I heard
its wings beating the roof as it sought wildly for an outlet. It
dashed into the spray of the cataract and escaped again into the cave.
For maybe twenty minutes it fluttered, till at last it found the way it
had entered by. With a dart it sped up the funnel of rock into light
and freedom.

I had begun to watch the bird in idle lassitude, I ended in keen
excitement. The sight of it seemed to take a film from my eyes. I
realized the zest of liberty, the passion of life again. I felt that
beyond this dim underworld there was the great joyous earth, and I
longed for it. I wanted to live now. My memory cleared, and I
remembered all that had befallen me during the last few days. I had
played the chief part in the whole business, and I had won. Laputa was
dead and the treasure was mine, while Arcoll was crushing the Rising at
his ease. I had only to be free again to be famous and rich. My hopes
had returned, but with them came my fears. What if I could not escape?
I must perish miserably by degrees, shut in the heart of a hill, though
my friends were out for rescue. In place of my former lethargy I was
now in a fever of unrest.

My first care was to explore the way I had come. I ran down the
passage to the chasm which the slab of stone had spanned. I had been
right in my guess, for the thing was gone. Laputa was in truth a
Titan, who in the article of death could break down a bridge which
would have taken any three men an hour to shift. The gorge was about
seven yards wide, too far to risk a jump, and the cliff fell sheer and
smooth to the imprisoned waters two hundred feet below. There was no
chance of circuiting it, for the wall was as smooth as if it had been
chiselled. The hand of man had been at work to make the sanctuary
inviolable.

It occurred to me that sooner or later Arcoll would track Laputa to
this place. He would find the bloodstains in the gully, but the
turnstile would be shut and he would never find the trick of it. Nor
could he have any kaffirs with him who knew the secret of the Place of
the Snake. Still if Arcoll knew I was inside he would find some way to
get to me even though he had to dynamite the curtain of rock. I
shouted, but my voice seemed to be drowned in the roar of the water.
It made but a fresh chord in the wild orchestra, and I gave up hopes in
that direction.

Very dolefully I returned to the cave. I was about to share the
experience of all treasure-hunters