g fight for a few
seconds, Burton pursuing them hotly, received a terrific blow on the
head after being tripped by Appoyas, who was waiting in a side passage,
and Burton lay partly stunned for some time.

Appoyas fought like a fiend, doing great damage with his stick, but at
last he fled along a side passage.

In half an hour the fight was over, and Burton found they had eight
prisoners; among whom was Atlasul, but Appoyas and some of the others
had escaped.

Burton and Tom were exploring one of the narrow galleries when they
suddenly came face to face with Appoyas, who, after throwing a knife at
Burton, dashed down the passage followed by the two Englishmen.

They had gone about a hundred yards when Appoyas stopped, and his
pursuers could see that he was standing on the very edge of a black
chasm. For a moment he stood and faced them, his eyes flashing fiercely
in the light of the lamp.

"You cannot escape us now, Appoyas," said Burton, covering him with a
revolver.

"I will have a bitter revenge on you, Koj Burton. Here is the end of the
passage, below is the Cave of Doom, but you have not got me yet," and,
to the astonishment of Burton and Tom, Appoyas shouted a fierce cry of
"Revenge!" and sprang into the fearsome black abyss.

"He must be dashed to pieces. I can't see the bottom," said Tom, holding
his lamp over the gulf.

"I am doubtful. We will get a rope and make a search," said Burton.

Some time later a lamp was lowered, and far below, about six feet from
the bottom, could be seen a strong net stretched the full width of the
chasm.

"He dropped into that, and escaped by a secret exit," said Burton.

They proceeded to thoroughly explore the cave, and were astonished at
the extent and number of side passages.

"I say, Burton, this globe on the shoulders of old Atlas is hollow and
has a big slit in it like a letter-box, and has a lock on it," exclaimed
Mark as they were examining the Temple of Atlas.

When the globe was opened it proved to be nearly full of gold and silver
ornaments, precious stones, and coins.

"Ah, these are the offerings to the gods, a portion of the things stolen
by these thieves during the last fifty years. A system of theft and
sacrifice which has been handed down from father to son for many
generations," exclaimed Burton.

The prisoners proved to be connected with burglaries which had taken
place all over the Punjab and far beyond. The villains had been in the
habit of