"Looks like a guinea puzzle competition," remarked Lord John, craninghis neck to have a look at it. Then suddenly he stretched out his handand seized the puzzle.
"By George!" he cried, "I believe I've got it. The boy guessed rightthe very first time. See here! How many marks are on that paper?Eighteen. Well, if you come to think of it there are eighteen caveopenings on the hill-side above us."
"He pointed up to the caves when he gave it to me," said I.
"Well, that settles it. This is a chart of the caves. What! Eighteenof them all in a row, some short, some deep, some branching, same as wesaw them. It's a map, and here's a cross on it. What's the cross for?It is placed to mark one that is much deeper than the others."
"One that goes through," I cried.
"I believe our young friend has read the riddle," said Challenger. "Ifthe cave does not go through I do not understand why this person, whohas every reason to mean us well, should have drawn our attention toit. But if it does go through and comes out at
the corresponding pointon the other side, we should not have more than a hundred feet todescend."
"A hundred feet!" grumbled Summerlee.
"Well, our rope is still more than a hundred feet long," I cried."Surely we could get down."
"How about the Indians in the cave?" Summerlee objected.
"There are no Indians in any of the caves above our heads," said I."They are all used as barns and store-houses. Why should we not go upnow at once and spy out the land?"
There is a dry bituminous wood upon the plateau--a species ofaraucaria, according to our botanist--which is always used by theIndians for torches. Each of us picked up a faggot of this, and wemade our way up weed-covered steps to the particular cave which wasmarked in the drawing. It was, as I had said, empty, save for a greatnumber of enormous bats, which flapped round our heads as we advancedinto it. As we had no desire to draw the attention of the Indians toour proceedings, we stumbled along in the dark until we had gone roundseveral curves and penetrated a considerable distance into the cavern.Then, at last, we lit our torches. It was a beautiful dry tunnel withsmooth gray walls covered with native symbols, a curved roof whicharched over our heads, and white glistening sand beneath our feet. Wehurried eagerly along it until, with a deep groan of bitterdisappointment, we were brought to a halt. A sheer wall of rock hadappeared before us, with no chink through which a mouse could haveslipped. There was no escape for us there.
We stood with bitter hearts staring at this unexpected obstacle. Itwas not the result of any convulsion, as in the case of the ascendingtunnel. The end wall was exactly like the side ones. It was, and hadalways been, a cul-de-sac.
"Never mind, my friends," said the indomitable Challenger. "You havestill my firm promise of a balloon."
Summerlee groaned.
"Can we be in the wrong cave?" I suggested.
"No use, young fellah," said Lord John, with his finger on the chart."Seventeen from the right and second from the left. This is the cavesure enough."
I looked at the mark to which his finger pointed, and I gave a suddencry of joy.
"I believe I have it! Follow me! Follow me!"
I hurried back along the way we had come, my torch in my hand. "Here,"said I, pointing to some matches upon the ground, "is where we lit up."
"Exactly."
"Well, it is marked as a forked cave, and in the darkness we passed thefork before the torches were lit. On the right side as we go out weshould find the longer arm."
It was as I had said. We had not gone thirty yards before a greatblack opening loomed in the wall. We turned into it to find that wewere in a much larger passage than before. Along it we hurried inbreathless impatience for many hundreds of yards. Then, suddenly, inthe black darkness of the arch in front of us we saw a gleam of darkred light. We stared in amazement. A sheet of steady flame seemed tocross the passage and to bar our way. We hastened towards it. Nosound, no heat, no movement came from it, but still the great luminouscurtain glowed before us, silvering all the cave and turning the sandto powdered jewels, until as we drew closer it discovered a circularedge.
"The moon, by George!" cried Lord John. "We are through, boys! We arethrough!"
It was indeed the full moon which shone straight down the aperturewhich opened upon the cliffs. It was a small rift, not larger than awindow, but it was enough for all our purposes. As we craned our necksthrough it we could see that the descent was not a very difficult one,and that the level ground was no very great way below us. It was nowonder that from below we had not observed the place, as the cliffscurved overhead and an ascent at the spot would have seemed soimpossible as to discourage close inspection. We satisfied ourselvesthat with the help of our rope we could find our way down, and thenreturned, rejoicing, to our camp to make our preparations for the nextevening.
What we did we had to do quickly and secretly, since even at this lasthour the Indians might hold us back. Our stores we would leave behindus, save only our guns and cartridges. But Challenger had someunwieldy stuff which he ardently desired to take with him, and oneparticular package, of which I may not speak, which gave us more laborthan any. Slowly the day passed, but when the darkness fell we wereready for our departure. With much labor we got our things up thesteps, and then, looking back, took one last long survey of thatstrange land, soon I fear to be vulgarized, the prey of hunter andprospector, but to each of us a dreamland of glamour and romance, aland where we had dared much, suffered much, and learned much--OURland, as we shall ever fondly call it. Along upon our left theneighboring caves each threw out its ruddy cheery firelight into thegloom. From the slope below us rose the voices of the Indians as theylaughed and sang. Beyond was the long sweep of the woods, and in thecenter, shimmering vaguely through the gloom, was the great lake, themother of strange monsters. Even as we looked a high whickering cry,the call of some weird animal, rang clear out of the darkness. It wasthe very voice of Maple White Land bidding us good-bye. We turned andplunged into the cave which led to home.
Two hours later, we, our packages, and all we owned, were at the footof the cliff. Save for Challenger's luggage we had never a difficulty.Leaving it all where we descended, we started at once for Zambo's camp.In the early morning we approached it, but only to find, to ouramazement, not one fire but a dozen upon the plain. The rescue partyhad arrived. There were twenty Indians from the river, with stakes,ropes, and all that could be useful for bridging the chasm. At leastwe shall have no difficulty now in carrying our packages, whento-morrow we begin to make our way back to the Amazon.
And so, in humble and thankful mood, I close this account. Our eyeshave seen great wonders and our souls are chastened by what we haveendured. Each is in his own way a better and deeper man. It may bethat when we reach Para we shall stop to refit. If we do, this letterwill be a mail ahead. If not, it will reach London on the very daythat I do. In either case, my dear Mr. McArdle, I hope very soon toshake you by the hand.
CHAPTER XVI
"A Procession! A Procession!"