334 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



through their long lashes. Heavy tresses of raven 

 hair, escaping beneath her turban -like head-dress, 

 streamed out like a sable banner as she rushed into 

 the cavern, then fell and flowed in waving luxuriance 

 over neck and shoulders to her girdle. The Turks 

 in the interior of the cavern gazed in speechless 

 wonder at this beautiful apparition, standing erect 

 in the strong red light. Waving her torch with ener- 

 getic and graceful action, she appeared like an antique 

 sibyl at the moment of inspiration, or some Arabian 

 enchantress preparing for an incantation. Their ad- 

 miration, however, yielded to alarm, when they be- 

 held her dash the torch upon the ground, and her 

 attendants pile upon it straw and fagots, which blazed 

 up instantly to the cavern roof, emitting volumes of 

 smoke that made the captives invisible, and by its 

 suffocating influence deprived them ere long of all 

 power of utterance. 



The evening was serene and still, with scarcely a 

 breath of wind stirring, and the flames blazed upward 

 to the cavern roof ; only now and then a light breeze 

 from the sea wafted them on one side, and, at the 

 same time, dispersing the smoke, gave the Turks a 

 momentary glimpse of the maiden, standing with up- 

 lifted hands, expectation, anxiety, and grief depicted 

 on her speaking countenance, as she invoked the 

 spirit of the storm, while around her stood the few 

 remaining Uzcoques, with sorrowing and downcast 

 faces. 



