“Among the victims of the terrible disaster, brought about by the discharge of our gun, were our wives—I mean Queen Olive, Azurma and two Naztec ladies, whom Lacy and Owens were wedded to.
“The survivors were terror-stricken, and begged us to lead them from the spot at once to the land of the Hezzians, and fearful that another shock might take place, we placed our gun on an improvised drag and started, knowing that we could do nothing further for those who lay beneath the ruins of the city.
“Full of sorrow, we turned the angle that hid our view of the destroyed city, and journeyed through the chamber of rock to the open.
“Here everything was in darkness, but we had provided ourselves with torches, and lighted them as we emerged. Shortly after that we heard the shot you fired, and Leo answered it. That is all there is of it, but it is quite enough, I can tell you.”
There were tears in Dick’s eyes as he related the events that had so recently taken place, and, recognizing the situation, the professor and his two companions did not question him further.
On the contrary, they related their experiences since they had parted company, and then, seizing hold of the ropes attached to the drag, they all started for Hez.
Andrew Jones knew full well that the Hezzians would not allow them to depart in peace from the underground world, or he would never have sanctioned the movement to drag the cannon along with them.
He thought if the destructive powers of the weapon was once proved to them, they would give in and allow the party to depart.
It was no easy matter to drag the heavy piece up the steep hills they were forced to traverse, but there were enough to do it, and so they managed it very well.
On their way to Hez they observed that the earthquake, or whatever it might be called, had caused many changes.