ernment, its
tact, its talent, its love and its beneficence, for every queen who has
since sat on the Great Emerald Throne of Mo has been named after her,
and I am her lineal descendant, the last of her line."

That night we rested on soft cushions spread for us in our tent, and
marching again early next morning, spent the two following days in
crossing a great swamp, which, rather than a miasmatic death-hole, was a
naturalist's paradise. As our horses trod the soft, spongy ground, a
majestic canopy of stately cypress, mangrove and maple trees protected us
from the burning sun, and the sweet-scented flowers of the magnolias,
azaleas and wild grapes added fragrance and beauty to the scene. Flies,
snakes and frogs were very numerous, but gave us little trouble,
nevertheless, I was not sorry when at dawn on the third day after passing
the strange natural phenomenon we saw across the level pasture-like
plain, high up, spectral and half hidden in the grey haze, the gigantic
walls and high embattlements of the mysterious city.

"Lo!" cried Omar, who was riding at my side. "See! At last we are within
sight of the goal towards which we have so long striven. Yonder is Mo,
sometimes called the City in the Clouds!"

"But for your courage we must have failed long ago," I observed, my eyes
turned to where the horizon closed the long perspective of the sky. Away
there was the sweetest light. Elsewhere colour marred the simplicity of
light; but there colour was effaced, not as men efface it, by a blur or
darkness, but by mere light. And against it rose, high and faintly
outlined, the defences of the great unknown city standing on the summit
of what appeared to be a gigantic rock. "Magnificent!" I exclaimed,
entranced by the view. "Superb!"

"It is, as you see, built high upon the rock known as the Throne of the
Naya," Omar explained. "Although founded a thousand years ago by the
good queen about whom I told you, no stranger has ever yet set foot
within its gates. From time to time our monarchs have sent their trusty
agents among civilized nations, gathered from them their inventions, and
introduced to us the results of their progress. Isolated as we are from
the world, we are nevertheless enlightened, as you will shortly see."

I was prompted to make some observation regarding his paganism, but held
my peace, knowing that any reference to it wounded his susceptibilities.
In everything except his belief in the fetish and his trust