ly, really," protested St. George, "we don't understand half
we do see. Do let us see what we can."

"You must be blindfolded, adon," repeated Jarvo firmly.

Amory, passing his arms reflectively through the rubber straps which
Akko held for him, spoke cheerfully:

"I'll go up blindfold," he submitted, "if I can smoke."

"Neither of us will," said St. George with determination. "See
here, Jarvo, we are both level-headed. We pledge you our word of
honour, in addition, not to dive overboard. Now--lead on."

"It has never been done," said the little brown man with obstinacy,
"you will lose your reason, adon."

"Ah well now, if we do," said St. George, "pitch us over and leave
us. Besides, I think we have. Lead on, please."

Against the will of the others, he prevailed. The light oil-skins
were placed in the baskets, each of which was shouldered by two men,
Jarvo bearing the foremost pole of St. George's palanquin. All the
carriers had drawn on long, soft shoes which, perhaps from some
preparation in which they had been dipped, glowed with light,
illuminating the ground for a little distance at every step.

"Are you ready, adon?" asked Jarvo and Akko at the same moment.

"Ready!" cried St. George impatiently.

"Ready," said Amory languidly, and added one thought more: "I hope
for Chillingworth's sake," he said, "that Frothingham is a notary
public. We'll have to have somebody's seal at the bottom of all this
copy."

The baskets were lightly lifted. Jarvo gave a sharp command, and all
four of the men broke into a rhythmic chant. Jarvo, leading the way,
sprang immediately upon the first foothold, where none seemed to
be, and without pause to the next. So perfectly were the men trained
that it was as if but one set of muscles were inspiring the
movements made to the beat of that monotonous measure. In their
strong hands the flexible pole seemed to give as their bodies gave,
and so lightly did they leap upward that the jar of their alighting
was hardly perceptible, as if, as had occurred to St. George as they
ascended the lip of the island, gravity were here another matter.
So, without pause, save in the rhythm of that strange march music,
the remarkable progress was begun.

St. George threw one swift glance upward and looked down,
shudderingly. Beetling above them in the great starlight hung the
gigantic pile, wall upon wall of rock hewn with such secret foothold
that it was a miracle how any living thing could c