The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-11-06

ward the place where the heart of the
ipclosed mummy would naturally have
been. About the sides of the apartment
stood eight other stone collins, but
smaller and of red granite instead of
syenite.
AS the sight of these objects burst
upon me by the Pickering torchlight l
| felt myself trembling with excessive
emotion. Here was, it might be, the
greatest Psychological discovery since
the finding of the Rosetta stone. No in
truder before me had ever disturbed the
silence of this most awful sepulcher.
Nor Cambyses nor Alexander nor any
of the long list Of the conquerors of
Egypt had penetrated the secret Of this
rock hewn abode of the dead. Since
the deep and solemn chorus of the de-
parting priests of Osiris had died away
in hollow echoes through the long cor
ridors about them no sound had broken
the silence of the ancient dead. What
if they were to wake and ask me of the
doings of the world since they had
slumbered there? Not history's self
could answer them.
LDtSO WV slhillal thOukhtb hdSDtu
through my mind, mixed with a tri-
umphant feeling of exultation and self
graduation. But it was already late. /
had eaten nothing since morning and
my fellahs were tired and grumbling,
SO l was compelled to abandon my dis
coveries until the morrow, though sore
ly against my will. So jealous was I of
my findings that, after seeing all of my
workmen out of the tomb, / had my tent
pitched before the outer entrance, in
order that one might gain access to
the new treasures which were within
the inner chambers.
After a restless night | was up with
the dawn, and, eating a hasty break
fast, hastened to the scene of my dis
covery, but before repairing thither
sent a messenger to Professor Batesi,
who was then considered the greatest
living Psychologist, and who was su-
perintending some excavations at 8
point about ten miles from my camp,
announcing my discovery and begging
him to come to me at once. This wal
an unselfish act on my part, as l knew
very we'll that the scientific world
would be apt to give him entire credit
for my discoveries if he were to arrive
on the scene so soon and should desire
to appropriate my l%aurels, but my de
light was so great that l felt the neces
sity of a companion to share it with me
The first task l set for myself was thu
removal Of the grand central sarcopha
gus. ] had pretty we'll made up my mint
that this was the real coffin of Thothme
. III and that the Que found in the QUITE.
tomb had been merely a blind. ! sen
to my camp for tackle and a small der
rick so constructed as to be capable o
/ being taken apart in small pieces ant
) readily put together. While awaiting
its arrival / examined the great goldel
| ibis closely. 1t was apparently of soli'
1 gold, ten feet high, and the finest speci
men Of the goldsmith's art l had eve
seen. The modelling was perfect ant
the minuteness Of the work remarkable
s The tiniest feathers, the smallest scale
t on the long, slender legs, were repro
duced with scrupulous exactness
"There has never been found anything
, to compare with it." I said exultantl
Q to myself.
g In a short time the men returne
t with the apparatus, the derrick wa
erected and clamps were placed acros
the polished surface of the massive lid
Q At my command the men at che vino
Q lass began to turn, and the great sla
n rose slowly from its place and WI
lowered carefully to the floor. Leapin
upon a coil of rope at hand, l locke
down into the s~arcophagus. AS 1 did
| the light from my torch brilliantly n
f1ected from a huge mummy case of az
parently solid and massy gold. AS
usual with mummy cases, the head
the case was modelled into the form
a face. These faces are supposed to
~likenesses of the inclosed mummies {
they looked in life. The face was tbf
of man still young, of pleasing an
yet commanding presence. Two crysta
inserted for eyes gave it a lifelike an
almost terrifying, appearance. The cai
was carved with many and elaborat
designs and was studded with the bot
les of many scarabs, which were 81
deep i'll the gold
4 These details l observed at a glanc,
\ but an object lying at the side of I'll
case and partly upon it now f~ttracte
J my attention. This was a large vase
' flask of the purest rock crystal, elab'
rately carved with mystical device
h which was filled with a limpid, colo
-. less fiuid-perhaps four or five quarts
~ which seemed to be luminous. At lea
"a it reflected the torchlight with an il
tensity that was almost binding.
~. was a wholly novel discovery. Sa
cophagi and mummies were commC
~ enough, but never had | seen or heal
~ Of the finding of anything like thi
~ Had Ifound it in a Grecian or Roma
-. tomb, l might have called it ii lac
10 rymal vase, but so far as / knew /
y such utensil was used by the Egyptian
a. Reaching down into the great stol
~ box, l managed to grasp the flask al
u take it up. AS l held it aloft tle
=. labs set up a terrified shout as Il
~ from it in streams of dazzling bri
=, liancy.
BODY of Bacchus! So you are ne
~ ther crazy nor hoaxing."
s, 1t v~ss the voice of my friend, /
tn Batesi, who entered the tomb at d
of moment.
IN DR.. Eatesi was an Italian, some
years If age, though yet vigorous a
of of an extremely nervous Temperance
His figure was tall, but thin and gau.