Here, in this darkness, where there was but a faint twinkle from the feeble lamps, their eyes seemed to serve them as well as mine did in the outer light of day; and the chief, who outside had moved with an uncertain step, and had blinked painfully at objects with his eyes almost closed, now appeared to be in his proper element; and while I hesitated like a blind man and groped along with a faltering step, he guided me, and seemed to see everything with perfect vision.
At length we stopped, and the chief raised up a thick, heavy mat which hung like an unwieldly curtain in front of a doorway.

This the chief lifted.

At once a blaze of light burst forth, gleaming into the dark, and appearing to blind him.

His eyes closed.

He held up the veil for me to pass through.