building, for its courts
could still be traced; also there lay about fragments of steps and
pillars.

Apparently the latter had once been carved, but the passage of
innumerable ages had obliterated the work and we could not turn these
great blocks over to discover if any remained beneath. It was as though
the god Thor had broken up the edifice with his hammer, or Jove had
shattered it with his thunderbolts; nothing else would account for that
utter wreck, except, as Bickley remarked significantly, the scientific
use of high explosives.

Following the line of what seemed to have been a road, we came to the
edge of the volcano and found, as we expected, the usual depression out
of which fire and lava had once been cast, as from Hecla or Vesuvius. It
was now a lake more than a quarter of a mile across. Indeed it had been
thus in the ancient days when the buildings stood upon the terraces, for
we saw the remains of steps leading down to the water. Perhaps it had
served as the sacred lake of the temple.

We gazed with wonderment and then, wearied out, scrambled back through
the ruins, which, by the way, were of a different stone from the lava of
the mountain, to the mouth of the great cave.

Chapter X. The Dwellers in the Tomb

By now it was drawing towards sunset, so we made such preparations as we
could for the night. One of these was to collect dry driftwood, of
which an abundance lay upon the shore, to serve us for firing, though
unfortunately we had nothing that we could cook for our meal.

While we were thus engaged we saw a canoe approaching the table-rock and
perceived that in it were the chief Marama and a priest. After hovering
about for a while they paddled the canoe near enough to allow of
conversation which, taking no notice of their presence, we left it to
them to begin.

"O, Friend-from-the-Sea," called Marama, addressing myself, "we come
to pray you and the Great Healer to return to us to be our guests as
before. The people are covered with darkness because of the loss of your
wisdom, and the sick cry aloud for the Healer; indeed two of those whom
he has cut with knives are dying."

"And what of the Bellower?" I asked, indicating Bastin.

"We should like to see him back also, Friend-from-the-Sea, that we may
sacrifice and eat him, who destroyed our god with fire and caused the
Healer to kill his priest."

"That is most unjust," exclaimed Bastin. "I deeply regret the blood that
was shed on