Копи царя Соломона
Solomon’s Road
Thesunnevergetsinhere;noanimalcomesheretotearordestroy. Nodoubthisslave,ofwhomhespeaksonthewriting,tookoffhisclothesandlefthim. Hecouldnothaveburiedhimalone. Look!"hewenton,stoopingdowntopickupaqueerly-shapedbonescrapedattheendintoasharppoint, "hereisthe‘cleftbone’thatSilvestrausedtodrawthemapwith."
Wegazedforamomentastonished,forgettingourownmiseriesinthisextraordinary and,asitseemedtous,semi-miraculoussight.
"Ay,"saidSirHenry,"andthisiswherehegothisinkfrom,"andhepointedtoasmallwoundontheDom’sleftarm. "Didevermanseesuchathingbefore?"
Therewasnolongeranydoubtaboutthematter,whichformyownpartIconfessperfectlyappalledme. Therehesat,thedeadman,whosedirections,writtensometengenerationsago,hadledustothisspot. Hereinmyownhandwastherudepenwithwhichhehadwrittenthem,andabouthisneckhungthecrucifixthathisdyinglipshadkissed. Gazingathim,myimaginationcouldreconstructthelastsceneofthedrama,thetravellerdyingofcoldandstarvation,yetstrivingtoconveytotheworldthegreatsecretwhichhehaddiscovered:—theawfullonelinessofhisdeath,ofwhichtheevidencesatbeforeus. ItevenseemedtomethatIcouldtraceinhisstrongly-markedfeaturesalikenesstothoseofmypoorfriendSilvestrehisdescendant,whohaddiedtwentyyearsbeforeinmyarms, butperhapsthatwasfancy.
