Ashman thought that Haffgo was one of the number, but he could not make certain, and, since Ariel did not catch as favoring a glimpse as he, she could give no help in solving the question.
The best solution of the singular acts was that while the Murhapas seemed to try to hide themselves from the lovers, they still took pains to allow enough to be disclosed to reveal the movements, which they wished the couple to observe.
And here again, both Ashman and Ariel were in error.
Strange that a possibility which had once been thought of by the two did not occur again to them.
King Haffgo, despite his confidence in Ziffak, began to feel some distrust of him.

His refusal to attempt the leap of the chasm, and his former friendship for the explorers, might have been reasonably explained, but his failure to drive his javelin through the white man, who was so near and who never stirred from his position, could not be an accident.

He knew the marvellous skill of the head chieftain, who could have had but one cause for missing Ashman: that was an intentional deviation of his weapon, which, slight though it was, proved as effective as if hurled in the opposite direction.
And yet, shrewd as was Ziffak; he really believed he had deceived his royal brother.

No suspicion of the distrust in the mind of the king came to the chieftain, when he was directed to return to the village and bring ten more warriors with him.
But this errand secured the absence of Ziffak for a couple of hours at least, and that was the sole purpose of Haffgo in sending him out of the cavern of diamonds.
When the chieftain was gone, the archer was directed to ascertain how far he could steal around the cavern, by taking the opposite course.
Haffgo followed, directing the others to stay where they were until further orders were given them.
The archer set out at once, ahead of the king, both doing their best to avoid detection.
Fortune favored them in an unexpected manner.

The ledge was found easier of travel than they expected, and, by using great care, they worked their way to a point less than two hundred feet from where the fugitives were standing on guard.