them, but the taste of earth in the air blowing through
the crack was better. The first thing they did was to run across to
the crack and look out.

"The river--and the valley!" cried Venning.

Below them was the green of the valley bathed in sunshine, the river
glittering like silver, and the scene like a glimpse of Paradise
after the gloom of their vast prison.

"There goes the eagle we saw when we first arrived, and right away
yonder I can see a flock of goats among the rocks."

"Perhaps we could get through and climb down." Mr. Hume thrust an
arm through, and spread his fingers to the wind. "We are on the
south-west side of the cliff, nearly overlooking the entrance to the
canon."

"It is very steep there. We should want a rope--and a long rope,
too."

"Yes, I am afraid we must keep on; but, at any rate, it is a comfort
to know where we are."

They stepped back and turned to examine the cavern. The floor was
dry, the roof high, and it would have made a good room. And a room
in occupation it was; for, now they took stock of it, there were
signs of the occupants everywhere--a stack of wood in one corner,
several karosses rolled up, sleeping-mats, cooking-pots, wooden
spoons, a bundle of reeds for arrow-making, and a half-shaped bow,
and other odds and ends. But what fixed their attention were a
number of white objects on a ledge.

"Look like ostrich eggs," said Venning, reaching up "No, they're
not. Skulls--Ethiopian."

"Pah! Drop it," said Mr. Hume.

"Why?" said Venning, who had no qualms in these matters. "You can
see it is Ethiopian from the receding forehead, the high cheek-
bones, the heavy under-jaw and strong teeth. No white man ever has
teeth like that."

"Drop it," said Mr. Hume, sternly.

"But why?"

"Look at this." Mr. Hume pointed to a square block in the centre of,
the room--a block all stained with dark streaks that came from a
basin in the centre. Venning approached it. "Blood--perhaps a
sacrificial stone."

"And this," said Mr. Hume, pointing to a bone projecting from one of
the pots. "They are man-eaters."

Venning put down the skull and looked with a white face at his
companion.

"Cannibals! That is why they tried to kill us last night."

The Hunter nodded his head. "I did not want to tell you, but I could
not stand a lecture on skulls."

"Let us go."

"First let us take a couple of these mats. Cut up, they would serve
as torches at a pinch." He tied one on Venning's ba