by Sapper
“Orders, miss,” he whispered. “It’s us this time, or I’m a Dutchman.”
He could feel her body quivering against his; the light was only two away. Once more it moved: and then again. Their two faces showed up clear in the beam, and the beam remained steady.
An ape-man dashed at them: the light went out, and the monster paused. Once more it shone out, and from above them came the order “Get up.” Bill helped her up, the light shining on their faces as they moved. And once more two of the monsters came at them. Instantly the light went out again, and the brutes halted, evidently puzzled. Their god clearly did not wish these two victims to be touched.
“Move.”
Another laconic order, and with the light again illuminating their heads they walked towards the entrance tunnel. The ape-men thronged round them till Judy thought she was going to faint with horror. But they did not touch her, and with Bill’s arm supporting her she stumbled along the narrow passage.
The beam from above had ceased: only the flickering yellow light from the three torches showed the way. In front of her she could see the agonised face of the dwarf, as he was carried along by one of the monsters, and in spite of all he had done, she could not help feeling sorry for him. He could be no help to them now: he was just a fellow victim more helpless far than they were.
At length they reached the open air, and she drew great gulps of it into her lungs until she felt steadier on her feet. Then still clinging to Bill’s arm she peered round half hoping to see Jim. It was dark, but not with the overpowering blackness of the underground prison they had left. And as her eyes grew accustomed to it she realised they were standing in a big clearing. The shadowy forms of the ape-men were moving about: close by them stood two of the hideous monsters. And one of them suddenly put out its hand and touched her on the shoulder.
She gave a little scream, and shrank closer to Bill. But the pressure continued and she found herself being forced forward, while the sailor kept close by her side. The clearing narrowed into a track, then widened out again into another open space. And the ape-man’s grip tightened so that she stood still.
The monsters were curiously silent: there was a feeling of tension in the air. By the light of the torches she could see their eyes shining as they crouched in a semi-circle round her. In front of her stood the one carrying the dwarf, and at its feet there gleamed a streak of something on the ground. Water: the smoky flames were reflected in it as by a mirror. And beyond the water – nothing.
Suddenly a sound that was half a gasp ran round the motionless watchers, and Bill clutched her arm. The darkness beyond the water was becoming faintly luminous. The monster holding the dwarf put his burden on the ground and fell flat on its face: the others prostrated themselves likewise, as the luminosity increased. And with curiosity overcoming her terror Judy stared at this extraordinary phenomenon.
The centre of the light seemed to be about six feet from the ground, and as it grew stronger and stronger the ape-men began to manifest signs of increasing terror. The torch bearers had dropped their burdens, which lay smoking on the ground, and had thrown themselves on their faces also. Only Judy and Bill still stood up, with the misshapen figure of Dresler just in front of them moving restlessly about on his stunted legs.
At last the light focused itself into a definite nucleus: a circle some three inches in diameter that shone steadily. Around the circle it grew fainter till it faded into the general darkness. Gradually the nucleus increased in size, and as it did so the agitation of the monsters became extreme. A low wailing noise came from them, and the leader began to beat its great chest with its hands. And then with startling suddenness the nucleus of light expanded and grew until it took the form of a luminous face hanging in mid air.
“It’s a trick, miss,” muttered Bill, though his voice was shaking a little. “It must be a trick of Mr Maitland’s.”
She stared at it fascinated, and though she knew Bill was right her mouth felt a little dry, and her knees were inclined to shake. There was something inconceivably ghostly about the dismembered head floating in the air in front of her, with its reflection glinting in the water. Its features were Mongolian and evil, and in its forehead was a black patch from which no light shone.
The monsters were beside themselves with fright, though none of them seemed to be able to pluck up enough courage to go. And she was just wondering what was going to happen next when there came a scream from the dwarf. The leading ape-man had risen to his feet and was holding Dresler high above his head. It gave a heave with its mighty shoulders, and flung the dwarf clean over the water towards the shining head. Then once again it threw itself on its face.
They heard the dwarf land with a crash in some undergrowth: then silence, broken only by a faint rustling noise. A further sacrifice had been offered – but how? The fall could not have killed him. Motionless the monsters waited, their eyes fixed on the spot. And then came a shout from the dwarf.
“Help me! They’re all round me. Ahh–”
The shriek died away in his throat, and Judy gave a little moan. There was something too horrible in this unknown terror of the darkness. What were all round him? They could hear him stumbling about on the other side of the water moaning pitifully. And then again he shrieked.
“I can’t stand this,” muttered Bill. “The poor brute is blind.”
He took a step forward, and then occurred a thing so unexpected that he stopped, rooted to the spot. There came a hissing noise, and leaving a trail of sparks behind it, a rocket soared up from behind the luminous face. It burst above them, and for a space the clearing was lit up as brightly as if it was day.
With yells of terror the ape-men scattered in every direction, until Bill and Judy were left standing alone in the centre. And as if turned to stone they stared fascinated at the sight in front of them. The head was the head of an idol, its luminosity no longer showing in the brilliant light that flooded the place. But it was not at the idol they were looking.
Standing below it, in some low undergrowth was the dwarf. And even as they watched him a deadly yellow-brown head raised itself to a level with his face, and struck twice. They looked at the edge of the water: the coarse grass was moving. Another swaying head raised itself and hissed angrily: another and yet another. They watched them writhing in every direction as the dwarf blundered about: they saw him bitten twice more before the light died out. The place was a heaving mass of snakes.
Then as the head once more grew luminous, and the smoking torches still guttered on the floor, there came a sudden splash. The dwarf by chance had found the water and came blundering through it. His face was distorted with agony: twelve times had he been bitten. And he barely reached the edge before he gave one final moan, fell on his face and with a last dreadful convulsion lay still. Emil Dresler, blackmailer, white slave trafficker and arch-scoundrel was dead.
All round them the ape-men moved restlessly in the dense growth that formed the sides of the clearing. Occasionally they saw two gleaming eyes staring at them, but the brutes themselves did not dare to venture into the open. And then the movement ceased: eyes were watching from everywhere, as if waiting for something.
Judy turned round: what was happening now? The leading ape-man was just behind her: its hands were coming out to seize her. And with a pitiful scream – “Bill save me,” she felt herself picked up as if she was a child above the brute’s head, and carried towards the edge of the water. She was the next sacrifice.
Bill had sprung forward fumbling madly with his knife, when suddenly she found herself deposited once more on the ground. And forcing herself to look at the monstrous thing towering above her she saw that it was staring at the idol with a puzzled expression in its eyes. She looked herself, and to her amazement saw that the luminous head had disappeared. And yet there was still a diffused light which came from the direction of the idol.
Two of the torches had died out: the third gave but a feeble flicker, so that the darkness was almost comple
te. And gradually there rose from behind the idol two shining hands followed once more by the face. The idol itself was moving, and with a bellow of fear the ape-man flung himself down. Upwards rose the hands, but Judy with every nerve tingling had her eyes riveted on the face. For now the features were not evil and Mongolian: the features were the features of Jim Maitland. What he had done, what trick he was playing she neither knew nor cared: Jim was there and nothing else mattered.
Fascinated she watched him: what was he going to do next? Very steadily the face rose till it seemed an incredible height in the air. Then it came rushing through the air towards her, and she realised Jim had jumped. From all around her came roars of terror, and the sounds of heavy bodies stampeding through the undergrowth. Their god had come to life.
Jim landed in the water, and then with measured step he approached the one prostrate ape-man who remained. It rose to its feet and backed away whimpering, followed by those terrible shining hands, and face. And as Jim passed Judy he muttered “Follow me.”
It forced the monster to the entrance of the clearing; then with a sudden bound he sprang at it, and placed both his hands on its chest. And there marked in fire on the brute’s body were the imprints of his fingers. They remained there glowing in the darkness, and as the ape man looked down and saw the marks of its god gleaming on its own chest its nerve broke completely. It gave one gigantic bound, and disappeared into the forest: the three of them were alone.
“Come,” said Jim quietly, “We’ve got no time to lose. The effect of my ju-ju may not last long.”
“But how did you do it, Jim?” cried the girl breathlessly.
“That will keep, Judy,” he answered. “What we’ve got to do now is to make tracks for the motor-boat and Percy.”
“What about the others, Mr Maitland?” said Bill.
“We’ll open the barrier for them,” said Jim, “but after that they must fend for themselves. There will be no room for them on board the boat.”
“What about the yacht?”
“Unless I’m very much mistaken there is no longer a yacht,” answered the other gravely. “Percy has done his work passing well. Now then – heave on this, Bill: again so – and again.”
The heavy barrier slid back: the way to the tunnel was open.
“You are free,” shouted Jim down it. “Make your way to the north end of the island, and we’ll try and rescue you later. Quick now, you two: we can’t have them following us.”
He darted across the main clearing the other two at his heels. A luminous patch glowed faintly on a tree, which marked the entrance to one of the paths, and a moment later they were running down the track. They came to a fork: another luminous spot showed them the direction And at every point where there might be any doubt the same sign was found.
“I marked the places where we might go wrong on my way,” explained Jim. “Lord! but it’s been touch and go.”
He slowed up to a walk: then stopped to listen. From behind them still came the sounds of the ape-men calling to one another, and once they heard a shrill human scream.
“I don’t give much for the chances of those other poor devils,” said Jim gravely. “But it would have had to be all or none, and we couldn’t have taken more than two at the utmost.”
He pushed on again, with the luminosity gradually fading from his face and hands, until at length he came to the alligator pool where be forked right down stream. And after about a quarter of a mile he let out a hail which was answered from in front of them. Percy was there in the motor-boat.
“Yes, dear,” he said quietly as he lifted her on board, “it was touch and go.”
For a second they were alone, and she put her arms round his neck.
“I don’t know how you did it, Jim,” she whispered, “but I think you’re the most wonderful man on earth.”
Which was the moment that Percy would choose to appear.
“Welcome, wench,” he remarked. “Dear me! how very strange. I’d no idea that phosphorus travelled aerially so to speak.”
“What are you blathering about, you unspeakable mess,” demanded Jim, and then happening to glance at Judy’s face he made a dive for his cousin. For her lips were luminous, and the method by which they had become so was not hard to guess.
“I just can’t believe I’m back here,” said the girl a few minutes later. “Can you, Bill?”
The boat was nosing down the river towards the open sea.
“I can’t, miss,” he said solemnly. “How did you manage it, Mr Maitland?”
“Well, Bill, one thing stood out a mile.”
The first streaks of dawn were beginning to show in the east, and the three of them were sprawling on the deck with Percy at the wheel.
“The only possible hope was to frighten those brutes by something which they would regard as supernatural. Gun work was useless: there were far too many of them. And it was then that I remembered that I’d stowed a pot of luminous paint amongst our kit for the very purpose I used it for in the forest – marking a trail by night.
“Now Percy and I had been to the spot where we found you yesterday afternoon, and while there we had fallen through an ancient type of trap into the very place where you were imprisoned. And there we killed one of the monsters. But the barrier was open at the end of the tunnel so we escaped all right. The point however is that I knew where you would be taken to, which was a very great advantage.
“Then came the second discovery – made by Percy. For what purpose they brought it I don’t know – probably in case blasting was necessary – but there was a large quantity of dynamite on board the yacht. So we concocted a plan. By the way – what happened to her, Percy?”
“All in good time, Jim: you carry on.”
“Percy was to land me complete with phosphorus paint, and then return to the yacht. Three quarters of an hour later, so as to give me time to get to you he was to let drive on the siren. I told him to send OK to cheer you up, but the real object was to draw as many of the monsters away from you and back to the yacht as possible. It succeeded admirably: at least thirty of them went crashing past me in the forest.”
“And thirty of them came on board the yacht,” put in Percy. “When I heard ’em down there by the water’s edge, I laid a ten minute fuse to the dynamite, and hooked it in the motor-boat. She split open like a rotten apple, Jim, and sank at once, and I think the little pretties were all in her at the time.”
They had reached the open sea, and all around them the water was strewn with wreckage.
“Pity,” said Jim. “She was a nice boat. However so much for that. To go back to you and Judy. I had no idea, of course, what was going to happen, or how those brutes proposed to deal with you. I’d heard the screams of a man as I went through the forest.”
“That was the Englishman they sacrificed first,” said Bill.
“Also shouts from someone else whose voice seemed familiar. And you can guess my amazement when I realised as I got nearer that that someone else was none other than Dresler, who had been abducted from the motor-boat earlier. Moreover they were obviously making a god of him, and the reason suddenly dawned on me. The golden idol which they worship is made in the form of a misshapen dwarf, and they probably thought that Dresler was this idol come to life.
“However all those who hadn’t gone to the yacht were below with you, and by peering through a chink in the booby trap, which apparently is not set when they are there I could see you quite distinctly. And I could also hear that unpleasant Brazilian sailor. So since it was essential to find out the way they went to work, I thought he would be an admirable person to start on.
“Well the trick with the electric torch succeeded, and they brought him up whilst I hid in the undergrowth. They lashed his feet and his hands – just as we found Lopez, Percy – and threw him over the water towards the idol. And there they left him to be bitten to death by fer de lance and poisonous adders – just about as deadly a combination as you could get. Moreover a complication
on which I had not reckoned.
“You see I’d already made up my mind that the only hope lay in playing the fool with their idol. But the point that now arose was how the devil I was going to get to it. A fer de lance is no respecter of persons, and as you saw for yourselves that ground was alive with the brutes, which were imprisoned there by the water. However I knew it had got to be chanced, but I had to wait till the explosion took place. I guessed that would rouse them, and it was essential to get you and Bill up from below while it was still dark, or else my luminous paint fell flat.
“It all worked according to plan except that for some reason or other they turned on Dresler. However that didn’t matter: he richly deserved all he got. I got through the snake belt by wrapping my coat round my legs; then I stood behind the idol on a sort of pedestal place. And the rest you know. First I rubbed its face with the paint: then I hoped that the rocket would finish them. But it didn’t. So I covered the idol’s head with my coat and decorated my own hands and face keeping hidden behind it while I did so. And that’s that.”
“Not bad for you either, James,” remarked Percy kindly. “Sorry I wasn’t in at the death but I quite enjoyed myself this end. Great fun seeing that yacht blow up. Hullo! do my eyes deceive me, or are those some of the little pets on the edge of the swamp?”
Jim snatched up the field-glasses. The sun had risen: the mist had lifted from the bog which stretched away to their left. And as he watched a peculiar smile flickered round his lips. There were more than a dozen of the ape-men, and they were clustering round a small squat object that lay on the ground. Then with a great effort they lifted it, and flung it into the swamp. For a while they stood there: then they vanished into the forest.
“Half a million gone west,” he remarked. “Assuredly I damaged that god’s reputation. And I guess it’s just as well that I spent some of my spare time removing this while I stood behind it.”
From his pocket he drew a huge red stone the size of a hen’s egg. It lay in his hand like a ball of crimson fire; then he held it out to Judy.
