Page:Weird Tales Volume 5 Number 1 (1925-01).djvu/154

Rh "I'm feeling much better," Virginia smiled.

"What pleases me," said Benton, "is that we can begin to see the end of our stay in this country."

Gomo at this time entered the room, and with him was Duros. The latter extended his hand to the members of the party.

"Duros is now ruler of Teeheemen," he announced. "Urlus and his followers have fled from the city into the jungles. Tell us what the white gods wish, and it shall be done."

Virginia turned to Benton.

"Tell him," she said, "that we want to go home, and that we would like to know the way through the mountains."

Duros shook his head.

"If I knew the exit from the valley of Teeheemen," he said, "I would gladly tell my white friends. Duros would be glad to travel through it and view the land on the other side. Duros does not believe that where he was born is the only place where men may dwell."

"Duros is correct," Benton asserted. "The men of Teeheemen should be taught that there are vast valleys and countries many times larger than the Valley of Teeheemen. The land on the other side of the seemingly insurmountable mountain peaks that enclose your valley is not a land where spirits of the dead of Teeheemen dwell but is the land where other races exist, races that in many instances worship a living yet invisible God."

"Duros has a plan for finding the exit from the valley," he said after thinking for a few minutes. "It has ever been reported from the temple of the high priest that the exit was in some manner connected with the temple of Teeheemen. The temple must be thoroughly investigated first."

At this juncture, Gomo, who had remained silent during the conversation, spoke.

"If my friends will come with me," he said, "Gomo wishes to show them what he has discovered at the place where the walls of the temple were destroyed."

The members of the party gathered their weapons and followed after the giant native. Benton and Otter had recovered their rifles from the room where they had been left in the arena, and the rifles of Holton and Virginia had been recovered from one of the private rooms of Walum in the temple.

Gomo led the way to where the bomb placed by Benton had wrecked the temple wall. He went to a point where a large rent appeared in a portion of heavy masonry seemingly erected against the base of the granite of the mountain that rose almost perpendicularly into the heavens above the temple of Teeheemen. Gomo thrust his spear into the crack.

"Here, Gomo believes, is the beginning of the passage from the land of Teeheemen into the outer world."

Benton and Otter thrust the barrels of their rifles into the darkness of the opening.

"There must have been a door leading into this from the rear of the smother chamber where we were placed," Benton commented.

"Yes," Holton admitted. "We will have to get this place opened before we can enter and explore."

"I still have a couple of bombs in my possession," Benton laughed. "I think we can tear this thing wide open."

"We are willing for you to demonstrate," Virginia laughed, "but let us get at a safe distance before you place it."

Virginia and the other members of the party removed themselves while