Page 186 (1/1)

It was a grewsoht to approach in such a place, especially as the peculiar eyes appeared to follow htest movement Yet only for a breathless ri portion of this diround apartayly decorated skin or two, and the figure of afast asleep at the very feet of the statue Beyond showed a dark opening where the tunnel continued onward into the earth

It required brief observation to note these outlines, nor did they greatly serve to delay hly convinced of the reality of the priest's slu close as possible within the shadow of the eastern wall, until once again safely sithin the blackness of the passage Oddly enough thethere unconscious served to yieldthe cave of its loneliness, and I plunged directly ahead

The passage I now followed rose with a sharp pitch, evidently inclining toward the surface, the opening not far distant It was likea hill, so marked was the incline, yet I covered a distance fully equalling that ofaware of a steadily increasing gray tingeing the side walls Halting in this faint illulish speech I advanced cautiously The words were so confused by the echoes that little could be h which di intently, striving to discover whatreacheda low, dull murmur, as if voices chanted inof fla upon so the taut parchment of a drum Suddenly a deep voice close at hand roared out hoarsely, and nized it

"You black-faced son of Belial," caive all that food unto a du servant of the Most High, lies groaning with a stomach which has n't tasted food for four and twenty hours? Possess you no bowels of coivewooden ie will never miss it You won't, you spawn of Baal, yet I h how you filled your own lean belly with the best there was"