rvoirs of Carthage were of enormous extent, and some of these
remain to this day and are the wonder and admiration of travellers. They
were subterranean, and were cut from the solid rock, the stone extracted
from them being used for the walls of the buildings of the city. Pillars
were left at intervals to support the roof, and it was calculated that
these underground lakes--for they were no less--contained sufficient
water to supply the wants of the great city for at least six months.
These vast storing places for water were an absolute necessity in a
climate like that of Northern Africa, where the rain falls but seldom.
Without them, indeed, Carthage would have been at the mercy of the first
army which laid siege to it.

The greatest pains were devoted to the maintenance of the water supply.
The rainfall from the roofs of the temples and houses was conducted
to the reservoirs, and these stores were never drawn upon on ordinary
occasions, the town being supplied with water brought by aqueducts from
long distances among the hills. Here and there openings were cut in the
rock which formed the roof of the reservoirs, for the admission of air,
and at a few points steps from the surface led down to the water. Iron
gates guarded the entrance to these.

Nessus and his friends had the evening before unfastened one of these
gates. The lock was old and little used, as the gate was placed rather
to prevent children and others going down to the water than for any
other purpose, and the Arabs had found little difficulty in picking the
rough lock.

Malchus followed Nessus down the steps until he reached the edge of the
water, some fifty feet below the surface. Here stood two Arabs bearing
torches. At the foot of the steps floated the raft, formed, as Nessus
had said, of four inflated sheepskins connected by a framework of
planks. Across these a bullock's hide had been stretched, forming a
platform. On this were some rugs, a skin of wine, and a pile of flat
cakes and fruit, together with half a dozen torches.

"Thanks, my friends!" Malchus said to the Arabs. "Some day I may be able
to prove that I am grateful to you."

"The friends of Nessus are our friends," one of the Arabs replied
simply; "his lord is our master."

"Here is a paddle, my lord," Nessus said. "I propose that you should
paddle straight away as far as you can see a torch burning here; then
that you should fasten the raft to a pillar. Every other night I will
come