ection
in which Leith was now heading saved us many weary hours of marching.

Yams and guavas, with wild passion fruit, made a breakfast and dinner as
we clawed our way in pursuit. At midday we judged that we were hot upon
the trail, unless Leith had changed his course, but the black cliffs
were close to us at that moment, and the recollections of the gloomy
caverns made us silent as we pushed through the matted jungle. We could
see no trace of the path which Leith would be compelled to cut to enable
the two girls to get through, and we heard no sounds. A lone parrakeet
startled us with its harsh cry as it rose from a maupei tree, and the
bird even seemed to recognize that it had committed a breach in sending
its unmusical cry out upon the awful quiet of the place.

Kaipi climbed a tall tree in the vain hope of catching sight of Leith's
party as it crossed the small cleared spaces in the middle of the
impenetrable growth, but nothing except the green plain of bushy tops
and parasitical creepers was visible. As we waited beneath the tree the
"ticking" of a wood bug sounded like hammer blows in the tremendous
quietude, while the bursting of a pod reminded one of the beginning of a
Fourth of July celebration. We had lost all trace of Leith, and now,
immediately in front, rose the cliffs, and we saw a menace on their
dark, forbidding front.

The base of the hills presented the same nearly perpendicular formation
that we had met when endeavouring to reach the long gallery, and we held
a council to decide on what would be the best course to pursue. Maru was
confident that Leith was heading for this particular point at the moment
that Barbara's bribe caused the Raretongan to desert, and it was
reasonable to think that the ruffian had retired to some hiding place to
nurse his wound and decide upon the fate of the Professor and his two
daughters. From the scraps of conversation which we had overheard before
Holman interrupted the argument between Leith and the scientist, we
thought it probable that the old man would visit the centipede upon the
big table if he did not sign the papers that Leith required, while we
shuddered at the probable fate of the two girls unless Providence
directed us as to the manner in which we could effect a rescue.

"We must divide," said Holman. "I'll take Kaipi and go north, you take
Maru and go in the opposite direction. If you find the trail, camp near
it and send Maru on the run back to us. I'll