Here for a hundred years no intruding footsteps had entered! The man who lighted the perfumed lamp was long since in spirit life. The hierophant never doubted his ability to accomplish the task imposed upon him, but he trembled with the knowledge that it was so nearly finished. “_Refreshment awaits thee on the right_,” he read from an inscription on the wall. Following the direction given, he found an abundance of hulled corn, rice, dried fruits and nuts securely sealed in earthen jars, and there was also one containing garments and other things. He took the edibles and came back to the arched entrance, where he lighted a fire, and prepared a meal. “The elements have made my bath ready,” he said, dipping his hand into one of the larger basins. “The water is warm, and I am not insensible to its charms.” When he came out of it he clothed himself in spotless linen, embroidered with orange-colored silk. Around his neck was a collarette of diamonds and black onyx set in gold, from which hung a leaden medal cast in the sign of Saturn, and about his waist was a yellow silk girdle. After he had anointed his hair with an unguent, he gathered some cypress and crowned himself with it. He was careful to perform every rite before and after eating, and as a sacrifice to fire piled up copal in one of the small basins, and ignited it by the friction of two hardwood sticks. While it burned he smoked; after which he allowed tired nature to drift into a short but deep sleep. Roused by an extra heavy shock of earthquake, he gathered up the remnants of food, his discarded garments and prayer-rug, and threw them into the burning basin piece by piece, until all were in ashes. Wherever possible, the firelight cast weird shadows against the beautiful stalactites still hanging. These novel instruments responded in sweetest melodies to Akaza’s magical touch. The hierophant used a rod made from a perfectly straight almond branch, just before the tree was in blossom. It was hollowed and filled with a needle of iron, which was magnetized. A many-sided prism cut into a triangle was fastened to one end, with a black resin figure of the same at the other. In the middle of the rod, which was the length of the arm, and wrapped in silk, were two rings—one of red copper, the other of zinc. On the extremity which ended in the resin triangle, the rod was gilded; the other end was silvered to the central rings. On the copper ring was a mystical word, and another also on the one made of zinc. This rod had been consecrated by the last initiate at Guatavita, and had not been seen by any one since. The sounds evoked grew more and more weird and peculiar, and Akaza’s exertions became more and more violent, until he dropped exhausted near the basin, where only a few sparks smoldered.