside him. "How are we going to live through such a journey as that? Even now our last bit of food is gone, and where shall we get more?"

Canaris pondered a moment before he ventured to reply.

"I see but one plan," he said finally. "At nightfall we must visit the burned village. The enemy will have gone by then, and we may discover abandoned provisions."

"If we could shoot any game----" began Melton, but Guy interrupted him.

"The fighting has scared everything away from the vicinity," he remarked.

"Yes, that is true," said the Greek. "The animals have fled to the mountains, and, besides, Oko Sam and his tribe of Gallas keep the game well thinned out."

"What did you say?" cried Guy, springing to his feet in excitement. "Is this Oko Sam's village yonder that the Abyssinians have raided?"

The Greek nodded a.s.sent.

"Yes, Oko Sam is the chief."