The Veiled Man

by William Le Queux

violent splashing of their paddles as they sped alongin our wake.

  In this mad dash into the unknown realm of perpetual night we shotforward with utter disregard of what dangers lay before. We knew not,from one moment to another, whether we were heading up the great broadriver, or whether rowing straight towards the rocky sides of the cavern.So light and flimsy was our craft that the least collision with a pieceof jutting rock would have sent us down to depths unfathomable. At thatmoment we were enveloped by an hundred perils.

  To our surprise and profound satisfaction, we at length realised thatthe voices of our irate pursuers were growing fainter. They hadevidently mistaken the direction we had taken, therefore we slowed up,and presently rested, spent and panting.

  I could hear the French officer's hard breathing, but the darkness wasso intense that we could not see each other.

  "We have unconsciously entered a tributary of the main stream," heobserved, gasping for breath. "Listen, the sounds are receding. Atleast for the present we are safe. Let us rest."

  Nothing loth, I bent slowly across my paddle, now and then pulling a fewstrokes to prevent us drifting, and discussing our position in a lowvoice so that no echo should betray our presence. Thus we remainedfully half-an-hour, until both of us had refreshed ourselves, thentogether we paddled on swiftly, yet full of caution. No glimmer oflight penetrated that dispiriting gloom, and we feared to ignite one ofour torches. Toiling forward, the perspiration rolling off us in greatbeads, we still continued pulling against the strong current for severalhours, until suddenly we saw before us two large shafts of brilliantlight striking down from above into the water. Slowly we approachedlest any of the denizens of Sa should be lurking there; but ere long, aswe came nearer, our eyes were dazzled by a sight so amazing thatexpressions of wonder involuntarily escaped our parched lips.

  In the light before us we saw clearly outlined a colossal face withhideous grin, carved from the black rock. It was truly gigantic,marvellously fashioned, with huge ears and an expression absolutelydemoniacal, the two shafts of bright light issuing forth from the eyesgiving it an expression of intense ferocity. We rested on our paddlesbeneath it, and looked up aghast.

  "This," cried Colonel Flatters, "must be the god Sa, of whom I haveheard so much during my sojourn with these people. He is theirprincipal deity, and supposed to be the inexorable guardian of thisremarkable kingdom."

  "See!" I exclaimed, regarding the extraordinary stone countenance inamazement. "The light from those eyes is sunlight! They are merelyholes upon which the sun is shining full!"

  And such it proved to be. Through the round apertures far up above,light and air were admitted from the desert.

  When at last our vision became accustomed to the welcome rays of lightwe made another bewildering discovery. The rock descended sheer intothe black flood, but in little niches which had been rudely fashionedlay small heaps of gold ornaments and glittering gems, the sacrifices ofthis stone god's votaries. Together we pulled our canoe close to therock, taking care that the rapid swirl of the current did not hurl ourcraft against the jagged stones, and with my hand I clutched a heap offine ornaments set with emeralds, pearls, and diamonds. In the sunlightwe both examined them, finding they were evidently of very ancientmanufacture, possibly the spoils of war against some long-forgotten butcultured nation. In workmanship they were similar to the ornamentsfound in the tombs of ancient Egypt; they had evidently never beenmanufactured by the barbarous people into whose possession they hadpassed.

  Before us was blackness impenetrable, and upon our ears there broke adistant roar, as of a cataract. The sound appalled us. If a cataractactually lay before, then escape was absolutely hopeless.

  But the fact that far above gleamed the sun gave us renewed courage, andafter some discussion we became convinced that, this colossal face beingregarded as the guardian of the unexplored country, an exit existedthere. After some difficulty we ignited one of our torches, and with itstuck in the bows of the canoe, rode backwards and forwards, minutelyexamining the base of the rock. Once we passed so near that mycompanion was able to secure a handful of gems for himself, and both ofus secreted these stolen votive offerings about our garments. The twoparallel shafts of light from the eyes of the graven monstrosity,striking deep into the river, revealed curious fish and water-snakesdisporting themselves around the boat, while great black bats which hadcome in through the two openings, startled by our presence, circledabout us ominously with wide-spread flapping wings.

  The water glittering beneath the torch's uncertain rays, flowed past soswiftly, that we were compelled to continue pulling in order to remainabreast of the idol. Long and earnestly we both searched to find somemeans by which we could reach the two holes that formed the idol's eyes;yet they seemed so small that it was questionable whether, even if wesuccessfully clambered up the sculptured face, we could squeeze ourbodies through. A dozen times we allowed the canoe to drift past, whileI endeavoured to discover some means by which to reach those glaringeyes. But the bright sunlight dazzled us, and beyond the tiny nichesfilled with jewels there was no other inequality to serve as foothold togain the narrow ledge which formed the lips. Again, if I made a falsestep I should be instantly swept away by the swirling current, and lostfor ever in the dark whirling flood.

  At length however my companion, muscular and agile, succeeded inspringing clear of the canoe and gripping one of the small niches,tossing the jewels into the water by his frantic efforts. For aninstant he struggled, his legs dangling in mid-air; then presently histoes found foothold, and he commenced slowly to clamber up the chin ofthe gigantic visage towards a kind of long ledge. I watched hisprogress breathlessly, not daring to utter a word, but keeping the canoein readiness to row after him if he fell. With difficulty he ascended,clinging on to the face of the rock until he reached the great grinningmouth and stood up facing me.

  "What do you find?" I shouted, my voice echoing weirdly. I had noticedthat as he glanced along the spot where he stood his face becametransfixed by horror.

  "Follow me!" he replied hoarsely. "Have a care, a single false stepmeans death."

  At that instant the boat was passing the spot where he had gripped therock's face, and without hesitation I followed his example and sprang,clutching the narrow slippery ledge with both hands. My feet found aresting-place, yet next second a thought which crossed my mind held meappalled. I had omitted to moor the boat.

  Over my shoulder I throw a hasty glance. It had already drifted out ofsight.

  I heard my white companion shouting, but taking no heed toiled on up thegreat face until a strong helping hand gripped mine, and I found myselfstanding beside him upon the narrow ledge forming the lips of thehideous countenance.

  Next instant, glancing round, my eyes encountered a sight which hold mepetrified.

  A long dark aperture, about the height of myself, formed the mouth, andset therein were broad sharp teeth of rusted sword-blades, whichoverlapping, prevented entrance to the cavernous throat. Twenty bladeswere set in the jaw above and twenty below, forming an impassablebarrier of razor-edged spikes. Our only means of escape being cut offby the drifting of the canoe, one fact alone remained to give uscourage. From where we stood we recognised the utter impossibility ofpassing through, the eyes of the colossus, yet, as together we looked atthe formidable teeth, we saw a human skeleton lying beneath them. Theskull was beyond the row of blades, the legs towards us, proving thatsome means existed by which those jaws could be opened. The unfortunateman had, apparently, been impaled by the descending blades while in theact of escaping.

  After brief consultation we began an active search to discover the meansby which the mouth could be opened. What lay beyond in that darkcavernous throat we knew not, though we strained our eyes into theblackness, and shook the sharp steel spikes in a vain endeavour toloosen them. For a full hour we searched, discovering nothing to leadus to any solution of the problem. That freedom lay beyond we feltconvinced, by reason of the
light and air from above; but whatever werethe means employed to raise the deadly jaw they were a secret. Timeafter time we examined every nook and crevice minutely, until at last,when just about to give up our search as futile, I suddenly espied,projecting from the river's surface, a short bar of iron, with theappearance of a lever.

  To reach it was imperative, therefore at imminent risk I let myselfcarefully over the edge of the rock, slowly lowering my body until Icould grip it. Beneath my weight it slowly gave way, and next instantthere was a loud gurgling as of water drawn in by a vacuum, followedimmediately by a harsh metallic grating sound.

  "At last!" I heard the Colonel cry in French. "It rises! Be carefulhow you ascend."

  Slowly, and with infinite care, I crept upward, but as I did so I heardmy companion's echoing footsteps receding into the gloomy throat of Sa,yet just as I had gained the ledge forming the lips I heard a