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The rock shelf we followed becareater freedo the precipitous face of the cliff, until we hty bluff But the overhanging crest rendered it iuess the situation We were but ants clinging to a wall and unable to see more than a few yards ahead Finally we attained a point where the cliff bulged outward in a wide curve, not unlike the rounded bow of a ship, and were co the narrowed shelf, which was see fearfully forward on hands and knees around the sharp corner I foundentrance to a cavern I realized that here was the ending of our toilso a precipitous wall of stone If the path had continuation, ithole, Master Benteen," th beside n of life to alarravely, "but do not feel confident that there are no occupants within If I mistake not, we have stunal down to the valley the rising and setting of the sun"

"I never witnessed such cere forward than lying here on the hard rock"

Realizing the truth of his coan crawling forward into the interior No sign of huht The cavern possessed a wide opening, with a broad platfor well out beyond the face of the cliff Along the edge I could observe the rather dim outlines of an i to a considerable height, and partially blocking the entrance Froht serve to conceal the mouth of the cave This obstruction shut offthe interior intensely dark We were coainst the walls I had not advanced , when I saw the ruddy reflection of a fire, hitherto co this abrupt point we found ourselves in a large roo upwards of three hundred persons This chamber was partly natural in formation, but, as I discovered later, had been considerably enlarged by artificial ht, I could scarcely distinguish its vaulted roof, while its length was hidden in the darkness In the very centre of this apartular rock, flattened and hollowed along the top, where was burning a vast log, the s outlet above The light, red and yellow, flared and flickered upon the surrounding bare gray walls, nothing else arresting the eye except a second wide rock platform close to where we crouched This was partially concealed by a great ht to me a conjecture that here, perhaps, the Queen was throned