Solomon’s Road

           Outsidethecavernwehalted,feelingratherfoolish. 

           "Iamgoingback,"saidSirHenry. 

           "Why?"askedGood. 

           "Becauseithasstruckmethat—whatwesaw—maybemybrother." 

           Thiswasanewidea,andwere-enteredtheplacetoputittotheproof. Afterthebrightlightoutside,oureyes,weakastheywerewithstaringatthesnow,couldnotpiercethegloomofthecaveforawhile. Presently,however,theygrewaccustomedtothesemi-darkness,andweadvancedtowardsthedeadman. 

           SirHenrykneltdownandpeeredintohisface. 

           "ThankGod,"hesaid,withasighofrelief,"itisnotmybrother." 

           ThenIdrewnearandlooked. Thebodywasthatofatallmaninmiddlelifewithaquilinefeatures,grizzledhair,andalongblackmoustache. Theskinwasperfectlyyellow,andstretchedtightlyoverthebones. Itsclothing,withtheexceptionofwhatseemedtobetheremainsofawoollenpairofhose,hadbeenremoved,leavingtheskeleton-likeframenaked. Roundtheneckofthecorpse,whichwasfrozenperfectlystiff,hungayellowivorycrucifix. 

           "Whoonearthcanitbe?"saidI. 

           "Can’tyouguess?"askedGood. 

           Ishookmyhead. 

           "Why,theoldDom,JosédaSilvestra,ofcourse—whoelse?" 

           "Impossible,"Igasped;"hediedthreehundredyearsago." 

           "Andwhatistheretopreventhimfromlastingforthreethousandyearsinthisatmosphere,Ishouldliketoknow?"askedGood. "Ifonlythetemperatureissufficientlylow,fleshandbloodwillkeepfreshasNewZealandmuttonforever, andHeavenknowsitiscoldenoughhere.