by his side, and talkative, indicated this place.

"Where we lived," he informed. "Very nasty place--damp, and of
coldness. But our torches were poor, and driftwood of much scarceness,
so we dare not investigate greatly the interior for better place. Our
wood was all gone, and we feared muchly we must break up the boat, when
Fate with so great a kindness sent the honorable Dabney to rescue us."

"A queer rescue, you murderous little wretch!" thought Martin. But
aloud, he said, "What did you live on?"

They had fallen behind the others. Martin considered swiftly whether
or not to fall upon his companion now. He was certain he could get the
gun, and commence shooting, before the others assailed him. But he
decided promptly that it would not do. They would witness the affair
from the ship.

"Oh--we eat the gulls," replied Ichi. "And the shell-fish, and a seal
that was dead--ah, he was long dead and of great nastiness! But mostly
it was the shell-fish. See the many shells on the sand?"

Martin looked. He gulped a swift, deep breath to keep from crying out,
and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared into the yawning mouth of
the cave Ichi was speaking about, his heart thumping furiously. Good
Heaven! Had he seen a ghost? Was it a crazy trick of his overwrought
mind? Or had he actually beheld, for a fraction of a second, a white
face framed in the dense gloom of the cave's interior? But that face!

"Ah--but do not pause, my dear Mr. Blake," said Ichi with a hint of
sarcasm. "It is of great interest, I know, but the view that awaits
you as we seek the ambergris inside, is of much more interestness.
Come! See, our dear Moto has the lanterns lighted!"

Martin with difficulty maintained a disinterested expression. He
recovered his stride, and they joined the others beneath the
overhanging elephant rock. Moto and Ichi held for a moment a
chattering interchange of their native speech.

Martin peered into this other opening, his agitated mind half-expecting
to see the startling vision again, flashing white in the interior
blackness. But beyond a few feet of sand floor and black lava walls,
he saw nothing. The opening in the elephant head led into a narrow
gallery, a hallway into the mountain.

A blast of hot, sulfur-tainted air swirled out of the opening. It made
his eyes smart. Coincidentally, his ears were assailed by strange
sound. It came out of the black hole, and it was like the wailing of