 African drums are talking. The white man traveling through Africa for the first time covers his ears to shut out the eerie sound. Yet it beats against his temples, rousing strange, out of his thick memories and desires that stir him into a restless tap-tapping in unison with the ghostly rhythm. Listen, the drums bring you a story of Africa. Professor Anton Edwards and his little party of explorers in Africa are following the directions of a talking mummified head. The professor maintains that its language is that of the lost Atlanteans, but the directions of the head cause them to be taken prisoners by a hostile tribe domineered by an unknown white man. Through the efforts of Nguro, a huge native prince, they escape and scale a circular range of mountains, finding them to be the outer shell of an extinct volcano. An earthquake sends them sliding into the crater. Volcanic gases put them to sleep, and on awakening they find the floor of the crater to be inhabited by a strange people whose speech and vests is that of the Middle Ages. The professor and Jack shoot two great apes that were pursuing a man and in doing so incur the displeasure of the priests of this strange country for the apes are apparently considered sacred. The party is escorted to a city, virtually prisoners, and given quarters in a temple due out of solid rock. We find our friends awaiting the pleasure of the high priest. Are you sure Lorna's all right, sir? Well, you saw me put Nguro on guard outside the door. That priest fellow or whoever he is didn't seem to like it, but if anything goes wrong, we'll hear Nguro's Messiah Warrior. You haven't heard it yet, Jack. Wait till you do. Make your blood run cold. Oh. Hello, Nguro. Buona. Missy. She here. Hmm. Come in, Lorna. Hello, Father. Hello, Jack. Hello, Lorna. All right, dear. Let's get down to business and discuss this thing. It may as well recognize the fact that we're being held as prisoners. But they haven't taken our guns away, sir. That's because they don't understand the use of them. They probably figure Nguro's spear, no match for their armor, as they do take a match. There's one thing certain, Father. They don't know what to make of it. Yes, but how are we going to explain the killing of those sacred apes? It's evidently a ritual every so often to turn a citizen loose among them. Is that what they were doing to that man we saved? Yes, my dear. As far as I can make out, they were sacrificing him according to a custom. We seem to have arrived at an unfortunate moment. Say, did you notice the houses as we came in? There were a bill of stone and mortar. All except this huge temple. It's carved out of solid rock, Jack. Have you any theories to what kind of people they are, Father? Yes, I have, but it's just a theory. That is, until I can have a talk with one of their historians if we get that far. Well, what is your theory, sir? Well, from their speech and dress, they're undoubtedly descendants of a large expedition that left England sometime during the Middle Ages. But there's no record of an expedition from England as early as that, is there? You forget the Crusaders, Lord. Yes, but how did they get over this way? Probably marched over and through France to the coast of the Mediterranean. Took a ship from Palestine and were blown off their coast and wrecked on the North African coast. But that's a long way from here, sir. Besides, what's happened to their religion? Religion in those days was the same as it is today. It can be altered and swayed by anyone who can work a little magic. Then you think someone changed it to suit his own purpose? I do. Probably a man who ingratiated himself with some of the witch doctors of the country saw how he could gain power and said about doing it. Do you think we're in any danger? I mean from the people. Not from the people. But if I can read character, we're in for a hectic time with the priests. Did you notice their cruel faces, Jack? Yes, but the first thing that struck me, the people seem to be afraid of them. They call them the Keepers of the Rock. I'm afraid they're going to resent our coming here. We've got to be prepared for it. What do you think, Lunguro? Juana, they men iron coat no good for spirit talk. What do you think? He means a talking head. If only the head would go off into that cackling gibberish in front of the high priest he'd have a fit. Lunguro says that iron coats won't help their nerves when a spirit talks. We can't be sure of that though, can we? I'm afraid not. But Lunguro doesn't mean that alone. He means for us to make spirit talk. Jack, how many batteries have we left for that flashlight? I have a couple in my haversack, and the one in the flashlight's almost new. Good. Don't let it out of your hand. When we're called into the temple, have it ready. It may be useful. Do you think they'll try to harm us in the temple? You can tell. They're probably working the same way as the old witch doctors. Burning poisonous herbs that render people unconscious. Tap doors and things falling from the ceiling. Good heavens, are you just doing this to frighten me? No, Rana. I want you to keep your eyes open when we're taking into the hall. What if all our strategy fails, sir? Get our backs against the wall and fight. Leave the high priest to me. Doesn't sound very comforting, does it? I wish we had a machine gun. I feel a lot safer. Rana, snake woman, kiss plenty soon. The snake woman? Does he mean his spear? It is. The snake woman is what Lunguro calls his spear. It was given him by an old witch and named after her. Sounds spooky enough, but why call it snake woman? Missy, snake woman, kiss one time, finish. What you asked for, didn't you? Hello, who's this? It's a woman. Oh, won't you come in, please? It's stranger. They tell me thou hast the tongue of my people. Pretty be of comfort, good lady, for harm to thee have no part of us. Nay, it is not from thee I fear a violent, but rather from those within. For should they but hear a whisper of my voice in converse with thee, they would incite the people to claim my life. Oh, you poor thing, do sit down. Nay, my child, I have no time for courtesies. It is to the man who beareth the frame of my ancestors I would speak. Speak on. Thou hast an attendivier. The high priest hath decreed that thou and thy followers shall die, but I would not have it so, for even though I be a queen among my people, my power is all shadowed. Then why dost thou come to warn us at a danger to thyself? We who are strangers to thee, O Queen. I know not, except there be a legend that hath come to me from ancestor to ancestor, which speaketh of a mighty stranger, that shall eclipse the magic of the priests and restore the ancient God of our people. For the God of the priests is a terrible God, and harsh unto death. You couldn't help him. Well, that could be done. Well, I'd like to wipe the priests off the face of the mapper. No need to ask them, Guru. His middle name is Pite. Have you any plans? Not yet. I want to find out a few things. Carefully do what's said. I may overlook something. All right, sir. O royal lady. Thou hast known the need of speech, thy faces have enlightened my heart and told of thy purpose. The guardians of this door are faithful to me. They will give the exit and lead the way to my house. Tell me, what manner of death has been devised for us? Death by the rock, great man. It is a fiendish device controlled by the priests, and no other man knows its secret. In what manner does it kill? The cave closes suddenly upon its victim, and the sacrificial blood floweth like a crimson soul to the altar. Oh, but I pray thee, flee while yet there is time for the faithful of my people need but a leader, and thou art he. Ah, my fears, old lady, and tell me, hath the high priest a place of favor from whence he observeth the sacrifice? After he hath entered the mouth of the rock, for the sacrificial chant, hath ticket his place at the altar, whereon is a great cross many hundreds of years old. hath he used the cross for a purpose? Ah, in truth. For with the sacrifice unbound within the mouth of the rock, the high priest seteth the cross to turn toward it, and immediately the rock closed it. Hm. Does it open again? Nay, that be for the eyes of its keepers alone. And thy subjects? They be forced to attend each sacrifice, and the word hath gone forth that this night shall the rock be fed. One thing more, old royal woman, should the life of the high priest be taken this night, will the people rejoice? There are many who hath vowed allegiance to me in such a case. Yet are there many who wish to gain favor with the priest? Then send forth word to thy faithful to be ready this night. Thou can't not kill the high priest. You hath a guard of armored men, and ye are the three. Nevertheless, do as I bid thee, and now farewell, O royal queen, until this night. May the power of my ancestors go with thee to the Hall of the Rock. Farewell. Well, that's that. Looks as if we'll have to think fast, and I'd certainly when the time comes. Buona, n' guru, smell'em, plenty fight. I guess you do. So do I, but I wish it could be avoided. I'd like to get a look at this rock, sir. Maybe that would help us out. I don't suppose there's the slightest chance of that. But the queen said our guards were loyal to her. So she did. Maybe that's the answer. No, no, it may cost one of them his life. And the one the priests have set spies to watch. They know who's loyal to them, and they wouldn't hold the power they do. I'd like to get one good crack at that high priest before... Hey, what do you think would happen if we did kill the high priest? Probably start a civil war. That is, if someone on the side of the queen got in his speech to the people before one of the other priests did. Hmm. Yeah, that's an idea. Maybe we'll have to resort to that in the end. Do you mean to kill a high priest? We won't kill anybody if they're reasonable, but also, young lady, we're not going to take any chances. Look to the guns, Jack. A lot may depend on accurate shooting tonight. I wish we had some luminous paint for the sights. I don't know. What's Nguro doing? He's touching up the snake woman's profile. Shuffling up his spear. Buona. Snake woman, tell him, Nguro wash him face. She smell him plenty blood. What horrible ideas you have. Quiet children. He's talking. Oh! So that's it, is it? Well, we'll see. Yes! We'll see!