idden by man's
artifice, was one of those veins in which the fiery blood of our mother,
the Earth, had aforetime coursed. Long years had passed since it carried
lava streams, but the air in it was still warm and sulphurous, and there
was no inducement to linger in transit. I lit me a lamp which I found
in an appointed niche, and walked briskly along my ways, coughing, and
wishing heartily I had some of those simples which ease a throat that
has a tendency to catarrh. But, alas! all that packet of drugs which
were my sole spoil from the vice-royalty of Yucatan were lost in the
sea-fight with Dason's navy, and since landing in Atlantis there had
been little enough time to think for the refinements of medicine.

The network of earth-veins branched prodigiously, and if any but one of
us Seven Priests had found a way into its recesses by chance, he would
have perished hopelessly in the windings, or have fallen into one of
those pits which lead to the boil below. But I carried the chart of the
true course clearly in my head, remembering it from that old initiation
of twenty years back, when, as an appointed viceroy, I was raised to the
highest degree but one known to our Clan, and was given its secrets and
working implements.

The way was long, the floor was monstrous uneven, and the air, as I have
said, bad; and I knew that day would be far advanced before the signs
told me that I had passed beneath the walls, and was well within
the precincts of the city. And here the vow of the Seven hampered my
progress; for it is ordained that under no circumstances, whatever the
stress, shall egress be made from this passage before mortal eye. One
branch after another did I try, but always found loiterers near the
exits. I had hoped to make my emergence by that path which came inside
the royal pyramid. But there was no chance of coming up unobserved here;
the place was humming like a hive. And so, too, with each of the
five next outlets that I visited. The city was agog with some strange
excitement.

But I came at last to a temple of one of the lesser Gods, and stood
behind the image for a while making observation. The place was empty;
nay, from the dust which robed all the floors and the seats of the
worshippers, it had been empty long enough; so I moved all that was
needful, stepped out, and closed all entry behind me. A broom lay
unnoticed on one of the pews, and with this I soon disguised all route
of footmark, and took my way to