Kaipi had asserted that
the two savages had slipped into the jungle growth after they had left
the table, and it was evident that they had gone to some underground
passage that connected with one of the pillars of the altar, through
which the crude mechanism for lifting the stone slab had been operated.
With one eye always to the dramatic, the wizards of the long ago had
built the altar so that the common worshippers surrounding the place on
days when the centipede was called upon to mash some unfortunate victim
could not see how the slab was lifted, and would thus put the uplifting
of the thing down to supernatural agency. It was the tribal Houdin who
laid the foundation of many a strange belief amongst savage races.
"Must be waiting for him to come to them," said Holman. "We'll give them
a few minutes longer."
It was Kaipi's sharp eyes that made the discovery. The pair came
cautiously out of the bushes immediately underneath the tree which
Holman and I had climbed to obtain a view of the surface of the table
two nights before, and they crossed the clearing with hesitating steps.
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