Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Allergic and Immunologic Diseases: A Practical Guide To The Evaluation, Diagnosis and Management of Allergic and Immunologic Christopher C Chang
Allergic and Immunologic Diseases: A Practical Guide To The Evaluation, Diagnosis and Management of Allergic and Immunologic Christopher C Chang
Allergic and Immunologic Diseases: A Practical Guide To The Evaluation, Diagnosis and Management of Allergic and Immunologic Christopher C Chang
https://ebookmass.com/product/allergic-to-his-omega-omegas-of-
oliver-creek-book-1-lorelei-m-hart/
https://ebookmass.com/product/practical-guide-to-the-evaluation-
of-clinical-competence-2nd-edition-eric-s-holmboe/
https://ebookmass.com/product/sex-differences-in-cardiac-
diseases-pathophysiology-presentation-diagnosis-and-management-
niti-r-aggarwal/
https://ebookmass.com/product/applied-time-series-analysis-a-
practical-guide-to-modeling-and-forecasting-terence-c-mills/
How to request a test: A clinician's guide to the
interpretation and evaluation of medical tests Tom
Boyles
https://ebookmass.com/product/how-to-request-a-test-a-clinicians-
guide-to-the-interpretation-and-evaluation-of-medical-tests-tom-
boyles/
https://ebookmass.com/product/bioinformatics-a-practical-guide-
to-the-analysis-of-genes-and-proteins-4th-edition-andreas-d-
baxevanis-2/
https://ebookmass.com/product/guide-to-evaluation-of-functional-
ability-how-request-interpet-and-apply/
https://ebookmass.com/product/dental-practice-transition-a-
practical-guide-to-management-2nd-edition/
https://ebookmass.com/product/construction-contracting-a-
practical-guide-to-company-management-8th-edition/
Allergic and Immunologic Diseases
A Practical Guide to the Evaluation, Diagnosis and Management
of Allergic and Immunologic Diseases
Allergic and
Immunologic Diseases
A Practical Guide to the Evaluation,
Diagnosis and Management of Allergic and
Immunologic Diseases
Edited by
Christopher Chang
Division of Pediatric Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology,
Joe DiMaggio Children‘s Hospital, Memorial Healthcare System,
Hollywood, FL, United States; Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and
Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine,
Davis, CA, United States
Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier
125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS, United Kingdom
525 B Street, Suite 1650, San Diego, CA 92101, United States
50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek
permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our
arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright
Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the
Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and
experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or
medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in
evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein.
In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety
of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors,
assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of
products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods,
products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
SET ISBN: 978-0-323-95061-9
Volume 1 ISBN: 978-0-12-820603-4
Volume 2 ISBN: 978-0-323-95322-1
Volume 1
Section A
Background
1. Introduction 3
Christopher Chang
The origin of allergy and immunology as a specialty 4
The role of allergy and immunology in the world of medicine 5
The allergy and immunology workforce in the United States 6
Training of allergy and immunology specialists 8
Professional organizations 9
Allergy and immunology journals 9
Summary 16
References 16
vii
viii Contents
3. Basic immunology 43
Christopher Chang
Introduction 44
Primary and secondary lymphoid organs 45
Innate and adaptive immunity 45
Characteristics and attributes of the human immune system 46
Rapidity of response 46
Diversity of response 46
Specificity of the response 49
Strength (amplification) of the response 49
Regulation of the response 50
Immunological concepts 51
Autoimmunity and immune tolerance 51
Protein phosphorylation 52
The ability to recall—immunological memory 53
Apoptosis and autophagy 53
Immunosenescence 54
Epigenetics 55
Immune paradigms 55
T helper cell paradigms 55
Th17 Treg paradigm 56
Stromal immunology 56
Cellular immunity—cells of the immune system 57
Granulocytes 57
Mononuclear cells 59
Lymphocytes 59
Natural killer cells 65
Monocytes and macrophages 65
Ontogeny of immune cells and antibodies 66
T cell dependent and T cell independent antigens 66
Humoral immunity—immunoglobulins and other molecules 67
Antigen recognition 67
Cytokines 72
Chemokines 72
Growth factors 78
Complement 78
Computational immunology 86
Summary and conclusions 86
References 86
Contents ix
Section B
Diagnosis of allergic diseases
9. Epicutaneous and intradermal skin testing 263
Divya Seth and Pavadee Poowuttikul
Introduction 264
Mechanism of skin response 265
Indications of skin testing 266
Allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis 266
Food allergy 266
Drug allergy 266
Insect sting allergy 266
Latex allergy 267
Allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis 267
Factors affecting skin testing 267
Medications 267
Allergen extracts 272
Skin test sites 273
Contents xiii
Diagnosis 478
Nummular eczema 478
Introduction 478
Pathophysiology 478
Clinical features 478
Diagnosis 478
Lichen simplex chronicus/prurigo nodularis 479
Introduction 479
Pathophysiology 479
Clinical features 479
Diagnosis 480
Mycosis fungoides 480
Introduction 480
Pathophysiology 480
Clinical features 480
Diagnosis 481
Urticarial rashes 481
Acute urticaria 481
Chronic urticaria 484
Introduction 484
Pathophysiology 484
Clinical features 485
Diagnosis 485
Physical urticaria 486
Dermatographism 486
Cholinergic 486
Cold induced 487
Aquagenic 487
Solar 487
Vibratory angioedema/urticaria 488
Delayed pressure 488
Urticarial vasculitis 488
Introduction 488
Pathophysiology 489
Clinical features 489
Diagnosis 490
Cutaneous mastocytosis 491
Introduction 491
Pathophysiology 491
Clinical features 491
Diagnosis 492
Papulosquamous disorders 492
Psoriasis 492
Pityriasis rosea 495
Lichen planus 496
Drug eruptions 497
Exanthematous/maculopapular drug eruption 497
xviii Contents
Acknowledgments 614
Funding 614
References 614
Section C
Evaluation of immune function
25. Newborn screening for severe combined
immunodeficiency and related issues 705
Amandeep Sandhu and Jennifer Heimall
Introduction 706
Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency and
other immunodeficiencies 707
Severe combined immunodeficiency diagnosis 712
Nonsevere combined immunodeficiency lymphopenia 715
Clinical evaluation 716
Laboratory evaluation 718
Genetic testing 718
Management 719
Treatment 721
Discussion/conclusion 722
Acknowledgment 722
References 723
Treatment 925
Myasthenia gravis 925
Epidemiology 925
Genetic and environmental factors 926
Immunopathology 926
Clinical features and diagnosis 929
Treatment 930
Autoimmune encephalitis 934
Epidemiology 934
Genetic factors 934
Environmental factors 935
Immunopathology 935
Clinical features 936
Diagnosis 938
Treatment 940
Paraneoplastic neurological disorder 941
Epidemiology 941
Immunopathology 942
Clinical features 943
Treatment 945
Summary 945
References 945
Volume 2
Section D
Treatment of allergic diseases
34. Immunotherapy to environmental allergens 979
Kristine Vanijcharoenkarn and Merin Kuruvilla
Background 980
Patient selection 980
Formulation of allergen immunotherapy extract 982
Injection schedules 985
Duration of immunotherapy 985
Monitoring of treatment 988
Reactions to allergen immunotherapy 989
Local reactions 989
Systemic reactions 989
Pretreatment 990
Subcutaneous immunotherapy versus sublingual immunotherapy 990
Clinical efficacy 990
Asthma 990
xxx Contents
Rhinoconjunctivitis 991
Atopic dermatitis 992
Efficacy of fungal extracts 992
Efficacy of multiallergen immunotherapy 993
Other administration routes 998
New technologies 999
Conclusion 999
References 1000
Background 1061
Mechanism 1062
Studies 1062
Pros/cons 1064
Future directions 1065
Sublingual immunotherapy 1065
Background 1065
Mechanism 1065
Studies 1066
Pros/cons 1069
Future directions 1069
Summary 1069
References 1070
Benralizumab 1302
Anti-Siglec-8 1303
Dexpramipexole 1303
Anti-EMR1 1303
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors 1303
Ruxolitinib and tofacitinib 1303
Therapies that are not efficacious in the management of
hypereosinophilic syndrome 1304
Supportive care and surgery 1304
Conclusion 1305
References 1305
Further reading 1308
Section E
Treatment of immunological disorders
47. Treatment of primary immunodeficiencies and
inborn errors of immunity 1363
Lisa J. Kobrynski
Introduction 1364
Nutrition 1364
Treatment of antibody deficiencies 1365
Immunoglobulin replacement 1365
Prophylaxis 1370
Complications of antibody deficiencies 1372
Treatment of combined immune deficiencies 1374
Precautions 1374
Prophylaxis 1375
Autoimmunity associated with primary immune deficiencies 1377
Treatment of phagocytic disorders 1379
Prophylaxis 1379
Other considerations 1382
Treatment of asplenia or hyposplenia 1383
Complement deficiencies 1384
Vaccination in PIDD 1385
Vaccination in B cell defects 1386
Vaccination in combined immune deficiency 1389
Vaccination in innate immune deficiency 1390
Contents xxxvii
Conclusion 1390
References 1390
Discussion 1442
References 1443
Section F
Supplements
Appendix A: Abbreviations 1631
Appendix B: Ordering allergen extracts for skin testing and
immunotherapy 1636
Appendix C: Oral and parenteral steroid dosing chart 1639
Appendix D: Topical corticosteroid potency chart 1640
Appendix E: Nonirritating concentrations of drugs for
purposes of skin testing 1641
Appendix F: Normal values of immune function tests 1644
Appendix G: Pneumococcal serotypes in vaccines and testing 1651
Appendix H: CD molecules and their function 1654
Appendix I: T-cell subsets and ontogeny 1674
Appendix J: Immunological check point inhibitors 1676
Appendix K: B-cell subsets and ontogeny 1679
Appendix L: Monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins
currently in use in allergy and immunology 1680
Index 1685
List of contributors
xliii
xliv List of contributors
Claire J. Peet National Amyloidosis Centre, Royal Free Hospital London NHS
Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; Department of Medical and Molecular
Genetics, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King’s College London,
United Kingdom
Perdita Permaul New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, Division
of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical
College, New York, NY, United States
Wanda Phipatanakul Boston Children’s Hospital, Division of Allergy and
Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
Pavadee Poowuttikul Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Central Michigan
University, Detroit, MI, United States
Lourdes Ramirez Department of Pediatrics, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital,
Hollywood, FL, United States
S. Ranganathan Ganakammal Office of Cyber Infrastructure & Computational
Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
Lucas Restrepo David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Neurology,
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Marlen Rodriguez Pediatric Associates Florida, Miami, FL, United States; Baptist
Health South Florida, Miami, FL, United States
Yhojan Rodrı́guez Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of
Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia;
Clinica Del Occidente, Bogota, Colombia
Nevenda Velikova Rose Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami,
FL, United States
Nia Rush Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United
States
Colleen M. Sabella Division of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology,
Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,
University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
Amandeep Sandhu Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Sonam Sani NYU Langone Long Island, NY, United States
Elizabeth Secord Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United
States
Divya Seth Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Detroit,
MI, United States
Tihong Shao Division of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology,
University of California, Davis, CA, United States; Department of Rheumatology
and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University,
Hefei, P.R. China
xlviii List of contributors
And signing to the natives to get out of the way, the Colonel urged
his horse into a hand-gallop, his companions following his example.
But his physical powers were unequal to the demand of his moral
strength and resolution; for upon arriving at Kilembonga he fell
forward in his saddle in a swoon. Van der Wyck was only just in time
to save him from a dangerous tumble.
So far the search for the missing lads had not only been
unsuccessful, but other misfortunes had descended upon this little
outpost of civilisation in the wilds of East Africa.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE RAVING OF THE WITCH-DOCTOR
On Piet Van der Wyck, the Colonel's guest, descended the mantle
of responsibility. With the exception of the dour Scot, McFrazer, he
was the only active white man on the estate, and in spite of his years
he rose nobly to the occasion.
The first step was to have the injured man carried to his bed. Here
the Afrikander, skilled in veldt surgery and medicine, deftly removed
Colonel Narfield's boots and leggings. Already the sprained ankle
had swollen badly, and once the compression of the foot gear was
removed, the foot enlarged to greatly abnormal dimensions.
With the aid of embrocation and hot water Van der Wyck dressed
the injury and then proceeded to restore the patient to
consciousness.
Colonel Narfield's first act upon opening his eyes was to attempt to
get out of bed, protesting that happen what may he was not going to
lie there while his two young charges were still missing.
"You'll have to stay there for a few days," he declared. "By getting
up you will not only injure yourself, but no doubt hamper the work of
the searchers. I am sending McFrazer as you ordered, and until the
native trackers arrive I will patrol the road with the Haussas."
The injured man saw the force of Van der Wyck's contentions. He
simply had to give up, although the state of his active mind can well
be imagined.
McFrazer, booted and spurred, was ready for his long ride when
the Afrikander left the patient's room.
"Oh, ay," he replied. "Then I'm just awa'," as if a 150-mile ride were
an everyday occurrence.
The natives did almost exactly what their fellow tribesmen had
done the previous day, coming to a halt in precisely the same spot
and declaring that the lost men had "gone up."
Van der Wyck, who spoke most of the Kaffir dialects fluently, had
little difficulty in making himself understood in the tongue of
Sibenga's people; but he found it impossible to get the natives to
climb the trees and make further investigations. They professed
ignorance of the command, shaking their heads and uttering the
word "Maquishi" (finished).
Wynyard meant to do his task thoroughly. Apart from the fact that
two Englishmen had disappeared, Colin and Desmond were, like
himself, Stockmere Old Boys.
Within forty minutes of his arrival Wynyard was on the road again.
With him went Van der Wyck, none too readily, for he mistrusted
mechanical cars. He would have preferred his trusty horse, but that
animal had been worked hard of late, and, as time was a great
consideration, the Afrikander took courage and rather nervously sat
beside Wynyard in the car.
In the rear were crowded Tenpenny Nail, Blue Fly, and the native
sergeant, while the second car was packed with native trackers,
police, and a huge dog, partly bloodhound and partly wolfhound.
"We are nearing the place where the Sibenga Kraal trackers lost
the spoor," cautioned Van der Wyck, as the leading car jolted and
bumped through the dense avenue.
"Oh," ejaculated Wynyard, "is that so? But I think I'll start at the
beginning. There's nothing like independent clues."
Van der Wyck was not in the least surprised that the hound came to
a standstill at the very spot which the two pairs of trackers had
already indicated as the end of the spoor. The animal, showing a
decided disinclination to proceed, was led back to the second car,
and the Nyaruma trackers were told to carry on the good work.
In five minutes they delivered their verdict. The missing white men
had "gone up." They were positive about that, but, like the Sibenga
Kraal trackers, they resolutely declined to continue their
investigations in the overhanging branches of the trees.
Assisted by Tenpenny Nail and Blue Fly, the sergeant carried out
his instructions. Thereupon Wynyard swarmed up the rope and
gained the leafy branch. But there was nothing that afforded him a
clue, or, if there were, he failed to detect it. The leaves and young
twigs showed no sign of having been disturbed; the resinous wood
bore no trace of the contact of the studded sole of a boot.
Wynyard was still engaged in scanning the map when his attention
was distracted by the sounds of shouting and yelling. Four hundred
yards down the road came Logula and his warriors, all armed in
characteristic fashion with spears, shields, and kerries, and rigged
out in feathers, paint, and other native insignia.
"Let him try, Mr. Wynyard," advised the old man. "Times before I
have both heard and seen these wizards at work in the Transvaal
and Zululand. I have no faith in their methods, but their results are
sometimes very wonderful. Out of darkness we may find light."
"Makoh'lenga."
CHAPTER XXVIII
KIDNAPPED
"Yes, you lucky beggar," agreed his chum enviously. "Of course, it's
jolly sporting of you to divide your share, and I'm grateful. At the
same time, 'tisn't the same, if you can understand. S'posing, for
instance, it had been my lucky shot, you'd understand then."
"Colonel Narfield would have been snuffed out if you hadn't," said
Tiny. "The ordinary .303's had no more effect than tickling a wild cat
with a straw. By Jove! I am sleepy ... aren't those niggers kicking up
an infernal row?"
"Let's slow down a bit and miss most of the dust and noise,"
suggested Colin. "We can keep an eye on the bearers just as well, if
not better."
Checking their horses, the two chums allowed the bearers to draw
on ahead. It was a case of distance lending enchantment to the
scene, as the early sunlight glinted on the muscular, copper skins of
the wildly-excited natives.
"Ugh! The flies!" exclaimed Tiny. "That one nearly jumped down my
throat. 'Tain't all jam being in the rear of a procession—eh, what?"
"I'm going to have the best piece of the ivory sawn off," declared
Colin, ignoring his companion's complaint and reverting to the
subject of the spoils of the chase. "Then I'll send it home to my
people. And a chunk for Dr. Narfield, too. Probably the head will
shove it in the school museum with a notice on it, 'Shot by an Old
Boy,' sort of thing. My word, I'm jolly glad I came out here, aren't
you?"
"Hope so," said Desmond. "There's one thing, I've lost that rotten
cough .... Hullo! We're nearly into the forest. Hadn't we better hurry
along a bit. If those niggers took it into their heads to do a bunk,
you'd lose your ivory for a dead cert., old son."
"Half a mo!" exclaimed Colin. "My girth's slipping a bit. Hang on, old
man."
By this time the rear of the column was nearly three hundred yards
ahead and already in the shade of the dense foliage. The bearers,
probably with the idea of keeping up their courage in the gloom,
redoubled their shouts.
Then, bound hand and foot and effectually gagged, Colin and Tiny
were laid at full length upon a broad branch thirty feet above the
ground, with a dozen or more sinewy, active men keeping guard over
the captives and others in the higher branches watching with much
approval the deft work of their companions.
Each captive was carefully lifted from branch to branch until they
were at least eighty feet above the ground. During the operation the
men took particular pains not to break off any of the foliage,
methodically bending the twigs that hampered their progress, and
not allowing any part of the captives' bodies or clothing to come in
contact with the bark.
The next step was to pass the prisoners literally from hand to hand
and from tree to tree, the close formation of the massive branches
forming an almost continuous arboreal highway.
Then at a rapid pace, but with the same orderly silence that
characterised the opening stages of the operations, the natives
moved off, the two litters being borne in the centre of the long double
file.
The gags were then removed and the prisoners' ankles freed,
although their arms were still securely bound as before. Then into a
vast circle of armed warriors Colin and his chum were led, to find
themselves confronted by a gigantic man holding a gleaming axe of
yellow metal. By his side was a pillar of wood, somewhat resembling
the mediaeval executioner's block.
"If they've brought us all this way for the purpose of cutting off our
heads," thought Colin, "all I can say is they've gone to a lot of
unnecessary trouble. Tiny, old man," he added aloud, "for goodness'
sake don't let them see we've got the wind up. Let them see we're
Englishmen."
CHAPTER XXIX
IN THE HANDS OF THE MAKOH'LENGA
His captors were without exception tall and muscular and well-
proportioned. Their garb consisted solely of a white loin cloth. Their
bodies were "unadorned" with chalk and ochre after the fashion of
the majority of African tribes, nor were there any evidences of
voluntary mutilation so frequently to be met with amongst savages.
The only ornaments they wore were armlets of gold just above the
left elbow. Every male lenga over the age of sixteen wore one.
They were noticeably clean in their habits and persons, orderly and
well-disciplined, and, in short, seemed far in advance in the
principles of hygiene above even the doyen of the Kaffir races—the
pure-blooded Zulu.
There was no denying one fact—he felt "scared stiff." It was only by
a determined effort that he kept his well-schooled and steady nerves
under control. Perhaps if his arms had not been so securely bound
he might have precipitated matters by planting a blow with his fist
between the eyes of the copper-hued giant who was watching him
so covertly.
The men tendering the rifles simply saluted by bringing the right
hand in a horizontal position up to the chin. This was the recognised
form of salutation. Equals greeted one another by bringing the right
hand only breast high.
Several times Colin bethought him of the amulet, but, his arms
being bound, he was unable to produce it. Perhaps, after all, it was a
trump card. On the other hand, it might fail to produce the same
effect upon these mysterious men as it had once upon the obviously
less intellectual natives around Kilembonga.
At a word from the chief, Tiny's captors searched his pockets and
tore open his shirt. Every article they took—knife, cartridges,
handkerchief, matches, purse, and notebook they examined and
then placed in a row on to the ground. They expressed no delight at
the various objects which are highly prized by savages; indeed, their
looks betrayed disappointment.
The examination over, Tiny was set upon his feet and left alone.
The four warriors next directed their attention towards Colin, and he,
too, was placed in a horizontal position and searched.
Suddenly one of the men gave a shout of delight; it was the first
sound uttered by any one during the searching process. He had
discovered the swastika.
Cutting away the cord that held it, the finder reverently presented it
to the chief.
The last long-drawn reverberations died away, and utter silence fell
upon the close ranks of the Makoh'lenga warriors. Then, after a
lapse of nearly five minutes, came a low, bass roar from a distant
source. Somewhere, far up in the rugged mountains, an alert
sentinel was replying to the sonorous message of the ram's horn.
The message was short and obviously satisfactory and to the point,
for the moment the sound ceased the chief issued an order.
"Hope so," replied Desmond. "Only isn't it a bit too early to talk
about picnics and joy rides? That chap seems jolly pleased to be
able to bag your amulet. Now he's got that, what does he want us
for? That's what I want to know."
At a sign from the Chief, Colin and Tiny climbed into the litters.
Their previous acquaintance with this mode of conveyance had been
in a state of being bound hand and foot. Now their limbs were freed
and they were able to sit up and look about them, while an awning
had been provided to shelter them from the glare of the sun.
Following the base of the line of cliffs the Makoh'lenga marched for
nearly two miles until they arrived at a shallow stream running
through a deep gorge. Here the warriors turned sharp to the left, in
file, and began ascending the stream, which varied from ankle to
knee-deep.
Although the rivulet was not less than ten feet in width the walls of
the gorge, which averaged two hundred feet in height, almost met at
the top, so that the inclosed space was deep in gloom. It was a weird
experience to the two chums, as they watched the symmetrical lines
of dark figures making their way up-stream.
At length, above the swish of the water as hundreds of feet forced
their way against the steady current, came the dull roar of a
waterfall. Louder and louder grew the sound, until Colin could see an
apparently unbroken sheet of water falling from a height of quite a
hundred and fifty feet and breaking into a cloud of foam as it came in
contact with the bed of the gorge.
Here was a clear space of about three yards between the wall of
rock that formed a barrier and the gulley and the curtain-like
waterfall, and on the right of this space was a natural tunnel driven
obliquely through the wall of the chasm.
The bearers of the two litters were evidently anxious not to cause
their passengers any further inconvenience, for the two men in front
held the poles in their hands with the arms drooping to the full extent.
The men behind raised their ends of the poles upon their shoulders,
so that the litters were kept in practically a horizontal position.
During the passage of the tunnel the same silence on the part of
the warriors was observed, the only sounds being the pattering of
hundreds of bare feet upon the smooth rock and the hiss of the
flaring torches.
The subterranean march occupied about five minutes, then into the
blazing sunlight the long procession emerged.
It was a strange sight that greeted Colin's gaze as the litter came to
a standstill on the Makoh'lenga terrace. Although this was by no
means the summit of the mountain it was several miles in length and
about one and a half in breadth.
At some distance from the houses were buildings given over to the
manufacture of metal, woodwork, pottery, and cotton and worsted
goods, the Makoh'lenga being skilled artisans. There were several
ingenious machines used in connection with the various industries,
many of these being driven by water-power.
Colin soon discovered that the warriors who had escorted Tiny and
himself were only a small portion of the Makoh'lenga fighting men.