A revolver cracked within two feet of me, and the bullet ripped through
the tall headdress. I crouched quickly and ran along the corridor. There
was no answering cry from Holman, and although it was possible that he
would not disclose his whereabouts by replying to my yell, I decided
that I could do little to help him in the impenetrable darkness.
Besides, Edith Herndon and her sister were in danger, and the dawn was
coming rapidly. Throwing off the parrot-feather mat, which had served me
to such good purpose, I raced headlong toward the opening. A few bats,
returning early to their sleeping quarters, banged against my face, but
the way was otherwise clear, and with a cry of joy I rushed through the
mouth of the passage into the calm, clear night.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIV

BACK TO THE CAMP

The path, with its coating of coral lime, stretched before me, and I
fled along it. The moon had disappeared behind the hills, but the limed
track was quite distinct. My watch had stopped, but I judged that there
was still a good two hours before the dawn, and I ran as I had never run
in my life. I recognized what sort of feeling I possessed for Edith
Herndon as I raced through the lonely night, and I reproached myself
bitterly for leaving the camp. I became convinced that Leith had set out
for the resting place of the Professor and his two daughters after
placing guards at the inner opening of the corridor to see that Holman
and I did not escape from the cavern, and I realized the terror which
the two girls would experience when the big brute reached the camp.

"The devil!" I muttered. "The fiendish brute!"

A chuckle came from a boulder beside the track, and Holman's cheery
voice set my pulses beating.

"You frightened the dickens out of me, Verslun," he cried. "I thought
you were one of the evil legion. Gee! I'm glad to see you."

"How did you get out?" I gasped as we rushed on together. "I thought I
left you in the cavern."

"It was a good job you didn't," he retorted. "There was a husky nigger
at the outside entrance of the passage, and he gave me the fight of my
life. Get off this track; they might be after us at any moment."

"Do you think that Leith has made for the camp?" I asked.

"I suppose he has. We must move as fast as we can, Verslun. If he
reaches there before us we'll deserve any fate that will come to us. We
shouldn't have left them."

The utterance of the conviction that had come to both of