The two entered the opening after some difficult climbing and advanced a short distance into the gloom. Virginia stood peering into the darkness, when suddenly there was a rush of footsteps upon the rocky floor of the cavern, and before she could escape she felt herself seized by unseen hands that reached from the darkness and bore her from her feet.
Gala, who had not advanced so far into the cavern mouth, rushed for the opening and made her escape. She called loudly for help, and members of the Duros guard came running toward her. She informed them whathad occurred, and the warriors rushed into the cavern. They shouted, and the answering echoes threw them into superstitious terror.
They left the place and reported the occurrence to Duros, who immediately ordered a large company of warriors with torches to assemble. An advance was started into the cavern and continued for more than half a mile. Duros in person led the vanguard of his men.
20
When Virginia felt herself lifted and carried along she made no outcry, for she realized that her strength was incapable of combating with her unknown antagonist.
For a long time she was carried by powerful arms until she noticed the darkness in the cavern beginning to grow lighter. She glanced upward for a look at her unknown captor. The face she viewed filled her with terror. The man who was carrying her was of tremendous size and possessed the muscular development of a gorilla. He was beardless, and his skin was ashen gray. When he saw her glance at him he spoke, and the language used was that of the men of Teeheemen.
"Morop is the king of the hollow mountain," he announced. "Morop was the friend in secret of Walum, the high priest of Teeheemen. To Morop, Walum brought choice offerings from the land of Teeheemen. Walum is dead, for Morop has spied from the secret passage upon the white men and Duros. Morop's wife is old and ugly. The white woman shall become the wife of Morop."
Virginia felt the great arms of the giant crush her body to his breast. She felt his massive lips pressed with crushing force against her own.
"In a few days," the giant announced, "Morop of the hollow mountain will make a great feast for his new wife."
Still carrying her, Morop proceeded along the corridors of the great cavern. The light increased constantly, until Virginia could ascertain the cause for this. The mountain into which she was being carried was a great shell, largely hollow, and at the top of the volcanic peak was an enormous opening an eighth of a mile in diameter. Through this the sunlight and fresh air penetrated to a great portion of the interior.
Morop earried Virginia to a point in the cavern where a number of rudely fashioned stone huts stood. In one of these he placed the girl, and then pushed a large stone over the opening.
To Virginia the time passed slowly in her rough prison. Several hours had passed when she was aroused by the sound of a number of warriors of Morop's mountain tribe assembling and chanting fierce songs. Looking through one of the cracks in the wall of her prison, she saw more than a hundred powerful, brutelike men circling about and chanting.
They were armed with great bludgeons and spears. With a final wild shout they ceased their chanting and proceeded in the direction of the Valley of Teeheemen. Duros, advancing at the head of his forces into the hollow mountain, was suddenly attacked
