latform whereon the colossal figure rested, even
to the distant summit.

Suddenly, as we stood gazing open-mouthed in wonder, the roar of a
hundred war-drums beaten somewhere in the vicinity of the enormous
representation of the terrible deity of Mo rolled and echoed to the
innermost recesses of the subterranean vault, and just as they had
ceased we distinctly saw the giant jaws of the crocodile slowly open.
From them belched forth great tongues of flame and thick stifling smoke
that, beaten down by a draught from above, curled its poisonous fumes
around us, causing us to cough violently. For fully a minute the great
mouth remained open, when to our horror we saw a small knot of human
figures approaching it. One loud piercing shriek reached us and at that
instant we saw the figure of a man or woman--we were not close enough to
discern which--flung by the others headlong into the open flaming mouth.

Again the drums rolled, and the next second the jaws of Zomara closed
with a loud crash that sent a shudder through us.

"The sacrifice!" gasped Omar. "This, then, is one of the horrible customs
that Goliba told us had been introduced by my mother, the Great White
Queen!"

"Horrible!" I exclaimed. "That fearful cry will haunt me to my dying
day."

"Let us return," said Kona. "We have witnessed enough, O Master."

"No," Omar answered. "Rather let us see for ourselves the true extent of
these terrible rites. Goliba, though, alas! he is lost for ever, intended
that we should."

"Very well," I said. "Lead us, and we will follow."

At that moment footsteps, pattering as those of children, reached our
ears and there ran past us half a dozen hideous half-clad dwarfs. They
were tiny, impish-looking creatures about three feet six high, with
darker skins than the inhabitants of this mystic land, but their faces
were whitewashed in manner similar to those of the royal executioners of
Ashanti, and wore their crisp black hair drawn to a knot on top similar
to the fashion affected by some savage tribes. As they rushed past us
their little black eyes, piercing and bead-like, regarded us curiously,
and with, we thought, a rather menacing glance; nevertheless they
continued their way, and watching, we noticed the spot where they
commenced the toilsome ascent to the platform whereon stood the colossus.

"Such a work as that must have taken years to accomplish," I observed to
Omar.

"With the Sanoms of Mo everything is possible," h