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It was standing wide open. Whoever was last there had either not found the time to shut it, or had forgotten to do so. Across the threshold of this door lay a skin bag, formed of a goat-skin, that appeared to be full of pebbles. "Hee! hee! white men," sniggered Gagool, as the light from the lamp fell upon it.
Stay, she shall choose," and calling to a messenger he ordered Gagool to be brought before him. In a few minutes she came, hurried along by two guards, whom she was cursing as she walked. "Leave her," said the king to the guards.
"She crept out Gagool; I did not see her, I was faint and the door began to fall; then she came back, and was looking up the path I saw her come in through the slowly falling door, and caught her and held her, and she stabbed me, and I die, Bougwan!" "Poor girl! poor girl!" Good cried in his distress; and then, as he could do nothing else, he fell to kissing her.
Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing with a most unholy lustre. Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast assemblage watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she stood still and pointed. "Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself.
Before we had finished examining these extraordinary relics of remote antiquity, Infadoos came up, and having saluted the "Silent Ones" by lifting his spear, asked us if we intended entering the "Place of Death" at once, or if we would wait till after we had taken food at mid-day. If we were ready to go at once, Gagool had announced her willingness to guide us.
We had not, however, enough time to examine this beautiful cavern so thoroughly as we should have liked to do, since unfortunately, Gagool seemed to be indifferent as to stalactites, and only anxious to get her business over.
To-morrow shalt thou go with Infadoos and my white brothers to the place, and beware how thou failest, for if thou showest it not, then thou shalt slowly die. I have spoken." "I will not fail, Ignosi. I always keep my word ha! ha! ha! Once before a woman showed the chamber to a white man, and behold! evil befell him," and here her wicked eyes glinted. "Her name was Gagool also.
"Mayhap; if they are there," he said, "ye shall have as many as ye can take hence if indeed ye would leave me, my brothers." "First we must find the chamber," said I. "There is but one who can show it to thee Gagool." "And if she will not?" "Then she must die," said Ignosi sternly. "I have saved her alive but for this.
"Here is the chamber; let my lords light the lamp, and enter," and she placed the gourd full of oil upon the floor, and leaned herself against the side of the cave. I took out a match, of which we had still a few in a box, and lit a rush wick, and then looked for the doorway, but there was nothing before us except the solid rock. Gagool grinned. "The way is there, my lords. Ha! ha! ha!"
The king himself, followed by his guards, some of the chiefs, and Gagool, who hobbled away after them with marvellous alacrity, fled for the huts, so that in another minute we ourselves, the would-be victim Foulata, Infadoos, and most of the chiefs who had interviewed us on the previous night, were left alone upon the scene, together with the dead body of Scragga, Twala's son.
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