smay was great, for it
seemed to me that to be buried alive was even a worse fate than to be
devoured by cannibals, nevertheless there was no escape. The body of my
wife, arrayed in her richest robes and decked with all her jewels, was
laid upon the bier. I followed it, and after me came a great procession,
headed by the king and all his nobles, and in this order we reached the
fatal mountain, which was one of a lofty chain bordering the sea.

Here I made one more frantic effort to excite the pity of the King and
those who stood by, hoping to save myself even at this last moment, but
it was of no avail. No one spoke to me, they even appeared to hasten
over their dreadful task, and I speedily found myself descending into
the gloomy pit, with my seven loaves and pitcher of water beside me.
Almost before I reached the bottom the stone was rolled into its place
above my head, and I was left to my fate. A feeble ray of light shone
into the cavern through some chink, and when I had the courage to look
about me I could see that I was in a vast vault, bestrewn with bones and
bodies of the dead. I even fancied that I heard the expiring sighs of
those who, like myself, had come into this dismal place alive. All in
vain did I shriek aloud with rage and despair, reproaching myself for
the love of gain and adventure which had brought me to such a pass, but
at length, growing calmer, I took up my bread and water, and wrapping my
face in my mantle I groped my way towards the end of the cavern, where
the air was fresher.

Here I lived in darkness and misery until my provisions were exhausted,
but just as I was nearly dead from starvation the rock was rolled away
overhead and I saw that a bier was being lowered into the cavern, and
that the corpse upon it was a man. In a moment my mind was made up, the
woman who followed had nothing to expect but a lingering death; I should
be doing her a service if I shortened her misery. Therefore when she
descended, already insensible from terror, I was ready armed with a huge
bone, one blow from which left her dead, and I secured the bread and
water which gave me a hope of life. Several times did I have recourse to
this desperate expedient, and I know not how long I had been a prisoner
when one day I fancied that I heard something near me, which breathed
loudly. Turning to the place from which the sound came I dimly saw a
shadowy form which fled at my movement, squeezing itself through a
cranny in