“And I,” said Mr. Graham. “But to fight against being blown away by that strong current would soon have exhausted us. But we may strike it again further on.”
“Yes,” said Harry, “and this passage may be leading us to great discoveries. I believe that if any of the strange race of people are yet alive, they must use this passage, for it would be quite impossible for them to get through the windy one.”
“How long it must have taken to cut this hall from a solid rock,” said Mr. Bruce, “and how many thousands of men it must have taken to accomplish this immense work.”
“It was not done in a day or a year, or in many years,” said Mr. Graham. “Still the work looks as if it might have been done years or hundreds of years ago.”
“We have made a greater discovery than the one of On,” said Mr. Bruce.
“That’s so,” answered Mr. Graham, “for this has the additional interest of being underground.”
“Is it possible?” said Onrai, “that my people have lived so long over these strange inhabitants of the under world and have learned nothing of them?”
“Your people are not at all curious, Onrai, or they would have long ago investigated these things,” said Mr. Bruce. “The desire for discoveries is altogether lacking in your make-up, and your laws have had a great deal to do with it. You believe that yours is the only race on this earth and that all things are known to you, so you have never thought it necessary to look beyond the things that be.”
“There is much for us to learn here,” said Onrai, a puzzled look coming into his face.
“No,” answered Mr. Bruce, “you know enough to make your lives contented and happy and anything beyond that would be folly. But that certain things exist that you do not know of, there is no doubt; these, however, are not necessary to your happiness or well-being, and for this reason have been kept from you. I would not let the things which you are now learning of for the first time, worry me in the least if I were you. Whatever these underground passages may bring to light, they cannot in the least effect you or yours; so it would be best not to give these any serious thought yourself or ever mention them to your subjects.”