"This done we started up the stairs, carrying the mummy with us. We did this so as not to horrify the Karnadamains too much with our sacrilege. We reached the top all right; then, remembering the dying advice of Rhae about breaking down the steps, I took back with me a good charge of gunpowder and dynamite, and, placing this in a wide crevice about a couple of dozen steps from the top, I ran up a train of gunpowder to the hall above. "I had hardly finished this operation when we heard them coming. We could hear their shouts and the clashing of their armour as they filled the chamber below and crowded up the stairs. At once I fired the train, and bolted as hard as I could spin to the outer door of the hall. "I had only taken about a dozen leaps when the explosion took place. Into the vast hall the smoke and dust flew from the smaller room, accompanied by the crushing and tumbling of the blasted slabs. "As soon as the sounds ceased and the smoke cleared, we ventured back to look at the damage done. We had demolished not only the stairs, but torn great masses out of the walls of the room as well. Where the entrance to the stairs had been now lay several tons of broken masonry; the passage was completely blocked up. "We listened, but heard no sounds from below; then, satisfied that we were at last safe, we left the large painted hall. "Outside we went on the walls and looked over. There a vast crowd of chariots were standing, with a number of amazon guards. They saw us, and several bent their bows, but we could afford to laugh at this display, as the arrows only reached a short distance up the cliffs. "We at once hurried away, however, for suddenly a thought occurred to me that there might be some other way up, and we had no desire to be captured. "Another thing made us not linger in that deserted citadel. We had plenty of ammunition and wealth, etc., but we had very little provisions, and only about one bag full of water. "Fortunately we were going down the hill, and knew exactly how long we should take before we reached the Rhodes fountain. But for all that, we were nearly dead from thirst before we reached it. "Those awful bashikonay ants were in our minds also, all down that hot and parching defile. If we should meet them here, there was no hope for us. Luckily we did not, nor did we see any of them again. "The stream was still running as clearly as ever. We felt happy when we reached it, even although we had not half a meal each left out of our scanty stock. "Nor did we taste anything after that until we were a full day's journey from the mountain. Then we killed a couple of lions, and had to satisfy our appetites on them until we got once more amongst the game.