The Day of Resis

Mr. Bruce, who held the torch, dropped it to the floor at the ghastly sight which met his gaze. From all sides these horrible visages were looking at them. There seemed to be thousands of them; in fact, the number seemed unlimited and as the torch flickered away on the floor, casting long shadows over these sombre surroundings, the scene was enough to curdle the blood of the strongest. Mr. Bruce stooped and picked up the torch again, he having recovered from the shock which the scene first gave him.

The hall was about fifty feet wide and ten feet high; the depth could not be ascertained because it went beyond the vision. They had entered the hall by a door about seven feet high from the corridor of winds. This hall or chamber was like the corridor hewn out of the solid rock, the ceiling, sides and floor being perfectly smooth. The party now began to examine the bodies which were arranged in groups about the walls and piled in heaps all over the chamber. These figures were small, being on an average about five feet in length; but the bodies had been well-proportioned in life more than likely, but now the skin was drawn tightly over the bones; the lips having dried and drawn away from the teeth, leaving the grinning, ghastly expression, which first struck such horror to the hearts of the explorers. The bodies were nude, having no covering whatever, but around each, just below the arms, was a band of copper. There were no signs of embalming cloths at all about the chamber and their bodies had seemingly been preserved by a process of injection of some powerful fluid, whilst there was a natural means of some kind in these underground passages which preserved them. The skin was almost black and rather thin, having that dull color which death or age gives to the skin; it shone like ebony.

Mr. Bruce took hold of several of the bodies and removing them, found their limbs and arms as pliable as in life. This, too, was against all natural and scientific principles and could not be explained.

“What do you think of all this?” asked Mr. Bruce of Mr. Graham.

“I should say that these bodies had been here for some time, but how long it would be impossible to say,” answered Mr. Graham.

“Onrai,” said Mr. Bruce, “have you ever seen any such people in your country?”

“Never,” answered Onrai, and his face looked puzzled. “I cannot understand this at all. Can it be that these people have always inhabited these underground passages, here under our country? Can this be the great death hole, to which the wicked are condemned?” and Onrai turned to look about him.

“No, no, Onrai, let not such thoughts come into your mind,” said Mr. Bruce. “These are dead and they know no suffering. If they were, as you suppose, they would be alive and undergoing great torture. You have been kept in ignorance of the existence of these people for good reasons, or it may be that the founder of your country knew nothing of this.”

“But are there any of these now living, I wonder? This we must learn before returning, so let us go on, taking good care not to lose our way,” said Mr. Graham.

They accordingly moved along through the death chamber, keeping straight ahead. The chamber seemed unending and went on and on, with the dead still piled in heaps and leaning against the walls. It must have taken ages to accumulate these thousands of dead.

“There seems no end to all this,” said Mr. Graham. “I would prefer that we get out of this place and into another not so thickly populated with the dead.”

“It must end some place,” said Mr. Bruce, and he had hardly finished speaking, when a wall loomed up ahead of him and the chamber was ended.

“Well, we are a nice lot,” said Harry; “there is no opening here and we will have to return.”

But after looking around for some time, and by moving several of the bodies, an opening was discovered in one corner. This was small, but after crawling through it the party found themselves in another corridor, resembling the one of the winds. The hideous sight of the dead was now lost and they passed on down a smooth hallway quickly, nothing obstructing their headway. On, on they went, the corridor leading in a straight line, as near as they could calculate, in a southeasterly direction.

“I should much rather have followed the windy passage, if it had been possible,” said Mr. Bruce.

“And I,” said Mr. Graham. “But to fight against being blown away by that strong current would soon have exhausted us. But we may strike it again further on.”

“Yes,” said Harry, “and this passage may be leading us to great discoveries. I believe that if any of the strange race of people are yet alive, they must use this passage, for it would be quite impossible for them to get through the windy one.”

“How long it must have taken to cut this hall from a solid rock,” said Mr. Bruce, “and how many thousands of men it must have taken to accomplish this immense work.”

“It was not done in a day or a year, or in many years,” said Mr. Graham. “Still the work looks as if it might have been done years or hundreds of years ago.”

“We have made a greater discovery than the one of On,” said Mr. Bruce.

“That’s so,” answered Mr. Graham, “for this has the additional interest of being underground.”

“Is it possible?” said Onrai, “that my people have lived so long over these strange inhabitants of the under world and have learned nothing of them?”

“Your people are not at all curious, Onrai, or they would have long ago investigated these things,” said Mr. Bruce. “The desire for discoveries is altogether lacking in your make-up, and your laws have had a great deal to do with it. You believe that yours is the only race on this earth and that all things are known to you, so you have never thought it necessary to look beyond the things that be.”

“There is much for us to learn here,” said Onrai, a puzzled look coming into his face.

“No,” answered Mr. Bruce, “you know enough to make your lives contented and happy and anything beyond that would be folly. But that certain things exist that you do not know of, there is no doubt; these, however, are not necessary to your happiness or well-being, and for this reason have been kept from you. I would not let the things which you are now learning of for the first time, worry me in the least if I were you. Whatever these underground passages may bring to light, they cannot in the least effect you or yours; so it would be best not to give these any serious thought yourself or ever mention them to your subjects.”

“I believe you are right,” said Onrai, “for we are happy now and any greater knowledge might make us discontented, giving us a desire to reach out and learn more, thus making us restless. I can now realize how this can be.”

They were still following the smooth-floored corridor and throughout its entire length it had kept up that uniform width and height. The angle formed by the meeting of the floor and walls was sharp and perfectly cut as could be, and the beautiful arched roof showed wonderful skill in chiseling. They all walked along, after this conversation, each one engrossed in his own thoughts, when Onrai, who was in the lead, stopped, and stooping, picked up a peculiar-shaped spear; the handle was short and made of the backbone of some kind of fish; the head was long and narrow and made of a very flinty stone; this head was set into the handle, a slot being cut into the latter for this purpose; a cement was used to fasten this head firmly into the handle, it also being bound to it by thongs in much the same manner as are all spearheads of the African tribe. Examining it more closely, stains were seen on the head and handle, and the handle was notched in several places. The spear might have been left there a day before or a century before; it was in a perfect state of preservation, but the substance of which it was made was very nigh indestructible, so it might have laid there for ages.

“This passage has never been used since that spear was left here,” said Mr. Bruce.

“Why do you think so?” asked Mr. Graham.

“Because,” answered Mr. Bruce, “if it had been the spear would undoubtedly have been picked up, as it is more than likely that these are not so easily made as to be thrown away or left without being picked up.”

“If that be so,” said Mr. Graham, “it tells nothing that we may want to know. We are only interested in the live portion of this race, if there be any of them yet extant, and we want some clew that will lead us to them.”

“Well, I can say this much,” said Mr. Bruce, “that we will find them ahead of us if we find any at all.”

“Another indefinite declaration,” said Mr. Graham, “tell us how you know this, Mr. Bruce?”

“Why this spearhead was lying, turned in that direction in which we are going and when it was dropped, it was but natural that its loser was moving in the same direction, for in falling it would naturally fall that way.”

“There is considerable in that argument,” said Harry, “and I agree with you, Mr. Bruce, that whoever dropped it was the last person through here and was going in the direction in which we are now moving.”

“Well, we shall see,” said Mr. Graham, “have you made out the stains on the handle, Mr. Bruce?”

“No, but they look very much like congealed blood and I suppose they are nothing else. These people probably use the spear for killing fish.”

“Why fish,” asked Onrai.

“Well, that was only another supposition of mine,” said Mr. Bruce. “You see it is hardly likely that these people have any land animals down here. Such things have never been found yet or at least not in any numbers. But fish in subterranean rivers and lakes are very prevalent; in fact an underground river or lake is seldom found without these fish, some of them, as is the case in the great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, being without eyes. Then, we know that these people find fish in some part of their underground home, for we have the proof of it here,” and Mr. Bruce held up the spear handle.

“But do you know that that is fish bone?” asked Harry.

“Well, from what I have learned on the subject, I should say that it was,” said Mr. Bruce.

“Yes, it looks like a bone in the fish we catch in the lake,” said Onrai.

“Well, it is decided that it is a fish bone and the stains are made by the fish blood,” said Mr. Bruce. “Now, we know that somewhere in this cave there is a river or lake and I would say that the passage, which we are now traversing, is but the avenue leading to the death chamber. These people probably realize that it is best to have the dead well-removed from the living quarters, for the same reason, may be, that we do this above. Therefore we are on the right road to the living habitations of this people, if there be any of them now living. Listen,” and as Mr. Bruce, ceased speaking, he stopped and the others following his example, a low buzzing sound was heard like the hum of many voices.

“What is it,” whispered Mr. Graham.

“Hard to tell,” said Mr. Bruce, “but we will soon learn for it is growing louder,” and raising his torch he blew it out, leaving them in perfect darkness.

“What shall we do?” asked Onrai.

“It is hardly safe to look forward, and it looks decidedly cowardly to retreat, and we will be an open mark if we stand still,” said Mr. Bruce.

“Let us move a little further forward,” said Mr. Graham, “and we may find a hiding place. If we find that these people are coming this way and are in great numbers, we can keep ahead of them until we reach the death chamber, when we can barricade the small entrance with the bodies and in this way hold off an army.”

They all agreed to this and moved a little further forward. The passage at this point made a slight turn to the south and as our friends rounded the corner they came in sight of a number of lights far down the passage. These were being carried by a number of beings, who looked, at this distance, to resemble the bodies in the death chamber. Our friends stopped, not knowing whether to turn and go back or keep on for a short distance.

“Look well down on the left,” said Harry, “don’t you see that hole in the wall?” They looked and all saw it, but it was fully half-way between the torchbearers and themselves. It would be almost suicidal to try and reach it, but Mr. Bruce, who was looked on as the ringleader of the party, said: “Come, keep close to the left wall and walk sideways and step as quickly as possible. I think we can reach the hole before they see us. They seem to be engrossed in something else at present and not expecting to find any strangers in this hole, which has never seen one before probably. We may escape them.”

And so saying, Mr. Bruce took the lead. They hurried forward, walking with their backs to the wall. The natives were coming towards them slowly and each moment brought them into better view. Their figures were perfectly nude and of a bluish-white color; looking as if they might have been black originally, but long absence from the light of day had faded them to the present color. They were not over five feet in height and their bodies were slender. They were chanting a strange dirge in a peculiar tone and this did not make the strangers’ position any brighter.

Slowly our friends moved toward them and the hole. They were still hid in the shadows, but they could not expect to be out of the light of the torches much longer, for the natives were now getting very near them. The hole was nearly reached when a shout went up from the natives, but instead of hurrying forward they crowded back, apparently afraid to encounter the strangers which they saw coming toward them.

“Keep on to the hole,” said Mr. Bruce.

They did so, and a moment later reached it and passed through. When they were all inside the new chamber or hall, they stopped; it being perfectly dark. The torchbearers, after running back for a short distance, stopped, and again resuming their chant, started forward. Our friends stood perfectly still, and threw themselves on the defensive. They could see the light through the doorway growing brighter and brighter, and could hear the voices growing louder. Had they seen them, or was the shout caused by something else? It might have been a part of the strange proceedings which they were now going through.

“Do nothing until they attempt to enter the opening,” said Mr. Bruce, “then use your weapons.”

The procession outside came nearer and the chant grew louder, as if the strange people would in this way strengthen their courage. What would it be, fight, or run, or neither? Whatever it was to be they would soon know, for now they were at the doorway and passing. They are safe.

“No, look,” said Mr. Graham, “the door——”

It was true. A huge stone was slowly moving into the open place, making them prisoners.