t chamber. It dropped to the floor, and the flame shot up
brightly, lighting the little room from corner to corner, from roof to
floor.

"She's gone!" gasped Jack in utter amazement "She's gone!" Save for
the skeletons, the little room was completely empty. There was not the
faintest sign of the native woman. She had disappeared absolutely and
entirely.

CHAPTER XL.

THE BATTLE ON THE STAIRS.

Jack was about to spring down the ladder and see what had become of
their companion, when a low cry of warning burst from his father's
lips. The elder man had been watching the enemy, and now he called
out, "They are coming! they are coming!"

Jack caught up his _dah_ and ran at once for the stairs. The mystery
of the woman's disappearance must wait; the first thing to be done was
to keep the Kachins from their throats.

He and his father had already settled upon the point which they would
occupy for defence. Halfway down the narrow winding flight there was a
small landing, about six feet long, with a sharp turn above and below.
Jack felt his way down to this in the darkness, then stood and
listened eagerly for any sounds of movement in the vault below. He
heard his father softly tiptoeing after him, and then all was silence,
save for the mournful cries of the tiger cubs trying to rouse their
dead dam.

"They have not come in yet," whispered Jack to his father.

"No," replied Mr. Haydon, "but I saw seven of them start across the
open space, clearly bent on a fresh attack."

At this moment a muffled sound of voices rang through the vault and
came up the narrow stairs. The Kachins were at the entrance. Then
there was silence for a short time. The next sound was a joyous yell,
which rang and re-echoed from wall to wall. The Kachins had discovered
the dead tigress. Then the vault resounded with voices as they ran to
and fro, searching every corner.

The fugitives knew that the flight of steps running upwards must be
discovered at once, and Mr. Haydon gave a low murmur as they heard a
party of searchers gather at the foot of the stairs. Up to this moment
Jack and his father had stood in complete darkness, but now a faint
glimmer of light began to shine up from below, and they knew that the
flare of their pursuers' torches was being reflected along the winding
walls.

The preparations of the savage little men in blue were quickly made,
and up they came. As Jack heard their feet shuffle swiftly up the
steps, and s