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way　and　that　without　a　cause；　yet　behind　them　is　the　
great　wind　sweeping　on　its　path　whither　it　listeth。　So　
is　it　with　me；　O　Holly。　My　moods　and　changes　are　the　
little　clouds；　and　fitfully　these　seem。　to　turn；　but　
behind　them　ever　blows　the　great　wind　of　my　purpose。　
Nay；　the　men　must　die；　and　die　as　I　have　said。〃　Then；　
suddenly　turning　to　the　captain　of　the　guard…〃As　my　
word　is；　so　be　it！〃

CHAPTER　X

THE　TOMBS　OF　KO^R

AFTER　the　prisoners　had　been　removed；　Ayesha　waved　her　
hand；　and　the　spectators　turned　round；　and　began　to　
crawl　off　down　the　cave　like　a　scattered　flock　of　
sheep。　When　they　were　a　fair　distance　from　the　dais；　
however；　they　rose　and　walked　away；　leaving　the　queen　
and　myself　alone；　with　the　exception　of　the　mutes　and　
the　few　remaining　guards；　most　of　whom　had　departed　
with　the　doomed　men。　Thinking　this　a　good　opportunity；　
I　asked　_i_　She　_i_　to　come　and　see　Leo；　telling　her　
of　his　serious　condition；　but　she　would　not；　saying　
that　he　certainly　would　not　die　before　the　night；　as　
people　never　died　of　that　sort　of　fever　except　at　
nightfall　or　dawn。　Also　she　said　that　it　would　be　
better　to　let　the　sickness　spend　its　course　as　much　as　
possible　before　she　cured　it。　Accordingly；　I　was　
rising　to　leave；　when　she　bade　me　follow　her；　as　she　
would　talk　with　me；　and　show　me　the　wonders　of　the　
caves。

I　was　too　much　involved　in　the　web　of　her　fatal　
fascinations　to　say　her　no；　even　if　I　had　wished；　
which　I　did　not。　_i_　She　_i_　rose　from　her　chair；　and；　
making　some　signs　to　the　mutes；　descended　from　the　
dais。　Thereon　four　of　the　girls　took　lamps；　and　ranged　
themselves　two　in　front　and　two　behind　us；　but　the　
others　went　away；　as　also　did　the　guards。

〃Now；〃　she　said；　〃wouldst　thou　see　some　of　the　wonders　
of　this　place；　O　Holly？　Look　upon　this　great　cave。　
Sawest　thou　ever　the　like？　Yet　was　it；　and　many　more　
like　it；　hollowed　by　the　hands　of　the　dead　race　that　
once　lived　here　in　the　city　on　the　plain。　A　great　and　
a　wonderful　people　must？　they　have　been；　those　men　of　
Ko^r；　but；　like　the　Egyptians；　they　thought　more　of　
the　dead　than　of　the　living。　How　many　men；　thinkest　
thou；　working　for　how　many　years；　did　it　need　to　the　
hollowing　out　this　cave　and　all　the。　galleries　
thereof？〃

〃Tens　of　thousands；〃　I　answered。

〃So；　O　Holly。　This　people　was　an　old　people　before　the　
Egyptians　were。　A　little　can　I　read　of　their　
inscriptions；　having　found　the　key　theretoand；　see　
thou　here；　this　was　one　of　the　last　of　the　caves　that　
they　hollowed；〃　and；　turning　to　the　rock　behind　her；　
she　motioned　the　mutes　to　hold　up　the　lamps。　Carven　
over　the　dais　was　the　figure　of　an　old　man　seated　in　a　
chair；　with　an　ivory　rod　in　his　hand。　It　struck　me　at　
once　that　his　features　were　exceedingly　like　those　of　
the　man　who　was　represented　as　being　embalmed　in　the　
chamber　where　we　took　our　meals。　Beneath　the　chair；　
which；　by　the　way；　was　shaped　exactly　like　the　one　in　
which　Ayesha　had　sat　to　give　judgment；　was　a　short　
inscription　in　the　extraordinary　characters　of　which　I　
have　already　spoken；　but　which　I　do　not　remember　
sufficient　of　to　illustrate。　It　looked　more　like　
Chinese　writing　than　any　other　that　I　am　acquainted　
with。　This　inscription　Ayesha　proceeded；　with　some　
difficulty　and　hesitation；　to　read　aloud　and　
translate。　It　ran　as　follows：

〃In　the　year　four　thousand　two　hundred　and　ninety…nine　
from　the　founding　of　the　City　of　imperial　Ko^r　was　
this　cave　（or　burial…place）　completed　by　Tisno；　King　
of　Kar；　the　people　thereoy　and　their　slaves　having　
labored　thereat　for　three　generations；　to　be　a　tomb　
for　their　citizens　of　rank　who　shall　come　after。　May　
the　blessing　of　the　heaven　above　the　heaven　rest　upon　
their　work；　and　make　the　sleep　of　Tisno；　the　mighty　
monarch；　the　likeness　of　whose　features　is　graven　
above；　a　sound　and　happy　sleep　till　the　day　of　
awakening；　and　also　the　sleep　o！　his　servants；　and　of　
those　of　his　race　who；　rising　up　after　him；　shall　yet　
lay　their　heads　as　low。〃

〃'Thou　seest；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃this　people　founded　
the　city；　of　which　the　ruins　yet　cumber　the　plain　
yonder；　four　thousand　years　before　this　cave　was　
finished。　Yet；　when　first　mine　eyes　be　held　it　two　
thousand　years　ago；　was　it　even　as　it　is　now。　Judge；　
therefore；　how　old　must　that　city　have　been！　And　now；　
follow　thou　me；　and　I　will　show　thee　after　what　
fashion　this　great　people　fell　when　the　time　was　come　
for　it　to　fall；〃　and　she　led　the　way　down　to　the　
centre　of　the　cave；　stopping　at　a　spot　where　a　round　
rock　had　been　let　into　a　kind　of　large　manhole　in　the　
flooring；　accurately　filling　it　just　as　the　iron　
plates　fill　the　spaces　in　the　London　pavements　down　
which　the　coals　are　thrown。　〃Thou　seest；〃　she　said。　
〃Tell　me；　what　is　it？〃

〃Nay；　I　know　not；〃　I　answered；　whereon　she　crossed　to　
the　left…hand　side　of　the　cave　（looking　towards　the　
entrance）　and　signed　to　the　mutes　to　hold　up　the　
lamps。　On　the　wall　was　something　painted　with　a　red　
pigment　in　similar　characters　to　those　hewn　beneath　
the　sculpture　of　Tisno；　King　of　Ko^r。　This　inscription　
she　proceeded　to　translate　to　me；　the　pigment　still　
being　quite　fresh　enough　to　show　the　form　of　the　
letters。　It　ran　as　follows：

〃'I；　Junis；　a　priest　of　the　Great　Temple　of　Ko^r；　
write　this　upon　the　rock　of　the　burying…place　in　the　
year　four　thousand　eight　hundred　and　three　from　the　
founding　of　Ko^r。　Ko^r　is　fallen！　No　more　shall　the　
mighty　feast　in　her　halls；　no　more　shall　she　rule　the　
world；　and　her　navies　go　out　to　commerce　with　the　
world。　Ko^r　is　fallen！　and　her　mighty　works　and　all　
the　cities　of　Ko^r；　and　all　the　harbors　that　she　built　
and　the　canals　that　she　made；　are　for　the　wolf　and　the　
owl　and　the　wild　swan；　and　the　barbarian　who　comes　
after。　Twenty　and　five　moons　ago　did　a　cloud　settle　
upon　Ko^r；　and　the　hundred　cities　of　Ko^r；　and　out　of　
the　cloud　came　a　pestilence　that　slew　people；　old　and　
young；　one　with　another。　One　with　another　turned　black　
and　diedthe　young　the　old；　the　rich　and　the　poor；　
the　the　woman；　the　prince　and　the　the　pestilence　slew　
and　slew；　and　not　by　day　or　by　night；　and　those　who　
escaped　from　the　pestilence　were　slain　of　the　famine。　
No　longer　could　the　bodies　of　the　children　of　Ko^r　be　
preserved　according　to　the　ancient　rites；　because　of　
the　number　of　the　dead；　therefore　were　they　hurled　
into　the　great　pit　beneath　the　cave　through　the　hole　
in　the　floor　of　the　cave。　Then　at　last；　a　remnant　of　
this　the　great　people；　the　light　of　the　whole　world；　
went　down　to　the　coast　and　took　ship　and　sailed　
northwards；　and　now　am　I；　the　Priest　Junis；　who　write　
this；　the　last　man　left　alive　of　this　great　city　of　
men；　but　whether　there　be　any　yet　left　in　the　other　
cities　I　know　not。　This　do　I　write　in　misery　of　heart　
before　I　die；　because　Ko^r　the　Imperial　is　no　more；　
and　because　there　are　none　to　worship　in　her　temple；　
and　all　her　palaces　are　empty；　and　her　princes　and　her　
captains　and　her　traders　and　her　fair　women　have　
passed　off　the　face　of　the　earth。〃

I　gave　a　sigh　of　astonishmentthe　utter　desolation　
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