nearly noon
Would he be in time to rescue ? He hoped against hope . At least he could be revenged , and in his wrath it seemed to him that he was equal to the task of wiping out the entire population of that terrible city . It was nearly noon when he reached the great bowlder at the top of which terminated the secret passage to the pits beneath the city . Like a cat he scaled the precipitous sides of the frowning granite KOPJE . A moment later he was running through the darkness of the long , straight tunnel that led to the treasure vault . Through this he passed , then on and on until at last he came to the well-like shaft upon the opposite side of which lay the dungeon with the false wall .