ineers 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
level--eight feet perhaps--was 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 _She_ 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,