from a rapacious foe. Every character is
a history in itself. Yet your race know it not; but still boast of
sciences you do not possess."

"No," said I, "we cannot decypher these characters, we have never
claimed to have done so; but if you can give me a key to them, tell me
how we may make an alphabet to it, we may still be able to do so."

"It would be useless for me to do so," said he, with his old manner of
superiority, "your intellect could not grasp it; you would not
understand me."

"Try me," said I, eagerly, "try me and see."

But he only beckoned me away, then advancing a few paces took from a
recess in the rock, a heavy flagon not unlike our own in shape, and
placing it in my hand, informed me that their vessels for drinking were
like that, varied in shape and size according to taste. Holding it to
the light, I was astonished to find it was made of gold, fine and pure
as any I had ever seen. There were instruments of silver, also, which
he assured me, would carry sound many miles, and others of glass and
silver to shorten objects to the sight at an equal distance. And these,
said he, handing me some curious shaped vases are like the material of
which we made many of our ornaments to our dwelling. They appeared to
be made of glass, yet they were elastic. He said the material was
imperishable. There were helmets, shields, curiously shaped weapons,
chisels, and many things I knew not the use of, all made of copper,
among the rest a shield precisely like the one you have, Anne."

"Did you bring nothing away? uncle," asked the children.

"No: when he had shown me all he desired me to see, he led me back to
the mouth of the cave, and motioning me out, followed, closing the
opening he had made and ascending to the table where we stood before.

"Then I begged the old man to tell me more of his race, to unfold the
curtain that hung like a pall between them and us. He shook his head
sadly, and standing with his face towards the south, communing with
himself awhile, turned to me, and said: 'You believe in a God, good and
evil, rewards and punishments?'"

I answered in the affirmative.

"Would you hesitate to break an oath taken in the name of the God in
which you believe?" he asked.

"I would not dare to commit such a crime," I answered.

"Then, swear," said he, "that what I have told and shown you, you will
never reveal to human being by word or sign."

"Oh, no, you cannot mean that; leave us some clue to