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depicted in this rude scrawl was so overpowering。 It
was terrible to think of this solitary survivor of a
mighty people recording its fate before he too went
down into darkness。 What must the old man have felt
as； in ghastly； terrifying solitude； by the light of
one lamp feebly illumining a little space of gloom； he
in a few brief lines daubed the history of his
nation's death upon the cavern wall？ What a subject
for the moralist； or the painter； or indeed for any
one who can think！
〃Doth it not occur to thee； O Holly；〃 said Ayesha；
laying her hand upon my shoulder； 〃that those men who
sailed north may have been the fathers of the first
Egyptians？〃
〃Nay； I know not；〃 I said； 〃it seems that the world is
very old。〃
〃Old？ Yes； it is old。 indeed。 Time after time have
nations； ay； and rich and strong nations； learned in
the arts； been and passed away and been forgotten； so
that no memory of them remains。 This is but one of
several； for Time eats up the works of man； unless；
indeed； he digs in caves like the people of Ko^r； and
then mayhap the sea swallows them； or the earthquake
shakes them in。 Who knows what hath been on the earth；
or what shall be？ There is no new thing under the sun；
as the wise Hebrew wrote long ago。 Yet were not these
people utterly destroyed； as I think。 Some few
remained in the other cities； for their cities were
many。 But the barbarians from the south； or perchance
my people； the Arabs； came down upon them； and took
their women to wife； and the race of the Amahagger
that is now is a bastard brood of the mighty sons of
Ko^r； and behold it dwelleth in the tombs with its
fathers' bones。 But I know not： who can know？ My arts
cannot pierce so far into the blackness of Time's
night。 A great people were they。 They conquered till
none were left to conquer； and then they dwelt at ease
within their rocky mountain walls； with their
manservants and their maid…servants； their minstrels；
their sculptors； and their concubines； and traded and
quarrelled； and ate and hunted and slept and made
merry till their time came。 But come； I will show thee
the great pit beneath the cave whereof the writing
speaks。 Never shall thine eyes witness such another
sight。〃
Accordingly I followed her to a side passage opening
out of the main cave； then down a great number of
steps； and along an underground shaft which cannot
have been less than sixty feet beneath the surface of
the rock； and was ventilated by curious borings that
ran upward； I do not know where。 Suddenly the passage
ended； and she halted and bade the mutes hold up the
lamps； and； as she had prophesied； I saw a scene such
as I was not likely to see again。 We were standing in
an enormous pit； or rather on the edge of it； for it
went down deeperI do not know how muchthan the
level on which we stood； and was edged in with a low
wall of rock。 So far as I could judge； this pit was
about the size of the space beneath the dome of St。
Paul's in London； and when the lamps were held up I
saw that it was nothing but one vast charnelhouse；
being literally full of thousands of human skeletons；
which lay piled up in an enormous gleaming pyramid；
formed by the slipping down of the bodies at the apex
as fresh ones were dropped in from above。 Anything
more appalling than this jumbled mass of the remains
of a departed race I cannot imagine； and what made it
even more dreadful was that in this dry air a
considerable number of the bodies had simply become
desiccated with the skin on them； and now； fixed in
every conceivable position； stared at us out of the
mountain of white bones； grotesquely horrible
caricatures of humanity。 In my astonishment I uttered
an ejaculation； and the echoes of my voice ringing in
the vaulted space disturbed a skull that had been
accurately balanced for many thousands of years near
the apex of the pile。 Down it came with a run；
hounding along merrily towards us； and of course
bringing an avalanche of other bones after it； till at
last the whole pit rattled with their movement； even
as though the skeletons were getting up to greet us。
〃Come；〃 I said； 〃I have seen enough。 These are the
bodies of those who died of the great sickness； is it
not so？〃 I added； as we turned away。
〃Yes。 The people of Ko^r ever embalmed their dead； as
did the Egyptians； but their art was greater than the
art of the Egyptians； for whereas the Egyptians
disembowelled and drew the brain； the people of Ko^r
injected fluid into the veins； and thus reached every
part。 But stay； thou shalt see；〃 and she halted at
haphazard at one of the little doorways opening out of
the passage along which we were walking； and motioned
to the mutes to light us in。 We entered into a small
chamber similar to the one in which I had slept at our
first stopping…place； only instead of one there were
two stone benches or beds in it。 On the benches lay
figures covered with yellow linen； on which a fine and
impalpable dust had gathered in the course of ages；
but nothing like to the extent that one would have
anticipated； for in these deep…hewn caves there is no
material to turn to dust。 About the bodies on the
stone shelves and floor of the tomb were many painted
vases； but I saw very few ornaments or weapons in any
of the vaults。
〃Uplift the cloths； O Holly；〃 said Ayesha； but when I
put out my hand to do so I drew it back again。 It
seemed like sacrilege； and to speak the truth I was
awed by the dread solemnity of the place； and of the
presences before us。 Then； with a little laugh at my
fears； she drew them herself； only to discover other
and yet finer cloths lying over the forms upon the
stone bench。 These also she withdrew； and then for the
first time for thousands upon thousands of years of
did living eyes look upon the face of that chilly
dead。 It was a woman； she might have been thirty…five
years of age； or perhaps a little less； and had
certainly been beautiful。 Even now her calm； clear…cut
features； marked out with delicate eyebrows and long
eyelashes which threw little lines of the shadow of
the lamplight upon the ivory face； were wonderfully
beautiful。 There； robed in white； down which her blue
black hair was streaming； she slept her last long
sleep； and on her arm； its face pressed against her
breast； there lay a little babe。 So sweet was the
sight； although so awful； thatI confess it without
shameI could scarcely withhold my tears。 It took me
back across the dim gulf of the ages to some happy
home in dead Imperial Ko^r； where this winsome lady
girt about with beauty had lived and died； and dying
taken her last…born with her to the tomb。 There they
were before us； mother and babe； the white memories of
a forgotten human history speaking more eloquently to
the heart than could any written record of their
lives。 Reverently I replaced the grave…cloths； and；
with a sigh that flowers so fair should； in the
purpose of the Everlasting； have only bloomed to be
gathered to the grave； I turned to the body on the
opposite shelf； and gently unveiled it。 I