After this, there were peculiar whisperings and sounds, as if numbers of disturbed occupants of the water were beating and lapping at the walls of the place: then silence once more.
“Be careful, Brace!” cried Sir Humphrey.
“It’s all right,” said Brace coolly. “There: I’ve left that place. All of you bear off to the left and follow me down these steps. Hurrah! I believe we’ve found the way to the great temple at last.”
“It’s all right, sir,” cried Briscoe, who had passed Lynton. “I can see plainly now. There’s a narrow flight of steps leading down close to the face of the cliff, and it’s lit every few yards by big square holes, only they’re most of them grown over and choked by creepers.”
“Hi! Look out there, everyone,” shouted Brace. “Lie down.”
For all at once there arose a peculiar rushing sound, and as everyone crouched as low as he could, he was conscious of the whistling of wings in rapid flight and the ammoniacal odour of a great stream of birds passing over them to reach the outlet from the passage into the open air.
“It’s all right, lads,” shouted Briscoe. “It’s only a flock of oil-birds that we have disturbed. Yes, I thought so: some of them have helped to block up these window places with their nests. I can feel several here.”
The birds were some minutes before they had all passed through the opening, and then the tramp downwards was resumed, with the result that before long the light grew stronger from below, and at last quite bright, for a peculiar rustling was heard, which resolved itself into the acts of Brace, who had reached a level spot and was now busy with his large sheath-knife hacking away at a dense mass of creeper not unlike ivy.
A few minutes later, and he was out upon an overgrown terrace gazing over a much-corroded carved parapet at the sparkling river below; and he uttered a loud cheer and stood waving his hat to the men far down to his left, two of whom were seated in the larger boat.