ening to the tramp of the guards outside the doorway. Here Francisco
resumed his prayers, while Otter sang songs of the deeds that he had
done, and more especially a very long one which he had composed upon the
taking of the slave camp--"to keep his heart alive," as he explained to
Francisco.

A quarter of an hour passed and the curtains were drawn aside, admitting
a band of priests, headed by Nam, and bearing two litters.

"Now silence, Otter," whispered Francisco, drawing his hood over his
face.

"Here sit the gods," said Nam, waving the torch that he carried towards
the two quiet figures on the thrones. "Descend, ye gods, that we may
bear you to the temple and seat you in a lofty place, whence ye shall
watch the glories of the rising sun."

Then, without more ado, Otter and Francisco came down from their seats,
and took their places in the litters. Presently they felt themselves
being borne forward at a considerable speed. When they were outside the
palace gates Otter peeped through the curtain in the hope of perceiving
some change in the weather. In vain; the mist was denser than usual,
although it grew grey with the light of the coming dawn. Now they were
at those gates of the temple that were nearest to the colossal idol, and
here, at the mouth of one of the numerous underground passages, guards
assisted them to descend.

"Farewell, Queen," whispered the voice of Olfan into Francisco's ear;
"I would have given my life to save you, but I have failed; as it is, I
live to avenge you upon Nam and all his servants."

Francisco made no answer, but pressed on down the passage holding his
head low. Soon they were at the foot of the idol, and, led by priests,
began to ascend the stairway in the interior of the statue. Up they
toiled slowly in the utter darkness; indeed, to Francisco this, the last
journey of his life, seemed the longest.

At length they emerged upon the head of the colossus, where neither of
them had been before. It formed a flat platform about eight feet square,
quite unprotected at the edges, beneath which curved the sheer outlines
of the sculptured head. The ivory throne whereon Juanna had sat when
first she visited the temple was gone, and instead of it, placed at
the very verge of the forehead, were two wooden stools upon which the
victims must seat themselves. From this horrible elevation could be seen
that narrow space of rock between the feet of the colossus and the wall
of the pool where w