Then turning to the crowd surrounding them, he continued:
“Come! what are you standing there for? Why don’t you take us to the place you intend to, and have done with it?”
It seemed that he was understood, for without any further ado two men seized each of the captives, and the whole crowd started off down the passage.
It was rather dark in the tunnel-like place, and when they had traversed about three hundred yards, our friends were unable to see any of their surroundings.
But in a very few minutes they saw light ahead of them, and objects again became distinguishable.
A cry of wonder broke from the lips of the five as they were marched out into the light. If they had been surprised when they first entered the underground place, they were even more than surprised now.
They found themselves in a natural cave of many acres in extent, in which was a small village of stone huts.
The queerest thing about the place was that the top of the cave—if cave it could really be called—was entirely open in a circle of six or seven hundred yards in diameter. This admitted both light and rain, and hence it was that an unlimited supply of vegetation could be seen about.
The opening above was many feet from the ground upon which the stone huts were built, and there was no possible means of getting to the level ground above without the aid of an immense ladder.
“Well, this jist beats the Jews!” ejaculated Haypole. “This place looks like a big watermelon hollered out and one of ther ends cut off. I think if I knowed that song called ‘Down in a Coal Mine,’ I’d sing it.”