Sheer and solid the masonry rose, without crack or crevice by means of which one might climb. Somewhat disappointed, Seymour turned and swam slowly along the base of the wall.
What this barrier meant he could not at first determine. The touch of it told him that it was no work of Nature. No natural wall had ever its smoothness and regularity. Yet for what purpose had it been built? Like a flash into his brain swept the answer. This was the ancient reservoir of the Ayutis, which fed the great tanks beneath the temple. The thought gave him hope, for, if his idea were correct, there must be some exit through which the water flowed into the conduits.
Steadily he swam forward, feeling the wall as he went, till suddenly, thrusting out his hand, he felt nothing. The wall had ended!
Eagerly he felt about him. Yes, there was no doubt about it, the masonry had ceased. Three cautious strokes, at right angles to his first course, and his feet touched the lowest of a flight of steps which here broke the regularity of the wall, running down some feet into the water. Thankfully he drew himself up, and sat a while to rest, ere ascending to the top of the flight.
His position was a most unenviable one. Naked, wet, and shivering from his immersion, buried in some subterranean cavern far away from even the ghostly light of the underworld, and, above all, entirely defenceless, it was not remarkable that he felt somewhat depressed. But summoning all his courage he rose after a few moments and mounted the steps, moving carefully, lest he should lose his footing and fall backward into the water again. Twelve of the steps he counted, then found himself upon an apparently broad pavement, across which he crept, hands outstretched before him.
The silence was intense. No sound but the gentle lapping of the water against the stonework came to his ears, and even this ceased as he increased his distance from the reservoir. Step by step he advanced, gaining courage with every yard, until, with a suddenness that sent his heart leaping into his mouth, a sound came out of the darkness ahead—the snarling yelp of some animal!
The baronet pulled up on the instant and stood listening. Again the yelp came to his ears, trembling away weirdly into the furthermost recesses of the vast cavern. What creature could it be that dwelt here in the darkness? he asked himself. Was it the wolf-man who had fallen with him into these depths? Even as his mind framed the question he knew that it was so. The savage had escaped from the reservoir, and was now prowling somewhere in the gloom ahead of him.
The idea was by no means a pleasant one, yet better the wolf-man for an enemy than some strange beast. Prepared for an attack at any moment, Seymour moved forward again, his momentary fear giving place to a revengeful passion against the brute who had caused his present predicament. For perhaps a score of yards he advanced, at length coming in touch with a wall, along which he felt his way to a low archway. This, after some little hesitation, he entered, having to bend somewhat to escape catching his head against the roof.
The floor was slimy with ooze, and there was a constant drip of water from above, but, disdaining these minor difficulties, Seymour held on. With his arms outstretched to their full extent, he could just touch the walls of the passage, and in this fashion he managed to steer himself. As nearly as he could judge, the tunnel was about two hundred yards in length, giving at last upon a chamber, which appeared to be one of considerable size. Across this he was proceeding when a bright light flickered into view right ahead.
It was too distant to illuminate much of the chamber in which he was, but, taking it as his guide, he increased his pace and moved swiftly towards it. As he went on he observed that it proceeded from a low-roofed tunnel similar to the one from which he had just emerged.