The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-04

tOrcheS o. lanterns.
Finally we came to a spot where tn
rocky corridor branched in two direct
tons. There was no time to waste il
hesitation; so we dashed down one a
a venture, and greatly to our relief per
ceived as we looked back that our pur
suers had taken the other turn. Thi
was, however, only a temporary re
spite, for it was only to be expected
that as soon as they had perceived
their mistake they would retrace theil
steps and explore the passage which
we had selected. We had stopped for {
moment to recover our breath, wher
we heard their voices, which had be
come less and less distinct, again grow.
ing louder. Not minute was to bt
lost. Close by were three coffin-like
inches in the rocky walls, in two OF
which there were only a few bones
while the third contained almost an en-
tire skeleton. My two companions
| each clamored into one, feet foremost
and then extending their arms to the
ground, filed up the opening with loose
bones picked up from the floor; while
1 had barely time to edge in alongside
the crumbling skeleton in the third
niche, pushing the skull and somewhat
damaging the ribs of the old heathen-l
take it for granted that he was a
heathen-in front of me so as to form
a screen. Our ruse succeeded. A few
minutes later our pursuers rushed past
us. 1t never occurred to them to search
the inches in the wall. Indeed, there
are so many thousands of these inches
they are ranged like pigeon-holes
through all the miles upon miles of
catacombs-that it would be like look
ing for needle in a haystack to search
for a person hidden in one of them.
Another quarter of an hour elapsed,
during which we lay in silence; then
we heard them again coming towards
US, evidently disguised with the failure
CT their search. L caught sight of one
of them through my bony screen, and
much to my concern perceived that he
carried in his hand the cap which my
Austrian friend had so imprudently
hurled in the air when he realized that
we had found the long lost tomb of AL
eXander the Great.
Not before a full hour had elapsed
did we venture to emerge from our IN
comfortable and somewhat cramped
quarters. AS silently as we could we
made our way in the opposite direction
from that taken by the priests when
they had last passed US. We were in
doubt for a time as to whether we had
taken the right corridor, and the pros
pect of perishing of hunger and of
thirst in the catacombs of Alexandria
presented itself. Finally, IN despera-
ton, we resolved to light our lantern,
which had managed to retain, and to
our intense relief, as struck the match
l saw glitter on the ground, and
STOPPING down found that it was sill
yer pencil case which had dropped from
my pocket a couple of hours previously.
This served to give US our bearings. We
were on the right track after all, and
hurried forward as rapidly as possible.
Unfortunately, just at this point. the
candle gave final flicker and went out,
leaving US in utter darkness. NV match
box, however, was well stocked, and
lighting one wax match after the other
we stumbled forwards, until, just as
the last had been lighted, we saw day
light through the fringe of verdure
that overhung the entrance of the grot-
to in the Antoniades gardens. The sun
had long since risen, and was shining
brightly with all the radiance of an
eastern morning, as with torn clothes
and dust-covered faces we made our
way through the garden to the lodge
gates, where our carriages were still
waiting for US. We had the hoods of
the victorias raised, so that no one
could see our condition, and drove back
to Alexandria, where we all three
at the Russian consulate.
Taking into our confidence an old
French scientist, who had spent the
greater portion of his life in the serv-
ice of the Egyptian government and |
was Intimately acquainted with the !
of the country, we informed |
him of our adventure, and asked him |
we should take any further !
steps to investigate the mysteries of |
our Easter adventure. 1t was in defer /
ence to his earnest entreaties and rec /
that we agreed TO saw
nothing whatever about the affair and |
to leave the country as quickly as pos
sible-especialiy my Austrian friend,
whose cap, left in the hands of the
J, 90
his identity. So grave were his fears
lest some attempt should be made by
he Mollahs to aSsaSsinate the prince,
so as to prevent him making any use
of his knowledge and TO avenge the
proclamation of their holy place, that
he insisted on his remaining at the
Russian consulate until the following
night, when he was conveyed in the
steam launch of the consulate TO the
mail steamer for Marseilles.
myself left by the English boat on
he following day; while our Russian
friend was made so uncomfortab BILE by
he warnings of the old scientist and
" the watch which seemed 70 DE kept
ipon him by several dark-browed ma.
ives, that he found it convenient to
cave for Constantinople few days
alter.
From the tenor of the old Egyptolo-
lists conversation, there is no doubt
hat the sarcophagus in the vault was
n truth the long lost tomb of Alexander
he Great All ancient writers are
greed that the corpse OF Alexander
vas brought in a splendid golden coffin
rom Babylon TO Alexandria, and was
hare hurried ,Dde- .ba artificial hin ~