he said, "have you seen anything of the jewels that
are supposed to be here?"

"There is a bag yonder by the Water-Dweller's bed, Baas," answered the
dwarf carelessly, "but I did not trouble to look into it. What is the
use of the red stones to us now?"

"None, but they may be of use afterwards, if we get away."

"Yes, Baas, _if_ we get away," answered Otter, bethinking himself of the
ice-bridge. "Well, we can pick it up as we go along."

Just then Nam arrived, having been let down by Olfan and the captains,
and stood glaring round him, not without awe, for neither he nor any of
his brethren had ever dared to visit the sacred home of the Snake-god.
Then the captains descended, and last of all came Olfan.

"We have little time to spare, Deliverer," said the king; "the door is
falling," and as he spoke they heard a great crash above. Otter jerked
furiously at the rope, till by good luck one end of the stake slid over
the edge of the hole and it fell among them.

"No need to leave this line for them to follow by," he said; "besides
it may be useful." At that moment something appeared looking through
the hole. It was the head of one of the pursuing priests. Nam saw it and
took his opportunity.

"The false gods escape by the tunnel to the mountains," he screamed,
"and with them the false king. Follow and fear not, the Water-Dweller is
dead. Think not of me, Nam, but slay them."

With an exclamation Otter struck him heavily across the mouth, knocking
him backwards, but the mischief was done, for a voice cried in answer:

"We hear you, father, and will find ropes and follow."

Then they started. One moment they paused to look at the huge bulk of
the dead crocodile.

"This dwarf is a god in truth," cried one of the captains, "for no man
could have wrought such a deed."

"Forward," said Leonard, "we have no time to lose."

Now they were by the crocodile's bed and among the broken bones of his
victims.

"The bag, Otter, where is the bag?" asked Leonard.

"Here, Baas," answered the dwarf, dragging it from the mouldering
skeleton of the unlucky priest who, having offended the new-found god,
had been let down through the hole to lay it in its hiding-place and to
perish in the jaws of the Water-Dweller.

Leonard took the bag, and opening its mouth, which was drawn tight with
a running strip of hide, he peeped into it while Otter held down the
candle that he might see. From its depths came a glimmer of red and blue