"No. There's no sign of doorway or staircase, is there, Mac?"
"None whatever."
"Then we must make the priests tell us," Beresford went on. "When I have got the prisoners from below, we must tell the slaves--I fancy by the noise that they are already in a great state of excitement beyond the wall. We'll send them down first into the rift and ourselves bring up the rear. One of the priests will have to guide us, of course."
"And the negritos?"
"They can go too if they choose. But I fancy that as the aboriginal inhabitants of the plateau they won't care to migrate."
"The Old Man?"
"Ah! What shall we do with him? We might fetch him down, I suppose, if we can find his secret door, and take him with us, though I don't know in the least what country would have the right and privilege to punish him as he deserves. On the whole I think we had better let him alone, report the whole matter when we get back, and leave the governments to squabble among themselves about the ownership of this valuable region.... But what on earth's the matter?"
They heard frenzied shouts from the direction of the sanctum. In a few moments Hamid Gul came into view, running like a deer, and screaming "Hai! hai!" at the top of his voice. The Englishmen turned to meet him.
"By Jinks! He's got our rifles!" cried Forrester, in delight.
"But his cries sound more like fright than jubilation," said Beresford, puzzled.