d Japhet, one of the Mountaineers, volunteered upon being promised
a grant of land from the Child of Kings herself, which grant she
proclaimed before them all was to be given to his relatives in the event
of his death.

At length everything was ready, and there came another spell of silence,
for the nerves of all of us were so strained that we did not seem able
to talk. It was broken by a sound of sudden and terrible roaring that
arose from the gulf beneath.

"It is the hour of the feeding of the sacred lions which the Fung keep
in the pit about the base of the idol," explained Shadrach. Then he
added, "Unless he should be rescued, I believe that Black Windows
will be given to the lions to-night, which is that of full moon and a
festival of Harmac, though maybe he will be kept till the next full moon
when all the Fung come up to worship."

This information did not tend to raise anyone's spirits, although Quick,
who always tried to be cheerful, remarked that it was probably false.

The shadows began to gather in the Valley of Harmac, whereby we knew
that the sun was setting behind the mountains. Indeed, had it not been
for a clear and curious glow reflected from the eastern sky, the gulf
would have plunged us in gloom. Presently, far away upon a rise of rock
which we knew must be the sphinx head of the huge idol, a little figure
appeared outlined against the sky, and there began to sing. The moment
that I heard the distant voice I went near to fainting, and indeed
should have fallen had not Quick caught me.

"What is it, Adams?" asked Oliver, looking up from where he and Maqueda
sat whispering to each other while the fat Joshua glowered at them in
the background. "Has Higgs appeared?"

"No," I answered, "but, thank God, my son still lives. That is his
voice. Oh! if you can, save him, too."

Now there was much suppressed excitement, and some one thrust a pair
of field-glasses into my hand, but either they were wrongly set or the
state of my nerves would not allow me to see through them. So Quick took
them and reported.

"Tall, slim figure wearing a white robe, but at the distance in this
light can't make out the face. One might hail him, perhaps, only it
would give us away. Ah! the hymn is done and he's gone; seemed to jump
into a hole in the rock, which shows that he's all right, anyway, or
he couldn't jump. So cheer up, Doctor, for you have much to be thankful
for."

"Yes," I repeated after him, "much to be t