The Web of the Golden Spider Part 38

The girl remained immovable, still staring into the glittering eyes of the image. He studied her eagerly as though he would lead her mind before he spoke, for upon the first reply to his question depended the success or failure of all he had dared, of all he had undertaken. As she answered, either he would be the laughing stock of the world, or the most famous of modern adventurers; a comparatively poor man, or the richest in jewels of all the world. Suddenly he stooped and, bending close to the ear of the girl, said very distinctly:

"We are on the lake of Guadiva. It is said that here below the waters lies the shrine of the Golden One. You can see below the waters.

Is--the shrine--here?"

Her lips moved uncertainly; an indistinct muttering followed. He held his breath in his excitement.

"The shrine--it is--it is below."

His color changed from gray to the red of youth; his eyes brightened, his whole body seemed to grow young with new strength. He asked the second question with feverish impatience,

"From here is it straight ahead, to the left, or the right?"

"Ahead and--and I can't see, I----"

"Look deeper and you can see."

"To the right," she said decisively.

He dipped the paddle deep and put all his strength into the strokes.

For a hundred yards the ripples broke in front of the clumsy craft.

Again he stopped and asked the direction. Her lips trembled over the words, exactly like those of one talking in sleep. It was always with an effort that she was able sufficiently to concentrate herself to give voice to what she saw. This time she bade him continue straight ahead. So he proceeded for another hundred yards. In this way he crossed to within an eighth of a mile of the opposite sh.o.r.e. Here she bade him pause, in answer to his questioning. He was not an emotional man, but he had never been under such a tension as during this manoeuvering or felt such a variety of sensations.

"To the left," she muttered. And then almost querulously, "I can't find it. It is near here, but I do not see it."

She moved him almost in a circle, and still back and forth, back and forth without seeming able to locate the spot for which she sought.

They were opposite two high cliffs which revealed a deep fissure between them. Now and again her head turned upwards to this spot and her face became troubled--the brows coming together in a puzzled scowl, which sometimes faded away into a look of fear. Once, with a startled cry, she put her hands up over her eyes and swayed back and forth with low moaning. He roused her from this by a sharp command, and she turned again to the lake with no trace of this disturbance. He began to get worried as she reached no definite spot. It was possible that she could not bring him to any smaller radius than this circle.

This would leave a doubt so serious as after all to bring things to nothing. He stooped again.

"The altar--it is near here? We must find it--find it. Look deep--look in all directions--look without fear. You must find it--the altar of the Golden One with its treasure. You must find it."

But she only raised her head and fixed her staring eyes upon the dark cliffs. She looked as though she were listening very intently,--as to a cry from a distance of which she was not sure.

Her lips formed the word "David." He caught it and it startled him so that for a moment he followed her eyes, listening too. But beyond there was nothing but the sober height of barren rock standing stark against the sky. There was no movement below on the sh.o.r.e; there was no shadow upon the lake. Yet with eyes fixed upon this scene she still called the name, "David, David."

Sorez placed his hand upon her forehead. He concentrated the full power of his mind upon the quest.

"Below--below--you must look below, not above. You must see nothing but the altar of the Golden One. Below, deep, deep--look, search until you find it."

Her features became smooth once more and she obeyed the command. She said very distinctly this time.

"The altar is here."

"Below us?"

"Here."

He doubted--doubted even as the blood rushed through his veins with the gladness of her words. He doubted as one will to prolong the joy of the truth. But there still remained much else to be learned. It was possible that the treasure was not so great as had been reported.

If only she could see it lying there; if only she could tell him of the bars of yellow gold, of the glittering heaps of precious stones, of the jumbled pile of golden plate which had lain there for so long!

The thought of it was enough to start the fever of desire. He wished even that he could force her to go down there and bring up to him a bit that he himself could touch and see and weigh. As he stood beside her with the l.u.s.t of this thing in his eyes, a shadow detached itself from the sh.o.r.e. It may have been only the reflection of a tiny cloud.

But there were no clouds. It may have been just a bit of driftwood.

But it moved slowly and steadily towards the raft.

Sorez bent above the girl again.

"The Golden Man will tell you. Look into his eyes very hard."

The girl grasped the image more tightly and obeyed.

"Now go below, deep--deep."

For some reason, even as she had done in the room when first she had held this thing, she drew back in fear at this.

"No! No!" she pleaded.

But Sorez had lost sight of her as a personality now; she was nothing but a means to this one end; nothing but an adjunct to this heathen idol. He repeated his command more decisively--more sternly. His words were sharp--cold.

The shadow which had left the sh.o.r.e still came nearer--silently, swiftly.

The girl rested her frightened eyes upon the brilliant jewels set below the ugly, squat brow. They glowed in answer. They sparkled like tiny fires. Her face grew strained--her breathing became more rapid.

"Deeper--deeper!"

The shadow had come very near. Had the girl not been looking so intently into the crystal eyes, she could have seen--could have warned. The moon now showed it to be a canoe and in the canoe a man.

The man was very lean and his uncovered head was close shaven. His eyes were very like those in the image.

The girl shuddered.

"Deeper--deeper!" came the relentless command.

Her voice came back m.u.f.fled--as though from a distance.

"It is dark--dark."

She began to gasp. Then suddenly she placed her hand to her head.

"I see no gold--I see no gold!"

Sorez sank to his knees before the girl. His face was chalk white.

"Gone? Is it gone?"

The shadow was now beside the raft. The shadow was now behind Sorez.

The shadow placed one foot upon the raft, but it paused there a moment at the cry which brought Sorez also to attention.

"Father!" screamed the girl. "Father!"

Sorez stared straight ahead of him in a frenzy. Then the shadow sprang, throwing his arms about the tall figure. Without a cry Sorez sank under him. He made a brief struggle but he was too weak to overcome the demon strength of the man who bore him down. With remarkable dexterity, the Priest bound him hand and foot before he had recovered fully from the shock of the fall.

The girl was now murmuring to herself, murmuring the one word "Father." It was an appealing, frightened cry, full of doubt, uncertainty, and yet of hungry love. For a second it held the attention of both men, the Priest taking a step nearer the girl and looking at her almost curiously.