The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-28
scribed with tho divine name OF Mcnka-ra
90n NJ the Hun

s0f1oed with tho divine name OF Mcnka-ra
Son Of the Sun.
Again, again, and yet again she plunged H.
her hand and drew from Phsraoh's breast
great cmeraids bedied there In spices.
Some wero fashioned and Some wsf . net;
but all were perfect in color, without .
flaw, and IN value priceless. Again and
sgain she plunged her white hand into that
dread breast, till ut length all were found,
and there were one hundred and forty and
eight OF such gems ~ are not known IN
tho wor,d. And the last time that she
searched she brought forth not c,neralds,
indeed. but two great pearls, wrapped In
| Inca, such as never have been seen. And
| OF these pearls more hereafter.
10 Il was done, ard all the mighty treas
ure lay :liitcring In heap before us There
It lay, and there, too, lay the regalia Of gold.
the spiccd and sicAly scented wratpings,
! and the torn body Of white haired Pharaoh
Mcnka~ra, the Osiriau, the everything in
| Amcnti.
| We rose. and great awe fell upon us.
now that tue deed was done and our hearts
were no more upDornc by the rage Of eager
search--fo great an awe, indeed, that we
could not speak. I made . sign to Cleo
patrA She grasped the head Of Pharaoh
ard / graspcd bis feet, and together we
lifted hi:E, climbed the sphinx, and placed
him once more within his coffin. On him
! piled the torn mummy cloths, and on them
laid tho lid 81 the coffin.
Ard now we gathered UP the grea. gems,
and such of the ornaments as might with
ease be carried, and these hid, as many as
lcoula, within the feds OF my robe. And
those That were left did Cleopatra hide upon
| her breast. Heavily laden with priceless
L 4ssfsn fnSs 1~.1S st 41SA
dreadful, solemn place, Mt the great sar-
cophagus, and the sphinx snereon it rested,
| whose face of sw fnl calm seemed to mock
| VS. with its everlasting smile Of wisdom.
Then We turned and went from the tomb.
l 4. the shaft We halted. called 10 the
ennacl, who stayed above, and Methonght
that q faint mockinG laugh answered me.
| Too sm'ttsn with terror To call again, and
fearing that, should We delay, Cleopatra
would surely swoou, seized the rope, and,
beng strong and quick. mounted by 1t ind
| gained the passage. Tuerc burnt the lamp,
but tile canuch saw not. Thinking surely
tat ho was little way down the passage
| and slept-as, il truth, he did bado Cleo
patru make fast the rope abou: her middle,
and with much labor drew her up. Then,
having rested awhile, we moved on With
| the lamps to seek the eunuch.
HE hath been stricken with terror, and.
leaving tho lamp, hath fed" said Cleo
patra. 'sOh, We Gods. who in that seated
| there!''
! peered into the darkness, thrustinG Gu,
the lamps, and this is what their light fell
cn-this, at the very dream whereof my
soul sickens! There, facing us, his back
resting against the rock. and on either side
his haIds splayed upon tho floor. sat THE
eunuch dead! His eyes and mouth were
open. his fat cheeks dropped down, his thin
hair yet seemed to bristle, and on his coun
| ten2nee was frozen such stamp Of hidecns
| terror rs well might turn the bcho'dcrs'
brain. And 10! fixed nv its hinder claws.
even TO his cliu, hung that mighty bat
which, flying forth when we entered the
pyramid, vanished in the SKY, but which.
returning, had followed Is to Its depths
There ii hung lpan the dead mans chin.
slowly rocking itself 10 a1u fro, and we
could see the fiery eyes shining in its evil
head.
| Aghast, utterly arbast, we stood aud
stared at the hateful sight; till presently
the bat spread bis huge wings, ard, loosing
his hold, sailed 10 Us. Now lie lowered be.
fore Cleopatras face, tanning her with his
wings. Then with scream, like woman'i
shrek OF fury, seeking his violated tomb,
the aecureed Thin: 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, sha shr,ekel till the
hollow passages rang with the ecioes Of h...
cries, that seemed % grow and double aud
rush along III volumes OF siiri:l sound.
"nise.' cried, rise and IL. us hence
| ere the Spirit shall return TO haunt us! II
| ibou tlos' suffer fhyscif To be overwhelmed
here i'll this place, lost art thou forever"
She staggered to her feet, and never may
/ forget the look upon her asny face or in
her glowing eyes. Selling lamps. with .
| rush we passed the dead ennuch's horrid
form, holding her by tho hand. We gained
the great chamber, where was the sar-
cophagus of the Queen of Menka.ra, and
tra.ersed Its length. We fled along the
passage. What If the Thing had closed
the three mighty doors! No, they were
open. and we sncd through them: the last
ONLY Gid I stay 10 close. ! touched the
stone, as knew low, and the great door
crashed down, shuttin. us OF from the
presence II The dead eanuch and me Hor-
ror that hasi hung upon the cgnuct's elm.
/ Now we were in til. white chamber with
tho scuiptnred panels, aid now we faced
the last steep ascent. Oh, that last ascent.
Twice Cleopatra slipped and fell upon the
polished floor. The second timc-'twas
wheI half the distance had been done-she
let fail her lamp, ard would, indeed, have
rolled down the slide had not saved her
But, in doing thus. /, too. let fall my lamp,
that bounded away into shadow beneath Us,
and we were in utter darkness. And per.
chance about VS., in the darkness, lowered
that awfu. Thing!
| "Bc braye!" cried. 20 love. be brave,
and struggle on, or both are lost! The way,
though steep, is not far; and, though it be
dark. scarce can we come to harm in this
straight shaft. If the gems weight thee,
cast them away!"
Nay" she gasped, ''tLat will mot /;
this shall not be endured to no end. l die
with them!''
| Then it was that saw tho greatness Of
this woman's heart; for in the dark, and
notwithstanding the tcrrors we had passed
and the awfulness of our state, she chung
TO me and clambered on up that dread
passage. On we claTnbcred, hand in hand,
with bursting hearts, till there, by the
mercy or the anger Of the Gods, 1T length
we saw tho faint light OF the moon creeping
through the little opening in tho pyramid.
One struggle more, now the hole was
gained, and, like breath from Heaven,
the sweet night air played upon our brows.
lclimbcd through, and, standing on the pile
Of stones, lifted and dragged Cleopatra
after me. She fell to the ground and then
sank down upon It motioEless.
With trembling hands pressed upon the
turning stone. 1t swung to and caught,
leaving no mark Of the secret place of entry
Then ! came down, and having pushed
away the pile Of stones, turned to Cleopatra
She bad swooncd, and Notwithstanding the
dust and Crime upon her face, 50 pale /,
was that At fret believed she must be dead
But, placing my hand upon her heart, felt
it stir beneath; aud, being spent, l hung
myself down beside her upon the sand Il
gather up my strength agair.
Ito BE Continued
! CHILDISH STRATEGY.
The True IUWorsinesS " tho "Littlest
Girls Astonishing Sclf.Dental.
Somebody who writes sagely about chill
dren aud their affairs says: 'Chlldren ar,