.

After this, there were peculiar whisperings and sounds, as if numbers of
disturbed occupants of the water were beating and lapping at the walls
of the place: then silence once more.

"Be careful, Brace!" cried Sir Humphrey.

"It's all right," said Brace coolly. "There: I've left that place. All
of you bear off to the left and follow me down these steps. Hurrah! I
believe we've found the way to the great temple at last."

"It's all right, sir," cried Briscoe, who had passed Lynton. "I can see
plainly now. There's a narrow flight of steps leading down close to the
face of the cliff, and it's lit every few yards by big square holes,
only they're most of them grown over and choked by creepers."

"Hi! Look out there, everyone," shouted Brace. "Lie down."

For all at once there arose a peculiar rushing sound, and as everyone
crouched as low as he could, he was conscious of the whistling of wings
in rapid flight and the ammoniacal odour of a great stream of birds
passing over them to reach the outlet from the passage into the open
air.

"It's all right, lads," shouted Briscoe. "It's only a flock of
oil-birds that we have disturbed. Yes, I thought so: some of them have
helped to block up these window places with their nests. I can feel
several here."

The birds were some minutes before they had all passed through the
opening, and then the tramp downwards was resumed, with the result that
before long the light grew stronger from below, and at last quite
bright, for a peculiar rustling was heard, which resolved itself into
the acts of Brace, who had reached a level spot and was now busy with
his large sheath-knife hacking away at a dense mass of creeper not
unlike ivy.

A few minutes later, and he was out upon an overgrown terrace gazing
over a much-corroded carved parapet at the sparkling river below; and he
uttered a loud cheer and stood waving his hat to the men far down to his
left, two of whom were seated in the larger boat.

The top terrace of the great temple-like place had been reached, and
after a few words of congratulation upon their success the examination
of the strange edifice began.

They were a good deal checked at first by the growth of ages and stones
which had crumbled down; but they were not long making out that the
construction of the place was upon the same plan as that put in practice
over the openings to right and left; though the cells were much smaller,
and suggested that they