porcupine, and he screeched out his opinionconcerning people who would not mind their own business.
"You're the second person who has kindly informed me what I should do,"he exclaimed. "And who are you, sir? You have no standing with thisexpedition! This is a scientific exploration party, but it seems to methat a number of busy-bodies have pushed their way into it. I shall askMr. Leith if he cannot stop this interference!"
Leith listened till the Professor had finished speaking, then he turnedsavagely upon Holman. "I've given you one chance," he roared, "and youdon't seem to profit by it. Now I'm not going to speak again! If I haveto tell you to keep your finger out of this pie on another occasion,you'll go back to the yacht, and you'll go back without provisions, doyou understand?"
The youngster was not lacking in courage, and he stood up boldly as thebully screamed out his threats.
"I won't go back," he said quietly. "At least I won't go back alone."
Leith's big fingers crooked ominously as he glared at Holman, but EdithHerndon prevented the conflict that was imminent.
"Mr. Holman is only concerned about our safety," she cried, stepping infront of the youngster. "He thinks that the path is dangerous for women,and it is on that account he protests."
Leith recovered his temper with an effort. "It is not dangerous," hedrawled. "We will put a strong rope under the arms of each so that itwill be impossible for an accident to happen. Soma will go first withone of the other boys, and they will guide every one into the opening.Once through there the path leads into a valley in the centre of theisland, and the road is perfectly safe."
Edith Herndon looked at her sister as Soma unwound the strong manillarope which he had carried from the yacht, and they exchanged glancesthat showed clearly the terror in which they viewed the journey acrossthe ledge.
Leith frowned as he glanced toward the pit. The colours were fading fromthe brilliant sides as the sun sank lower, and the inky clouds thatseemed to heave far down in its mysterious depths fought their wayslowly upward as the invading sunbeams were driven out. It became moreterrifying as each moment passed.
Leith seemed to recognize this, and he turned upon the Professor. "If wedon't get down in half an hour we will have to postpone it till themorning," he exclaimed. "I didn't look for a hitch like this. I tell youthat there is not the slightest danger, and the young ladies will bejust as safe upon that ledge as they are up here."
The Professor turned to the two girls as he closed his camera. The madhunger for notoriety evidently blinded him to the dangers which wouldhave been perceptible at any other time, and Holman's remarks had notimproved his temper.
"Come, come, Edith!" he entreated. "We must get along. You hear what Mr.Leith says? There is no danger. A rope will be put around your waist,and an accident will be impossible."
The younger girl took a glance at the terrifying abyss and shrank backto Edith's side.
"Wait till the morning," she whispered.
"What is that?" asked the Professor.
"Barbara wants you to wait till the morning," replied Edith. "I think itwill be better. This light doesn't make the place look attractive."
Leith moved his big hands in a manner that showed he was willing to waittill the following day, and Barbara Herndon gave a little gasp ofrelief. Soma coiled the rope that he had laid out in expectation of animmediate descent, and the whole party moved back about thirty yardsfrom the obstacle in our path. As I analyzed my own feelings, on turningmy back upon the spot, I felt that Barbara Herndon was not alone indesiring to make the trip when the wholesome sunbeams were pouring intothe shadowy cauldron.
CHAPTER IX
INTO THE VALLEY OF ECHOES
Holman and I had sat up late discussing the Vermilion-lined crater onthe night we halted upon its brink, and it was Leith's voice that rousedus in the morning. He showed no signs of resentment over the differencewith Holman on the preceding afternoon, and he attempted to joke withBarbara Herndon as we made a hasty breakfast.
"I hope you slept well?" he grinned.
"I didn't," she replied. "I had dreams of that place, and they wereperfectly horrid dreams."
"Well, dreams don't amount to much," he replied, "and this sunshine willsoon make you forget them."
The sunshine, or probably the night's rest, had a wonderful effect uponthe nerves of the younger girl, and she viewed the crater with much morecomposure than on the previous afternoon. Soma had the rope inreadiness when we approached the edge, and together with another carrierhe slipped down upon the slippery pathway, and, with head above the rim,grinned an invitation to the party to follow his example.
"Now who goes first?" asked Leith.
I had settled that matter with Holman as we sat smoking the nightbefore, and I stepped forward while the youngster gripped the rope withKaipi and the other four carriers. We had decided that I should go downto the ledge to assist the two girls to the cavern, while he should stayabove ground to make certain that no hitch would occur while they werebeing lowered.
That place wasn't so bad when you turned your back upon it. After therope had been adjusted I crawled back carefully till my toes hung overthe edge, then thrusting my hands into the two small crevices in therock I slipped over, feeling at the same time that peculiar sensation inthe pit of the stomach that one gets when an elevator drops about sixfloors at a fast gait. I was perfectly satisfied that a criticalexaminer, reasoning on Soma's theory of courage, would not have markedme down as a great fighter by witnessing the careful manner in which Imade the descent.
I didn't attempt to look at the gulf beneath me either. Not that onecould be ignorant of its existence. Every inch of skin seemed to beyelling out the information to my brain, but I kept my chin up, andtried to ignore the black depths which chilled me whenever I allowed themental photographs of the place to rise up before my vision.
The Professor followed me over the edge, and was guided by Soma to theopening in the cavern. Leith came next, and when he landed upon thesmooth path he stood directly underneath the slipping off spot with theevident intention of remaining there to assist the two girls when theywere lowered down. The post was one that Holman had assigned to me as wetalked the matter over on the previous evening, and the moment Leithshowed no inclination to leave the spot, I started toward him from themouth of the cavern, where I had stepped to allow the Professor to passme by.
The big bully immediately noticed my movement, and he waved his hand asa signal for me to go back.
"But I'm coming," I snapped.
"What for?"
"For the fun of the thing," I shouted, and at that moment I forgot thepit in my anxiety to reach the spot before Edith Herndon was loweredover.
"Go back at once!" roared Leith. "I will see to the safety of theladies."
I was close to him at that moment, and I returned his angry glare. "I'mgoing to do that," I cried, "if the devil himself ordered me out of theway."
Leith looked like the devil at that moment. His sallow face seemed toheave as if a disturbed emotional centre was immediately beneath theflabby cheeks, and he cursed in an undertone as Edith Herndon slippedfrom the edge and swung for a moment above the ledge before she managedto get her footing.
Leith attempted to take her arm as her feet touched the unprotectedpath, but the girl, though unnerved by the ordeal, shook off his bigclaw, and with her hands clasping mine I led her across the short butdangerous ledge of rock that led to the opening in the wall. I feltstrong enough to fight a dozen devils like Leith at that moment. Thetrusting manner in which the dear girl had given her hands into mineconferred upon me a strength which the crusader of old felt surgingthrough his body when his consecrated sword blade was delivered into hishands.
I returned in time to render the same help to Miss Barbara Herndon,while Leith still remained upon the path, his manner suggesting that hehad discovered something humorous in the situation. Holman followed MissBarbara, and then came the islanders, who scrambled over the ledge withthat utter disregard for safety noticea
ble in the actions of theunimaginative savage. Holman's face seemed to have altered during thepreceding thirty minutes. The ready smile, which I had first noticedwhen he awakened me on the wharf at Levuka, was gone, and a set, defiantlook had taken its place. The happenings of the day before, or thepossible forebodings concerning the immediate future, had changed himfrom a boy to a man.
Soma stood at the mouth of the cavern as we passed through, and hegrinned at the Professor. The Kanaka had discovered that the Professorplaced a monetary value upon his information regarding the long-deadpast, and he was ready to contribute to the contents of the fat notebookwhenever the opportunity occurred.
"All good people in this party," he cried.