"Yebo, "Ngonyama (lion)."
"Then lead on."
"Listen, Ngonyama; listen, Indhlovu (elephant). There is a path for the lion in the veld, and another for the elephant in the forest; but this path is only for those who know it, and are welcome to those who made it. The sun shines without. It were better if Ngonyama and the Spider blinked their eyes in the light Mid the warmth."
"If ye have trodden the way, so will we. Lead on."
"Ye lose your wisdom, great one; but see, I go;" and she went from the cave into a vaulted pa.s.sage, in which they encountered the blast laden with moisture, that made the walls slimy and the floor a series of puddles.
The way was dark, and they splashed and stumbled in growing discomfort in the footsteps of the leader, who kept on at a quick walk, showing a thorough familiarity with the pa.s.sage. Sometimes, as they could tell from the sound, the roof of the pa.s.sage extended to great heights; at others it closed in till they had to stoop their heads. But their guide kept on without a pause, and presently, to their great relief, they saw ahead a faint reflection of the light upon a wet slab of rock. Hurrying on, they emerged from the pa.s.sage into a vast chamber, across which, though there was light enough to distinguish each other, they could not see. Mr. Hume took a step forward, with his face turned up, in an effort to see the roof through the films of vapour that floated overhead.
"Stop, Ngonyama--see to your footing;" and the woman"s hand restrained him.
He started back involuntarily, for at his feet there was a yawning abyss, out of which came the sound of rushing waters, and the curling wraiths of vapours, but so deep and so dark that the eye could detect no gleam of the flood beneath.
"Thanks, mother."
"Ohe! Ngonyama, remember I stood between you and death that time."
She moved away to the right, and they followed, going on a ledge which skirted the yawning abyss.
It was a perilous pa.s.sage, and both of them would have been glad to turn back after they had gone a few steps, if the woman had suggested it. A feeling of vertigo seized them, so that they had to stop, leaning away from them for fear of falling over out of sheer dizziness. When they did move again, they groped for a footing with a complete feeling of helplessness, expecting every moment to slip on the slimy rock, and the further they advanced the worse they felt, for it would be as bad to turn back as go on. Looking back, Mr. Hume at one pause saw a little splatter of flame. Venning had groped for a match and struck a light; but before he could see anything by its reflection, Mr. Hume blew it out, and placed his heavy hand on the boy"s shoulders to steady him.
"Worst thing you could do," he said.
"It"s so dark," muttered the boy.
"Dark enough, but she"s gone ahead safely enough."
They stood for some time, and seemed to gather comfort from the touch of each other"s hands.
"I am ready now," said Venning.
"That"s good. Keep your eyes raised and your shoulder to the wall.
Forward!"
They crept rather than walked round that fearful gallery, traversing the unknown height with the roar of waters coming up from the unseen depth, and the silent wraiths of vapour making the darkness visible as they curled upwards to disappear into the vast vault.
"If I can only get safe out of this," thought Venning at each step, "I will never try to leave the valley again by this way."
The valley was only a few hundred yards away, but it seemed to him that he must have left it ages ago. Every second had been charged with a new sensation since he left the brightness outside, and each slow, wary, suspicious movement he made had in it a whole sequence of fears. Would he slip? "Would his foot fall on firm rock? Would something--he knew not what--grab him from out that awful pit? Would some one or something--he was sure there was something creeping behind--would it spring on him? Would that woman"s hand suddenly shoot out from some crevice and hurl the both of them headlong? Was it never coming to an end? And the rock was shaking worse than ever!
It would be easier to crawl! Of course it would. He went down on his hands and knees and laughed, because it was so easy. There was something on his back, something that jogged about and hit him on the side of the head, that gripped him round the chest! What was it?
He felt gingerly, and laughed again. His carbine! What was the use of a carbine there? No good, of course. What a joke to throw it down and hear the splash, or, better, to fire it off and hear the echoes!
"Venning!"
The boy chuckled as he sat on the ledge tugging at the buckle.
"Why, lad!"
The great hands closed on the boy, lifted him up, and bore him lightly as the man felt his way with his feet. He counted his steps, a.s.suring himself that before he came to seventy-five they would be at the end.
"Ngonyama!" cried a voice, quite close.
"We are coming, mother."
"Ngonyama! Ngonyama! Ngonyama!" and the voice grew fainter.
"Wait--wait, O mother of chiefs, for the way is dark, and we move slow."
"Slower fast, slower fast, Ngonyama, it matters not."
"It is far, mother! Are we near the end?"
"Near the end--very near! Is it the dead ye carry, Ngonyama?"
"Nay, mother; the boy is but sick. But where are you, that ye see and are not seen, that your voice is near and yet far?"
The woman laughed. "So ye grow afraid, O great one? Said I not, Indhlovu, that this was not your path? Death is around."
Mr. Hume went forward steadily, counting his paces to keep his mind from wandering, and to his great joy he came suddenly on an opening in the wall which led towards welcome light, away from the horrors of that unfathomable pit. The woman waited for him there, looking very tall against the light.
"The boy is sick, mother--a little water."
"It is water now. Outside it was the honey he asked for. Set him down, Ngonyama--the child is weakly; set him down, and see to yourself."
"What words we these, woman?"
"Woman, yes; but master here, Ngonyama; and my words are easy to understand. Let the child be, and I will bring you out of this."
"Bring me water," he said sternly.
"There is plenty beyond. Carry him to the water if ye will, but the water will have you both." She laughed shrilly.
Mr. Hume went on towards the light, and found himself in another cavern reaching far up to a roof, from which hung long stalact.i.tes glistening white. There was light enough reflected from these hanging pillars to see, and he looked anxiously into Venning"s face.
The boy"s eyes were closed.
"Water," he said.
"Ohe! there is water beyond;" and she pointed ahead.
Again he went on without a thought about the marvels that disclosed themselves in the cave in the shapes of crystals and cones of sulphuric origin; but, as he advanced, he was aware of strange, intermittent sounds resembling explosions. Pushing on, he saw the white spray of falling water, then the gleam of wet rock, and stopped at the edge of a cataract, milk white from the churned foam.
He soaked a handkerchief in the water and bathed the boy"s face.
The woman was at his side. "Leave him; he belongs to the water.
Leave him and follow, lest ye also go down."
"He Is only weak, mother. In a little time he will be ready to follow."