Theodore laughed,
and sent Samuel to tell Mr. Waldmeier what Mr. Rassam had just said.
A few minutes afterwards his Majesty got up; we rose also, and Mr.
Rassam told him, through Samuel, that to gladden his heart still
more he begged him to be gracious enough to release from their
fetters our companions still in chains on the Amba. This time
Samuel not only turned pale, but shook his head, declining to open
such a subject; but on Mr. Rassam repeating his request, this time
in a higher tone of voice, Theodore looked round, and Samuel, having
no option left, complied. His Majesty looked sullen and a little
annoyed, but after a short pause gave orders to some of his attendants
and to Samuel to proceed at once to the Amba and have the chains
of the five remaining captives opened at once.
The Emperor then walked down to the spot where the road made a sharp
angle, and directed the laborious task of having such heavy masses
dragged up the precipitous incline. He sent us to the other side
of the road, where we might witness the whole scene well, and
appointed several of his high officers to attend upon us. None but
Theodore, I believe, could have directed that difficult operation;
the leather ropes, from long use, were always breaking, and we were
very much afraid that some accident might happen, and that, at the
very last stage, the ponderous mortar "Sebastopol" would tumble
over the precipice.
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