For Josane had proved extraordinarily reticent as to details; and all attempts to draw him out during their journey had failed. As they drew near the dreaded spot this reticence had deepened to a remarkable degree. The old Gcaleka displayed an ominous taciturnity, a gloom even, which was in no degree calculated to raise the spirits of the three white men. Even Eustace failed to elicit from him any definite facts. He had been "smelt out" and condemned to "the Home of the Serpents" and had escaped while being taken into it, and to do this he had almost had to fly through the air. But the place would try their nerves to the uttermost; of that he warned them. Then he would subside again into silence, regardless of any further attempt to "draw" him. There was one of the party whose motives, judged by ordinary human standards, were little short of heroic, and that one was Eustace Milne. He had nothing to gain by the present undertaking, nor had the others. But then they had nothing to lose by it except their lives, whereas he had not only that but everything that made life worth living into the bargain. Again and again he found himself cursing Xalasa's "gratitude," from the very depths of his soul. Yet never for a moment did he swerve in his resolve to save his unfortunate cousin if the thing were to be done, although there were times when he marvelled over himself as a strange and unaccountable paradox. A silence was upon them all, as they moved at a foot's pace through the dense and jungly tangle, mounting ever upwards. After an hour of this travelling they had reached a considerable height. Here in a sequestered glade Josane called a halt. "We must leave the horses," he said. "It is impossible to take them where we are going. _Whau_!" he went on, looking upwards and snuffing the air like a stag. "There will be plenty of thunder by and by. We have no time to lose." Taking with them a long twisted rawhide rope, of amazing strength, which might be necessary for climbing purposes, and a few smaller _reims_, together with a day's provisions, and every available cartridge, they started on foot, Josane leading the way. Each was armed with a double gun--one barrel rifled--and a revolver. The Gcaleka carried three small-bladed casting assegais, and a broad headed, close-quarter one, as well as a kerrie. They had struck into a narrow gorge in the side of the hill. It was hard work making any headway at all. The dense bush, intertwined with creepers, met them in places in an unbroken wall, but Josane would hack away manfully with his broad-bladed assegai until he succeeded in forcing a way. "It seems as if we were going to storm the devil's castle," said Shelton, sitting down to wipe his streaming brow. "It's hot enough anyway." "Rather," assented Hoste. "Milne, old chap, how do you feel?" "Headachy. There's a power of thunder sticking out--as Josane says-- against when we get out." "If we ever do get out."