The Day of Resis

by Lillian Frances Mentor

The party moved through the avenue and halted at the extreme end. Here the high cliff seemed to stop all further progress, but Umsaga hobbled up to the rock barrier and with the help of Sedai, removed some of the bushes growing at the base, and disclosed a large flat stone leaning against it. This, Sedai with difficulty moved aside, opening to view an entrance about four feet in diameter. All started forward and gazed intently into the darkness. It required considerable courage to even think of entering this dark passage which the sunlight penetrated but a few feet.

For hours the men labored in transferring the bales and boxes to the cavern, where they were to remain until their return. Torches had been procured from the natives, and lighting one of these the party started on their long underground journey. The passage was very narrow for about twenty yards, and was very smooth and clear cut, but at the end of this distance a vaulted cave, lofty and wide, opened before them. The dim light of the torch lit up this vast subterranean cavern but indifferently, the roof being so high that it could just be seen in the darkness.

The goods were stored safely and the journey commenced in earnest. The men carried what provisions and torches they thought would be needed in the march across the cave. They had gone but a short distance when Enola and Harry, who were a little in advance of the others, stumbled over something, which the light of the torch revealed as the body of a man. The skin, dry as parchment was drawn tightly over the bones; the eyes were sunken; the head was covered with a growth of long hair; the hands, which with their long finger-nails looked like talons, clutched the garment at the throat, as if the man, when dying, had tried to tear it away, in order to gain greater freedom to breathe. This garment was all that the body was clothed in, but around the neck of the dead was a chain of gold engraved in a peculiar manner and in which diamonds and opals were set. The ends of the chain were attached in front to a strange red stone, that resembled liquid fire.

Mr. Graham unfastened the garment, and slipped it off. A solid substance was discovered inserted in the middle of the back, and slitting the garment with a knife, a piece of thin, highly polished hard wood was revealed. Tracings were found on it which seemed to be the diagram or map of a country; but these were so dim it was difficult to discover what they represented. After studying further, however, a circle was seen in the corner with the word “ON” written in its centre. This then told the tale; this was a map showing the location of the mysterious country. On the other side were more tracings. A straight line was drawn from one corner to the centre, where a hole about an inch deep was cut. On the opposite side of this hole the tracing continued in a straight line, but just before reaching the corner it turned to the left and ended at the edge of the block. Nothing more could be made out until Mr. Bruce, who had looked at it more closely, and whose eyes seemed keener than those of the others, discovered the letter “u” and a little ways further the letters “g” and “e.” All looked at the tracing intently for a few moments trying to guess the riddle. It was finally decided that the “u” was the first letter of underground, and “ge” the last two letters of passage. This then was the path to be followed through the cave. Along the edge of the block could be faintly discerned the name “Philip Harding;” this was the body of the man who long ago had visited the mysterious land, and had suffered and died in this cave. This was he who had given them the knowledge of the hidden country, and who, years after, was staring at them with those sightless eyes that seemed to warn them back.

“How terrible,” said Mrs. Graham.

“Yes,” said Enola, “my heart turns sick at the sight. And to think that he died so near help and liberty.”

“And do you still feel like going on?” asked Mr. Graham.

“Yes,” said Enola, “for now my doubts are at rest; all the fears that I had of this strange country being a myth are gone. Success seems sure now and all our long journey has not been in vain. But how strange that this body should have lain here all these years and not decayed.”

“There must be some preserving quality in the atmosphere of this cave,” said Mr. Bruce, “or else the body would have turned to dust long since.”

“But come,” said Mr. Graham, “we must yet find the line of broken stone which is mentioned in the document.”