Chapter Twenty Seven.
In the Palace of the Dead.
The labour of hewing this immense underground chamber from the solid rock must have been prodigious, unless originally the excavators had found natural caverns here.
But this was not what astonished our heroes, so much as the artistic ingenuity and care which had been expended here.
In the hall above, the severely plain walls had been frescoed by the painter’s art. Here the sculptor had displayed his mystic and religious skill with bold as well as intricate designs.
From floor to ceiling, all along, the walls were carved. There were also outstanding rose-tinted and white granite massive pillars of colossean and upright figures, with elaborate ornamental capitals on their heads, representing head-dresses of flowers, fruit, and grain, or coiled snakes. At the feet of these huge figures were other symbols to serve as bases. As these pillars were carved in almost full relief, they formed deep niches between each, which were shelved up from floor to ceiling with thick ledges, also cut from the rock.
The edges of these shelves were most intricate in their symbolic sculptures. The ceiling, likewise, was closely covered with designs of a sacred character in bold relief, while even the floor was a mass of smooth and polished carving.
The effect of all this subtle and bold work was extraordinarily rich in the subdued light that filtered in from the one side, making deep and rich shadows.
Never had our heroes looked upon anything so profusely beautiful and mysterious.
Yet it was not the carving only that made them gasp with admiring wonder. All over the sculptures gleamed sparkles of gold, chased and burnished. These glittered in all parts, sometimes in broad veins and clusters, in other places in star-like specks or thready lines. Going over to one of these clusters, Ned discovered that they had not been inlaid, as he at first supposed, but were natural veins of virgin ore, utilised as they occurred, by the cunning artificers.
They were in the centre of what was probably the richest gold quartz mine in the world. The excavators, satisfied with the wealth which had been already extracted, had carved this monument on the still-teeming mine, thinking to consecrate it probably in this fashion from covetous hands.
There were hundreds of shelves, and the greater number of them were occupied by sarcophagi, also carved elaborately.
Whatever the upper chamber had been used for, the meaning of this place was at once apparent to our heroes. They had not only discovered a gold-mine, but also a hall of the dead.
In front of them, in the upper end of the apartment, were placed, or rather cut out, like the column, two great statues in a sitting posture, and between them a broad table of polished quartz. One of these had the body of a woman, with the head covered. In her right hand was held a pair of scales. The other was shaped like a man, with the head of a bird, which was turned in her direction.
“This beats all I ever saw,” said Ned, in an awestruck whisper. “We must come here again. Meantime, we must try to find our way down further.”
None of them suggested food, although it had been hours since last they dined. They were too greatly excited over this strange discovery.
Round the chamber they paced, seeking for an outlet without success. The only opening they could see was the one down which they had come.
At length Clarence saw, at one side of the table, and close to the feet of the woman statue, a large bronze ring that had been covered over with dust.
“Hallo, boys, here seems something made to lift! Bear a hand, and see if we can hoist this particular slab.”
Several of the Kaffirs leapt forward and pulled at the ring individually without success.
Finding that not even the strongest among them could make the slightest impression, Ned ordered the rope used for the “tug-of-war” to be produced and inserted into the ring. This was done, and twenty-four of the men took each end of it—twelve to a side—and ranged themselves down the hall.
“Now, steady, lads, and all together—pull.”
This was effective at the second pull. Those watching had the satisfaction of seeing a large slab slowly lift up from the floor until it rose on end, and fell backward with a loud crash.
But their satisfaction was short-lived, for hardly had the echo of the crash ceased, than, with loud yells, the entire company were flying pell-mell towards the stairs in a panic. From the cavity emerged, with loud hisses and gaping jaws, a number of the largest pythons ever seen out of a drunkard’s delirium.
Gorgeous-tinted and shining, they reared out one after the other, trailing their long bodies over the carved floor, until there were at least fifty of them, twenty to fifty feet in length, and with girth enough to have swallowed a buffalo easily.
That they were hungry, and thought feeding-time had arrived, was evident from their motions. They were losing no time, after their preliminary stretch, in making for the staircase where Ned and his followers were crushing together.
Cocoeni and several of the Kaffirs recovered their presence of mind first. Instantly facing round, they discharged their weapons at those nearest, while the others followed suit, their courage returning at the sound of the shots.
Blatter went rifles and revolvers into that advancing mass, turning them into a wriggling confusion, and filling the hall with smoke and startling echoes.
It was a horrible and blood-curdling sight to see those monstrous serpents interlacing on the floor, and dyeing it with their loathsome gore, after some of the smoke cleared. The effluvium, also, which exhaled from them was most noxious and sickening. Many were slain, although their bodies still writhed and twisted about with horrible contortions. But more were issuing from that rashly opened aperture.
“That slab must be closed somehow, or we shall never be done with this beastly work,” shouted Ned. “All the pythons in Africa seem to have been preserved in that vault. Who is game to help me to shut down that trap?”
He made a desperate spring forward as he uttered the words, and ran, followed by the rest, right amongst the horrible mass.
Revolvers, spears, and axes did the rest of the battle.
They were not difficult to disable, although loathsome to feel and smell. And now that the men had got over their first surprised panic, they tackled the enemy with quick eyes and deft strokes.
Ned, Cocoeni, and two other Matabeles reached the stone, and managed to raise it and drop it once more into its place with a bang, cutting through the middle a couple of out-coming snakes. While they did so, the rest hewed, stabbed, and shot for all they were worth. In five more minutes the last of the sibilant hisses were silenced, and only the sound of lashing bodies could be heard.
Then, while they reloaded their weapons, they paused, waiting for the smoke to evaporate, while they cleared, with their rifle-butts and spears, the wriggling abominations from their vicinity.
Before this could be done, however, many a shiver passed over them as they felt a slimy tail convulsively grip round their legs. A slash with their knives relieved them of these unpleasant embraces, but the sensation was decidedly nauseous and creepy.
Slowly the gunpowder smoke grew thinner, as it escaped through the air-hole slits and up the staircase. It still, however, hung too closely around them to see the opposite walls.
All at once, as they listened for fresh hisses, a sound like coughing, outside their circle, struck upon their ears.
Snakes do not cough, although they can make a noise. Some human beings, with lungs less used to saltpetre fumes than theirs were, must be in the hall at the far end, as yet unseen. Strangers here meant probable enemies. Instantly and instinctively they drew together and formed a square, with their rifles up to their shoulders.
As they bent forward, peering into the sulphur-charged mist, those facing east and west beheld a mass of indistinct forms clustered before them. Those facing north and south saw hazy figures gliding from pillar to pillar.
Three more minutes, and the vapour had cleared sufficiently for them to grasp that they were surrounded completely, by a foe clothed in some kind of scaly armour. They waited in grim silence for the fumes to clear thoroughly, so that they might know what force they had to encounter.
At last they could see the four corners of the walls, also the open passages by which the crowd had entered so noiselessly.
Two of the pillars at each end had been rolled aside, leaving gaping cavities where they had stood.
Facing them, and leaning on their spears, stood a double row of upright figures, with metal helmets on their heads and chain armour on their bodies, arms, and legs. Round the waist of each was a short kilt of leopard-skin, which reached to the knees.
They were well-formed warriors, nearly all of them as tall as the Kaffirs. Their skins were of a warm copper tint, with dark eyes and long flowing tresses.
Not a beard was amongst them, while their features were fine and pronounced, with straight noses, full lips, and oval faces. They were determined-looking and fierce, yet unmistakably youthful and handsome.
Ned glanced from their faces to their breast-plates, and then he shouted—
“Boys, after the snakes we have a regiment of amazons to face. Oh, come, this is hard lines! We cannot fire on women, even though they are amazons. We must manage them in some softer way, or else capitulate with our best grace.”
His words broke the spell of silence that had been upon them. Clarence and Fred burst out laughing, while the Matabeles and Basutos grinned broadly and displayed their ivories.
They did not drop their weapons, however, for the amazons had advanced a step closer with their spears ready for charging, and they did not look at all amiable.
Still Ned thought he discerned upon their faces more of wonderment, blended with some admiration, than anger, as they scanned the splendid semi-nude figures of his men. He gave the order to ground arms and stand easy.
For himself, he handed his rifle to the one standing next to him, and, pushing his revolver back into his belt, he stepped from the ranks, and held out his open hands to show that he was unarmed. For a moment he paused there, the women watching his smiling face suspiciously; then, at a word, they lowered their spears.
He took another step away from his men. As he did this, a young and extremely handsome woman advanced towards him, also with open hands.
She was more richly armoured than the others, from which he concluded that she must be an officer.
She did not answer his smile, although she had laid aside her weapon, but came forward, with flashing eyes and curling lip, until she stood opposite him; then she scanned him over so critically until he flushed to the temples.
The other amazons stood watching, evidently with keen interest.
For what? Ned was thinking. Was she about to embrace him? It looked as if she were, for she began to crouch like a cat getting ready for a spring, her elbows close to her side, and her palm held upwards.
Then, just in time, her intention flashed upon him. She had taken his attitude as a challenge to a single duel of wrestling, and had accepted the invitation.
He had only time to utter an exclamation and step backwards, when she made the leap and closed in.
She was an adept at the game, as Ned could feel by the way she tried to slip her arms under his, but so was he. Quick as lightning he got one arm under, while she managed to do the same with him, and then the trial of strength and agility began.
They were equal as far as grip was concerned, but the chivalry of our hero placed him at a disadvantage. He could not forget her sex, and dreaded crushing her if he put out his full strength.
All the same, he wished she had been a man, for she was a most worthy adversary; also, if he spared her, she had no such feelings for him. He felt she was in deadly earnest, and was striving her utmost to break his back or neck. As he said afterwards, Pylea was a vicious cat at wrestling.
He might have thrown her, or tripped her up, had he liked, for he was as hard as iron, and had the advantage of weight, although she was no mean weight herself.
But he preferred the waiting and eluding game, so together they strode backwards and forwards for full five minutes without either of them losing their feet or grip.
Then gradually, as her hot and panting breath struck down his neck, he worked his hand down the links, until he had her round the small of the waist.
Next instant, by a quick jerk, she was off the ground and in his power. Had she been only a man, he would have thrown her without compunction over his back, but as it was, he placed her gently on the ground, and pinned down her arms.
It is sad to relate, yet as he did this with all the gentleness possible, under the circumstances, she showed her sex by making her white teeth meet in the fleshy part of his arm. She had wrestled fairly up to this moment of defeat, and Ned was too much of a man to resent that last touch of vanquished ire. He looked at her reproachfully as he rose to his feet. As he did this, the tears rushed into her eyes, while she covered her face with her hands, as if ashamed as well as beaten.