n. I knew you would."

"But understand me. I expect nothing. It's all rot. If by any wild
chance we should pull out in the end I'll admit you were right. But I
eat under compulsion, and I fight for you. You're the leader unless
you ask my advice."

"And I begin right now," said Harry with a grin. "First, to get
Desiree. What about it?"

We discussed plans all the way from the impossible to the miraculous
and arrived nowhere. One thing only we decided--that before we tried
to find our way back to the great cavern and the royal apartments we
would lay in a supply of food and cache it among the boulders and
ledges where we then were. For if ever a place were designed for a
successful defense by two men against thousands it was that one. And
we had the spears.

Still no one had appeared in the cavern, and we decided to wait no
longer. We carried the raft back to the ledge. It was fairly light,
being made of hide stretched tightly across stringers of bone, but was
exceedingly clumsy. Once Harry fell, and the thing nearly toppled over
into the lake with him on top of it; but I caught his arm just in time.

Another trip for the oars and spears, and everything was ready. We
launched the raft awkwardly, nearly shipping it beneath; but finally
got it afloat with ourselves aboard. We had fastened the loose ends of
the spear-thongs about our waists.

I think that raft was the craziest thing that ever touched water. It
was a most excellent diver, but was in profound ignorance of the first
principle of the art of floating.

After a quarter of an hour of experimentation we found that by standing
exactly in a certain position, one on each side and paddling with one
hand, it was possible to keep fairly level. If either of us shifted
his foot a fraction of an inch the thing ducked like a stone.

We finally got out a hundred feet or so and ceased paddling. Then,
exchanging our oars for the spears, we waited.

The surface of the lake was perfectly still, save for a barely
perceptible ripple, caused no doubt by the undercurrent which was fed
by the stream at the opposite side. The urns were so far away that the
light was very dim; no better than half darkness. The silence was
broken by the sound of the rushing stream.

Suddenly the raft swayed gently; there was a parting of the water not a
foot away toward the front, and then--well, the ensuing events happened
so quickly that their order is uncertain.

A b