retched Mahomed from his corner, where, overcome by some
acute prescience of horror, he had been seated, shivering, and calling
on Allah. He appeared unwilling enough to come, if for no other reason
perhaps because it was an unaccustomed honour, for hitherto his food had
been given to him apart. Anyway I could see that he was in a state of
great terror, for his tottering legs would scarcely support his
stout, bulky form, and I think it was rather owing to the resources
of barbarism behind him, in the shape of a huge Amahagger with a
proportionately huge spear, than to the seductions of the lady who led
him by the hand, that he consented to come at all.

"Well," I said to the others, "I don't at all like the look of things,
but I suppose we must face it out. Have you fellows got your revolvers
on? because, if so, you had better see that they are loaded."

"I have, sir," said Job, tapping his Colt, "but Mr. Leo has only got his
hunting knife, though that is big enough, surely."

Feeling that it would not do to wait while the missing weapon was
fetched, we advanced boldly, and seated ourselves in a line, with our
backs against the side of the cave.

As soon as we were seated, an earthenware jar was passed round
containing a fermented fluid, of by no means unpleasant taste, though
apt to turn upon the stomach, made from crushed grain--not Indian corn,
but a small brown grain that grows upon its stem in clusters, not unlike
that which in the southern part of Africa is known by the name of Kafir
corn. The vase which contained this liquor was very curious, and as
it more or less resembled many hundreds of others in use among the
Amahagger I may as well describe it. These vases are of a very ancient
manufacture, and of all sizes. None such can have been made in the
country for hundreds, or rather thousands, of years. They are found
in the rock tombs, of which I shall give a description in their proper
place, and my own belief is that, after the fashion of the Egyptians,
with whom the former inhabitants of this country may have had some
connection, they were used to receive the viscera of the dead. Leo,
however, is of opinion that, as in the case of Etruscan amphorae, they
were placed there for the spiritual use of the deceased. They are mostly
two-handled, and of all sizes, some being nearly three feet in height,
and running from that down to as many inches. In shape they vary, but
all are exceedingly beautiful and graceful,