The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-21

OF nigh upon nifty SfaQla (aOo0t SIX mlIc0)-
Cleopatra, and one trusted cunuch. for the
other servants we left with the boat. Only
for Cleopatra ! caught on ass that was
wandering In titled field, and threw .
cloak upon it. Thereon she sat- and led the
ass By paths knew, the eunuch following
after Us. And, within little moro than
an hour, having gained the great causeway.
we saw the mighty Pyramids towering up
through the moonlit air and aweing US To
silence. On we passed, in utter silence,
through the haunted city Of the dead, for
al around US stood the solemn tombs, till
at length we climbed the rocky hill and
stood in the deep shadow Of Khufu Khut
fthe splendid Throne OF Khuful.
'sOf . truth" whispered Cleopatra, as she
gazcd up the dazzling marble slope above
her, everywhere blazoncd DER with mill
ion mystic characters-'sof q truth, there
were gods ruling in Khem In those days,
and not men. This place Is sad as Death
~, and rs mighty and as far from man.
Here must we enicrs''
"y2y," answered, .'it is not here. Pass
on"
I led the way through thousand tombs,
till VIC stood in the shadow of Ur {the
Great, and gazed at his rcd, heaven
piercing mass.
rs il here that we must entcrt' she
whispered once again.
"Nsy,' answered, lit i. not here. Pass
on"
And re passed on through mary more
tombs, until we stood in tho shadow Of
Hers and Cleopatra Razed astonlshcd at its
polished beauty, which for thousands Of
years had, night by night, mirrored the
moon, and ct the black girdlc of Ethiopian
stone that circlcd It's base about. Fer Of
all pyramids this is the most beautiful.
s.Is it here that VIC must enter:' she
said.
answered: "Yea, il Is here
And we passed round between the temple
OF tho worship OF his divine Majesty,
Menka-ra, the Osirian, and the base OF the
pyramid, till we came to the north side.
Hero in the center IL graved the name CT
Pharaoh Menka-ra, who built the pyramid
to be his tomb, and stored therein his
treasure against the needs Of Khem.
"Ifthe treasure still remains" said to
Cleopatra, las IN the days Of my great
great grandfather, who was priest OF this
pyramid before me, it remained, tits hid
deep in the womb Of the mass before thee,
Cleopatra; nor can it be come by without
toll and danger, and terror Of the mind.
Art thou prepared TO cnterl-fcr thou thy
self must enter aud judge"
.'Canst thou not 20 with the cunuch, Har-
machis, and bring the treasure forthi" she
said, for little her courage began to fail
her.
may, o Cleopatra I answered, mot
even for thee and for the veal Of Egypt
can do this thing, for of all sins it
would be the greatest sin. But this it is
lawful for mo to do. I, as hereditary holder
Of the secret, may, upon demand, show TO
tho ruling monarch Of Kehm the place
where tho treasure lies, and show also the
warning that Is written. And If, on seeing
and reading, the Pharaoh do deem that the
need OF Khem is SO sore and strait that 1t is
lawful for him 70 brave tho curse Of the
dead and draw tho treasure forth, it is well,
for on his head must rest the weight Of this
dread deed. Three monarchs, 40 say the
records that have read, have thus dared
to enter in the time Of need. They were
the divine Queen Ha-ta-su, that wonder
known to the Gods alone; her divine broth.
er Aen-Kheper.ra (Thotmes the Grcat)
and the divine Mi-amen (Rameses III. Blu,
Of these three majesties, not one when they
saw dared 70 touch, for. though sore their
need, it was not great enough to consecratt
theact. SO, fearing lest the curse should fall
upon them, they went hence sorrowing"
A little she thought, till at last her spiri,
overcame her fear.
AT the least ! win see with mine owl
eyes," she said.
1T IS well,' answered. Then, stones
having been piled up on certain spot q,
the base Of the pyramid to somewhat more
than tho height Of man BY me and the
eunuch who was with US, climbed or
them and searched for the secret mark, ne
larger than leaf. And. with some
trouble, for the weather and the rubbing
Of the sand had worn even the Ethiopian
stone, found it. Having found it, !, in {
certain fashion, pressed thereon with n
my strength. Even after the lapse Of
years unnumbcrcd the stones swung round
showing little opening through which {
man might scarcely creep. As it swung, I
mighty bat, such as had never seen be
fore for biRness, for his measure was tn,
measure Of . hawk, few forth and for ,
moment lowered over Cleopatra, and thel
in circles sailed slowly up and up till at tn,
last he was Lost in tho bright light Of th,
moon.
But Cleopatra uttered Q cry Of terror
and the eunuch, who was watching, fel
down in fear, believing it 70 be the guar
dian spirit Of the pyramid. And ], Toe
feared, though naught ! said. For evel
now I do believe that it was the spirit o
Menka-ra, the Osirian, who, taking on him
self the form Of bet, few forth from hi
holy House in warning.
Awhile waited till the foul AIR shout,
clear from the passage. Then drew tort
the lamps and klndled them, and passes
them, TO tho number Of three, into the en-
trance OF the passage. This done. ! went
the trusty eunuch, aud, taking him aside
swore HIM by the living spirit Of Him VIII
sleeps at Abouthis that those things whic
he was about to see he should not reveal.
This he swore, trembling sorely, for h
was much afraid. Nor, indeed, did he n
| veal them.
This being done, I clambered through tn
opening, taking with me q coil Of ropt
which ] wound around my middle, an
beckoned to Cleopatra to come. Maxim
fast tho skirt Of her robe, she came, and
drew her through tue opening, SO that q
length she stood behind me in the passag
which Is lined with slabs of granite. Ate
her came the cunuch, and he also stood i
the passage. And then, having take
counsel Of tho plan of the passage ths
had brought with me, and which
In signs that none but the initiated ca
reed, was copied from those ancient wri
inRs that had como down to me throug
one. and forty generations Of my predeoe'
sors, the priests Of this pyramid Of Her, an
81 Tho worship q the Temple Of the Diviu
sThs "v!reer." now known - tho Third ryr
mid