And he gripped his revolvers with a determined air.
“We might just as well set out to hunt this cave right through from beginning to end,” Mark answered, speaking firmly. “That’s what we came up for, and now let’s do it. Are you ready?”
Mark’s voice was clear and unfaltering, it put some life into his trembling companions. They answered that they were, and Mark stepped promptly forward.
“We’ll start here, on the right,” said he, “and we’ll hunt every single passage to its end. Bring the lanterns there!”
The command was obeyed, and the party hurried down through the cave, Texas examining the wall as they went. About twenty feet ahead was the first branching tunnel. Without a word the six turned and entered; the ex-cowboy with his guns in the lead. They left the cave in darkness and silence behind them.
The moment they had gone, the moment the light of the lamp was lost to view, a strange and terrible thing happened. A silent figure swept across the room!
The figure was one that would have paralyzed even the bold Texan if he had seen it. A more horrible figure human imagination could not picture; certainly this pen is not adequate to describe it.
It was a man, and an old man. That much was clear, even in the shadowy darkness of the cave. He was nearly naked; a rag about his waist was all he wore. A long, white beard half hid his face and his matted hair nearly covered the rest. The hair was bloody, and the face was cut and bruised as well. There was an expression of savage ferocity upon his face as he stole across the floor. His eyes were gleaming with fury, and the gleam shone on the blade of a long knife which the creature grasped in one hand.
Such was the figure. It glided out into the center of the cavern; it raised its weapon on high with a menacing gesture in the direction of the unsuspecting lads; and then swiftly and silently crept back and hid in the deep, dark shadows.
A moment later the nervous explorers came into view; they were soon in the center of the room again, and the fiery eyes were glaring out at them.