answer　he　should　bring　from　_i_　She　_i_　would　be　one
  favorable　to　the　continuation　of　our　existence；　but　at
  the　same　time　he　did　not　wish　to　conceal　from　us　that
  he　thought　this　doubtful；　as　every　stranger　who　had
  ever　come　into　the　country　during　his　grandmother's
  life；　his　mother's　life；　and　his　own　life；　had　been
  put　to　death　without　mercy；　and　in　a　way　that　he　would
  not　harrow　our　feelings　by　describing；　and　this　had
  been　done　by　the　order　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself；　at
  least　he　supposed　it　was　by　her　order。　At　any　rate；
  she　never　interfered　to　save　them。
  〃Why；〃　I　said；　〃but　how　can　that　be？　You　are　an　old
  man；　and　the　time　you　talk　of　must　reach　back　three
  men's　lives。　How；　therefore；　could　_i_　She　_i_　have
  ordered　the　death　of　anybody　at　the　beginning　of　the
  life　of　your　grandmother；　seeing　that　she　herself
  would　not　have　been　born？〃
  Again　he　smiledthat　same　faint；　peculiar　smile；　and
  with　a　deep　bow　departed；　without　making　any　answer；
  nor　did　we　see　him　again　for　five　days。
  When　he　had　gone　we　discussed　the　situation；　which
  filled　me　with　alarm。　I　did　not　at　all　like　the
  accounts　of　this　mysterious　queen；　〃　_i_　She…who…must…
  be…obeyed　_i_　；〃　or　more　shortly　_i_　She　_i_　；　who
  apparently　ordered　the　execution　of　any　unfortunate
  stranger　in　a　fashion　so　unmerciful。　Leo；　too；　was
  depressed　about　it；　but　proceeded　to　console　himself
  by　triumphantly　pointing　out　that　this　_i_　She　_i_　was
  undoubtedly　the　person　referred　to　in　the　writing　on
  the　potsherd　and　in　his　father's　letter；　in　proof　of
  which　he　advanced　Billali's　allusions　to　her　age　and
  power。　I　was　by　this　time　so　overwhelmed　with　the
  whole　course　of　events　that　I　had　not　even　got　the
  heart　left　to　dispute　a　proposition　so　absurd；　so　I
  suggested　that　we　should　try　and　go　out　and　get　a
  bath；　of　which　we　all　stood　sadly　in　need。
  Accordingly；　having　indicated　our　wish　to　a　middle…
  aged　individual　of　an　unusually　saturnine　cast　of
  countenance；　even　among　this　saturnine　people；　who
  appeared　to　be　deputed　to　look　after　us　now　that　the
  Father　of　the　hamlet　had　departed；　we　started　in　a
  bodyhaving　first　lit　our　pipes。　Outside　the　cave　we
  found　quite　a　crowd　of　people　evidently　watching　for
  our　appearance；　but　when　they　saw　us　come　out　smoking
  they　vanished　this　way　and　that；　calling　out　that　we
  were　great　magicians。　Indeed；　nothing　about　us　created
  so　great　a　sensation　as　our　tobacco　smokenot　even
  our　firearms。　After　this　we　succeeded　in　reaching　a
  stream　that　had　its　source　in　a　strong　ground　spring；
  and　taking　our　bath　in　peace；　though　some　of　the
  women；　not　excepting　Ustane；　showed　a　decided
  inclination　to　follow　us　even　there。
  By　the　time　that　we　had　finished　this　most　refreshing
  bath　the　sun　was　setting；　indeed；　when　we　got　back　to
  the　big　cave　it　had　already　set。　The　cave　itself　was
  full　of　people　gathered　round　firesfor　several　more
  had　now　been　lightedand　eating　their　evening　meal　by
  their　lurid　light；　and　by　that　of　various　lamps　which
  were　set　about　or　hung　upon　the　walls。　These　lamps
  were　of　a　rude　manufacture　of　baked　earthenware；　and
  of　all　shapes；　some　of　them　graceful　enough。　The
  larger　ones　were　formed　of　big　red　earthenware　pots；
  filled　with　clarified　melted　fat；　and　having　a　reed
  wick　stuck　through　a　wooden　disk　which　filled　the　top
  of　the　pot；　and　this　sort　of　lamp　required　the　most
  constant　attention　to　prevent　its　going　out　whenever
  the　wick　burned　down；　as　there　were　no　means　of
  turning　it　up。　The　smaller　hand…lamps；　however；　which
  were　also　made　of　baked　clay；　were　fitted　with　wicks
  manufactured　from　the　pith　of　a　palm…tree；　or
  sometimes　from　the　stem　of　a　very　handsome　variety　of
  fern。　This　kind　of　wick　was　passed　through　a　round
  hole　at　the　end　of　the　lamp；　to　which　a　sharp　piece　of
  hard　wood　was　attached　wherewith　to　pierce　and　draw　it
  up　whenever　it　showed　signs　of　burning　low。
  For　a　while　we　sat　down　and　watched　this　grim　people
  eating　their　evening　meal　in　silence　as　grim　as
  themselves；　till　at　length；　getting　tired　of
  contemplating　them　and　the　huge　moving　shadows　on　the
  rocky　walls；　I　suggested　to　our　new　keeper　that　we
  should　like　to　go　to　bed。
  Without　a　word；　he　rose；　and；　taking　me　politely　by
  the　hand；　advanced　with　a　lamp　to　one　of　the　small
  passages　that　I　had　noticed　opening　out　of　the　central
  cave。　This　we　followed　for　about　five　paces；　when　it
  suddenly　widened　out　into　a　small　chamber；　about　eight
  feet　square；　and　hewn　out　of　the　living　rock。　On　one
  side　of　this　chamber　was　a　stone　slab；　about　three
  feet　from　the　ground；　and　running　its　entire　length
  like　a　bunk　in　a　cabin；　and　on　this　slab　he　intimated
  that　I　was　to　sleep。　There　was　no　window　or　air…hole
  to　the　chamber；　and　no　furniture；　and；　on　looking　at
  it　more　closely；　I　came　to　the　disturbing　conclusion
  （in　which；　as　I　afterwards　discovered；　I　was　quite
  right）　that　it　had　originally　served　for　a　sepulchre
  for　the　dead　rather　than　a　sleeping…place　for　the
  living；　the　slab　being　designed　to　receive　the　corpse
  of　the　departed。　The　thought　made　me　shudder　in　spite
  of　myself；　but；　seeing　that　I　must　sleep　somewhere；　I
  got　over　the　feeling　as　best　I　might；　and　returned　to
  the　cavern　to　get　my　blanket；　which　had　been　brought
  up　from　the　boat　with　the　other　things。　There　I　met
  Job；　who；　having　been　inducted　to　a　similar　apartment；
  had　flatly　declined　to　stop　in　it；　saying　that　the
  look　of　the　place　gave　him　the　horrors；　and　that　he
  might　as　well　be　dead　and　buried　in　his　grandfather's
  brick　grave　at　once；　and　expressed　his　determination
  of　sleeping　with　me　if　I　would　allow　him。　This；　of
  course；　I　was　only　too　glad　to　do。
  The　night　passed　very　comfortably　on　the　whole。　I　say
  on　the　whole；　for　personally　I　went　through　a　most
  horrible　nightmare　of　being　buried　alive；　induced；　no
  doubt；　by　the　sepulchral　nature　of　my　surroundings。　At
  dawn　we　were　aroused　by　a　loud　trumpeting　sound；
  produced；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　by　a　young
  Amahagger　blowing；　through　a　hole　bored　in　its　side；
  into　a　hollowed　elephant　tusk；　which　was　kept　for　the
  purpose。
  Taking　the　hint；　we　got　up　and　went　down　to　the　stream
  to　wash；　after　which　the　morning　meal　was　served。　At
  breakfast　one　of　the　women；　no　longer　quite　young；
  advanced；　and　publicly　kissed　Job。　I　think　it　was　in
  its　way　the　most　delightful　thing　（putting　its
  impropriety　aside　for　a　moment）　that　I　ever　saw。　Never
  shall　I　forget　the　respectable　Job's　abject　terror　and
  disgust。　Job；　like　myself；　is　a　bit　of　a　misogynistI
  fancy　chiefly　owing　to　the　fact　of　his　having　been　one
  of　a　family　of　seventeenand　the　feelings　expressed
  upon　his　countenance　when　he　realized　that　he　was　not
  only　being　embraced　publicly；　and　without
  authorization　on　his　own　part；　but　also　in　the
  presence　of　his　masters；　were　too　mixed　and　painful　to
  admit　of　accurate　description。　He　sprang　to　his　feet；
  and　pushed　the　woman；　a　buxom　person　of　about　thirty；
  from　him。
  〃Well；　I　never！〃　he　gasped；　whereupon；　probably
  thinking　that　he　was　only　coy；　she　embraced　him　again。
  〃Be　off　with　you！　Get　away；　you　minx！〃　he　shouted；
  waving　the　wooden　spoon；　with　which　he　was　eating　his
  breakfast；　up　and　down　before　the　lady's　face。　〃Beg
  your　pardon；　gentlemen；　I　am　sure　I。　haven't
  encouraged　her。　Oh；　Lord！　she's　coming　for　me　again。
  Hold　her；　Mr。　Holly！　please　hold　her！　I　can't　stand
  it；　I　can't；　indeed。　This　has　never　happened　to　me
  before；　gentlemen；　never。　There's　nothing　against　my
  character；〃　and　here　he　broke　off；　and　ran　as　hard　as
  he　could　go　down　the　cave；　and　for　once　I　saw　the
  Amahagger　laugh。　As　for　the　woman；　however；　she　did
  not　laugh。　On　the　contrary；　she　seemed　to　bristle　with
  fury；　which　the　mockery　of　the　other　women　about　only
  served　to　intensify。　She　stood　there　literally
  snarling　and　shaking　with　indignation；　and；　seeing
  her；　I　wished　Job's　scruples　had　been　at　Jericho；
  forming　a　shrewd　guess　that　his　admirable　behavior　had
  endangered　our　throats。　Nor；　as　the　sequel　shows；　was
  I　wrong。
  The　lady　having　retreated；　Job　returned　in　a　great
  state　of　nervousness；　and　keeping　his　weather　eye
  fixed　upon　every　woman　who　came　near　him。　I　took　an
  opportunity　to　explain　to　our　hosts　that　Job　was　a
  married　man；　and　had　had　very　unhappy　experiences　in
  his　domestic　relations；　which　accounted　for　his
  presence　here　and　his　terror　at　the　sight　of　women；
  but　my　remarks　were　received　in　grim　silence；　it　being
  evident　that　our　retainer's　behavior　was　considered　as
  a　slight　to　the　〃household〃　at　large；　although　the
  women；　after　the　manner　of　some　of　their　more
  civilized　sisters；　made　merry　at　the　rebuff　of　their
  companion。
  After　breakfast　we　took　a　walk　and　inspected　the
  Amahagger　herds；　and　also　their　cultivated　lands。　They
  have　two　breeds　of　cattle；　one　large　and　angular；　with
  no　horns；　but　yielding　beautiful　milk；　and　the　other；
  a　red　breed；　very　small　and　fat；　excellent　for　meat；
  but　of　no　value　for　milking　purposes。　This　last　breed
  closely　resembles　the　Norfolk　red…pole　strain；　only　it
  has　horns　which　generally　curve　forward　over　the　head；
  sometimes　to　s