“That the Ayutis once dwelt upon this island which is still named after them; but, for some reason or other—probably through the incursion of enemies—they were forced to take refuge in this crater. They would discover the tunnel through which we came, and, in the hope of finding a securer refuge, would explore it. The rest is obvious.”
“But it must have been long ago,” said Seymour, “for the buildings of the subterranean city are certainly many hundreds of years old.”
“Probably at the time the inhabitants of the British Isles were still savages,” returned Mervyn with a smile, “hunting the buffalo in the swamps and living in caves or mud-huts. But enough of this; let us see if there is any way down. I should like to see my friend, if possible, before we return to look for Garth.”
“I guess that won’t be easy,” remarked the Yankee. “From what I can see, we shall need a considerable length of rope ’fore we can get down, and that’s a commodity we don’t happen to have on hand at present. Still, we might as well prospect a bit.”
The Ayuti was strangely silent as the party moved round the crater rim in an effort to find a spot where the cliff was scalable, and Seymour—who walked beside him—rallied him at length upon his abstraction.
“What ails you, Chenobi,” he asked, “that you are so silent?”
“I am perplexed, Fairhair,” replied the other. “Ere ye came to my land I was content to lead the life of a hunter, to dwell alone, save for my steed and hounds. But now I long for a friend. The time we have spent together hath been very pleasant, but soon ye will return to your own land, and I shall be alone once more.”
“Why not come with us?” burst out the baronet impulsively “there is nothing to keep you down there.”
“First I must perform my vow,” returned Chenobi. “Listen, friend! I had a brother once who was very dear to me. Though we twain were the last of our race, yet were we happy, following the chase together, and waging a grim vendetta against the wolf-people. But by craft Nordhu the priest took my brother while I was absent from the city, and he died beneath the jaws of Rahee. When I knew what had befallen, I vowed before Ramouni that I would destroy the priest and Rahee, the sacred beast. Therefore, until my vow be fulfilled, I cannot go with you.”
“Then let me help you!” the baronet cried. “I, too, have a debt against this same priest. Together we will accomplish his destruction and that of Rahee, then ye shall return with us to our own land.”