e secret of this statue, and in that case they will
kill us without mercy if they find us here."

Passing through the opening they groped their way to the top of the
stairs, hurried down these as fast as they could in the darkness, and
issued out from the door.

"I hear footsteps!" Amuba exclaimed as they did so. "Run for your
life, Chebron!"

Just as they left the court they heard the noise of angry voices and
hurried footsteps close by. At full speed they ran through several
courts and apartments.

"We had better hide, Amuba."

"It will be no use trying to do that. They will guard the entrance
gates, give the alarm, and set all the priests on duty in the temple
in search. No, come along quickly. They cannot be sure that it is we
who spoke to them, and will probably wait until one has ascended the
stairs to see that no one is lurking there. I think we are safe for
the moment; but there are no good hiding-places. I think you had
better walk straight to the entrance, Chebron. Your presence here is
natural enough, and those they post at the gates would let you pass
out without suspicion. I will try and find myself a hiding-place."

"I certainly will not do that, Amuba. I am not going to run away and
leave you in the scrape, especially as it was I who got us into it by
my rashness."

"Is there any place where workmen are engaged on the walls?" Amuba
asked suddenly.

"Yes, in the third court on the right after entering," Chebron
replied. "They are repainting the figures on the upper part of the
wall. I was watching them at work yesterday."

"Then in that case there must be some ladders. With them we might get
away safely. Let us make for the court at once, but tread noiselessly,
and if you hear a footstep approaching hide in the shadow behind the
statue. Listen! they are giving the alarm. They know that their number
would be altogether insufficient to search this great temple
thoroughly."

Shouts were indeed heard, and the lads pressed on toward the court
Chebron had spoken of. The temple now was echoing with sounds, for the
priests on duty, who had been asleep as usual when not engaged in
attending to the lights, had now been roused by one of their number,
who ran in and told them some sacrilegious persons had made their way
into the temple.

"Here is the place," Chebron said, stopping at the foot of the wall.

Here two or three long light ladders were standing. Some of these
reached part of the distance o