The Secret Mountain tss-3 Page 8

The moon was now almost gone, and darkness crept across the country. Mafumu shivered. He had a curious charm round his neck, made of crocodile’s teeth, and he took it into his hand to bring him good luck. He slid quickly down the mountain-side, grazing himself as he went, and bruising his ankle-bones as he knocked them against rocks and stones. But he did not even feel the hurt, so anxious was he to get back to Jack, and tell him what he had found.

  He reached Jack as the dawn was breaking. Jack was awake, and very puzzled because Mafumu was gone. The boy looked white and worried. He simply had no idea at all what would be the best thing to do. He had almost made up his mind that he must try to move the rock somehow and get into the mountain so as to be with the others.

  But Mafumu had other plans. In funny, broken English he tried to explain to Jack what his idea was.

  “Big, big water,” he said, and made a noise like the splashing of the waterfall. “Jack come with Mafumu see big, big water. We go into big water. Come.”

  Jack thought Mafumu was quite mad, but the other boy was so much in earnest that he nodded his head and said Yes, he would come.

  Leaving their packs where they were, covered by boulders and stones, the two boys made their way back to the great waterfall. The noise was so deafening that they had to shout to one another to make themselves heard.

  Mafumu remembered the way he had taken in the moonlight. He never forgot any path he had once travelled. He even remembered the bushes and rocks he had passed. So now he found it easy to help Jack up the rocky ledges to where the water gushed out of the mountain-side.

  Jack was wet through and almost deaf by the time he reached the place where the water appeared from the mountain. He kept shaking his head to get the noise of the fall out of it — but it was impossible! It went on all the time.

  Mafumu was excited. He led Jack behind the great curve of the fall, and showed him how the water thundered out just above their heads. It was a queer feeling to stand immediately under a great waterfall, and see it pouring down overhead and in front, a great blue-green mass of water, powerful enough to sweep the boys off and away if it could have reached them!

  “How queer to stand behind a waterfall like this,” said Jack. “Mafumu — what’s the sense of bringing me here? How do you suppose we’re going to crawl through water that’s coming out of the mountain at about sixty miles an hour. You must be mad.”

  But Mafumu was not mad. He took Jack right to the other side of the ledge, and pointed to a narrow rocky path that led into the mountain, where the water ran only two or three inches deep. Nearby, the river had worn a deep channel for itself — but this ledge was just above the level of the river, and had water on it only because of the continual splashing and spray that came from the fall.

  “We go in here,” grinned Mafumu. “We go in here, yes?”

  “Golly, Mafumu — I believe you are right!” said Jack, excited. “I believe we can go in here! Though goodness knows how far we’ll get, or where it will take us.”

  “We go now,” said Mafumu. “Hurryup, hurryup.”

  The boys squeezed themselves on to the rocky ledge. If they had slipped into the great torrent of water that poured out, that would have been the end of them. But they were careful to hold on to bits of jutting-out rock, so as not to fall. The ledge was damp and slippery. The air was full of fine spray. It was queer to be squeezing by a great river that became a waterfall two or three feet away from them!

  The rocky ledge ran right into the mountain, keeping a foot or two above the level of the deep hidden river. The boys made their way along it. Soon they had left behind the thunder of the waterfall, and the mountain seemed strangely silent. Just below them, to their left, ran the underground river, silent and swift.

  “It’s dark, Mafumu,” said Jack, shivering. It was not only dark, but cold. No sunshine ever came up the secret river! But soon a queer light showed from the roof and walls of the river tunnel.

  It shone green and blue. Mafumu thought it was very odd, but Jack knew that it was only the strange light called phosphorescence. He was glad of its pale gleam, for now they could see more or less where they were going.

  We shan’t fall down into the river now and be swept out into the waterfall,” he thought. “My goodness, Mafumu was clever to think there might be a way into the mountain, where the river came out and made a fall! I should never have thought of that in a hundred years! Wouldn’t it be marvellous if we could rescue everyone!”

  After a long crawl along the ledge the tunnel opened out into a series of caves, some large, some small. The boys marvelled at some of them, for the walls were agleam with queer bright stones. Mafumu did not like them.

  “The walls have eyes that look at Mafumu,” he whispered to Jack. Jack laughed — but he soon stopped, for his laugh echoed round and round the caves, and rumbled into the heart of the mountain and came back to him like a hundred giant-laughs, very queer and horrible.

  On through the river-caves went the two boys, silent and rather frightened now. Then they came to what seemed a complete stop

  “Mafumu! The river is in a tunnel here, and the roof almost touches the top of the water!” said Jack in dismay, “We can’t get any further.”

  Mafumu waded into the river. It was not running very swiftly just there, for it was almost on the level. It was deep, however, and the boy had to swim. He began to make his way up the tunnel to see how far he could go with his head above the water. His head knocked against the roof as he swam — and presently he found that the water touched the roof! So he had to swim under the water, and hoped that before he choked the roof would rise a little and give him air to breathe!

  Mafumu was a good swimmer, and was able to hold his breath well — but his lungs were almost bursting by the time that he was able to find a place to stick up his head above the water and breathe again. Even so, the roof fell low again almost at once, and the water bobbed against it. How far would it be before it rose again and Mafumu could breathe?

  He had to try. There was nothing else to do, unless he and Jack were to go right back. So he took an enormous breath, dived down and swam vigorously below the water, trying the roof with his hand every now and again to see if he could come above the water and breathe.

  He was rewarded. The roof suddenly rose up and the tunnel became a large cave! Mafumu waded out of the water gasping and panting, delighted that he had not given up too soon!

  He sat down for a few minutes to get all the breath he could. He had to go back and bring Jack through now! He did not know if the other boy could swim under water as well as he, Mafumu, could!

  Back went Mafumu, knowing exactly where to rise and breathe, and where to dive under and swim back to where Jack was anxiously awaiting him, wondering what in the wide world had happened!

  Mafumu tried to explain to Jack what he was to do. Jack understood only too well!

  “Lead on, Mafumu,” said the boy, taking a deep breath. “I’m a good swimmer — but I don’t know if I’m as good as you are! Go on!”

  So into the river went both boys, swimming below the water where it touched the roof, and coming up, almost bursting, in the place where the roof lifted a little so that they might breathe.

  Then into the water they went again, shivering, for it was icy-cold, and once more swam as fast as they could up the low tunnel, their heads bumping the roof till they came thankfully to where the tunnel opened out into the large cave! They crawled out of the water, panting, and sat down to get their breath. Their hearts beat like great pumps, and it was some time before both boys could go on.

  “Now which way?” wondered Jack, looking all round at the gleaming cave. “There are three or four archways leading out of this cave, Mafumu, with the river winding silently through the middle. Which way do we go?”

  Inside The Mountain

  Mafumu was running all round, peering first through one rocky archway and then through another. He stopped at last and beckoned to Jack. Jack went over to him, wondering what t
he other boy could see, for he was plainly excited.

  No wonder Mafumu was excited! Peering through the little archway he had seen an enormous flight of steps leading upwards through the mountain! The steps were cut out of the solid rock, and were polished and shining. At the foot hung a great lamp, very finely made, which gave a curious green light.

  The boys stood at the bottom of the rocky stairway, staring upwards. Where could it lead to?

  “Shall we go up?” whispered Jack, his whisper starting a rustling echo all around him. Mafumu nodded. In silence the two boys began to climb the great stairway. It went up for a great way, wide and easy to climb. Then it curved sharply to the right and became a curious spiral staircase, still cut into the rock.

  “I believe it leads up to the top of the mountain!” said Jack, quite out of breath. “Let’s sit down and have a rest. My legs are really tired with all this climbing.”

  They did not notice that a wooden door opened on to the stairway just behind them. They sat there in silence, resting themselves. And then suddenly they heard the harsh voices of the Folk of the Mountain! The boys looked round quickly and by the light of one of the green lamps hanging at a curve of the stairway they saw the door. It was just opening!

  The boys did not know whether the folk would go up the stairway or down, and they hadn’t time to choose! They simply tumbled themselves down the steps, came to a curve and waited there, their hearts thumping, and their legs trembling.

  “If they come down the stairway we shall be seen!” thought Jack desperately. “They will touch us as they pass, because the stairway is so narrow.”

  But the Folk of the Mountain went up the stairway, not down! The boys heard their footsteps and their voices disappearing into the distance. They crept back up the stairway to the door — and it was open!

  “Golly! What a bit of luck!” Jack whispered to Mafumu, who, although he did not understand the words, knew what Jack meant all right. The boys slipped in through the open door and found themselves in an enormous gallery that ran round the most colossal hall they had ever seen.

  “This must be a kind of meeting-hall,” thought Jack, gazing down from the rocky gallery to the great floor below. “I bet it’s right in the very middle of the mountain! Golly! What a strange place it is!”

  Steps led up from the great hall in many directions. They led to fine wooden doors, studded and starred with gleaming metals. The Folk of the Mountain had a strange and mighty home! There was no one at all to be seen and the deep silence seemed very queer. Enormous lamps hung down from the roof, swinging slightly as they burned. Deep shadows moved over the floor as the lamps swung, and Mafumu stared, for he had never seen such a place in all his life.

  “Mafumu! Those people will be coming back soon, I expect,” said Jack in his ear. “Come on. We must get down into this hall and go up a stairway to see if we can find where the others are. Hurry!”

  The boys slipped down into the great hall. They stood there in the shadows, wondering which flight of steps to take. They chose the nearest one, a wide, shallow stretch that led to an open doorway.

  Up they went, and through the doorway. A long, dark passage lay before them, with rocky walls and ceiling. They went down it, and turned into another one. They heard the noise of voices and stopped.

  No one had heard them, so they crept on again, and came out through a big archway that led into a fine cave. Its walls were hung with the skins of animals and with curtains of shining material. The floor was covered with rich rugs. On them sat the Folk of the Secret Mountain.

  How queer they looked in the light of the swinging lamps! The men all had flaming red beards and hair, and their faces looked a sickly yellow. The women were wrapped up to their noses, and showed neither hair nor chins! The boys knew they were the women because they spoke in high-pitched, shrill voices.

  All of them were working at something. Some were making rugs. Others were weaving with bright-coloured strands that looked like raffia. Some were hammering at things that the boys could not see.

  “We’d better go back,” whispered Jack, pushing Mafumu. “Come on. If we’re seen here we’d be taken prisoner.”

  The boys crept back. Mafumu was frightened, for the Folk of the Mountain had looked so strange! The two boys went back until they came to another door. It was shut. They pushed against it and it opened.

  The room inside was very odd. It held nothing at all but a rope ladder that went up and up and up into the darkness of the roof!

  “There must be a narrow hole that goes up for a long way,” whispered Jack. “I wonder where the rope ladder leads to. Sh! Mafumu — there’s someone coming!”

  Sure enough, voices and footsteps could be heard once more. Mafumu gave a groan of fright, caught hold of the rope ladder, and was up it in a trice, disappearing into the darkness of the high roof at once. Jack thought it was a good idea and he followed as well.

  Just in time! Three men came into the little room, shut the door and began to talk in their harsh voices. Jack and Mafumu stayed still on the ladder, for they knew that if they climbed higher the ladder would shake and the men would guess someone was up there.

  The men talked for ten minutes, and then went out. The two boys climbed up the ladder at once. They thought they would be safer at the top than at the bottom!

  The ladder was fastened to a ledge, and opposite the ledge was another door, strong and heavy. It was bolted on the outside with great heavy bolts that looked impossible to move!

  “Somebody’s bolted in there,” whispered Jack. “Do you suppose it’s Peggy and Nora and Mike and the rest of them?”

  Mafumu nodded. Yes — he felt sure they had stumbled on the prison of the rest of their little party! He began to pull at the bolts.

  Although they were heavy, they were well oiled and ran fairly easily when both boys pulled at them. One by one they slid the back. There was a kind of latch on the door, and Jack slid it up. The door opened.

  Not a sound came from the room inside. The boys hardly dared to peep round the door. What would they see? Surely if their friends were in their they would have made some sound, said something or shouted something!

  Jack pushed the door wide open and went boldly inside, far more boldly than he felt! And what a surprise he got!

  The rest of their party were not there — but Captain and Mrs. Arnold were! They lay on piles of rugs in the corner of the dimly lit cave, looking pale and ill. They watched the opening of the door, thinking that someone was bringing them food.

  When they saw Jack they sprang to their feet in the greatest amazement! They stared as if they could not believe their eyes. They felt they must be dreaming.

  “Jack! Jack! Is it really you?” asked Mrs. Arnold at last. “Where are the others — Mike, Peggy and Nora?”

  Mike, Peggy and Nora were Mrs. Arnold’s own children, though she counted Jack as hers too, because he had once helped the others when they were in great trouble. Jack stared at Captain and Mrs. Arnold in joy. He flung his arms round Mrs. Arnold, for he was very fond of her.

  “There isn’t time to talk,” said Captain Arnold quickly. “Jack has opened our prison door. We’d better get out whilst we have the chance! Follow me. I know where we can go and talk in safety.”

  He led the way out of the room, taking with him some flat cakes and a pitcher of water. He stopped to fasten the bolts behind him, so that anyone coming that way would not notice anything unusual. Then, instead of going down the rope ladder, Captain Arnold took a little dark passage to the right that led steeply upwards. Before very long, much to the two boy’s amazement, they came into a vivid patch of sunlight!

  “There are sun-windows cut into the steep sides of this mountain here and there,” said Captain Arnold. “The Folk of the Mountain use them for sun-bathing. It is impossible to escape through them because the mountain falls away below them, and anyone squeezing out of a sun-window would roll to the bottom at once! We are safe here. Sometimes my wife and I have been taken h
ere to get a bit of sun, and no one ever comes by.”

  “Tell us everything, Jack,” begged Mrs. Arnold. “Quick — what about the others?”

  Jack and Mafumu were very glad indeed to curl up in the warm sunshine and feel the light and warmth of the sun once more. They munched the cakes and drank the water whilst Jack quickly told his whole story. Captain and Mrs. Arnold listened in the greatest astonishment.

  “Well, you have had amazing adventures before — but, really, this is the most extraordinary one you children have yet had!” said Captain Arnold. “And now, let me tell you our adventures!”

  He told them how he had been forced down to mend something that had gone wrong with the White Swallow. Whilst he was mending it, the Folk of the Mountain had come silently up and captured them. They had been taken off to the secret mountain, and had been kept prisoners ever since.

  “We don’t exactly know why,” said Captain Arnold. “But I’m afraid that the Folk of the Mountain don’t mean us any good! They are worshippers of the sun, and I believe they have a great temple-yard up on the top of this mountain where they make sacrifices to the sun. I only hope they don’t mean to throw us over the mountain-top to please the sun-god, or something like that!”

  “Good gracious!” said Jack, going pale. He had read in history books of ancient tribes who had worshipped strange gods and made sacrifices to them. He had never dreamed it could happen today. “What about the others? Will the Mountain Folk do that sort of thing to them too?”

  “Well, we must see that they don’t,” said Captain Arnold. “The others are in the mountain somewhere — and we must find them! Have you finished your cakes, Jack? Well, we will leave this warm sun-trap now and explore a little. I don’t expect anyone will find out that we are gone until the morning, as our guards had already brought us our food for the day. We have a good many hours to hunt for the others!”

  At first Mafumu was very shy of the two strange people, but when he saw how Jack chattered to them he soon began grinning and showing his white teeth.