The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-04-25

fare of her people"
"Iswear itr' she said earnestly. "Oh,
swear by every God In khem that If thor
showest me this great treasure will defy
Antony and send Dellius back to Cilicis
with words more sharp than those ht
brought. Ay, I'll do more, Harmachis: 81
soon as may be, will take thee to husband
before all the world, and thou thyself shalt
carry out thy plans and beat the Roman
eagles or
Thus she spoke, gazing at me with truth.
full, earnest eyes. I believed her, and fol-
the first time since my fall was for a mo
ment happy, thinking that all was not los,
to me, and that with Cleopatra, whom ]
loved thus madly, might yet win my place
and power back.
"Swear it, Cleopatra" said.
81 swear, beloved and thus I seal my
oathi" And she kissed me on the forehead.
And ], too, kissed her; and we talked OF
what we would dc when we were wed, and
how we should overcome the Roman.
And thus was I again beguiled; though
| verify believe that, had 1t not been for the
| jealous anger of Charmion-which, as shall
be seen. was ever urging her forward to
| fresh deeds of shame-Cleopatra would
have welded me and broken with the Ro-
man. And indeed, in the issue, it had been
better for her and Egypt.
Far into the night we sat, and revealed
| to her somewhat of that ancient secret of
| the mighty treasure hid beneath the mass
Of "Her." Thither, it was agreed, should
we go on the morrow, and the second night
from now attemptits search. So, early on the
| uext day, boat was secretly made ready,
| and therein did Cleopatra enter, vailed as
Il Ii - IL.
| age TO the Temple of Horemku. And l also,
closked as pilgrim, entered with her, and
| with US ten of her most trusted servants
hidden as sailors. But Charmion entered
not with US. We sailed with fair wind
from the Canopic mouth of the Nile; and
that night, pushing on with the moon, we
reached Sais at midnight, and there rested
for awhile. At dawn we once more
loosed our craft, and all that day sailed
| swiftly till at last, at the third hour from
the sunset, we came In sight of the lights of
the fortress which is called Babylon. Here,
on the opposite bank of the river, we
mooEed our ship safely in bed of reeds.
Then, or foot and secretly, we set forth
for the Pyramids, which were at distance
of nigh upon fifty stadia (about six miles,
Cleopatra, and one trusted eunuch, for the
for Cleopatra I caught an ass that was
wandering in titled field. and threw a
cloak upon it Thereon she sat, and led the
ass By paths knew, the eunuch following
after US. And, within little more than
an hour, having gained the great causeway,
we saw the mighty Pyramids towering up
through the moorlit air and aweing Us to
silence. On we passed. in utter silence,
through the haunted city of the dead, for
all around US stood the solemn tombs, till
at length we climbed the rocky hill aud
stood in the deep shadow of khufu khut
Cthe splendid Throne of khufu).
"Of TRUTH" whispered Cleopatra as she
gazed up the dazzling marble slope above
her, everywhere blazoned DER with mill
ion mystic characteristic a truth, there
were gods ruling in Khem in those days,
and not men This place is sad as Death
ay, and as mighty and as far from man.
Here must we enterl"
Nay" answered, sit is not here. Pass
on
led the way through thousand toulbs,
till we stood in the shadow of Ur (the
Great. and gazed at his red, heaven
piercing mass
rs it here that we must enterl" she
whispered once again.
"Nay," answered, sit is not here. Pass
on
And we passed On through mary more
tombs, until we stood in the shadow of
Her. and Cleopatra gazed astonlshed 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 circled its base about. For of
all pyramids this is the most beautiful
as it here that we must enter" she
said
answered: 'sYea, it is here"
And we passed round between the temple
of the worship of his divine Majesty,
Menka-ra, the OsiriAn, and the base of the
pyramid, till we came to the north side.
Here in the center is graved the name Ct
PhaI soh Menka-ra, who built the pyramid
to be his tomb, and stored therein his
treasure against the needs Of Khem.
ssIf the treasure still remains I said to
Cleopatra, las in the days of my great
great grandfather, who was priest Of this
pyramid before me, it rema ined, 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 enteri-for thou thy
self must enter and judge"
''Canst thou not go with the eunuch, Har-
machis, and bring the treasure forth!r she
said, for little her courage began to fail
her.
'Nay, 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 me to do. I. as hereditary holder
of the secret may, upon demand, show 10
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 il 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 aloEe; her divine broth
er Men-Kheper-ra (Thotmes the Great:
and the divine Miamen (Rameses IL. But
of these three maiesties, not one when they
saw dared to touch, for, though sore their
need, il was not great enoU On 10 consecrate
the act. So, fearing lest the curse should fall
upon them, they went hence Borrowing"
A little she thought, till at last her spirit
oye-caue her fear.
AT the least / Will see with mine own
eyes" she said.
1T Is well" 1 answered Then, stones
having been piled up on certain spot at
the base of the pyramid to somewhat more
than the height OF a man by me and the
euuuch who was with Us, I 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 eveu the Ethiopian
stone, found IL Having found it, l. in
certain fashion, pressed thereon with al