In less than five minutes he reappeared, limping briskly to the spot where Umkomasi stood.
"Have you overthrown the Golden Lion, O Great One?" enquired the Chief. "You have brought me no proof that you have done so, neither do you look as if you had been exerting much strength."
"I have not laid a finger upon the Golden Lion, O Umkomasi," declared the Afrikander. "But I have cast my spells upon him, and lo! he will be utterly destroyed."
Taking up his stand a couple of paces in front of the puzzled chief, Van der Wyck consulted his watch, utterly unconcerned by the fact that behind him were four thousand armed warriors, any of whom, at their Chief's bidding, would have hurled his spear with unerring aim into the middle of the Afrikander's broad back.
Suddenly a tremendous flash leapt from the mouth of the cave, followed by an enormous cloud of black smoke. A loud, ear-splitting detonation rent the air. The ground trembled with the vibrations of a stupendous explosion.
When the smoke cleared away, and the bright moonbeams lighted up the scene, the cave was no longer in existence. The mountain, shaken and torn by the detonation of sixty pounds of powerful explosive, had collapsed, entirely filling up the cave and the idol with thousands of tons of granite.
"That's done it," ejaculated Van der Wyck, turning to Colin. "There goes my chance of making a fortune. But it's jolly well worth it. Come along, we'll make tracks. I'll get these fellows to carry your chum. I've a dozen 'boys' waiting at the edge of the forest."