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

them. to the number Of three, into the en-
trance OF the passage. This done, went to
the trusty eunuch, and, taking him aside,
swore HIM by the living spirit of HIM who
sleeps at Abouthis that those things which
he 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 a coil of rope,
| which 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.
ings that had come down to me through
one. and-forty generations of my predeces-
sors, the priests Of this pyramid of Her, and
of the worship of the Temple of the Divine
Menka-rs, the Osirian, l led the way through
that darksome place toward the utter 81.
lence of the tomb Guided by the feeble
light of or lamps we passed down the steep
incline, gasping in the heat and the thick,
stagnated air. Presently we had left tho
region of the masonry and were slipping
down a gallery hewn in the living rock. For
twenty PAGES or more it ran steeply. Then
Its slope lessened, and shortly we found our.
selves in chamber painted white, so low
that ], being tall, 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 floor
and rested awhile, overcome by the heat
and the utter darkness.
"Rise,'' said. 'Here we must not lin.
ger, or we faint"
So she rose, and, passing hand in hand
through that chamber, we found ourselves
face to face with a mighty door of granite,
let down from the roof in grooves. And
once more I took counsel Of the plan,
pressed with my foot upon certain stone.
and waited. Then, suddenly and softly, !
know not by what means, the mighty mass
hesved itself from its bed of living rock. We
passed beneath, and found ourselves face
to face with q second door Of granite. Again
Ipressed on q certain spot, and OF itself
this door swung wide, and we went
through, to find ourselves face &c face with
a third door, yet more mighty than the
twain through which we had won our way.
Following the secret plan, this door struck
with my foot upon q certain spot, and slow
" it sank, as though at a word of magic,
till its head was level with the floor of
rock. We crossed and gained another
passage which, descending gently for a
length of fourteen PAGES, led US into great
chamber paved with black marble, more
than nine cubits high, by nine cubits broad,
and thirty cubits long. In this great mar
bic floor was sunk great sarcophagus of
granite, and on its lid were graved the
name and titles of the Queen of Menka-ra.
In this chamber, too, the air was more pure,
though by what means it came thither
know not.
SIS the treasure here" gasped Cleopatra.
"Nay," answered.; follow me-" And
led the way TO a gallery, which we entered
through an opening in the floor of the great
chamber. 1t had been closed by q trap
door of stone, but the door was open.
Creeping along this shaft, or passage, for
some ten PAGES, We came at length to
well, in depth seven cubits. Making fast
one end of the rope that / mad brought
about my body, and the other to q ring in
the rock, l was lowered, holding the lampi in
my hand, till stood in the last resting
place Of the divine Menka-ra Then the
rope was drawn up, and Cleopatra, being
made fast thereto, was let down by the
sunuch, and received her in my arms.
But the eunuch, sorely against his will, for
he feared to be left alone, l babe wait our
return at the mouth of the shaft. For it was
not lawful that be should enter whittier we
went.