ed on to
Maqueda, who was calling him to look at something else.

Leaving the temple in which it was unsafe to walk, she led us to where
a strong spring, the water supply of the place, bubbled up into a rock
basin, and overflowing thence through prepared openings, ran away we
knew not whither.

"Look, this fountain is very ancient," said Maqueda, pointing to the
lip of the basin that was worn away to the depth of several inches where
those who drew water had for many generations rested their hands upon
the hard rock.

"How did they light so vast a cavern?" asked Oliver.

"We do not know," she answered, "since lamps would scarcely have served
them. It is a secret of the past which none of the Abati have cared to
recover, and another is how the air is always kept fresh so deep in
the bowels of the mountain. We cannot even say whether this place is
natural, as I think, or hollowed out by men."

"Both, I expect," I answered. "But tell me, Lady, do the Abati make any
use of this great cave?"

"Some corn is still stored here in pits in case of siege," she replied,
adding sadly, "but it is not enough to be of real service, since almost
all of it comes from the estates of the Child of Kings. In vain have
I prayed the people to contribute, if only a hundredth part of their
harvest, but they will not. Each says that he would give if his
neighbour gave, and so none give. And yet a day may come when a store
of corn alone would stand between them and death by hunger--if the Fung
held the valley, for instance," and she turned impatiently and walked
forward to show us the stables where the ancients kept their horses and
the marks of their chariot wheels in the stone floor.

"Nice people, the Abati, sir," said Quick to me. "If it weren't for
the women and children, and, above all, for this little lady, whom I am
beginning to worship like my master, as in duty bound, I'd like to see
them do a bit of hungering."

"There is one more place to show you," said Maqueda, when we had
inspected the stables and argued as to what possible causes could have
induced the ancients to keep horses underground, "which perhaps you will
think worth a visit, since it holds the treasures that are, or shall be,
yours. Come!"

We started forward again along various passages, the last of which
suddenly widened into a broad and steep incline of rock, which we
followed for quite fifty paces till it ended in what seemed to be a
blank wall. Here Maqueda