you can travel, either by
night or day, unseen of our people. You have already climbed along the
only passage leading here, and you dare not go back. This way you have
reached the end. Behind is the village; here the altar of
sacrifice--choose either, and you die like the _Francais_ dogs you are."

"Who is here to touch us?" I asked derisively. "There is food in
plenty; we can wait our chance."

"Ay, you have grace of this day in which to make ready," his wrinkled
face lighting maliciously. "When yonder moon becomes round it will be
the night of sacrifice. Know you what will happen then?" he licked his
thin lips greedily. "I may not be here to see, but it will be the
same. Up that path of rocks will swarm all of my race, and what then
can save you from the altar? How they will welcome the victims waiting
their pleasure--white-faced _Francais_."

His old, deeply sunken eyes gleamed so with hatred, I drew
involuntarily back, my blood chilled with a conviction that he did not
lie.

"Here? Do you tell me the tribe comes here?"

"Ay, here, _Francais_,--here to make sacrifice of blood, that they may
go forth once more, and conquer the land of their fathers."

"'T is your custom to kill slaves?"

"When there be none better, but now we have other victims sent us by
the Sun, all _Francais_, and you two cooped up here to be added to the
others. 'T will be a sweet sacrifice, and I should like to live to
hear your cries for mercy, and drink of the warm blood."

I stared at him, unable to deny our helplessness.

"You would make us believe there is no upper entrance to this accursed
hole!"

"Seek as you please--there is none. You are trapped beyond struggle;
you cannot escape the vengeance of the Sun."

I pointed, still incredulous, toward the great burning log.

"Did you grow yonder tree in this cavern? or was it borne here on the
back of a slave?"

"It was lowered from above, over the edge of the cliff, by grass ropes."

"I believe you lie," I cried, now thoroughly shaken by his surly
contempt; but the fellow only leered at me, and I strode across the
great room, where I might reflect beyond sight of his eyes. As I
passed to the other side of the altar I observed a little gray daylight
flooding the mouth of the cave. The sight recalled to mind another
possible danger.

"Cairnes," I called, "it is about the hour of sunrise. Down in the
village I have noticed that whenever the sun touches the crest