easily. Accordingly, I went at once to examine the jars. A little--a
very little of the oil still remained, but it had grown thick in the
two and a half centuries in which the jars had been open. Still, it
was not rancid; and on examining it I found it was cedar oil, and that
it still exhaled something of its original aroma. This gave me the idea
that it was to be used to fill the lamps. Whoever had placed the oil
in the jars, and the jars in the sarcophagus, knew that there might be
shrinkage in process of time, even in vases of alabaster, and fully
allowed for it; for each of the jars would have filled the lamps half a
dozen times. With part of the oil remaining I made some experiments,
therefore, which may give useful results. You know, Doctor, that cedar
oil, which was much used in the preparation and ceremonials of the
Egyptian dead, has a certain refractive power which we do not find in
other oils. For instance, we use it on the lenses of our microscopes
to give additional clearness of vision. Last night I put some in one
of the lamps, and placed it near a translucent part of the Magic
Coffer. The effect was very great; the glow of light within was fuller
and more intense than I could have imagined, where an electric light
similarly placed had little, if any, effect. I should have tried
others of the seven lamps, but that my supply of oil ran out. This,
however, is on the road to rectification. I have sent for more cedar
oil, and expect to have before long an ample supply. Whatever may
happen from other causes, our experiment shall not, at all events, fail
from this. We shall see! We shall see!"

Doctor Winchester had evidently been following the logical process of
the other's mind, for his comment was:

"I do hope that when the light is effective in opening the box, the
mechanism will not be impaired or destroyed."

His doubt as to this gave anxious thought to some of us.

Chapter XVI

The Cavern

In the evening Mr. Trelawny took again the whole party into the study.
When we were all attention he began to unfold his plans:

"I have come to the conclusion that for the proper carrying out of what
we will call our Great Experiment we must have absolute and complete
isolation. Isolation not merely for a day or two, but for as long as
we may require. Here such a thing would be impossible; the needs and
habits of a great city with its ingrained possibilities of
interruption, would, or mi