On the opposite side of the room was another door, leading into another corridor, and upon examining this corridor it was found to extend only a short distance and end against a solid rock. But if there was a secret door in this rock, the explorers could not see and they had no time to give it a thorough examination, because of having to extinguish the torch, the natives now getting very close.
“What shall we do now?” asked Harry.
“I think,” said Mr. Bruce, “it will be well to hide behind the slab on which are the coals and watch the procession as it passes. They cannot certainly be after us, for they have not had time to get so far ahead of us. It is probably another band on their way to this part of the cave for some purpose or other.”
They took up their positions behind the slab, lying on their sides with their heads just above the stone, looking for the natives. They could be heard coming, chanting a dismal dirge; the glare of the torches already lighting up the hall outside. “I would not care to be made a prisoner again,” said Harry.
“They can’t catch us in the same way here,” said Mr. Bruce, “for these arches have no sliding doors.”
“This may be some holiday celebration,” said Mr. Graham.
“It may be their Day of Resis,” said Onrai, “that is if they have a Day of Resis.”
“I doubt their having such a day, Onrai, although we do not know what the ceremonies of your Day of Resis are, but look they are opposite.”
The first one of the procession now came up and our friends lowered their heads as they passed, but the natives were seemingly oblivious of their presence, the explorers grew bolder and raising their heads well above the slab watched the procession. First the men came, bearing torches stuck on the ends of spears, then came a number of men bearing spears alone; following these were a number of women each carrying a peculiar-shaped fish—a sort of combination fish and lizard, as it had four short legs and feet; there were a great number of these and it took a long time for them to pass; after them came a great number of children, ranging, as nearly as the explorers could guess, between the ages of five and ten; each of these children bore a small piece of coal, which brought to the minds of our friends thoughts of the great cave which they had crossed in coming to the Land of On. Following the children was another body of men and it was these men who were chanting. The wailing tones of these men, as they came nearer, were fearful to hear and our friends felt the cold chills running down their backs. These men also carried torches, black torches, which looked as though they were made of sharpened pieces of coal; they made a very bright light and but little smoke. As the men came forward it could be seen that they were bearing a very thin slab of stone on their shoulders and on the slab lay the body of a native. It was a funeral procession.