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that　I　thought　（and　so　did　Job）　that　they　were　not　
likely　to　injure　a　man　of　his　unusually　vigorous　
constitution。　Besides；　we　had　no　dry　ones　at　hand。

Presently　the　moon　went　down；　and　left　us　floating　on　
the　waters；　now　only　heaving　like　some　troubled　
woman's　breast；　giving　us　leisure　to　reflect　upon　all　
that　we　had　gone　through　and　all　that　we　had　escaped。　
Job　stationed　himself　at　the　bow；　Mahomed　kept　his　
post　at　the　tiller；　and　I　sat　on　a　seat　in　the　middle　
of　the　boat　close　to　where　Leo　was　lying。

The　moon　went　slowly　down　in　chastened　loveliness；　she　
departed　like　some　sweet　bride　into　her　chamber；　and　
long；　veil…like　shadows　crept　up　the　sky　through　which　
the　stars　peeped　shyly　out。　Soon；　however；　they　too　
began　to　pale　before　a　splendor　in　the　east；　and　then　
the　quivering　footsteps　of　the　dawn　came　rushing　
across　the　new…born　blue；　and　shook　the　planets　from　
their　places。　Quieter　and　yet　more　quiet　grew　the　sea；　
quiet　as　the　soft　mist　that　brooded　on　her　bosom；　and　
covered　up　her　troubling；　as　the　illusive　wreaths　of　
sleep　brood　upon　a　pain…racked　mind；　causing　it　to　
forget　its　sorrow。　From　the　east　to　the　west　sped　the　
angels　of　the　dawn；　from　sea　to　sea；　from　mountain…top　
to　mountain…top；　scattering　light　with　both　their　
hands。　On　they　sped　out　of　the　darkness；　perfect；　
glorious；　like　spirits　of　the　just　breaking　from　the　
tomb；　on；　over　the　quiet　sea；　over　the　low　coast…line；　
and　the　swamps　beyond；　and　the　mountains　beyond　them；　
over　those　who　slept　in　peace；　and　those　who　woke　in　
sorrow；　over　the　evil　and　the　good；　over　the　living　
and　dead；　over　the　wide　world　and　all　that　breathes　or　
has　breathed　thereon。

It　was　a　wonderfully　beautiful　sight；　and　yet　sad；　
perhaps　from　the　very　excess　of　its　beauty。　The　
arising　sun；　the　setting　sun！　There　we　have　the　symbol　
and　the　type　of　humanity；　and　all　things　with　which　
humanity　has　to　do。　The　symbol　and　the　type；　yes；　and　
the　earthly　beginning；　and　the　end　also。

And　on　that　morning　this　came　home　to　me　with　a　
peculiar　force。　The　sun　that　rose　to…day　for　us　had　
set　last　night　for　eighteen　of　our　fellow　voyagers！
had　set　forever　for　eighteen　whom　we　knew！

The　dhow　had　gone　down　with　them；　they　were　tossing　
about　now　among　the　rocks　and　seaweed；　so　much　human　
drift　on　the　great　ocean　of　death！　And　we　four　were　
saved。　But　one　day　a　sunrise　will　come　when　we　shall　
be　among　those　who　are　lost；　and　then　others　will　
watch　those　glorious　rays；　and　grow　sad　in　the　midst　
of　beauty；　and　dream　of　Death　in　the　full　glow　of　
arising　Life！

For　this　is　the　lot　of　man。

CHAPTER　V

THE　HEAD　OF　THE　ETHIOPIAN

AT　length　the　heralds　and　forerunners　of　the　royal　sun　
had　done　their　work；　and；　searching　out　the　shadows；　
caused　them　to　flee　away。　Then　up　he　came　in　glory　
from　his　ocean…bed；　and　flooded　the　earth　with　warmth　
and　I　sat　there　in　the　boat　listening　to　the　gentle　
lapping　of　the　water　and　watched　him　rise；　till　
presently　the　slight　drift　of　the　boat　brought　the　odd　
shaped　rock；　or　peak；　at　the　end　of　the　promontory　
which　we　had　weathered　with　so　much　peril；　between　me　
and　the　majestic　sight；　and　blotted　it　from　my　view。　I　
still　continued　to　stare　at　the　rock；　however；　
absently　enough；　till　presently　it　became　edged　with　
the　fire　of　the　growing　light　behind　it；　and　then　I　
started；　as　well　I　might；　for　I　perceived　that　the　top　
of　the　peak；　which　was　about　eighty　feet　high　by　one　
hundred　and　fifty　thick　at　its　base；　was　shaped　like　a　
negro's　head　and　face；　whereon　was　stamped　a　most　
fiendish　and　terrifying　expression。　There　was　no　doubt　
about　it；　there　were　the　thick　lips；　the　fat　cheeks；　
and　the　squat　nose　standing　out　with　startling　
clearness　against　the　flaming　background。　There；　too；　
was　the　round　skull；　washed　into　shape　perhaps　by　
thousands　of　years　of　wind　and　weather；　and；　to　
complete　the　resemblance；　there　was　a　scrubby　growth　
of　weeds　or　lichen　upon　it；　which　against　the　sun　
looked　for　all　the　world　like　the　wool　on　a　colossal　
negro's　head。　It　certainly　was　very　odd；　so　odd　that　
now　I　believe　that　it　is　not　a　mere　freak　of　nature；　
but　a　gigantic　monument　fashioned；　like　the　well…known　
Egyptian　Sphinx；　by　a　forgotten　people　out　of　a　pile　
of　rock　that　lent　itself　to　their　design；　perhaps　as　
an　emblem　of　warning　and　defiance　to　any　enemies　who　
approached　the　harbor。　Unfortunately　we　were　never　
able　to　ascertain　whether　or　not　this　was　the　case；　
inasmuch　as　the　rock　was　difficult　of　access　both　from　
the　land　and　the　water…side；　and　we　had　other　things　
to　attend　to。　Myself；　considering　the　matter　by　the　
light　of　what　we　afterwards　saw；　I　believe　that　it　was　
fashioned　by　man；　but　whether　or　not　this　is　so；　there　
it　stands；　and　sullenly　stares　from　age　to　age　out　
across　the　changing　seathere　it　stood　two　thousand　
years　and　more　ago；　when　Amenartas；　the　Egyptian　
princess；　and　the　wife　of　Leo's　remote　ancestor　
Kallikrates；　gazed　upon　its　devilish　faceand　there　I　
have　no　doubt　it　will　still　stand　when　as　many　
centuries　as　are　numbered　between　her　day　and　our　own　
are　added　to　the　year　that　bore　us　to　oblivion。

〃What　do　you　think　of　that；　Job？〃　I　asked　of　our　
retainer；　who　was　sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　boat；　
trying　to　get　as　much　sunshine　as　possible；　and　
generally　looking　uncommonly　wretched；　and　I　pointed　
to　the　fiery　and　demoniacal　head。

〃Oh　Lord；　sir；〃　answered　Job；　who　now　perceived　the　
object　for　the　first　time；　〃I　think　that　the　old　
gentleman　must　have　been　sitting　for　his　portrait；　on　
them　rocks。〃

I　laughed；　and　the　laugh　woke　up　Leo。

〃Hullo；〃　he　said；　〃What's　the　matter　with　me？　I　am　all　
stiffwhere　is　the　dhow？　Give　me　some　brandy；　
please。〃

〃You　may　be　thankful　that　you　are　not　stiffer；　my　
boy；〃　I　answered。　〃The　dhow　is　sunk；　and　everybody　on　
board　her　is　drowned；　with　the　exception　of　us　four；　
and　your　own　life　was　only　saved　by　a　miracle；〃　and　
while　Job；　now　that　it　was　light　enough；　searched　
about　in　a　locker　for　the　brandy　for　which　Leo　asked；　
I　told　him　the　history　of　our　night's　adventure。

〃Great　heavens！〃　he　said；　faintly；　〃and　to　think　that　
we　should　have　been　chosen　to　live　through　it！〃

By　this　time　the　brandy　was　forthcoming；　and　we　all　
had　a　good　pull　at　it；　and　thankful　enough　we　were　for　
it。　Also　the　sun　was　beginning　to　get　strength；　and　
warm　our　chilled　bones；　for　we　had　been　wet　through　
for　five　hours　or　more。

〃Why；〃　said　Leo；　with　a　gasp　as　he　put　down　the　brandy　
bottle；　〃there　is　the　head　the　writing　talks　of；　the　
'rock　carven　like　the　head　of　an　Ethiopian。'〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃there　it　is。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　he　answered；　〃the　whole　thing　is　true。〃

〃I　don't　at　all　see　that　that　follows；〃　I　answered。　
〃We　knew　this　head　was　here；　your　father　saw　it。　Very　
likely　it　is　not　the　same　head　that　the　writing　talks　
of；　or　if　it　is；　it　proves　nothing。〃

Leo　smiled　at　me　in　a　superior　way。　〃You　are　an　
unbelieving　Jew；　Uncle　Horace；〃　he　said。　〃Those　who　
live　will　see。〃

〃Exactly　so；〃　I　answered；　〃and　now　perhaps　you　will　
observe　that　we　are　drifting　across　a　sand　bank　into　
the　mouth　of　the　river。　Get　hold　of　your　oar；　Job；　and　
we　will　row　in　and　see　if　we　can　find　a　place　to　
land。〃

The　river…mouth　which　we　were　entering　did　not　appear　
to　be　a　very　wide　one；　though　as　yet　the　long　banks　of　
steaming　mist　that　clung　about　its　shores　had　not　
lifted　sufficiently　to　enable　us　to　see　its　exact　
width。　There　was；　as　is　the　case　with　nearly　every　
East　African　river；　a　considerable　bar　at　the　mouth；　
which；　no　doubt；　when　the　wind　was　on　shore　and　the　
tide　running　out；　was　absolutely　impassable　even　for　a　
beat　drawing　only　a　few　inches。　But　as　things　were　it　
was　manageable　enough；　and　we　did　not　ship　a　cupful　of　
water。　In　twenty　minutes　we　were　well　across　it；　with　
but　slight　assistance　from　ourselves；　and　being　
carried　by　a　strong　though　somewhat　variable　breeze　
well　up　the　harbor。　By　this　time　the　mist　was　being　
sucked　up　by　the　sun；　which　was　getting　uncomfortably　
hot；　and　we　saw　that　the　mouth　of　the　little　estuary　
was　here　about　half　a　mile　across；　and　that　the　banks　
were　very　marshy；　and　crowded　with　crocodiles　lying　
about　on　the　mud　like　logs。　About　a　mile　ahead　of　us；　
however；　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　strip　of　firm　land；　
and　for　this　we　steered。　In　another　quarter　of　an　hour　
we　were　there；　and；　making　the　boat　fast　to　a　
beautiful　tree　with　broad；　shining　leaves；　and　flowers　
of　the　magnolia　species；　only　they　were　rose…colored　
and　not　white；　which　hung　over　the　water；　we　
disembarked。　This　done；　we　undressed；　washed　
ourselves；　and　spread　our　clothes　and　the　contents　of　
the　boat　in　the　sun　to　dry；　which　they　very　quickly　
did。　Then；　taking　shelter　from　the　sun　under　some　
trees；　we　made　a　hearty　breakfast　off　a　〃Paysandu〃　
potted　tongue；　of　which　we　had　brought　a　good　quantity　
with　us　from　the　Army　and　Navy　Stores；　congratulating　
ourselves　loudly　on　our　good　fortune　in　having　loaded　
and　provisioned　the　boat　on　the　previous　day；　before　
the　hurricane　destroyed　the　dhow。　By　the　time　that　we　
had　finished　our　meal　our　clothes　were　quite　dry；　and