CHAPTER XXVI.
THE LAST OF THE SETTLEMENT MEN On that day of the vanishing of the three Settlement men, Nam paid his weekly visit to "do honour to the gods," and Leonard, who by this time could make himself understood in the tongue of the People of the Mist, attacked him as to the whereabouts of their lost servants.
When he had finished, the priest answered with a cruel smile that he knew nothing of the matter.

"Doubtless," he said, "the gods had information as to the fate of their own servants--it was not for him to seek those whom the gods had chosen to put away." Then turning the subject, he went on to ask when it would please the Mother to intercede with the Snake that he might cause the sun to shine and the corn to spring, for the people murmured, fearing a famine in the land.
Of course Juanna was able to give no satisfactory answer to the priest's questions, and after this the quarters of the Settlement men were changed, and for a few days the survivors slept in safety.

On the third night, however, two more of them were taken in the same mysterious manner, and one of those who remained swore that, hearing something stir, he woke and saw the floor open and a vision of great arms dragging his sleeping companions through the hole in it, which closed again instantly.

Leonard hurried to the spot and made a thorough examination of the stone blocks of the pavement, but could find no crack in them.
And yet, if the man had dreamed, how was the mystery to be explained?
After this, with the exception of Otter, who, sure of the fate that awaited them, took little heed of how or when it might fall, none of the party could even sleep because of their terror of the unseen foe who struck in silence and in darkness, dragging the victim to some unknown awful end.

Leonard and Francisco took it in turns to watch each other's slumbers, laying themselves to rest outside the curtain of Juanna's room.