The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-05

~ tied. sometimes by means Of simple
knots, the whole work bearing the appear
ancc of having been executed in great haste
and with difficulty. just over the head was
a large lump. Presently tho banJagcs COW
crin- il were of. and there. on the face. lay
a second roll OF papyrtis. put down my
hand TO lift it. but il would not Gene away.
1t appeared TO be fixed 10 tho stout. scam
less STROUD which was drawn over the
whole body and tied beneath the feet. rs Q
farmer tics sacks. This shromd. which was
also thickly waxcd. was in one piece, being
made TO tit the form like garment. took
a candle aud examined the roll and then ]
saw why it was fast. The specs had con-
gealcd and glued it to the sack like shroud.
II was impossible to get il away without
tearing the outer sheets Of papvrus.
A, la-:, however. ! wrcnched ii loose and
put il with the Other in my pocket,
Then in silence we went on with our
dreadful task. With much care we ripped
loose the sack-like garment, and at last the
body of a man lay before US. Between his
knees was IL third roll OF papyrus. Sc
cured il, aud then held down the lights and
looked at him. Being e doctor, one glance
at his face was enough to tell me how he
had died.
This body was not much dried up. Evil
IDENTITY II had not passed seventy days In
natron. and therefore the expression and
likeness We're better preserved than is
usual! Without entering into particulars,
will only say tina, hope shall never see
such another look as that which was frozen
OH this dead mans face. Even the Arabs
recoiled from it in horror ami began to NUT
ter prayers.
For the rest, the usual opening on the left
side, through which the embalners did
their work. was absent; the finely cut feat
urcs were those OF a person Of middle age,
although the hair was already gray, and the
frame that Of 4 powerful man, the Shout
GERS being Of All extraordinary width.
had not time to examine very closely, how
ever. for within few seconds from its un-
covering the unembalined body, now that /,
Was exposed 10 the action of the air, began
to crumbla. In tive or SIX minutes there
was literally nothing left Of At but wisp oil
hair, the skull. ANA a few of the larger
bones noticed that one of the tibia,
forgot Il il was the right or the left. had
been fractured and very badly set. 1t mus,
have been quite IN inch shorter than the
other.
Well, there was nothing more to find, and
now that the excitement was over. wha,
between the heat, the exertion aud the
smell OF mummy dust aud spices. felt more
dead than alive.
am tired Of writing, and the ship rolls.
This letter, of course. goes overland, and
am coming by '.long sea-" but hope to bt
iii London within ten days after you get It.
Then will tell you of my pleasing expert.
encos in the course Of the ascent from the
tomb chamber, and Of how that prince oil
rascais, All Bahia. and his thieves tried Il
brighten me into handing over the papyri
and how ! worsted them. Then, too, W
will get the rolls deciphered. j expect tina,
they only contain the usual thing. copies Ol
the Book of the Dead, but there may be
something else in them. Needless TO say,
did not narrate this little adventure in
Egypt. or should have had the Boulac Mu
scum people on my track. Goodbye
'Mafish Fineesh.' as Ali Raba always said
In due course my friend, the writer of the
letter from which have quoted, arrived in
London. and on the very next day we paid
a visit to an accaa ntance well versed in
hierOglyphics and dcmotie writing. Will
what anxiety we watched him skiiifull,
dampenng and unfolding one of the rolls
and pcering through his gold-rimmed
glasses at the mysterious characters may
well be imagined.
"Hum.' he said. "wha,ever it is, tins il
not copy OF the Book Of the Dead By
George, what's this! cle-cleo-Cleopatra
Why, my dear sirs, as am Il living man,
this is the history of somebody who lived II
the days of Cleopatra! Well. there's six
months work before me here-six montns,
at the very least" And in that iayfn1
prospec, he fairly lost control OF himself,