dy of the colossus; they traversed the long
underground tunnel, and at length, to their intense relief, once more
they stood upon the solid ground and in the open air. Now that the moon
was up, and the mist which had darkened the night had melted, they could
see their whereabouts. They had emerged upon a platform of rock within
a bowshot of the great gates of the palace, from whence the secret
subterranean passage used by the priests was gained, its opening being
hidden cunningly among the stone-work of the temple.

"I wonder where the others are," asked Leonard anxiously of Francisco.

As he spoke, Juanna, wrapped in her dark cloak, appeared, apparently
out of the stones of the wall, and with her Otter, the Settlement men
bearing their dead companion, and a considerable company of priests,
among whom, however, Nam was not to be seen.

"Oh, is that you, Leonard?" said Juanna in English, and in a voice
broken with fear. "Thank Heaven that you are safe!"

"Thank Heaven that we are all safe," he answered. "Come, let us get on.
No, we can walk, thank you," and he waved away the priests, who produced
the litters from where they had hidden them under the wall.

The men fell back and they walked on. At the gate of the palace a
welcome sight met their eyes, for here stood Olfan, and with him at
least a hundred captains and soldiers, who lifted their spears in salute
as they advanced.

"Olfan, hear our bidding," said Juanna. "Suffer no priest of the Snake
to enter the palace gates. We give you command over them, even to death.
Set guards at every doorway and come with us."

The ex-king bowed and issued some orders, in obedience to which the
sullen priests fell back murmuring. Then they all passed the gates,
crossed the courtyard, and presently stood in the torch-lit throne-room,
where Juanna had slept on the previous night. Here food had been
prepared for them by Soa, who looked at them curiously, especially at
Leonard and Francisco, as though, indeed, she had never expected to see
them again.

"Hearken, Olfan," said Juanna, "we have saved your life to-night and you
have sworn fealty to us; is it not so?"

"It is so, Queen," the warrior answered. "And I will be faithful to
my oath. This heart, that but for you had now been cold, beats for you
alone. The life you gave back to me is yours, and for you I live and
die."

As he spoke he glanced at her with an expression in which, as it
seemed to Juanna, human feeling was