t was awkward.

As they rushed through the now open gateway they crouched low to
avoid the spears, but, as it was one grazed Tom's shoulder, and
Eradicate was pierced in the fleshy part of his arm.

"Forward! Forward!" cried Tom. "Come on!"

And on they went, through the smoke and darkness, Ned flashing his
electric torch which gave only a feeble glow as the battery was
almost exhausted. On and on! Now they were through the stone
gateway, now out in the long tunnel.

Behind them they could hear feet running, and several spears
clattered to the stone floor. Lights flickered behind them.

"If only the river bed is dry!" gasped Tom. "We may yet escape. But
if they've filled the channel--"

He did not dare think of what that would mean as he ran on, turning
occasionally to fire, for he and the others had again reloaded their
revolvers.

CHAPTER XXV

THE ESCAPE--CONCLUSION

The noise behind our friends increased. There were shouts of rage,
yells of anger at the escape of the prey. High above the other
voices were the shrill war-cries of the head-hunters--the savages
with their grewsome desires.

"Can--can we make it, Tom?" panted Ned.

They were almost at the river channel now, and in another instant
they had reached it.

By the feeble rays of Ned's electric torch they saw with relief that
it was empty, though they would have given much to see just a
trickle of water in it, for they were almost dead from thirst.

Together they climbed up the other side, and as yet their pursuers
had not reached the brink. For one moment Tom had a thought of
working the black knob, and flooding the channel, but he could not
doom even the head-hunters, much less the Fogers and Delazes, to
such a death as that would mean.

On ran Tom and his companions, but now they could glance back and
see the foremost of the other crowd dipping down into the dry
channel.

"The steps! The steps!" suddenly cried Ned, when they had run a long
distance, as a faint gleam of daylight beyond shewed the opening
beneath the stone altar. "We're safe now."

"Hardly, but a few minutes will tell," said Tom. "The balloon is in
shape for a quick rise, and then we'll leave this horrible place
behind."

"And all the gold, too," murmured Ned regretfully. "We've got some,"
said Mr. Damon, "and I wouldn't take a chance with those head-hunters
for all the gold in the underground city."

"Same here!" panted Tom. Then they were at the steps and ra