The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-23

myself first entered. As we progressed /
saw what appeared TO be signs indicative
OF the presence of man at some time or
other-signs slight in themselves, but suf-
ficient to satisfy me that Jan, after all,
might not have been entirely wrong.
Rude attempts at carving, figures without
any recognizable claim to form, either
human or otherwise, but such as must
have been cut by the hand of man, having
as his means some sharp instrument, Tor
the rock of which the sides OF the cave
were formed was hard and of a basaltic
character.
Presently, the walls seemed to narrow,
and, after proceeding some little distance,
opened into a larger chamber, wherein
faint streaks OF daylight streamed. Here,
however, JAMS nerves began to fail him.
and he steadfastly refused to precede us
any further. Passing him on the side, |
entered. followed closely by my wife. The
doubtful gloom of the place prevented me
at first from distinguishing objects that
lay strewn about. Turning to Norah, l
said:
81 don't see much here to scare the
stupid fellow. Truly there is an uncanny
look about the place, but one can account
for that by the amount of awe conjured
up by JAMS assertion, to say nothing OF
the awful look of fear his face was wearing
when he came running back to US"
AS l finished. this remark, my wife
touched me on the arm. and said: Look
over there! What can it be? Oh, Geof,
it is mani"
Turning my eyes in the direction Norah
was pointing, / saw what | at once knew
to be the figure of a. man, but whether OF
Gods creation or the fanciful work OF
nature ] could not say. The queer sensa-
ton OF az ICY finger tracing out the line OF
my spinal vertebrae began to affect me
not that was in the least alarmed. l have
never been the faintest bit nervous; /
knew that, if the figure were thing of
life, one man, in ninety-nine cases out OF
hundred, is as good as another. Besides,
had | not Norah with me? She was
host in herself. 1 never fer a moment
reckoned on Jan; he, though brave as
Trojan in the open and among his fellows,
was too strong a believer in the super
natural to be of any assistance when it
appeared 10 him aquestion OF battling with
the Evil One.
On going up to the object which had pro-
voked so much alarm, found it to be the
body native in a sitting posture. The
seat upon which it rested rudely resembled
a chair-such one as is usually described
as a hall-porter' had apparently been
roughly hewn from a fragment of neigh
boring stone.
The body seemed at first to give evil
dences of a sudden death, but on closer
examination recognized that there was
method in its disposition, and, judging by
the fact that several articles were placed
methodically in a half-circle in front OF the
body, / came to the conclusion that a
Al
acter had here been carried out, but how
long since remains to this day a mystery.
The body, | found on closer inspection
under the light OF sundry matches, was in
an extremely mummified condition. In
deed, have never seen anything of a
similar order so well preserved. The most
curious fact was that there appeared to be
nothing on or about the body TO show that
any process had been used to bring about
such perfect preservation, unless, as l
afterward thought, smoke had been used
as a preservative. | was led 10 fancy this
from the large quantity of wood ashes
with which the floor of the cavern was
strewn, and the dark, grimy appearance
of the roof, as seen by the dim light of the
matches / burned. The atmosphere OF
the cave was very dry; no moisture could
be detected on the walls this condition of
surroundings going long way in helping
the smoke to perfect its work.
AS for the mummy itself, when in life
the man must have been of an age APP
proximating to forty years-a fine specl-
men, too, OF his kind, considerably above
six feet in hight. On touching il a gray
kind of dust remained upon the finger,
and the body when tapped gave out
sound as does stretched parchment.
There was scarcely any shrunken appear
ance, except below the eyes, the lids of
which were down during life; the lips in
particular had retained their fullness. |
have never been able TO account for this
extraordinary instance of the flesh retain
ing its solidity sufficiently long for the
skin to become dry enough TO escape the
ordinary shrinking, thereby losing, as
most mummies do, what / may call their
resemblance to their living selves.
"Well, Geofi what do you think of
him ?" asked Norah.
"Quitea puzzle, little woman, can't make
him out at all; there are no Kaffirs living
hereabouts, nor have heard of any ever
having done SO; yet he is a Kafir, as his
wool shows"
Don't you think, Geof, that he may
have been some great swell among peo-
pie living about here ages ago, or perhaps
have come out on big hunting expedi-
tion and met with some accident or died
very suddenly, and so have been 'vaulted'
in this cave as a cheap and expeditions
means OF interment? Do you know | seem
to have an indistinct remembrance of
reading that somewhere in the interior of
Africa there did once exist tribe who
were acquainted with some wonderful
means of preserving their dead"
'Skittles!" l replied; you are off now
into vain imaginings, as our parson friend
at Klipdrift used to say. ! never heard of
such a report, nor do believe have YOU;
but III tell you what-Im going TO bring
him along. as the Americans have it. |
guess Wen trade him off to some adj
vantage the Cape Town museum authori-
ties ought to make bid; at any rate they
shall have a chance, il the beggar doesn't
cut up rusty and make himself small by
falling into dust on his temperance in
broad daylight and fresh air"
''How are you going to get him away
from here, Geof?" asked Norah. "Of
course the boys won't help you, and
well, / don't quite think | can"
''Oh, I'll find way TO get the old chap
out of this. Why, he can't weigh much
more than old bones; l hope | shant
tumble him into the river; there'n be a
good chance OF it though, getting over
those slippery powders"
''But Geof, dear if you get him out,
where is he to sleep2 The second wagon
IA ful1 and we cannot have him in orr