These admonished them that more of the burning brush was being heaved into the hole.

Every now and then they could hear it as it went swishing past the door of their curtained chamber, the stalks and sticks rasping against the rocks in their descent.
After a time these sounds ceased to be heard; the Indians no doubt thinking that sufficient of the inflammatory matter had been cast in to cause their complete destruction.

If inside the cavern, they must by this time be stifled--asphyxiated--dead.
So must have reasoned the red-skinned fumigators; for after a while they desisted from their hellish task.

But, as if to make assurance doubly sure, before taking departure from the spot, they performed another act indicative of an equally merciless intention.
During the short period of silence their victims could not tell what they were about.

They only knew, by occasional sounds reaching them from above, that there was some change in the performance; but what it was they could not even shape a conjecture.
The interregnum at length ended with a loud rumbling noise, that was itself suddenly terminated by a grand crash, as if a portion of the impending cliff had become detached, and fallen down upon the platform.
Then succeeded a silence, unbroken by the slightest sound.