“Oh, I can manage to hobble a bit,” replied the lad cheerfully; “my leg’s going on finely.”
“Don’t overdo it, lad,” the baronet warned. “If the wound breaks out afresh it will be the very deuce of a job to get it to heal. I’ll stay here with you if you’re not feeling fit.”
“I’m feeling fit enough,” replied Tom; “if one of you will help me down the steps, I can manage the rest.”
Seymour whispered a few words to the Ayuti, whereupon the giant advanced, smiling broadly, and took the engineer in his great arms.
“Here, I say, I can walk now, you know,” the latter remonstrated; but his friends laughingly told him to hold his tongue.
With the light from the king’s jewel flashing before them, they passed out on to the terrace and so down the steps. At the bottom Chenobi put the engineer down, and, detaching a massive key from his girdle, thrust it into the door through which he had taken the elk. It turned easily in the lock, and, flinging open the door, the king passed through.
An odour as of a stable greeted the nostrils of the explorers as they followed him, and once more the baying of hounds came to their ears. Down a steep incline they went, until they stood within a large chamber. At the further end of this four great hounds lay, chained to the wall. They were something like bloodhounds in build, but of tremendous size, being much larger than mastiffs. Seymour, who was somewhat of an authority on dogs, could not restrain his admiration.
“What splendid brutes!” he cried, and moved fearlessly forward to make their acquaintance. Within a few moments he was on excellent terms with the great creatures, they receiving his advances with pleasing friendliness.
The others could not at first bring themselves to approach the monstrous dogs. They were so fearsome in their strength; but at length, on Chenobi assuring them that they need not fear, they moved closer.
“I guess these ’ud take the shine out of some I’ve observed,” remarked the Yankee, patting one of the great heads, “and I’ve seen some fairish-sized ones, too.”