Ha!--what! shrieks? And, Burbo, how silent
all is now! Look forth!'

Amidst the other horrors, the mighty mountain now cast up columns of
boiling water. Blent and kneaded with the half-burning ashes, the
streams fell like seething mud over the streets in frequent intervals.
And full, where the priests of Isis had now cowered around the altars,
on which they had vainly sought to kindle fires and pour incense, one of
the fiercest of those deadly torrents, mingled with immense fragments of
scoria, had poured its rage. Over the bended forms of the priests it
dashed: that cry had been of death--that silence had been of eternity!
The ashes--the pitchy streams--sprinkled the altars, covered the
pavement, and half concealed the quivering corpses of the priests!

'They are dead,' said Burbo, terrified for the first time, and hurrying
back into the cell. 'I thought not the danger was so near and fatal.'

The two wretches stood staring at each other--you might have heard their
hearts beat! Calenus, the less bold by nature, but the more griping,
recovered first.

'We must to our task, and away!' he said, in a low whisper, frightened
at his own voice. He stepped to the threshold, paused, crossed over the
heated floor and his dead brethren to the sacred chapel, and called to
Burbo to follow. But the gladiator quaked, and drew back.

'So much the better,' thought Calenus; 'the more will be my booty.'
Hastily he loaded himself with the more portable treasures of the
temple; and thinking no more of his comrade, hurried from the sacred
place. A sudden flash of lightning from the mount showed to Burbo, who
stood motionless at the threshold, the flying and laden form of the
priest. He took heart; he stepped forth to join him, when a tremendous
shower of ashes fell right before his feet. The gladiator shrank back
once more. Darkness closed him in. But the shower continued
fast--fast; its heaps rose high and suffocatingly--deathly vapors
steamed from them. The wretch gasped for breath--he sought in despair
again to fly--the ashes had blocked up the threshold--he shrieked as his
feet shrank from the boiling fluid. How could he escape? he could not
climb to the open space; nay, were he able, he could not brave its
horrors. It were best to remain in the cells, protected, at least, from
the fatal air. He sat down and clenched his teeth. By degrees, the
atmosphere from without--stifling and venomous--crept into the chamber.
H