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preference　by　advancing　and　embracing　him　publicly；　in　
the　same　way　that　this　handsome　and　exceedingly　prompt　
young　lady；　who　was　called　Ustane；　had　embraced　Leo。　
If　he　kissed　her　in　return　it　was　a　token　that　he　
accepted　her；　and　the　arrangement　continued　till　one　
of　them　wearied　of　it。　I　am　bound；　however；　to　say　
that　the　change　of　husbands　was　not　nearly　so　frequent　
as　might　have　been　expected。　Nor　did　quarrels　arise　
out　of　it；　at　least　among　the　men；　who；　when　their　
wives　deserted　them　in　favor　of　a　rival；　accepted　the　
whole　thing　much　as　we　accept　the　income…tax　or　our　
marriage　laws；　as　something　not　to　be　disputed；　and　as　
tending　to　the　good　of　the　community；　however　
disagreeable　they　may　in　particular　instances　prove　to　
the　individual。

It　is　very　curious　to　observe　how　the　customs　of　
mankind　on　this　matter　vary　in　different　countries；　
making　morality　an　affair　of　latitude；　and　what　is　
right　and　proper　in　one　place　wrong　and　improper　in　
another。　It　must；　however；　be　understood　that；　as　all　
civilized　nations　appear　to　accept　it　as　an　axiom　that　
ceremony　is　the　touchstone　of　morality；　there　is；　even　
according　to　our　canons；　nothing　immoral　about　this　
Amahagger　custom；　seeing　that　the　interchange　of　the　
embrace　answers　to　our　ceremony　of　marriage；　which；　as　
we　know；　justifies　most　things。

CHAPTER　VII

USTANE　SINGS

When　the　kissing　operation　was　finishedby　the　way；　
none　of　the　young　ladies　offered　to　pet　me　in　this　
fashion；　though　I　saw　one　hovering　round　Job；　to　that　
respectable　individual's　evident　alarmthe　old　man　
Billali　advanced；　and　graciously　waved　us　into　the　
cave；　whither　we　went；　followed　by　Ustane；　who　did　not　
seem　inclined　to　take　the　hints　I　gave　her　that　we　
liked　privacy。

Before　we　had　gone　five　paces　it　struck　me　that　the　
cave　that　we　were　entering　was　none　of　Nature's　
handiwork；　but；　on　the　contrary；　had　been　hollowed　by　
the　hand　of　man。　So　far　as　we　could　judge　it　appeared　
to　be　about　one　hundred　feet　in　length　by　fifty　wide；　
and　very　lofty；　resembling　a　cathedral　aisle　more　than　
anything　else。　From　this　main　aisle　opened　passages　at　
a　distance　of　every　twelve　or　fifteen　feet；　leading；　I　
supposed；　to　smaller　chambers。　About　fifty　feet　from　
the　entrance　of　the　cave；　just　where　the　light　began　
to　get　dim；　a　fire　was　burning；　which　threw　huge　
shadows　upon　the　gloomy　walls　around。　Here　Billali　
halted；　and　asked　us　to　be　seated；　saying　that　the　
people　would　bring　us　food；　and　accordingly　we　
squatted　ourselves　down　upon　the　rugs　of　skins　which　
were　spread　for　us；　and　waited。　Presently　the　food；　
consisting　of　goat's　flesh　boiled；　fresh　milk　in　an　
earthenware　pot；　and　boiled　cobs　of　Indian　corn；　was　
brought　by　young　girls。　We　were　almost　starving；　and　I　
do　not　think　that　I　ever　in　my　life　ate　with　such　
satisfaction。　Indeed；　before　we　had　finished　we　
literally　ate　up　everything　that　was　set　before　us。

When　we　had　done；　our　somewhat　saturnine　host；　
Billali；　who　had　been　watching　us　in　perfect　silence；　
rose　and　addressed　us。　He　said　that　it　was　a　wonderful　
thing　that　had　happened。　No　man　had　ever　known　or　
heard　of　white　strangers　arriving　in　the　country　of　
the　People　of　the　Rocks。　Sometimes；　though　rarely；　
black　men　had　come　here；　and　from　them　they　had　heard　
of　the　existence　of　men　much　whiter　than　themselves；　
who　sailed　on　the　sea　in　ships；　but　for　the　arrival　of　
such　there　was　no　precedent。　We　had；　however；　been　
seen　dragging　the　boat　up　the　canal；　and　he　told　us　
frankly　that　he　had　at　once　given　orders　for　our　
destruction；　seeing　that　it　was　unlawful　for　any　
stranger　to　enter　here；　when　a　message　had　come　from　〃　
_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　；〃　saying　that　our　
lives　were　to　be　spared；　and　that　we　were　to　be　
brought　hither。

〃Pardon　me；　my　father；〃　I　interrupted　at　this　point；　
〃but　if；　as　I　understand；　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　
_i_　lives　yet　farther　off；　how　could　she　have　known　of　
our　approach？〃

Billali　turned；　and　seeing　that　we　were　alonefor　the　
young　lady；　Ustane；　had　withdrawn　when　he　had　begun　to　
speaksaid；　with　a　curious　little　laugh

〃Are　there　none　in　your　land　who　can　see　without　eyes　
and　hear　without　ears？　Ask　no　questions；　_i_　She　_i_　
knew。〃

I　shrugged　my　shoulders　at　this；　and　he　proceeded　to　
say　that　no　further　instructions　had　been　received　on　
the　subject　of　our　disposal；　and　this　being　so　he　was　
about　to　start　to　interview　〃　_i_　She…who…must…be…
obeyed　_i_　；〃　generally　spoken　of；　for　the　sake　of　
brevity；　as　〃Hiya〃　or　_i_　She　_i_　simply；　who　he　gave　
us　to　understand　was　the　Queen　of　the　Amahagger；　and　
learn　her　wishes。

I　asked　him　how　long　he　proposed　to　be　away；　and　he　
said　that　by　travelling　hard　he　might　be　back　on　the　
fifth　day；　but　there　were　many　miles　of　marsh　to　cross　
before　he　came　to　where　_i_　She　_i_　was。　He　then　said　
that　every　arrangement　would　be　made　for　our　comfort　
during　his　absence；　and　that；　as　he　personally　had　
taken　a　fancy　to　us；　he　sincerely　trusted　that　the　
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