as he had followed me. I feared that she might suddenly
faint from the terrible strain upon her nerves, but having witnessed my
safe passage she preserved a calmness that was amazing. Twice as the
animal, after crouching, leapt suddenly forward I feared the chain must
give way, but beyond a low frightened scream escaping her, she preserved
a cool demeanour, and a few moments later I was gratified to find her
standing panting but unharmed at my side.

"There is an exit somewhere near," I exclaimed a moment later, while she
rearranged her torn, blood-stained garments and smoothed her hair with
her hands. "Come, let us search."

On proceeding we soon found ourselves in a small passage, drier than the
former, and descending rather steeply for some distance, suddenly entered
another spacious chamber hewn from the solid rock. Immediately we were
inside some peculiarity of its walls attracted my gaze, and I noticed, in
addition, that we were in a _cul-de-sac_.

There was, after all, no exit!

The rocky walls, however, rivetted the attention of both of us, for let
into them at frequent intervals were large square plates of iron. These I
examined carefully, quickly arriving at the conclusion that they had been
placed there to close up hewn cavities. With this opinion, Liola,
assisting me in my investigations, fully agreed. Each plate, looking
curiously like the door of an oven, had apparently been fitted deeply
into grooves sunk in the hard rock, for although I tried one after the
other, seeking to remove them, they would not budge. By tapping upon them
I ascertained that they were of great thickness, and I judged that each
must weigh several hundredweight. They were not doors, for they had no
hinges, yet beneath each one was a small semi-circular hole in the iron
into which I could just thrust my little finger. These were certainly not
key-holes, but rather, it seemed, intended to admit air.

In the course of our eager investigations we suddenly came upon a great
pile of strongly-bound loads, each wrapped in untanned cow-hide and bound
tightly with wire. From their battered appearance they had evidently
rested upon the heads of carriers throughout a long march.

"I wonder what they contain?" Liola exclaimed, as we both looked down
upon them.

"Let us see," I said. Handing her the lamp, I knelt upon one of the
packages, and after considerable trouble succeeded in unbinding the wire.
Then as I tore away its thick covering