CHAPTER XXXVI.
PURSUERS AND PURSUED.
It may be doubted whether the most cool-headed of men could findhimself in such a situation as that of Fred Ashman, without beingoverwhelmed by the bewildering wealth surrounding him. He forgot forthe time that the lives of himself and lovely companion were at stake,and that, despite her assurance that they were the first persons whohad ever entered the wonderful cavern of diamonds, its existence mightbe known or discovered by their vengeful pursuers.
With the aid of his hunting knife, he set himself to work picking outthe precious gems that were within his reach at all times.
Now and then, when some one of unusual size fell into his palm heuttered an exclamation of delight, and turned and held it up for Arielto admire. She smiled at his pleasure, and showed her sympathy byassisting in the excavation of the marvellous pebbles.
As they toiled, they advanced, sometimes a step at a time, and then forseveral paces. Conscious that he could carry away only an infinitelysmall portion of the riches, Ashman found himself in the unparalleledsituation of casting aside the smaller gems and taking only those thatwere large and of the first water.
Who before was compelled to fling away diamonds worth hundreds ofdollars apiece, simply because they were of too insignificant value tobe carried with him? Ariel, who was a much better expert than he,carefully selected the choicest until she was burdened with all shecould conveniently carry. He filled his pockets and thrust others intoevery receptacle at command. The partially emptied cartridge-belt wasmade to do duty as a casket, and it is safe to say that no similarcontrivance was ever laden with a tithe of the riches that particularone held.
"Ah," reflected the young man again and again, "if only the Professorand Long were here to help me!"
But there came the time, all too soon, when he was forced to admit thatit was useless to attempt to carry more. He had the wealth of a princeabout his person, and yet the storehouse showed no diminution of itsboundless supply, which was enough to burden a regiment of soldiers.
Gold, the most precious of all metals, for which men delve and starveand toil and die, still lies hidden in immeasurable masses, inunsuspected places, screened perhaps by a thin sheeting of earth, overwhich thousands have tramped, never dreaming of the boundless richesjust beneath their feet. And rubies and diamonds strew the bottom ofthe ocean or scintillate within caverns and caves, as they have shoneand gleamed through ages, still waiting for the fortunate miner orexplorer to bring them to light and the gaze of an admiring world.
"If I ever live to get away from this spot," added Ashman, when heceased his wonderful garnering, "I will bring a force here; I canafford to make it irresistible by King Haffgo, for every one of the mencan take away a fortune and leave more than enough for thesebarbarians."
"I can take no more," he said, turning his flushed face upon theradiant countenance just behind him; "King Haffgo will never missthese, but when I carry you to my distant home, Ariel, where I shallcherish and love you forever, these diamonds will bring us such wealththat we shall never know the meaning of want; every luxury thataffection can dream of, or heart can crave, shall be yours."
"The greatest luxury my heart yearns for," said she softly, "is _your_love."
"And that you have now," he replied catching her in his arms andstraining her to his heart.
"I am sure of it," replied the happy maiden, resisting no longer theardent embrace of him whose affection seemed to grow with every passinghour.
"All that I pray heaven to grant is the opportunity to prove to youthat you are not mistaken. I do not want to leave here or ever see myhome again unless you are with me. I shall live or die with you, fordeath with you is preferable to life without you, my cherished, my ownAriel."
The radiant countenance was illumined by a light such as only thedivine passion can impart. She did not speak, for there are someemotions of the soul beyond the power of language.
The hunt for the diamonds had taken the lovers to a point almostopposite the entrance. They observed what they had not noticed duringtheir absorbing work,--the ledge along which they advanced, steadilyascended until it carried them to a point half-way to the top of themighty dome. Standing there, they could look back on the awful chasmsspread below their feet, the crimsoned walls, sparkling andscintillating with innumerable gems, with the craggy roof seeminglyalmost within their reach.
Looking over the wild, dazzling, unapproachable scene, the American wasconsidering the practical question of what was next to be done, whenAriel at his side abruptly seized his arm with an intensity whichstartled and caused him to ask,
"What has frightened you, dearest?"
With a gasp, she pointed to the other side of the cavern, where theyhad entered this region of enchantment and wonders.
A procession of figures was moving along the ledge, over which they hadjust made their way. The intervening objects shut them partly out ofsight, but the heads and shoulders of several were always in view andthey were moving with the utmost haste possible.
The foremost figure was a white man; the next was a dusky giant, andthe third was of fair complexion, while all the others were of the hueof native Africans.
There could be no mistaking the identity of the leaders: the foremostwas Waggaman, the second, Ziffak, and the third, King Haffgo. Thosewho followed were the pick of the Murhapa warriors.
It mattered not whether Ariel was right in her belief that theexistence of the cavern of diamonds was unknown to every one else, orthat some fateful good fortune had directed the party to the entrance.It was enough that they had found it, and were now pressing forwardalong the very ridge on which they had halted, and stood gazing back inamazement and horror, unable for the moment to divine what could bedone to help themselves.
But Ashman needed but a few seconds to decide his course. He held hisWinchester and revolver and was ready to die in the defence of the idolof his heart.
"Have courage," he said; "all is not yet lost."
The ledge on which they stood was so narrow that there was no room fortwo to walk beside each other. Lifting the gentle form in one arm, heswung her over the abyss at his feet and placed her on the ledge infront of him.
The danger was at the rear, and that was the place for him.
"Now advance," he added; "we may find a better spot than this fordefence."
He feared that his pursuers might divide, and some of them start aroundthe other way, so as to come upon him from the opposite side. If thatwere done, he would be caught between two fires; and, since one of theparty possessed a gun, the advantage would be preponderatingly againsthim.
There was subject, too, for perplexing thought in the situation. Hehad no wish to shoot King Haffgo, and would not do it if any possibleway of avoiding it should present itself. He determined that he shouldbe spared until the last one, when he could probably be handled,without resorting to the last extremity.
Then, too, he felt no doubt about the presence of the giant Ziffak. Hewas the friend of himself and Ariel, though for politic reasons he hadassumed the guise of an enemy. His situation was a most delicate one,and, even in his bewilderment and anxiety, Ashman could not helpwondering how he would conduct himself in the crisis at hand.
Inasmuch as the American was resolved to avoid injuring the duskyHercules, it will be observed that there were two of the company ofpursuers whom he was much more anxious to spare than he was to inflictharm upon the rest.
He was hopeful for a moment that he and his companion had not beendetected, but a resounding shout echoed through the cavern ofdiamonds--a shout of such amazing power that he knew it had come fromthe throat of Ziffak himself, who, as if to make sure his meaning wasnot misunderstood, brandished his mighty javelin over his prodigioushead and shoulders, as he almost pushed his leader from the path infront of him.