A half dozen of them had arisen, and John stepped forward with his gun in position. In a stentorian voice John shouted:
"I am the Great White Chief. Go to the door of the cave. If any refuse he will die. Go!"
It might be stated that before leaving for the cave Uraso had fully instructed John how to use the above phrases. His sudden apparition on the side opposite the mouth of the cave was most startling to them. Not a word was uttered by either.
"Go!" again shouted John. They seemed to be paralyzed. By a common impulse they moved toward the entrance, and as they marched out and saw the party there waiting to receive them, together with their own chief, the consternation was most marked on the faces of all.
Addressing the chief, John said: "Here are your wise men. The Great Spirit is not there. They have lied to you."
It was now apparent from the actions of the chief why he was considered such a power and a terror to his own people and to the tribes. He was every inch a chief. He strode forward, and would have crushed them with his own hands, but John interposed.
"We shall take care of them. They will never again lie to the great chief Oroto." And so saying they were ordered bound, and Uraso instructed to take them to the village and carefully guard them.
"You may take the wagon with you, Uraso, as the boys and I want to attend to some matters on our own account, and we shall soon follow you."
When the cavalcade passed from their sight, John said: "I suppose we shall now have an opportunity to examine the place. Have you any candles?"