The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-11-27

ters pertaining TO the embalming OF the
body rs now they are. And on the linen
was written In IN oval, 'sMenka-ra, Royal
Son OF the Sum- This linen we could In
no wise loosen, so firm II held to the body.
Therefore, faint with the great heat,
choked with mummy dust and the oder
I Of spices, and trembling with fear Of our
Z unholy task, wrought in that most lonesome
and holy place, wc laid the body down, and
with knife ripped away the last covering.
First we cleared It's head, and now the
face that no man had gazcd. on for. three
thousand yeAfs was open 70 our view. : II
was great face. with bold brow yet
crowned with the Royal urmus, beneath
! which the white locks, stained yellow by
), the spices, fell in long, straight wisps.
Not the cold stamp OF death, and not the
slow flight of three thousand years, bad
found power TO mar the dignity Of those
shrunken features. We gazed thereon and
then, made bold with fear, stfippedl the
covering from the body. There at last II
lay before US, stif, yellow and dread to
see; and on the left side, above the thigh,
was the cut through which the embalmers
had done their work, but II was sewn up 30
deftly that scarce could we find the mark.
1.-THE gems are within, whispered, for
| I felt that the body was very heavy. ''Now,
If thy, heart fail thee mot, must thou
make an entry TO, this poor house Of clay
| that once was Pharaoh, ana gave her tho
dagger the saue dagger which had drunk
the iife of Pahlus. nt
"It Is too late TO pcnder,n she answered,
lifting hor white and beauteous face and
I awt, IN
upon mine own She took the dagger, and
with set teeth the Queen Of this day plunged
1t into the dead breast sbf the Pharaoh Of
three thousand years ago And even as she
did 90, from the opening Of the shaft
where we had left the eunuch there came
groanipg sound We leaped 70 our feet,
but heard no more, and through the open
ing the lamp-light still streamed down.
"It is naught," I said. .'Let us make an
end.p i'ffni tr
Then with much toll we hacked and rent
the hard flesh open, aud even as we did so
heard the knife-point CRATE upon tho gems
within.
Cleopatra plunged her hand into the dead
breast and drew forth somewhat. She held
It TO the light, apd gave q little cry, for
from the darkness Of Pharaoh's heart there
flashed into light and life the most beau
teous emerald that ever man beheld Per-
feet 1t was in color, very large, without
flaw, and fashioned to o scarsb@us form,
and on the under side was the oval in.
} scribed with the divine name OF Menl1a-ra,
/ Son Of the Sun.
Again, again, and yet again she plunged In
! her hand and drew from Pharaoh's breast
great emeralds bedded there In spices.
Some were fashioned and some were not
but all were perfect in color, without a
flaw, and In value priceless. Again and
again she plunged her white hand into that
dread breast, till at length all were found,
and there were one hundred and forty and
eight Of such gems as are not known in
the world And the last time that she
searched she brought forth not emeralds,
indeed, but two great pearls, wrapped in
linen, such as never have been seen. And
Of these pearls more hereafter. p
So it was done, and all the mighty treas
urc lay glittering in heap before US There
1t lay, and there, too, lay the regain Of gold.
the splced aud sickly scented wrabpings,
and tho torn body Of white haired Pharaoh
Menka.ra, the 0sirian, the everything in
Amenu. ar f.t ltfh f
We rose, and great awe fell upon US,
now that the deed was done and our hearts
J were no more upborne by the rage Of eager
search-so great an awe, indeed, that we
could not speak. ] made sign TO Cleo
patra She grasped the head Of Pharaoh
and / grasped his feet, and together we
lifted him, climbed the sphinx, and placed
him once more within his cofin. On him
Ipled the torn mummy cloths, and on them
laid the lid of the coffin. u
And now we gathered up the great gems,
and such Of the ornaments as might With
ease be carried, and these hid, as many as
could, within the folds OF my robe. And
those that were loft did Cleopatra hide upon
her breast. Heavily laden with priceless
I treasure, we gave one last look at the
dreadful, solemn place, at the great sar-
cophagus, and the sphinx whereon II rested,
whose face Of awful calm seemed 10 mock
US with its everlasting smile Of wisdom.
Then we turned and went from the tomb.
At the shaft we halted. called TO the
eunuch, who stayed above, and methought
that faint mocking laugh answered me.
Too smitten with terror TO call again, and
fearing that, should we delay, Cleopatra
would surely swoon, seized the rope, and,
beng strong and quick, mounted by it ind
gained the passage. There burnt the lamp,
but the eunuch saw not. Thinking surely
that he was little way down the passage
and slept-as, in truth, he did, bade Cleo
patra make fast the rope about her middle,
and with much labor drew her up Then,
having rested awhile, we moved on with
the lamps TO seek the eunnch.
t'He hath been stricken with terror, and,
leaving the lamp, hath fed" said Cleo.
patra. "0h, ye Godsl vino is that seated
| theref. Kiss
peered into the darkness, thrusting out
the lamps, and this is what their light fell
on-this, at the very dream whereof my
soul sickensl There, facing US, his back
resting against the rock, and on either side
his hands splayed upon tho floor, sat the
eunuch-deadl His eyes and mouth were
open, his fat cheeks dropped down, bis thin
hair yet seemed TO bristle, and on his coun.
tenance was frozen such stamp OF hideous
terror as well might turn the beholders,
brain. And loi fixed by It's hinder claws,
even to his chin, hung that mighty bat
which, flying forth when we entered the
pyramid, vanished in the sky, but which,
returning, had followed US To its deaths.
There II hung upon the dead mans chin,
slowly rocking itself TO and fro, and we
could see the fiery eyes shining In It's evil
head.
Aghast, utterly aghast, we stood and
stared at the hateful sight; till presently
the bat spread his huge wings, and, loosing
his hold, sailed TO us. Now he lowered be-
fore Cleopatra's face, tanning her with bis
wings. Then with scream, like woman's 8
shrek Of fury, seeking his violated tomb,
the accursed Thing fitted on and van
ished down the well into the sepulchers. /
fell against the wall, But Cleopatra sank
in heap upon the floor, and, covering her
head with her arms, she shrieked TIL the