The Old Man of the Mountain

, Mackenzie awoke, h

ur plates from the illustrated papers, caused him to sit up suddenly and rub his eyes again. It was a minute or two before full consciousness and the recollection of recent incidents returne

lay at full stretch on the f

waken yourselv

as no r

totteringly, to Forrester,

again. "Man, what

y, he hastened to Jackson, poked him, bawled in his ear, felt his pulse; then, assured tha

ball, you ass!" J

with a light laugh, coming to his side. "Wake

his wits more tard

en," Forrester w

rs," said

ter, after a good look at him. "What t

I know that m

f that's what you m

tting up, but still resting his hands on

ing it. "They're wishful we shan't

e centre of one wall was a door of stout timber, without lock or handle. High in another wa

Dick, and keek ou

Forrester

at. It looks like the wall of the rift. I tell you what: this room must be cut out of

om's perfectly light, though yon slit isn't more than twelve by two. Where does the light come

e that passed across the wall opposite to the window.

d not been cast from without; yet the wal

he strange light, the stranger apparition, brought back upon them redoubled the uneasiness they had felt ever since they entered the rift, and especially after seeing the ghost

rrester at length, his thoughts reverting

me narcotic gas," said Macke

done with our me

replied Mackenzie sardonically. "The

t--

d a large bowl, one containing water, the other a sticky mess resembling porridge, and three spoons. Through the open doorway, in a brighter greenish light, the prisoners descried a group of similar negroes, armed

the larger bowl, s

it's poison

p us alive to poison us out of hand. I'm for ha

uantity of the st

tter of a pinch of salt. Hunger is t

as strong as ever. They sat discussing the strange phenomenon. Mackenzie advanced the theory that the rock was phosphorescent, and Jackson claimed that he had disproved it

ently opened, and two visitors were in the room. The prisoners recognised the

ltering tone. "Arise! The August and V

d villain after all," whispered Forrester. "W

t of the solid rock, they found awaiting them an escort of a dozen little black men like those they had already seen, and similarly armed. They followed them through corridor after corridor, the floors of which sloped gradually upward, then into a kind of ante-chamber, and finally into a huge

ding greenish light, were decorated with Chinese designs. The predominant feature of the scheme was a figure which at first sight might have been mistaken for the conventional Chinese dragon; but, on closer examination, it seemed to the spectators to resemble more nearly the reconstruction of some prehistoric sea-monster, such as European zoologi

y hairless: their scalps shone like balls of old polished ivory. They were clad in long sleeveless robes resembling ecclesiastical copes, white with an edging of gold, and a large blue monster, like those on the walls, ramping across the middle of the back. The men in the second row were moustachioed

ght feet from the floor. It was of Chinese design; the material of which it was made shone like

d entered--stood a low pedestal, like the pedestal of a statue. But there was no statue upon it. Nor was the throne occupied. The eyes of the silent throng, indeed, appeared to be fixed on a doorway in th

ed eyes were drawn as by some magnetic attraction to the curtained doorway. Not one of them was tempted to s

med itself in front of the throne, the outlines of which became blurred and were finally blotted out altogether. There was a momentary rustle, like the breaking of surf upon a long shore; then the same deathly stillness

of gold through the shimmering screen; the mist slowly dispersed; the outlines of the throne were once more clear and dist

stiff with gold, and emblazoned with purple monsters, descended to his feet, concealing a frame which the three spectators divined to be spare and e

nce passed over the prostrate forms of the assembly, and fastened for one brief moment on the three straight figures at the end of the hall. Then in a clear bell-like voice, surprising in so old a man, he uttered one word. The men prostrate below him

understand by signs that they were to accompany him to the foot of the throne. Moving as under a spell, they passed through the gap, scarcely con

le's, yet cold and paralysing, filled them with a chill foreboding. His lips moved, and

s you strip

es they started as they heard his first

instinctively that no prevarication would avail, that the best chance of coming safely through whatever ordeal was before them lay in perfect frankness. Steadying his voice, and looking up into the old man's face, he explained, so rapidly that his words as it were t

tle sign as a mask of what was passing through his mind. Forrester h

er by the hand of Fate, must abide by their choice, or by Fate's decree. The rest of their lives hereafter must they spend

alf forgotten. The cold dispassionate tones struck a chill upon the listeners' hearts. They had in them the r

that calm silvery voice, died within them. When Wen Shih came again to them to lead them back to t

his teeth chattered; his staring eyes regarded the awful Presence on the throne with the same helpless terror as a bird fascinated by the baleful eye of a snake. The priests of the Eye lifted him on to the pedestal in a lin

seemed to the Englishmen that they were giving testimony against the quivering figure on the pedestal above them. Th

e arose slowly and majestically to his feet. Was he about to pronounce judgment? The Englishmen wondered what the punishment was to be. Recollections of the horrors of Chinese torture made t

rom a point in the old man's head-dress, immediately above the centre of his brow, a swift thin beam of bright green light flashed along the hall, over the gap, past the pedestal, and on to the wall. It was gone in a moment. A low sound like the indrawing of breath ran through the asse

of dust on its surface into the trowel held by the other. The latter, holding the trowel at arm's length in front of him, bore it slowly towards the throne, and after a profound obeisance offered it to the old man, and withdrew. Lifting his skinny right arm, the old man extended the trowel towards the assembled priest