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pool；　to　my　horror　I　saw　that　Billali's　litter　was　
floating　on　it；　and　as　for　Billali　himself；　he　was　
nowhere　to　be　seen。　To　make　matters　clear　I　may　as　
well　explain　at　once　what　had　happened。　One　of。　
Billali's　bearers　had　unfortunately　trodden　on　a　
basking　snake；　which　had　bitten　him　in　the　leg；　
whereon　he　had；　not　unnaturally；　let　go　of　the　pole；　
and　then；　finding　that　he　was　tumbling　down　the　bank；　
grasped　at　the　litter　to　save　himself。　The　result　of　
this　was　what　might　have　been　expected。　The　litter　was　
pulled　over　the　edge　of　the　bank；　the　bearers　let　go；　
and　the　whole　thing；　including　Billali　and　the　man　who　
had　been　bitten；　rolled　into　the　slimy　pool。　When　I　
got　to　the　edge　of　the　water　neither　of　them　were　to　
be　seen；　and；　indeed；　the　unfortunate　bearer　never　was　
seen　again。　Either　he　struck　his　head　against　
something；　or　got　wedged　in　the　mud；　or　possibly　the　
snake…bite　paralyzed　him。　At　any　rate；　he　vanished。　
But　though　Billali　was　not　to　be　seen；　his　whereabouts　
was　clear　enough　from　the　agitation　of　the　floating　
litter；　in　the　bearing　cloth　and　curtains　of　which　he　
was　entangled。

〃He　is　there！　Our　father　is　there！〃　said　one　of　the　
men；　but　he　did　not　stir　a　finger　to　help　him；　nor　did　
any　of　the　others。　They　simply　stood　and　stared　at　the　
water。

〃Out　of　the　way；　you　brutes；〃　I　shouted　in　English；　
and　throwing　off　my　hat　I　took　a　run　and　sprang　well　
out　into　the　horrid；　slimy…looking　pool。　A　couple　of　
strokes　took　me　to　where　Billali　was　struggling　
beneath　the　cloth。

Somehow；　I　do　not　quite　know　how；　I　managed　to　push　
this　free　of　him；　and　his　venerable　head；　all　covered　
with　green　slime；　like　that　of　a　yellowish　Bacchus　
with　ivy　leaves；　emerged　upon　the　surface　of　the　
water。　The　rest　was　easy；　for　Billali　was　an　eminently　
practical　individual；　and　had　the　commonsense　not　to　
grasp　hold　of　me　as　drowning　people　often　do；　so　I　got　
him　by　the　arm；　and　towed　him　to　the　bank；　through　the　
mud　of　which　we　were　with　difficulty　dragged。　Such　a　
filthy　spectacle　as　we　presented　I　have　never　seen　
before　or　since；　and　it　will　perhaps　give　some　idea　of　
the　almost　superhuman　dignity　of　Billali's　appearance　
when　I　say　that；　coughing；　half…drowned；　and　covered　
with　mud　and　green　slime　as　he　was；　with　his　beautiful　
beard　coming　to　a　dripping　point；　like　a　Chinaman's　
freshly　oiled　pigtail；　he　still　looked　venerable　and　
imposing。

〃Ye　dogs；〃　he　said；　addressing　the　bearers；　as　soon　as　
he　had　sufficiently　recovered　to　speak；　〃ye　left　me；　
your　father；　to　drown。　Had　it　not　been　for　this　
stranger；　my　son　the　Baboon；　assuredly　I　should　have　
drowned。　Well；　I　will　remember　it；〃　and　he　fixed　them　
with　his　gleaming　though　slightly　watery　eye；　in　a　way　
I　saw　they　did　not　like；　though　they　tried　to　appear　
sulkily　indifferent。

'As　for　thee；　my　son；〃　the　old　man　went　on；　turning　
towards　me　and　grasping　my　hand；　〃rest　assured　that　I　
am　thy　friend　through　good　and　evil。　Thou　hast　saved　
my　life：　perchance　a　day　may　come　when　I　shall　save　
thine。〃

After　that　we　cleaned　ourselves　as　best　we　could；　
fished　out　the　litter；　and　went　on；　minus　the　man　who　
had　been　drowned。　I　do　not　know　if　it　was　owing　to　his　
being　an　unpopular　character；　or　from　native　
indifference　and　selfishness　of　temperament；　but　I　am　
bound　to　say　that　nobody　seemed　to　grieve　much　over　
his　sudden　and　final　disappearance；　unless；　perhaps；　
it　was　the　men　who　had　to　do　his　share　of　the　work。

　CHAPTER　XI

THE　PLAIN　OF　KO^R

ABOUT　an　hour　before　sundown　we　at　last；　to　my　
unbounded　gratitude；　emerged　from　the　great　belt　of　
marsh　on　to　land　that　swelled　upward　in　a　succession　
of　rolling　waves；　Just　on　the　hither　side　of　the　crest　
of　the　first　wave　we　halted　for　the　night。　My　first　
act　was　to　examine　Leo's　condition。　It　was；　if　
anything；　worse　than　in　the　morning；　and　a　new　and　
very　distressing　feature；　vomiting；　set　in；　and　
continued　till　dawn。　Not　one　wink　of　sleep　did　I　get　
that　night；　for　I　passed　it　in　assisting　Ustane；　who　
was　one　of　the　most　gentle　and　indefatigable　nurses　I　
ever　saw；　to　wait　upon　Leo　and　Job。　However；　the　air　
here　was　warm　and　genial　without　being　too　hot；　and　
there　were　no　mosquitoes　to　speak　of。　Also　we　were　
above　the　level　of　the　marsh　mist；　which　lay　stretched　
beneath　us　like　the　dim　smoke…pall　over　a　city；　lit　up　
here　and　there　by　the　wandering　globes　of　fen　fire。　
Thus　it　will　be　seen　that　we　were；　speaking　
comparatively；　in　clover。

By　dawn　on　the　following　morning　Leo　was　quite　light…
headed；　and　fancied　that　he　was　divided　into　halves。　I　
was　dreadfully　distressed；　and　began　to　wonder　with　a　
sort　of　sick　fear　what　the　termination　of　the　attack　
would　be。　Alas！　I　had　heard　but　too　much　of　how　these　
attacks　generally　terminate。　As　I　was　doing　so　Billali　
came　up　and　said　that　we　must　be　getting　on；　more　
especially　as；　in　his　opinion；　if　Leo　did　not　reach　
some　spot　where　he　could　be　quiet；　and　have　proper　
nursing；　within　the　next　twelve　hours；　his　life　would　
only　be　a　matter　of　a　day　or　two。　I　could　not　but　
agree　with　him；　so　we　got　him　into　the　litter；　and　
started　on；　Ustane　walking　by　Leo's　side　to　keep　the　
flies　off　him；　and　see　that　he　did　not　throw　himself　
out　on　to　the　ground。

Within　half　an　hour　of　sunrise　we　had　reached　the　top　
of　the　rise　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and　a　most　
beautiful　view　broke　upon　our　gaze。　Beneath　us　was　a　
rich　stretch　of　country；　verdant　with　grass　and　lovely　
with　foliage　and　flowers。　In　the　background；　at　a　
distance；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　of　some　eighteen　
miles　from　where　we　then　stood；　a　huge　and　
extraordinary　mountain　rose　abruptly　from　the　plain。　
The　base　of　this　great　mountain　appeared　to　consist　of　
a　grassy　slope；　but　rising　from　this；　I　should　say；　
from　subsequent　observation；　at　a　height　of　about　five　
hundred　feet　above　the　level　of　the　plain；　was　a　most　
tremendous　and　absolutely　precipitous　wall　of　bare　
rock；　quite　twelve　or　fifteen　hundred　feet　in　height。　
The　shape　of　the　mountain；　which　was　undoubtedly　of　
volcanic　origin；　was　round；　and　of　course；　as　only　a　
segment　of　its　circle　was　visible；　it　was　difficult　to　
estimate　its　exact　size；　which　was　enormous。　I　
afterwards　discovered　that　it　could　not　cover　less　
than　fifty　square　miles　of　ground。　Anything　more　grand　
and　imposing　than　the　sight　presented　by　this　great　
natural　castle；　starting　in　solitary　grandeur　from　the　
level　of　the　plain；　I　never　saw；　and　I　suppose　I　never　
shall。　Its　very　solitude　added　to　its　majesty；　and　its　
towering　cliffs　seemed　to　kiss　the　sky。　Indeed；　
generally　speaking；　they　were　clothed　in　clouds　that　
lay　in　fleecy　masses　upon　their　broad　and　level　
battlements。

I　sat　up　in　my　hammock　and　gazed　out　across　the　plain　
at　this　thrilling　and　majestic　sight；　and　I　suppose　
that　Billali　noticed　it；　for　he　brought　his　litter　
alongside。

〃Behold　the　House　of　'　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　
！'〃　he　said。　〃Had　ever　a　queen　such　a　throne　before？〃

〃It　is　wonderful；　my　father；〃　I　answered。　〃But　how　do　
we　enter？　Those　cliffs　look　hard　to　climb。〃

〃Thou　shalt　see；　my　Baboon。　Look　now　at　the　plain　
below　us。　What　thinkest　thou　that　it　is？　Thou　art　a　
wise　man。　Come；　tell　me。〃　

I　looked；　and　saw　what　appeared　to　be　the　line　of　
roadway　running　straight　towards　the　base　of　the　
mountain；　though　it　was　covered　with　turf。　There　were　
high　banks　on　each　side　of　it；　broken　here　and　there；　
but　fairly　continuous　on　the　whole；　the　meaning　of　
which　I　did　not　understand。　It　seemed　so　very　odd　that　
anybody　should　embank　a　roadway。

〃Well；　my　father；〃　I　answered；　〃I　suppose　that　it　is　a　
road；　otherwise　I　should　have　been　inclined　to　say　
that　it　was　the　bed　of　a　river；　or；　rather；〃　I　added；　
observing　the　extraordinary　directness　of　the　cutting；　
〃of　a　canal。〃　

Billaliwho；　by　the　way；　was　none　the　worse　for　his　
immersion　of　the　day　beforenodded　his　head　sagely　as　
he　replied；

〃Thou　art　right；　my　son。　It　is　a　channel　cut　out　by　
those　who　were　before　us　in　this　place；　to　carry　away　
water。　Of　this　am　I　sure：　within　the　rocky　circle　of　
the　great　mountain　whither　we　journey　was　once　a　great　
lake。　But　those　who　were　before　us；　by　wonderful　arts　
of　which　I　know　naught；　hewed　a　path　for　the　water　
through　the　solid　rock　of　the　mountain；　piercing　even　
to　the　bed　of　the　lake。　But　first　they　cut　the　channel　
that　thou　seest　across　the　plain。　Then；　when　at　last　
the　water　burst　out；　it　rushed　down　the　channel　that　
had　been　made　to　receive　it；　and　crossed　this　plain　
till　it　reached　the　low　land　behind　the　rise；　and　
there；　perchance；　it　made　the　swamp　through　which　we　
have　come。　Then；　when　the　lake　was　drained　dry；　the　
people　whereof　I　speak　built　a　mighty　city；　whereof　
naught　but　ruins　and　the　name　of　Ko^r　yet　remaineth；　
on　its　bed；　and　from　age　to　age　hewed　the　caves　and　
passages　that　thou　wilt　see。〃　

〃It　may　be；〃　I　answered；　〃but　if　so；　how　is　it　that　
the　lake　does　not　fill　up　again　with　the　rains　and　the　
water　of　the　springs？〃　

〃Nay；　my　son；　the　people　were　a　wise　people；　and　they　
left　a　drain　to　keep　it　clear。　Seest　thou　the　river　to　
the　right？〃　and