On the following morning about five o'clock Higgs and I were awakened bysome one knocking at our door. I rose and opened it, whereon in walkedQuick, a grim and grimy figure, for, as his soaked clothes and soiledface told us, he had but just left his work in the mine.
"Captain wants to see you as soon as possible, gentlemen," he said.
"What's the matter, Sergeant?" asked Higgs, as we got into our garments.
"You'll see for yourself presently, Professor," was the laconic reply,nor could we get anything more out of him.
Five minutes later we were advancing at a run through the dense darknessof the underground city, each of us carrying a lamp. I reached the ruinsof the old temple first, for Quick seemed very tired and lagged behind,and in that atmosphere Higgs was scant of breath and could not travelfast. At the doorway of the place where he slept stood the tall formof Oliver holding a lamp aloft. Evidently he was waiting for us. By hisside sat the big yellow dog, Pharaoh, that, when he smelt us, gambolledforward, wagging his tail in greeting.
"Come here," said Orme, in a low and solemn voice, "I have something toshow you," and he led the way into the priest's chamber, or sanctuary,whatever it may have been, where he slept upon a rough, native-madebedstead. At the doorway he halted, lowered the lamp he held, andpointed to something dark on the floor to the right of his bedstead,saying, "Look!"
There lay a dead man, and by his side a great knife that evidently hadfallen from his hand. At the first glance we recognised the face which,by the way, was singularly peaceful, as though it were that of oneplunged in deep sleep. This seemed odd, since the throat below wasliterally torn out.
"Shadrach!" we said, with one voice.
Shadrach it was; Shadrach, our former guide, who had betrayed us;Shadrach who, to save his own life, had shown us how to rescue Higgs,and for that service been pardoned, as I think I mentioned. Shadrach andno other!
"Pussy seems to have been on the prowl and to have met a dog," remarkedQuick.
"Do you understand what has happened?" asked Oliver, in a dry, hardvoice. "Perhaps I had better explain before anything is moved. Shadrachmust have crept in here last night--I don't know at what time, for Islept through it all--for purposes of his own. But he forgot his oldenemy Pharaoh, and Pharaoh killed him. See his throat? When Pharaohbites he doesn't growl, and, of course, Shadrach could say nothing, or,as he had dropped his knife, for the matter of that, do anything either.When I was woke up about an hour ago by the telephone bell the dog wasfast asleep, for he is accustomed to that bell, with his head restingupon the body of Shadrach. Now why did Shadrach come into my room atnight with a drawn knife in his hand?"
"Doesn't seem a difficult question to answer," replied Higgs, in thehigh voice which was common to him when excited. "He came here to murderyou, and Pharaoh was too quick for him, that's all. That dog was thecheapest purchase you ever made, friend Oliver."
"Yes," answered Orme, "he came here to murder me--you were right aboutthe risk, after all--but what I wonder is, who sent him?"
"And so you may go on wondering for the rest of your life, Captain,"exclaimed Quick. "Still, I think we might guess if we tried."
Then news of what had happened was sent to the palace, and within littleover an hour Maqueda arrived, accompanied by Joshua and several othermembers of her Council. When she saw and understood everything she washorrified, and sternly asked Joshua what he knew of this business. Ofcourse, he proved to be completely innocent, and had not the slightestidea of who had set the murderer on to work this deed of darkness.Nor had anybody else, the general suggestion being that Shadrach hadattempted it out of revenge, and met with the due reward of his crime.
Only that day poor Pharaoh was poisoned. Well, he had done his work, andhis memory is blessed.