she-第29章

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getting　used　to　eerie　sensations　by　this　time；　and　by　
now　was　pretty　well　prepared　for　anything。　So　I　lay　
still；　and　listened　to　the　tramp；　tramp　of　the　bearers　
and　the　rushing　of　the　water；　and　tried　to　believe　
that　I　was　enjoying　myself。　Presently　the　men　set　up　
the　melancholy　little　chant　that　I　had　heard　on　the　
first　night　when　we　were　captured　in　the　whale…boat；　
and　the　effect　produced　by　their　voices　was　very　
curious；　and　quite　indescribable　on　paper。　After　a　
while　the　air　began　to　get　exceedingly　thick　and　
heavy；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　I　felt　as　though　I　
were　going　to　choke；　till　at　length　the　litter　took　a　
sharp　turn；　then　another　and　another；　and　the　sound　of　
the　running　water　ceased。　After　this　the　air　got　
fresher　again；　but　the　turns　were　continuous；　and　to　
me；　blindfolded　as　I　was；　most　bewildering。　I　tried　to　
keep　a　map　of　them　in　my　mind　in　case　it　might　ever　be　
necessary　for　us　to　try　and　escape　by　this　route；　but；　
needless　to　say；　failed　utterly。　Another　half…hour　or　
so　passed；　and　then　suddenly　I　became　aware　that　we　
were　once　more　in　the　open　air。　I　could　see　the　light　
through　my　bandage　and　feel　freshness　on　my　face。　A　
few　more　and　the　caravan　halted；　and　I　heard　Billali　
order　Ustane　to　remove　her　bandage　and　undo　ours。　
Without　waiting　for　her　attentions　I　got　the　knot　of　
mine　loose；　and　looked　out。

As　I　anticipated；　we　had　passed　right　through　the　
precipice；　and　were　now　on　the　farther　side；　and　
immediately　beneath　its　beetling　face。　The　first　thing　
I　noticed　was　that　the　cliff　was　not　nearly　so　high　
here；　not　so　high　I　should　say　by　five　hundred　feet；　
which　proved　that　the　bed　of　the　lake；　or　rather　of　
the　vast　ancient　crater　in　which　we　stood；　was　much　
above　the　level　of　the　surrounding　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；　I　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　to　keep　the　cattle　and　goats；　of　
which　there　were　large　herds　about；　from　breaking　into　
the　gardens。　Here　and　there　rose　great　grass　mounds；　
and　some　miles　away　towards　the　centre　I　thought　that　
I　could　see　the　outline　of　colossal　ruins。　I　had　no　
time　to　observe　anything　more　at　the　moment；　for　we　
were　instantly　surrounded　by　crowds　of　Amahagger；　
similar　in　every　particular　to　those　with　whom　we　were　
already　familiar；　who；　though　they　spoke　little；　
pressed　round　us　so　closely　as　to　obscure　the　view　to　
a　person　lying　in　a　hammock。　Then　all　of　a　sudden　a　
number　of　armed　men　arranged　in　companies；　and　
marshalled　by　officers　who　held　ivory　wands　in　their　
hands；　came　running　swiftly　towards　us；　having；　so　far　
as　I　could　make　out；　emerged　from　the　face　of　the　
precipice　like　ants　from　their　burrows。　These　men；　as　
well　as　their　officers；　were　all　robed　in　addition　to　
the　usual　leopard　skin；　and；　as　I　gathered；　formed　the　
bodyguard　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself。

Their　leader　advanced　to　Billali；　saluted　him　by　
placing　his　ivory　wand　transversely　across　his　
forehead；　and　then　asked　some　question　which　I　could　
not　catch；　and　Billali　having　answered　him；　the　whole　
regiment　turned　and　marched　along　the　side　of　the　
cliff；　our　cavalcade　of　litters　following　in　their　
track。　After　going　thus　for　about　half　a　mile　we　
halted　once　more　in　front　of　the　mouth　of　a　tremendous　
cave；　measuring　about　sixty　feet　in　height　by　eighty　
wide；　and　here　Billali　descended　finally；　and　
requested　Job　and　myself　to　do　the　same。　Leo；　of　
course；　was　far　too　ill　to　do　anything　of　the　sort。　I　
did　so；　and　we　entered　the　great　cave；　into　which　the　
light　of　the　setting　sun　penetrated　for　some　distance；　
while　beyond　the　reach　of　the　light　it　was　faintly　
illuminated　with　lamps　which　seemed　to　me　to　stretch　
away　for　an　almost　immeasurable　distance；　like　the　
gaslights　of　an　empty　London　street。　The　first　thing　
that　I　noticed　was　that　the　walls　were　covered　with　
sculptures　in　bas…relief；　of　a　sort；　pictorially　
speaking；　similar　to　those　that　I　have　described　upon　
the　vaseslove…scenes　principally；　then　hunting…
pictures；　pictures　of　executions；　and　the　torture　of　
criminals　by　the　placing　of　a　presumably　red…hot　pot　
upon　the　head；　showing　whence　our　hosts　had　derived　
this　pleasant　practice。　There　were　very　few　battle…
pieces；　though　many　of　duels；　and　men　running　and　
wrestling；　and　from　this　fact　I　am　led　to　believe　that　
this　people　was　not　much　subject　to　attack　by　exterior　
foes；　either　on　account　of　the　isolation　of　their　
position　or　because　of　their　great　strength。　Between　
the　pictures　were　columns　of　stone　characters　of　a　
formation　absolutely　new　to　me：　at　any　rate；　they　were　
neither　Greek；　nor　Egyptian；　nor　Hebrew；　nor　Assyrian…
…that　I　am　sure　of。　They　looked　more　like　Chinese　
writings　than　any　other　that　I　am　acquainted　with。　
Near　to　the　entrance　of　the　cave　both　pictures　and　
writings　were　worn　away；　but　farther　in　they　were　in　
many　cases　absolutely　fresh　and　perfect　as　the　day　on　
which　the　sculptor　had　ceased　work　upon　them。

The　regiment　of　guards　did　not　come　farther　than　the　
entrance　to　the　cave；　where　they　formed　up　to　let　us　
pass　through。　On　entering　the　place　itself　we　were；　
however；　met　by　a　man　robed　in　white；　who　bowed　
humbly；　but　said　nothing；　which；　as　it　afterwards　
appeared　that　he　was　a　deaf　mute；　was　not　very　
wonderful。

Running　at　right　angles　to　the　great　cave；　at　a　
distance　of　some　twenty　feet　from　the　entrance；　was　a　
smaller　cave　or　wide　gallery；　that　was　pierced　into　
the　rock　both　to　the　right　and　to　the　left　of　the　main　
cavern。　In　front　of　the　gallery　to　our　left　stood　two　
guards；　from　which　circumstance　I　argued　that　it　was　
the　entrance　to　the　apartments　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself。　
The　mouth　of　the　right…hand　gallery　was　unguarded；　and　
along　it　the　mute　indicated　that　we　were　to　proceed。　
Walking　a　few　yards　down　this　passage；　which　was　
lighted　with　lamps；　we　came　to　the　entrance　to　a　
chamber　having　a　curtain　made　of　some　grass　material；　
not　unlike　a　Zanzibar　mat　in　appearance；　hung　over　the　
doorway。

This　the　mute　drew　back　with　another　profound　
obeisance；　and　led　the　way　into　a　good…sized　
apartment；　hewn；　of　course；　out　of　the　solid　rock；　
but；　to　my　great　delight；　lighted　by　means　of　a　shaft　
pierced　in　the　face　of　the　precipice。　In　this　room　was　
a　stone　bedstead；　pots　full　of　water　for　washing；　and　
beautifully　tanned　leopard　skins　to　serve　as　blankets。

Here　we　left　Leo；　who　was　still　sleeping　heavily；　and　
with　him　stopped　Ustane。　I　noticed　that　the　mute　gave　
her　a　very　sharp　look；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Who　are　
you；　and　by　whose　orders　do　you　come　here？〃　Then　he　
conducted　us　to　another　similar　room　which　Job　took；　
and　then　to　two　more　that　were　respectively　occupied　
by　Billali　and　myself。

CHAPTER　XII

〃SHE〃

THE　first　care　of　Job　and　myself；　after　seeing　to　Leo；　
was　to　wash　ourselves　and　put　on　clean　clothing；　for　
what　we　were　wearing　had　not　been　changed　since　the　
loss　of　the　dhow。　Fortunately；　as　I　think　that　I　have　
said；　by　far　the　greater　part　of　our　personal　baggage　
had　been　packed　into　the　whaleboat；　and　was　therefore　
savedand　brought　hither　by　the　bearersalthough　all　
the　stores　laid　in　by　us　for　barter　and　presents　to　
the　natives　were　lost。　Nearly　all　our　clothing　was　
made　of　a　well…shrunk　and　very　strong　gray　flannel；　
and　excellent　I　found　it　for　travelling　in　these　
places；　because　though　a　Norfolk　jacket；　shirt；　and　
pair　of　trousers　of　it　only　weighed　about　four　pounds；　
a　great　consideration　in　a　tropical　country；　where　
every　extra　ounce　tells　on　the　wearer；　it　was　warm；　
and　offered　a　good　resistance　to　the　rays　of　the　sun；　
and；　best　of　all；　to　chills；　which　are　so　apt　to　
result　from　sudden　changes　of　temperature。

Never　shall　I　forget　the　comfort　of　the　〃wash　and　
brush…up；〃　and　of　those　clean　flannels。　The　only　thing　
that　was　wanting　to　complete　my　joy　was　a　cake　of　
soap；　of　which　we　had　none。

Afterwa