sh with you out of my reach. Be in the sepulchre at the
hour of sundown on the second day from this, all three of you, if you
would continue to live upon the earth. Afterwards you shall learn my
will and make your choice between Yva with majesty and her loss with
death."

Then suddenly he was gone.

Next morning I told the others what had passed, and we talked the matter
over. The trouble was, of course, that Bickley did not believe me. He
had no faith in my alleged interviews with Oro, which he set down to
delusions of a semi-mesmeric character. This was not strange, since
it appeared that on the previous night he had watched the door of
my sleeping-place until dawn broke, which it did long after Oro had
departed, and he had not seen him either come or go, although the moon
was shining brightly.

When he told me this I could only answer that all the same he had been
there as, if he could speak, Tommy would have been able to certify. As
it chanced the dog was sleeping with me and at the first sound of the
approach of someone, woke up and growled. Then recognising Oro, he went
to him, wagged his tail and curled himself up at his feet.

Bastin believed my story readily enough, saying that Oro was a peculiar
person who no doubt had ways of coming and going which we did not
understand. His point was, however, that he did not in the least wish to
visit Nyo any more. The wonders of its underground palaces and temples
had no charms for him. Also he did not think he could do any good by
going, since after "sucking him as dry as an orange" with reference to
religious matters "that old vampire-bat Oro had just thrown him away
like the rind," and, he might add, "seemed no better for the juice he
had absorbed."

"I doubt," continued Bastin, "whether St. Paul himself could have
converted Oro, even if he performed miracles before him. What is the
use of showing miracles to a man who could always work a bigger one
himself?"

In short, Bastin's one idea, and Bickley's also for the matter of that,
was to get away to the main island and thence escape by means of the
boat, or in some other fashion.

I pointed out that Oro had said we must obey at the peril of our lives;
indeed that he had put it even more strongly, using words to the effect
that if we did not he would kill us.

"I'd take the risk," said Bickley, "since I believe that you dreamt it
all, Arbuthnot. However, putting that aside, there is a natural reason
why you