Edith and Barbara Herndon, with their father, moved up closer to the edge as the grinning Kanaka stepped forward to obey Leith's order. He walked quickly to the polished porphyry slab, moved cautiously to the extreme rim, then, turning his back on the crater, he dropped upon his hands and knees and lowered himself down till only his grinning face appeared above the top.
We crept closer and watched him walk along the ledge toward the cavern, apparently unaffected by thoughts of the death which a slip of his foot would bring upon him. Returning to the spot beneath the polished slipping-off place he put his muscular hands into two clefts in the slab above and drew himself up on to the solid earth.
"No danger," he cried. "All boys go over here before they could call themselves men. That long, long time ago."
The Professor grabbed his notebook as he heard the explanation, and he immediately proceeded to deluge the Kanaka with questions.
"What was that?" he squeaked. "You say all the boys had to climb over there?"
"That's so," grinned Soma. "This place make 'em test. Young boy go over this quick he make plenty good fighting man. Feller go over slow he no good."
The Professor's pencil moved quicker than the pen of a court stenographer. The Kanaka's remark had brought him much copy, and the dangers of the path were forgotten as he jotted down the information.
"And they went over here?" he cried, his eyes wide open as he gazed at the edge of the crater.
"Right over here," grinned Soma. "See rock mighty slippery here. All boys' hands and feet do that. Polish it mighty fine."
"But surely this test is not carried on at the present time?" cried the scientist. "When was this wonderful custom in force?"