Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-11

lnolosed mummy woul naturally have
peen. About the sides the apartment
stood eight other stone collins INIT
smaller and of red granite instead of
syenite.
AS the sight Of these objects burst
upon me by the Pickering torchligh. |
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 conuuerors of
Egypt had penetrated the secret of this
rock hewn abode of the dead. Since
the deep and solemn chorus Of the e.
parting priests of Osiris had died away
III hollow echoes through the long cor
rldors about them no sound had broken
the silence of the ancient dead. What
II they were to wake aud ask me of the
doings of the world since they had
slumbered there? Not history's self
could answer them.
These and similar thoughts flashed
through my mind, mixed with tri-
umphant feeling of exultation and self
graduation. But it was already late. l
had eaten nothing since morning and
my fellahs were tired and grumbling.
so | was compelled to abandon my dis
Coveries until the morrow, though sore
ly against my will. So jealous was | of
my findings that, after seeing all Of my
workmen out of the tomb, l had my tent
pitched before the outer entrance, in
order that none 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, fastened to the scene of my dis
covery, but before repairing thithcr
sent messenger to Professor Batesi,
who was then considered the greatest
living Psychologist, and who was su-
perintending some excavations at u
point about ten miles from my camp,
announcing my discovery and begging
him to come to me at once This was
an unseltish act on my part, as | knew
very well 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 laurels, but my de-
| light was so great that felt the neCes-
| sity of "A companion to share 1t with me.
The first task | set for myself was the
removal of the grand central sarCopha-
gus. had pretty we'll made up my mind
| that this was the real coffin of Thothmcs
| III and that the one found i'll the outer
tomb had been merely blind. | sent
to my camp for tackle and il small der
rick so constructed as to be capable Of
being taken apart in small pieces and
readily put together. While awaiting
its arrival l examined the great golden
ibis closely. 1t was apparently of soho
gold, ten feet high, and the finest spcci-
men of the goldsmith's art l had ever
seen. The modelling was perfect anC
the minuteness of the work remarkable
The tiniest feathers, the smallest scale
on the long, slender legs, were repro
duced with scrupulous exactncss
"There has never been found anything
to compare with it," said exultantly
to myself
In a short time the men returned
with the apparatus, the derrick wa
erected and clamps were placed acros
the polished surface of the massive lid
At my command the men at the wind
lass began to turn, and the great slal
rose slowly from its place and wa
lowered carefully to the floor. Leapini
upon coil of rope at hand, l looke'
down into the sarcophagus. As l did s.
the light from my torch brilliantly re
flected from huge mummy case of ap
parently solid and massy gold. As /
usual with mummy cases, the head o
the case was modelled into the form o
face These faces are supposed to b
likenesses of the inclosed mummies a
they looked in life. The face was tina
of a man still young, of pleasing an
yet commanding presence. Two crystal
inserted for eyes gave it a lifcliAe an
almost terrifying appearance. The cas-
was carved with many and elaborat
designs and was studded with the bod
les of many scarabs, which We're st
deep in the gold
These details l observed at glance
but an object lying at the side Of tn
CdSG anu panty upbA ~ INV '''A"N'N
my attention. This was large vase {
flask of the purest rock crystal, elabC
rately carved with mystical devices
which was filled with limpid, color
less fiuid-perhaps four or five quarts
which seemed to be luminous. AT lea:
it reflected the torchlight with an IL
tensity that was almost binding.
was a wholly novel discovery. Sai
cophagi and mummies were commo
enough, but never had seen or hear
, of the finding of anything like thi
Had l found it in a Grecian or Roma
tomb, l might have called it lacl
rymal vase but so far as | knew /
such utensil was used by the Egyptian
, Reaching down into the great stoI
box, managed to grasp the flask an
, take it up AS 1 held it aloft the fe
labs set up a terrified shout as Il
light of their torches was refecte
: from it in streams Of dazzling bri
, liancy.
BODY of Bacchusl So you are ne
9 Their crazy nor hoaxing.
IL was the voice of my friend, u
Batesi, who entered the tomb at tn
. moment.
i DR.. Batesi was an Italian, some
years of age, though yet vigorous al
Of an extremely nervous Temperament
His figure was tall, but thin and gaun
e l.,,,, ID pl nv