第 14 页

Arthur produced the box, and scraped a vesta on his belt buckle.

As the blaze flared up, Godfrey uttered an eager exclamation.

"I thought so," he said. "Look! the floor slants upward, and here in the center is a sort of a trough washed out by the flow of rain water. This proves that the cavern has an outlet — perhaps far up on the mountain. Our best plan will be to push on through and so make sure of eluding the negroes."

He had hardly spoken when a shrill halloo echoed on the night air, from far down the stream, and an instant later a chorus of answering shouts was heard at a still greater distance.

With a frightened cry Arthur blew out the match.

* * *

Chapter XXI

"The light has betrayed us," he said hoarsely.

"We should have known better," replied Godfrey; "though I had no idea that the negroes could be so near. One must have been far in advance of the others, and his sharp eyes caught the gleam."

"There, he is shouting to his companions again," exclaimed Arthur. "How far away do you suppose he is?"

"About a quarter of a mile," Godfrey answered, "and the rest are that far behind him. They will speedily join, and make a rush for the cavern. But we'll outwit them yet, lad."

"How, Godfrey?"

"Why, by pushing clear through to the outlet, as I told you before. The advantage is all on our side, because we have matches. Come on."

Without hesitation the fugitives crawled on hands and knees into the dark hole, and as soon as they had gone a dozen feet, the shouts of the savages faded to a low murmur.

They crept on and on, brushing frequently against the rocky sides of the passage. They did not stop to reflect that the cavern might not have an outlet, after all, or that other perils might lurk, in the underground recesses.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Arthur, as he bumped his elbow severely. "Shan't I strike a match?"

"Not yet," was the reply. "Wait until the passage makes a turn, or ascends high enough to conceal the entrance. We don't want to give the negroes any more guidance than we can help."

Arthur saw the wisdom of this course, and without further remonstrance, he crept slowly forward by his companion's side.

Five minutes later they encountered a solid wall in front of them, and on the left hand side. Turning to the right, they speedily found the continuation of the cavern, and followed it for a dozen yards.

Then, at Godfrey's suggestion, Arthur struck a vesta. The steady, glowing flame showed that the passage was about six feet wide, and of the same height. It led straight upward, at a sharp angle.

"You can keep, the matches going now, lad," said Godfrey. "But don't waste them, for I fancy we have a long journey ahead of us. The exit of the cavern is likely on the top of the mountain, or on the far side. Can you hold out?"

"I think so," Arthur replied. "The cool air in here is bracing. I feel stronger than when we were racing along the river."

They pushed on for half an hour, mounting steadily upward and in a zigzag course. The dimensions of the passage continued the same.

Then they began to hear occasional shouts ringing in weird echoes through the darkness behind.

"The negroes are in the cavern," exclaimed Arthur.

"Don't let that worry you, lad," Godfrey whispered. "They can't make much speed in the dark. We'll try to keep so far ahead of them that they won't get even a glimpse of our light."

For a time there was every reason to believe that this could be done. The outcry seemed to grow no louder.

The fugitives pressed on as rapidly as possible, and as fast as one match was burned Arthur lit another.

Suddenly the passage terminated in a low, semi circular hole, about two feet high. Without hesitation Godfrey threw himself on his stomach and crawled in.

As soon as Arthur followed he had to drop the match, since the use of both hands was needed.

They crept on for a dozen feet, jammed uncomfort ably by rocky walls overhead, and to right and left.

Then, to their immense relief, they emerged in a big, roomy space.

"I fancied this might be the exit of the cavern," said Godfrey, "but it seems I'm wrong. Strike a match, lad, and we'll see what's ahead."

But before Arthur could obey, the darkness echoed with an angry, blood-curdling roar, close at hand.

"Heaven help us," cried' Godfrey; "there are wild beasts in here."

"And we haven't a weapon," Arthur whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, I've got a pistol with one shell in it, lad. If that misses —- Oh! look! look!"

A pair of yellow, fiery eyes had suddenly appeared a short distance in front of the fugitives. A low snarl was heard, and the dull flap of a lashing tail.

At the same instant a muffled shout came echoing through the narrow passage behind them they were caught between two deadly perils.

"Fire! quick!" cried Arthur, in an agony of terror. "The negroes are coming. I hear their spears rattling."

"I'm afraid to risk a shot in the dark," muttered Godfrey. "Scrape me a match, lad. Hurry, the snarling brute is going to spring."

How Arthur got that vesta out of the box and lit it he never knew. But somehow or other he did it, and as soon as the flame leaped up, a huge panther was seen crouching on the floor, less than ten feet away.

The light caused the brute to hesitate in the very act of springing, and that quickly Godfrey took aim with his revolver and pulled the trigger.

There was a sharp report —- magnified tenfold by the pent-in air —- a scream of agony, and then a great, rumbling crash that died away in thunderous echoes.

The match went out, and Godfrey and Arthur were dimly conscious of a shower of fine earth and stones, that pelted them from head to foot.

By and by their stunned senses revived, and they rose, slowly and wonderingly, to their feet —- for they had boon thrown flat.

The gleaming eyes were no longer to be seen, but they heard a pattering noise, and a succession of screeching cries, that seemed to grow fainter and fainter.

"I've missed the brute," said Godfrey in a husky voice, "but the report scared him, and now he's making for the open air as fast as he can."

"Yes; I barely hear him now," assented Arthur. "But what do you suppose has happened? That explosion was awful. I'm covered with dust and dirt, and the air is so thick I can hardly breathe."

"And my ears are ringing like a chime of bells," replied Godfrey. "Strike a match, lad. That will clear the mystery. These black rascals must be close at band; though I don't hear them shouting any more."

As the vesta flared up between Arthur's fingers, an unexpected sight was revealed. On the floor of the passage —- which was now it's normal width again —- the panther lay stretched out, dead. A brief inspection showed that the thirty-two-caliber bullet had pierced the brain.

"There was a pair of the brutes," cried Godfrey.

"This is the male panther. We needn't fear the dam, for she won't stop until she's out of the cavern."

The fugitives suddenly remembered the danger that threatened from another quarter. They turned around, and instantly saw the cause of the rumbling crash.

The concussion of the pistol shot had brought down a great fall of rocks and earth. The mouth of the nar row crevice through which the fugitives had crept several minutes before, was now buried under tons of débris.

"This is what I call luck," exclaimed Arthur. "No wonder we don't hear the negroes shouting. They are cut completely off from us."

"Yes, we are safe," assented Godfrey, in a thankful tone. "Come, my boy, let us push ahead without delay, I am anxious to reach the open air."

"Is there no danger that the negroes will dig through this rubbish?" asked Arthur.

"Not much," was the reply. "That would he a labor of many hours —- if it is possible at all. They will more likely go back and cross the mountain to the exit of the cave. That is why we should waste no time."

So they hurried forward into the winding passage, burning match after match, as they mounted upward at a constantly increasing angle, stumbling and slipping on the rough path.

At the end of an hour's toil they were ready to drop with exhaustion. Their clothes were torn half off their bodies, and their hands were bleeding and lacerated.

But they persevered a little longer, and it was a glad moment when they pulled themselves through a jagged hole straight overhead, and fell forward in the pure, cool night air.

For some minutes they could only lie still and rest, and draw long breaths. It was satisfaction enough to see the starry sky and the moon overhead.

At length they realized the necessity of moving on, and as they rose to their feet there was a screech and a scurry of footsteps, and a tawny object shot by Arthur and vanished in the flat mouth of the cavern. It was the she panther.

"What the deuce did the creature mean by diving back there?" exclaimed Godfrey. "She was badly scared, too."

A moment later the mystery was made clear. On looking keenly about the fugitives made a discovery that filled them with horror and despair.

In the first place, they were on the summit of a great, rocky peak. The surface was flat and circular, and was about fifty yards in diameter. It was covered with loose stones, patches of dry bushes, and a few fallen, rotted trees. The mouth of the cavern was in the very center.

But the worst was this: At every point the gigantic rock fell sheerly and smoothly downward, for at least five hundred feet, to the wooded part of the mountain.

Round and round the fugitives crept, peering over the brink at the risk of losing their balance. Then they crept back a little, and sank hopelessly down on a heap of loose stones.

"This is an awful trap to be in," said Arthur. "The only way out is back through the cavern. And there the passage is blocked."

"We might dig, through the rubbish," replied Godfrey, "and take the chances of finding the negroes gone. But the panther is in the road, lad."

There was silence for a little while.

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Arthur asked wearily. "We have no weapons —- no food. We can't stay here long."

"True," admitted Godfrey. "I see only one way."

"What's that?"

"To intrench [sic] ourselves behind a sort of stone parapet, and build a fire to attract attention in case the balloon should drift into the vicinity By and by, when the panther finds her way out is blocked, and when she becomes ravenously hungry, she will return to attack us. Then we must disable her with stones, or trick her into leaping off the precipice. If we succeed, the avenue to escape will be open."

"It's a poor prospect," said Arthur.

"Yes, it is," Godfrey admitted, "but there is simply nothing else to do."

So they built the parapet a few feet in front of a rock that had a deep crevice under it, and started a fire, and gathered a big supply of fuel. It was now, as nearly as they could judge, an hour after midnight.

They shared the flask of water, and greedily drank every drop. Then they sat down to watch for the panther, and in a few minutes sleep had overpowered their weary bodies.

Godfrey awoke just as dawn was breaking on the far-off eastern horizon. He was too drowsy to think of anything but more rest. He replenished the fire, and pulled Arthur into the crevice under the rock. There he laid down beside him, and went to sleep again.

Hours later both awoke at the same time, with a queer noise ringing in their ears. They crept away from the shelter of the rock, and as soon as they saw and felt the scorching sun that was directly overhead, they remembered all.

A screeching cry drew their eyes to the mouth of the cavern just as the she-panther scrambled out and crouched a few feet to one side, snarling and lashing her tail. An instant later a hand, grasping a spear, rose from the hole, and was followed by the head and shoulders of a hideous negro.

The sudden appearance of the panther and the negro upon the dizzy plateau was a rude shock to Godfrey and Arthur. They were prepared for the beast, but they would as soon have expected to see their lost friends emerge from the cavern as the negro.

* * *

Chapter XXII

The worst of it was that more savages must be at hand, and this conviction had hardly flashed into the minds of the fugitives when they became reluctant witnesses of a most thrilling encounter.

It happened in this wise. The negro, as soon as he was fairly out of the cavern, looked warily around for the panther. But he looked first in the wrong direction, and quickly the enraged brute was upon him from behind by a single spring. .

They went down together, both screeching like demons. Over and over they rolled, marking every inch of the course with ruddy stains.

The negro had lost his spears and club, and his only weapon was a rude knife, which he tried hard to drive into a vital part of his antagonist. The panther was making fearful use of teeth and claws.

For two or three minutes the desperate struggle went on, finally, bringing the combatants to a point midway between the mouth of the cave and the barricade of stones.

Now the negro gained a slight advantage, and twisted partly free of the maddened beast. A brawny arm rose on high, holding the knife.

Then there was a sudden flash, a scream of mortal agony, and the panther rolled over on its back, showing the knife buried to the hilt in the tawny breast. A few spasmodic struggles and the brute was dead.

With a wailing cry the savage rose on hands and knees. His victory had cost him dear, for he was fearfully bitten and lacerated. He glanced toward the parapet, and when he saw the two white faces peering at him, he crawled with painful haste in the direction of the cavern.

But the effort was too much for him. After going a few feet he dropped on his face and lay quite still. He had evidently fainted from loss of blood.

"Both knocked out," said Arthur. "I really hope the fellow ain't dead. He made a plucky fight for life."

"A chance that will be denied us," was Godfrey's bitter reply. "The rest of the fiends will be swarming out here in a moment. This fellow must have been far ahead of his companions."