assuring.

Resuming the _role_ of guide, Adoni now conducted the pair into a room
in the rear portion of the tower, in which was a window opening,
unglazed, affording a delightful view of the valley and lake, with the
road leading thereto; and here they were turned over to another officer,
who by signs, indicated a request that the strangers should remove their
outer garments. Earle at first evinced a disposition to refuse this
request, but Dick was less fastidious, and stripped to the waist without
demur, whereupon the unnamed officer, who was evidently a physician of
sorts, after glancing admiringly at the young Englishman's stalwart
proportions and magnificent muscular development--to which he
particularly drew Adoni's attention--proceeded to tap Dick on the chest
and between the shoulders, listen to the action of his heart and lungs,
punch him in the ribs, and act generally as though he were examining the
lad on behalf of a life insurance company; finally expressing his
approval of the youngster's physical condition in a manner which there
was no possibility of mistaking.

Then Earle was again invited to subject himself to the same ordeal, and
this time he did so without demur, stripping off first his thin linen
jacket, and next the light woollen singlet which he was wearing as a
substitute for a shirt.

And now came a startling surprise. For the removal of Earle's singlet
revealed the curious lozenge-shaped jewel with its inset emerald, which
he had removed from the neck of the idol in the sculptured cave
discovered by Dick, and which the American had ever since worn round his
neck for safe keeping. No sooner did the eyes of the examining officer
glimpse the jewel than he uttered a strange cry, suggestive of the
utmost astonishment. He gazed upon it with awe-struck eyes, drew
cautiously near to inspect it more closely, half stretched forth a hand,
seemingly to touch it, and then, suddenly, saying something to Adoni
which seemed to suggest that a most wonderful and amazing thing had
happened, prostrated himself at Earle's feet, an example which Adoni
instantly followed.

"Now, what in the nation does this mean?" demanded Earle in a low voice
of Dick. "Why are these two guys kowtowing to me in this fashion? Gee!
They surely don't think that I'm some fancy god of theirs, come down
from Olympus to visit them, as a special mark of favour, do they?"

"Well, it looks very much like it, by the way that they are