They watched the funeral rites, and soon afterward discovered that they were lost in the ground, and did not know their bearings. They thought they must be several miles within, as the direction taken from the point where they entered the cave was several days’ journey from the City of On, and as they had traveled nearly due south, or as nearly as they could calculate, they must now be a good many miles from the secret door. They might take the same corridor which they had traversed in coming to the lake, as this would take them directly to the hole near which the rest of the excursionists were awaiting them; but this was dangerous and it was quite possible that before they had gone far into this, they would again fall into the hands of the natives.
They were in a quandary as to what to do. If they traveled to the east in quest of the hidden door, they might not find it, and before they could again reach the long corridor they would be overcome by hunger, thirst and fatigue.
“What shall we do,” asked Harry.
“I think,” said Mr. Bruce, “it would be well to strike straight for the north wall and when this is reached we may find another opening which will take us in a roundabout way to the hole leading to the surface. You know we left the windy corridor and took one to the right. This windy corridor may lead to this cavern also. If this were so it would come out further to the east, or may be at a point directly south of where we are now.”
“Even if that should be so,” said Mr. Graham, “could we beat against that wind for so many miles?”
“I am afraid not,” said Mr. Bruce, “but other corridors may lead from it, which would carry us into one or the other halls which we have already traversed, but at a point beyond all danger.”
“It is a chance, at least,” said Harry, “that is, if this corridor leads into the cave.”
“Are we beneath the Land of On, now?” asked Onrai, who had spoken but seldom since coming into this strange place.
“No, Onrai,” said Mr. Graham, “we are under the mountains or cliffs which surround your country. These though may be said to belong to the Land of On, or half of them at least, for they stand on the dividing line.”
“It is strange,” said Onrai, “that I should never have known of all this or that my people had never learned of it before me.”