The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-28

glued. This done, we began to unroll the
wrappings Of the holy corpse. Setting my
shoulders against the sarcophagus, sat
upon the rocky floor, the body resting on
my knees, and, as turned 1t Cleopatra un-
wound the cloths; and swesomc was the
task Presently something fell out; it was
the scepter of the Pharaoh, fashioned OF
gold, and at the end thereof was pome-
granatc cut from Q single emerald.
Cleopatra seized 1t aud gazed thereon in
silence. Then once more we went on with
our dread business. And ever as we un-
wound. other ornaments Of gold, such az
are buried with Pharaohs, fell from the
wrappings-collars and bracelets, models
OF sistra, and inlaid axe, and an image Of the
holy Osiris and OF the holy Khem. At
length all the bandages were unwound,
and beneath we found covering OF
earnest linen; for In those days tho
craftsmen were not 80 skilled In mat
tiers pertaining to the embalming OF the
body ~ now they are. And on the linen
was written In an oval, "Menka-ra, Royal
Son OF tha Sun" This linen we could In
NO wise loosen, SO firm it held to the body.
Therefore, faint with tho great heat,
choked with mummy dust and the odor
Of spices, and trembling with fear of our
unholy task, wrought in that most lonesome
and holy place, we laid the body down, and
with knife ripped away the last covering
First we cleared its head, and now the
face that no man had gazed on for three
thousand years was open to our view. 1t
was great face. with bold brow yet,
crowned with tho Royal ureus, beneath
which the white locks, stained yellow by
the spices, fell in long, straight wisps.
Not the cold stamp Of death, and not the
allow flight Of three thousand years, had
found power 70 mar the dignity Of those
shrunken features. We gazed thereon, and
ther. made bold with fear, stripped the
covcrinn from the body. There ut last it
lay before us, stiR, yellow and dread to
see; and on the left side, above the thigh,
had doMo their work, bit it was sewn up so
deity that scarce could We tiud the mark.
"The gems are Within" whispered, for
felt that the body was very heavy. snow,
II thy heart fail thee not, must thou
make An entry to this poor house Of clay
that once was Pharaoh" and l gave her the
the life Of Paulus.
lifting her white and beauteous face and
AAAAn6 uS4 UA0O OJSSp oA OifS eteA lSISUts
upon mine own. She took the dagger, and
with set teeth the Queen Of this day plunged
II into the dead breast Of the Pharaoh Of
three thousand years ago. And even as she
did 50, from the opening Of the shaft
where we had left the cunuch there came
q groaning sound! We leaped to our feet,
but heard nc more, and through the open
ing the lamr-iight still streamed down.
at il nauuht,s ,; said .sIxet us make nm
end"
Then with much toll we hacked and rent
the hard flesh open, aud even as we did so
heard the knife point crate upon the gems
within.
Cleopatra plunged her hand into the dead
breast and drew forth somewhat. She held
it to the light, and gave little cry, for
from the darkness Of Phsraoh's heart there
flashed into light and life the most beau
teous emerald that ever man bchcld. Per-
foct 1t was in color, very large, without :
flaw, and fashioned to q scarabeus form,
and on the under side was the oval, in.