left　a　drain　to　keep　it　clear。　Seest　thou　the　river　to
  the　right？〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　fair…sized　stream　that
  wound　away　across　the　plain；　some　four　miles　from　us。
  〃That　is　the　drain；　and　it　comes　out　through　the
  mountain　wall　where　this　cutting　goes　in。　At　first；
  perhaps；　the　water　ran　down　this　canal；　but　afterwards
  the　people　turned　it；　and　used　the　cutting　for　a
  road。〃
  〃And　is　there　then　no　other　place　where　one　may　enter
  into　the　great　mountain；〃　I　asked；　〃except　through　the
  drain？〃
  〃There　is　a　place；〃　he　answered；　〃where　cattle　and　men
  on　foot　may　cross　with　much　labor；　but　it　is　a　secret。
  A　year　mightest　thou　search　and　shouldst　never　find
  it。　It　is　only　used　once　a　year；　when　the　herds　of
  cattle　that　have　been　fattening　on　the　slopes　of　the
  mountain；　and　on　this　plain；　are　driven　into　the　space
  within。〃
  〃And　does　_i_　She　_i_　live　there　always？〃　I　asked；　〃or
  does　she　come　at　times　without　the　mountain？〃
  〃Nay；　my　son；　where　she　is；　there　she　is！〃
  By　now　we　were　well　on　to　the　great　plain；　and　I　was
  examining　with　delight　the　varied　beauty　of　its　semi…
  tropical　flowers　and　trees；　the　latter　of　which　grew
  singly；　or　at　most　in　clumps　of　three　or　four；　much　of
  the　timber　being　of　large　size；　and　belonging
  apparently　to　a　variety　of　evergreen　oak。　There　were
  also　many　palms；　some　of　them　more　than　one　hundred
  feet　high；　and　the　largest　and　most　beautiful　tree…
  ferns　that　I　ever　saw；　about　which　hung　clouds　of
  jewelled　honey…suckers　and　great…winged　butterflies。
  Wandering　about　among　the　trees　or　crouching　in　the
  long　and　leathered　grass　were　all　varieties　of　game；
  from　rhinoceroses　down。　I　saw　rhinoceros；　buffalo　（a
  large　herd）；　eland；　quagga；　and　sable　antelope；　the
  most　beautiful　of　all　the　bucks；　not　to　mention　many
  smaller　varieties　of　game；　and　three　ostriches　which
  scudded　away　at　our　approach　like　white　drift　before　a
  gale。　So　plentiful　was　the　game　that　at　last　I　could
  stand　it　no　longer。　I　had　a　single…barrel　sporting
  Martini　with　me　in　the　litter；　the　〃Express〃　being　too
  cumbersome；　and；　espying　a　beautiful　fat　eland　rubbing
  himself　under　one　of　the　oak　like　trees；　I　jumped　out
  of　the　litter　and　proceeded　to　creep　as　near　to　him　as
  I　could。　He　let　me　come　within　eighty　yards；　and　then
  turned　his　head　and　stared　at　me；　preparatory　to
  running　away。　I　lifted　and　taking　him　about　midway
  down　the　shoulder；　for　he　was　side　on　to　me；　fired。　I
  never　made　a　cleaner　shot　or　a　better　kill　in　all　my
  small　experience；　for　the　great　buck　sprang　right　up
  into　the　air　and　fell　dead。　The　bearers；　who　had　all
  halted　to　see　the　performance；　gave　a　murmur　of
  surprise；　an　unwonted　compliment　from　these　sullen
  people；　who　never　appear　to　be　surprised　at　anything；
  and　a　party　of　the　guard　at　once　ran　off　to　cut　the
  animal　up。　As　for　myself；　though　I　was　longing　to　have
  a　look　at　him；　I　sauntered　back　to　my　litter　as　though
  I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　killing　eland　all　my　life；
  feeling　that　I　had　gone　up　several　degrees　in　the
  estimation　of　the　Amahagger；　who　looked　on　the　whole
  thing　as　a　very　high…class　manifestation　of
  witchcraft。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　however；　I　had　never
  seen　an　eland　in　a　wild　state　before。　Billali　received
  me　with　enthusiasm。
  〃It　is　wonderful；　my　son　the　Baboon；〃　he　cried；
  〃wonderful！　Thou　art　a　very　great　man；　though　so　ugly。
  Had　I　not　seen；　surely　I　would　never　have　believed。
  And　thou　sayest　that　thou　wilt　teach　me　to　slay　in
  this　fashion？〃
  〃Certainly；　my　father；〃　I　said；　airily；　〃it　is
  nothing。〃
  But　all　the　same　I　firmly　made　up　my　mind　that　when
  〃my　father〃　Billali　began　to　fire　I　would　without　fall
  lie　down　or　take　refuge　behind　a　tree。
  After　this　little　incident　nothing　happened　of　any
  note　till　about　an　hour　and　a　half　before　sundown；
  when　we　arrived　beneath　the　shadow　of　the　towering
  volcanic　mass　that　I　have　already　described。　It　is
  quite　impossible　for　me　to　describe　its　grim　grandeur
  as　it　appeared　to　me　while　my　patient　bearers　toiled
  along　the　bed　of　the　ancient　watercourse　towards　the
  spot　where　the　rich　brown　clad　cliff　shot　up　from
  precipice　to　precipice　till　its　crown　lost　itself　in
  cloud。　All　I　can　say　is　that　it　almost　awed　me　by　the
  intensity　of　its　lonesome　and　most　solemn　greatness。
  On　we　went　up　the　bright　and　sunny　slope；　till　at　last
  the　creeping　shadows　from　above　swallowed　up　its
  brightness；　and　presently　we　began　to　pass　through　a
  cutting　hewn　in　the　living　rock。　Deeper　and　deeper
  grew　this　marvellous　work；　which　must；　I　should　say；
  have　employed　thousands　of　men　for　many　years。　Indeed；
  how　it　was　ever　executed　at　all　without　the　aid　of
  blasting　powder　or　dynamite　I　cannot　to　this　day
  imagine。　It　is　and　must　remain　one　of　the　mysteries　of
  that　wild　land。　I　can　only　suppose　that　these　cuttings
  and　the　vast　caves　that　had　been　hollowed　out　of　the
  rocks　they　pierced　were　the　State　undertakings　of　the
  people　of　Ko^r；　who　lived　here　in　the　dim　lost　ages　of
  the　world；　and；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Egyptian
  monuments；　were　executed　by　the　forced　labor　of　tens
  of　thousands　of　captives；　carried　on　through　an
  indefinite　number　of　centuries。　But　who　were　the
  people？
  At　last　we　reached　the　face　of　the　precipice　itself；
  and　found　ourselves　looking　into　the　mouth　of　a　dark
  tunnel　that　forcibly　reminded　me　of　those　undertaken
  by　our　nineteenth…century　engineers　in　the
  construction　of　railway　lines。　Out　of　this　tunnel
  flowed　a　considerable　stream　of　water。　Indeed；　though
  I　do　not　think　that　I　have　mentioned　it；　we　had
  followed　this　stream；　which　ultimately　developed　into
  the　river　I　have　already　described　as　winding　away　to
  the　right；　from　the　spot　where　the　cutting　in　the
  solid　rock　commenced。　Half　of　this　cutting　formed　a
  channel　for　the　stream；　and　half；　which　was　placed　on
  a　slightly　higher　leveleight　feet　perhapswas
  devoted　to　the　purposes　of　a　roadway。　At　the
  termination　of　the　cutting；　however；　the　stream　turned
  off　across　the　plain　and　followed　a　channel　of　its
  own。　At　the　mouth　of　the　cave　the　cavalcade　was
  halted；　and；　while　the　men　employed　themselves　in
  lighting　some　earthenware　lamps　they　had　brought　with
  them；　Billali；　descending　from　his　litter；　informed　me
  politely　but　firmly　that　the　orders　of　_i_　She　_i_
  were　that　we　were　now　to　be　blindfolded；　so　that　we
  should　not　learn　the　secret　of　the　paths　through　the
  bowels　of　the　mountains。　To　this　I；　of　course；
  assented　cheerfully　enough；　but　Job；　who　was　now　very
  much　better；　notwithstanding　the　journey；　did　not　like
  it　at　all；　fancying；　I　believe；　that　it　was　but　a
  preliminary　step　to　being　hot…potted。　He　was；　however；
  a　little　consoled　when　I　pointed　out　to　him　that　there
  were　no　hot　pots　at　hand；　and；　so　far　as　I。　knew；　no
  fire　to　heat　them　in。　As　for　poor　Leo；　after　turning
  restlessly　for　hours；　he　had；　to　my　deep　thankfulness；
  at　last　dropped　off　into　a　sleep　or　stupor；　I　do　not
  know　which；　so　there　was　no　need　to　blindfold　him。　The
  blindfolding　was　performed　by　binding　a　piece　of　the
  yellowish　linen　whereof　those　of　the　Amahagger　who
  condescended　to　wear　anything　in　particular　made　their
  dresses　tightly　round　the　eyes。　This　linen；　I
  afterwards　discovered；　was　taken　from　the　tombs；　and
  was　not；　as　I　had　at　first　supposed；　of　native
  manufacture。　The　bandage　was　then　knotted　at　the　back
  of　the　head；　and　finally　brought　down　again　and　the
  ends　bound　under　the　chin　to　prevent　its　slipping。
  Ustane　was；　by　the　way；　also　blindfolded；　I　do　not
  know　why；　unless　it　was　from　fear　that　she　should
  impart　the　secrets　of　the　route　to　us。
  This　operation　performed　we　started　on　once　more；　and
  soon；　by　the　echoing　sound　of　the　footsteps　of　the
  bearers　and　the　increased　noise　of　the　water　caused　by
  reverberation　in　a　confined　space；　I　knew　that　we　were
  entering　into　the　bowels　of　the　great　mountain。　It　was
  an　eerie　sensation；　being　borne　along　into　the　dead
  heart　of　the　rock　we　knew　not　whither；　but　I　was
  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