Read Ebook: The Day of Resis by Mentor Lillian Frances Parkhurst Harry L V Illustrator

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Ebook has 996 lines and 66609 words, and 20 pages

"Yes, we will have little to break the monotony between here and the field of brilliants, but the country is beautiful and I think you will find it all interesting," said Onrai.

"It is all interesting to me," said Mr. Graham, "but I wished to know if there was anything of special interest, such as mines and quarries."

"No, nothing of that kind," said Onrai, "but wait a minute; there is a deserted mine or something, which has never been explored by any of my people, since I can remember, and I cannot tell whether it be a mine or well or natural hole in the ground. It is about the width of the avenue and goes down, down, down, far below where the eyes can reach. I have only looked down this dark hole when I have been passing and know positively nothing about it, but if you would like to do so, we will halt there to-morrow and go down with ropes and explore it as far as we can. A villa stands near in which the ladies can wait for us."

"I should like to see what this curious place is," said Mr. Graham.

"Well, then, it is settled, we will explore it to-morrow," said Onrai.

Mr. Graham again rode up alongside of Mr. Bruce, and telling him of the hole in the ground, had his interest aroused at once. All along the track of the storm many men were at work, but for some time past none had been seen.

"It is strange, is it not?" asked Harry of Mr. Bruce.

"Yes, decidedly so," said Mr. Bruce.

"But, look, what is that in the distance?"

"It looks like a body of men," answered Harry.

"Perhaps they have congregated there for some special work."

No further comment was made about these men. They could now be plainly seen standing in a circle. They were not working as far as could be seen, but were standing with heads bowed as if contemplating something on the ground before them. They now saw the King and his party approaching, and one of their party hurried to the avenue and came towards the travelers.

"He seems to be excited over something," said Mr. Graham.

"Yes, he acts differently than most other men I have seen in this country," said Mr. Bruce.

"May be they have made a discovery."

"Something agitates him," said Harry, "that is sure."

The man now came near, and seeing that it was the King and his party he stopped, and making a respectful bow, said:

"I have come, oh, King, not knowing that you was of the party, to call attention to a strange being which we have found in the field. We know not whether it be human or not, and we would ask you to look at it and tell us how to act with it."

"Go, we will follow," said the King, and the party followed the man from the avenue into the field to the left.

The body of natives moved, upon seeing the King and party approaching, to one side, disclosing the object which had so interested them. The party looked and saw the body of an African negress with a child strapped to her back.

But how had it gotten here?

Yes, it was a negro mother and her babe. The body was that of a slight woman, weighing not more than one hundred pounds, and perfectly black. The babe was probably three months old, and was strapped to the back of her mother. The features of the mother were flat and broad, and showed but little intelligence. Both bodies were considerably mutilated; this being caused, very likely, by the storm; not a rag of clothing covered the bodies. Silently the native men and women stood gazing on the strange figures; they could offer no explanation on this as to how these bodies had come here or from whence they had come; they looked at the bodies and then at the white strangers as if to trace some likeness, but there was none, and this puzzled them all the more. Involuntarily they glanced into the heavens, as if expecting to see a new planet looming up in the midday sun from which these black bodies had fallen. That they had come from the same world which they themselves inhabited--that world which was theirs alone, they could not believe, of course.

Onrai looked at one of the guests and then at another, as if expecting some explanation from them, but they offered none; they being nearly as much in the dark as was he. But finally Onrai, stepping up to Mr. Bruce, said:

"You know so much of the heavens and of the stars, can you not tell me whence came this woman!"

"I can only offer one explanation," answered Mr. Bruce, "and that is that the woman and child were caught up by the great storm and blown from their own country into this."

"Ah," said Onrai, "that explanation maybe truthful, and looking over his people he called them all closely about him and told them what Mr. Bruce had said. It seemed to satisfy them, but it raised their curiosity to a greater extent, and they crowded more closely about the bodies. The hot sun had poured down on these bodies until they were in a bad state of decomposition and our friends soon moved away, leaving the find wholly in possession of the natives.

"What shall we do with these bodies?" asked Onrai of Mr. Graham.

"I would order them burned," said Mr. Graham.

So Onrai told some of the men to throw together a pile of wood and lay the bodies on it; this was soon done and the torch was then applied. As the flames shot into the air, licking the reeking flesh off the bodies, our friends again mounted and moved on.

"What do you think of this, Mr. Bruce?" asked Mr. Graham.

"I can only say what I have already said to Onrai," answered Mr. Bruce. "The force of the storm must have blown this woman and her child over the cliff and thus far into the heart of the land."

"Do you not think that another explanation might be made of their appearance?" asked Mr. Graham.

"There may be many explanations made," answered Mr. Bruce, "but if this country is impregnable, how else could this woman and her child reach here?"

"I think myself that the storm has played a great part in this woman's appearance in this part of the country, but I cannot help but think that she was this side of the cliffs before the storm," answered Mr. Graham.

"If that be so, then these people have lived in ignorance of this tribe's having taken up a residence in this country," said Mr. Bruce.

"Yes," said Mr. Graham, "but these Onians very seldom visit the northwestern part of this country, as Onrai has said, and this tribe might have found an entrance and settled in a fertile part near the cliffs, and may now be living there in total ignorance of their having entered a country which has for ages been shut in from the rest of the world?"

"This may all be so," said Mr. Bruce, "but I would rather cling to my theory."

"I would gladly accept your explanation," said Mr. Graham, "if it were not for that part of it, which says that the woman was blown over the cliffs. Now, if this storm had started on the western side of these cliffs, the cliffs themselves would have broken the force, or destroyed it entirely before it reached this side. Therefore, I claim that the storm must have started from this side of the cliff."

"When put in that way," said Mr. Bruce, "you almost convince me that I have made a mistake. But whatever the way in which this woman reached this country, I believe that we will hear more of it. It would be strange indeed if we should find a race of negroes quietly villaged in this country."

"Well, there is a possibility that we may," said Mr. Graham.

Off to the right, in a clump of trees, is now seen a villa and the party made for it, it now being nearly midday. Once in the cool villa, and all thought of the morning adventure was forgotten. Lunch was served and then came the afternoon siesta.

Late in the afternoon they again started, intending to ride until late in the evening. The journeys in the cool of the evening were delightful. There was always a breeze coming off the lake at this time and it was very refreshing after the close, warm air of the day. Along toward evening the villa, which they had occupied on the evening of the storm, was passed. The storm had made great ravages here, tearing up immense trees by the roots and piling them one above the other. The earth was gouged out in places to a depth of twenty feet, and all along the track of the storm were immense piles of debris.

Thoughts of the storm had long since passed from the minds of our friends; they were interested only in the far northwest toward which they were headed, and which promised them so many surprises and adventures. This northwest was almost unknown even to the natives; they knew certain parts of it very well, such as the field of diamonds and one or two other points, which had come under their notice for some special reason. But taken as a whole very little was known of the country, and for this reason Mr. Bruce and the others expected to make some very interesting discoveries. The country had wonderful resources; every known part of it producing certain products, which made it a veritable Eldorado, and it might be expected that the northwest held resources which would astonish all, even Onrai and his people. The field of diamonds alone was enough to make this part of the country interesting to the strangers, and for this alone they had started on this journey.

The following morning the party was up and off exceptionally early, long before the sun had risen. They were only to make half a march that day, for the shaft, which Onrai had spoken of on the previous day, was to be explored. That is, men were to be lowered into it and if the bottom could be reached and openings found leading from it, then all of the men of the party were to go down and explore these. Such was the programme laid out for the day and with this prospect of new diversions the men started off with happy hearts.

Each day now was bringing them nearer to the great northwest and the cliffs were growing plainer as they advanced. The country began to assume a wilder appearance; still there were well-kept fields and numerous farm villas and many men at work in the fields. At another point to-day they had passed a great herd of elephants, which had been brought from the city to recuperate, the former hospital having been almost entirely destroyed by the storm. These elephants, like many others which they had passed, had followed them until driven back by the attendant.

The morning was getting pretty well-advanced and the hopes of reaching the shaft shortly were making the men keep up a constant watch on both sides of them for fear of passing it. It was partially hid in a piece of woods which bordered the lake at this point for some distance. None of the party knew the exact locality of the opening and so care had to be taken in order not to pass it.

"What do you think of this hole in the ground?" asked Mr. Graham of Mr. Bruce.

"I do not know what to think of it," said Mr. Bruce, "but I do know that it is a very strange thing that these people should be in ignorance of its origin. It seems to me that such things would start the curiosity in these people, but I have seen very little of this article in their make-up. They did look a little bewildered yesterday when they saw the negress and child, but I will wager you a shilling they have forgotten all about it by this time. This very lack of curiosity in these people almost puts me out of patience with them."

"It may be, though," said Mr. Graham, smiling at Mr. Bruce's impatience, "that it is better that they have left to us the exploring of this extinct mine or well, or whatever it is; anyway I would feel better satisfied finding something, which is not already known by this people. There goes one of the attendants now towards the trees; perhaps we have reached the hole."

And they had, for the fellow, pulling aside some underbrush, disclosed a large, dark opening running straight into the ground. The wind seemed to be rushing into this hole with great force. He turned and motioned to the party and they rode toward them. All dismounting, ropes were procured and tied to the trunks of the trees, surrounding the hole. A glance down the dark aperture would have been enough for most men, but for those here assembled, the blackness but whetted their curiosity and desire to investigate. A lighted torch was thrown down, but the fearful wind which rushed down the hole extinguished this before it had fallen far.

"Let us all go down in a bunch and with our combined efforts we may be able to keep our feet," Harry said.

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