Philip did not attempt to speculate upon the intelligence displayed by the chimpanzees as he half-followed and was half-dragged along the narrow tunnel by Alice.

That these two had recognized in the king of the apes their old master whose life they had previously tried to save there could be no question, for on entering the narrow hiding-place in the house Ben Bolt had shown no surprise at finding confined there a man instead of an ape; and on her part, Alice acted as if recognizing the object of their search.

Both these animals must have been aware of the deception practiced upon the other apes and received some inkling of the true state of affairs, otherwise they would not have been so prompt in making this excavation for the purpose of rescuing him.

The labor they had performed was prodigious, as Philip understood while creeping along the tunnel; for, although they moved at a reasonably rapid pace, it was fully twenty minutes before the three emerged into a thicket of mimosas directly back of Ben Bolt’s former prison, and to the fugitive it seemed certain these animals must have commenced[238] their labors on the very night when the first mishap occurred to the skin of royalty.

Perhaps Goliah had made his suspicions public; or perhaps, again, Ben Bolt or Alice witnessed the first accident, and understanding who had been masquerading under the guise of the king, immediately formed a plan for his liberation. In either case the result of their labors was certainly brought about by reason rather than instinct, and the animal-trainer thought with a certain chagrin of the time when he believed apes could only be taught by example emphasized with severe punishment.

On emerging from the tunnel Philip could hear the shouts and cries of the apes who were searching the ruins; but the thicket of mimosas hid him from their view, and after beating down the ground as well as possible to hide any evidence of the existence of the tunnel, Ben Bolt motioned for Philip to follow him.

With Alice bringing up the rear, all three pushed forward at the utmost speed until they arrived at the mouth of the grotto in which Philip had previously taken refuge.

Since Goliah was in command of the apes the two chimpanzees were exposed to as much danger as their human comrade, for the huge baboon would undoubtedly make Ben Bolt a prisoner once more in order to separate him from his mate; and, therefore, Philip understood that he was to have the companionship of these beasts during such time as it might be necessary to remain in hiding.

[239]

The grotto was far from being a secure place of retreat, since at any moment a squad of apes might pass that way, and Philip now took upon himself the part of conductor, leading the animals directly into the subterranean chambers which he had discovered.

Here they could have light to a certain degree, water from the numberless streams, and plenty of food in the shape of fish; therefore their voluntary imprisonment might be monotonous but not painful, however long a time it should continue.

It was probable Goliah’s forces would discover these under-ground chambers, and to guard as far as possible against what might prove a dire calamity, Philip set about filling the passage leading from the grotto with fragments of limestone, taken from the chamber of statutes.

In this work he was aided by the chimpanzees very materially, and before three hours had passed they were in what appeared to be an impregnable position.

So far as Philip had discovered there was no means of entrance to the subterranean chamber save through the grotto, and with the tunnel half-filled by rocks, there was every reason to believe a siege could be sustained indefinitely. The animals appeared to understand quite as well as did their human companion that they were comparatively safe from Goliah and his forces, and hand in hand they wandered through the caverns, uttering exclamations of surprise or chattering with each other in[240] a low tone, but returning to Philip every moment to make sure he would not again disappear from their view.

A dinner and supper of boiled fish, then a long time of unbroken repose, and another day dawned.

During the hours devoted to slumber Philip had resolved that, in order to occupy his mind and provide the needful exercise for all, he would again take up his work of gathering gold, although it might not be possible to carry it away. When breakfast had been cooked in the boiling spring, and eaten, he motioned for the chimpanzees to follow him down the course of the stream.

In order to make them understand what he wished to do, it was only necessary to take from the water a few of the yellow nuggets, compare them with bits of limestone to show the difference in color, and then carry them to the hiding-place behind the statue. One example was ............