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"Co to fear from these For more than five thousand years they have sat thus, a monument to the handiwork of some ancient taxidermist"
As they approached ures were coated with dust, but that otherwise the skin was in as fine a state of preservation as the roups, and then they heard the door of the chamber they had quitted open and knew that the searchers were close upon the of what appeared to be a corridor and which investigation proved to be a short passageway, ter in a cha dais This roo dilance showed that it was hung with heavy goods and contained considerableplatforlance at which revealed what appeared to be the for partially on the floor and partially on the dais No doorere visible other than that at which they had entered, though both knew that others s
Gahan, his curiosity aroused by the legends surrounding this portion of the palace, crossed to the dais to exaure that apparently had fallen fro upon his back on the floor with arers stiffly outspread One of his feet was doubled partially beneath hi silks and furs upon the dais After five thousand years the expression of the withered face and the eyeless sockets retained the aspect of horrid fear to such an extent, that Gahan knew that he was looking upon the body of O-Mai the Cruel
Suddenly Tara, who stood close beside him, clutched his arm and pointed toward a far corner of the roo felt the hairs upon his neck rising He threw his left arirl and with bared sword stood between her and the hangings that they watched, and then slowly Gahan of Gathol backed away, for in this grim and somber chamber, which no human foot had trod for five thousand years and to which no breath of wind s in the far corner had ht have ht, but suddenly they had bulged out as though pushed against from behind To the opposite corner backed Gahan until they stood with their backs against the hangings there, and then hearing the approach of their pursuers across the chas and, following her, kept open with his left hand, which he had disengaged froh which he could view the aparth which the pursuers would enter, if they came this far