San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-17


give us shall we not be able to discover
the ingredients of which it is made
and the manner in which it is concoct-
ed? Eternity Eternityr' ne screamed
can eternity of life is oursp'
A cold, icy horror seized me. There
could be no doubt of my companions
insanity. He was raving maniac. The
exciting events of the last few hours
had been too much for his highly
wrought nervous system. was alone
with him, far from human aid, and
where no sound or cry of mine could
reach the ear of man. To what ex-
tremity might not this insanity drive
him? i was unarmed, and, though a
stronger man than he, yet knew that
insanity lends strength almost super
human. There was nothing to do Ii
to strive to appear calm and if possiB
| quiet him.
$50 you really think this must be
the elixir Of life?" inquired calmly.
"Of course it is" he cried. do you
sappose it will restore life to that car
rion there after 80 centuries or more
and not prolong the life of one already
living? Yes, it is the true elixir, the
true fountain of youth" Here his raw
ings became incoherent and so contin-
ued for some time.
"Well, it may be as you say, doctor"
I said at length. "But let us first get
this fellow fully resuscitated and get
out of here as soon as we can. Heavensi
Think what fame will be ours when we
introduce to the world a living priest
of the eighteenth dynastyP'
"Resuscitate that dog" he screamed
Waste on him any more of the pre-
cious fluid which means thousands of
years of life to usi No, mol Let him
sleep as he has slept All that man
has will he give for his life, and here
is life, life, life-thousands Of years
of it'll
"Why should you have any Of it?" h.
continued, casting look of deep ma
Lightly upon me. "Why should you en-
| Joy what you did not discover? You
would never have suspected the true
nature of the liquor You would have
wasted it all on that carcass there. No,
mol You have no right to it 1t is all
mine Millions of years of life, and all
| minep
you are welcome to it all, doctor.
| if you wish il" managed to say. II
am not enamored with life enough to
desire to prolong it indefinitely. ! am
satisfied with my allotted length Of
days But now let us get out of here il
you do not wish to carry our expert
ment further"
"Very we'll, them" he cried. "It is
| all mine. Eternity is mine. / must be-
gin upon it now, before am a moment
older From this moment l become as
one of the gods. l drink" he said,
lifting the flask to his lips, Ito immor-
talityp' A bright green glare shot from
the vase as he held it aloft
Forgetful of danger sprang forward
to intercept his draft, fully believing
that medicine so powerful as we had
found this to be would be fatal to a liv-
ing man, and, determined to save my
| friends life at whatever risk to my
own, leaped forward, snatched the
flask from his hands and flung it far
down one of the UNEMPLOYED corridors.
For an instant he stood as il thunder
| struck.
Then with incredible quickness and
| without uttering word he drew a
stiletto from his breast, plunged it into
my bosom and darted down the corri-
| dor. fell fainting to the floor, but be-
fore lost consciousness heard long.
blood curdling scream, followed by a
deathly silence, and knew no more.
returned to consciousness in the
humble hut Of fellah near the scene
of my explorations, whittier ! had been
conveyed by my men, who had found
me insensible in the thick darkness of
| the vaulted chamber. / had lowered for
weeks between life and death, but the
anxious care of physician whom the
Scientific society had sent me ON hear
ing of my wound finally restored me to
| consciousness and life. No tidings OF
DR.. Batesi had been received.
AS soon as was able revisited the
tomb. OF its former treasures not an
atom remained. The wretched fellahs,
who are not permitted to sell any of the
treasures of antiquity which they may
| discover, had taken all away to dis
member them at their leisure, in order
to sell the fragments surreptitiously to
tourists The body of the priest had
disappeared with the other contents OF
the tomb.
| Feebly and disconsolately crawled
along one of the corridors which seemed
to me to be the one down which ! had
thrown the crystal vase. Suddenly my
torchbearer, who was in advance, start
ed back with cry of horror. Advanc-
ing cautiously, i found myself looking
down into a wide pit which was sunk
perpendicularly in the center of the
passage. threw pebble down it. but
no sound of its fall returned to my ears
from the thick blackness below. -
As turned, weary and sick at heart,
my foot struck soft object. 1t was
light felt hat knew it and its own
er's fate.
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