Prisoners of Chance

by Randall Parrish

  CHAPTER XXX

  UNDERGROUND

  A slight radiance found passage through the coarsely woven curtain,proving sufficient, as my eyes became more accustomed to the gloom, toreveal, rude steps excavated from the earth, leading down into lowerdarkness. Pausing merely to assure myself that the meeting betweenNaladi and Madame was outwardly courteous, while De Noyan seemed shamedinto silence by the presence of his wife, I began the descent, quicklyfinding myself in an apartment, rounded in outline, not greatlydissimilar to that other from which I had been so lately rescued.This, however, was smaller, the floor littered with various articles,the nature of which I found it difficult to determine in such dimlight. Nor did I pause for close inspection, but, so soon as searchrevealed an opening into a narrow passageway beyond, I pressed forwardamid dense gloom, feeling my way, fearful lest I meet some pitfall. Itwas a low, contracted gallery, so extremely irregular in excavationthat I sometimes stood erect, unable to reach the roof with extendedfingers, yet a moment later was compelled to creep on hands and kneesin order to progress at all. Had it led through solid rock I shouldhave accepted this as evidence of natural origin, but sides, floor, androof were of earth, while every few feet, rendering progress uncertainand perilous, were huge posts of wood, usually roughly hewn treetrunks, each topped by a flat piece of stone, supporting the saggingroof.

  Altogether it was a surprising excavation, exhibiting some degree ofengineering skill on the part of these savages. I wondered whether theconception originated within the brain of their alien Queen, or wasanother of the unique inheritances of their race. Perhaps I may bepermitted to add here some information which reached me later, thatabundant evidences of the existence of similar passages have been notedelsewhere in the old homes of this people beside the Mississippi.While at Petite Rocher River, I met lately a Jesuit, who had travelledwidely and read many books, and he gravely assured me that in the vastcities of the Aztecs, far to the south in Mexico, their temples andpalaces were connected by means of such long, secret, covered ways.Hence I incline to the belief that this excavation was largely thelabor of slaves; for these Nahuacs had many such, some of negro, othersof Indian blood, and that the earth thus removed had been utilized inconstructing those mounds above, the entire method of building merely atradition from the past.

  Let that be as it may, here the tunnel extended stretching itssnake-like course before me. Along it I carefully felt a passage,nervously gripping the knife hilt, and vainly seeking to distinguishdefinite outlines amid the darkness. My groping feet encounterednumerous obstructions along the path--here a pile of loosened earthover which I plunged headlong, or a flat stone dropped by the rottingaway of its supporting prop, or some sharp declivity, as though softerearth had yielded to rude implements; yet it became evident from thestart that the tunnel level rapidly descended, boring deeper and deeperinto the bosom of the earth. Finally, my fingers came into contactwith small fragments of rock strewing the side walls, and Icomprehended I must already be beneath the base of that rounded moundupon the summit of which the house of Naladi stood. What worried memost was to what end this tunnel was made. Such vast labor had surelynever been performed without adequate purpose. Besides, completed, thepassage was well cared for. I met frequently in my blind groping withevidences of comparatively recent labor. Yet for what purpose was itdesigned? Where did it lead? To my bewildered judgment the generaltrend appeared northward; but that would carry it directly across thebroadest portion of the upper basin. To have an unconcealed entrancein the centre of that unprotected, open plain would be foreign tosavage nature; while to imagine that such a tunnel as this, from whicha vast amount of earth had been borne upon the backs of workmen, couldextend below the full extent of that valley, was beyond conception.Besides, the air was light and pure, as sweet to inhale as if it blewdirectly upon me from the open sky; itself proof positive that someopening could not be far distant.

  Thus questioning, I groped slowly forward. To one accustomed to livingin the open there is something peculiarly oppressive in being coopedwithin the confines of such narrow entries, and being compelled toreflect upon the immense mass of rock and earth resting above, andprevented from crushing him down into everlasting silence only byinsignificant props of wood, whose melancholy groaning in the darknessbore evidence of the vast weight they upheld. There was nothing for mebut to struggle onward, although I do not claim that it was withoutquaking heart, or many a start at odd noises echoing and re-echoingalong that grim gallery. It is comparatively easy to be courageouswhere the peril is of a nature to which we have long accustomedourselves, but many a trained nerve gives way before little venturesamid the unknown. I am told that soldiers coming to thesecolonies--veterans who had faced unflinchingly the flames ofbattle--will tremble and shrink like frightened girls at the slightestsign of a storm at sea; and there was once a famous war-chief of theShawnees, who had fought fiercely with tomahawk and knife, yet who felldead at the first crash of a field gun, although the piece wasuncharged with ball. So I conceive that physical courage is not sohigh a virtue after all, and am not greatly ashamed to acknowledge Iwent timidly forward down that black slope, and with a wild inclinationto fly backward at every sound. Nor do I boast of keeping on, for itwas largely because I knew well what reception would await me; the lookof scorn with which Madame would discover that a faint heart had mademe afraid of the dark. So it was love, or pride, I scarce know which,that kept my reluctant feet moving; and, possibly, both of these arethe true sponsors for most of the courage in the world, except thatengendered by excitement.

  Finally, when, with many a quaking of the heart I thought there must beabove me a full hundred feet of earth, I perceived a flickering ray oflight stealing along the floor. It grew more pronounced with eachadvancing step and soon crimsoned the upper walls. I droppedcautiously upon hands and knees, and crept slowly forward, beside thedancing shadows, taking concealment behind every irregularity. Thusapproaching, I discovered the flaring beacon to be a huge pine knotstuck into the earth wall, blazing right merrily. Lying at fulllength, with head outstretched from behind the tree trunk thatconcealed my body, I gazed forward into a small room, possibly a dozenfeet in width, the walls concealed by grotesquely pictured bark, itsfloor covered with a rude matting, dyed in fanciful colors. Somewhatto the left of where I lay uprose a huge, grim figure, roughly shapenfrom wood, having two uplifted wings pressing the roof, while directlyin front reposed numerous dishes of untasted food. This idol, for suchI conceived it to be, was a most hideous, repulsive object, coloredlavishly with strange pigments, the face and head decorated in crimson,while the huge right hand, grasping a club, was uplifted as if about tostrike down an approaching enemy. The flaring light of the pine knotglittered on great staring eyes which appeared to sparkle as ifcomposed of precious stones; while about neck, zone, and ankles shonethe duller gleam of gold, with the shimmer of some brighter metal.

  It was a grewsome sight to approach in such a place, especially as thepeculiar eyes appeared to follow my slightest movement. Yet only for abreathless moment did I experience doubt as to its nature, then laughedgrimly at myself for a superstitious fool. The remaining portion ofthis dimly revealed underground apartment appeared bare, except for agayly decorated skin or two, and the figure of a man, garbed in thegloomy attire of a priest, lying fast asleep at the very feet of thestatue. Beyond showed a dark opening where the tunnel continued onwardinto the earth.

  It required brief observation to note these outlines, nor did theygreatly serve to delay my advance. I paused merely long enough tobecome thoroughly convinced of the reality of the priest's slumber, andthen crept silently past, keeping close as possible within the shadowof the eastern wall, until once again safely swallowed within theblackness of the passage. Oddly enough the mere sight of that fellowlying there unconscious served to yield me new courage, robbing thecave of its loneliness, and I plunged directly ahead.

  The passage I now followed rose with a sharp pitch, evidently incli
ningtoward the surface, the opening not far distant. It was like mountinga hill, so marked was the incline, yet I covered a distance fullyequalling that of my previous descent before becoming aware of asteadily increasing gray tingeing the side walls. Halting in thisfaint illumination I was suddenly startled by the sound of vigorousEnglish speech. I advanced cautiously. The words were so confused bythe echoes that little could be made of them until I reached a coarselymatted curtain, through which dimly sifted the welcome daylight. HereI paused, listening intently, striving to discover what mystery layhidden beyond.

  For some moments nothing reached me, excepting a low, dull murmur, asif voices chanted in muffled monotone, the sound commingling with asharp crackling of flames, and an occasional doleful beating upon somesurface resembling the taut parchment of a drum. Suddenly a deep voiceclose at hand roared out hoarsely, and my heart leaped in excitement,although I at once recognized it.

  "You black-faced son of Belial," came a savage snort, "do you give allthat food unto a dumb idol, when a Christian man, a ministering servantof the Most High, lies groaning with a stomach which has n't tastedfood for four and twenty hours? Possess you no bowels of compassionfor the long sufferings of a fellow-man? Come now, give me just a biteof the white meat, and yonder grinning wooden image will never miss it.You won't, you spawn of Baal, yet I marked plain enough how you filledyour own lean belly with the best there was."

  The straining of cords, together with sound of struggle, bore evidencethat the Reverend Mr. Cairnes was making heroic effort to attain untothat food offered before idols. That such strenuous effort was vainwas soon proven by the bursting forth of his voice once more.

  "Oh, gracious Lord," he cried, in a tone evidencing more anger thanspiritual exaltation, "surely thy ancient servant Job never bowedbefore greater affliction than this now visited upon me. Verily 't iseven as the experiences of the Apostle Paul, yet without his reward inthe flesh. I beseech Thee from the depth of humiliation--even as didDaniel from the lions' den--loosen my arms that I may smite as with Thywrath this profaner of Thy most holy name, thus bringing peace unto thesmitten heart of Thy faithful servant. O Lord, what have I done to bedeserted in this hour of extremity? As Elijah called down fire fromHeaven, so I call upon Thee to smite with the terror of Thy might theranks of these foul idolaters. He who hath boldly proclaimed Thy truthin the wilderness, who hath proven a faithful witness unto thesesavages, through many years of trial and tribulation, doth now callupon Thee in dire distress. Shall it be in vain, that he thus upliftshis voice supplicating in the wilderness?"

  His deep rumbling died away until I could distinguish little exceptthose moans with which he punctuated the conclusion of each sentence.Finally, hearing no other sound to restrain me, I ventured to slightlyuplift one corner of the heavy curtain, and peer into the room. Theentrance opened upon the back of the rude platform, my position beingwithin less than three paces from the famine-stricken Puritan, who,with low-bowed head and hidden face, was still wrestling in ferventprayer. I was unable, from where I hid, to distinguish the form of thecrouching priest, yet knew he could not be far distant, and therefore Idurst not speak above a whisper lest the sound awaken his suspicion.

  "Cairnes," I said softly, "hush that unseemly racket, man, and giveheed to my words."

  Three times I was compelled to repeat this warning before I noticed himlift his head, in evidence that the faint sound had finally reached hisears. Unable to turn, he rolled his eyes inquiringly upward.

  "What is it, O Lord?" he questioned, with such unbounded faith in acelestial visitant I found it hard to restrain a laugh.

  "Don't be a fool," I whispered back hastily. "The Almighty may haveguided me here, but 'tis a man in the flesh who speaks."

  The sectary made hard efforts to glance behind, but the cords held toofirmly, so I merely gained a glimpse of the side of his face.

  "Merciful Jehovah! 'tis the voice of Master Benteen," he exclaimedjoyfully. "I know not how you could come there unless you descendedfrom the sky."

  "From the opposite quarter, my friend," I replied, awake to the humor."Pray speak with less noise, and pay heed to what I say. Tell me wherethe priest stands; you are so confounded broad of shoulder I can seenothing beyond."

  "He kneels to the right of the altar, the crawling spawn of hell, wherehe has good chance to fill his lean body with food he makes pretence tofeed unto that foul figure of wood. He is a full imp of Satan, theblack-faced idolater."

  "I care little as to that. Are there others present?"

  "None, save the guard, a naked savage. He leans in the doorway,looking without."

  "Then be quiet while I cut your bonds; afterwards move back toward me.But mark well you tread lightly along the floor, with no sound toattract attention."

  He chuckled grimly.

  "Fathers of Israel! it will astound those fellows to discover thisplace empty--'t is likely they will imagine me gone back to the Sun."

  Making no response to this natural conceit, I stretched myself forwardthe full length of my body, quickly drew the keen knife edge across hisbonds, severing them with one stroke, thus setting free his arms. Asthe sundered cords dropped noiselessly to the floor I drew back intohiding, leaving him to rid himself of whatever might remain. A momentlater he joined me, silently as a great shadow, and I cordiallyextended my hand to him.