Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-08-24

/ learn the secret OF the pains through tlt
bowels of the mountains To this | OF
course assented cheorfully enough, hui
Job who was now very much better, not
withstanding the journey, did not like II
at all, fancying, ! believe, that II was but
a preliminary step 10 being hot'potted.
! He was, however n little consoled when
pointed out le him that there were no hot
| pots handy. and, so far as knew, no fire
TO heat them in As for poor Leo, after
turning restlessly for hours, he had. 10 my
deep lhankfuncss, at last dropped of into
sleep or stnpor, | don't know which, SO
there was no need to blindfold him. The
blindfolding was performed by binding a
piece of the yclowlsh linen whereof those
of the Amhagger who condescended 10
wear anything in particular made their
dresses, tightly round the eyes. This
linen, afterward, discovered, was taken
from the tombs and was not, as had at
first supposed, of native manufacture.
The bandage was then knotted at the back
of the head. and finally brought down
again, and the ends bound under the chin
to prevent its slipping. Ustane was, by
the way, also blindfolded | do not know
why, unless it was from fear that she
should impart the secrets OF the route to
US. This operation performed, we started
on once more, and soon. by the echoing
sound OF the footsteps of the bearers and
the increased noise of the water, caused
by reverberaton in a confined space,
knew that we were entering into the
bowels of great mountBin 1t was an
eere sensation, being borne along into the
heart of a mountain, we knew not whittier
but | was getting used to eerle sensations
by tins time, and by now was pretty well
prepared for anything SO lay still, and
listened to the tramp, tramp Of the bearers
and the rushing of the water, and tried TO
believe that was enjoying myself. Pres
emily the men set up the melancholy little
chant that had heard on the first night
and the effect produced by their voices
was very curious, and quite Undesirable
on paper. After awhile the air began to
get exceedingly thick and heavy, so much
SO, indeed that felt as though | were 90
ing to'choke. till at length | felt the litter
take a sharp turn. then another, and an
other, and the sound of running water
ceased After this the air got fresher
again, but the turns were continuous, and
to me, blindfolded as was, most Devil
dering tried to keep a map of them in
my mind in case it might ever be neces-
sary for us to try and escape by this route,
but, needless TO say, failed dtterly. An.
other half hour or so passed, and then sud.
denly | became aware that we were once
more in the open air. | could see the light
through my bandage and feel the freshness
of il on my face. A few more minutes
and the caravan halted, and heard Billal
order | stane to remove her bandage and
undo ours. Without waiting for her at
tentlons ! got the knot Of mine loose, and
looked out
As ! anticipated, we passed right
through the precipice, and were now on
its further side, and Immediately beneath
Its beetling face. The first thing | noticed
was that it was not nearly so high here
not so high. | should say, by five hundred
feet, which proved that the bed of the
lake, or rather of the vast crater in which
we stood was much higher than the sur
rounding plain. For the rest, we found
ourselves in a huge rock-surrounded cup.
not unlike that of the first place where we
had sojourned only ten times the size
Indeed, one could only just make out the
frowning line of the opposite cliffs. a
great portion Of the plain thus enclosed by
nature was cultivated, and fenced in with
walls of stone placed there 10 keep the cat
tie and goats, of which there were large
herds about, from breaking into the gar
dens. Here and there rose great grass
mounds, and some miles away toward the
center thought ] could see the outline Of
colossal ruins ! had no time TO observe
anything more at the moment for we
were instantly surrounded by crowds of
Amahaggcr, similar in every particular TO
those with whom we were already famil
lar, who, though they spoke little pressed
round Us so closely as 10 obscure the view
to "a person lying IN a hammock. Then,
all Of "A sudden, a number of armed men,
arranged IN companies, and marshaled by
officers who held an ivory wand In their
hands came running swiftly toward Us,
having 50 far as | could make out, emer
ged from the face Of the precipice like
ants from. their burrows These men as
well as their officers We're all robed in adj
dition 10 their usual leopard skin, and, a.
! gathered, formed the body guard Of she
herself.
Their leader advanced to Billali. saluted
him by placing his ivory wand transverse
ly across his forehead, and then asked
some questions which ! could not catch,
and Blllali having answered him, the
whole cavalcade of filters following i'm
their track. After going thus for about
half mile we halted once more in front
of the mouth of tremendous cave, meas
uring about fifty feet in height by eighty
wide, and here B:llall descended finally,
and requested Job and myself TO do the
same. Leo, of course, was far too i'll to
do anything Of the sort. ! did so, and we
entered the great cave, into which the light
of the setting sun penetrated for some dis
lance, while beyond the reach of the light
it was family illuminated with lamps.
which seemed To me TO stretch away for
an almost immeasurable distance, like the
oas liplte IF an ptnntv Tpndnu ctrnof