The Catastrophe 



powder, of which he knew the secret, and which in these 

 days it is thought may be applied to projectile purposes. 

 Aelfa and Sahib waited behind the obstruction at the 

 appointed hour of the night. They heard the stealthy 

 approach of feet, and then the thick voice of the negro 

 saying, " Here is a great heap of sand ! " for his feet were 

 in the powder. " The queen has doubtless strewn it along 

 the way that our steps make not a noise on the rocks," 

 replied the captain of the troop. 



" We are betrayed," cried the negro, as his hands came 

 against the great stones which blocked up the way. " If 

 we are betrayed, thou shalt not escape," said the soldier, 

 as it would seem, despatching Caleb, who shrieked, and was 

 afterwards silent ; whereupon Sahib dropped his touchwood 

 into the train, and retreated with the feet of celerity. 

 After a little, the powder exploded, and the whole expedi- 

 tion were killed except one man, who had hung back in the 

 dark, and stood at the mouth of the cavern, irresolute what 

 to do. 



The fire-blast knocked him down, and burnt off the 

 greater part of his beard. He recovered, and in due time 

 repaired to Granada, where he reported " that he had been 

 the first man to follow the black demon down a bottomless 

 pit, to which Gehennah was as a rat-hole ; that when they 

 had gone several furlongs into the heart of the mountain, 

 Eblis had appeared in their way in the form of a fiery 

 dragon, into whose mouth Caleb had walked, as if it had 

 been his own house, and sat down among the dreadful teeth, 

 as if they had been palm-trees in his own courtyard. Here- 

 upon the dragon snorted fire and brimstone for the space of 

 a quarter of an hour, the negro imp grinning with satisfac- 

 tion in the midst of it all the while, and clapping his long 

 black bony hands. All the men were soon burnt and 



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