against the skyline beyond the entrance to the cave. Up the cave I went,
and after me came the others, and after them thundered the whole crowd
of cannibals, mad with fury at the death of the woman. With a bound I
cleared the prostrate form of Mahomed. As I flew over him I felt the
heat from the red-hot pot, which was lying close by, strike upon my
legs, and by its glow saw his hands--for he was not quite dead--still
feebly moving. At the top of the cave was a little platform of rock
three feet or so high by about eight deep, on which two large lamps were
placed at night. Whether this platform had been left as a seat, or as a
raised point afterwards to be cut away when it had served its purpose
as a standing place from which to carry on the excavations, I do not
know--at least, I did not then. At any rate, we all three reached it,
and, jumping on it, prepared to sell our lives as dearly as we could.
For a few seconds the crowd that was pressing on our heels hung back
when they saw us face round upon them. Job was on one side of the rock
to the left, Leo in the centre, and I to the right. Behind us were
the lamps. Leo bent forward, and looked down the long lane of shadows,
terminating in the fire and lighted lamps, through which the quiet
forms of our would-be murderers flitted to and fro with the faint light
glinting on their spears, for even their fury was silent as a bulldog's.
The only other thing visible was the red-hot pot still glowing angrily
in the gloom. There was a curious light in Leo's eyes, and his
handsome face was set like a stone. In his right hand was his heavy
hunting-knife. He shifted its thong a little up his wrist and then put
his arm round me and gave me a good hug.

"Good-bye, old fellow," he said, "my dear friend--my more than father.
We have no chance against those scoundrels; they will finish us in a
few minutes, and eat us afterwards, I suppose. Good-bye. I led you into
this. I hope you will forgive me. Good-bye, Job."