The Day of Resis

The ice-cutters, for it were they, had never before in their lives been surprised. They saw coming out of that inky blackness, from far up that windy quarter, where none of their people had ever dared to go, a party of half-clad human beings, who staggered on as if intoxicated and, at last, falling at their feet. They hurriedly gathered about the fallen fugitives and throwing restoratives in their faces, tried to make out who they were and if they were any of their people, but these had been rolled about the floor of the windy cavern so long, that what with bruises and dirt, they were unrecognizable. Onrai, who still had enough life left to whisper a few words, motioned for one of the men to stoop; the man did so and started back with still greater surprise, as Onrai said:

“Hurry, get us out of here into the sun. Don’t you know me? I am Onrai.”

The man could not speak for a moment, but then, regaining his senses, said:

“It is Onrai, the King, and his guests; hurry or they will perish.”

In an instant those about them began to take from their bodies the warm garments and place them about the half-frozen bodies of our friends. Then, taking them in their strong arms, they hurried towards the entrance of the cave. This was soon reached, and in the villa just outside, the attendants were soon working hard with their benumbed and bruised bodies. They were first plunged in a bath of warm water and then rubbed down thoroughly; then their wounds were dressed, after which they were placed on comfortable couches and made to rest. The poor underground native was treated likewise, and a suit of the cool silk was thrown about his body after his wound was dressed. He could not understand why all this was being done to him, but he could appreciate the delicate touches and the comfort which he was deriving from the treatment. Everything was strange to him; the peculiar white light of the sun, the green fields, the great shady trees, the high elephants, which he could see from his apartment stalking about the garden, and this grand house, to which he had been brought. And the food which they had given him was so different from the fish, which had always been his only diet; and the cooling honey wine, which they poured down his throat.

There was comfort in all this though and very shortly, his wound dressed and pain gone, his weary body soothed by the bath and treatment which the natives had given him, he fell asleep at last; his troubles ended, with no care on his wearied mind.

It had been early morning when our friends had emerged from the cave and after being thoroughly revived, they fell asleep and it was late in the evening before they awakened.

“Onrai,” said Harry, “will you ask one of the attendants what day this is?”

Onrai did so, and turned to him and said:

“We have been gone just six days, according to your method of measuring time.”

“Six days,” exclaimed they all in chorus, “impossible.”

“But then,” continued Mr. Bruce, “when we consider how far we have traveled, we can hardly expect that we have been gone less time than that.”

“Yes, it has been just six days,” said Onrai, “but remember where we were when we started and see where we are now. Why, our friends are three days march from us, that is, easy marches, but I think we can overtake them in two days by not taking too long rests.”

“But when shall we start?” asked Mr. Bruce, “our friends must be worried about us.”

“Just whenever you wish to,” answered Onrai, “to-night if you choose.”

“Why not to-night?” asked Harry, “we still have some hours left and going through the cool avenue at night would be grand.”

“Well, so it shall be,” said Onrai, “we will travel with elephants so that, if we get sleepy, we can rest in the howdahs.”

“And can I go with you?” asked the stranger.

“You can, my good man,” said Onrai. “Our friends would want to see and thank the one who has saved us; for if you had not helped us out that night, or day in the tunnel, we might have been wandering until now and on until death relieved us, in that awful hole.”

Elephants were brought and the party again took up their way. The elephants had been kept in an easy gait and had covered many miles and our friends hoped soon to reach the rest of the party.

“When shall we take up the journey again to the fields of diamonds, Onrai?” asked Mr. Bruce, as they rode along.

“Just as soon as you are all ready to start,” answered Onrai.

“And how far are we from the field,” asked Harry.

“Fully two hundred miles, as you would compute it,” answered Onrai.

“Then it will take us about ten days, will it not?” asked Harry.

“Yes, unless we make longer marches,” said Onrai, “and that is hardly necessary.”

“Not at all necessary,” answered Mr. Bruce, “and we can, by taking easy stages, better see the strange country through which we are passing.”

“Yes,” said Onrai, “and the scenery will be wilder and different in some respects.”

“Ten days to go and fourteen days to return,” said Harry. “That will take pretty near a month.”

“Yes, it will be fully that long before we return,” said Onrai, “and besides we will return by a different route, which will take us considerably longer. The new route will be over the regular macadamized roads, which, for many miles, are used very infrequently; but they are always kept in first-class repair, so that we will experience no discomforts for having left our onyx-floored avenue.”

“It is surely delightful riding over this perfect avenue,” said Mr. Graham, “everything though is delightful in this fair land. How different from that fearful country far down below us.”

“Probably only to us who know the difference,” said Onrai. “They may have their pleasures and comforts and hopes and Day of Resis. We know only what this man has taught us, and he has told us little.”

Again Onrai had mentioned The Day of Resis. What did it mean?