But the guards did not think for one minute that anyone could be missing! After all, no one could escape down the trap-door for it was bolted underneath — and no one, so they thought, could escape down the golden stairway without being seen. So the little party lived peacefully for two days, with no excitements at all.
Then things began to happen. The golden cage once more came up through the trap-door in the centre of the vast courtyard! Mrs. Arnold happened to be standing nearby and she had a great surprise when she saw the trap-door suddenly rise up and the golden cage appear. She ran to tell the others. They came to watch who was coming.
The chief himself walked from the golden lift! He was very tall, and very thin. His beard flamed in the sun, and his clothes swung round him like shimmering water as he walked. His yellow skin was wrinkled and drawn. He was an old, old man, but powerful and with piercing, eagle-like eyes.
He gave a sharp order. Men stepped out from the cage and came behind him. He walked solemnly to the temple, where he chanted several prayers to the sun in a strong harsh voice. Then he turned to his servants rounded up the little company of prisoners, and brought them before the chief. He ran his strange eyes over them and then looked at his servants in surprise. It was quite plain that he thought someone was missing!
He asked a sharp question. The servants hurriedly counted the prisoners and then sent two of their number to search the summit of the mountain thoroughly.
“They’ve gone to find Ranni and Pilescu,” whispered Jack. “Well, they won’t find them here!”
And they didn’t, of course, though they hunted in every corner and cranny. Ranni and Pilescu had disappeared completely.
The chief was angry. His eyes flamed, and his mouth became hard and straight. He addressed his servants fiercely, and they flung themselves on their faces before him. No one but Mafumu could understand what he was saying, and even Mafumu could not understand everything!
The chief walked majestically over to the company of prisoners and looked into each one’s face. No one flinched except poor Mafumu, who was in a state of real terror, partly because he was afraid of the yellow-skinned chief and partly because he knew something that the others didn’t know!
The chief was choosing who was to be the servant of the sun! He glared into Jack’s face. He stared closely at poor Nora and Peggy. He took Paul’s chin in his hand and peered at him. Nobody liked it at all.
Mafumu was very sad. Whom would the chief choose? Somebody must be the sacrifice to the sun. And poor Mafumu would have to break the news, for no one else understood what the yellow-skinned chief was doing!
The Servant Of The Sun
The tall chief took hold of the little prince and called out some strange words to his followers. At once two men stepped forward and took the frightened boy. He did not know what they were going to do with him, but he was determined not to show that he was afraid.
So, rather white, he stood up proudly and looked the chief straight in the face. Mike and the others felt proud of him.
Paul was marched off alone. He was taken to the golden door, which slid back silently. Then he disappeared down the stairway, and the door once more shut like magic. Captain Arnold stepped forward angrily.
“What are you going to do to the boy?” he cried. “Bring him back!”
The chief laughed then turned on his heel. He went up to the tower of the temple and began what seemed like a long prayer to the sun.
It was left to poor trembling Mafumu to break the news to the others. In his few English words he tried to explain that little Paul was to be the servant of the sun. Everyone listened in amazement and horror. Captain and Mrs. Arnold who had feared that something like this could happen ever since they had been brought to the temple on top of the mountain, looked despairingly at one another.
“I can’t see how we can possibly save him,” said Captain Arnold at last. They all sat down in the shade, and Peggy and Nora began to cry. If even grown-up people couldn’t do anything, then things were indeed in a bad way!
Mike and Jack and Mafumu talked together. Jack would never give up hope. He was that kind of boy. But Mike was full of dismay, and as for Mafumu, he was simply shivering with worry and fright. He kept as close to Jack as he could, as if he thought that Jack would protect him from everything.
Jack was very edgy, though he didn’t show it. “I wish you’d do something instead of shivering all over me,” he said to Mafumu, pushing the boy away.
“Give him a pencil or a notebook to play with,” said Mike. “He’s only a little kid, and you can’t blame him for being a bit scared.”
Jack put his hand into his pocket and brought out a diary. He had been keeping the tale of their adventures there, day by day. He handed it to Mafumu.
“Here you are. Play with this over in the corner there,” he said. Mafumu took the notebook eagerly. He turned over each page one by one, rubbing his fingers over the pages in which Jack had written. He could not understand anything, of course, because he could not write or read.
He came to where Jack had written the day before. After that the pages were blank. Mafumu was puzzled. Why was nothing written in one half of the book? He rolled himself over beside Jack and pointed to the blank pages.
Jack tried to explain to Mafumu. “Today I write, tomorrow I write, but not till the day has gone,” he said.
“Jack, what’s the date today?” asked Mike idly. “I’ve really lost count of the days, you know! I don’t know if it’s Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or what — or if it’s the tenth, eleventh, twenty-first, or thirtieth of the month!”
“Well, I can tell you, because I’ve written down our adventures every day,” said Jack. “It’s Wednesday — and it’s the sixteenth. Look.”
Mike took the diary. He glanced at the next day, and gave an exclamation.
“Oh, Jack! Look what it says for tomorrow!”
“What?” asked Jack, surprised.
“It says there will be an eclipse of the sun,” said Mike. “I do wonder if we’ll see it here?”
“Let’s ask your father,” said Jack. So the two boys went across to Captain Arnold, with the faithful Mafumu following at their heels.
“Dad! It says in Jack’s diary that there is an eclipse of the sun tomorrow!” said Mike. “Do you think there is any chance at all of seeing it here?”
“What’s an eclipse of the sun?” asked Peggy. “I know we’ve learnt about it in school, but I’ve quite forgotten what happens.”
“It’s quite simple,” said Mike. “All that happens is that the moon on its way through the sky passes in front of the sun, and blocks out the sun’s light for a little while. It eclipses the sun’s light, and for a time the world looks queer and strange because there is no sunlight in the daytime!”
Captain Arnold sprang to his feet. To Mike’s enormous surprise he snatched Jack’s diary from him and looked at what was printed there in the space for the next day.
“Eclipse of the sun, 11.43 a.m.,” he read. “Is this this year’s diary? Yes! My word! Eclipse of the sun tomorrow! It’s unbelievable!”
He spoke in such an excited voice that everyone came round him at once.
“What’s the matter? Why are you so excited?” cried Mike. Only Mrs. Arnold guessed. Her eyes were bright and hopeful.
“I’ll tell you. Listen carefully,” said Captain Arnold. He lowered his voice, for although he did not think that any of the Mountain Folk were listening anywhere, or could understand a word he said, he was not taking any chances.
“Mike has told you what an eclipse of the sun means. It means that the moon passes exactly in front of the sun, and it only happens rarely. If we were in England the sun would not be completely hidden by the moon — but here in Africa it will, and the whole countryside will become as dark as night!”
The children listened in excitement. What a strange happening it would be!
“Now these Mountain Folk are sun-worshippers,” said Captain Arnold. “It is quite plain that they have the custom of throwing unfortunate people over the mountain-side to sacrifice to the sun, when they want to please him, or ask him to grant a prayer. I am afraid that our little Paul has been chosen, and will be beyond our help tomorrow unless we do something. And now I see what we can do!”
“What?” cried everyone.
“Well, we will get Mafumu to explain to these people, when they next come up here, that I will kill the sun tomorrow, unless they set Paul free!” said Captain Arnold.
“How do you mean — kill the sun?” asked Nora in wonder.
“Well, to them, when the eclipse happens, it will seem as if the sun is being killed!” said Captain Arnold, smiling. “They won’t know that it is only the moon passing in front of the sun that is blocking out the light — they will really think I have done something to the sun they worship!”
“Oh, Captain Arnold — it sounds too good to be true!” cried Jack. “Won’t they be amazed? I wonder if they will set us all free if we do this.”
“Probably,” said Captain Arnold. “We can do our best, anyway. Now, I wonder if the Mountain Folk will come up at sunset tonight, and sing their mournful prayers!”
But, to everyone’s great disappointment, not a single person came. No word was heard of the little Prince. Nothing happened at all. Captain and Mrs. Arnold felt uneasy about Paul, but they did not tell the others.
“Probably there is a great hunt going on in the mountain for Ranni and Pilescu!” said Captain Arnold. “I do wonder what has happened to them. If only they have managed to slip out of the rock-entrance, and find help somewhere.”
The night passed. It was cold up on the mountain-top and everyone slept as usual muffled up in the soft warm rugs. The children missed Prince Paul and were sad when they thought of him. They knew he must be feeling very lonely and frightened all by himself, no matter how brave a face he put on when the Mountain Folk were there.
The dawn came, and the whole sky around was full of dancing silvery light.
“You can see such an enormous lot of sky from the top of a mountain,” said Mike, gazing all round. “Look — there comes the sun!”
The golden sun rose slowly into the sky and the children watched it. It was so beautiful that each child was filled with awe.
“It’s certainly the king of the sky!” said Mike. “I really am not surprised that these strange wild tribes worship the sun! Oh dear — I do miss Paul. I wonder where he is.”
They soon saw him again. Mike spied the trap-door slowly open in the middle of the big courtyard, and he called out to the others.
“Someone’s coming. Look!”
They all looked. The golden cage rose slowly through the space left by the trap-door, and in it the children could see the tall chief with his flaming red beard, two servants — and a small figure dressed in the most wonderful shimmering robes they had ever seen.
“Why — it’s Paul dressed like that!” cried Mike in amazement. “And look what he’s got on his head!”
Paul was certainly dressed in a very queer manner. He wore the shimmering golden garments down to his feet, and the flowing sleeves even covered his hands. On his head was a great head-dress made in the likeness of a glittering sun, with golden rays springing upwards.
The boy looked magnificent, and he walked very proudly. He had guessed that he was to be the servant of the sun, and he was afraid — but he was going to show Mike and the others that he was brave and courageous. He walked behind the chief, and sent a cheerful though rather quivery smile at his friends.
“Dear Paul. Good little Paul,” said Nora.
“I do feel proud of him,” said Mike, with a funny little break in his voice.
And then Captain Arnold stepped forward and shouted in such a tremendous voice that everyone jumped.
“Stop! I command you to stop!”
The tall chief stopped in his walk and glared round at Captain Arnold. He did not understand the words that the captain said — but he understood their meaning. There was no mistaking that at all!
“Come here Mafumu,” commanded Captain Arnold. The little boy came to him, trembling. “Tell the chief that I will kill the sun if he does anything to Paul,” said the Captain. Mafumu did not understand, so Jack explained as best he could in simple words.
Mafumu nodded. He knelt down before the chief, and banged his forehead on the ground before him.
Mafumu cried out some strange words to the chief, and then banged his forehead on the ground again. The chief frowned and looked at Captain Arnold. He said something sharp to Mafumu.
“Chief say no, Captain will not kill sun,” said the little boy. “He say that when the sun is high, high, high, Paul will go to the sun.”
“When the sun is high,” repeated Captain Arnold. “That means noon — twelve o’clock — and the eclipse is due at about a quarter to. Well — that will just about do it! Tell the chief I will kill the sun unless he sets us all free, Mafumu,”
But the chief laughed in their faces. He set off towards the tower of the temple, Paul following behind in his shimmering robes. Everyone watched them go — and how the children hoped that the eclipse of the sun would actually happen. It seemed too strange a thing to be really true.
The Sun Disappears!
The little company of prisoners were not allowed to go into the temple that morning. The two servants stood at the door and prevented anyone from entering. Mike could see the figure of Paul up on the tower with the tall chief, who was muttering and chanting all kinds of weird words to the sun. Paul waved to Mike once, and Mike waved back.
“It’s all right, Paul. You needn’t be afraid,” shouted Mike. “We’re going to save you!”
But the wind took away his words and Paul did not hear. He stood there bravely, the wonderful head-dress he was wearing shining and glinting in the sun.
As the sun rose higher and the day grew hotter, Captain Arnold and the rest of his party found what shade they could. There was always a big wind blowing on the summit of the high mountain, but even so the rays of the sun as it rose high were flaming hot.
At about eleven o’clock the great golden door slid open, and an enormous company of Mountain Folk came singing up the shining stairway. They were dressed in shimmering robes rather like Paul’s, and looked marvellous as they trooped out on to the great courtyard. Their faces were yellower than ever, and the men’s beards had been freshly dyed and flamed like fire.
They ranged themselves over the courtyard and then began to dance a strange dance. Their feet stamped, their robes swung and shimmered, their voices rose and fell in a queer chant.
“A sort of sun dance,” said Captain Arnold. Everyone was worried and anxious, but they could not help marvelling as they watched the curious sun-worshippers performing their extraordinary dance.
Captain Arnold glanced at his watch. It was half-past eleven. He looked anxiously up at the sun, which was almost at its highest point. No moon could be seen, of course, for the sun was so bright. But it was there all right, travelling through the sky.
An enormous gong boomed out from the temple. One of the servants of the chief was sounding it. The children had seen it there, but there had been nothing to bang it with — and now it was sounding over the mountain-top, booming its great solemn note all around. The valleys below took up the note and threw it back — and soon, from everywhere around, the echoes came back until it seemed as if the whole earth and sky were filled with the booming of the gong.
At once all the sun-worshippers fell on their knees. The chief waited until the sound of the gong had died away and then he spoke in a loud voice. He brought Prince Paul forward, and the boy stood there on the temple tower, his robes blowing and shining in the wind.