Also， we were anxious that it should be adhered to for another reason， since we knew that on this day but a small number of priests and guards would be left in charge of the idol， and my son could not be among them. Now， whatever may have been the views of the Abati， we as Christians who bore them no malice did not at all desire to destroy an enormous number of innocent Fung， as might have happened if we had fired our mine when the people were gathered to sacrifice to their god.
The fatal day arrived at last. All was completed， save for the blocking of the passage， which still went on， or， rather， was being reinforced by the piling up of loose rocks against its mouth， at which a hundred or so men laboured incessantly. The firing wires had been led into that little chamber in the old temple where the dog Pharaoh tore out the throat of Shadrach， and no inch of them was left unguarded for fear of accident or treachery.
The electric batteries--two of them， in case one should fail--had been tested but not connected with the wires. There they stood upon the floor， looking innocent enough， and we four sat round them like wizards round their magic pot， who await the working of some spell. We were not cheerful； who could be under so intense a strain？ Orme， indeed， who had grown pale and thin with continuous labour of mind and body， seemed quite worn out. He could not eat nor smoke， and with difficulty I persuaded him to drink some of the native wine. He would not even go to look at the completion of the work or to test the wires.
"You can see to it，" he said； "I have done all I can. Now things must take their chance."
After our midday meal he lay down and slept quite soundly for several hours. About four o'clock those who were labouring at the piling up of débris over the mouth of the tunnel completed their task， and， in charge of Quick， were marched out of the underground city.
Then Higgs and I took lamps and went along the length of the wires， which lay in a little trench covered over with dust， removing the dust and inspecting them at intervals. Discovering nothing amiss， we returned to the old temple， and at its doorway met the mountaineer， Japhet， who throughout all these proceedings had been our prop and stay. Indeed， without his help and that of his authority over the Abati the mine could never have been completed， at any rate within the time.
The light of the lamp showed that his face was very anxious.
"What is the matter？" I asked.
"O Physician，" he answered， "I have words for the ear of the Captain Orme. Be pleased to lead me to him."
We explained that he slept and could not be disturbed， but Japhet only answered as before， adding：
"Come you with me， my words are for your ears as well as his."
So we went into the little room and awoke Oliver， who sprang up in a great fright， thinking that something untoward had happened at the mine.
"What's wrong？" he asked of Japhet. "Have the Fung cut the wires？"
"Nay， O Orme， a worse thing； I have discovered that the Prince Joshua has laid a plot to steal away 'Her-whose-name-is-high.'"
"What do you mean？ Set out all the story， Japhet，" said Oliver.
"It is short， lord. I have some friends， one of whom--he is of my own blood， but ask me not his name--is in the service of the Prince. We drank a cup of wine together， which I needed， and I suppose it loosed his tongue. At any rate， he told me， and I believed him. This is the story. For his own sake and that of the people the Prince desires that you should destroy the idol of Fung， and therefore he has kept his hands off you of late. Yet should you succeed， he does not know what may happen. He fears lest the Abati in their gratitude should set you up as great men."
"Then he is an ass！" interrupted Quick； "for the Abati have no gratitude."
"He fears，" went on Japhet， "other things also. For instance， that the Child of Kings may express that gratitude by a mark of her signal favour toward one of you，" and he stared at Orme， who turned his head aside. "Now， the Prince is affianced to this great lady， whom he desires to wed for two reasons： First， because this marriage will make him the chief man amongst the Abati， and， secondly， because of late he has come to think that he loves her whom he is afraid that he may lose. So he has set a snare."
"What snare？" asked one of us， for Japhet paused.
"I don't know，" answered Japhet， "and I do not think that my friend knew either， or， if he did， he would not tell me. But I understand the plot is that the Child of Kings is to be carried off to the Prince Joshua's castle at the other end of the lake， six hours' ride away， and there be forced to marry him at once."
"Indeed，" said Orme， "and when is all this to happen？"
"I don't know， lord. I know nothing except what my friend told me， which I thought it right to communicate to you instantly. I asked him the time， however， and he said that he believed the date was fixed for one night after next Sabbath."
"Next Sabbath is five days hence， so that this matter does not seem to be very pressing，" remarked Oliver with a sigh of relief. "Are you sure that you can trust your friend， Japhet？"
"No， lord， I am not sure， especially as I have always known him to be a liar. Still， I thought that I ought to tell you."
"Very kind of you， Japhet， but I wish that you had let me have my sleep out first. Now go down the line and see that all is right， then return and report."
Japhet saluted in his native fashion and went.
"What do you think of this story？" asked Oliver， as soon as he was out of hearing.
"All bosh，" answered Higgs； "the place is full of talk and rumours， and this is one of them."
He paused and looked at me.
"Oh！" I said， "I agree with Higgs. If Japhet's friend had really anything to tell he would have told it in more detail. I daresay there are a good many things Joshua would like to do， but I expect he will stop there， at any rate， for the present. If you take my advice you will say nothing of the matter， especially to Maqueda."
