Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-12-26


piercing mass.
'sIs it here that we must enterl" she
whispered once again.
"Nay,n answered, "it is not here. Pass
on"
And we passed on through mary more
tombs, until we stood in the shadow Of
Herr and Cleopatra gazed astonished at its
polished beauty, which for thousands Of
years had, night by night, mirrored the
moon, and at the black girdle of Ethiopian
stone that oircled its base about. For Of
all pyramids this is the most beautiful.
sis 1t here that we must enterl" she
said.
answered: "Yea, it is here"
And we passed round between the temple
Of the worship of his divine Majesty,
Mepka-ra, the Osirian, and the base Of the
pyramid, till we came to the north side.
Here in the center is graved the name Of
Pharao Menka-ra, who built the pyramid
to be his tomb, and stored therein his
treasure against the needs of Khem.
'If the treasure still remains" said to
Cleopatra, ''as in the days of my great
great grandfather, who was priest of this
pyramid before me, it remained, tits hid
aeep 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 enter2-for thou thy
self must enter and Judge"
"Canst thou not go with the eunuch, Har-
maehis, and bring the treasure forth7'' she
said, for little her courage began to fail
her.
'.Nay, 0 Cleopatra" I answered, s'not
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 me to do. I, as hereditary holder
Of the secret, may, upon demand, show to
the ruling monarch Of Kehm the place
where the 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 it is
lawful for him to brave the curse of the
dead and draw the treasure forth, it Is well,
for on his head must rest the weight Of this
dread deed. Three monarchs, so 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 Men -Kheper-ra (Thotmes the Great);
and the divine M-amen Rameses ID. But
Of these three majesties, not one when they
saw dared to touch, for. though sore their
need, it was not great enough to consecrate
the act. So, fearing lest the curse should fall
A little she thought, till at last her spirit
overcame her fear.
"At the least I win see with mine own
eyes," she said.
cit ls WELL" answered. Then, stones
having been piled up on a certain spot at
the base Of the pyramid to somewhat more
than the height Of a man by me and the
euhuch who was with US, climbed on
them and searched for the secret mark, no
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 q
certain fashion, pressed thereon with all
my strength. Even after the lapse OF
years unnumbered the stones swung round,
showing q little opening through which q
man might scarcely creep. As It swung, a
mighty bat, such as had never seen be-
fore for bigness, for his measure was this
measure Of q hawk, few forth and for q
moment lowered over Cleopatra, and then
In circles sailed slowly up and up till at the
last he was lost in the bright light Of the
moon.
But Cleopatra uttered cry Of terror,
and the eunuch, who was watching, fell
down in fear, believing 1t to be the guar
dian spirit Of the pyramid. And ], too,
feared, though naught said. For even
now do believe that it was the spirit Of
Msnka-ra, the Osirian, who, taking on him
self the form OF a bat, few forth from his
holy House in warning.
Awhile / waited till the foul air should
clear from the passage. Then drew forth
the lamps and kndled them, and passed
them, to the number of three, into the en-
trance OF the passage. This done, went to
the trusty eunuch, aud, taking him aside,
Il
sleeps at Abouthis that those things which
be was about to see he should not reveal.
This he swore, trembling sorely, for he
was much afraid. Nor, indeed, did he re-
veal them.
This being done, clambered through the
opening, taking with me coil OF rope,
which I wound around my middle, and
beckoned to Cleopatra to come. Making
fast the skirt Of her robe, she came, and
drew her through the opening, SO that at
length she stood behind me in the passage
which Is lined with slabs of granite. After
her came the eunuch, and he also stood in
the passage. And then, having taken
counsel of the plan Of the passage that
had brought with me, and which,
In signs that none but the initiated can
read, was copied from those ancient writ
ipgs that had come down to me through
one and forty generations Of my predeces-
sors, the priests OF th:s pyramid OF Her, and
OF the worship of the Tsmpls OF the Divine
Menka-ra, the Osirian, ! led the way through
that darksome place toward the utter 81
ience of the tomb Guided by the feeble
light Of oar lamps we passed down the steep
incline, gasping in the heat and the thick,
stagpated air. Presently we had left the
region of the masonry and were slipping
"a, lfxri,
twenty PAGES or more IL raa steeply. Then
its slope iessened, and shortly we found our
selves il q chamber painted white, 50 low
that ], being ts,l, had scarce room to stand,
but In length four PAGES and In breadth
three, and cased throughout with sculptured
panels. Here Cleopatra sank upon the aoGr
aud rested awhile, overcome by the heat
and the utter darkness.
ssRise,n said. s.Here we must not lin
ger, or we faint"
SO she rose, and, passing hand In nSa6
through that chamber, we found ourselves
face to face with Almighty door of granite,
Vet down from the roof in grooves. And
snce more ! took counsel Of the plan,
pressed with my foot upon o certain stone,
and waited. Then. suddenly and softly.
know not by what means, tho mighty mass
heayed itself from its bed Of living rock. ne
passed beneath, and found ourselves face
TO face with second door of granite. Again
! pressed on certain spot, and Of itself
this door swung wide, aud we went
tarough, to find ourselves face to face with
third door, yet more mighty than the
twaia through which we had won our way.
Following the secret plan, this door Istruck
with my foot upon certain spot, and slow.
" It sank, as though at, a word OF magic
sThc Upper" now known as the Third Pyrs