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  THECOMINGOFTHERING

  Everyonehasreadthemonograph,Ibelievethatistherightword,ofmydearfriend,ProfessorHiggs——PtolemyHiggstogivehimhisfullname——descriptiveofthetablelandofMurinNorthCentralAfrica,oftheancientundergroundcityinthemountainswhichsurroundedit,andofthestrangetribeofAbyssinianJews,orrathertheirmixeddescendants,bywhomitis,orwas,inhabited。Isayeveryoneadvisedly,foralthoughthepublicwhichstudiessuchworksisusuallyselect,thatwhichwilltakeaninterestinthem,ifthecharacterofalearnedandpugnaciouspersonageisconcerned,isverywideindeed。

  Nottomincematters,ImayaswellexplainwhatImeanatonce。

  ProfessorHiggs\'srivalsandenemies,ofwhomeitherthebrilliancyofhisachievementsorhissomewhatabruptandpointedmethodsofcontroversyseemtohavemadehimagreatmany,haverisenup,orratherseatedthemselves,andwrittenhimdown——well,anindividualwhostrainsthetruth。Indeed,onlythismorningoneoftheseinquired,inalettertothepress,alludingtosomeadventuroustravellerwho,Iamtold,lecturedtotheBritishAssociationseveralyearsago,whetherProfessorHiggsdidnot,infact,rideacrossthedeserttoMur,notuponacamel,ashealleged,butuponalandtortoiseofextraordinarysize。

  TheinnuendocontainedinthisepistlehasmadetheProfessor,who,asIhavealreadyhinted,isnotbynatureofameekdisposition,extremelyangry。Indeed,notwithstandingallthatIcoulddo,helefthisLondonhouseunderanhouragowithawhipofhippopotamushidesuchastheEgyptianscalla/koorbash/,purposingtoavengehimselfuponthepersonofhisdefamer。Inordertopreventapublicscandal,however,Ihavetakenthelibertyoftelephoningtothatgentleman,who,boldandviciousashemaybeinprint,isphysicallysmalland,Ishouldsay,ofatimidcharacter,togetoutofthewayatonce。Tojudgefromtheabruptfashioninwhichourconversationcametoanend,Iimaginethatthehinthasbeentaken。Atanyrate,Ihopeforthebest,and,asanextraprecaution,havecommunicatedwiththelawyersofmyjustlyindignantfriend。

  ThereaderwillnowprobablyunderstandthatIamwritingthisbook,nottobringmyselforothersbeforethepublic,ortomakemoneyofwhichIhavenopresentneed,orforanypurposewhatsoever,excepttosetdownthebareandactualtruth。Infact,somanyrumoursareflyingaboutastowherewehavebeenandwhatbefellusthatthishasbecomealmostnecessary。AssoonasIlaiddownthatcruelcolumnofgibesandinsinuationstowhichIhavealluded——yes,thisverymorning,beforebreakfast,thisconvictiontookholdofmesostronglythatIcabledtoOliver,CaptainOliverOrme,theheroofmyhistory,ifithasanyparticularhero,whoisatpresentengageduponwhatmustbeanextremelyagreeablejourneyroundtheworld——askinghisconsent。TenminutessincetheanswerarrivedfromTokyo。Hereitis:

  “Dowhatyoulikeandthinknecessary,butpleasealterallnames,etcetera,asproposereturningviaAmerica,andfearinterviewers。Japanjollyplace。”ThenfollowssomeprivatematterwhichIneednotinsert。Oliverisalwaysextravagantwherecablegramsareconcerned。

  Isupposethatbeforeenteringonthisnarration,forthereader\'sbenefitIhadbettergivesomeshortdescriptionofmyself。

  MynameisRichardAdams,andIamthesonofaCumberlandyeomanwhomarriedaWelshwoman。ThereforeIhaveCelticbloodinmyveins,whichperhapsaccountsformyloveofrovingandotherthings。Iamnowanoldman,neartheendofmycourse,Isuppose;atanyrate,Iwassixty-fivelastbirthday。ThisismyappearanceasIseeitintheglassbeforeme:tall,spareIdon\'tweighmorethanahundredandfortypounds——thedeserthasanysuperfluousfleshthatIeverowned,mylothavingbeen,likeFalstaff,tolardtheleanearth,butinahotclimate;myeyesarebrown,myfaceislong,andIwearapointedwhitebeard,whichmatchesthewhitehairabove。

  Truthcompelsmetoaddthatmygeneralappearance,asseeninthatglasswhichwillnotlie,remindsmeofthatofaratheragedgoat;

  indeed,tobefrank,bythenativesamongwhomIhavesojourned,andespeciallyamongtheKhalifa\'speoplewhenIwasaprisonerthere,I

  haveoftenbeencalledtheWhiteGoat。

  Ofmyverycommonplaceoutwardselfletthissuffice。Asformyrecord,Iamadoctoroftheoldschool。Thinkofit!WhenIwasastudentatBart。\'stheantiseptictreatmentwasquiteanewthing,andadministeredwhenatall,byhelpofakindofengineonwheels,outofwhichdisinfectantsweredispensedwithapump,muchastheadvancedgardenerspraysagreenhouseto-day。

  Isucceededabovetheaverageasastudent,andinmyearlytimeasadoctor。Butineveryman\'slifetherehappenthingswhich,whateverexcusesmaybefoundforthem,wouldnotlookparticularlywellincoldprintnobody\'srecord,asunderstoodbyconventionandthePharisee,couldreallystandcoldprint;alsosomethinginmybloodmademeitsservant。Inshort,havingnostricttiesathome,anddesiringtoseetheworld,Iwanderedfarandwideformanyyears,earningmylivingasIwent,never,inmyexperience,adifficultthingtodo,forIwasalwaysamasterofmytrade。

  MyfortiethbirthdayfoundmepractisingatCairo,whichImentiononlybecauseitwasherethatfirstImetPtolemyHiggs,who,eventheninhisyouth,wasnotedforhisextraordinaryantiquarianandlinguisticabilities。Irememberthatinthosedaysthejokeabouthimwasthathecouldswearinfifteenlanguageslikeanativeandinthirty-twowithcommonproficiency,andcouldreadhieroglyphicsaseasilyasabishopreadsthe/Times/。

  Well,Idoctoredhimthroughabadattackoftyphoid,butashehadspenteveryfarthingheownedonscarabsorsomethingofthesort,madehimnocharge。ThislittlekindnessIamboundtosayheneverforgot,forwhateverhisfailingsmaybepersonallyIwouldnottrusthimalonewithanyobjectthatwasmorethanathousandyearsold,Ptolemyisagoodandfaithfulfriend。

  InCairoImarriedaCopt。Shewasaladyofhighdescent,thetraditioninherfamilybeingthattheyweresprungfromoneofthePtolemaicPharaohs,whichispossibleandevenprobableenough。Also,shewasaChristian,andwelleducatedinherway。But,ofcourse,sheremainedanOriental,andforaEuropeantomarryanOrientalis,asI

  havetriedtoexplaintoothers,averydangerousthing,especiallyifhecontinuestoliveintheEast,whereitcutshimofffromsocialrecognitionandintimacywithhisownrace。Still,althoughthisstepofmineforcedmetoleaveCairoandgotoAssouan,thenalittle-

  knownplace,topractisechieflyamongthenatives,Godknowswewerehappyenoughtogethertilltheplaguetookher,andwithitmyjoyinlife。

  Ipassoverallthatbusiness,sincetherearesomethingstoodreadfulandtoosacredtowriteabout。Sheleftmeonechild,ason,who,tofillupmycupofsorrow,whenhewastwelveyearsofage,waskidnappedbytheMardi\'speople。

  Thisbringsmetotherealstory。Thereisnobodyelsetowriteit;

  Oliverwillnot;Higgscannotoutsideofanythinglearnedandantiquarian,heishopeless;soImust。Atanyrate,ifitisnotinteresting,thefaultwillbemine,notthatofthestory,whichinallconscienceisstrangeenough。

  WearenowinthemiddleofJune,anditwasayearagolastDecemberthat,ontheeveningofthedayofmyarrivalinLondonafteranabsenceofhalfalifetime,IfoundmyselfknockingatthedoorofProfessorHiggs\'sroomsinGuildfordStreet,W。C。Itwasopenedbyhishousekeeper,Mrs。Reid,athinandsaturnineoldwoman,whoremindedandstillremindsmeofareanimatedmummy。ShetoldmethattheProfessorwasin,buthadagentlemantodinner,andsuggestedsourlythatIshouldcallagainthenextmorning。WithdifficultyIpersuadedheratlasttoinformhermasterthatanoldEgyptianfriendhadbroughthimsomethingwhichhecertainlywouldliketosee。

  FiveminuteslaterIgropedmywayintoHiggs\'ssitting-room,whichMrs。Reidhadcontentedherselfwithindicatingfromalowerfloor。Itisalargeroom,runningthewholewidthofthehouse,dividedintotwobyanarch,whereonce,intheGeorgiandays,therehadbeenfoldingdoors。Theplacewasinshadow,exceptforthefirelight,whichshoneuponatablelaidreadyfordinner,anduponanextraordinarycollectionofantiquities,includingacoupleofmummieswithgoldfacesarrangedintheircoffinsagainstthewall。Atthefarendoftheroom,however,anelectriclampwasalightinthebow-

  windowhangingoveranothertablecoveredwithbooks,andbyitIsawmyhost,whomIhadnotmetfortwentyyears,althoughuntilI

  vanishedintothedesertwefrequentlycorresponded,andwithhimthefriendwhohadcometodinner。

  First,IwilldescribeHiggs,who,Imaystate,isadmitted,evenbyhisenemies,tobeoneofthemostlearnedantiquariansandgreatestmastersofdeadlanguagesinEurope,thoughthisnoonewouldguessfromhisappearanceattheageofaboutforty-five。Inbuildshortandstout,faceroundandhigh-coloured,hairandbeardofafieryred,eyes,whentheycanbeseen——forgenerallyhewearsapairoflargebluespectacles——smallandofanindefinitehue,butsharpasneedles。

  Dresssountidy,peculiar,andwornthatitissaidthepoliceinvariablyrequesthimtomoveon,shouldheloiterinthestreetsatnight。Suchwas,andis,theoutwardseemingofmydearestfriend,ProfessorPtolemyHiggs,andIonlyhopethathewon\'tbeoffendedwhenheseesitsetdowninblackandwhite。

  Thatofhiscompanionwhowasseatedatthetable,hischinrestingonhishand,listeningtosomeeruditediscoursewitharatherdistractedair,wasextraordinarilydifferent,especiallybycontrast。Atallwell-madeyoungman,ratherthin,butbroad-shouldered,andapparentlyfiveorsixandtwentyyearsofage。Faceclean-cut——somuchso,indeed,thatthedarkeyesalonerelieveditfromasuspicionofhardness;hairshortandstraight,liketheeyes,brown;expressionthatofamanofthoughtandability,and,whenhesmiled,singularlypleasant。Suchwas,andis,CaptainOliverOrme,who,bytheway,I

  shouldexplain,isonlyacaptainofsomevolunteerengineers,although,infact,averyablesoldier,aswasprovedintheSouthAfricanWar,whencehehadthenbutlatelyreturned。

  Ioughttoaddalsothathegavemetheimpressionofamannotinlovewithfortune,orratherofonewithwhomfortunewasnotinlove;

  indeed,hisyoungfaceseemeddistinctlysad。Perhapsitwasthisthatattractedmetohimsomuchfromthefirstmomentthatmyeyesfellonhim——mewithwhomfortunehadalsobeenoutofloveformanyyears。

  WhileIstoodcontemplatingthispair,Higgs,lookingupfromthepapyrusorwhateveritmightbethathewasreadingIgatheredlaterthathehadspenttheafternooninunrollingamummy,andwasstudyingitsspoils,caughtsightofmestandingintheshadow。

  “Whothedevilareyou?“heexclaimedinashrillandstridentvoice,foritacquiresthatqualitywhenheisangryoralarmed,“andwhatareyoudoinginmyroom?“

  “Steady,“saidhiscompanion;“yourhousekeepertoldyouthatsomefriendofyourshadcometocall。”

  “Oh,yes,soshedid,onlyIcan\'trememberanyfriendwithafaceandbeardlikeagoat。Advance,friend,andall\'swell。”

  SoIsteppedintotheshiningcircleoftheelectriclightandhaltedagain。

  “Whoisit?Whoisit?“mutteredHiggs。“Thefaceisthefaceof——of——

  Ihaveit——ofoldAdams,onlyhe\'sbeendeadthesetenyears。TheKhalifagothim,theysaid。Antiqueshadeofthelong-lostAdams,pleasebesogoodastotellmeyourname,forwewastetimeoverauselessmystery。”

  “Thereisnoneed,Higgs,sinceitisinyourmouthalready。Well,I

  shouldhaveknownyouanywhere;butthen/your/hairdoesn\'tgowhite。”

  “Notit;toomuchcolouringmatter;directresultofasanguinedisposition。Well,Adams——forAdamsyoumustbe——Iamreallydelightedtoseeyou,especiallyasyouneveransweredsomequestionsinmylastletterastowhereyougotthoseFirstDynastyscarabs,ofwhichthegenuineness,Imaytellyou,hasbeendisputedbycertainenviousbeasts。Adams,mydearoldfellow,welcomeathousandtimes“——andheseizedmyhandsandwrungthem,adding,ashiseyefelluponaringI

  wore,“Why,what\'sthat?Somethingquiteunusual。Butnevermind;youshalltellmeafterdinner。Letmeintroduceyoutomyfriend,CaptainOrme,averydecentscholarofArabic,withaquiteelementaryknowledgeofEgyptology。”

  “/Mr。/Orme,“interruptedtheyoungerman,bowingtome。

  “Oh,well,Mr。orCaptain,whicheveryoulike。Hemeansthatheisnotintheregulararmy,althoughhehasbeenallthroughtheBoerWar,andwoundedthreetimes,oncestraightthroughthelungs。Here\'sthesoup。Mrs。Reid,layanotherplace。Iamdreadfullyhungry;nothinggivesmesuchanappetiteasunrollingmummies;itinvolvessomuchintellectualwearandtear,inadditiontothephysicallabour。Eat,man,eat。Wewilltalkafterwards。”

  Soweate,Higgslargely,forhisappetitewasalwaysexcellent,perhapsbecausehewasthenpracticallyateetotaller;Mr。Ormeverymoderately,andIasbecomesapersonwhohaslivedformonthsatatimeondates——mainlyofvegetables,which,withfruits,formmyprincipaldiet——thatis,iftheseareavailable,foratapinchIcanexistonanything。

  Whenthemealwasfinishedandourglasseshadbeenfilledwithport,Higgshelpedhimselftowater,litthelargemeerschaumpipehealwayssmokes,andpushedroundthetobacco-jarwhichhadonceservedasasepulchuralurnfortheheartofanoldEgyptian。

  “Now,Adams,“hesaidwhenwealsohadfilledourpipes,“telluswhathasbroughtyoubackfromtheShades。Inshort,yourstory,man,yourstory。”

  Idrewtheringhehadnoticedoffmyhand,athickbandofratherlight-colouredgoldofasizesuchasanordinarywomanmightwearuponherfirstorsecondfinger,inwhichwassetasplendidslabofsapphireengravedwithcuriousandarchaiccharacters。Pointingtothesecharacters,IaskedHiggsifhecouldreadthem。

  “Readthem?Ofcourse,“heanswered,producingamagnifyingglass。

  “Can\'tyou?No,Iremember;youneverweregoodatanythingmorethanfiftyyearsold。Hullo!thisisearlyHebrew。Ah!I\'vegotit,“andheread:

  “\'ThegiftofSolomontheruler——no,theGreatOne——ofIsrael,BelovedofJah,toMaquedaofSheba-land,Queen,DaughterofKings,ChildofWisdom,Beautiful。\'

  “That\'sthewritingonyourring,Adams——areallymagnificentthing。

  \'QueenofSheba——Bath-Melachim,DaughterofKings,\'withouroldfriendSolomonchuckedin。Splendid,quitesplendid!“——andhetouchedthegoldwithhistongue,andtesteditwithhisteeth。“Hum——wheredidyougetthisintelligentfraudfrom,Adams?“

  “Oh!“Ianswered,laughing,“theusualthing,ofcourse。Iboughtitfromadonkey-boyinCairoforaboutthirtyshillings。”

  “Indeed,“herepliedsuspiciously。“Ishouldhavethoughtthestoneinitwasworthmorethanthat,although,ofcourse,itmaybenothingbutglass。Theengraving,too,isfirst-rate。Adams,“headdedwithseverity,“youaretryingtohoaxus,butletmetellyouwhatI

  thoughtyouknewbythistime——thatyoucan\'ttakeinPtolemyHiggs。

  Thisringisashamelessswindle;butwhodidtheHebrewonit?He\'sagoodscholar,anyway。”

  “Don\'tknow,“Ianswered;“wasn\'tawaretillnowthatitwasHebrew。

  Totellyouthetruth,IthoughtitwasoldEgyptian。AllIdoknowisthatitwasgiven,orratherlent,tomebyaladywhosetitleisWaldaNagasta,andwhoissupposedtobeadescendantofSolomonandtheQueenofSheba。”

  Higgstookuptheringandlookedatitagain;then,asthoughinafitofabstraction,slippeditintohiswaistcoatpocket。

  “Idon\'twanttoberude,thereforeIwillnotcontradictyou,“heansweredwithakindofgroan,“or,indeed,sayanythingexceptthatifanyoneelsehadspunmethatyarnIshouldhavetoldhimhewasacommonliar。But,ofcourse,aseveryschoolboyknows,WaldaNagasta——

  thatis,ChildofKingsinEthiopic——ismuchthesameasBath-Melachim——thatis,DaughterofKingsinHebrew。”

  HereCaptainOrmeburstoutlaughing,andremarked,“Itiseasytoseewhyyouarenotaltogetherpopularintheantiquarianworld,Higgs。

  Yourmethodsofcontroversyarethoseofasavagewithastoneaxe。”

  “Ifyouonlyopenyourmouthtoshowyourignorance,Oliver,youhadbetterkeepitshut。Themenwhocarriedstoneaxeshadadvancedfarbeyondthestateofsavagery。ButIsuggestthatyouhadbettergiveDoctorAdamsachanceoftellinghisstory,afterwhichyoucancriticize。”

  “PerhapsCaptainOrmedoesnotwishtobeboredwithit,“Isaid,whereonheansweredatonce:

  “Onthecontrary,Ishouldliketohearitverymuch——thatis,ifyouarewillingtoconfideinmeaswellasinHiggs。”

  Ireflectedamoment,since,totellthetruth,forsundryreasons,myintentionhadbeentotrustnooneexcepttheProfessor,whomIknewtobeasfaithfulasheisrough。YetsomeinstinctpromptedmetomakeanexceptioninfavourofthisCaptainOrme。Ilikedtheman;

  therewassomethingaboutthosebrowneyesofhisthatappealedtome。

  Alsoitstruckmeasoddthatheshouldhappentobepresentonthisoccasion,forIhavealwaysheldthatthereisnothingcasualoraccidentalintheworld;thateventhemosttrivialcircumstancesareeitherordained,ortheresultoftheworkingsofsomeinexorablelawwhereoftheendisknownbywhateverpowermaydirectoursteps,thoughitbenotyetdeclared。

  “CertainlyIamwilling,“Ianswered;“yourfaceandyourfriendshipwiththeProfessorarepassportenoughforme。OnlyImustaskyoutogivemeyourwordofhonourthatwithoutmyleaveyouwillrepeatnothingofwhatIamabouttotellyou。”

  “Ofcourse,“heanswered,whereonHiggsbrokein:

  “There,thatwilldo;youdon\'twantusbothtokisstheBook,doyou?

  Whosoldyouthatring,andwherehaveyoubeenforthelastdozenyears,andwhencedoyoucomenow?“

  “IhavebeenaprisoneroftheKhalifa\'samongotherthings。IhadfiveyearsofthatentertainmentofwhichmybackwouldgivesomeevidenceifIweretostrip。IthinkIamabouttheonlymanwhoneverembracedIslamwhomtheyallowedtolive,andthatwasbecauseIamadoctor,and,therefore,ausefulperson。TherestofthetimeIhavespentwanderingabouttheNorthAfricandesertslookingformyson,Roderick。Youremembertheboy,orshould,foryouarehisgodfather,andIusedtosendyouphotographsofhimasalittlechap。”

  “Ofcourse,ofcourse,“saidtheProfessorinanewtone;“IcameacrossaChristmasletterfromhimtheotherday。But,mydearAdams,whathappened?Ineverheard。”

  “Hewentuptherivertoshootcrocodilesagainstmyorders,whenhewasabouttwelveyearsold——notverylongafterhismother\'sdeath,andsomewanderingMahditribesmenkidnappedhimandsoldhimasaslave。Ihavebeenlookingforhimeversince,forthepoorboywaspassedonfromtribetotribe,amongwhichhisskillasamusicianenabledmetofollowhim。TheArabscallhimtheSingerofEgypt,becauseofhiswonderfulvoice,anditseemsthathehaslearnedtoplayupontheirnativeinstruments。”

  “Andnowwhereishe?“askedHiggs,asonewhofearedtheanswer。

  “Heis,orwas,afavouriteslaveamongabarbarous,half-negroidpeoplecalledtheFung,whodwellinthefarinteriorofNorthCentralAfrica。AfterthefalloftheKhalifaIfollowedhimthere;ittookmeseveralyears。SomeBedouinweremakinganexpeditiontotradewiththeseFung,andIdisguisedmyselfasoneofthem。

  “Onacertainnightwecampedatthefootofavalleyoutsideagreatwallwhichenclosestheholyplacewheretheiridolis。Irodeuptothiswalland,throughtheopengateway,heardsomeonewithabeautifultenorvoicesinginginEnglish。WhathesangwasahymnthatIhadtaughtmyson。Itbegins:

  \'Abidewithme,fastfallstheeventide。\'

  “Iknewthevoiceagain。Idismountedandslippedthroughthegateway,andpresentlycametoanopenspace,whereayoungmansatsinginguponasortofraisedbenchwithlampsoneithersideofhim,andalargeaudienceinfront。Isawhisfaceand,notwithstandingtheturbanwhichheworeandhisEasternrobe——yes,andthepassageofallthoseyears——Iknewitforthatofmyson。Somespiritofmadnessenteredintome,andIcalledaloud,\'Roderick,Roderick!\'andhestartedup,staringabouthimwildly。Theaudiencestartedupalso,andoneofthemcaughtsightofmelurkingintheshadow。

  “Withahowlofrage,forIhaddesecratedtheirsanctuary,theysprangatme。Tosavemylife,cowardthatIwas,Ifledbackthroughthegates。Yes,afterallthoseyearsofseeking,stillIfledratherthandie,andthoughIwaswoundedwithaspearandstones,managedtoreachandspringuponmyhorse。Then,asIwasheadedofffromourcamp,Igallopedawayanywhere,stilltosavemymiserablelifefromthosesavages,sostronglyistheinstinctofself-preservationimplantedinus。FromadistanceIlookedbackandsawbythelightofthefiredtentsthattheFungwereattackingtheArabswithwhomIhadtravelled,Isupposebecausetheythoughtthempartiestothesacrilege。AfterwardsIheardthattheykilledthemeveryone,poormen,butIescaped,whounwittinglyhadbroughttheirfateuponthem。

  “OnandonIgallopedupasteeproad。Irememberhearinglionsroaringroundmeinthedarkness。Irememberoneofthemspringinguponmyhorseandthepoorbeast\'sscream。ThenIremembernomoretillIfoundmyself——Ibelieveitwasaweekorsolater——lyingontheverandahofanicehouse,andbeingattendedbysomegood-lookingwomenofanAbyssiniancastofcountenance。”

  “SoundsratherlikeoneofthelosttribesofIsrael,“remarkedHiggssarcastically,puffingathisbigmeerschaum。

  “Yes,somethingofthatsort。ThedetailsIwillgiveyoulater。ThemainfactsarethatthesepeoplewhopickedmeupoutsidetheirgatesarecalledAbati,liveinatowncalledMur,andallegethemselvestobedescendedfromatribeofAbyssinianJewswhoweredrivenoutandmigratedtothisplacefourorfivecenturiesago。Briefly,theylooksomethinglikeJews,practiseaverydebasedformoftheJewishreligion,arecivilizedandcleverafterafashion,butinthelaststageofdecadencefrominterbreeding——aboutninethousandmenistheirtotalfightingforce,althoughthreeorfourgenerationsagotheyhadtwentythousand——andliveinhourlyterrorofexterminationbythesurroundingFung,whoholdtheminhereditaryhateasthepossessorsofthewonderfulmountainfortressthatoncebelongedtotheirforefathers。”

  “GibraltarandSpainoveragain,“suggestedOrme。

  “Yes,withthisdifference——thatthepositionisreversed,theAbatiofthisCentralAfricanGibraltararedecaying,andtheFung,whoanswertotheSpaniards,arevigorousandincreasing。”

  “Well,whathappened?“askedtheProfessor。

  “Nothingparticular。ItriedtopersuadetheseAbatitoorganizeanexpeditiontorescuemyson,buttheylaughedinmyface。BydegreesI

  foundoutthattherewasonlyonepersonamongthemwhowasworthanythingatall,andshehappenedtobetheirhereditaryrulerwhoborethehigh-soundingtitlesofWaldaNagasta,orChildofKings,andTaklaWarda,orBudoftheRose,averyhandsomeandspiritedyoungwoman,whosepersonalnameisMaqueda——“

  “OneofthenamesofthefirstknownQueensofSheba,“mutteredHiggs;

  “theotherwasBelchis。”

  “Underpretenceofattendinghermedically,“Iwenton,“forotherwisetheirwretchedetiquettewouldscarcelyhaveallowedmeaccesstoonesoexalted,Italkedthingsoverwithher。ShetoldmethattheidoloftheFungisfashionedlikeahugesphinx,orsoIgatheredfromherdescriptionofthething,forIhaveneverseenit。”

  “What!“exclaimedHiggs,jumpingup,“asphinxinNorthCentralAfrica!Well,afterall,whynot?SomeoftheearlierPharaohsaresaidtohavehaddealingswiththatpartoftheworld,oreventohavemigratedfromit。IthinkthattheMakreezirepeatsthelegend。I

  supposethatitisram-headed。”

  “Shetoldmealso,“Icontinued,“thattheyhaveatradition,orratherabelief,whichamountstoanarticleoffaith,thatifthissphinxorgod,which,bytheway,islion,notram-headed,andiscalledHarmac——“

  “Harmac!“interruptedHiggsagain。“Thatisoneofthenamesofthesphinx——Harmachis,godofdawn。”

  “Ifthisgod,“Irepeated,“shouldbedestroyed,thenationoftheFung,whoseforefathersfashioneditastheysay,mustmoveawayfromthatcountryacrossthegreatriverwhichliestothesouth。Ihaveforgottenitsnameatthemoment,butIthinkitmustbeabranchoftheNile。

  “Isuggestedtoherthat,inthecircumstances,herpeoplehadbettertrytodestroytheidol。Maquedalaughedandsaiditwasimpossible,sincethethingwasthesizeofasmallmountain,addingthattheAbatihadlongagolostallcourageandenterprise,andwerecontenttositintheirfertileandmountain-ringedland,feedingthemselveswithtalesofdepartedgrandeurandstrugglingforrankandhigh-

  soundingtitles,tillthedayofdoomovertookthem。

  “Iinquiredwhethershewerealsocontent,andshereplied,\'Certainlynot\';butwhatcouldshedotoregenerateherpeople,shewhowasnothingbutawoman,andthelastofanendlesslineofrulers?

  “\'RidmeoftheFung,\'sheaddedpassionately,\'andIwillgiveyousucharewardasyouneverdreamed。Theoldcave-cityyonderisfulloftreasurethatwasburiedwithitsancientkingslongbeforewecametoMur。Tousitisuseless,sincewehavenonetotradewith,butI

  haveheardthatthepeoplesoftheoutsideworldworshipgold。\'

  “\'Idonotwantgold,\'Ianswered;\'Iwanttorescuemysonwhoisaprisoneryonder。\'

  “\'Then,\'saidtheChildofKings,\'youmustbeginbyhelpingustodestroytheidoloftheFung。Aretherenomeansbywhichthiscanbedone?\'

  “\'Therearemeans,\'Ireplied,andItriedtoexplaintoherthepropertiesofdynamiteandofothermorepowerfulexplosives。

  “\'Gotoyourownland,\'sheexclaimedeagerly,\'andreturnwiththatstuffandtwoorthreewhocanmanageit,andIsweartothemallthewealthofMur。Thusonlycanyouwinmyhelptosaveyourson。\'“

  “Well,whatwastheend?“askedCaptainOrme。

  “This:TheygavemesomegoldandanescortwithcamelswhichwereliterallylowereddownasecretpathinthemountainssoastoavoidtheFung,whoringtheminandofwhomtheyareterriblyafraid。WiththesepeopleIcrossedthedeserttoAssouaninsafety,ajourneyofmanyweeks,whereIleftthemencampedaboutsixteendaysago,biddingthemawaitmyreturn。IarrivedinEnglandthismorning,andassoonasIcouldascertainthatyoustilllived,andyouraddress,fromabookofreferencecalled/Who\'sWho/,whichtheygavemeinthehotel,Icameonhere。”

  “Whydidyoucometome?Whatdoyouwantmetodo?“askedtheProfessor。

  “Icametoyou,Higgs,becauseIknowhowdeeplyyouareinterestedinanythingantiquarian,andbecauseIwishedtogiveyouthefirstopportunity,notonlyofwinningwealth,butalsoofbecomingfamousasthediscovererofthemostwonderfulrelicsofantiquitythatareleftintheworld。”

  “Withaverygoodchanceofgettingmythroatcutthrownin,“grumbledHiggs。

  “AstowhatIwantyoutodo,“Iwenton,“Iwantyoutofindsomeonewhounderstandsexplosives,andwillundertakethebusinessofblowinguptheFungidol。”

  “Well,that\'seasyenough,anyhow,“saidtheProfessor,pointingtoCaptainOrmewiththebowlofhispipe,andadding,“heisanengineerbyeducation,asoldierandaveryfairchemist;alsoheknowsArabicandwasbroughtupinEgyptasaboy——justthemanforthejobifhewillgo。”

  Ireflectedamoment,then,obeyingsomesortofinstinct,lookedupandasked:

  “Willyou,CaptainOrme,iftermscanbearranged?“

  “Yesterday,“hereplied,colouringalittle,“Ishouldhaveanswered,\'Certainlynot。\'To-dayIanswerthatIampreparedtoconsiderthematter——thatis,ifHiggswillgotoo,andyoucanenlightenmeoncertainpoints。ButIwarnyouthatIamonlyanamateurinthethreetradesthattheProfessorhasmentioned,though,itistrue,onewithsomeexperience。”

  “Woulditberudetoinquire,CaptainOrme,whytwenty-fourhourshavemadesuchadifferenceinyourviewsandplans?“

  “Notrude,onlyawkward,“hereplied,colouringagain,thistimemoredeeply。“Still,asitisbesttobefrank,Iwilltellyou。YesterdayIbelievedmyselftobetheinheritorofaverylargefortunefromanunclewhosefatalillnessbroughtmebackfromSouthAfricabeforeI

  meanttocome,andaswhoseheirIhavebeenbroughtup。To-dayIhavelearnedforthefirsttimethathemarriedsecretly,lastyear,awomanmuchbelowhiminrank,andhasleftachild,who,ofcourse,willtakeallhisproperty,ashediedintestate。Butthatisnotall。

  YesterdayIbelievedmyselftobeengagedtobemarried;to-dayIamundeceiveduponthatpointalso。Thelady,“headdedwithsomebitterness,“whowaswillingtomarryAnthonyOrme\'sheirisnolongerwillingtomarryOliverOrme,whosetotalpossessionsamounttounder£10,000。Well,smallblametoherortoherrelations,whicheveritmaybe,especiallyasIunderstandthatshehasabetterallianceinview。Certainlyherdecisionhassimplifiedmatters,“andheroseandwalkedtotheotherendoftheroom。

  “Shockingbusiness,“whisperedHiggs;“beeninfamouslytreated,“andheproceededtoexpresshisopinionoftheladyconcerned,ofherrelatives,andofthelateAnthonyOrme,shipowner,inlanguagethat,ifprinted,wouldrenderthishistoryunfitforfamilyreading。TheoutspokennessofProfessorHiggsiswellknownintheantiquarianworld,sothereisnoneedformetoenlargeuponit。

  “WhatIdonotexactlyunderstand,Adams,“headdedinaloudvoice,seeingthatOrmehadturnedagain,“andwhatIthinkweshouldbothliketoknow,is/your/exactobjectinmakingtheseproposals。”

  “IamafraidIhaveexplainedmyselfbadly。IthoughtIhadmadeitclearthatIhaveonlyoneobject——toattempttherescueofmyson,ifhestilllives,asIbelievehedoes。Higgs,putyourselfinmyposition。Imagineyourselfwithnothingandnoonelefttocareforexceptasinglechild,andthatchildstolenawayfromyoubysavages。

  Imagineyourself,afteryearsofsearch,hearinghisveryvoice,seeinghisveryface,adultnow,butthesame,thethingyouhaddreamedofanddesiredforyears;thatforwhichyouwouldhavegivenathousandlivesifyoucouldhavehadtimetothink。Andthentherushofthehowling,fantasticmob,thebreakdownofcourage,oflove,ofeverythingthatisnobleunderthepressureofprim?valinstinct,whichhasbutonesong——Saveyourlife。Lastly,imaginethiscowardsaved,dwellingwithinafewmilesofthesonwhomhehaddeserted,andyetutterlyunabletorescueoreventocommunicatewithhimbecauseofthepoltrooneryofthoseamongwhomhehadrefuged。”

  “Well,“gruntedHiggs,“Ihaveimaginedallthathigh-falutinglot。

  Whatofit?Ifyoumeanthatyouaretoblame,Idon\'tagreewithyou。

  Youwouldn\'thavehelpedyoursonbygettingyourownthroatcut,andperhapshisalso。”

  “Idon\'tknow,“Ianswered。“IhavebroodedoverthethingsolongthatitseemstomethatIhavedisgracedmyself。Well,therecameachance,andItookit。Thislady,WaldaNagasta,orMaqueda,who,I

  think,hadalsobroodedoverthings,mademeanoffer——IfancywithouttheknowledgeorconsentofherCouncil。\'Helpme,\'shesaid,\'andI

  willhelpyou。Savemypeople,andIwilltrytosaveyourson。Icanpayforyourservicesandthoseofanywhomyoumaybringwithyou。\'

  “Iansweredthatitwashopeless,asnoonewouldbelievethetale,whereonshedrewfromherfingerthethrone-ringorStatesignetwhichyouhaveinyourpocket,Higgs,saying:\'MymothershavewornthissincethedaysofMaqueda,QueenofSheba。IftherearelearnedmenamongyourpeopletheywillreadhernameuponitandknowthatI

  speaknolie。Takeitasatoken,andtakealsoenoughofourgoldtobuythestuffswhereofyouspeak,whichhidefiresthatcanthrowmountainsskyward,andtheservicesofskilledandtrustymenwhoaremastersofthestuff,twoorthreeofthemonly,formorecannotbetransportedacrossthedesert,andcomebacktosaveyoursonandme。\'

  That\'sallthestory,Higgs。Willyoutakethebusinesson,orshallI

  tryelsewhere?Youmustmakeupyourmind,becauseIhavenotimetolose,ifIamtogetintoMuragainbeforetherains。”

  “Gotanyofthatgoldyouspokeofaboutyou?“askedtheProfessor。

  Idrewaskinbagfromthepocketofmycoat,andpouredsomeoutuponthetable,whichheexaminedcarefully。

  “Ringmoney,“hesaidpresently,“mightbeAnglo-Saxon,mightbeanything;dateabsolutelyuncertain,butfromitsappearanceIshouldsayslightlyalloyedwithsilver;yes,thereisabitwhichhasoxydized——undoubtedlyold,that。”

  Thenheproducedthesignetfromhispocket,andexaminedtheringandthestoneverycarefullythroughapowerfulglass。

  “Seemsallright,“hesaid,“andalthoughIhavebeengreenedinmytime,Idon\'tmakemanymistakesnowadays。Whatdoyousay,Adams?

  Musthaveitback?Asacredtrust!Onlylenttoyou!Allright,takeitbyallmeans。/I/don\'twantthething。Well,itisariskyjob,andifanyoneelsehadproposedittome,I\'dhavetoldhimtogoto——Mur。But,Adams,myboy,yousavedmylifeonce,andneversentinabill,becauseIwashardup,andIhaven\'tforgottenthat。AlsothingsareprettyhotformeherejustnowoveracertaincontroversyofwhichIsupposeyouhaven\'theardinCentralAfrica。IthinkI\'llgo。

  Whatdoyousay,Oliver?“

  “Oh!“saidCaptainOrme,wakingupfromareverie,“ifyouaresatisfied,Iam。Itdoesn\'tmattertomewhereIgo。”

  CHAPTERII

  THEADVICEOFSERGEANTQUICK

  Atthismomentafearfulhubbubarosewithout。Thefrontdoorslammed,acabdroveofffuriously,apoliceman\'swhistleblew,heavyfeetwereheardtrampling;thencameaninvocationof“IntheKing\'sname,“

  answeredby“Yes,andtheQueen\'s,andtherestoftheRoyalFamily\'s,andifyouwantit,takeit,youchuckle-headed,flat-footed,pot-

  belliedPeelers。”

  Thenfollowedtumultindescribableasofheavymenandthingsrollingdownthestairs,withcriesoffearandindignation。

  “Whatthedickensisthat?“askedHiggs。

  “ThevoicesoundedlikethatofSamuel——ImeanSergeantQuick,“

  answeredCaptainOrmewithevidentalarm;“whatcanhebeafter?Oh,I

  know,itissomethingtodowiththatinfernalmummyyouunwrappedthisafternoon,andaskedhimtobringroundafterdinner。”

  Justthenthedoorburstopen,andatall,soldier-likeformstalkedin,carryinginhisarmsacorpsewrappedinasheet,whichhelaiduponthetableamongthewineglasses。

  “I\'msorry,Captain,“hesaid,addressingOrme,“butI\'velosttheheadofthedeparted。Ithinkitisatthebottomofthestairswiththepolice。Hadnothingelsetodefendmyselfwith,sir,againsttheirunwarrantedattacks,sobroughtthebodytothepresentandcharged,thinkingitverystiffandstrong,butregrettosaynecksnapped,andthatdeceased\'sheadisnowunderarrest。”

  AsSergeantQuickfinishedspeaking,thedooropenedagain,andthroughitappearedtwoveryflurriedanddishevelledpolicemen,oneofwhomheld,asfaraspossiblefromhisperson,thegrizzlyheadofamummybythelonghairwhichstilladheredtotheskull。

  “Whatdoyoumeanbybreakingintomyroomslikethis?Where\'syourwarrant?“askedtheindignantHiggsinhishighvoice。

  “There!“answeredthefirstpoliceman,pointingtothesheet-wrappedformonthetable。

  “Andhere!“addedthesecond,holdinguptheawfulhead。“Asindutybound,weaskexplanationfromthatmanofthesecretconveyanceofacorpsethroughtheopenstreets,whereonheassaultsuswiththesame,forwhichassault,pendinginvestigationofthecorpse,Iarresthim。

  Now,Guv\'nor“addressingSergeantQuick,“willyoucomealongwithusquietly,ormustwetakeyou?“

  TheSergeant,whoseemedtobeinarticulatewithwrath,madeadashfortheshroudedobjectonthetable,withtheintention,apparently,ofoncemoreusingitasaweaponofoffence,andthepolicemendrewtheirbatons。

  “Stop,“saidOrme,thrustinghimselfbetweenthecombatants,“areyouallmad?Doyouknowthatthiswomandiedaboutfourthousandyearsago?“

  “Oh,Lord!“saidthepolicemanwhoheldthehead,addressinghiscompanion,“itmustbeoneofthemmummieswhattheydigupintheBritishMuseum。Seemsprettyancientandspicy,don\'tit?“andhesniffedatthehead,thensetitdownuponthetable。

  Explanationsfollowed,andafterthewoundeddignityofthetwoofficersoftheForcehadbeensoothedwithsundryglassesofportwineandawrittenlistofthenamesofallconcerned,includingthatofthemummy,theydeparted。

  “Youtakemyadvice,bobbies,“IheardtheindignantSergeantdeclaimoutsidethedoor,“anddon\'tyoubelievethingsisalwayswhattheyseem。Apartyain\'tnecessarilydrunkbecauseherollsaboutandfallsdowninthestreet;hemaybemad,or\'ungry,orepileptic,andabodyain\'talwaysabodyjestbecauseit\'sdeadandcoldandstiff。Why,men,asyou\'veseen,itmaybeamummy,whichisquiteadifferentthing。IfIwastoputonthatbluecoatofyours,wouldthatmakemeapoliceman?Goodheavens!Ishouldhopenot,forthesakeoftheArmytowhichIstillbelong,beingintheReserve。Whatyoubobbiesneedistostudyhumannatureandcultivateobservation,whichwilllearnyouthedifferencebetweenanew-laidcorpseandamummy,andmanyotherthings。Nowyoulaymywordstoheart,andyou\'llbothofyourisetosuperintendents,insteadofrunningindaily\'drunks\'untilyouretireonapension。Good-night。”

  Peacehavingbeenrestored,andtheheadlessmummyremovedintotheProfessor\'sbedroom,sinceCaptainOrmedeclaredthathecouldnottalkbusinessinthepresenceofabody,howeverancient,weresumedourdiscussion。Firstofall,atHiggs\'ssuggestionIdrewupabriefmemorandumofagreementwhichsetouttheobjectsoftheexpedition,andprovidedfortheequaldivisionamongstusofanyprofitthatmightaccrue;intheeventofthedeathofoneormoreofus,thesurvivorsorsurvivortotaketheirorhisshare。

  TothisarrangementpersonallyIobjected,whodesiredneithertreasurenorantiquities,butonlytherescueofmyson。Theotherspointedout,however,that,likemostpeople,Imightinfuturewantsomethingtoliveon,orthatifIdidnot,intheeventofhisescape,myboycertainlywould;sointheendIgaveway。

  ThenCaptainOrmeverysensiblyaskedforadefinitionofourrespectiveduties,anditwassettledthatIwastobeguidetotheexpedition;Higgs,antiquarian,interpreter,and,onaccountofhisvastknowledge,generalreferee;andCaptainOrme,engineerandmilitarycommander,withtheprovisothat,intheeventofadifferenceofopinion,thedissentientwastoloyallyacceptthedecisionofthemajority。

  Thiscuriousdocumenthavingbeencopiedoutfair,IsignedandpassedittotheProfessor,whohesitatedalittle,but,afterrefreshinghimselfwithafurtherminuteexaminationofSheba\'sring,signedalso,remarkingthathewasaninfernalfoolforhispains,andpushedthepaperacrossthetabletoOrme。

  “Stopaminute,“saidtheCaptain;“Iforgotsomething。Ishouldlikemyoldservant,SergeantQuick,toaccompanyus。He\'saveryhandymanatapinch,especiallyif,asIunderstand,weareexpectedtodealwithexplosiveswithwhichhehashadalottodointheEngineersandelsewhere。IfyouagreeIwillcallhim,andaskifhewillgo。I

  expecthe\'ssomewhereround。”

  Inodded,judgingfromtheepisodeofthemummyandthepolicemanthattheSergeantwaslikelytobeausefulman。AsIwassittingnexttoit,IopenedthedoorfortheCaptain,whereontheerectshapeofSergeantQuick,whohadclearlybeenleaningagainstit,literallyfellintotheroom,remindingmemuchofanoversetwoodensoldier。

  “Hullo!“saidOrmeas,withouttheslightestchangeofcountenance,hisretainerrecoveredhimselfandstoodtoattention。“Whatthedeuceareyoudoingthere?“

  “Sentrygo,Captain。Thoughtthepolicemightchangetheirmindsandcomeback。Anyorders,Captain?“

  “Yes。IamgoingtoNorthCentralAfrica。Whencanyoubereadytostart?“

  “TheBrindisimailleavesto-morrownight,Captain,ifyoutravelbyEgypt,butifyougobyTunis,7。15a。m。SaturdayisthetimefromCharingCross。Only,asIunderstandthathighexplosivesandarmshavetobeprovided,thesemighttakeawhiletolayinandpacksoastodeceivecustoms。”

  “Youunderstand!“saidOrme。“Pray,howdoyouunderstand?“

  “Doorsintheseoldhousesareapttogetawayfromtheirframes,Captain,andthegentlemanthere“——andhepointedtotheProfessor——

  “hasavoicethatcarrieslikeadog-whistle。Oh,nooffence,sir。A

  clearvoiceisanexcellentthing——thatis,ifthedoorsfit“——andalthoughSergeantQuick\'swoodenfacedidnotmove,Isawhishumorousgreyeyestwinklebeneaththebushyeyebrows。

  Weburstoutlaughing,includingHiggs。

  “Soyouarewillingtogo?“saidOrme。“ButIhopeyouclearlyunderstandthatthisisariskybusiness,andthatyoumaynotcomeback?“

  “SpionKopwasabitrisky,Captain,andsowasthatbusinessinthedonga,whereeveryonewashitexceptyouandmeandthesailorman,butwecameback,forallthat。Beggingyourpardon,Captain,thereain\'tnosuchthingasrisk。Mancomesherewhenhemust,anddieswhenhemust,andwhathedoesbetweendon\'tmakeaha\'porthofdifference。”

  “Hear,hear,“Isaid;“wearemuchofthesamewayofthinking。”

  “Therehavebeenseveralwhoheldthoseviews,sir,sinceoldSolomongavetheladythat“——andhepointedtoSheba\'sring,whichwaslyingonthetable。“Butexcuseme,Captain;howaboutlocalallowances?Nothavingbeenamarryingmanmyself,I\'venonedependentuponme,but,asyouknow,I\'vesistersthathave,andasoldier\'spensiongoeswithhim。Don\'tthinkmegreedy,Captain,“headdedhastily,“but,asyougentlemenunderstand,blackandwhiteatthebeginningsavesbotherattheend“——andhepointedtotheagreement。

  “Quiteright。Whatdoyouwant,Sergeant?“askedOrme。

  “Nothingbeyondmypay,ifwegetnothing,Captain,butifwegetsomething,wouldfivepercent。betoomuch?“

  “Itmightbeten,“Isuggested。“SergeantQuickhasalifetoloseliketherestofus。”

  “Thankyoukindly,sir,“heanswered;“butthat,inmyopinion,wouldbetoomuch。Fivepercent。waswhatIsuggested。”

  SoitwaswrittendownthatSergeantSamuelQuickwastoreceivefivepercent。ofthetotalprofits,ifany,providedthathebehavedhimselfandobeyedorders。Thenhealsosignedtheagreement,andwasfurnishedwithaglassofwhiskyandwatertodrinktoitsgoodhealth。

  “Now,gentlemen,“hesaid,decliningthechairwhichHiggsofferedtohim,apparentlybecause,fromlongcustom,hepreferredhiswooden-

  soldierattitudeagainstthewall,“asahumblefive-per-cent。privateinthisveryadventurouscompanyI\'llaskpermissiontosayaword。”

  Permissionwasgivenaccordingly,andtheSergeantproceededtoinquirewhatweightofrockitwaswishedtoremove。

  ItoldhimthatIdidnotknow,asIhadneverseentheFungidol,butIunderstoodthatitssizewasenormous,probablyaslargeasSt。

  Paul\'sCathedral。

  “Which,ifsolid,wouldtakesomestirring,“remarkedtheSergeant。

  “Dynamitemightdoit,butitistoobulkytobecarriedacrossthedesertoncamelsinthatquantity。Captain,howaboutthempicrates?

  YourememberthosenewBoershellsthatblewalotofustokingdomcome,andpoisonedtherest?“

  “Yes,“answeredOrme;“Iremember;butnowtheyhavestrongerstuffs——

  azo-imides,Ithinktheycallthem——terrificnewcompoundsofnitrogen。Wewillinquireto-morrow,Sergeant。”

  “Yes,Captain,“heanswered;“butthepointis,who\'llpay?Youcan\'tbuyhell-fireinbulkfornothing。Icalculatethat,allowingforthepurchaseoftheexplosivesand,say,fiftymilitaryrifleswithammunitionandallothernecessaries,notincludingcamels,theoutfitofthisexpeditioncan\'tcometolessthan£1,500。”

  “IthinkIhavethatamountingold,“Ianswered,“ofwhichtheladyoftheAbatigavemeasmuchasIcouldcarryincomfort。”

  “Ifnot,“saidOrme,“althoughIamapoormannow,Icouldfind£500

  orsoinapinch。Sodon\'tletusbotheraboutthemoney。Thequestionis——Areweallagreedthatwewillundertakethisexpeditionandseeitthroughtotheend,whateverthatmaybe?“

  Weansweredthatwewere。

  “Thenhasanybodyanythingmoretosay?“

  “Yes,“Ireplied;“IforgottotellyouthatifweshouldevergettoMur,noneofyoumustmakelovetotheWaldaNagasta。Sheisakindofholyperson,whocanonlymarryintoherownfamily,andtodosomightmeanthatourthroatswouldbecut。”

  “Doyouhearthat,Oliver?“saidtheProfessor。“IsupposethattheDoctor\'swarningismeantforyou,astherestofusareratherpastthatkindofthing。”

  “Indeed,“repliedtheCaptain,colouringagainafterhisfashion。

  “Well,totellyouthetruth,Ifeelabitpastitmyself,and,sofarasIamconcerned,Idon\'tthinkweneedtakethefascinationsofthisblackladyintoaccount。”

  “Don\'tbrag,Captain。Pleasedon\'tbrag,“saidSergeantQuickinahollowwhisper。“Womanisjusttheonethingaboutwhichyoucanneverbesure。To-dayshe\'spoison,andto-morrowhoney——Godandtheclimatealoneknowwhy。Pleasedon\'tbrag,orwemaylivetoseeyoucrawlingafterthisoneonyourknees,withthegentinthespecsbehind,andSamuelQuick,whohatesthewholetribeofthem,bringinguptherear。

  TemptProvidence,ifyoulike,Captain,butdon\'ttemptwoman,lestsheshouldturnroundandtemptyou,asshehasdonebeforeto-day。”

  “Willyoubesogoodastostoptalkingnonsenseandcallacab,“saidCaptainOrmecoldly。ButHiggsbegantolaughinhisrudefashion,andI,rememberingtheappearanceof“BudoftheRose“whensheliftedherveilofceremony,andthesoftearnestnessofhervoice,fellintoreflection。“Blacklady“indeed!What,Iwondered,wouldthisyounggentlemanthinkifeverheshouldlivetosethiseyesuponhersweetandcomelyface?

  ItseemedtomethatSergeantQuickwasnotsofoolishashismasterchosetoimagine。CaptainOrmeundoubtedlywasineverywayqualifiedtobeapartnerinourventure;still,Icouldhavewishedeitherthathehadbeenanolderman,orthattheladytowhomhewasrecentlyaffiancedhadnotchosenthisoccasiontobreakherengagement。Indealingwithdifficultanddangerouscombinations,myexperiencehasbeenthatitisalwayswelltoeliminatethepossibilityofaloveaffair,especiallyintheEast。

  CHAPTERIII

  THEPROFESSORGOESOUTSHOOTING

  OfallourtremendousjourneyacrossthedesertuntilwehadpassedtheforestandreachedtheplainswhichsurroundedthemountainsofMur,thereare,Ithink,butfewincidentswithwhichthereaderneedbetroubled。ThefirstofthesewasatAssouan,wherealetterandvarioustelegramsovertookCaptainOrme,which,asbythistimewehadbecomeintimate,heshowedtome。Theyinformedhimthattheclandestineinfantwhomhisuncleleftbehindhimhadsuddenlysickenedanddiedofsomechildishailment,sothathewasonceagainheirtothelargepropertywhichhethoughthehadlost,sincethewidowonlytookalifeinterestinsomeofthepersonalty。I

  congratulatedhimandsaidIsupposedthismeantthatweshouldnothavethepleasureofhiscompanytoMur。

  “Whynot?“heasked。“IsaidIwasgoingandImeantogo;indeed,I

  signedadocumenttothateffect。”

  “Idaresay,“Ianswered,“butcircumstancesaltercases。IfImightsayso,anadventurethatperhapswasgoodenoughforayoungandwell-bornmanofspiritandenterprisewithoutanyparticularresources,isnolongergoodenoughforonewhohastheballathisfeet。Thinkwhataballitistoamanofyourbirth,intelligence,record,andnow,greatfortunecometoyouinyouth。Why,withtheseadvantagesthereisabsolutelynothingthatyoucannotdoinEngland。

  YoucangointoParliamentandrulethecountry;ifyoulikeyoucanbecomeapeer。Youcanmarryanyonewhoisn\'tofthebloodroyal;inshort,withuncommonlylittleeffortofyourown,yourcareerismadeforyou。Don\'tthrowawayasilverspoonlikethatinorder,perhaps,todieofthirstinthedesertorbekilledinafightamongunknowntribes。”

  “Oh,Idon\'tknow,“heanswered。“Ineversetheartmuchonspoons,silverorother。WhenIlostthisoneIdidn\'tcry,andnowthatI

  havefounditagainIshan\'tsing。Anyway,Iamgoingonwithyou,andyoucan\'tpreventmeundertheagreement。OnlyasIhavegotsuchalottoleave,IsupposeIhadbettermakeawillfirstandpostithome,whichisabore。”

  JustthentheProfessorcamein,followedbyanArabthiefofadealer,withwhomhewastryingtobargainforsomeobjectofantiquity。Whenthedealerhadbeenejectedandthepositionexplainedtohim,Higgs,whowhatevermaybehisfailingsinsmallmatters,isunselfishenoughinbigones,saidthatheagreedwithmeandthoughtthatunderthecircumstances,inhisowninterest,Ormeoughttoleaveusandreturnhome。

  “Youmaysaveyourbreath,oldfellow,“answeredtheCaptain,“forthisreasoniffornoother,“andhethrewhimaletteracrossthetable,whichletterIsawafterwards。Tobebrief,itwasfromtheyoungladytowhomhehadbeenengagedtobemarried,andwhoonhislossoffortunehadjiltedhim。Nowsheseemedtohavechangedhermindagain,and,althoughshedidnotmentionthematter,itisperhapsnotuncharitabletosupposethatthenewsofthedeathoftheinconvenientchildhadsomethingtodowithherdecision。

  “Haveyouansweredthis?“askedHiggs。

  “No,“answeredOrme,settinghismouth。“Ihavenotanswered,andIamnotgoingtoanswerit,eitherinwritingorinperson。Iintendtostartto-morrowforMurandtotravelasfaronthatroadasitpleasesfatetoallow,andnowIamgoingtolookattherocksculpturesbythecataract。”

  “Well,that\'sflat,“saidHiggsafterhehaddeparted,“andformypartIamgladofit,forsomehowIthinkhewillbeausefulmanamongthoseFung。Also,ifhewentIexpectthattheSergeantwouldgotoo,andwhereshouldwebewithoutQuick,Ishouldliketoknow?“

  AfterwardsIconversedwiththesaidQuickaboutthissamematter,repeatingtohimmyopinions,towhichtheSergeantlistenedwiththedeferencewhichhewasalwayskindenoughtoshowtome。

  “Beggingyourpardon,sir,“hesaid,whenIhadfinished,“butIthinkyouarebothrightandwrong。Everythinghastwoends,hasn\'tit?YousaythatitwouldbewickedfortheCaptaintogethimselfkilled,therebeingnowsomuchmoneyforhimtolivefor,seeingthatlifeiscommonasdirtwhilemoneyisprecious,rareandhardtocomeby。Itain\'tthekingsweadmire,it\'stheircrowns;itain\'tthemillionaires,it\'stheirmillions;but,afterall,themillionairesdon\'ttaketheirmillionswiththem,forProvidence,that,likeNature,hateswaste,knowsthatiftheydidthey\'dmelt,soonemandeadgivesanotherbread,asthesayinggoes,orp\'rapsIshouldsaygingerbreadinsuchcases。

  “Still,onthewhole,sir,Iadmityouarerightastothesinfulnessofwastingluck。Butnowcomestheotherend。IknowthisyoungladywhattheCaptainwasengagedto,whichheneverwouldhavebeenifhehadtakenmyadvice,sinceofallthefish-bloodedlittleserpentsthateverIseteyesonshe\'stheserpentest,thoughpretty,Iallow。

  Solomonsaidinhishastethatanhonestwomanhehadnotfound,butifhehadmettheHonourableMiss——well,nevermindhername——he\'dhavesaiditathisleisure,andgoneonsayingit。Now,nooneshouldnevertakebackaservantwhathasgivennoticeandthensayshe\'ssorry,forifhedoesthesorrowwillbeontheothersidebeforeit\'salldone;andmuchlessshouldhetakebacka/fiancée/Quicksaida\'finance\',onthewhole,he\'dbetterdrownhimself——Itrieditonce,andIknow。Sothat\'sthetailofthebusiness。

  “But,“hewenton,“ithasacoupleoffinsaswell,likethateelbeastIcaughtintheNile。OneofthemisthattheCaptainpromisedandvowedtogothroughwiththisexpedition,andifaman\'sgottodie,he\'dbetterdiehonestwithoutbreakinghisword。AndtheotheriswhatIsaidtoyouinLondonwhenIsignedon,thathewon\'tdieaminutebeforehistime,andnothingwon\'thappentohim,butwhat\'sboundtohappen,andthereforeitain\'taha\'porthofusebotheringaboutanything,andthat\'swheretheEast\'swellaheadoftheWest。

  “Andnow,sir,I\'llgoandlookafterthecamelsandthosehalf-bredJewboyswhatyoucallAbati,butIcallrottensneaks,foriftheygettheirthievingfingersintothosecanistersofpicricsalts,thinkingthey\'rejam,asIfoundthemtryingtodoyesterday,somethingmayhappeninEgyptthat\'llmakethePharaohsturnintheirgravesandtheTenPlagueslooksilly。”

  So,havingfinishedhisoration,Quickwent,andinduecoursewestartedforMur。

  Thesecondincidentthatisperhapsworthrecordingwasanadventurethathappenedtouswhenwehadcompletedabouttwoofourfourmonths\'journey。

  Afterweeksofwearydeserttravel——ifIrememberright,itwasexactlyafortnightafterthedogPharaoh,ofwhichIshallsoonhaveplentytosay,hadcomeintoOrme\'spossession——wereachedanoasiscalledZeu,whereIhadhalteduponmyroaddowntoEgypt。Inthisoasis,which,althoughnotlargeinextent,possessesspringsofbeautifulwaterandgrovesofdate-trees,wewere,asitchanced,verywelcome,sincewhenIwastherebefore,Ihadbeenfortunateenoughtocureitssheikofanattackofophthalmiaandtodoctorseveralofhispeopleforvariousailmentswithgoodresults。So,althoughIwasburningtogetforward,Iagreedwiththeothersthatitwouldbewisetoaccedetotherequestoftheleaderofourcaravan,acleverandresourceful,buttomyminduntrustworthyAbatiofthenameofShadrach,andcampinZeuforaweekorsotorestandfeedourcamels,whichhadwastedalmosttonothingonthescantherbageofthedesert。

  ThisShadrach,Imayaddhere,whomhiscompanions,forsomereasonunknowntomeatthattime,calledtheCat,wasremarkableforatriplelineofscarsuponhisface,which,heinformedme,hadbeensettherebytheclawsofalion。NowthegreatenemiesofthispeopleofZeuwerelions,whichatcertainseasonsoftheyear,Isupposewhenfoodgrewscarce,descendedfromtheslopesofarangeofhillsthatstretchedeastandwestatadistanceofaboutfiftymilesnorthoftheoasis,and,crossingtheinterveningdesert,killedmanyoftheZeusheep,camels,andothercattle,andoftenenoughanyofthetribewhomtheycouldcatch。AsthesepoorZeuspracticallypossessednofirearms,theywereatthemercyofthelions,whichgrewcorrespondinglybold。Indeed,theironlyresourcewastokraaltheiranimalswithinstonewallsatnightandtakerefugeintheirhuts,whichtheyseldomleftbetweensunsetanddawn,excepttoreplenishthefiresthattheylittoscareanybeastofpreywhichmightbeprowlingthroughthetown。

  Thoughthelionseasonwasnowinfullswing,asithappened,forthefirstfivedaysofourstayatZeuwesawnoneofthesegreatcats,althoughinthedarknessweheardthemroaringinthedistance。Onthesixthnight,however,wewereawakenedbyasoundofwailing,whichcamefromthevillageaboutaquarterofamileaway,andwhenwewentoutatdawntoseewhatwasthematter,weremetbyamelancholyprocessionadvancingfromitswalls。Attheheadofitmarchedthegrey-hairedoldchief,followedbyanumberofscreamingwomen,whointheirexcitement,orperhapsasasignofmourning,hadomittedtomaketheirtoilette,andbyfourmen,whocarriedsomethinghorridonawickerworkdoor。

  Soonwelearnedwhathadhappened。Itseemedthathungrylions,twoorthreeofthem,hadbrokenthroughthepalm-leafroofofthehutofoneofthesheik\'swives,shewhoseremainswerestretcheduponthedoor,and,inadditiontokillingher,hadactuallycarriedoffhisson。Nowhecametoimploreuswhitemenwhohadgunstorevengehimonthelions,whichotherwise,havingoncetastedhumanflesh,woulddestroymanymoreofhispeople。

  ThroughaninterpreterwhoknewArabic,fornotevenHiggscouldunderstandthepeculiarZeudialect,heexplainedinexcitedandincoherentwordsthatthebeastslayupamongthesand-hillsnotveryfaraway,wheresomethickreedsgrewaroundalittlespringofwater。

  WouldwenotcomeoutandkillthemandearntheblessingoftheZeus?

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