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from the world above。 I alone may enter here in safety。〃
〃Why have they not seized me？〃 he asked； humoring her
grotesque belief。
She looked at him quizzically for a moment。 Then she replied：
〃It is the duty of a high priestess to instruct； to interpret
according to the creed that others； wiser than herself； have
laid down； but there is nothing in the creed which says that
she must believe。 The more one knows of one's religion the
less one believesno one living knows more of mine than I。〃
〃Then your only fear in aiding me to escape is that your
fellow mortals may discover your duplicity？〃
〃That is allthe dead are dead； they cannot harmor help。
We must therefore depend entirely upon ourselves； and the
sooner we act the better it will be。 I had difficulty in
eluding their vigilance but now in bringing you this morsel
of food。 To attempt to repeat the thing daily would be the
height of folly。 Come； let us see how far we may go toward
liberty before I must return。〃
She led him back to the chamber beneath the altar room。
Here she turned into one of the several corridors leading
from it。 In the darkness Tarzan could not see which one。
For ten minutes they groped slowly along a winding passage；
until at length they came to a closed door。 Here he heard
her fumbling with a key； and presently came the sound of a
metal bolt grating against metal。 The door swung in on
scraping hinges； and they entered。
〃You will be safe here until tomorrow night；〃 she said。
Then she went out； and； closing the door； locked it behind her。
Where Tarzan stood it was dark as Erebus。 Not even his
trained eyes could penetrate the utter blackness。
Cautiously he moved forward until his out…stretched hand
touched a wall； then very slowly he traveled around the
four walls of the chamber。
Apparently it was about twenty feet square。 The floor
was of concrete； the walls of the dry masonry that marked
the method of construction above ground。 Small pieces of
granite of various sizes were ingeniously laid together
without mortar to construct these ancient foundations。
The first time around the walls Tarzan thought he detected
a strange phenomenon for a room with no windows but a
single door。 Again he crept carefully around close to
the wall。 No； he could not be mistaken！ He paused before
the center of the wall opposite the door。 For a moment he
stood quite motionless； then he moved a few feet to one side。
Again he returned； only to move a few feet to the other side。
Once more he made the entire circuit of the room； feeling
carefully every foot of the walls。 Finally he stopped again
before the particular section that had aroused his curiosity。
There was no doubt of it！ A distinct draft of fresh air was
blowing into the chamber through the intersection of the
masonry at that particular pointand nowhere else。
Tarzan tested several pieces of the granite which made up
the wall at this spot； and finally was rewarded by finding
one which lifted out readily。 It was about ten inches wide；
with a face some three by six inches showing within the chamber。
One by one the ape…man lifted out similarly shaped stones。
The wall at this point was constructed entirely； it seemed；
of these almost perfect slabs。 In a short time he had
removed some dozen； when he reached in to test the next
layer of masonry。 To his surprise； he felt nothing behind the
masonry he had removed as far as his long arm could reach。
It was a matter of but a few minutes to remove enough
of the wall to permit his body to pass through the aperture。
Directly ahead of him he thought he discerned a faint glow
scarcely more than a less impenetrable darkness。
Cautiously he moved forward on hands and knees； until at about
fifteen feet； or the average thickness of the foundation
walls； the floor ended abruptly in a sudden drop。 As far out
as he could reach he felt nothing； nor could he find the
bottom of the black abyss that yawned before him； though；
clinging to the edge of the floor； he lowered his body into
the darkness to its full length。
Finally it occurred to him to look up； and there above him
he saw through a round opening a tiny circular patch of
starry sky。 Feeling up along the sides of the shaft as far
as he could reach； the ape…man discovered that so much of
the wall as he could feel converged toward the center of
the shaft as it rose。 This fact precluded possibility of
escape in that direction。
As he sat speculating on the nature and uses of this
strange passage and its terminal shaft； the moon topped
the opening above； letting a flood of soft； silvery light into
the shadowy place。 Instantly the nature of the shaft became
apparent to Tarzan； for far below him he saw the shimmering
surface of water。 He had come upon an ancient wellbut
what was the purpose of the connection between the well
and the dungeon in which he had been hidden？
As the moon crossed the opening of the shaft its light
flooded the whole interior； and then Tarzan saw directly
across from him another opening in the opposite wall。
He wondered if this might not be the mouth of a passage
leading to possible escape。 It would be worth investigating；
at least； and this he determined to do。
Quickly returning to the wall he had demolished to
explore what lay beyond it； he carried the stones into the
passageway and replaced them from that side。 The deep deposit
of dust which he had noticed upon the blocks as he
had first removed them from the wall had convinced him
that even if the present occupants of the ancient pile had
knowledge of this hidden passage they had made no use of
it for perhaps generations。
The wall replaced； Tarzan turned to the shaft； which was
some fifteen feet wide at this point。 To leap across the
intervening space was a small matter to the ape…man； and a
moment later he was proceeding along a narrow tunnel；
moving cautiously for fear of being precipitated into another
shaft such as he had just crossed。
He had advanced some hundred feet when he came to a
flight of steps leading downward into Stygian gloom。
Some twenty feet below； the level floor of the tunnel
recommenced； and shortly afterward his progress was stopped
by a heavy wooden door which was secured by massive wooden
bars upon the side of Tarzan's approach。 This fact suggested
to the ape…man that he might surely be in a passageway
leading to the outer world； for the bolts； barring progress
from the opposite side； tended to substantiate this hypothesis；
unless it were merely a prison to which it led。
Along the tops of the bars were deep layers of dusta further
indication that the passage had lain long unused。 As he
pushed the massive obstacle aside； its great hinges shrieked
out in weird protest against this unaccustomed disturbance。
For a moment Tarzan paused to listen for any responsive
note which might indicate