“They know the ancient speech; it is as we were told from the Mountain,” he muttered to himself.  Then he asked—­“Strangers, what seek you?”

Now I grew cunning and did not answer, fearing lest, should he learn the truth, he would thrust us back into the river.  But Leo had no such caution, or rather all reason had left him; he was light-headed.

“We seek,” he stuttered out—­his Greek, which had always been feeble, now was simply barbarous and mixed with various Thibetan dialects—­“we seek the land of the Fire Mountain that is crowned with the Sign of Life.”

The man stared at us.  “So you know,” he said, then broke off and added, “and whom do you seek?”

“Her,” answered Leo wildly, “the Queen.”  I think that he meant to say the priestess, or the goddess, but could only think of the Greek for Queen, or rather something resembling it.  Or perhaps it was because the woman who had gone looked like a queen.

“Oh!” said the man, “you seek a queen—­then you are those for whom we were bidden to watch.  Nay, how can I be sure?”

“Is this a time to put questions?” I gasped angrily.  “Answer me one rather:  who are you?”

“I?  Strangers, my title is Guardian of the Gate, and the lady who was with me is the Khania of Kaloon.”

At this point Leo began to faint.

“That man is sick,” said the Guardian, “and now that you have got your breath again, you must have shelter, both of you, and at once.  Come, help me.”

So, supporting Leo on either side, we dragged ourselves away from that accursed cliff and Styx-like river up a narrow, winding gorge.  Presently it opened out, and there, stretching across the glade, we saw the Gate.  Of this all I observed then, for my memory of the details of this scene and of the conversation that passed is very weak and blurred, was that it seemed to be a mighty wall of rock in which a pathway had been hollowed where doubtless once passed the road.  On one side of this passage was a stair, which we began to ascend with great difficulty, for Leo was now almost senseless and scarcely moved his legs.  Indeed at the head of the first flight he sank down in a heap, nor did our strength suffice to lift him.

While I wondered feebly what was to be done, I heard footsteps, and looking up, saw the woman who had saved him descending the stair, and after her two robed men with a Tartar cast of countenance, very impassive; small eyes and yellowish skin.  Even the sight of us did not appear to move them to astonishment.  She spoke some words to them, whereon they lifted Leo’s heavy frame, apparently with ease, and carried him up the steps.

We followed, and reached a room that seemed to be hewn from the rock above the gateway, where the woman called Khania left us.  From it we passed through other rooms, one of them a kind of kitchen, in which a fire burned, till we came to a large chamber, evidently a sleeping place, for in it were wooden bedsteads, mattresses and rugs.  Here Leo was laid down, and with the assistance of one of his servants, the old Guardian undressed him, at the same time motioning me to take off my own garments.  This I did gladly enough for the first time during many days, though with great pain and difficulty, to find that I was a mass of wounds and bruises.