uch a thing."

"Then come and sleep with us in the guest-house."

"Can't be done; the Sergeant has got a very nasty job down there about
one o'clock, and I promised to be handy in case he calls me up," and he
pointed to the portable field telephone that fortunately we had brought
with us from England, which was fixed closed by, adding, "if only that
silly thing had another few hundred yards of wire, I'd come; but, you
see, it hasn't and I must be in touch with the work."

At this moment the bell tinkled, and Orme made a jump for the receiver
through which for the next five minutes he was engaged in giving rapid
and to us quite unintelligible directions.

"There you are," he said, when he had replaced the mouthpiece on its
hook, "if I hadn't been here they would probably have had the roof
of the tunnel down and killed some people. No, no; I can't leave that
receiver unless I go back to the mine, which I am too tired to do.
However, don't you fret. With a pistol, a telephone, and Pharaoh I'm
safe enough. And now, good night; you fellows had better be getting home
as I must be up early to-morrow and want to sleep while I can."

On the following morning about five o'clock Higgs and I were awakened by
some one knocking at our door. I rose and opened it, whereon in walked
Quick, a grim and grimy figure, for, as his soaked clothes and soiled
face told us, he had but just left his work in the mine.

"Captain wants to see you as soon as possible, gentlemen," he said.

"What's the matter, Sergeant?" asked Higgs, as we got into our garments.

"You'll see for yourself presently, Professor," was the laconic reply,
nor could we get anything more out of him.

Five minutes later we were advancing at a run through the dense darkness
of the underground city, each of us carrying a lamp. I reached the ruins
of the old temple first, for Quick seemed very tired and lagged behind,
and in that atmosphere Higgs was scant of breath and could not travel
fast. At the doorway of the place where he slept stood the tall form
of Oliver holding a lamp aloft. Evidently he was waiting for us. By his
side sat the big yellow dog, Pharaoh, that, when he smelt us, gambolled
forward, wagging his tail in greeting.

"Come here," said Orme, in a low and solemn voice, "I have something to
show you," and he led the way into the priest's chamber, or sanctuary,
whatever it may have been, where he slept upon a rough, native-made
bedstead. At the doorway