The River of Darkness; Or, Under Africa Read online

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  THE UNDERGROUND RIVER.

  A moment of terrible suspense followed the Greek's announcement. Fromwithout could be plainly heard a chorus of angry shouts as theAbyssinians searched for their missing prey.

  Then the sounds grew fainter and Canaris said quietly: "They have goneon past the rock. We had better strike a light and see what has becomeof that black rascal. I cannot understand how he knew anything aboutthis place. It may not be the proper entrance after all."

  One of the bronze lamps was filled with palm oil and lighted, and Guyundertook to lead the way into the depths of the cavern.

  The passage was amply large enough to hold two or three men standing up,but it led downward at a very sharp angle. The journey was performed insilence, and after traveling ten or fifteen minutes Guy stopped.

  A vast empty space was before him, and at his feet lay a sharp slope ofloose earth. Here were seen the tracks of the savage, and withouthesitation Guy began the descent, and half crawling, half sliding,reached firm ground a few yards below.

  Melton and Canaris were close behind, and together they went up intothe vast expanse of the cavern. Under foot was hard, compact sand, andin a moment more the glare of the lamp was reflected on running water,and they stood on the brink of the mysterious underground river.

  "We have found it?" exclaimed Canaris exultingly. "The Englishman wasright."

  It was impossible to judge of the width of the stream. It might be verynarrow and it might be very broad. The flowing water made not a sound,and yet the current was swift, for a bit of paper that Melton tossed inwas snatched from sight immediately.

  As they gazed on this strange sight with emotions that it would beimpossible to describe, a vague, shadowy object passed down the streamand vanished in the darkness.

  "There goes that fellow," cried Guy. "He has escaped in a canoe," andhastening up along the shore, waving the lamp in front of him, heuttered a cry of astonishment that echoed through the cavern and broughthis companions quickly to his side.

  Drawn back a few yards from the water lay two long, heavy canoes, and asharp furrow in the sand leading to the river's edge showed that a thirdcanoe had recently stood beside the others. Half a dozen rude paddleswere strewn on the sand. The savage had evidently been in such haste toescape that the thought of turning the other canoes adrift, and thuseluding pursuit, never entered his head.

  Beyond the canoes, further progress was blocked by masses of eaith.

  "This was the abode of that strange race of natives," said Guy solemnly,"and under those stones they have lain buried since the earthquake yearsago."

  He turned and led the way down the stream.

  Fifteen yards below lay another jutting mass of earth. This was theextent of the cavern, a beach fifty yards long running back to thenarrow passage and terminated by walls of earth; beyond was darkness andthe river, running none knew where.

  Yet the only hope of seeing home and friends, vague and uncertain as itwas, rested with this mysterious, cavernous stream. It might lead to thecoast and safety, but far more likely death and destruction awaitedanyone daring enough to trust himself to its treacherous current.

  "The sea is hundreds of miles away," said Guy gloomily, as he sat downon the sand and placed the lamp carefully beside him. "How are we goingto live through such a journey as that? Even now our last bit of food isgone, and where shall we get more?"

  Canaris pondered a moment before he ventured to reply.

  "I see but one plan," he said finally. "At nightfall we must visit theburned village. The enemy will have gone by then, and we may discoverabandoned provisions."

  "If we could shoot any game----" began Melton, but Guy interrupted him.

  "The fighting has scared everything away from the vicinity," he remarked.

  "Yes, that is true," said the Greek. "The animals have fled to themountains, and, besides, Oko Sam and his tribe of Gallas keep the gamewell thinned out."

  "What did you say?" cried Guy, springing to his feet in excitement. "Isthis Oko Sam's village yonder that the Abyssinians have raided?"

  The Greek nodded assent.

  "Yes, Oko Sam is the chief."

  "Then Sir Arthur Ashby and Colonel Carrington are close at hand,"exclaimed Guy.

  "And Momba," added Melton fervently. "All may be saved yet."

  "And was it to Oko Sam your comrades were sold as slaves?" criedCanaris. "Why did you not mention his name before? I could have told youthis long ago."

  "I never thought of it," rejoined Guy. "I gave them up as lost forever.Alas! they are probably in the hands of the Abyssinians now."

  "Either that or dead," said the Greek, "but undoubtedly the former, forMenelek, the Abyssinian king, is fond of white captives, and their liveswould be spared if they fell into the hands of the raiding party."

  "And how shall we find out?" demanded Guy. "I will not embark on thisriver until uncertainty about their fate is removed."

  "When darkness comes we will leave the cavern," replied Canaris. "It ispossible we shall learn something. Until then have patience."

  The hours of tedious waiting were a little relieved by a discovery thatMelton made.

  In some of the canoes he found a couple of rude bone fishhooks. Thisseemed pretty fair proof that fish existed in the underground river, andas Guy happened to have a roll of cord, three strong lines wereconstructed and laid away for possible future use.

  When, to the best of their judgments, evening was close at hand, theystarted back through the passage and reached the entrance shortly beforeten o'clock.

  Darkness soon came on, and as all seemed quiet they ventured to rollback the stone and crawl out. Far across the valley a faint glow wasvisible against the somber sky, probably from the smoldering embers ofthe burned village, while directly north of the cavern, in the vicinityof the pool of water where the lions had been encountered the previousnight, a number of camp fires were twinkling merrily through thescattered boulders.

  "This is the camp of the Abyssinians," declared Canaris withouthesitation. "One of us must spy into it and see if your friends areprisoners; another must go to the village for provisions, and a thirdman should remain here at the mouth of the cavern."

  This proposed division of the forces did not please Guy and Melton.

  "Why must a man remain at the cavern?" demanded Chutney.

  "To mark the place in case one of us is pursued and loses his bearingsin the darkness," was the Greek's calm reply.

  Guy saw the advisability of this and made no further objection. Afterbrief discussion it was decided that he should remain on guard, whileCanaris visited the village and Forbes reconnoitered the Abyssiniancamp. Without any delay they started off on their respective missions,and Guy was left alone.

  For a while he paced up and down before the cavern, his rifle in thehollow of his arm, and then sitting down on the round stone he reflectedover his perilous situation and the strange train of events that had ledup to it. The stars shining down on him from the blackness of theAfrican sky seemed to whisper of his far-away English home and thefriends he would probably never see again.

  Then he thought of his comrades in India and the expedition he had sofondly hoped to join, that even now was fighting its way through thehills of Chittagong. His reverie was broken by a sharp "hist!" andForbes glided swiftly out of the gloom.

  "No, they have not been captured," he whispered in response to Guy'seager inquiries. "I was around the camp on all sides. The Abyssinianshave secured some Galla prisoners, and among them the chief himself, OkoSam, but none of our friends are there. I am terribly afraid they havebeen massacred, Chutney."

  "We will know when the Greek returns," replied Guy, who did not care toadmit his belief that Melton was right.

  They sat down together by the rock and conversed in low tones. An hourpassed and then another.

  "Canaris should be here by this time," said Guy uneasily. "Can anythinghave hap
pened to him, I wonder?"

  Almost as he spoke a muffled trampling sound was heard, two huge objectsloomed out of the darkness ahead, and as Guy's hand trembled on thetrigger of his rifle the Greek's familiar voice uttered a lowexclamation and he advanced slowly, leading two big camels loaded downwith trappings.

  "Well by Jove----" began Guy, but Canaris checked him instantly.

  "Not so loud. I picked up these animals only a quarter of a mile back.They have strayed away from the Abyssinian camp."

  "But tell me, what have you discovered?" exclaimed Guy. "And you havebrought no food. Must we starve, then?"